Clinique is heading into uncharted territory this New York Fashion Week. The beauty brand just opened its first standalone shop in the United States, and it does not disappoint.
The pop-up at 132 Prince St. in Soho is in honor of Clinique iD, a product released at the end of last year that allows customers to select one of three hydration bases and one of five active cartridge concentrates, each geared toward specific skin types or concerns.
Clinique iD story in a new and engaging way,” Van Vahle, the SVP of Global Consumer Engagement Clinique, told Observer. Upon entering the pop-up, customers are led to the Clinical Reality station, where a very hi-tech consultation begins at a row of iPads that scan your face and then identify your issue, whether it be uneven skin tone (my personal diagnosis), fatigue or irritation. After answering a few questions about their skincare routine and preferred formulations, they are then presented with the Clinique iD product that’s best for them.
Next, they follow the vivid color-coded path on the floor to their designated product testing station, where they’ll sample the recommended Clinique iD ($39) and then make a beeline for the customization bar to add a little something extra: some very Instagram-ready stickers.
And your beauty experience doesn’t have to end with your new product. Last year, the brand sent influencers from around the world to five destinations (Morocco, Japan, Spain, Bali and Iceland), each representing the skin concerns of the five cartridges: Fatigue, Lines & Wrinkles, Irritation, Pores & Uneven Skin Texture and Uneven Skin Tone. Now, Clinique has brought that jet-setter concept into the shop. In the back, you’ll find a true photo op, complete with a green screen where you can choose one of the five locales as well as various props and take a virtual trip there. (Here’s hoping next year, the brand offers the real thing.)
Finally, there’s a virtual reality station where customers can sit in white egg chairs (how very Dr. Evil) and take a jaunt to Iceland—because who wouldn’t want to sink into a hot spring and soak in the blue lagoon?
The pop-up is open to the public from February 8 to February 17, but don’t fret—this isn’t its final stop. The Clinique iD experience will hit the road and spin by Facebook’s campus and WeWork locations throughout America including in Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Said Vahle, “This is just the beginning.”
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