All about sisterhood and stars at these Asteri Beauty stores in Saudi

In the post-Pandemic era, stores are very often not just aesthetic expression of a brand, but also community spaces, fostering a certain ethos and values. For brand Asteri Beauty, the idea was to invest in ‘brand homes’ “designed for the sisterhood - reflecting the changing role of physical retail as a place to connect with a discerning, playful and aesthetically astute audience”. The stores are thus essentially about empowering and connecting with the discerning modern Saudi Arabian women and putting A-beauty on the map, with home-grown high-performance “make-up with soul”, as the company informs.

Dalziel and Pow (D&P) was tasked with defining and launching the brand and its stores across 4 cities - at Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran and Abha. The guiding vision with which the design team worked was “sisters under the stars”.  This concept drove the brand’s development, behaviours, and retail expression, and it features Arabic calligraphy that is stamped into the Arabian Sun Bronzer and Desert Diamonds Highlighter.

As D&P informs, Asteri - named after Asteria, the Greek goddess of falling stars - has taken a constellation approach to retail, with four new brand homes reflecting their locations, celebrating local heritage and beauty, while collectively throwing a shining spotlight on the diversity of women.

Following a digital-first launch exclusively revealed in Vogue Saudi Arabia, Asteri has in fact invested in creative and expressive retail pop-ups, community building and forming pioneering strategic partnerships as the official beauty partner of the inaugural Saudi Fashion Week.

The four new stores or “brand homes” as they call them invite customers to discover the full range, pick up exclusive gift sets and accessories - enjoy group and private consultations, hang out in the stargazer’s lounge with an iconic light installation and discover the layers of storytelling woven into the products, rituals and experience.

A-beauty retail concept sparkles with subtle localisation:

“In Riyadh Park in late 2023, our first retail pop-up landed. The impact was dramatic, with a bold landscape created with facets that reflect and refract light, shattering convention, illuminating new perspectives and revealing hidden gems, a brave and beautiful light shone brightly, and Asteri was born…Now we’re proud to introduce our unique brand homes in four key locations in the region,” shares D&P.

Meanwhile, here’ s quick look at each of the four stores 

Riyadh - inaugural brand home at Nakheel Mall

Reflecting the eclectic brand expression and product range, D&P’s choice of mix-and-match materials, colours and textures - encourage discovery and tactility. This meant including highlights like the iconic emerald green Legacy Lipstick wall speaking to the trailblazing women who inspired the brand. “Service features are deftly hidden and reveal with pops of joyous pomegranate pink - a nod to the natural flavour of the Sweet Oasis Lip Gloss. The open, social design inspires togetherness and conversation,” says D&P describing the elements that bring alive the product features. 

Jeddah - Electric blue showstopper at The Red Sea Mall 

Jeddah, a smaller footprint, but with a big attitude, as D&P informs, and therefore needed something attention grabbing. The result was the expressive brand facade and open communal play table. “Jeddah is a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea and the principal gateway to Mecca Sharif. This brand home is reflective of the location and the vitality of the Red Sea,” says D&P, which also designed the bespoke electric blue central feature, together with a rippled metallic facia that echoes the sea’s ebb and flow.

Dhahran – Soft, pearly lights in The Mall of Dhahran

Unapologetically feminine, bold, curvaceous and strong - these were the attributes that had to be conveyed here and it was achieved, through suspended strands of pearlescent lights - inspired by the Gulf’s famous Arabian Pearls – throwing soft lustre on the undulating feature wall.

Abha – at Al Rashid Mall

The striking contours of the light installation here are inspired by Abha’s iconic Green Mountain and unique topography. “The vibrant colour is inspired by both the local jacaranda flowers and the richly pigmented Maha Eyeshadow Palettes. There is a subtle horizon line that traces the perimeter, paying homage to the local Al-Qatt tradition of women decorating their homes together with a distinct colourful line and it reflects the name of the liquid liner product “HERizon Eye Liner”.

The four stores are a vibrant example of spatial narratives that bring together diverse elements, while celebrating a certain attribute – in this case bold femininity.