Can the beauty counter ever recover its makeover magic?

The nation’s cosmetics stores will reopen from Monday — but with few testers and ‘virtual’ make-up trials only, you’ll barely recognise them

There’s nothing like the buzz of wandering into a beauty hall, inhaling air heavy with the scent of a hundred perfume testers, and being welcomed at a glossy beauty counter by uniformed staff keen to help you find the perfect shade of lipstick.

Thank heavens, then, that beauty emporiums are set to open their doors once more from Monday. Whether you’re purchasing high street or high end, shopping for make-up and skincare will now be strikingly different. We asked beauty stores and counters to give us the lowdown on the new world order…

WILL MY FAVOURITE COUNTER BE OPEN?

We’ve all got a favourite beauty counter, where the friendly lady always has just the right product for us to try. But will she be back from June 15 when shops open?

Chains such as Boots and superdrug, which have remained open for medical essentials, will find it easier to open up beauty aisles straight away. But for stand-alone shops and department stores shuttered for almost a whole quarter, making things safe is a big job.

A number of department store chains we spoke to said they will only open a few stores at first. But the good news is that once a store is open, then most concessions within it should be, too.

John Lewis, which is opening 13 stores by June 18, says all its beauty counters will be open except Clarins — which won’t open any counters until June 22.

however, shops will have to strike a balance between keeping things safe and keeping customers happy. New research from the NPD Group suggests 29 per cent of UK consumers would not queue to buy beauty products, while 35 per cent are not prepared to wait to test a product. Most wouldn’t wait more than ten minutes at the most.

‘We’re taking a phased approach to reopening,’ says Lesley Crowther, the UK and Ireland’s vice president of consumer engagement and retail at estee Lauder Companies, which owns brands including Bobbi Brown and Jo Malone. ‘We want to ensure all we do is in line with UK government and scientific guidance.’

But if you’re used to popping in to see your favourite sales adviser, you may find that, with only a certain number of staff allowed on the counter, they won’t necessarily be there as often as before. The best way to find out if your local store is open is to go online.

Make-up mecca space NK is opening 11 stores to begin with.

THE CHALLENGE OF TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Trying cosmetics is crucial to get the right colour and consistency. But how can that work now?

‘Testers for make-up, fragrance and skincare will be removed from stores and reintroduced when it is safe to do so,’ says Joanna rogers, vP of beauty at Boots. ‘When they return, they won’t be on display, but will be dispensed by an adviser with strict hygiene measures in place.

‘Perfumes will be spritzed on to an individual blotter, liquid foundations will be pumped into a disposable pot for you to try, and powders will be swiped with a single-use sponge and placed into a disposable pot.’

The same is true at estee Lauder counters. ‘Initially there won’t be any testers at all,’ says Laura Maxwell, director of sales and education. ‘There will be empty packaging on display so customers can recognise products, and we will have an increased number of samples — mainly for skincare products — so consumers can take them away.’

At Charlotte Tilbury counters, it’s a different story. ‘you will still be able to test products but you will have to ask one of our artists, who will clean the product for you, give you a singleuse applicator to try it with, and then