The Magical House of Chanel pops up at Harrods (with some mind-blowing Christmas gifts)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for beauty editors. This week has been a whirlwind of Christmas open days and press events, but a particular highlight was a visit to CHANEL’s Magical House of Chanel ‘A Winter Tale’ pop-up at Harrods, tucked inside Door 6 and showcasing all sorts of store exclusives. (Some of these, but not all, will become more widely available as Christmas approaches.)
It's a veritable winter wonderland of luxurious gorgeousness, where we’ll be popping back to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over CHANEL Tree Baubles, (below), gift sets, snow-dusted bottles of Chanel No.5 (actually, this latest of No.5’s seasonal limited editions is dusted in white silk across its iconic shoulders). Altogether, many, many swoon-worthy items. (And remember: looking and sniffing is FREE.)
There are some fab services on offer (scroll down to the foot of this post for the entire, pulse-quickening list) – and according to the make-up artist who whisked her brushes over Jo’s face, no appointments required for many of them.
You might perhaps enjoy a fragrance consultation to find ‘your’ CHANEL fragrance – the entire Les Exclusifs line-up is showcased there – or have a mini-make-up from the limited edition make-up items, which include an oversized palette of four shades, inspired by the Aurora Borealis (the Enchanted Night Eyeshadow and Blush Palette£71), and an equally giant Diamond Dust Illuminating Powder/£70. Look out, too, for seasonal shades of Rouge Allure L’Extrait Lipstick/£50, and Le Vernis/£29 – we have fallen for the Charmer shade of this famed polish, a deep, vibrant metallic pink. SO ridiculously glamorous and can’t wait to get it on our toes…
For someone incredibly special who’s right at the top of your gift list, there are lots of gift sets in No.5, Chanel No.5 L’Eau, Coco Mademoiselle and Bleu de Chanel, all dressed up in gold. And while Santa is unlikely to deliver on this particular request, the absolute star of what is quite a stellar show is the 31 Le Rouge 12 Shade Coffret, which comes in at a fairly heart-stopping £1,035 – but contains lipsticks that will last a lifetime. (We reckon that’s not an exaggeration. Jo still very occasionally wears the same Chanel lipstick she wore for her wedding nearly 33 years ago, and – don’t tell the Beauty Police – it’s just fine.) Coincidentally, we raved about the 31 Le Rouge lipsticks on Tuesday here, before we’d seen that amazing set! (See Jo modelling her fave shade, above.)
There’s a QR code as you step into this pop-up, which will add a snowy filter to a selfie, or alternatively, have a Polaroid taken – it’s all just super-glamorous fun. We left doused in a winter favourite, CHANEL Les Exclusifs Coromandel – so frankly, it isn’t just beginning to look a lot like Christmas; it’s beginning to smell like it, too…
Chanel 175th Anniversary Tree Baubles/£150 – buy here
CHANEL at HARRODS Knightsbridge, London SW1 8BZ
Pop-up dates: 29th September - 24th October – open Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sunday 11.30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
CHANEL services on offer, below, taken directly from their own menu…
PHOTO MOMENT Clients will have the opportunity to take complimentary Polaroid pictures in front of the CHANEL fireplace at the pop-up and slide it into a branded sleeve as a keepsake to take home.
LET IT SNOW This digital snow experience is also offered to clients at counter via a QR code on their smartphones. Simply snap the subject at The Magical House of CHANEL and an Al snow photo or video appears directly on their smartphone
MAKE IT PERSONAL Looking for a customized card? At The Magical House of CHANEL, clients can create bespoke greeting cards to be printed at counter and included in the wrapping of their gifts.
MAP IT OUT Each visitor can collect an illustrated Magical House of CHANEL map featuring all CHANEL in-store locations and a QR code to book into the pop-up events on Harrods.com.
BEAUTÉ IN A FLASH For those on the go, there are three 15-minute, complimentary flash makeup and skincare services to be experienced at the pop-up.
LE QUART D’HEURE ICONIQUE A makeup session to introduce clients to the Holiday Collection focusing on face, eyes, and lip products.
LES RENDEZ VOUS DU 31 A lipstick discovery to help clients determine the most complimentary shades of 31 LE ROUGE for them.
LE QUART D’HEURE ALCHIMIQUE A unique olfactory experience to help clients discover their signature CHANEL scent.
SCHOOL OF MAKEUP During the pop-up period, The CHANEL School of Makeup will offer special-edition two-hour holiday masterclasses hosted by highly trained CHANEL Makeup Artists. From Thursday through Saturday, experts will be on hand to offer personal advice to create bespoke party looks. Each guest will receive a complimentary School of Makeup notebook and graduation certificate.
