PROJECT: HYDRAFACIAL, LONDON

Hydrafacial, the youthful B2B beauty brand, has landed in London with a bang! The company has opened a state-of-theart flagship store in Portman Square that offers a fully immersive brand experience. This is a social media savvy company and its new store is out of this world; perfect for all those Instagram-worthy, as every inch is designed with social media in mind.

With next to no product on view, this vibrant venue provides customers with a fully immersive brand experience. It is bold and beautiful, colourful and playful; each area is designated to a particular purpose. This beauty icon is most certainly a trailblazer.

Hydrafacial specialises in a 3-step cleansing routine, nothing radical here except their patented technology; the Vortex Fusion delivery system that cleanses, exfoliates, extracts and hydrates in, yes, you’ve guessed it, 3 easy steps. It promises you the best skin of your life and they intend to spread the word.

From the outside the fully glazed storefront reveals the glowing, theatrical interior. As you enter you are greeted by a large, circular, pure white counter. There is no product on display. Overhead, a dramatic light feature dominates your attention having multicoloured lampshades suspended from a giant circular disk. The reception area doubles as a bar for hosting events in the evenings, including space for a DJ.

The spacious showroom is open plan and naturally encourages roaming; multiple sets have been created with individual promotional activities in mind. The Vloggers area has a bank of smart black sofas and coffee tables grouped together and specifically designed for meetings. The influencers section is clad entirely in electric blue, is raised on a platform and has a curved roof structure to absorb sound and provide some privacy. The setup includes an Instagram pull out wall with custom-made backdrops. There are also VIP treatment rooms and a neon archway that is activated by movement.

The aim is to draw the media in and provide a sensational setting for online posts. And, here is the really controversial bit –customers can enjoy their first Hydrafacial treatment for free. The conviction in their product is so strong they allow customers to try the experience in order to gain glowing posts and loyal customers. It seems to be working!

The London outlet encompasses retail, cosmetic treatment, office workspace, as well as an event space for brand events, masterclasses and expert-led forums with doctors, facialists and makeup artists. It really is a clever concept.

So Visualise, the design agency behind this innovative concept, has developed a highly attractive hybrid concept. The company is set to roll out this model to countries worldwide and help Hydrafacial achieve its goal of world beauty domination.