Hi friends!
Warning: this is going to be a jam-packed post! Remember when I wrote about CVS teaming up with Glamsquad & eSalon to bring us the Beauty IRL store-within-a-store back in September? Well if you don’t you can read my inital post here, but just to recap super quickly: in only 4 select locations across the U.S. CVS is currently piloting an enhanced beauty store experience where they have expanded product offerings, beauty services like blow-out’s, etc (via Glamsquad), and custom hair color mixing (via eSalon). If you want more detailed info make sure to check out my earlier post!
THE EXPERIENCE
Well, I’m lucky enough to live not far from the Stamford, CT test location and last weekend I went! It was beyond awesome. I was like a kid in a candy store, taking photos and walking around exclaiming to myself and to my mother how utterly cool this all was. The standard drugstore brands like Physician’s Formula, Revlon & CoverGirl were definitely there, but there were so many more interesting findings. K-beauty was everywhere. From Peripera, to The Creme Shop, to Peach Slices, to A’Pieu and beyond. There were tons and tons of sheet masks; rows of the stuff. Entire sections of Korean hand & body creams. Also, there were indie brands like Doll 10, Storybook Cosmetics, & Karity too. A total beauty-lovers dream!
Here’s a quick video to give you a feel for the space:
I took a lot of photos of the aisles. I tried to get it all but there was so much it was impossible. The only areas I didn’t encounter were the sections with mini products and the testers, although a very nice CVS beauty consultant told me there were definitely testers there.
And that was just the products. The Glamsquad beauty stand was in the back, next to the custom color-mixing machine from eSalon called “Polly.” I saw one woman getting her hair blown out but that was it. That area seemed to be a bit vacant (just for reference, I went on a Sunday afternoon around 3 p.m.). All in all, I’d say the foot traffic in the area was pretty low. It was just me, my mother and a few other women navigating the aisles. However, the same beauty consultant I had spoken with earlier said they were getting good feedback and good responses overall to the enhanced beauty store.
THE HAUL
Of course I had to pick up a few items 😉. How could I not?? I was very restrained and I got just three things, but I could have grabbed so much more. I really want to go back with my girlfriends soon! I did a quick little video of my haul for Instagram, which you can see down below.
Since filming this, I’ve used all the products mentioned a bit more (or for the first time). My early impressions are that I like all the items I picked up. I can definitely recommend the brow mascara from Peripera; the brush is tiny and it does a great job coating all your brow hairs with little to no clumping. I will need to use the cushion blush & the concealer a little more before I form my final opinions, so stay tuned on those.
You can shop the Tres Cheek Cushion Blush from The Creme Shop in C’est La Peach here.
You can shop the Speedy Browcara from Peripera here.
You can shop the Truly Yours Full Cover Concealer from Joah Beauty here.
Has anyone gone to a CVS Beauty IRL store yet? Has anyone used any of the products I picked up in my haul? If so, what did you think? I’d love to know!
xo, Erica
PIN IT!
That looks like a fun store! I wonder if they will roll this concept out on a wider scale in the future.
I believe that’s the idea. I guess they wanna see how it does a smaller scale first; makes sense.
I hope they come to my area 🙂 They would probably give Sephora or Ulta a run for their money.
I don’t doubt it. There were so many brands & options there, it was really amazing!
I can’t wait until this comes here!! If you didn’t say it was CVS I would have never known. 😀
It was really amazing! I so hope it becomes more mainstream soon!
That cushion blush packaging is so cute!😍Let’s hope all CVS adopt this new concept. 😬
It really is the cutest makeup item I own! 😉
Lucky lady!
Ahhh! I’m so jealous. I so wish they’d open one up around here. I want all the K-Beauty!
I think they plan on rolling it out to more locations in 2019! Here’s to hoping!
Ahhh my fingers are crossed they’ll roll on out here sooon!!!