Olive Young and Department Stores Strengthen 'Beauty Experience' Services
One-on-One Consulting Reservations Fill Up Quickly
Becoming a Popular Tourist Activity Among Foreigners
"Making Department Stores More Accessible for People in Their 20s and 30s"
Recently, cosmetic select shops like Olive Young and department store cosmetic counters have been strengthening their 'K-Beauty Experience Services,' which offer makeup consultations and skin and scalp condition diagnoses. These services, usually priced around 100,000 KRW at beauty salons, are available for free, making them highly popular. Interest is especially high in February due to numerous events such as graduation and entrance ceremonies.
The free 'Beauty Experience Services' provide more than just product trials; they offer one-on-one makeup consulting, hand and arm massage services, and skin and scalp type diagnoses, attracting great popularity among young people in Korea. Among foreigners, these services have already become a recognized tourist attraction.
For example, CJ Olive Young has been continuously operating experience events at its 'Olive Young N Seongsu' store, which opened in Seongsu-dong last November. The 'Home Care Lesson' and 'Full Makeup' services, which require prior reservation, are so popular that online bookings close within a minute of opening. The 'Skin and Scalp Consulting' service, which only accepts on-site reservations, requires a wait time of over two hours.
A customer receiving a skin diagnosis at Olive Young N Seongsu's 'Skinfit Studio.' Photo by CJ Olive Young
The makeup program takes about 90 minutes, from applying basic cosmetics like skin lotion to completing makeup in the desired concept. An Olive Young representative told Yonhap News on the 24th, "It is important to compare color payoffs and actually apply them to one's face," adding, "We offer various services with the hope that customers can have a proper experience."
The experience events are also popular among foreigners. Over 80% of users of the skin and scalp consulting service are foreigners, with English-speaking customers making up half of that group. Japanese tourists, who are particularly interested in color cosmetics, account for 40% of customers participating in the custom palette mixing experience. A foreign customer who visited Olive Young N Seongsu on the 20th said, "I successfully made a prior reservation for the home care lesson and purposely scheduled my appointment at Olive Young N Seongsu. My friend applied for the palette mixing experience through on-site waiting," adding, "I have to go to the airport tonight, but I really wanted to try the K-Beauty experience, so I brought my suitcase."
Department stores are also enhancing experience services to attract younger customers. The service areas are gradually expanding from makeup to perfume and hair care. Shinsegae Department Store held a 'Beauty Festa' from the 17th to the 23rd, where customers could directly receive makeup, skincare, hair, and hand and arm skin care services and consultations at over 20 cosmetic brand counters. Beauty Festa is an irregular event held by Shinsegae Department Store according to seasons or occasions such as entrance and graduation ceremonies, and its popularity is steadily increasing. While customers could previously test products at department store cosmetic counters, the reservation system now allows them to experience products in a more organized manner.
At the recent event, makeup consultations by Prada Beauty and Make Up For Ever, as well as hand and arm massage services by Jo Malone London, were fully booked within a day or two of opening reservations at all stores. A Shinsegae Department Store representative explained, "The opportunity to try products from brands they want to use is especially popular among customers in their 20s who may have psychological barriers toward department store cosmetics," adding, "It effectively attracts young customers."
A customer receiving beauty services at Lotte Department Store Main Branch. Provided by Lotte Department Store
Lotte Department Store introduced the industry's first one-on-one offline makeup reservation service, 'Beauty Salon,' in 2023. This reservation system operates continuously. Initially focused on color cosmetics brands, the service has expanded to include 'Fragrance Service,' which offers scent consultations tailored to personal preferences, and 'Skincare Diagnosis and Hair Consulting.'
To date, the Beauty Salon has served 50,000 customers, with 40% of them purchasing products after consultations. Mindahae, a buyer for Lotte Department Store's beauty team, stated, "More than half of the Beauty Salon users are in their 20s and 30s," adding, "It is highly popular among young customers who want experiences tailored to their personal tastes and styles, and we plan to introduce various additional beauty services."
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