Art & Events,  Makeup,  Makeup Favourites,  Makeup Reviews

Review of Lisa Eldridge’s Pop-Up Studio: A vintage world of colour

Lisa Eldridge’s pop-up store that recently opened in Covent Garden, London, is a place like no other. A mixture in between a shop and a museum the place holds its own uniqueness and freshness. A blend of old and new, it offers many attractions. For those of you that have not managed to visit yet, keep reading to get a virtual experience and to find out about exclusive products and future launches. 

 

The front of the shop. You can spot Lisa in the distance!

 

The pop-up studio seems to be inspired by the velvet lipsticks that Lisa first launched back in 2018. The shapes of lips made of velvet, the curtains and the overall look of the place reminds of this product. 

The pop up also has a menu, with a list of some of the products available for purchase. Although not described as this, it could easily go as follows: in the mains, there are the velvet and luxurious lucent lipsticks, while the desert section, in my opinion, holds some exquisite artisan made brushes. 

 

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As you enter the shop you arrive in Lisa’s Lip Lounge. This consists of several shelves with lip products, all ready for you to swatch and see in real life. As Lisa’s makeup has so far been online exclusive, the customers now get the chance to experience the texture and the colours in real life. On the left, there is a chic vintage seating area with luxury makeup displays, transforming the Lisa Eldridge makeup into luxurious exhibits.

Further ahead, you are welcomed by the Lisa Eldridge Foundation Station. Carrying on with this blend of makeup items being viewed as artworks, the foundation stand looks like one of Constantin Brancusi’s sculptures, the Sleeping Muse. Brancusi was a Romanian artist that revolutionised the norms of sculpture and is considered a pioneer of modernism. He is an artist that Lisa Eldridge admires. Besides the stand itself, it seems that the packaging of the Seamless Foundation itself has been inspired by this sculpture. Just like the Sleeping Muse, the Seamless Foundation is also resting on its side and has the same oval shape. 

The Seamless Skin Foundation had an early release at the opening of the pop-up studio, offering an exclusive first look to all customers that visit the shop. Although the Elevated Glow Highlighters have been the turning point to luxury in Lisa’s line, I think the foundation is the clear passageway from high end to luxury makeup. Inspired by a work of art, there is no other place for a product like this than in the luxury category. 

To help you find the perfect shade of foundation for you, there are makeup artists at hand, who are ready to discuss every detail in achieving this. In fact, the Team Lisa Makeup Artists are everywhere in the shop with multiple workstations. They are ready to apply any of the Lisa Eldridge products on you and discuss the textures and the best shades for you.

 

Besides makeup, the pop-up also sells Face Paint: The story of makeup by Lisa Eldridge, which beautifully accompanies the displays of vintage makeup. The grey Lisa Eldridge jumpers are also available with a red version available exclusively in the shop. Some of the makeup bags are also available to purchase.

At the till there is a section of vintage makeup cases available to purchase varying in prices from £100 to £500. 

For those of you that want access to exclusive products, there are quite a few to choose from. Besides the foundation already being on sale, there are also makeup brushes. Another category of makeup released by Lisa that moves into the luxury category, the brushes are designed by Lisa and created by artisans in Japan. Vegan and cruelty free, these brushes have bristles that were never cut in order to provide softness. The handles of the brushes are made from responsibly sourced Japanese Cherry Blossom which is multi coated with a matt black lacquer. Each brush comes on black velvet lined hard cardboard boxes. These are another release from Lisa that are certainly in the luxury beauty category. The appreciation for makeup products and tools as works of art that provide inspiration is clearly observed through and through. 

Another lovely addition to the line will be liquid lurex eye shadows. These are supposed to be on sale in the shop from mid-November. There are five shades to choose from – a delicate rose pink, a rose gold, a copper orangey shade, a dark smoky blue, and a taupe brown. They are metallic and can be fully opaque or blended out as sheer and luminous. They all contain micro glitter that shines and sparkles yet is subtle and elegant.

Another exclusive for the shop is the display of Lisa Eldridge’s jewellery. Mixing beautifully with the museum exhibits, the puffs and jewellery cases look vintage and breathtaking. Amongst the classic rings in the collection there is also one inspired by the sapphire on Audrey’s Hepburn Cartier Lipstick Holder. Customers can try on the jewellery on request. 

 

Lisa’s curated vintage makeup museum – History in your handbag

 

Lisa’s pop-up studio also has a museum display arranged for what is currently the biggest vintage makeup collection on display in Europe. Starting from over 1000 years ago with a Chinese pot holding face powder, all the way through to 2010, there are various containers, shadows, creams and lipsticks available to admire and find out more about. Displaying some of the most loved items by Lisa from her collection, they are also rare gems that allow you to have a look into the history of makeup. In fact, Lisa entitled this section of the pop-up studio as History in your handbag. 

 

In foreground, the oldest piece, a powder compact from the Chinese Northern Song Dynasty Era c. 960 – 1127; the Coty Airspun Powder c.1930s just above it. Potter and Moore powder compact, c. 1900s with an added personalised rose on top.

 

The glass cabinet accompanying the wall displays contains a more eclectic display with a mixture of items from a variety of decades. Perhaps one of the things absent are labels which would beautifully accompany these items.  However, I would highly suggest watching Lisa’s video about her vintage makeup collection because some of the items displayed there have been featured in the video and therefore you will know what they are and from when.

The museum section of the pop-up studio offers a rare sight and a delight for makeup enthusiasts that are interested in the history and development of beauty and makeup. Every direction you look there are other iconic items that are either staples in the history of makeup or rare examples of makeup collections. The items are numerous and there is a lot to take in, so make sure you allow yourself enough time to absorb everything in. 

Overall, the entire approach of Lisa’s pop-up studio is to treat beauty products as artworks, mesmerising exhibits that shine, spread colour and impress the viewer.

An exquisite display of colour and textures, an abundance of makeup artists and a museum make the Lisa Eldridge pop-up studio one of the most unique beauty shops that will delight many makeup lovers and beauty enthusiasts. A place that you can simply not miss visiting. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A page from my beauty diary: An entire weekend dedicated to Lisa Eldridge

Review: Face Paint, The Story of Makeup by Lisa Eldridge

Pore and wrinkle free skin?! 2 Weeks WEAR TEST: Lisa Eldridge Foundation Review

Unboxing + First Impressions of LISA ELDRIDGE’S New Makeup!

 

 

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