A year in the making, Selfridges recently unveiled a multi-million-dollar makeover of the famous beauty hall at their flagship store in London. The doors to the newly renovated space on the ground floor of the iconic Oxford Street building opened at the end of May, to great fanfare. But what’s capturing the attention of the beauty industry and the international retail community at large is the store’s extensive focus on the in-person beauty customer experience.

Recognizing the crucial role that brick-and-mortar beauty shopping plays alongside online retail, Selfridges is taking the in-store experience to the next level. A London retail landmark (Sarah Jessica Parker recently said Selfridges is her favorite place to shop for beauty in the city), the UK department store has a global reputation as an iconic makeup, skin care, and fragrance playground. “Selfridges is the beauty destination for everyone,” said Melissa McGinnis, Head of Beauty at the store, which is owned by Central Group. “Through a renovation that prioritizes customer experience and platforming the world’s most exciting brands, we are ready to welcome the next 100 years of beauty innovation and the communities that will make it happen.”

The jewel in the crown of the new hall is the Beauty Spot, billed by Selfridges as a “playground for experiential retail.” The new, permanent space allows brands to take up residency for a period of time and showcase their products through innovative retail concepts. British indie brand Refy, founded by Jess Hunt and Jenna Meek, is the Beauty Spot’s inaugural residency, there from now through the end of September. The brand’s immersive experience lets customers experiment with their TikTok-famous products — including two new shades, Papaya and Guava, of their bestselling Cream Blush, Lip Blush, and Lip Gloss — as well as snag limited edition merchandise and attend exclusive events. Refy was chosen as the first brand to launch within Beauty Spot.

Elsewhere throughout the beauty hall, stockrooms have been repurposed to make room for over 300 beauty brands (50 of which are exclusive to Selfridges). Three new “play tables” have been introduced for hair, makeup, and skin care. For the reopening, Moroccanoil hosted a salon-inspired pop-up highlighting the launch of its new, tone-correcting Treatment Purple hair oil. “We are delighted to be partnering with Selfridges to launch the innovative new Treatment Purple,” said Lauren Elstone, Senior Sales & Marketing Executive for JOY, the UK distributor for Moroccanoil. “Aligning seamlessly with Selfridges’ legacy of imagination and creative spirit, we are offering an extraordinary customer experience with our unique purple pop-up.”

Over in the innovation-focused Beauty Workshop, Malin+Goetz is maximizing the opportunity to bring their range to new customers. “Malin+Goetz have a dedicated counter space in the Beauty Workshop, [which is] an exciting evolution for the brand,” said Simon Ford, the brand’s General Manager, Europe & Middle East, and Global Amenities. “Our dedicated team members can now offer mini facial consultations and fragrance discovery sessions with customers who want to explore our range of apothecary face, body, and hair products, and our perfumery, including best-sellers like Dark Rum and Leather EDPs.”

Other specialized in-person offerings include skin diagnostic services from Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Prada Beauty, and La Mer Treatment Pods. There’s an Armani Beauty Glow Bar, Charlotte Tilbury virtual “try ons” and masterclasses, and numerous opportunities from other beauty lines to create bespoke and customized products, including adding on personalized charms and stickers from brands like Jo Malone London and MAC. In addition, “Each brand has crafted new, sustainably made counters featuring dedicated spaces for large-format digital totems,” said David Legrand, Lifestyle Director at Selfridges. “With our customers at the heart of everything we do, you can now enjoy over 200 beauty services, from on-counter quick fixes and full color consultations to engraving, personalization, and clinical residencies with leading experts. This unique and vibrant destination has come to life thanks to the determination and passion of our dedicated team of experts, all united in our vision to create the Beauty Destination of the Future.”

The new hall is home to the Beauty Concierge, where customers can book masterclasses and one-on-one appointments, and check in for services such as the Beauty Bag Makeover and a Selfridges Beauty Tour. It also offers a Fragrance Consultation experience with the store’s wide array of scents, including from niche brands like Le Labo, Bond No.9, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian. “Scent is a personal choice, and we’re here to help customers make the perfect selection,” said McGinnis. “The Fragrance Consultation is a testament to our expertise. The customer’s journey begins with a pre-appointment phone call, where our dedicated team of fragrance experts work to understand their preferred notes. Then, in-store, customers meet our knowledgeable team, who will guide them through a selection of scents tailored to them, or help them create a unique scent of their own. This allows our customers to be educated on scent and help build their fragrance wardrobe.”

Last but not least, throughout June, Selfridges is hosting Big City Beauty events, masterclasses, panel talks, and other beauty experiences at its stores in Manchester and Birmingham, as well as at the iconic London flagship store.