There’s something exciting and special about a pop-up shop — being in on the uniqueness of a fleeting moment. Whether the pop-up has to do with clothes, cosmetics, food or the holidays, there’s just an intrinsic level of cool knowing you’re a part of something that will eventually return to its normal state at the stroke of midnight. And the only thing better than a pop-up shop is a long-term pop-up shop — offering the chance to visit and buy again and again. We have two extended pop-up shops in Atlanta we want you to know about to find some truly fabulous products that will work great as presents for others or a treat for yourself. DISCLAIMER: This article is about non-holiday pop-ups, but if you’re in need of some holiday magic, check out Miracle Bar Atlanta, Sippin’ Santa, Santa’s Fantastical, or read more here.
Long-Term Pop-Ups to Check Out
Winky Lux
3393 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326 (inside Lenox Square Mall)
Hours: The shop is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You need to schedule a time and purchase tickets online to participate in the Winky Lux experience.
The true success of a long-term pop-up shop is to not only sell awesome goods but make people continue to come back. And of course, how Instagrammable the pop-up is.
Enter Winky Lux.
This whimsical color cosmetics brand opened its fully immersive pop-up shop in Atlanta in October and is scheduled to run six months (it may be extended). You probably know Winky Lux, launched in 2015, from social media, as their pH-balanced Flower Balm (a real flower bud is embedded in every tube) flooded Instagram and made influencers go crazy. Now the New York-based beauty brand got some real estate in Atlanta and created a long-term pop-up shop … actually, a pop-up experience that’s like if Alice got lost in Sephora instead of Wonderland.
First, let’s get into the pop-up experience itself — the space features nine fantastical rooms, each connected somehow to a popular Winky Lux product. The tour (that’s right, you do need a golden ticket to tour this wacky space) begins in the “garden,” ensconced with flowers, paying homage to their aforementioned flagship Flower Balm — the perfect spot to start your selfies AND try a sample of this cool-working and cool-looking product. There are tons of opportunities to make your social media followers jealous with all these photo-happy rooms — a green Zen garden paying homage to their best-selling matcha balm, the mod, black-and-white room representing their So Extra mascara and a disco infinity karaoke room that, honestly, just makes you happy.
The first room you enter in the Winky Lux Experience is the flower one, inspired by the brand’s most popular lip stain, Flower Balm. Besides creating the perfect pink shade, each balm features a real chrysanthemum inside!
Not only are the rooms cool to see and take selfies in, they really do highlight the cool factor of every Winky Lux product. Case in point? The black-and-white psychedelic room is eye-opening … just like their So Extra mascara.
Keep in mind that as you walk through each of the nine transportive rooms, a Winky Lux representative/tour guide explains the room’s significance, corresponding products and, of course, where the tester is. I was super impressed with the staff’s knowledge about the brand — trust me, I ask a LOT of questions (professional hazard), and they literally had an answer for everything.
Once you visit all nine rooms (my personal fave was the rainbow one), you are taken back to the front of the shop, where you can now buy any of the products you learned about, in addition to the rest of their line. And here’s where it gets cool: The $10 you spent on your entrance ticket can be applied as a credit for merchandise purchase. So not only do you get to attend a truly immersive experience, but you walk away with a clever Winky Lux product at a discounted rate. If you don’t have time to take a tour (even though I highly suggest you do), you can still shop the retail section; you’ll just pay full price for whatever cute beauty products you see.
This Zen garden represents the hydrating Matcha Balm, made with real green tea powder, coconut and avocado oils and vanilla. During my tour, I heard that Salma Hayek went through the experience a few weeks earlier and scooped up the last Matcha Balm at the time!
The Winky Lux Experience is a funky, fun adventure that makes me wonder what it’d be like if you could actually walk through Instagram and make physical contact with your favorite beauty influencers.
Social media and tags are a huge component of the Winky Lux Experience — your feeds get cool, colorful content, and the brand gets new fans and word of mouth.
Believe it or not, I actually was ready for this jelly … Watermelon Jelly Balm!
In Good Company/Likewise/The Victorian Atlanta
675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 (inside Citizen Supply at Ponce City Market)
Hours: Citizen Supply and The Victorian Atlanta is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. In Good Company is open weekends noon to 7 p.m. Likewise hasn’t announced its hours as of press time.
Located inside Ponce City Market, Citizen Supply has become a shopping staple for cool and unique products and goods made from artists throughout the Southeast region and beyond. The innovative brand raises its game this winter by offering a regular weekend pop-up inside their retail space as well as some other cool happenings. First up is In Good Company, a weekend flea market held every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. This store-within-a-store offers rotating brands of killer handmade, small-batch and vintage items; a cool coup since In Good Company features brands that Citizen Supply doesn’t already carry in the store.
What has two green thumbs and likes to plant?! OK, lame joke, but the revamped Citizen Supply also holds a fantastic open-roof greenhouse, The Victorian Atlanta, that’s bursting with botanical goodness. Shoppers can purchase lush greenery, tropical potted plants, exotic cacti and handmade gardening items.
Citizen Supply’s 12,000-square-foot space makes the perfect place to host some killer pop-up shops, like the weekend-only In Good Company flea market. The brand will eventually open Likewise eatery and bar this winter. Image: Jamestown
Citizen Supply features an airy, open-roof greenhouse from The Victorian Atlanta inside its massive retail space, located inside Ponce City Market. The Victorian Atlanta specializes in exotic cacti and tropical potted plants. Image: The Victorian Atlanta
And once you’ve hit all those pop-ups and the other inventive retail from Citizen Supply, take a few steps to Likewise. The new eatery and bar will be housed in the center of Citizen Supply’s massive, gallery-like space. Likewise will serve creative craft cocktails, like the Cats and Dogs (featuring vodka, grapefruit and soda) and Eastwood (bourbon, vermouth, sherry and amaro); and great food, including seasonally driven snacks, light bites and shareable plates — with an abundant 25-seat communal lounge and 20-seat bar. Likewise is scheduled to open later this winter.
While we’re on the topic of long-term pop-ups, remember that are a ton of holiday-themed pop-ups happening throughout the end of the year. Wherever you visit, let us know what you bought, how the experience was and if you need my size. Happy shopping!
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