Nothing quite beats the joy of experiencing beauty in IRL, and while the internet filled that gap admirably, it can’t live up to the discovery of new finds that you can slather or spray onto skin and the pleasure factor of swatching on body parts, rather than digitally. And with the return of in-store experiences and access to the beauty experts, comes a host of exciting beauty spaces and pop-ups, from Flannels beauty changing rooms to Benefit’s Christmas camper van currently touring the UK, and Lisa Eldridge’s shoppable recreation of her Atelier, complete with vintage makeup collection.
However, nothing says beauty is back quite like the arrival of a new UK Glossier store. Yep you heard it here first – our favourite brand of Boy Brow, Cloud Paint and Future Dew fame is opening a new London outpost, the brand’s first-ever permanent international flagship.
Glossier London is set to open its doors in December, just in time for us to stock up before Christmas, in the oldest building in Covent Garden at 43 King Street. Not far from the brand’s pre-pandemic pop-up that gave us the ultimate beauty play space, complete with Mary Poppins-inspired chimney stacks, which also took top spot as the brand’s most successful outpost on the planet.
Glossier’s LA store
The exact date of opening in Covent Garden and the store’s look and feel are still firmly under wraps, but if we take clues from the newly opened store in LA, we’re in for treat. Each Glossier outpost brings to life elements of its location – the LA play space is inspired by the city’s movie studios and the golden age of Hollywood, complete with giant Glossier product props. Whereas the Seattle store brings in the city’s natural landscapes and innovative technology, featuring rolling moss hills, floral and mushroom details alongside futuristic, industrial elements.
So for London, we’re thinking Brit icons such as phone boxes, black cabs, or the red ‘routemaster’ buses might well be in the mix for some millennial pink magic, alongside play tables of makeup and skincare, showcasing cult Glossier products from Milk Jelly Cleanser to Lash Slick and new favourites Ultra Lip and Universal Pro-Retinol. And of course as you’d expect, there will be plenty of ‘gram-worthy moments guaranteed.
So mark the location and pencil for December and get ready to shop the holiday collection IRL as it’s coming very soon. We’ll dish the news as soon as we have it, but in the meantime, we’ll have to be satisfied with checking out the Black Friday deals online.