International cult beauty retailer Sephora to open its first Yorkshire store at Meadowhall

Beauty fans queued overnight last year when Sephora UK opened its first stores outside of London. The retailer prides itself on offering beauty brands not previously available in the UK and says it will bring to Meadowhall “an incredible selection of expertly curated, ground-breaking local and global brands that have disrupted the beauty industry across the make-up, travel, fragrance, skincare, haircare, grooming and wellness categories”.

It adds: “As part of the unparalleled shopping experience that Sephora strives to provide, beauty enthusiasts can indulge in exclusive Only at Sephora brands such as the iconic Makeup by Mario, Haus Labs by renowned global artist Lady Gaga, and cult heroes which have stood the test of time from Tarte Cosmetics.”

Meadowhall will be Sephora’s first store in Yorkshire and its ninth store in the UK, joining other standalones at Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Newcastle’s Eldon Square, Gateshead’s Metrocentre, Birmingham Bullring and Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent.

It offers around 340 brands alongside its own label, the Sephora Collection. Its product range includes cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, nail colour, beauty tools, body products and hair care. Bestsellers on the Sephora UK website include Tom Ford, Gucci, Huda Beauty, Nars, Kayali, Tatcha, Bobbi Brown, Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Jet Set, and Charlotte Tilbury.

The company was founded in Limoges in 1969 and is now based in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Since 1996, it has been owned by the luxury conglomerate LVMH.

Sarah Boyd, managing director, Sephora UK, says: “We spent the last year refining our incredible in-store experiences as we rolled out our first batch of regional stores, highlighting our dedication and commitment to being inclusive, accessible, and connected to the communities we serve. Meadowhall is the perfect location for us to continue driving that experience in this dynamic, thriving region, and our team is eager to welcome customers to our beauty playground.”

Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, says: “The iconic beauty brand has taken the UK by storm and being one of the first places Sephora has chosen for a store is fantastic.

“Sephora’s in-store experiences, extensive range and exclusive brands that have been so popular across the globe will undoubtedly be a huge hit with our visitors and we know they will be just as excited as us about the opening.”

The new store will be on the High Street of the Upper Level of the centre. Customers can also have treatments at Sephora’s Beauty Hub, including make-up application by Sephora Collection, facial skincare, hair styling, and brows by Benefit Cosmetics.

Sephora has been sparking controversy in the US for its appeal to tweenagers, aged 9-12 years, dubbed Sephora kids, who are flocking to the stores in search of adult brands and products, from Drunk Elephant serums to Laneige lip masks.

This has led to adult beauty shoppers complaining on social media that girls under 12 have been taking over stores, creating havoc and in some cases being rude to other customers.

Sephora-themed birthday parties have also become popular with tweens over in the US. Parents, you have been warned.