Every shop during this month's pop-up events had a unique angle. Chanel presented a 1950s-inspired diner equipped with fragrance, fries, and good vibes. Glossier took to the road on its You Look Good tour, encouraging its loyal customer base to embrace self-love, and Bloomingdale's planned a party for its Big Brown Bag birthday. BeautyMatter rounds up the latest need-to-know pop-up activations:
r.e.m. beauty: Celebrating the launch of the Sweetener Foundation, r.e.m beauty opened the Sweetener Shoppe at Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream in NYC. The diner-style store was prominently decorated with branded objects, including bold neon r.e.m beauty logos and drawings of animated ice cream characters made specifically for the event. In the corner of the store stood a large fridge filled with ice cream pots that replicated various shades of the 60-piece foundation shade range. Visitors were able to explore various products from the brand, as well as receive free ice cream, take photos in the Polaroid booth, and indulge in the "foundation bar" where experts were on hand to shade match and recommend products; consumers making a purchase were given a free foundation brush. Exclusive merchandise was available to shop including sweatshirts, caps, tote bags, and makeup bags, of which many were also decorated with the dedicated ice cream caricature. On the first day of the event, Ariana Grande attended to surprise fans and engage in one-on-one chats regarding the launch.
SkinCeuticals: The skincare brand set up shop on the streets of NYC with a mobile pop-up during NYFW, which is set to tour ten different states during the next year. The bus was created to offer varying complimentary treatments that aimed to elevate the consumer's skincare journey. The mobile shop was sleek and professional looking, painted black with white branding and a “Treat Yourself” slogan and large windows to allow for a bright and airy space inside.
Each visitor received $50 worth of treatment credit for any SkinCeuticals SkinLab or flagship location, along with a sample of the best-selling C E Ferulic and a goody bag containing a skincare headband and branded water bottle. Expert one-to-ones were available, using the brand's detailed SkinScope analysis device, that enabled consumers to explore products, discuss specific skin concerns, and receive advice on the best way to combat these issues. Complimentary treatments were available, including facial peels and hand peels. A spin-to-win wheel outside the shop entrance allowed visitors to win extra treatment benefits including 20 units of Botox, red light treatments, and more.
Florence by Mills: Millie Bobby Brown hosted a purple haze pop-up in NYC to unveil her new fragrance, Wildly Me. The space was entirely rebranded to encapsulate the fragrance's campaign. The outside of the shop was decorated with imagery of the celebrity founder, alongside large hanging baskets and purple bouquets, representing the floral notes of the scent.
Inside the activation, which again followed the purple theme from the walls to the dimmed lavender lighting, visitors were invited to cash in on their complimentary coffee in a Wildy Me takeaway cup, test and try the fragrance, and on selected dates, meet and greet with Millie Bobby Brown. The pop-up was intended to uplift customers and encourage them to be their "wildest self." To amplify this message, elements of the space motivated visitors to step out of their comfort zones including a Challenge Wall, which featured cards with statements such as "do the thing you'd do if you weren't afraid to fail," among other similar sentiments.
Glossier: To bring in back-to-school season, Glossier embarked on the You Look Good tour, visiting various US colleges including Ohio State University, where it set up shop just in time for a football game against Western Kentucky University. The pop-up was created to appeal to the brand's main target consumer—millennials and Gen Z; however, it was situated during a football game to appeal to those who would have been attending the game regardless of their age. The tour was designed to help Glossier reach its audiences beyond the coast where most of its retail stores are located.
The truck was designed with a carnival-like aesthetic, featuring aspects such as a wheel of fortune that gave customers a chance to win free products, discount codes, or exclusive merch. For every You Look Good tour t-shirt sold, Glossier donates $5 to Ignite, a nonprofit that works to empower young women to become the next generation of political leaders. Alongside the pop-up, Ignite volunteers were on hand to encourage consumers to register to vote.
The inside of the truck offered several Instagram opportunities for visitors, with the goal of communicating that "You Look Good," allowing people to engage with the brand and their own personal self-love journey. Local food vendors including Jeni's Ice Cream from Columbus, OH, and The Sundae Club in Nashville, TN, were in the area surrounding the truck.
Chanel: The prestigious beauty brand opened a 1950s-inspired diner in Brooklyn dedicated to the launch of the Chance Eau Fraîche Eau de Parfum. Dubbed the Chanel Lucky Chance Diner, the temporary restaurant took its aesthetic inspiration from the previously launched Chance fragrances and was heavily garnished with pastel greens, pinks, and yellows. The event was open to the public, with an option to reserve a table where guests could sit at booths and counters while immersing themselves in the scent offerings and learn more about the brand. Classic diner-style food including burgers, fries, and milkshakes was presented in Chanel-branded napkins and paper goods.
Throughout the pop-up, there were several photo opportunities and fun games to engage with, such as twist-to-win machines, a jukebox, and a flower stall. In the outdoor area , there was a point-of-sale for all of the fragrances, including the new launch, with menus that described each product's notes. An ice cream truck was also on hand, as well as other outside activities including a ping pong table.
Bloomingdale's: In celebration of its Big Brown Bag 50th birthday, Bloomingdale's is set to host the Big Brown Bag Beauty Bazaar in all US stores. Guests will be able to take part in beauty-focused activities including personalized skin consultations at Kiehl's and Augustinus Bader counters, complimentary ice lift treatments at Clarins, and makeovers from Dior Beauty and Lancôme. Although participation in the event is entirely free, consumers visiting the 59th Street NYC store who spend over $150 will receive a complimentary Big Brown Bag embellished with a big 50 and free coffees and opportunities to win goody baskets. At the NYC location, a DJ will complete the exciting vibe of the celebration. The event is set to take place at the end of Bloomingdale's annual Makeup Date event, which has reoccurred for over ten years, with artists from big-name brands including YSL Beauty and Estée Lauder on hand for tutorials.
Ren Clean Skincare: The sensitive skincare brand opened a pop-up in London's Soho location to share information with customers on its latest launch, the Evercalm Barrier Support Body Balm. The space was created to help the brand's consumers explore the power of nature's bioactives and the way they work within Ren products. The store was decorated to perfectly match Ren Clean Skincare's aesthetic and ingredient origins, with soft pastel green walls and elements representing nature including wild mushrooms and a floral display in the windows.
Visitors could engage in ASMR demonstrations of products and an immersive zone where they could choose to either be "soothed" or "energized," and receive skincare advice from experts on achieving these goals. British matcha brand Jenki Matcha had a bar set up at the event to gift visitors complimentary drinks to enjoy while exploring the space. Attendees were also encouraged to bring along any hard-to-recycle product empties, regardless of the brand, to be recycled by Ren at no extra cost as part of its mission to become more sustainable. Those donating plastic were entered into a competition for the chance to win a branded gift bag including products worth $242.
