Sephora (aka my happy place) opened its first-ever Beauty TIP Workshop store at the newly expanded Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto last week. The leading beauty retailer has always been cutting edge and already offers one of the most inviting shopping experiences in the beauty industry. Now, the Yorkdale store joins 3 others in North America that feature Sephora’s new “Teach, Inspire, Play” concept, a shopping experience where digital technology and services fuse. Picture this….. a new beauty space that seats 10 shoppers, equipped with its own product, an iPad, USB port and free wifi, where consumers can learn to create pro beauty looks (i.e. winged liner, the smokey eye, etc.) via Sephora expert led beauty classes! Amazing right? The station also gives consumers access to self-guided tutorials so anyone who may not be interested in sitting through a class can play, browse and/or share looks on the digital screen or online. And by digital screen, I mean their new The Beauty Board – a shop-able gallery of user-generated content.

With “beauty classes” in session, the Yorkdale store also features an expanded Beauty Studio (with larger stations) offering complimentary makeovers, Sephora + Pantone Colour IQ touchscreens and updated IQ technology including scientifically precise colour matching of Sephora’s 1900 foundations, 400 concealers and 3500 lip shades to complement your skin tone. Also, at the touch of a button, Sephora’s touch-screen Fragrance IQ allows users to shop and explore a variety of different scents. A new & improved 4-seat Benefit Brow Bar is also included in the renovated space.

Next month, Yorkdale’s Sephora also launches the Skincare Studio – four well-lit seating areas that provide Mini Facial services, one-on-one skincare consultations, a sink station and a touchscreen that offers access to the stores’ exclusive Skincare IQ diagnostic tool – helping consumers determine the best skincare products based on their skin concerns.

Shopping in a store with over 15,000 products and over 230 brands can be intimidating but Sephora has managed to make it easier by taking the guesswork out of picking the products that work best for you.