Exploring SK-II's Beauty Store of the Future — The SK-II Future X Smart Store with Hanli Hoefer

Mark our words. The future is here — and it’s in the form of the SK-II Future X Smart Store. The Future X Smart Store is another serious game changer brought to you by global beauty brand SK-II, famed for that iconic Facial Treatment Essence, and it’s finally here in Singapore.

You’ll feel it the moment you step into the store, and not just because of the clean aesthetic and digital screens; in fact, the entire space is powered by super-smart Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) technology and Facial Recognition that’s meant to transform your average beauty store experience. In the Smart
Store, physical and digital merge into what they term a “phygital” experience, in a way that’s completely mind-blowing for skincare shopping.

And after successful runs in both Tokyo and Shanghai, you’d better believe that we were stoked for the store’s launch in Singapore, making it the first-ever offering in Southeast Asia!

SK-II Future X Smart Store

We were invited by the brand to explore the smart store, together with Hanli Hoefer, an MTV VJ and Power98 Radio DJ. And boy was it eye-opening! As you will tell from Hanli’s expressions of amazement and surprise, as were us from behind the camera, this is no ordinary store.

From a digital wall that’s able to track your facial movements and translate them into a surreal art form, to the most high-tech version of SK-II’s Magic Ring Skin analysis, followed by a Smart Beauty Bar, it’s kinda like being part of a sci-fi movie, except this one’s all real.

“I was wow’ed by the skin scan station! Such a cool and futuristic way to do a
skin analysis!” Hanli tells us. “I also really liked the interactive LED floors and
infinity mirror room, it was a cute moment to snap for the ‘gram.”

As for the beauty retail experience, she also shared that it was a unique way to learn about skincare, since everything was presented “in a concise yet detailed manner, without the “hard-selling” beauty counter experience”. We agree!

Here’s a video that showcases every part of our interactive journey:

The Most Innovative Experiences

Here, we list the 5 exciting things you won’t wanna miss at the SK-II Future X Smart Store:

“The Art of You”

Head over to the store, and the first thing you’ll be greeted by at the store’s exterior is an impressive display of swirling digital art, except, this is an art installation created by you. Go ahead and pull your most quirky faces, the weirder the better! Whatever expression you give will then translate to colours or radiating lines that move across the screen, and much like Van Gogh, you’ve created your own form of surrealist art!

How it works is that state-of-the-art facial recognition technology tracks your head, eye and mouth movements, which is then conveyed to the screen even without you having to touch it. You bet Hanli had loads of fun with this one!

“Skin Scan Analysis”: Magic Ring Skin Analysis Reimagined

If you’ve ever sat down with an SK-II beauty advisor, you’d know they typically require a scanning device that’s held up to your face in order to determine your skin age for a recommended regime. It’s already pretty fuss-free, but the experience at the Future X Smart Store takes it up a couple of notches.

Here, all you have to do is sit down in front of a mirror. No kidding! Just hop into your own individual booth, answer a couple of introductory questions on the touchscreen, and relax as the smart mirror automatically starts scanning your facial features. This high-tech service measures your skin’s five dimensions, and automatically compares them to hundreds of women across the world — and it’s only available at the smart store!

Color Canvas

While you’re waiting for your results to be analysed, you’ll get to walk across an interactive infinity room that’s a fantastic photo opp! Basically, the LED floors create a swirling pattern wherever you step on, so imagine the fun!

Interactive Results Wall

Once you’re done, you won’t have to deal with any lengthy printed reports or
that pressure and slightly awkward feeling of being judged. Just walk over to the new zone and tap your Smart bracelet on one of the interactive screens — immediately, you’ll be privy to a comprehensive assessment of your skin age and its condition, so you can learn more about your own skin without any pressure whatsoever.

Smart Beauty Bar

We’re always talking about the power of a personalised experience, and here’s where it’s truly a reality. At the beauty bar, you’ll get to browse SK-II products at your own leisure; a digital interface there recognises you and your skin info, and pulls it up the moment you scan your bracelet.

Pick up a couple of beauty products, and the same interface is also smart enough to detect it, and give you more information on what they do and how they work so you can make the most informed choice. You can even learn more about SK-II’s proprietary ingredient, Pitera™! We can’t tell you how much this puts us at ease — you don’t even need to scroll anything!

Overall Thoughts

After all that, here’s what we think — many brands talk about that elusive “innovative retail experience” and engaging their online customers “offline”, in physical rather than digital spaces, that’s made more relevant since, you know, we live in an increasingly virtual era now. What SK-II does impressively here is that they’ve embraced those digital technologies, and allowed it to empower real-world, physical spaces as well — in a “phygital” way that’s truly
their own.

The beauty’s also in how everything is so intuitive, and since the technology already does all the heavy lifting, probably the most tedious thing you have to do is lift your arm for a quick tap. Or exercise your facial muscles at “Art of You”. Either way, your journey to achieving crystal-clear skin just got more fun and interactive — and intelligent too.

Visit the SK-II Future X Smart Store today!