Personal Beauty Shopping? Yes Please!

Personal shoppers are nothing new, but personal beauty shopping is certainly a pretty novel concept. Meet Rose (she blogs over at Mixed Gems Beauty), the Selfridges personal beauty shopper. As far as I'm aware she's the only person in the whole on Birmingham with a job like this. Jealous!  

This picture is from today; they've had even more and better changes since we went to the personal shopper's experience

She invited us a few months ago to come for a visit in the newly revamped Selfridges Beauty Hall. The department had evolved into something spacious, swanky and full of light (it was previously a very enclosed space, not as if that prevented us from spending money there....).

How many times have you been on a beauty counter wanting one thing (e.g. a foundation) and end up being overwhelmed when the beauty consultant tells you that you need their company's moisturiser, primer, concealer, and powder to make the foundation look good? Rose takes away all that. And this is what's great about her job. She isn't driven by any brand to hard sell. You tell her what you're concern is and what you want and she delivers. She's passionate about her job and that shines through.

Selfridges staff are very nice in general, and are approachable. Rose was all of that and more. She was lovely, funny and we felt instantly at ease with her. We didn't have any specific "wants" on the day to we went to meet her so  she took us around the counters and showed us her stand out products from each brand. 

The cleansing balms from RMK (a brand I have always walked past without a second glance) and Bobbi Brown (one of my favourite brands) smelt luscious. The RMK one smelt of roses; luscious and the Bobbi Brown one of grapefruit; one of my all time favourite scents. 

Smells of real roses (not an artificial scent), the texture was luscious

What I really liked was that a lot of other brands are now being stocked in Selfridges that weren't there before; OCC Lip Tars, SteamCream, Louise Young, Glam Glow, Fountain (the supplement people), Bumble & Bumble, Phyto, The Konjac Sponge Company, EOS Lip balms, Charlotte Tilbury, Shu Uemera, and Urban Decay. For nail polish lovers there's also OPI, Morgan Taylor, Deborah Lipmann, Ciate, and American Apparel. 

The Selfridges Beauty department is the premiere destination for high end beauty shopping, and hosts Mac (you guys know I am really not fond of them at all, but they're here if you need them), Bobbi Brown (love), Illamasqua (love), Nars (love), Christian Dior, Estee Lauder, Tom Ford, YSL, Clarins, RMK, Clinique, Suqqu, La Mer, Kiehl's, and Chanel. 

The Bobbi Brown Art Sticks and swatches 

The Charlotte Tilbury counter is amazing, and I love how easy the products are to use. They are arranged by "looks" and you can buy an entire look, and you'll be confident that everything co-ordinates. There's been many times when I've seen something I've wanted in a promotional picture and have very eagerly gone to the brand and asked what has been used. And they hardly ever know! None of that here with the Tilbury counter. Every product used in a look is displayed along with get the look cards. 

Some of the Charlotte Tilbury looks. That's the same girl in all the pictures. How amazing does she look! 

The Beach Sicks were gorgeous

Chanel and Tom Ford do bespoke fragrance consultations; where you are given a few notes to smell and depending on what you like the consultant picks out fragrances for you. We tried the consultation at Tom Ford, and I was matched to Rive D'ambre, which on first whiff I wasn't a fan of but the more I sniffed it, the more I liked it!The consultant was very nice and insightful. We walked away with samples of Rive D'ambre. Now who wants to buy me a big bottle....

Sniffing some Tom Ford 

We were offered a complementary consultation. It's normally £30 which is redeemable against purchases. And there will be purchases....This is also a great gift option for beauty newbies and junkies alike!

Excited by the prospect of personal beauty shopping? Want to take part? Drop Rose an email at rose.gallagher@selfridges.co.uk

 She is also able to mail out items if you're there's something specific you want and can't get to a store. 

Wish this was available where you are?