The Most Unforgettable Beauty Pop-Ups of All Time
From Rhode’s NYC debut to r.e.m. Beauty’s ice cream shop.
If you’ve ever stumbled upon a line that went on for several NYC blocks — chances are, you’ve witnessed the very real power of a beauty pop-up. Sometimes underwhelming, but never discreet — makeup, skincare and fragrance pop-ups are all the rage both on TikTok and IRL. Because where there’s a photo op and the chance to buy products from your favorite brand, there’s a crowd of beauty lovers lining up overnight.
When it comes to beauty pop-ups, brands are constantly reinventing the wheel. Although some of the most successful pop-ups are extremely simple in nature, there’s always room in the beauty space for an innovative take on the format. Because unless you’re on Rhode‘s level of hype, you need more than just a showroom to get people talking.
Of course, the promise of free products and a celebrity appearance are always intriguing, but there’s many more reasons why fans devote hours of their day to lining up for pop-ups. Above all else, pop-ups capitalize on our FOMO — they’re only around for a limited time, and even if you miss out, your TikTok feed will never let you forget it. Horror stories aside, beauty pop-ups are a prime opportunity for brands to disrupt the retail landscape and raise an immense amount of brand awareness. All it takes is a passerby to ask, “What is this line for?”
Ahead, we outline some of the buzziest and most noteworthy beauty pop-ups.
Rhode’s Debut NYC Pop-Up
View this post on Instagram
Although Rhode is set to launch at Sephora this fall — since the brand’s inception, its products have only been available for purchase on the Rhode website. Because of this, Rhode’s NYC pop-up was incredibly successful in sparking beauty fans’ interest. Plus, it served as proof that even the simplest experience can still generate tons of hype — as long as the brand boasts a founder like Hailey Bieber and a Kylie Jenner co-sign. For Rhode fans, the pop-up gave them the rare opportunity to test and purchase viral products like the Pocket Blush and Peptide Lip Tint IRL. The pop-up itself was no frills, just a Pocket Blush-inspired interior, a few mirror selfie ops and a five hour wait.
@arisreynaa rhode nyc popup day 1 🧃#rhodeskin #rhode #rhodenyc #rhodepopup #genz #dayinthelife #haileybieber #rhodemakeup #nyc @Hailey Bieber @rhode skin #popup #newyork @kiarra zarai ⚡️ ♬ Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter
Summer Fridays’ Pink Guava Pop-Up
View this post on Instagram
For one weekend only, cult-favorite brand Summer Fridays arrived to NYC with an exclusive pop-up experience in celebration of its new “Pink Guava” Lip Butter Balm. The lip balm itself had already made major waves on TikTok — so naturally, the opportunity to try the new shade ahead of its launch led fans to line up as early as 4 a.m. Inside, select items from the brand’s lineup were available for purchase, including the brand new Guava balm. As for freebies, everyone was given a tote bag, a Jarritos soda, a popsicle and Swedish candy from Lil Sweet Treat.
@haileysweetiepie0 11:44 am nyc pop up summwr fridays #summerfriday #summerfridaynyc #summerfridays #nyc #newyorkcity #popup ♬ WTHELLY – Rob49
Dior Beauty’s Bowling Alley Pop-Up
View this post on Instagram
When it comes to having a concept, leave it to Dior Beauty to set the bar unrealistically high. The luxury brand put on a London pop-up to coincide with the release of the new Addict Lip Glow — complete with a pink bowling alley and a bubble maze. The interactive experience encouraged visitors to try their hand at a claw machine, swing on a suspended bubble chair and of course bowl with a Dior-branded bowling ball. While other pop-ups emphasize the shopping experience itself, Dior Beauty has mastered the art of curating an aesthetic world.
SZA’s Not Beauty Anti Pop-Up
View this post on Instagram
Even though Not Beauty is constantly attempting to set itself apart from other brands — it, like tons of big beauty brands, has perfected the pop-up formula. While Rhode’s products were only available online, Not Beauty’s range of outdoor-inspired lip glosses are only available to purchase at its pop-ups. On top of that, you can only catch a Not Beauty pop-up in cities where SZA is on tour for the Grand National Tour with Kendrick Lamar. But, if that’s still not enough to convince you, throw in a casual opportunity to meet SZA herself.
