What to serve up to some of the most beauty-savvy customers in the country? A fleet of marquée name esthetics services to complement a killer roster of prestige skincare, makeup, and fragrance. 

In opening its first-ever Beauty Haven at its New York City location in 2019, Nordstrom planted its flag in the rapidly expanding service realm. Why stop at Dior, Tom Ford, and Augustinus Bader when you can also tend to nails, brows, hair, and less-than-snatched skin via Londontown, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Drybar, and FaceGym?

And now, with the recent unveiling of a 1,435-square-foot SkinSpirit store-in-store, Nordstrom NYC is adding Botox, fillers, laser treatments, and a full menu of facials and peels to the mix. 

Clocking in at a total of 6,725 square feet, New York is the largest of Nordstrom’s eight Beauty Havens. With three in California (LA, Newport Beach, Roseville), one each in Connecticut and Illinois (Norwalk and Oak Brook, respectively), and two in Washington (Belleville and Seattle), Beauty Havens are not exactly sprinkled liberally throughout Nordstrom’s 93 full-line US stores. Rather, they’re thoughtfully planted into the areas populated with the most die-hard beauty savants. 

Case in point: New York. 

“Service and experience is our differentiator, and we wanted to provide the best expression of this when we opened our flagship in NYC,” said Debra Redmond, VP Division Merchandise Manager of Beauty at Nordstrom. “Whether customers have 30 minutes or three hours to spend with us, we wanted to create an immersive experience where they have access to the best brands, products, and services all in one place.”

Of course, having owned its own spas for decades, Nordstrom is no stranger to the esthetics world. But the key differentiator with the Beauty Havens is the alliance with outside brands, each with their own built-in fan bases and approaches to treatments in their respective categories. 

While Beauty Haven partners with other esthetics purveyors in California, Connecticut, and Illinois, namely NuFACE and Comfort Zone, it was determined that SkinSpirit was the ideal fit for New York. For starters, it already had a solid foothold in Manhattan and just beyond, via freestanding locations in Tribeca, the Upper East Side, and Long Island. 

But lest one think Beauty Haven will be offering a truncated, watered-down version of SkinSpirit’s extensive treatment menu, that’s definitely not the case. 

“It was important that this SkinSpirit felt like any of their other freestanding locations so customers could have the full experience— and the treatment menu reflects that,” said Redmond. “Our hope is that by introducing this suite of new services, we are making these services more convenient and accessible for Nordstrom customers.”

Lynn Heublein, SkinSpirit co-founder and CEO, echoes that sentiment. “Our offerings are identical to what you can receive in a stand-alone SkinSpirit location,” said Heublein. “The beauty of esthetics is that these services can be quick and highly effective. Botox, filler, and certain energy-based treatments can all be done in less than 60 minutes. We also see an appetite for our DiamondGlow facials that can be 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes so that the client can choose the duration best suited for their schedule, while still walking out glowing.”

Speaking more broadly, Heublein notes that in Nordstrom, SkinSpirit has found a stellar ideological fit. “As someone who grew up in Seattle, I was an early customer of Nordstrom,” said Heublein. “I understand firsthand its company culture of putting the client first.”

After repeatedly hearing her mother tell her how rare Nordstrom’s “the customer is always right” philosophy is, Heublein admits to lifting liberally from the retailer’s core ethos when launching SkinSpirit. 

“We borrowed many elements of Nordstrom’s customer service approach when we started SkinSpirit,” said Heublein. “This is why both Nordstrom and SkinSpirit felt confident we could align our businesses in this partnership.”

Of course, Nordstrom’s massive customer share-of-mind doesn’t hurt either. 

“We want to continue to solidify our role as the national leader in medical esthetics,” noted Heublein. “And our partnership with Nordstrom plays a key role in strengthening our brand presence, helping us reach new clients and solidify our reputation as the go-to destination for medical esthetics.”

Heublein sounds more than a little psyched about the foot traffic she expects Nordstrom to direct SkinSpirit’s way. “We anticipate two key types of clients: Nordstrom loyalists and New York tourists,” she said. “For the Nordstrom regulars, we are thrilled to elevate their beauty routines at their favorite retailer by offering Botox, dermal fillers, and laser services in the Beauty Haven—making it a true one-stop destination.”

As for tourists, Heublein predicts an end-of-year rush. 

“We are also expecting many visitors, especially during the holidays, who may not be familiar with us,” said Heublein. “But—and this is the best part—if they fall in love with our services in the Beauty Haven, they can easily find a clinic near their home, as Nordstrom marks our 50th US location.”

Asked if “this is it” for a while in terms of adding new esthetics vendors to the Manhattan Beauty Haven mix, Redmond is noncommittal. “We can’t share too much yet,” she allowed. “But we are constantly evolving and innovating the beauty offering at our NYC flagship and will have some exciting news later this year.”

Next up for SkinSpirit? A second go-round with the retail giant. “Our next step is to enter the Chicago market, kicking off with our launch at Nordstrom Oakbrook on April 22,” said Heublein. “We are thrilled to expand this partnership into another major market.”

Lynn Heublein, SkinSpirit co-founder and CEO, echoes that sentiment. “Our offerings are identical to what you can receive in a stand-alone SkinSpirit location,” said Heublein. “The beauty of esthetics is that these services can be quick and highly effective. Botox, filler, and certain energy-based treatments can all be done in less than 60 minutes. We also see an appetite for our DiamondGlow facials that can be 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes so that the client can choose the duration best suited for their schedule, while still walking out glowing.”

Speaking more broadly, Heublein notes that in Nordstrom, SkinSpirit has found a stellar ideological fit. “As someone who grew up in Seattle, I was an early customer of Nordstrom,” said Heublein. “I understand firsthand its company culture of putting the client first.”

After repeatedly hearing her mother tell her how rare Nordstrom’s “the customer is always right” philosophy is, Heublein admits to lifting liberally from the retailer’s core ethos when launching SkinSpirit. 

“We borrowed many elements of Nordstrom’s customer service approach when we started SkinSpirit,” said Heublein. “This is why both Nordstrom and SkinSpirit felt confident we could align our businesses in this partnership.”

Of course, Nordstrom’s massive customer share-of-mind doesn’t hurt either. 

“We want to continue to solidify our role as the national leader in medical esthetics,” noted Heublein. “And our partnership with Nordstrom plays a key role in strengthening our brand presence, helping us reach new clients and solidify our reputation as the go-to destination for medical esthetics.”

Heublein sounds more than a little psyched about the foot traffic she expects Nordstrom to direct SkinSpirit’s way. “We anticipate two key types of clients: Nordstrom loyalists and New York tourists,” she said. “For the Nordstrom regulars, we are thrilled to elevate their beauty routines at their favorite retailer by offering Botox, dermal fillers, and laser services in the Beauty Haven—making it a true one-stop destination.”

As for tourists, Heublein predicts an end-of-year rush. 

“We are also expecting many visitors, especially during the holidays, who may not be familiar with us,” said Heublein. “But—and this is the best part—if they fall in love with our services in the Beauty Haven, they can easily find a clinic near their home, as Nordstrom marks our 50th US location.”

Asked if “this is it” for a while in terms of adding new esthetics vendors to the Manhattan Beauty Haven mix, Redmond is noncommittal. “We can’t share too much yet,” she allowed. “But we are constantly evolving and innovating the beauty offering at our NYC flagship and will have some exciting news later this year.”

Next up for SkinSpirit? A second go-round with the retail giant. “Our next step is to enter the Chicago market, kicking off with our launch at Nordstrom Oakbrook on April 22,” said Heublein. “We are thrilled to expand this partnership into another major market.”