No Testing Of Make-up & Skincare When Sephora Re-opens This Friday, But You Can Still 'Try' The Products On Your Face

In the new normal that will ensue with the reopening of shops in Phase 2, you can try on clothes in boutiques, but you can't try on beauty products. This is in line with the government's measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. And as Sephora gears up to throw its doors open again to beauty enthusiasts come June 19, we're going to see a few changes in the beauty giant's many stores in Singapore.

First of all, even before the Circuit Breaker, Sephora stores here had already removed testers in the name of hygiene and safety. But in the two months of CB and Phase 1, the beauty company has been busy putting in place measures that will help make-up and skincare aficionados navigate the new waters of pandemic shopping.

Sephora Virtual Artist
Not sure how that new plum lipstick is gonna look with your skin tone now that you can't swatch it? There's a feature on the Sephora app called Sephora Virtual Artist, where you can ‘test’ hundreds of make-up products on yourself virtually, from lipsticks and lip glosses to eyeshadows and eyeliners. It uses facial recognition to let you see what products would look like on the face, by scanning customers' faces to detect eyes, lips, and cheeks for product placement. In a way, this is better than swatching — even pre-pandemic, we would never try testers on our face anyway. This virtual makeover is available whether you're in the store or at home, but perhaps you'd feel inspired by certain products when you're shopping in the store, and would want to 'try' those on your face there and then. There's also an instant ‘click to buy’ function built into the user experience, so customers can straightaway purchase the item within the app.

We're wearing — virtually, via the Sephora Visual Artist feature on their app — Marc Jacobs Beauty's See-Quins Glam Glitter in Star Dust, Sephora Collection's Waterproof Eyeliner in Matte Black and Pat McGrath Labs' LuxeTrance Lipstick in Beauty Junkie.

Scan to Interact
A new feature that helps you get info such as reviews and product ratings when you scan a product's barcode using the Sephora app. The info will pop up on your mobile phone screen and help with your buying decisions.

Virtual Services via Zoom
This was launched in mid-May, where you can get expert beauty advice, tips and personalised recommendations in the comfort and safety of home, before you make a purchase. Go to the Sephora website or app and book a slot for a complimentary one-on-one skincare or make-up consultation via Zoom video call.

Health and Safety Measures
Of course, Sephora stores will also practise precautionary measures once stores reopen. These include requests for customers to check in using SafeEntry, requests for customers to sanitise hands, temperature taking before entering the store, and maintaining 1-metre social distancing while browsing and queuing. Surfaces and furniture will be cleaned and sanitised with antibacterial wipes and/or disinfectant regularly, and staff (called Sephora Castmembers) will adhere to a strict No-Touch policy, where they are not able to apply products on customers.

Will you be heading to your nearest Sephora to physically replenish your make-up and skincare stocks? Or is online shopping still your best policy?
Does all this make you feel safe enough to venture into your favourite beauty store again? Otherwise, there's always the option of shopping at Sephora.sg.