In Review 2025: Beauty's best pop-ups
As we reflect on the shifts that shaped the retail landscape in 2025, one trend that continued to dominate was pop-ups.
Particularly within the beauty sector, these temporary activations surged in popularity this year, with brands and retailers increasingly turning to pop-ups as a powerful way to drive brand awareness, spark consumer engagement and boost sales.
TheIndustry.beauty rounds up the standout beauty pop-ups of the year, spotlighting the activations that made the biggest impact.
Space NK hosts Fragrance Library pop-up in London
Space NK launched a new pop-up in London to celebrate National Fragrance Week. Hosted at The Vinyl Factory on 18 Marshall Street, the Fragrance Library experience invited guests to explore the stories behind scents from 19 brands - and earlier this year, it was recognised with the Activation award at TheIndustry.Beauty Awards 2025.
The pop-up featured bookable brand experiences, including cocktail-making masterclasses, art workshops, and personalised embroidery. Visitors explored immersive activations such as Diptyque’s Jazz Club and Phlur’s mirror maze, alongside experiences from Byredo, DS&Durga, Floral Street, Glossier, Hermès, Vyrao, Sana Jardin, and Space NK’s own line. Each guest also received a curated selection of fragrance samples to take home.
Jo Malone London brings British seaside to South Bank
Jo Malone London captured childhood nostalgia with a spritz of its newest scent, Raspberry Ripple. For four days, the brand brought the British seaside to London’s South Bank with a playful pop-up dedicated to the limited-edition fragrance. The pop-up transformed The Queen’s Walk into a vibrant seaside scene complete with colourful beach huts, a nostalgic boardwalk, and the unmistakable scent of raspberry ripple ice cream in the air.
In July, the immersive installation invited guests to explore a series of interactive huts, each reflecting the fragrance’s key notes of raspberries, redcurrants, and white musk. Visitors could also send digital postcards, create their own bunting, pose for photo moments, and enjoy a scoop of raspberry ripple ice cream.
Chanel unveils fragrance-themed Shoreditch pop-up
Chanel Beauty invited Londoners to its purple-themed pop-up in Shoreditch, celebrating the launch of Chance Eau Splendide - the first addition to the brand's Chance fragrance family in eight years. The immersive experience transformed the space into a dreamlike fairground, complete with interactive games, scent discovery zones, mirrored hallways, and playful installations.
Guests were greeted by the signature lilac hue of the new fragrance, experiencing its sparkling raspberry and delicate floral notes alongside a powdery, woody base of cedar and iris, while exploring fortune-telling stations, a screening room showcasing Chanel’s latest fragrance film, and a games room with prizes and a fragrance bar.
Wonderskin launches one-day tattoo and beauty pop-up in London
Wonderskin teamed up with Soho tattoo studio Fine Line Hearts Club for a one-day pop-up that blended the worlds of beauty and body art. Held in October, the event celebrated the final release of the brand’s limited-edition Black Vinyl Lip Stain and offered attendees a unique fusion of tattoos and beauty experiences.
The pop-up featured 100 free tattoos from a bespoke Halloween- and beauty-inspired flash sheet, with designs ranging from hearts, lips, and ghosts to Wonderskin product motifs. Guests who opted for a tattoo of a Wonderskin Lip Stain were rewarded with £200 worth of the brand’s products, while an additional 200 free Black Vinyl Lip Stains were distributed to visitors queuing on the day. Visitors also enjoyed refreshments including matcha, coffee, candy, and pizza as they explored the event.
Boots hosts ‘ultimate beauty bash' with new house party pop-up in London
Boots hosted a three-day pop-up in London’s Soho, bringing its most-loved beauty brands to life through an immersive experience. The activation transformed a house party concept into a multi-sensory journey, guiding visitors through each step of a beauty routine while showcasing the retailer’s product and service offering.
Guests explored a series of themed zones, including a scent shower with fragrance displays and steam, a bathroom-inspired lucky dip, and a dressing room featuring a charm station and beauty confessionals. The experience also included professional makeup applications, hairstyling by GHD, a domed-mirror selfie wall and complimentary bubble tea in the kitchen area.
Byoma opens immersive skincare pop-up in London
Viral skincare brand Byoma hosted an exclusive, one-day pop-up at Frameless, the digital immersive art experience in London’s Marble Arch, in March. The brand transformed the gallery into a vibrant world where skincare enthusiasts could explore its barrier-boosting, science-driven, dermatologist-approved formulas.
Visitors discovered Byoma’s cult-favourite products alongside new launches, learning about the science behind the brand’s collection. The pop-up also offered express facials and gave guests the chance to win exclusive Byoma merchandise and skincare goodies, creating an interactive and memorable experience for attendees.
