Sephora's Smart Social and Digital Makeover (Forbes)

Call it a makeover, just don’t expect it to come from a sweep of blush and and a swath of bright lipstick. Sephora, the global beauty chain owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton which operates more than 1,600 locations worldwide, just gave itself a strategy makeover. The retailer is taking its U.S. digital operations to the next level with social and mobile including a new personalized web experience, new mobile site, and iPhone app.

Lots of retailers are hesitant to bridge the online and offline world, Sephora Direct’s senior vice president Julie Bornstein tells Forbes. Instead, she says Sephora’s embracing it as a way to connect with customers on the devices they use most and keep them engaged and informed of trends.

iPads are currently being tested in 20 stores around the country as a way to let customers navigate Sephora’s thousands of products, a menu of services offered at the Beauty Studio, as well as get those all-important tips on makeup and hair styling, Bornstein says.

The experience gets very personal, she says. “You can easily scan a product on the iPad and see what others say about it, or you can even look-up your own personal shopping history to find the right product.”