Key Takeaways:
Throughout 2025, beauty pop-ups proved they are not a fleeting trend, but a fully fledged brand statement where product storytelling, community building, and cultural relevance converge in physical space. As digital fatigue deepens and consumers crave experiences worth leaving the house for, brands leaned into immersive design, multisensory engagement, and value-led programming to create moments that resonated far beyond social media. From candy-coated dreamscapes and beachside brand worlds to purpose-driven installations and editorial-inspired lounges, the year’s standout pop-ups demonstrated how experiential marketing and retail have matured into a powerful extension of brand identity.
What united the most successful activations was intention. Whether celebrating a hero SKU anniversary, launching a seasonal collection, or championing a social cause, each experience was rooted in a clear narrative that consumers could feel, not just see. Below, BeautyMatter highlights the best pop-ups of 2025: experiences that exemplified where beauty marketing is headed next.
Clarins: Celebrating 10 years of its viral Lip Comfort Oil, Clarins hosted a pop-up in London’s Soho, created by experiential agency Backlash. The “Sweet Spot” pop-up was adorned from floor to ceiling with treats, including cakes and candy floss, reflecting the shades of various lip oils. The space was filled with fun, immersive elements, including biscuit decorating, a “spin-to-win” station, makeover stations, a DJ, and a sweet shop-style pic-n-mix area. Tapping into the beauty merch trend, Clarins created plushy keyrings replicating its lip oils.
rhode: After launching the Lemontini Summer Collection, Hailey Bieber took rhode on a European vacation, setting up shop at Gran Folies Beach Club, Majorca, Spain. Named the rhode Summer Club, the space featured branded towels, sun loungers, and beach umbrellas decorated in Lemontini yellow, as well as inflatable pool floats that resembled popular products such as the Pocket Blush and Peptide LipTint iPhone Case. The beach club, which the brand said has been “years in the making,” supported Associació Tardor, a shelter in Majorca that works to battle poverty and social exclusion within the region. The rhode Futures Foundation made donations to the charity after the event, to support its kitchen improvements, lockers for residents, and a monthly food budget.
Simple: Taking place at Outernet London, Simple’s Whatever the Weather Experience was a multisensory pop-up where interactive games and storytelling pushed the brand's mission to “Protect That Summer Feeling, Whatever the Weather.” The pop-up focused on the launch of UV Fluid SPF 50, another play on “Whatever the Weather,” teaching consumers the importance of year-round SPF application while highlighting the product's natural antioxidant defenses. Designed as an unpredictable Great British Summer, the space featured large screens that spanned across the walls and ceilings, transitioning from bright sunny days to strong showers, featured as a backdrop to photo moments, including a swing where visitors could sit next to an oversized SPF and capture content. Interactive games, such as a stand-inside wind machine, encouraged consumers to educate themselves on the product while catching samples to take home.
Patrick Ta: This summer, Patrick Ta launched its Out-of-Office Summer Tour. In Miami, the Bronze Era segment of the tour hosted luxury yachts with a Blush Bar where Ta himself helped guests find their perfect summer flush. The activation was followed up by an in-house Sephora Aventura Mall activation, which had the largest turnout in Sephora North America (twice over), according to the brand. The tour then stopped at The Hamptons for a “backyard glam meets influencer favorites” experience, where names including Alix Earle attended a party with well-loved summer games such as ping pong and Jenga. The garden party featured summer snacks like Patrick Ta caviar and fruits labeled with Patrick Ta market stall stickers. Following the event, a community pop-up took place at Short Hills Mall in NJ, where Ta tapped his fans to join him in TikTok videos.
Rare Beauty: Selena Gomez’s cosmetics brand celebrated the launch of its Soft Pinch Matte Bouncy Blush with a pop-up in collaboration with Sephora. The Rare Beauty x Sephora Dreamland event took place at London’s fashion and beauty hub, Carnaby Street, where the team built a temporary product-discovery shop that was head-to-toe pink, in true Rare Beauty style. Customers were greeted with complimentary samples, blush bar touchups, and a photobooth, creating several opportunities for Instagram photo moments. A stand-out prop included a giant version of the new blush, which doubled as a seat with a cushioned center—a great play on the bouncy element of the SKU. Exclusive Rare Beauty merchandise was also available for purchase.
