Add this to your list of Chicago’s best sight-seeing destinations: SEPHORA’s new Chicago Flagship Store which just opened this past Friday at 605 N. Michigan Avenue is an attraction not to be missed! Situated smack in the middle of the Magnificent Mile (along with the city’s best fashion and shopping) you can take a beauty retreat (and spend hours) at this huge 10,040 square foot street level store with over 13,000 prestige products. It’s like a Toys R Us for women (but leave the kids at home)!
Calvin McDonald, President & CEO of SEPHORA Americans was at the media sneak peek of the store on Thursday. He told us about this BEAUTY TIP (Teach, Inspire, Play) WORKSHOP concept store, and how thrilled they are to finally have a freestanding store on Michigan Avenue! This new store includes digital stations to teach and inspire beauty enthusiasts as they are encouraged to play and discover what products work best for them. So now besides being being able to test and try on products, there are new tools like a Digital Makeover Guide with an interactive face chart and a record of products and application tips that is emailed directly to you!
The brand-new store also offers beauty workshops with group classes. I tried out the “Rebel Eye” class in The Beauty Workshop located in the center of the store – everyone had a blast. Our facilitator and makeup artist Jeffrey led the class and demonstrated the look on a model and beauty assistants went around and gave everyone in the class individual tips and even custom color variations. The products were a mix of prestige brands like Armani Beauty and Tom Ford Beauty with less expensive collections like Urban Decay and SEPHORA’s own brand.
Another distinguishing feature at this flagship store is that it’s the first to offer a New Fragrance Studio experience, featuring Fragrance IQ with a brand new technology called InstaScent. Customers can experience 18 scent families through a dry air delivery system with the help of SEPHORA’s fragrance experts. Purchases can be gift wrapped and bottles customized with a complimentary engraving. (You can get all your Holiday shopping done in one outing!)
And finally skincare consultations take place at The Skincare Studio, and another first at this store is a working sink and 4 seated stations for mini facials. There is also a touchscreen station for instant access to SEPHORA’s exclusive Skincare IQ diagnostic. Between the products, the teachers and the technology, you can literally play all day!
Visit Chicago’s new SEPHORA Flagship!
605 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago
Sign up for The Beauty Workshop here.
(Northbridge 520 N. Michigan Ave. and Watertower Place stores are still open, too!)
– Carol Calacci
Photos: Second City Style
See more: Fountainof30.