Barney’s New York was the first to fling the doors open to cannabis acceptance among luxury retailers earlier this year with The High End and now Saks Fifth Avenue is next to follow suit in the form of a dedicated space.
Today, the chain of department stores announced the launch of The Salon Project by Joel Warren’s CBD Beauty Corner at its New York City flagship on Fifth Avenue. In conjunction with the opening of the famed hairstylist’s fourth location, the new “shop in shop” concept, is set to make its debut on May 11 for Mother’s Day weekend, bringing a curated wellness experience to the full-service, in-store salon.
The CBD Beauty Corner opens on Saturday, May 11 at The Salon Project in Saks Fifth Avenue’s NYC flagship.
Warren, who already operates three state-of-the-art locations in Long Island, Boca Raton and Miami Beach, says the discovery of CBD two years ago led to the idea to incorporate it into his partnership with what he calls “an iconic institution of fashion and beauty.”
”I started using CBD to help with my insomnia, which helped me sleep better than I have in years. The fact that an all-natural product has made such in an impact in my life has changed my life,” shares Warren. “There are a lot of layers to fully understanding the benefits of CBD products as a new consumer in the space. It can be confusing and overwhelming for those curious to try and we want to be that safe, zen space you can come to where we will ensure the best personalized beauty experience possible.”
In addition to its menu of traditional services, The Salon Project will offer in-chair CBD treatment upgrades like the “Going Back to Cali” CocoCanna hand massage and “Take Me Back to Woodstock” Salome Roll On by Highborn with a Mary’s Nutritionals transdermal patch.
Full-length services are also available in VIP treatment rooms, but the focus of the CBD Beauty Corner is to act as a vehicle for education. Guests will be greeted by trained CBD beauty sales associates, who will issue surveys upon arrival to guarantee a customized experience. The salon will also host specialty consumer events to further inform and engage about the emerging world of CBD beauty throughout the year.
Saks Fifth Avenue carries SAINT JANE’s luxury beauty serum ($125) as the only CBD product online and in the main beauty departments in its San Francisco, Beverly Hills, South Coast Plaza and Boston stores
After coming out with its initial coverage of the cannabis industry, Jefferies analysts also recently shared their take on CBD, estimating the CBD beauty segment of the market to reach $25 billion in ten years, which could occupy 15 percent of the global skincare market. Beyond Barney’s and Saks, big-box beauty stores like Sephora and Ulta are also now stocking CBD beauty brands on-shelf, signifying the category’s unprecedented growth. Neiman Marcus also has an in-depth selection of luxury CBD skincare products available in-store and online, while Saks Fifth Avenue carries SAINT JANE’s luxury beauty serum ($125) as the only CBD product (so far) online and in the main beauty departments in its San Francisco, Beverly Hills, South Coast Plaza and Boston stores.
A 30-year beauty industry veteran and also co-founder of Warren-Tricomi salons, Warren explains, “I’ve seen similar things catch like fire … however this isn’t a trend. CBD derived from a plant that clearly has various beauty-enhancing properties. We like to lead beauty innovation and it’s wonderful to witness the ingredient’s evolution from the 60’s to today.”
To guide the creation of the CBD Beauty Corner, Warren enlisted Evie Phillips and her women-founded creative digital agency Creeds Collective to curate the brands and source activation partners including CocoCanna founder Anna Pfleghaar and cannabis showroom HiFi Exchange founded by public relations veterans Julia Axelrod and Jennifer Gross.
“The industry is still in its infancy. It’s like walking into a wine store and not being a wino, you naturally gravitate towards packaging that speaks to you and notes that strike your interest. By creating an experiential ‘shop in shop’ with beautiful branding, leading formulations and tranquil treatments, we get to be your CBD connoisseurs, guiding you through a journey that will surprise you throughout the year with new brands, events and innovation,” explains CBD Beauty Corner partner and Creeds Collective founder and creative director Evie Phillips.
Humble Flower Co.’s display in the CBD Beauty Corner.
Together, the CBD Corner team has amassed the following list of brands (more than half are also women-founded companies), available on the treatment menu and for sale at The Salon Project by Joel Warren in New York City:
CocoCanna: Vegan-friendly body butter made by hand in Los Angeles with clean hemp oil and coconut extract.
Ambika Herbals: Self-care products based on the philosophy of ayurveda and infused with the spirit of the natural world from whole plant extracts, pure essential oils and crystal elixirs.
Fine Healing Goods: Its body creme, Himalayan bath soak, exfoliant and wellness drops are created and cultivated from a family-owned farm and lab in Colorado using full-spectrum (whole plant) hemp extract.
Highborne: Working exclusively with farmers who maintain organic practices, its body mists and rollerball body oils are consciously crafted with full-spectrum (whole plant) hemp extract and essential oils.
Humble Flower Co.: Founded in Humboldt County, this spa-quality line includes a high-potency lotion, balm and oil with 200 milligrams of all-natural and ethically-sourced CBD per recyclable bottle.
Kana Skincare: Made with secret beauty recipes from Korea, 28 active plant ingredients are blended in small batches into its already-cult favorite sleeping masks, facial oils and botanical essences.
Kiskanu: Spawned from a family owned and operated business in Humboldt County with more than 20 years of experience in the cannabis industry, its face and body products are handcrafted from premium, organic whole plant extract with a cold-pressed, virgin oil base.
Mary’s Nutritionals: As one of the first cannabis topical brands to come to market post-legalization, its newer, dedicated hemp line of products is one of the most diverse. Grounded in cutting-edge science and rooted in century-old medicinal knowledge, Mary’s maximizes the benefits of natural plant nutrients in everything from bath bombs and body scrubs to mud masks and serums.
Papa and Barkley: What started as a healing balm formulated in its founder’s Northern California kitchen has now transformed into a leading line of signature Releaf self-care products including capsules, tinctures, transdermal patches, balms and body oils.
StyleFox Beauty: As the only beauty brand on the market specializing in plant-based, preservative-free powdered face masks and cold-pressed facial oils, this media company’s eponymous, CBD-infused products are even greener. Not only are ingredients non-toxic, vegan and sustainable, but are also packaged in biodegradable and recyclable materials.
Tonic: Each handcrafted botanical blend in this CBD-based topical and tincture line is packed with a purpose to relax, restore, relieve, recover, balance, optimize, regulate or chill. Made with CO2 extracted, broad-spectrum, phytocannabinoid-rich hemp extract, every order comes with a batch number so you can check the quality and purity Certificate of Analysis yourself.
Undefined Beauty: Get your glow on with this line of non-toxic, non-irritating botanical blends including a CBD-infused exfoliating gel, serum and oil.
Wildflower: Founded in Vancouver in 2012, its line is beloved for a longtime commitment to using the highest quality cannabinoids paired with synergistic ingredients like ginseng and curcumin in capsules, tinctures, vaporizers, topicals and soap.