Being from a small town where the nearest mall is about 45 minutes away, moving to Raleigh, NC for college gave me the opportunity to explore places to buy beauty that were outside of the obvious places such as drugstores, Ulta, and Sephora. Below, you’ll find some of my favorite places to shop for the newest things to put on my face and a nail salon dreams are made of.
Aillea
While color matching a woman for a Juice Beauty foundation at my place of work, she informed me she decided to clean her routine and rid her beauty stash from parabens, artificial dyes, silicones, etc. because of her fight with breast cancer. This led to a conversation about where she gets her products from and she told me a clean beauty store had just opened in Cameron Village, which is a five minute drive from where I live. When I went for the first time, I was amazed I could find brands like Kosas, Kjaer Weis, and RMS in Raleigh! Luxury brands are hard to find in the South, especially when coupled with the clean beauty requirement, but this store is a dream come true. They have events often and you’ll always be greeted by the sweetest staff. I can’t say enough good things about this place.
H Mart
This Asian grocery store chain is a great place to find more than fun snacks and better microwavable ramen than you’ll find at your usual supermarket. There is a section right when you walk in fully devoted to Tony Moly and the brand’s adorable products. There’s also an area for Korean haircare, herbal supplements, and many more things you won’t find at your local Target. Go get you a peach with a cute little net around it (you know what I’m talking about) and pick up a lip stain that’ll stay on while you eat it.
Grand Asia Market
Grand Asia Market has an aisle of imported beauty items from shampoo to face wash, with massive packs of sheet masks sprinkled throughout. I once bought a Shiseido Hadasui face mist there for $13. Just check it out and thank me later.
Paintbase
Since starting to go to Paintbase, I’ve had endless compliments and questions about my nails. I’ve had three different nail technicians since being there and they’re all equally as talented when it comes to designs. The salon is modern and beautiful as well as affordable! Gel with a complex design is $40 and then I leave an $8 tip because the attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction is unmatched.
Bonus
Kpop Beauty II
If you’re down for a drive, you have to check out this hidden gem in Greensboro, NC. Tucked in the back corner of a strip mall is a Korean beauty store that carries Bioderma, Huxley, Dr. Jart+, and tons of others. The shop owner is nice enough to give product recommendations and color matches to anyone who may need them. Also, supporting a local business instead of ordering off Amazon is a good way to keep stores like this popping up and the beauty industry alive.