Store Tour: What to expect inside LOOK Philippines in SM Aura (yep, they have The Ordinary!)
I heard about LOOK early this year and was psyched when I saw some of their initial plans. The launch I believe was originally scheduled in May but with the pandemic and all, they just officially opened last Friday, October 30. The massive beauty concept store is inside SM Aura. Since it’s in my neck of the woods I decided to visit it despite the fact that there’s a raging typhoon outside (well, I was doing groceries anyway).
SO! I was able to take a lot of photos. I also took a video (I posted it on IGTV) which you can watch if you want to see the exact store layout.
What you need to know: LOOK is a project by Watsons/SM, so you’ll see many of the brands available in Watsons and SM Beauty stores and then some. You’ll also find The Ordinary, Glossier, SK-II, Shu Uemura, Fenty, Gucci, YSL, Huda Beauty, Kat Von D, even some Limecrime inside. There are lots of K-beauty brands, such as COSRX, Innisfree, Laneige, Mise en Scene, Jumiso, Some by Mi, and % Dr. Ceuracle to name a few. This is all very exciting - especially The Ordinary - but right now what’s available here in the Philippines is very limited. It’s a start though! If they sell well, the brands may consider expansion here later on.
While LOOK might immediately make you think of Sephora, the vibe is quite different. I would say you’d find more affordable brands here along with luxe ones, and of course the product line up is not complete for many brands. LOOK makes me think of Facesss HK, actually, which I got to visit last November 2019 (the Causeway Bay branch specifically). It has a more exciting layout, with brands having their own “stores inside a store”. It’s fun in LOOK because you can discover a lot of interesting things. Oh, and there’s even a cafe inside called LOOK Studio! They’ve got free Nespresso coffee for everyone (ehem boyfriends, husbands, and partners who want to sit down).
So how are the prices? The Ordinary products are definitely more expensive than what you can purchase from their online store. The Squalane Oil for example is P660, in the US/Canada, it’s 10 USD. The Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is 10 USD, and P880 here. The Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is 11 USD, and P990 here. The Salicylic Acid 2% Masque is P990 and 14 USD online. That’s not too bad, I think. The peso prices are inconsistent to dollar prices so you really have to compute for how badly you need the product.
I would not recommend buying Glossier, Huda, Kat Von D, and Fenty here though. The prices are up there. The Glossier Cloud Paint is P1,399.75; it’s just 18 USD or about P873. The Boy Brow here is P1,429.75 and is 16 USD/ P776 online. The Fenty Matchstick Trio is P3,995 is 37 USD/ P1,793 at Sephora US and P3,300 in Sephora PH with free shipping. The Huda Nude palette is P2,445 in LOOK and P1,850 in Sephora PH.
Then again it really comes down to how badly and how fast you need the product. If you have the budget for it and no patience, then why not?
EDIT: I added this part to note that prices of imported beauty products here in PH are often more expensive than the prices in their home country. There are shipping expenses, taxes, and other operations costs added, of course, so there really will be a difference in pricing. Most of the brands in LOOK - I’d say 90% - have pretty good pricing, comparatively. But for the brands mentioned above, as their presence is still limited in the Philippines, their prices will likely improve as the market grows.
Anyway, I came home with some COSRX acne patches and The Ordinary Lacid 10% + HA serum. All in all a good day. Check out LOOK when you have the chance, and let me know what you think about it!
