The Company Store

I’m pretty sad that this location is now closed, but it has been one of the best Cosmetic Company Stores I have been to. Their staff members were super knowledgeable & friendly. The items here were 30% off the retail price of MAC, Estee Lauder, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, and more. It was definitely closer to home than other CCO locations. Thanks for always being awesome Diana & Katherine!

I may not be a makeup person, but I have friends and family who are. So for birthdays, I usually pick up some goodies for them here at The Company Store.
They seem like a cosmetics outlet store. MAC, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Origins — makeup for a cheaper price! They also have colognes and perfume like DKNY, Coach, and Estee Lauder. Also, lotions, skin cleansers, moistunzers, and toners for a bargain!
Bargain price without the mess of other outlet stores I have been to, and almost always no crowd — so much so that they will be closing permanently on May 24^th.

Kicking yourself because you didn’t buy that limited edition lipgloss or eyeshadow? Go here to see if they have it! I stopped by with a co-​worker a couple weeks ago and I am a fan! They have a variety of brands, think fine department store brands like MAC, from make-​up to fragrance packages and all at cheaper then retail pricing. I am not talking sure cheap; I purchased MACs Opulash Mascara for $ 11 and it’s normally $ 14 – 15 for a tube and Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion with pump 4.2 fl. oz. for $ 20.50, but they normally sell for $ 24.50 retail. I would return here to bag some more beauty swag if they had a rewards program like Sephora does. Or if I am in desperate need of retail therapy.

4.5 Stars…
So far the best CCO in the Bay Area! This location has the most makeup selections compared to other CCO stores. I have visited them all: Napa, Vacaville, Gilroy and just recently Livermore. All 4 locations had very little selections.
There were so many discontinued and limited edition MAC makeup to choose from! I felt like a kid in a candy store. I ended up getting some LE lipsticks from a past collection. Finally I can take my time purchasing LE or even regular overstocked items at a discount w/​out having to rush to a counter or dept store to try to buy them at that moment (which never happens for me btw as they are always sold out). =(
The lady that helped me was nice, honest, and handled my returns promptly. I think her name was either Elizabeth or Jennifer. Might have overlooked her name tag as I was too excited to get my MAC.
Only downfall? are the limited store hours as they’re not open on weekends.

Best deals in the Fi-​Di. These guys have a huge selection and the prices are unbelievable.

This used to be my «secret» makeup store. I’ve been coming here for a few years and remember when it was «invitation only» store for people that work in the embarcadero buildings. The invitation was a card that had your company name. That invitation was gold since the firm I work for is NOT in the Embarcadero, but across the street. The invitations were handed out by an unnamed person and then all of us would squirreled our low cost designer makeup which could only be purchased there. I always wondered how they would get business because no one was allowed in if an «invitation» wasn’t presented to the gals at the front. Even curious onlookers who wanted a peek at the prizes, to be sure they event wanted an invitation, were turned away. You were capped at buying only two of the same items (so you don’t turn around and sell on Ebay?)
Alas, the place was always empty. Oh well, more makeup for me.
On to the makeup — you can test everything. Stay in there and makeup your whole face if you want to. Among the ones I like are Mac, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Origins, American Beauty, Flirt, Smashbox (this has been recently added), Clinique. They also have Aveda hair products and Oljan (sorry I forget the name) and lots of perfume ranging from Michael Kors to Coach, to Estee Lauder fragrances. Even the high end makeup brushes are sold here!
Anyway, I always find myself getting a deal. One thing to remember is not the entire product lines are sold here. If you go in with a particular color in mind (like foundation) they may not have your color. I scored on Bobbi’s concealer pot for $ 16.50, (reg $ 24), and foundation $ 32.50, (reg. $ 45). I went back to buy more Bobbi concealer and my color is now gone.
No money back on returns, only store credit.
The latest is you don’t need the invitation anymore. So now they enjoy more walk in business! I haven’t really confirmed that but they don’t ask me for mine.

Very nice store to shop at a discounted price. A nice selection of all name brand beauty products from Estée Lauder company. However, I don’t like the fact that their return policy doesnt refund you money back, only store credit.

This store is a life saver in FiDi area when you need to pick up an essential cosmetic item but don’t have the time to trek all the way to Sephora and can’t bring yourself to buy the make up from Walgreen’s.
I stumbled on this store while wandering around the Embarcadero stores one lunch afternoon. I actually was curious as to why it said «by invitation only» on the doors– what?! how is it possible that I wasn’t invited?! I asked the store clerk what that meant, which pretty much means you must work in the Embarcadero buildings to enjoy the discounted benefit off so many fabulous brands, such as MAC, Bobbi Brown, Bumble&Bumble, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Origins, gosh the list can go on! Apparently, the store serves as an outlet store for all these high end make up brands.
I have found some great foundation, eye pallete, lip stick, eye liner, and perfume items here. My current favorite is Bobbi Brown, her eyeliner here is better than the Smashbox pots I used to get at Sephora, and her foundation is smoother and more natural than the Givenchy I also got from Sephora.

