It’s time for annual beauty and fashion sales

Sandra Phillips

This week I’m going to tell you about NOT shopping in stores. Just as we have garage sales, there are many manufacturers or distributors in the city that have annual or semi-annual clearance sales. Sometimes it pays to wait for a certain time of year to buy.

These businesses must clear out their warehouse space to make room for next season’s merchandise. They sell off samples or liquidated items they are no longer producing, leftovers from last season, seconds or lines that never sold well. Whatever it is, the price is always right.

The products vary as much as retail varies: toys, bowling balls, golf equipment, pianos, flatware, china, crystal, duvets and linens, home electronics, makeup and skin care products, perfume, Halloween costumes, winter jackets, lingerie, Quebec designer fashions, casual clothes for men and women, and chocolates. When you attend a sale, ask if you can be put on a mailing list for future sales. If you can’t make a sale, you can try to leave your name with the receptionist at the company for notification. Some have online mailing lists.

November is a good month for makeup and skin care sales and I’ve thrown in one fashion sale, too:

Marcelle makeup and skin care products were developed for women with sensitive skin. The company, whose products are manufactured and designed in Quebec, also produces the Annabelle line. If you would like to buy their discontinued and liquidated goodies, now is the time, since the next warehouse sale won’t be held until spring.

All Marcelle colours are $2.50, Annabelle colours are $1.50, and creams or lotions cost $8 to $24. It’s a good time to stock up on gifts, as there are usually gift boxes for sale. You can be put on a mailing or phone list for future sales. Location: 9200 Côte de Liesse at 43rd Ave. Phone: 800-387-7710. Dates: Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5 and 6 from 4-8pm; Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7 and 8 from 9am-4pm. www.marcelle.com

The Clarins Groupe has skin care, fragrance and cosmetic brands under its umbrella, so when its warehouse opens to the public, look for your favourites among such names as Burberry, Thierry Mugler, Escada, Azzaro, Puma, Le Couvent des Minimes, Anna Sui, Annick Goutal, Nuxe, Christina Aguilera, Brumisateur Evian, Occitane, Quicksilver, and, of course, Clarins. Location: 815 Desserte (Autoroute 13 service road) at Notre Dame in Laval. Phone: 450-688-0144. Dates: November 13 from 10am-9pm and November 14 from 9am-5pm. us.clarins.com

Lise Watier, Quebec’s own cosmetics queen, has semi-annual clearance sales of last year’s discontinued lines or slightly damaged packages of makeup, perfumes, and skin care products. The sale lasts two days for two or three weekends in a row. The next one will probably be in March. You can sign up on the website to be notified of future events by e-mail.

Location: 5600 Côte de Liesse. Phone: 514-735-4959, ext. 840. Dates: November 21 from 9am-5pm; November 22 from 9am-4pm; November 28 from 9am-5pm; November 29 from 10am-4pm; December 5 from 9am-5pm; December 6 from 9am-4pm. www.lisewatier.com

For years, those in the know have slid in to the entrance at the rear of the Tyfoon building in the Blue Bonnets area to rummage through the sample racks of upper-end brand name clothing.

The hunt is worth it, for men’s and women’s shoes and accessories from such names as: Kitson LA, Inkslingers, A.B.S., Cezer New York, Parish, aka Stash House, Triko, Coogi, David Brooks, Pastry, Akademiks, Crown Holder, Marithé François Girbaud, Levi’s, Black Sheep, Pellepelle, and European lines Nienhaus woman, Frank Walder and Brandtex.

Location: 5540 Ferrier at Devonshire. Phone: 514-731-7070 Dates: Friday, Nov. 27 from 9am-9pm; Saturday, Nov. 28 from 10am-5pm; Sunday, Nov. 29 from 12-5pm.