From Counters to Code: 100 Years of Beauty Shopping
Then and Now >> What to Keep? Toss?
Depending on how old you are, this walk down memory lane will resonate either through first-hand experience, folklore, or cinema. For this week’s 404 Beauty Not Found, I explore how the way we shop has changed, what we should keep and toss in terms of the experience, and how technology today is allowing us to create the next big thing in beauty shopping.
1920 - 1960
High Touch: The Golden Era of Beauty Counters
Meet the lady behind the locked glass counter. She was empowered, knowledgeable, and she had the keys to the goodies. Beauty shopping was more like buying a bracelet from Van Cleef back then. She watched you evaluate, gave you selling points, and waited for you to make her commission a reality (smiles, kisses, compliments). Or you embarrassingly said, "No, thank you," which felt like, “You just wasted my time”. That nuance of how you felt in that moment determined whether you’d come back for more. If you became a regular, this lady would send you a holiday card and keep a diary of what you bought—under lock and key.
You liked that she knew your name, your skin type, and exactly what shade of red would light you up. But your choices were limited to what she had on the shelf, and the experience came with tangs of pressure—purchase something, or feel awkward walking away.
KEEP » Personal Touch
TOSS » Locked Glass, Pressure to Buy
1960 - 1980
High Choice: Rise of Drug Stores and Mass
I came of age in this time frame, and I remember my mother using Cover Girl and Maybelline makeup. We grew up modestly and saved money, so mass retail was my discovery playground. But all of the products were covered up by vacuum-sealed plastic and paper, making sense of shades futile—especially with my brown skin. Revlon Toast of New York lipstick was one of my finest random picks. (Side note: Around 1985, I ventured into the department store and bought my first Clinique blush, which felt like a rite of passage.)
This was the beginning of the big-box beauty. Since then, the aisles have gotten longer and taller, and reading labels became the best you could do—besides hoping you picked right.
KEEP » Sealed Products, Vast Choice
TOSS » No help or guidance
1990 - 2000
High Play: The Rise of the Beauty Playground
Then came The Sephora Effect. Sephora changed the game—for the better. They revolutionized beauty retail with open-sell environments where customers could test products without waiting for assistance. If they wanted help, there were humans nearby. The cool factor was cemented as they brought in trendy independent brands with a founder focus and innovative products. Everything stood out.
This hands-on, experiential approach changed how consumers discovered new brands and remains relevant today. The power Sephora wields is solid, and every brand just wants to get in. Today, Sephora’s selection has exploded, making the playground bigger—but also more overwhelming.
KEEP » Cool Factor
TOSS » Overwhelming choice
2010 - 2025
High Reality: The Social Media Revolution
Now, we’re in the age of real voices, real opinions. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and the era of influencing and deinfluencing. It’s not about perfect—now it’s screenshots of irritated skin, side-by-side comparisons, and raw, unfiltered reviews. The beauty influencer emerges as the “expert.” Trust ensues.
The meteoric rise of beauty lovers recommending what works best for them. Brands smell ‘opportunity’ and flood them with gifts, collabs, and pay-to-play cash designed to stop the scroll on launch day.
KEEP » Peer-to-Peer Trust
TOSS » Disingenuous Reviews
2025 - 2030
High You: Hyper-Personalization
Ok, major plug coming for what I’m building—but it’s about to go from counter to code, and you heard it here first. The key is ensuring we don’t tip too far into the Silicon Valley CODE part, learning from history about what’s worth keeping as we move forward. So, what stays? High Touch—personalized experiences with high choice, but without the overwhelm, so you can see what fits your skin, style, and budget. High Play—gamification without the guesswork, because beauty should be fun. High Reality—unfiltered social proof delivered at the moment you need it, eliminating the need for 20 open Google tabs. And what gets tossed? Disingenuous reviews, overwhelming choice with no guidance, and the pressure to buy. The future of beauty is smarter, simpler, and built for you.
What will beauty shopping look like in 2125?
A hundred years from now, will we still be swiping, scrolling, and sampling—or will we be hacking our genome instead? If you’d like me to explore this in Bina’s 404 Beauty Not Found, drop a comment. The next frontier of beauty may not about writing code—it’ll be about rewriting our genetic code.