The fervour surrounding the reopening of Sephora after a decade-long absence from Hong Kong was akin to that surrounding a blockbuster premiere. Socialites and civilians alike flocked to the French retailer’s new boutique in IFC Mall, where they were greeted by Sephora’s Asia president, Benjamin Vuchot, and his armada of make-up consultants. Visitors such as Christine Fok and Fiona McLeish eagerly perused the selection of international beauty brands that have become available in the city for the first time, including Drunk Elephant, Fenty and Tarte. Eleanor Lam likened her experience to that of a kid visiting Toys R Us. “Now I don’t have to stock up [on make-up] like crazy every time I go to Los Angeles,” she wrote on Instagram, echoing other attendees’ sentiments. “I could literally spend hours playing here.”