New Zealand fashion and lifestyle blog

Confetti cannons, dance mobs, queues and free makeup: Sephora NZ opens in Queen Street Auckland

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With confetti cannons, a dance mob performed by staff, queues around the block and free makeup, the country’s first Sephora opened in Queen Street Auckland today.

I headed down to Queen Street to cover the opening and capture some of the hype in photos. DJs started at 7am, with a hearty welcome on stage by Sephora Lead Makeup Artist Alphie Sadsad over from Australia. Carts provided free coffee and crepes, and hauls of merch and giveaways for the first 500 in line. The free gifts: eyeshadow palettes, branded blankets, coffee flasks, tote bags, makeup purses and beanies went by about 6am.

Staff had been practising a choreographed dance routine for the opening of to celebrate the first New Zealand Sephora store and had admirably high energy considering they’d been up for hours as well as the VIP party the night before.

The confetti cannon launching the store. Yes, they cleaned it all up.
With Suzanne Spillane of Sephora NZ.
Above: Alphie Sadsad, Lead Makeup Artist for Sephora, with Megan Robinson of ThreadNZ.

A pleasure to chat to Sephora Lead Makeup Artist Alphie Sadsad today. I’m wearing makeup by Fenty Beauty and Kat von D.

Alphie Sadsad Lead Makeup Artist at Sephora
DJs entertain outside Sephora Auckland.
Coffee cart to refresh those waiting for hours outside in Queen Street.
Enjoying a Sephora coffee waiting for the doors to open at 9am.
The queue stretched for 300 metres up Queen Street, around Victoria Street East and left into High Street!
Makeup Artist Ivy aboard the Sephora Bus doing free makeups.
Make-up Artist Ivy.
HUDA Beauty aboard the Sephora Makeup Bus.
Ivy applying blusher.
Inside the new store.

Address: 152 Queen St, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010

Hours: 

Saturday10am–6pm
Sunday10am–5:30pm
Monday9am–7pm
Tuesday9am–7pm
Wednesday9am–7pm
Thursday9am–7pm
Friday9am–7pm

Words and photos, Megan Robinson
20 July 2019