"This Is Us" star Chrissy Metz shares with Access Hollywood Live's Kit Hoover and guest co-host Dondre Whitfield exactly what she looks for in a red carpet look! "This Is Us" returns on Sept. 26 at 9/8c on NBC.
In this May 22, 2018, photo cosmetic products are displayed inside the new Christian Louboutin space at the revamped second floor devoted to beauty at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. Department stores are being forced to rethink how they sell higher-end makeup and perfume as competition intensifies from discounters like Target, specialty chains like Sephora and Ulta and online brands.
Department stores are being forced to rethink how they sell higher-end makeup and perfume as competition intensifies from discounters like Target, specialty chains like Sephora and Ulta and online brands. So stores like Saks and Macy's are promising workouts for your face, augmented reality and beauty treatment concierges as they try to attract millennial customers and make the cosmetics aisles more of a destination than a stopover.
To expand its beauty area to the size of a typical grocery store, Saks Fifth Avenue's flagship location is even bumping cosmetics from its position near main-floor entrances to the second level, breaking from a century-old tradition in retailing.
"Department stores have to reinvent themselves, and that's not an easy thing to do," said Larissa Jensen, an analyst at NPD Group, a market research firm. "Everyone has an eye on beauty. It's an area that consumers continue to be excited about."
But shoppers are changing the way they buy beauty products, fueled by social media, the explosion of new trends and emerging brands. Customers want to experiment with products beyond the brands to which they're loyal. And with information online, they're more knowledgeable when they approach the cosmetics counter.
Specialty chains like Ulta and Sephora overtook department stores by share of the U.S. beauty and personal care market in 2009, according to research firm Euromonitor International. By last year the specialists had more than 15 percent of the market and department stores fell below 9 percent.
Department stores, already trying to keep customers coming through the doors, are freshening up the face they present to shoppers.
Saks Fifth Avenue has expanded the beauty section at its New York flagship by 40 percent to 32,000 square feet. It has 15 treatment rooms for services like getting your back fat frozen or workouts for your face to combat sagging. It offers complimentary services like mini-facials, with a concierge to greet customers and help book appointments.
Meanwhile, Macy's is allowing shoppers to experiment more with products and letting beauty advisers step away from the counter to help them. It also has areas that focus on specific categories like mascaras or highlighters that include many brands. And it's featuring augmented reality technology in a cluster of stores for shoppers who want to experiment without trying everything out. Stores like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, meanwhile, are creating hubs of the latest trends and beauty products.
J.C. Penney, still scarred by a disastrous makeover a few years ago, has been expanding its highly successful partnership with Sephora and will have those shops in 75 percent of its stores this year.
"We are all thinking of new ways to innovate," said Nata Dvir, Macy's general business manager of beauty.
Sephora and Ulta had already shaken up the longtime pattern of shoppers going to department stores and talking to advisers for higher-end products or finding low-priced offerings at drug stores.
Both chains have expanded rapidly, multiplying the number of places shoppers can test makeup and get tutorials. And Sephora in particular has been ahead in adopting technology like using facial scans to find foundations and concealers to match a person's skin tone. It was the first beauty brand to adopt chatbots, according to research firm CB Insights.
Their success has pushed discounters like Walmart and Target as well as drugstores like CVS to revamp their cosmetics areas with more open spaces, brighter lighting and more attractive fixtures. Discounters have also been working with suppliers to jump on new trends and get items in stores in a few months later instead of in a year.
Target now has sales assistants who specialize in beauty, and launched a concierge service on its site that lets shoppers chat with experts and virtually try on makeup. Customers will soon be able to text a beauty expert, and at 10 stores they can try augmented reality technology.
Against this competition, Saks Fifth Avenue aims to offers an over-the-top beauty experience, with large shops devoted to brands like Chanel and Gucci, something that hasn't been seen before in the beauty departments. It's a mix of technology and serious pampering. There's even a florist shop with matching fragrances.
Much was made of the move away from the ground floor, but Saks Fifth Avenue president Marc Metrick says the new format is designed for someone who wants to spend time.
10 people were taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries that weren’t life threatening, police said
A man rear ended a CTA bus early Monday, injuring 10 people in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.
A CTA bus was stopped at 12:07 a.m. in the 5500 block of S. Wells when a man driving a Chevy Monte Carlo rear ended the bus, Chicago Police said.
10 people were taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries that weren’t life threatening, police said.
The man driving the car and five passengers from the bus were taken to University of Chicago Medical Center. Four more bus passengers were taken to St. Bernard Hospital, police said.
DJ AM was found dead in his Manhattan apartment. A crack pipe and prescription pills were found nearby, cops said.
DJ AM loved Philadelphia -- the food, the people, his family and even the smell. He shared his heartfelt sentiments about his hometown with Christian Audesirk of phrequency.com last week in what could have been his final interview.
“I have always stayed in touch with my sister who still lives there and I get back there at lease every two months just to take a walk and remember my childhood. I love that city. Damn, bout to start crying. I am a mush ball when it comes to Philly,” he told Audesirk.
DJ AM, whose real name was Adam Goldstein, was found dead Friday evening in his SoHo apartment. Police found a crack pipe and prescription pills near him. Goldstein, who grew up in Rittenhouse Square, was reportedly taking prescription medications to deal with a stress disorder he developed after surviving a horrific 2008 plane crash that killed four people.
Goldstein along with former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker were the only two to survive the crash. Since the tragedy they joined forces and performed around the country to sold out concerts. He spoke about their recent collaboration “Fix Your Face”.
“So much fun. I love Travis and I have always loved beats. To see what an amazing drummer brings to the beats I love is so exciting,” he said.
DJ AM was also excited about his involvement with a new nightclub at Caesars Atlantic City, where his last appearance was Tuesday.
”It's just beginning to really take place. The recession is already slowing a lot down everywhere and adding to the speed of AC becoming to Philly and NY what Vegas is to LA. But it is going to happen. It’s just a matter of time. I am incredibly excited to be involved in the evolution with Dusk at Caesars. From the design to the music, Dusk is in a league of its own and once you spend an hour there you will know why,” he told the site.
DJ AM was reportedly "completely devasted" over breaking up with his girlfriend, model Hayley Wood, days before his death. He was also linked to Mandy Moore and briefly engaged to Nicole Richie.
Dusk released a statement Friday night: "We are devastated by the loss of Adam Goldstein, our dear friend and valued member of the Dusk family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. He was a true talent who will be greatly missed."