It’s finally here. Three years and four locations (Gurgaon, Pune and two in Delhi) later, Sephora India has made it to Mumbai at last and they’ll be opening another store in the city by the end of 2016. About time, too.
Sephora is the kind of place you’ll step into to buy a lip balm and emerge an hour later with three bags and no idea what just happened. It’s designed to suck you in, no matter what your poison. Make-up hoarder? They’ve got three loaded counters, on your right as you enter, with their in-house cosmetics, plus racks for exclusive-to-Sephora brands like Make Up Forever, Benefit and Stila, and your Estee Lauders, Givenchys, Lancômes and Shiseidos. Moisturiser junkie? Sephora is the only store in the country to stock niche Hungarian mineral skin care brand, Omorovicza.
Haven’t met a shower gel you could resist yet? Prepare for the temptation from Soap & Glory as well as the deliciously colour-coordinated Sephora line of loofahs, gels, scrubs, hand-washes and face masks. Perfume-sampling ninja? Tom Ford’s line of fragrances are here—cosmetics by the brand are expected soon—and perfumes for men and women are arranged alphabetically so you can find what you’re looking for in a hurry. In fact, the whole store is laid out to be browser-friendly so you don’t need to ask for help, unless you want to try the makeup look of the month or get groomed for free at the Benefit Brow Bar.
Sephora, as any frequent flier will tell you, is genius when it comes to travel-size beauty. Shower caps, makeup and deodorant wipes, bath salts, body sprays, lip butters and even pore-minimisers are available in compact handbag-friendly sizes. You’ll want to tip the lot into your purse, so be warned.
The next Sephora in Mumbai will likely be in Malad, according to business director Vivek Bali, and some furious expansion is in the pipeline. The brand, which has tied up with Arvind Lifestyle Brands in India, is looking at opening 50 stores across India in five years. Your city could be next.
Sephora, 2nd Level, Palladium Mall, 462, High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
Flip through for images from Sephora, Mumbai
