Jessica Herman

A line of ladies await their fates inside the Northbridge Mall (520 North Michigan): are they destined to be good or bad? Painted in "good witch" Glinda pink or "bad witch" Elphaba green by stila makeup artists, their fates are sealed as long as their makeovers last.

This Sephora promotional event featuring the lead actresses from the musical "Wicked" is not the only hubbub surrounding the beauty and skincare store of late. The national beauty behemoth opened two Chicago-area stores this month. The first cut its ribbons last Friday on the fifth floor of Water Tower Place (845 North Michigan) and the second followed a week later at Old Orchard (34 Old Orchard Shopping Center), making a grand total of six Sephora stores in the Chicago area. Each features Sephora's trademark palette of colors pristinely organized by line and product type and carries a wall-to-wall, shelf-to-shelf selection of makeup, fragrances, skincare and hair products for men and women.

Sephora invites customers to taste, dip and touch and summer 2005 brings lots of opportunities for exploration. There are Carnivale-inspired vivid blues, greens, pinks and oranges, waterproof Murad sunblock, Nars bronzers and a mind-boggling assortment of lip plumpers. Each store boasts a healthy selection of in-house products as well as makeup from the likes of Vincent Longo and Smashox, fragrances from Chanel and Gucci, skincare by Fresh and hair products from Frédéric Fekkai. Other favorites include a yogurt cooling gel by Athens-based homeopathic line Korres and an arctic face mist from Skyn Iceland, both exclusive to Sephora in the Chicago area.

Neutraceuticals, liquids and pills ingested in the pursuit of a more perfect complexion, take skincare one step deeper. Sephora promotes lychee-infused Borba water, said to replenish the skin to keep it "soft, smooth and radiant." We're not sure radiance comes in a plastic bottle, but for $2.50 we're willing to give it a shot.

(2005-05-17)

Also by Jessica Herman

A Fair Bargain
While plenty of high-end designers riff off of ethnic styles like low-slung, chunky necklaces from Africa and gold-inflected, sari-like dresses, you generally have to travel thousands of miles to spike your wardrobe with authentic international wares
(2005-05-03)

Open for Business
Savoring the high from their recent grand opening, the ladies of Plein Aire (2036 West Division) stand behind their brick and granite-top counter, sipping glasses of white wine and opening Ziploc bags filled with the latest shipment of Pozzo's chunky stone necklaces
(2005-04-26)

Beyond Ikea
There's more to Swedish furniture than IKEA
(2005-04-19)

Open for business
Close your eyes, open your purses, and step across Lincoln Park's cushy soil to a stretch of mouth-watering window displays
(2005-03-29)

Sexy Appeal
(2005-03-22)

Fashion Salvation
(2005-03-15)

Open for business
(2005-03-01)

Open for business
(2005-02-22)

Tightly Knit
(2005-02-15)

One stop
(2005-02-15)

The Sensuous Woman
(2005-02-01)

Fit to Print
(2005-01-18)

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