We are living in the golden age of online shopping.
Where once the pursuit of beauty meant braving fluorescent lighting, crowded counters, and a spritz of fragrance you didn’t ask for, now it’s a scroll, a click, and a courier at your door. Your bathroom shelf can be replenished without setting foot outside – no queues, no awkward small talk with sales assistants.
The online beauty sphere has matured into something far more nuanced than a convenience store in your browser. It’s a curated universe where luxury retailers rub virtual shoulders with emerging brands, and where niche serums go viral before the ink on their ingredient list has dried. From smartly tailored recommendations on major platforms to tightly edited boutiques with the taste level of a Paris concept store, the choice is abundant and alluring.
These retailers understand that beauty is as much about experience as it is about product. Expect personalised shade-matching tools, generous sample schemes, and packaging designed to elicit a small, private thrill when it lands on your doorstep. Some lean into discovery, tempting you with brands you’ve never heard of but will soon wonder how you lived without. Others are masters of the classics, making sure your go-to moisturiser is always a next-day delivery away.
And while digital now drives the conversation, physical spaces still hold their allure – the gleaming new Space NK on Oxford Street stands as proof that even in a screen-first age, the in-person experience retains its magic. The difference is that now, you can choose when and how you shop: one doesn’t eclipse the other. As someone who has had a Space NK Ndulge account since 2011, I love the fact that I have options to utilise my rewards online, or if I happen to pass by a store in person.
So, whether you’re here for a £6 sheet mask or a £200 serum, the point is the same: this is beauty shopping on your own terms. Private, immediate, and without a single whiff of someone else’s perfume.
We’ve combed through the very best, from the high-end to the quietly affordable, so you can find your next beauty obsession without lifting more than a fingertip.
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Sephora UK
Sephora bridges the chic and the eclectic with its roster of cult global brands, featuring big-name makeup stars and K-beauty discoveries alike. Add in free delivery over £20 and in-store services like BrowBars and consultations, and you’ve got a full sensory-to-screen proposition.
Buy now, Sephora UK
Cult Beauty
A trusted beauty archive, Cult Beauty excels in spotting the next breakout serum or glow elixir, often before your skin even knows it needs one. Expect point-able rewards, a loyalty scheme that truly makes a difference, and an editorial sensibility that makes browsing feel like discovery. It’s where the quietly brilliant becomes cult.
Buy now, Cult Beauty
Lookfantastic
Lookfantastic casts a wide net, ranging from high-end splurges to savvy mini-luxuries. With top-tier brand partners, travel-size steals, and recurring Beauty Box exclusives, it caters to every mood and budget. The LF Beauty Plus+ membership sweetens the deal with perks that are both generous and effortless.
Buy now, Lookfantastic
Beauty Bay
A millennial-approved playground, Beauty Bay is the go-to for glossy make-up palettes, buzzy K-beauty finds, and its in-house “By Beauty Bay” line (4 for £10, anyone?). Trend-savvy, social-friendly, and awarded for its Next-Day delivery – this site is perfect for impulsive beauty hauls and must-haves.
Buy now, Beauty Bay
Space NK
Space NK remains the benchmark for refined indulgence, offering a seamless digital experience that feels decidedly luxurious.
Curator-level brands, expert skin diagnostics, and that gleaming new Oxford Street store when you fancy a hands-on moment. Think of it as the beauty department turned digital, where niche trends sit beside timeless icons. Whether you're scanning virtual shelves or browsing in-store, it’s beauty elevated at every touch.
Plus, you’ll struggle to come across a single beauty editor who disagrees that Space NK make the best makeup bags on the market.
Buy now, Space NK
Allbeauty Outlet
Allbeauty Outlet lives up to its name - a no-frills, shelf-diving channel of affordable makeup, skincare, tools, and gift sets. Everything is discounted, neatly categorised, and primed for speed-shopping.
Ideal when you're hunting staples under £10 without compromising on choice.
Buy now, Allbeauty Outlet
Boop Beauty
Boop is the secret sale site you want bookmarked on your address bar. The site offers up to 70 per cent off luxury brands such as Tom Ford, Charlotte Tilbury, Omorovicza, and Gucci, packaged in a clean, no-guilt layout. It’s where mid-week treat-yourself meets smart markdown. How?
It’s the Too Good To Go of the beauty world. Boop specialises in rescuing products that may not look perfect on the outside, have been overproduced by brands, or reformulated, which works to save millions of beauty products that would otherwise be destroyed each year.
Buy now, Boop Beauty
Notino Beauty Outlet
Notino’s beauty outlet offers everything from drugstore mainstays to haircare bargains, often with added freebies and virtual try-on tools. It’s a streamlined, bargain-hunting expedition - perfect for quick deals and trusted brands alike.
Buy now, Notino
The Beauty Store
A fuss-free portal for all the beauty hall classics: bulk buys, fragrance staples, pages of makeup, skincare, and even mystery boxes. Free delivery over £50 and easy 60-day returns make it a dependable stop when you know what you want, and just want it fast.
Buy now, The Beauty Store
No7 Beauty Outlet
No7’s own outlet feels familiar and friendly: skincare hero products, 50 per cent off offers, and frequent stock refreshes that keep the experience bright without the department-store garishness. Affordable indulgence with a heritage twist.
Buy now, No7 Beauty Outlet
The Fragrance Shop Beauty
Fragrance-led but beauty-equipped, this site blends perfume and skincare in one clean shopfront. Expect student-friendly discounts, niche scent edits, and enough beauty basics to make you linger - even if you came here for a new eau de toilette.
Buy now, The Fragrance Shop