@kristalterrell #SZA’s NOT Beauty Pop-Up Experience — taking place outside all US #GNXTour dates! 🛒 $23 for lip glosses, $40 for a hat, $45 for a shirt ⛺️ Open for all fans, don’t need a ticket to the show for this #notbeauty #szaconcert #szafan #popup #grandnationaltour ♬ original sound – Kristal
r.e.m. Beauty’s Ice Cream Shop Pop-Up
View this post on Instagram
What’s one way to get beauty fans talking? Free food. In 2023, Ariana Grande‘s brand r.e.m. Beauty launched its Sweetener Foundation and celebrated with an ice cream pop-up in NYC. After the standard three hour wait, fans were greeted with free ice cream, shade matching, limited edition merch and the chance to see Grande IRL. The limited pop-up was a major success, and fans have been begging for another in-person activation.
@victoriaillingwor The reveal! Inside the r.e.m. beauty pop up in nyc! I love doing all things ari related especially in the city. #rembeauty #rem #makeup #ariana #arianagrande #ari #ag #arianag #arig #arianator #nyc #nycpopup #popupshop #popup #arianapopup #skincare #sweetenershoppe #fyp #foryoupage #fan #arifan #arianafan ♬ R.E.M – Ariana Grande
Fenty Beauty’s “Ketchup or Makeup?” Pop-Up With MSCHF
@secretnyc_ Some things you just gotta see to believe in NYC! 🍅 #mysecretnyc #mschf #nycpopups #unionsquare #makeuporketchup @fentybeauty ♬ i want it i got it – Official Sound Studio
MSCHF is known for its unassuming, yet strange pop-ups. With so many buzzy activations, the brand has gained tons of internet attention for its weird concepts — like a spoof 7-Eleven storefront and an ice cream truck that sells Spongebob-esque popsicles of CEO’s Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. But in 2022, MSCHF stepped into the beauty world by partnering with Rihanna’s brand Fenty Beauty. The simple pop-up consisted of a typical NYC hot dog cart that boasted the “Makeup or Ketchup?” palette — in it, six ketchup packets contained either lip gloss or actual ketchup. Although this is far from your usual beauty pop-up, it’s a prime example of building brand recognition through unconventional methods.
Benefit Cosmetics’ Grocery Pop-Up
@selfridgesbeauty Get your shopping lists ready! The Benemart beauty grocery store is open for business at #SelfridgesLondon 🛒 Head in store for limited edition gift sets, 1:1 consultations and play for a chance to win some @Benefit Cosmetics prizes 🛍️ The Benemart pop-up is also coming to the Selfridges London Foodhall (29 August – 29 September) and Selfridges Manchester Trafford (28 October – 10 November) 🙌 #benefitcosmetics #benefitbrows #beautygiftsets ♬ original sound – Dalton Smiley
Last year, Benefit opened the “Benemart,” a grocery-inspired pop-up inside of Selfridges London. The bubblegum pink shelves were stuffed with nostalgic British food products, all of which actually contained the brand’s viral beauty products. Visitors carried cutesy baskets and were given the chance to win free products. But, for Benefit fans outside of London, the brand introduced a virtual version of Benemart — where anyone with a computer could log on and explore the virtual world.
NYX’s Barbie Beach House Pop-Up
@timeoutlondon Need a break from rainy London? Head to @NYX Cosmetics’ Barbie beach-side make-up station 🌞💄 #Londonpopups #CoventGarden #barbiemovie ♬ All I Want Is You – Disco Lines
Harping on its limited-edition Barbie collection, NYX turned London into Malibu with a beach house pop-up. Aside from the obvious photo ops, the pop-up also included a free slushie station, a glam squad to do your makeup, the opportunity to buy the capsule products IRL and a photo booth. Similar to other extravagant pop-ups, the Barbie beach house transported fans to a whole new world — one that emphasized fun above all else.
Lancome’s Idole House Pop-Up With Olivia Rodrigo
View this post on Instagram
Celebrity-backed pop-ups have no problem drawing a crowd, and that’s exactly what Lancome’s Idole House pop-up in NYC did. The luxury brand announced that ambassador Olivia Rodrigo was releasing her very own lilac shade of the iconic Juicy Tubes lip gloss, and teased that the first 100 people in line would receive one for free. So of course, chaos ensued and fans lined up overnight in hopes of securing the free product. Inside the pop-up, Lancome provided visitors with a keychain station, a glam zone to get makeup touch-ups, a lash bar and a claw machine which gave even more opportunities to get free full-size products.
@lizziewithachance of course our first nyc pop up of the summer was for our sis Olivia Rodrigo 🫡 AND MY LIP GLOSS ADDICTION WILL NOT STOP ANY TIME SOON YIPEEEE @scrapham200 📍210 Lafayette Street #nyc #nycthingstodo #nycpopup #lancome #lancomemakeup #lancomefragrance #idolehouse #oliviarodrigo ♬ deja vu – Olivia Rodrigo
