The beauty industry has been taking a longer look at the Middle East lately: after the regional launch of Asian skincare line SK-II earlier this year, NARS Cosmetics announced plans to start its retails activities in the Middle East on October 16th.
The Shiseido-owned beauty and skincare brand, founded in 1994 by French make-up artist François Nars, plans to open two selling points in partnership with international beauty retailer Sephora, at the Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates. This decision comes less than one year after Shiseido decided to establish a new joint venture based in Dubai: Shiseido Middle East FZCO.
“This is such an exciting time for NARS and we are pleased to further expand our long-standing partnership with Sephora to the Middle East,” said Louis Desazars, CEO of NARS Cosmetics, in an official statement. “We have received a lot of demand for the brand from consumers in the region and now we will be able to provide them the opportunity to experience its range of rich colors, luxurious textures, and innovative products.”
The collaboration with Sephora might help the French cosmetic brand to further develop its retail activities, as Sephora—which notably teamed up with Marc Jacobs last year—has been a regional retail leader for skincare, make-up, and fragrances since its launch in 2007, with 31 stores in five markets (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait), as well as a flagship store in the Dubai Mall.
