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Murale
Category: Beauty and Spas Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Shopping Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Cosmetics & Beauty Supply [Edit]
Oakridge Centre650 W 41st Ave
Vancouver, BC V5Z 2M9
Neighbourhoods: South Cambie, Oakridge
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- No
8 reviews for Murale
8 reviews in English
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Review from Megan M.
5/17/2012
I don't like Sephora.
Don't get me wrong, I love the selection and the fact that they'll give you samples of anything and everything.
But I grew up on Shoppers points, and I get really disgruntled at getting a measly bonus size sample for every $100 I spend at Sephora-which is why I try to stick with brands I can get at SDM. Murale is a great addition for me because they offer a lot of the higher end brands that Shoppers doesn't carry. They also carry brands I haven't seen at Sephora either.
The first couple of times I was here it was a really mixed bag. I had a sales person try HORRIBLE foundations on me and got the colouring all wrong. But I didn't give up hope, and after a couple of tries I found someone I clicked with. She always gives me samples of things to try and is conscious of my budget. She'll show me where I can save with a cheaper version and when it's worth the splurge.
It is fairly expensive though, so I try to wait until I have optimum points to spend or they have a 20x event. -
Review from Mandy N.
Vancouver, BC
5/4/2012
Been in here like a few times. Never really bought anything but I like how it's really bright in there. Then again it also shows all my flaws on my skin. I'm guessing that's their marketing tactic.
Service was ok.... Nothing out of the ordinary as they just greeted me when I walked in.
Kinda reminds me of Sephora but out of my way to go to. -
Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
At 4pm on a slow Tuesday, 3 sales associates there but only said hi without offering help.. Go figure
Anyways looked at Clinique for men scrubbing lotion, feels good. Cleans pores, may consider it...
Nice that they have q tips, cotton pads instead of cotton balls in a neat little compartment. -
Review from Andrea P.
3/29/2011
As others have mentioned, no Sephora in Oakridge. So for us, beauty junkies, we look to Murale for our beauty needs when at Oakridge.
I'm all for Sephora but what keeps me shopping here is:
- Optimum points! Yay! And yes you can redeem them here :) pretty sweet
- Bobbi Brown. Since Sephora doesn't carry it (I've only seen BB at Sephora in Vegas so far) then Murale makes it easy for me to get my Bobbi fix without going all the way to Holts (where more damage could be done...)
- Promotions. Sometimes they have points or gift card promos that make your shopping there worthwhile!
Overall, the store is pretty, nicely organized and pleasing to the eye. Service is hit or miss as sometimes the employees are VERY helpful and other times I've never been approached. Definitely a regular here and would recommend!Listed in: Shopaholic spotted: Vancouver
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Review from Kimli W.
12/31/2010 1 Check-in Here
This answers the age old question "Why isn't there a Sephora in Oakridge Centre?" - it's coz there's a Murale; something I had never heard of until I dropped in this afternoon.
There are some definite pros and cons to Murale:
Pros:
Huge
Home grown
Lots of different brands
Very nicely laid out; easy to move around in
Good selection
You can use your Optimum Card to collect points (unknown if you can redeem there as well; unlikely but I did not ask)
Cons:
Doesn't quite have the selection Sephora does
Pricing is impossible to locate
No freebies or perks (yet?)
The lighting in there is technically perfect, but it made me look frightening and horrible :(
Finding Murale was a pleasant surprise today, and a must-visit if you're a cosmetics junkie. It would have been brilliant before Vancouver got a Sephora or four; as it is it's still a nice alternative and convenient if you're in Oakridge Centre. -
Review from Katie F.
11/11/2009
Woohoo - FTR! Murale has locations in TO, Montreal and Calgary and there's now one in Vancouver!
I am a cosmetics junkie and the holidays are my favorite time of year, one of the reasons being all the fabulous cosmetics promos and gift sets that are perfect presents but also good for me :)
This is a great beauty store (similar to Sephora) and they offer their own version of a points promotion with purchases. The layout is more like the larger types of Shoppers with lots of white and bright light and MUCH better spacing than Sephora!
Great brand selection which includes some of the lines not carried at Sephora (e.g. Bobbi Brown). This may be one of my new favorite stores - Bobbi Brown, Cargo, Stila. Bare Escentuals, NARS, YSL, Dior, etc... are all available here. They also carry some soap lines that I wasn't familiar with in lovely packaging.
Can't wait to come back! Lots of SA's on site and they seem to be a bit more experienced/senior than the help I get at Sephora. -
Review from Sunny S.
Vancouver, BC
1/10/2010
With existing stores in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Montreal - Murale finally opens it's doors in Vancouver. Located in the Oakridge Center Mall, this sleek, single-leveled cosmetic boutique will give Sephora perhaps, a run for their money.
Murale houses popular cosmetics lines like Stila, Chanel, Smashbox and Chloe, a wide range of fragrances and dermatological skincare lines. They offer an expert range of services in conjunction with their partners, Benefit Cosmetics, Natura Bisse, Darphin, Chocolat Paris and Clarins.
So on top of cruising the aisles of Shoppers Drug Mart, you can also add Mural on top of your to do list. Move over Sephora! -
Review from JJ L.
Vancouver, BC
10/11/2011
There is no Sephora in Oakridge and I hope they put one there someday soon because they are my top choice. Aside from Murale, Shifeon is another beauty store in Oakridge. As others have mentioned, Murale is a huge store and very brightly it. Agreed, the prices are often hidden and I think it is their technique to have you ask someone for them to get commission or something. Each time I have gone to the cashier to pay for an item they ask me if someone has helped me. Honestly, getting service in this store is not easy. Either they don't have enough staff on the floor at once or their sales staff just stand there not asking customers for help. That is the biggest pro to Sephora is that there is lots of staff on the floor ready to assist (other than the large variety of brands). I was just there today and I was standing at the till for about 15 mins. WTF? I could see only 2 staff on the floor and although they were assisting others, I don't understand how there is not a staff at the cashier and would the other staff not check to see if there was someone at the cashier and ring someone up if there was??
Yes they take Optimum points and they often have specials like spend $100 and get a $30 gift card or buy $100 worth of gift cards and get a $25 gift card. However, my experience has been the staff do not know what they are doing or what the promotion is. A few ladies are bang on and on top of it, but others do not and it is frustrating. If you use the gift cards, 2/3 times I have used it the cashier did not know how to ring it through!
I visit both Shifeon and Murale (right across each other) to look at the specials they have. Shifeon often has specials for different brands each time. I like Darphin so they usually have a gift bag if you spend over a certain amount. Also, they give tooonnneeess of samples. Which is really helpful in experimenting the product before buying! Murale doesn't have that - just the optimum points and I only like to buy when it is 10X or 20X the points weekend.
The service is not great and the only reason for the 3 stars is because of the large selection and the random staff who excels at service.
