Travel: My 5 favourite makeup shops in NYC

During a very cold and snowy week in March I went to spend a couple of days with my ex-pat English friend Laura (and meet her new husband) deliver a couple of kgs of  Cadbury’s chocolate and splurge on a large amount of new makeup kit.

I’m not sure I can call this post a travel blog, more a list of restaurants I visited and liked and makeup shops I visited. I’m lucky enough to have been there been there a few times before so didn’t do much tourist-y things so we mainly hung out in Laura’s lower east side neighbourhood paraded about eating, drinking and shopping.

makeup shops in NYC – my five favourite places

MAC Pro Store

7 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10010

Tucked away in an office block near the Flat Iron Building this MAC store is huge and carries the full professional range.

Sephora

150 Broadway, New York, NY, 

Makeup, skincare and hair product porn – numerous locations. This is an obvious and essential visit if you’re in an any way beauty obsessed. My favourite is the store on Broadway

Rickys

375 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, United States

Obscure false lashes, hair tools, professional hair care ranges, wigs, a million types of tweezers, crazy hair dyes. I love this shop.

OCC – Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

74 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002, 

This brand are renowned for their Lip Tars but they have a whole range of easily blendable and highly pigmented. Vegan and cruelty free if that is your bag as well. Their only standalone store as well.

Nars store

It’s nice to go to a full standalone Nars store instead of just a counter plus they often have their limited edition ranges and palettes in stock which often sell out elsewhere.

plus……..

Any Drug Store

I love US drug stores – Riteaid, CVS etc are an American version of Boots or Superdrug. They have all the cheaper cosmetics and skincare brands and other bits you can’t get easily back in Europe

Eating

Freemans

191 Chrystie Street #2F, New York, NY 10002, United States

This restaurant tucked away down an alley way in the Lower East Side is cosy, pretty with a comfort food menu – don’t miss the hot artichoke dip.

Saint Abroseous – Soho

265 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012, United States

This chi chi Italian restaurant is fun, lit like a club and bustling with amazing people watching. Lots of classic dishes and the pasta was awesome.

Russ & Daughters – the cafe and original store

179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002, United States

Established in 1914 this purveyor of Eastern European Jewish food is a NYC institution. The original shop amongst other things sells bagels, many types of smoked salmon, cured fish and rye bread.

Their recently opened Cafe interior has been lovingly created in the same style as the store and the menu is really really good. A must visit.

Cafe Select

212 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012, United States

Imagine an après ski restaurant in the middle of Soho and that sums up Cafe Select. Bratwurst, Croque Monsieurs and crepes – perfect as it was freezing and snowy.

Corner Bistro

331 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

A West Village institution – their burgers are tasty, dirty, cheap and perfect with the beers they have on tap there. Another must visit.