Amazon and Clinique recently hosted an elegant afternoon tea party for a select group of creators at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge. A celebration of Clinique’s new collaboration with Amazon Premium Beauty, the event immersed guests in the history and innovation of the number-one dermatologist-led brand in the U.S. On a sunny lawn dotted with lush floral arrangements and interactive vignettes, Clinique engaged guests with a variety of programming. Dermatologist Dr. Charles Puza, a member of Clinique’s recently announced Dermatologist Creator Council, led a skin care focused masterclass highlighting brand favorites like Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, Moisture Surge Broad Spectrum SPF 28 Sheer Hydrator, and All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage. This was followed by a brand-led makeup focused session with the look centered around the iconic Almost Lipstick in Black Honey.

During both sessions, guests were outfitted with personalized vanities, complete with mirrors and trays to experience and trial products. Clinique experts were available to match guests to skin care and makeup products by skin type and tone.

“The Clinique launch in Amazon Premium Beauty is bar-raising in many ways. My objective is that our store be the most trusted beauty destination. We help brands scale their businesses and inspire our customers by delivering unique shopping experiences and help customers easily find their favorite products,” said Melis del Rey, General Manager, Beauty, Baby, and Beauty Technology, Amazon U.S. Stores. “The skin care space is complex, and there’s a lot of misinformation, so having an authoritative brand like Clinique educating our customers is a delightful outcome for us. Clinique’s heritage, skin care know-how, and dermatological expertise were really important to help inform customers.”

Speaking about the event, del Rey said, “The afternoon tea gave us an opportunity to create interactive moments for creators and showcase Clinique products. We are celebrating the creators’ work and offering them educational and networking opportunities. We will continue to work with Clinique and the other brands in our store to bring their stories to life at these events,” noting that creators are a key focus for Amazon overall, but in particular for beauty. “We have influencers driving millions in sales every month. Amazon Premium Beauty storefronts provide an opportunity for prolific creators to build businesses.”

Timed to the launch of Clinique’s storefront, Amazon introduced a custom-built Clinique Skincare Analysis feature. Developed with Clinique’s Guiding Dermatologists, the interactive questionnaire-based assessment tool helps customers build a personalized skin care regimen and discover the right products for their skin type. Customers can also learn about Clinique formulations and clinical testing in a unique storefront that conveys what makes the brand special. “They can purchase with the peace of mind that they made the right choice,” del Rey shared, adding that Amazon is decidedly focused on developing a greater suite of tech features to help brands market their storefronts. “Through the years, we’ve come to understand what works and what doesn’t from a customer response point of view. We provide brands with a lot of help to optimize the experience, from setting up their storefront to managing operations to enabling demand generation. We are very flexible in finding the right model, based on the company’s size and stage of growth.”

Amazon reaches more than 100 million beauty customers from a wide range of age groups, del Rey reported. Clinique is one in a lineup of several recent Amazon Premium Beauty brand store launches including Youth to the People, Keys Soulcare, bareMinerals, IT Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Ralph Lauren Fragrance, Shiseido, and Lancôme. “Clinique as a brand transcends generations, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. This is the perfect opportunity to unite the Amazon Beauty customer with a wonderful brand like Clinique,” she says.

“We are delighted to introduce Clinique to new U.S. consumers and make it accessible for the beauty-savvy community in the Amazon Premium Beauty store,” shared Michelle Freyre, Global Brand President at Clinique, in the brand’s press release announcing the launch. “This new brand experience will complement the high-touch, in-store experience our consumers already receive with our Clinique Consultants in the stores of our long-term retail partners throughout the U.S. Education has always been an integral part of Clinique and we are excited to bring this aspect of our brand to Amazon customers in the U.S.” Like other brands in Amazon Premium Beauty, Clinique can also leverage exposure through peak promotions like Prime Day, a powerful vehicle to acquire and convert new customers.

Fabrizio Freda, President and CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies, said in the same announcement, “We are thrilled to be strategically expanding our consumer reach in the U.S. as a select few Estée Lauder Companies brands open dedicated storefronts in Amazon’s fast-growing Premium Beauty destination over the coming months, starting with Clinique.”

“The Estée Lauder Companies have been fantastic throughout this collaboration. They think big. It was our mutual vision to unite the Amazon customers with Clinique through an immersive, elevated experience,” according to del Rey. “Looking back at it, we accomplished all of the objectives we set out to, and we hope to continue this success with other ELC brands in the future.”