Beauty Brands Respond To Millennials' Search For The Perfect Selfie Face
Spurred by Snapchat stars and beauty bloggers, cosmetics consumers have a hunger for innovation like never before. Brands are increasingly responding by peeling away shopping malls and department stores to create bespoke spaces for experimentation, larger stock and room for play.
Upscale cosmetics companies are moving beyond just new pigments and formulas to attract shoppers and are recognizing the value in stand-alone spaces to facilitate an experience. MAC Cosmetics announced this week that it will open a 1,480 SF boutique in Queensgate, its second stand-alone store in the region. Queensgate’s owner, Invesco, says the company has experienced 35% sales growth in health and beauty at Queensgate and has signed 16 new brands totaling over 55k SF to the shopping centre.
Earlier this month, Charlotte Tilbury opened a new store in London’s Westfield shopping centre in White City. This is the makeup artist’s second stand-alone boutique (the first is in Covent Garden) and contains everything beauty fans could want, including a dazzling gift shop, a sumptuous Christmas collection, and an engraving service that will personalize products like compacts and makeup brushes. Shoppers can linger at the "eyebrow school" or have a one-hour session with a makeup artist to learn how to create your own signature look every day.
Tillbury’s glamorous boutique also offers a champagne bar where customers can relax as they get ready for big occasions like weddings.
The highlight of the shop though is the ability for shoppers to create a virtual makeover using the touch-screen Magic Mirror, a bold new concept that morphs your face into one of Tilbury’s signature makeup looks.
On Regent Street, The Innovation by Space NK store was designed as a test bed for the most innovative product launches, with room for an on-site beauty school for staff and space for “beauty experiences” for customers. The Crown Estate’s Regent Street portfolio manager, Katerina Mercury, said the store is a perfect example of the company working with retailers to create a "fantastic experience" for customers.
