After years of anticipation, Sephora is finally making Cardiff home to its first store in Wales, officially opening this Thursday, 3rd October, at St David’s Shopping Centre. I had the pleasure of attending their VIP party on Wednesday night to celebrate the upcoming launch, where live performances and an inspiring talk from the Managing Director of Sephora UK, Sarah Boyd, made for a captivating celebration. Marking Sephora UK’s third birthday, the energy was electric from the very start — and DJ Fancy Shews only fuelled the energy further.
Immediately upon entering the store, it is inevitable to get lost in the sheer variety of aisles, each offering something new to explore. From Rare Beauty to Charlotte Tilbury, there is something for everyone. Not to forget the mesmerising Lady Gaga set by Actavia, a contestant on the sixth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, which brought everyone together in the infectious atmosphere.
With an array of Welsh influencers in attendance, phones lit up the crowd, ready to capture every moment of the unforgettable performance. The best surprise of the evening, for me, was the impromptu performance of Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club by Cardiff Arms Park’s all-male choir. With a heart-warming performance from a local choir and locally sourced Welsh food, Sephora eagerly set out to celebrate local culture as they dive into Cardiff’s retail scene.
Managing Director, Sarah Boyd, claims that the “Cardiff community is quite undeserved for beauty”, hence Sephora sets out to “bring our amazing temple of beauty” to the community. In conversation with Boyd, she gave insight into the importance of such a successful organisation coming to the UK, telling us that she “was absolutely adamant that we needed to come”. She emphasised that their goal with this Welsh store is to bring Sephora’s sense of community, creativity, and empowerment to a new audience in Cardiff.
When asked about how she got into the industry, Boyd reveals, “my first beauty role was at L’Oréal”, which is where she fell in love with the inclusivity of the beauty industry, labelling it as a “fundamentally happy thing to work in”. With the genuine passion and enthusiasm of Boyd, the success of the night is inevitable, promising the Cardiff branch an exciting future. For students in Cardiff, the arrival of Sephora is both a dream and a danger to budgets – but with up to 15% off using their student discount through Student Beans and Unidays, a ‘retail therapy’ spree is that much easier to indulge in.
Aside from their never-ending collection of luxury names, their ‘Sephora Collection’ range offers more affordable products that are more student-friendly! For students aspiring for a future in the beauty industry, Boyd leaves us with some words of advice: “do it!”, advising students to “apply for different companies, go to brands, go to retailers” as Boyd reassures us it is a “very welcoming industry”. With goodie bags brimming with customer favourites from Olaplex to Paula’s Choice, Sephora’s Welsh debut left quite the lasting impression.
This launch is only a sneak peek of what’s to come for their Cardiff store!