Sephora's Getting a High-Tech Makeover With New Studio Stores

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By Lyndsey Matthews 2017-07-25T12:41:02Z

• Sephora is opening a series of concept stores, called Sephora Studios.

• The new stores will be less than half the size of traditional Sephoras, located outside of malls, and feature exclusive digital tools and customized services.

• The first Sephora Studio opened on Friday, July 21, on Newbury Street in Boston.

Addicted to buying makeup online? That might change soon, thanks to a series of new concept stores, called Sephora Studios, that the beauty brand announced it will opening across the U.S. last Friday.

"The Studio merges the best of an inclusive neighborhood retail environment with best-in-class digital tools that enable our expert beauty advisors to customize recommendations on an individual basis," Calvin McDonald, CEO of Sephora Americas, said in a statement. "There is no better way to create meaningful connections with clients than through personalized experiences and a customized approach to beauty."

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Compared to the 5,500-square-feet that typical Sephora stores take up, Sephora Studios will be less than half the size (about 2,000 square feet) and will be located outside of malls in stand-alone stores. While they haven't announced all of the new locations of Sephora Studios, the first one is already open on Boston's boutique-lined Newbury Street. (Road trip to Boston, anybody?!)

"Smaller stores give Sephora an opportunity to reach new neighborhoods and potentially new audiences," Neil Saunders, Sephora's GlobalData Retail managing director, told CNBC.

In addition to saving you a trip through the dreaded mall parking lot, Sephora Studio stores will offer a ton of new customized experiences to make shopping IRL worth it. Not only will there be same-day pickup for online purchases, but also access to exclusive digital tools including a Moisture Meter and Skincare IQ quiz to help access your skin and customize your skincare regime before on-demand one-on-one services like 15-minute mini facials, 45-minute makeovers, and what Sephora is calling a 75-minute "Custom Makeover Plus."

Keep an eye out for more Sephora Studio openings throughout the year.