I never thought I'd buy something from Golden Apple in person, but I'm a weekly online shopper and I've become a legend in their loyalty program. But then I saw this amazing deal in their Telegram channel: buy a Gaultier or Carolina Herrera perfume and get gifts. Golden Apple's notorious for being stingy with their online rewards, so I thought, 'Hey, maybe they'll give me something in the physical store.' Naive me... not funny.

I'm not exactly eager to trek all the way to the Gallery, what with the traffic, tolls, or the hassle of taking the subway. But Golden Hollywood on Kolomяжskiy 22 is just around the corner. I hailed a taxi, although I could've taken the tram if I'm being honest.

And that's when things got crazy. The assortment is insane. I mean, I couldn't even find Le Teint nearby – it was either empty or some obscure brand. But here, it's like a treasure trove: I stood there, staring at the shelves, not knowing where to start. Even my beloved Valmont was there, with a full range of products. I was so caught up in browsing that I forgot to grab more Valmonts.

Assortment

Where do I even start? I mean, except for Chanel – we all know why. I'll just have to settle for a Chanel gift set from my friend. I initially thought of heading to Zielinski & Rozen, but they were already consulting with another customer. Oh well, I thought, I'll come back before the checkout. And come back I did.

And my first stop was the Yelena Krygina stand. I initially wanted to try out the Concrete, but then I realized my hands were getting a bit sweaty, and I ended up grabbing something else. Krygina's an old YouTube favorite of mine, so I gave her a shoutout. Below, I'll show you what I got. Check out my other purchases in the second part)

I have to admit, the real stars of the show were those coveted Gaultier and Carolina Herrera pieces – I was basically there for them. I was eyeing those Carolina Herrera shoes, the ones with the fancy details. But, in the end, Gaultier won me over. What can I say?

I also found myself drawn to Tom Ford – we have a bit of a history, don't we? I just can't help but check him out whenever I see him. But, I decided to pass on adding to my Tom Ford collection for now.

The same consultant steered me towards Kilian. Too bad they didn't have the perfume I wanted, but I'm glad I got to try Woman in Gold – it's definitely a contender.

I took a look at the oral care and supplements, but nothing really caught my eye.

I didn't bother with the gadgets – I'm already set with my Ferrero Rocher stash.

But, honestly, I made a beeline for the sheet masks stand. I'm either a total convert or a total skeptic – I guess I'm somewhere in between. I ended up grabbing a bunch of them, of course.

I also ran into some old favorites – Elizavecca and Max Factor. Man, those guys were cool. I'm getting all nostalgic just thinking about it.

Of course, I couldn't resist diving into the Dr. Jart+ selection. How could I pass it up?

I left Christina and GiGi for next time – or I might have ended up with a million products.

Finally, I threw in some Clarins goodies for good measure.

Consultants

Honestly, I'm not a fan of being followed around by consultants. You know, when they're always lurking behind you, trying to sell you something. But the ones at Yablock were super nice – friendly and unobtrusive, but still available if I needed help.

I got so overwhelmed by the perfume that I almost passed out. I mean, I hit up Amouage, Xerjoff, and Estée Lauder – all at once. My nose is still recovering, to be honest. I was basically a walking perfume store.

The best part? No one was pushy or aggressive. No one tried to upsell me on luxury brands. It was all super chill.

Actually, I didn't even notice the security guards. I mean, they were probably there, but they weren't hovering over me or anything. Thanks for that – I could browse and shop without feeling like I was being watched.

Cash and Gifts

There were a lot of people at Yablock, so I was prepared to wait in line for 20 minutes or so. But they opened up an extra cash register, and the girl started ringing me up pretty quickly.

I initially paid over 21,000 rubles. Then I deducted a bonus of over 1,500 – the order became 19,000 with change. What do you think, would there be any nice little perks for that amount? Um... no.

I asked about the Gaultier gift – I came for it, basically. Nope, there won't be. Okay, let's assume this promotion doesn't apply to the Hollywood branch or has ended. Although it was still listed in the Telegram channel at the time. But okay, it happens.

Any freebies? At least miniatures? Samples? Stickers, finally? Nope. Absolutely zero. Nothing. Nineteen thousand – and not a single freebie. Is that even normal? Second-day disappointment... they even gave me a paper bag, and it's drizzling outside, ugh.

What did I buy?

Rip-off alert!

Scandal Jean Paul Gaultier

Dr.Jart alginate masks

Bamboo face masks from Darling

Clarin's hand and foot creams

Krygina's tint

Rose face masks, brand unknown

Zelenski's soap

And that's it... you could've at least given me a gift, right? Nope, forget it.

➕Плюсы и минусы➖

✅ Ассортимент

✅ Атмосфера

✅ Консультанты

✅ Отсутствие охраны на шее

✅ Расположение (для меня)

✅ Быстрое открытие дополнительных касс

❌ Подарки и акции

❌ Непрозрачность акций — в телеграм-канале одно, в магазине другое

❌ Жадность

It's clear I'll still be using Golden Apple online, but I see no point in going to the store. Unless I want to sniff something specific and then order it online. With New Year's around the corner, you'd think they'd want to reward their loyal customers, especially the Legends program members. But nope, I'd have to brave the crowds, catch all those winter viruses, waste time on the commute... and get exactly zero bonuses for almost twenty bucks. Why bother? The store itself is fine, but I hate being nickel-and-dimed.

I'm starting to think you only give freebies, red flags, and pick-me's to guys.