The skincare trend has transcended South Korean markets, the virality of social media, and powerful e-commerce to gain more and more ground organically. And we are not talking about the different active ingredients, tools, and heterogeneous makeup that increasingly fill shelves and bathroom or vanity drawers, but about the physical presence in our streets of true temples that make skin care an authentic ritual. We have scoured the city in search of stores and showrooms that, true to their desire to care for the skin and ensure its healthy and vitalistic appearance, offer immersive and evocative spaces behind which are interior design and architecture studios worth following closely.
We let ourselves be embraced and pampered by the beauty of cosmetics, by the refined and elegant aesthetic of these new skincare epicenters that make the experience of seeing, buying, and trying something unique. And we do it through a circuit through the senses in the interiors of natural cosmetic stores and brands that invite a genuine lifestyle, starting with sober design spaces that define their style with high doses of creativity.
ROWSE, natural serenity by Isern Serra
The plant-based cosmetic brand, created by Nuria Val and Gabriela Salord, has this showroom that, true to its Mediterranean essence and honest character, plays with minimalism, from a serene, luminous, and nature-respecting perspective. With interior design by Barcelona-based Isern Serra, the open-plan space is located on the third floor of a building in the Poblenou neighborhood. The large openings in the main facade allow a great amount of natural light to enter, further emphasizing the refined and placid appearance of the entire interior. This, in turn, beyond its versatility, is organized into three areas: a showroom proper for clients, presided over by a built-in sofa that invites one to feel "at home"; a second, more private meeting room, although visually connected to the rest of the floor; and a third area for presentations and workshops, presided over by a large natural wood table.
The use of materials such as microcement, the presence of handmade details, along with touches of color from the vegetation and ROWSE's own products, turn this showroom into a true oasis of well-being that invites to honor the purest (skin) beauty.
From All Yours to the pink universe of Miin Cosmetics, by PPT Interiorismo
Under the umbrella of All Yours, a great diversity of products from small 100% organic brands that work to promote sustainable cosmetics are gathered. The company, founded by Patrick Seigenthaler, Clément Duay, and Alain Vadi, has its first flagship in Barcelona, more specifically in the left Eixample, designed by the Barcelona studio PPT Interiorismo. The project delves into the desire to create a better world through small gestures around personal care in general, and for lovers of clean beauty cosmetics in particular. To make this possible, the PPT Interiorismo team, led by Helena Puig, has designed an open space where different products are neatly displayed on handmade furniture and display units. Green tones, present in the vegetation and furniture, combine with wood, marble, and exposed stone finishes, custom-made lights, and a series of personalized details that give the space great warmth and simplicity.
A few streets away, we find another essential skincare reference. This is the recent opening of the flagship store of MiiN Cosmetics. The Korean cosmetics company born in Barcelona opens to the city from the old Bella Aurora building, and it does so again with PPT Interiorismo, which this time starts from a very austere interior design, getting rid of any superfluous element and dyeing the space with a dominant pink hue, in line with the corporate color. The contrast between the raw aesthetic and the power of pink provides a great visual result that is enhanced by steel furniture, translucent glass, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and finishes in methacrylate and microcement. A daring and suggestive design that makes the 400 m2 of surface - distributed over two floors - where all kinds of products, treatments, and services are accommodated, a visual spectacle that leaves no one indifferent.
The sophistication of Aesop, by Barozzi Veiga
Without leaving the Eixample, the exclusive Aesop store attracts attention with its enigmatic design, a work by the Barozzi Veiga studio. An imposing metal monolith is located between two columns of the building to provide access to the interior of a five-meter-high space. Great sobriety in colors and materials characterize an interior where three slender steel-clad columns focus attention. Around them, the space is organized with a suspended counter that extends along the floor, giving continuity to the ensemble. On the other side, on a series of symmetrically placed shelves, the different product ranges of the Australian cosmetic firm are displayed. Everything organized with care and maximum formal elegance.
Upon entering the store, it opens into a small semicircular room where straight lines disappear, giving way to a space that envelops the visitor and where the height changes, as do the light and the compositional material. The result is a sensual and intimate space where one can sit and interact closely with everything arranged around.
Freshly Cosmetics' particular eden, by CuldeSac
One of the pioneering natural cosmetics brands to make the leap from e-commerce to the retail world was the Catalan Freshly Cosmetics. The digital native company, founded by Miquel Antolín and Mireia Trepat, has its epicenter of care and well-being on Portaferrissa street, in the heart of the city, where it fosters contact between the brand and its clientele. The space, designed by the CuldeSac studio, does not neglect its digital essence with online content and intuitive areas that invite movement and exploration of the different proposals thanks to a friendly and accessible layout. And all of this is made from recycled and natural materials such as fibers and wood that contrast with more industrial elements such as neon lights, canvases, or stainless steel. Added to this is the plant component, which enhances the botanical value of the brand.
Amidst the traffic, the rush, and the technological dynamics of the day, time seems to stop in these authentic paradises of natural cosmetics that invite you to let yourself be carried away by the sensory experience and, while we're at it, leave with a skincare product under your arm.