The rumours are true. After years of speculation, online beauty giant Sephora will return to the UK. The French retailer used to have a chain of stores in the UK, but they closed in 2005.
The company recently gave Brits a taste of what’s to come when its new London store opens next spring, and I went along to see for myself. Although the location of the news store has not been released, let’s hope it is in East London!
I was not lucky enough to get tickets for the Marylebone event, so joined a very long queue for a chance to get my hands on goodie bags, masterclasses, and freebies.
To make sure we were taken care of whilst waiting, they provided complimentary sweets, water and even umbrellas.
The west London venue was luxurious, with a red carpet leading to the main entrance, and three floors to explore. As soon as I entered I was handed a One Size goodie bag and a bouquet of pink roses.
The main area was decorated with beautiful chandeliers, and a rainbow of colours. Crowds of people jumped from booth to booth for freebies. House music blasting out of the speakers was drowned out by the chatter of beauty experts and eager attendees exchanging tips and tricks.
I made my way past an array of beauty stalls, grabbing whatever I could from established brands such as Fenty Beauty, Milk, and Huda Beauty, but also from newer brands.
Upstairs was a skincare and health & beauty wonderland, with products ranging from very expensive to affordable. The ambience was kind of calm and so I decided to chill a bit with refreshments, a hair and makeup session, and that free facial that had been dying for.
Then I joined a Sephora masterclass to learn some useful tricks on how to achieve flawless makeup and skin. The guest speaker was make-up artist and social media influencer Patrick Starr, who kindly agreed to pose for a photo with me!
So as well as freebies I came away knowing more about the art of great make-up than I knew before I went in. My three main takeaways are:
- Colour corrector is very helpful for full coverage
- Blend your concealer and contour upwards to define your bone structure
- Blush is a girl’s best friend. Although I already knew this, I now know which areas to apply it to for that flawless look
While we wait for grand opening of the beauty supply store, their UK website is up and running and available for purchases. Happy shopping.