Beauty Pie unveils biggest launch of 2025 with science-driven pop-up
Beauty Pie unveiled its most advanced anti-ageing innovation to date, the Youthbomb Extreme Retinal Triple Renewal Serum. To mark the launch, the digital brand expanded its engagement beyond online with a multi-channel approach. Rolled out under the banner Your Future Self Will Thank You, the campaign included an immersive pop-up alongside an OOH advertising presence across 80 Transport for London stations.
The Youthbomb London Lab pop-up, which took place from 11–13 September on London's Carnaby Street, gave visitors an exclusive behind-the-scenes insight into the new skincare launch and Beauty Pie’s wider range.
Kylie Cosmetics hosts dessert-inspired pop-up in London to celebrate latest launch
Kylie Cosmetics treated beauty lovers to something sweet to mark the launch of its dessert-inspired Hair & Body Mists, partnering with Lookfantastic for an exclusive pop-up at Cavendish Place’s Abuelo Café last month.
Guests were invited to enjoy complimentary dessert-inspired coffees, explore the new collection and receive a free Kylie Cosmetics makeup product with any mist (Sweet Éclair, Vanilla Dew and Caramel Cloud) purchase.
Phlur celebrates biggest launch of 2025 with pop-up in London
Phlur spotlighted its biggest fragrance launch of the year with a pop-up in London’s Covent Garden, hosted in partnership with Space NK. The experience invited visitors to discover the brand’s latest Eau de Parfum, Cherry Stem, through a sensorial journey designed to reflect the scent’s "dangerously addictive" character.
The first 50 customers to make a purchase received a complimentary 9.5ml Rose Whip EDP, while the experience also formed part of Covent Garden’s Big Beauty event - a celebration positioning the area as London’s Beauty Quarter through a series of activations.
Dr. Organic expands brand presence with debut pop-up in London
Natural skincare brand Dr. Organic hosted its first pop-up in London. Held at The Stables in Covent Garden, The Calm Club allowed guests could unwind while discovering the brand’s products and wellness ethos.
The experience spotlighted Dr. Organic’s bestselling Skin Calm Probiotic collection, formulated for skin prone to redness, irritation and dryness. Guests enjoyed interactive wellness stations, expert-led treatments and product showcases, alongside offerings from various partners. A restorative juice bar, evening cocktails and playful activations completed the immersive experience.
Grown Alchemist launches first-ever UK pop-up to debut new range
Grown Alchemist marked the UK debut of its new Regenerating range with a two-day pop-up in London. Held at Spitalfields Market in October, the activation invited visitors to explore the latest launch through immersive experiences and expert-led consultations.
Visitors received complimentary, personalised skincare consultations, free samples and the chance to enter a competition to win over £1,000 worth of products. The pop-up followed the Aussie brand’s continued expansion in the UK, after opening its Soho store last November.
Laneige taps glazed lip trend for pop-up
Laneige, the Korean skincare brand known for its hydration-first philosophy, brought high shine to central London with a glossy pop-up experience. To celebrate the launch of its Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum, the viral brand transformed Covent Garden’s Piazza in May.
The immersive space showcased the serum-meets-gloss lip product, highlighting its skincare benefits alongside buildable, high-gloss colour. Visitors enjoyed a sweet-themed takeover, complete with collectible keyrings, custom-designed tees, and glazed doughnuts inspired by the lip serum’s doughnut-inspired shade range.
H Beauty hosts circus-themed pop-up tour
H Beauty took its circus-themed pop-up on tour across the UK, showcasing seven beauty brands through exclusive product launches, expert treatments, and interactive experiences. The activation kicked off in London, before moving to Chester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Housed in a pink circus tent, the pop-up offered the chance to shop products. Guests also enjoyed mini facials with Elemis, ring toss games with Gisou, personalised shade matching with Hourglass Cosmetics, and makeup touch-ups with VIEVE, alongside complimentary refreshments and deluxe samples with every purchase.
Lookfantastic launches 'Ready. Set. Restock.' cyber week campaign with beauty drive-thru event
Lookfantastic launched its Ready. Set. Restock. campaign with a one-day beauty drive-thru pop-up in London, marking the start of its Cyber Week activity. The event gave attendees an early look at upcoming Black Friday promotions through a series of themed “windows” focused on skincare, haircare, makeup, and gifting.
Guests moved through the route in a drive-thru format, receiving product recommendations, sampling opportunities, and the chance to purchase items - all available at reduced Cyber Week pricing, including 30% off full-size products. After completing the drive-thru, attendees entered a diner-themed zone with refreshments, a photo booth, and a TikTok recording space, and each guest received an exclusive discount code for online use.
To learn more, read TheIndustry.beauty's in depth feature on the secret to a successful pop-up.