Company Store, I love you! Ever since I found this place last summer, I’ve stocked up on Mac, Clinique, Origins, and Bobbi Brown (not to mention everything else they have here!). Their prices are discounted from original retail mark-​up from what you would find in Macy’s and Bloomingdales, but their selection isn’t as broad as those you would find in a department store, hence the discount. Even though the girls who work there don’t know 100% what exactly they’ll receive from their shipments, they’ll definitely do their best to find you something similar. And sometimes, they’ll have only one or two of a certain product in the back that they can’t make a tester for, so make sure you ASK! I’ve got a few great Mac paint pots this way.
In addition to cosmetics, this place also has a wide range of Bumble and Bumble, Aveda, and Ojon hair care. They’re pretty well-​stocked in the well-​known Clinique favorites like Dramatically Different Lotion and Gel. I just purchased a Clinique foaming cleanser for acne that I looove and a few months ago, I got the Even Better Clinical lotion. If it’s Estee, they probably have it or will have it eventually. Missed out on that Mac collection while it was in stores? Within 6 months to a year, some pieces from those collections will probably show up in their store. I got the Venomous Villians magically cool liquid powder for only $ 25! And it’s twice the size of the Bare Escentuals hydrating mineral veil that I used to use for only $ 3 more. Bargain!
Despite their store front saying ‘Invitation Only’, it seems like the girls here always welcome walk-​ins. So don’t be shy, walk on in, try out some new make-​up and before you know it, you’ll never want to leave!

This store is a little gem in the Financial District. I’m so excited to have found it. They sell discounted makeup products and fragrances, including MAC, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, etc. I could easily browse in this store for a couple of hours and the salesladies are pretty low-​key and don’t hover around you while you shop. I ended up buying 3 products from this store – a Flirt blush, a limited edition MAC Mineralize blush, and a limited edition MAC lipgloss. This store is good for finding some MAC limited edition products from past collections… The only downside is that the MAC selection is rather small and I don’t understand why they carry a sign that says ‘By Invitation Only’ on the outside when anyone is allowed inside to shop.

FiDi’s best kept secret! They have a bit of everything but not everything and why I lgive them 4 stars. The girls are super-​nice and helpful but not MUAs so don’t expect them to give you professional advice or makeovers. You’ll find lots of Estee Lauder-​owned brands — perfume, cologne, makeup, assessories, and skin-​care products. You can literally spend hours in here trying everything out and the girls don’t mind. There’s no pressure!
Prices are great — they are much lower than what you pay at Bloomy’s or other department stores. The selections are still huge despite them not carrying every single lipstick shade, for example. Another note, they also don’t know what they get in until it arrives.

So my coworker shops here & bought a foundation that didn’t match her, so she wanted to do an exchange. So she asked me to go with her during lunch. As I was browsing through I felt like I was in candyland!
They have special edition makeup products from mac (sugar sweet collection, hello kitty, neo-​sci-​fi, style warriors collection just about whatever you name.) They also have bobbi brown products, este lauder, clinique. They also have quite a few perfumes, colognes. What I was also excited about was they had my mom’s old perfume you can’t find anymore in stores. Calyx Perspectives.
What I even love about this place is that everything is at discounted price! They also have a variety of mac brushes that are discounted too! The list just keeps going on! This place is definitely a hidden gem. I’ve been working in this building for years & never expected to have a place like this downstairs from my job.
The weird thing about this store is, but cool, is that it says «Invitation Only». They are very lenient about their customers. Walk-​ins are most definitely welcomed. The girls that work there are so helpful & very nice.
The bad thing about this place is that it’s right downstairs from my job so I spend half of my lunch time browsing through trying to figure out what I wanna buy! :/​I find myself spending quite a few bucks at this place. Wonderful «CCO». Another thing is that they’re only open on weekdays & there is no parking. You’ve gotta be real lucky to find one close by. I suggest you take BART or public transportation. I’m most likely coming back here for some essentials.

I’m so happy there’s a CCO in the City and close to work. It beats having to drive all the way to the outlets. I love the fact that you can buy department store cosmetics (MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, Origins, Estee Lauder, etc.) and fragrances at a discounted price. Plus, you can find limited edition, discontinued, and holiday products here as well. The sale representative are all very friendly. The only downside is this store isn’t open to the general public as there’s a sign that says «Invitation Only».

Only having an hour for lunch doesn’t give me enough time to run my errands and do all my shopping. When it comes to makeup, there’s really only a couple options in the FiDi — go to the SF Centre or go to Walgreens. SO happy to say that this is not the case anymore!
Enter in, The Company Store in Embarcadero 2. They offer MAC Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, and I think Bobbi Brown makeup. They also have perfumes as well.
Normally for an eyeshadow, lipgloss/​glass, eyeliner, etc. at MAC you pay about $ 15 for one, whereas here you only pay about $ 10 – 12. I bought an MAC eyeshadow palette (Devil May Dare warm shadows) that would originally be $ 35 for $ 25. They have many discontinued shadows and also special palettes that may be hard to find, and they also offer the basics.
As far as I know, you have to have a card to get in, as it is «Invitation Only», but I don’t really feel like they really honor that rule. The sales girls are sweet and helpful and I always walk out of here with something ;)

OMG! I found a CCO in the city! Woohoo! Its called «The Company Store» rather than its sister «The Cosmetic Company Outlet». They are basically the exact same. These stores are usually found in outlets where you can buy department store cosmetics and fragrances for discount prices. Here you will find a lot of holiday and limited edition, discontinued and products still selling at the store. I love it! This particular store the sign says «Invitation Only» but I think they can be pretty lenient about the rest of us shoppers.
So so so happy about this store. Definitely a hidden gem! I was so happy to find rare items I’ve been hunting. Some of their rarities include MAC Hello Kitty Collection, Grand Entrance eyeshadow.
The only thing I would say that sucks is parking. Parking @ the Embarcadero is non-​existent besides garages… and parking is super expensive. My suggestion is ordering $ 10 worth of food at one of the neighboring restaurants that validate… that gives you one full free hour to scour the store.