Beauty Collection a new spot to pick up beauty goods and get pampered in West L.A.
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Despite the popularity of online shopping for beauty products, Shawn Tavakoli, chief executive of the local Beauty Collection stores, believes he knows why some people still favor brick-and-mortar shops.
“I think women still want to have that experience of coming into a beauty store,” says Tavakoli, “having someone who is trained and experienced show them new products, and help them make an educated decision about their hair, skin and makeup needs. They still want to feel spoiled.”
His argument appears to be solid. After all, competitors such as Ulta and Sephora have continued to expand, and the popular beauty subscription service Birchbox also has a brick-and-mortar shop in New York.
When planning Beauty Collection’s new Marina del Rey store, Tavakoli had a clear idea of what he wanted: a place where customers could drop in for facials and waxing, have their hair styled, get their makeup done and pick up beauty goodies from brands such as Billion Dollar Brows and Sun Bum.
“We’ve wanted to be in this community for a number of years,” Tavakoli says.
The Marina del Rey outpost, which opened in May, is the Van Nuys-based company’s sixth, joining stores in Calabasas, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach and West Hollywood. Given its West L.A. location, the Marina del Rey store likely will draw customers from the surrounding neighborhood as well as Westchester, Mar Vista and Playa Vista.
We wanted the store to not feel cluttered or overwhelmed with product. But it should still be an inviting playroom, like a Disneyland for beauty.
— Shawn Tavakoli
The 1,600-square-foot space was designed by James E. Drews, principal of the Burbank-based architecture firm LDA Design Group. The interior was gutted and redone in keeping with the crisp, open sensibility of the chain’s other stores. The shop features exposed industrial ceilings and wide aisles of products. There’s also a treatment room and a hair-styling station at the back of the store.
“We wanted the store to not feel cluttered or overwhelmed with product,” says Tavakoli. “But it should still be an inviting playroom, like a Disneyland for beauty.”
Enter the store and you’ll find hair products, including styling tools and accessories, as well as skin and body essentials, perfumes and cosmetics. Also available are home fragrances and niche products such as all-natural linen sprays.
Beauty brands include Kevyn Aucoin, By Terry, the Balm cosmetics (known for their quirky vintage packaging) and colorful nail product line Mini Mani Moo. Also in the mix are natural/organic products such as lavender- and eucalyptus-infused Agent Nateur deodorant, which is handmade in West Hollywood.
Beauty Collection, 4722 Admiralty Way Suite A-17, Marina del Rey, (310) 306-8018, www.beautycollection.com
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