beautygoals Inside the new John Lewis Beauty Hall

#BEAUTYGOALS Laura Wood discovers why the new John Lewis Beauty Hall is the ultimate destination for your beauty needs

I’m not afraid to declare my love for John Lewis. As far as shops go, it’s been a big part of my life - quite an accolade for a department store. It reminds me of Saturday morning trips into town with mum as a kid, it’s where she also found her rather lovely mother-of-the-bride outfit (thanks to the personal shopper), and, when I became a mum for the first time, it was the place for countless cups of caffeine, regular nappy changing, and spontaneous purchases for our new home (and I mean everything from cushions and place mats to limited-edition dining room furniture). I trust it and believe the brands and products must undergo a strict vetting process to earn their rightful place on the shop floor.

It’s helpful to have such an allegiance, particularly when it comes to my area of weakness, the beauty minefield. Spending a good part of lockdown googling ‘skincare for sensitive skin’ and searching for the perfect foundation to conceal a multitude of sins was discouraging at best. Now, being able to visit my trusted source of all things retail is music to my ears and firstly, knowing that the brand offering in the Beauty Hall already comes with the JL seal of approval makes my job a whole lot easier.

The John Lewis Beauty Hall, along with the entire store, reopened after lockdown with a brand new look and feel. It’s clean, modern and exciting to browse around with a focus on the experiential. In the Beauty Hall alone, there’s a brow bar by Benefit, a Clarins treatment room and the wonderful Cavendish Clinic offering non-invasive, medical treatments (see our feature on page 40 for more details). And the brands keep getting better whether it’s for skincare, make-up or fragrances. Some of our all-time favourites like Bobbi Brown, Nars, Elemis, Chanel, Jo Malone and Laura Mercier are there along with newcomers like Givenchy make-up –an exclusive in Edinburgh–, and Hermès with its perfume collection and Rouge Hermès lipsticks. If you want to flirt with a few, there’s also a delectable selection of travel-size products in the new ‘Bite-sized’ Beauty section.

But, as well as the list of amazing brands and, in a bid to offer a more hands-on approach to shopping, the Beauty Hall comes into its own with the introduction of the Beauty Society; a specially designed space where in-house experts are fully- prepped on ALL the great brands you’ll find in store. There’s no brand bias, just a wish to provide you with a concierge-style service and to find the perfect products that work for you. If you’re in-store already and need help and advice, you can pop into the Beauty Society and ask the experts anything. And, if there’s a slot available, the 45-minute Walk and Talk appointments go one step further, taking you on a tour around the Beauty Hall, introducing the brands and offering insights on key products. If you’d prefer to book in for a one-toone session for a proper beauty chat there are two options available. The Beauty School is a 45 minute session which will focus on a specific beauty or skincare problem you may have, whether that’s learning how to perfect a feline flick or find a moisturiser that works on sensitive skin. The £35 fee is redeemable against any purchases made. Meanwhile, the hour-long All New You service will overhaul your entire beauty routine, from skincare to make-up, taking in a wide variety of brands, tips, advice and products, and well worth the £45 fee (also redeemable against purchase). You’ll quite literally be in the hands of the beauty gods who will use their extensive knowledge to filter through the huge selection of products in-store to come up with their suggestions of what could work for you. It’s their job to turn that slightly overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to begin into a positive and fun shopping experience. And thanks to them, I found the perfect age-defying foundation and a whole range of skincare products to tackle my inflamed, sensitive skin. My love affair continues.

The beauty experts at the new Beauty Society

Givenchy Prisme Visage Silky Face Powder Quartet (£38); Hermès Rouge Hermès satin lipstick (£62); Elemis pro collagen cleansing balm (£44), all available at John Lewis Edinburgh

Open every day 9am-8pm except Sundays, 10am-6pm To find out more and book your appointment at the Beauty Society, visit johnlewis.com/ our-services/beauty-society