Lush: In partnership with nonprofit Change The Ref, Lush created the “Bloom A New Day” pop-up at SXSW—an immersive experience set up as a school bus and classroom, highlighting the urgent need to address school shootings and gun safety laws. The pop-up supported The Lawsuit for Survival, which was filed by Global Action on Gun Violence on behalf of Manuel and Patricia Oliver against the US government, in reference to their son Joaquin’s death in the 2018 Parkland High School shooting.
Visitors were invited to step into students' shoes and learn about the tragically normalized threat of gun violence in schools while Lush representatives carried out examples of active school shooter drills. Funds to support organizations fighting for a gun-violence-free future were raised through a limited-edition product exclusive to SXSW—the Sonflower Bath Bomb, inspired by the flowers Joaquin brought to school for his girlfriend for Valentine’s Day on the day of the Parkland shooting.
Laura Mercier: To celebrate the launch of the new Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy SPF 30, Laura Mercier opened the doors to Le Mercier Daily Café at Soho News International, created by design and production agency Another A Story. Set out as a Parisian-inspired café window, the store's exterior walls were decorated with baguettes and branded newspapers highlighting the product, vintage menus, and swatches of product shades. In addition to providing aesthetically pleasing photo opportunities, the pop-up invited its 2,000 attendees to try complimentary beverages inspired by the product. Attendees could also engage in giveaways of branded tote bags, GWP’s worth $200 from Sephora Soho and Union Square, and $10 vouchers to purchase a full-sized version of the product online. Additionally, two lucky consumers won tickets to the SIMKHAI FW25 NYFW show, which was sponsored by Laura Mercier.
Benefit Cosmetics: Focusing on the brand’s recently launched BADgal Bounce Volumizing Mascara, Benefit Cosmetics hosted “Club Bounce” at Noho Showrooms, London. Combining sport and beauty in an interactive setting, the venue featured basketball-inspired elements such as a purple court with oversized branded basketballs, where visitors could test their shooting skills, and locker rooms decorated with product details. The pop-up engaged fans with a trampoline selfie zone for social media content creation, as well as a hall of fame highlighting Benefit's other mascara offerings, cementing its place in the prestige beauty market. Exclusive merchandise framed the walls, including basketball jerseys with words like “lifted” and “fluffy,” referencing lashes coated with the BADgal Bounce Volumizing mascara. In addition to Club Bounce, Benefit also hosted a hot-air-balloon-inspired pop-up at Westfield, London, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, and Bluewater, each of which similarly focused on the launch of BADgal Bounce.
Agent Nateur: The luxury wellness beauty brand presented a ski-themed Collagen Bar at Gondola Plaza at Aspen Mountain in Colorado. Attendees were invited to experience the brand's signature offerings in a curated, cozy lounge area featuring a freestanding, branded gondola and skis, set against a serene mountain backdrop. The activation celebrated the recent launch of Agent Nateur’s Après Ski Winter Recovery Kit, a collection designed to help skin recover from harsh winter conditions. A free hot-drink kiosk was on hand, offering Agent Nateur's best-selling Holi (Mane) Marine Collagen crafted into wellness beverages, including the Holi (Mane) Latte, Jena’s Famous Matcha, and Salty Hot Chocolate. The pop-up saw the continuation of the rising print trend across experiential events, with an editorial-inspired Agent Nateur newspaper segment featuring information on the brand's products, decorated with cartoon images of characters taking to the slopes.
NARS: Bringing beauty’s involvement in the gaming space to life, NARS introduced the Players' Lounge pop-up in London’s Covent Garden. The space was an ode to NARS’ complexion products and featured several oversized props of best-selling SKUs in different gaming formats. Upon arrival, visitors were taken to the Fuel Up Area, where beverage brand Henry’s provided complimentary coffees. Attendees could then move on to play Check Mate, where they were greeted by huge foundation bottles that acted as chess pieces, followed by the Strike and Perfect billiards room inspired by the Radiant Creamy Concealer. Memory-matching games and a pool table were also available, and winners of challenges could trade in chips for exclusive gifts. At the end of the pop-up, NARS artists helped consumers find their shade match, after which they could get their photo taken in a photo booth.
Taken together, these pop-ups underscore that the future of beauty lies in experiences that are immersive, intentional, and emotionally resonant, transforming physical space into a powerful medium for a lasting brand connection.
