(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

If you are a makeup enthusiast, your Instagram and TikTok must already be full of videos from Sephoria, the mega beauty event happening this weekend in Dubai. Sephora's signature beauty celebration returned to Dubai this year from November 20–22, held at Al Wasl Plaza in Expo City.

It is any makeup-lover's dream to be able to attend a grand event such as this, test out different products and also win a tonne of free samples and goodies. Tickets to the event sold out soon after they went on sale. The event promised over 70 immersive brand activations, masterclasses with beauty legends, exclusive product drops, and elaborate photo-ops. But what was supposed to be a glam playground became a disappointing experience for some early attendees.

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Influencers and beauty enthusiasts complained of long queues, delayed opening and mismanagement on Day 1 of the event, which was reserved for VIP ticket holders only. Some said they had to wait in line for over an hour before entry, despite arriving early.

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Sephora issued a statement on their official social handle, apologising to guests and assuring them that they would manage the event better on Day 2.

What actually happened

Many influencer posts on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram had one recurring theme long queues, despite day 1 being a VIP-only event. Visitors complained they had to stand in line for over an hour, the gates did not open on time, lack of proper food, and chaos while collecting swag bags.

One of the attendees I.J.A, who had a VIP pass to Day 1 of Sephoria, told KT she had to wait for 1.5 hours in line. "I reached at 5:30pm, and at 7:04pm, people were piled up at the gate as the event hadn't started. The gates were supposed to open at 6pm," she said.

"Once they started entry at 7:10pm, they were supposed to give us some tote bags, which hadn't arrived. So we had to wait again for the bags, without which we couldn't get our passports and collect samples. It was 7:30pm by the time we could start enjoying the event," she continued.

The ordeal didn't end there. "They started closing up 20 minutes before 11pm, even though the event had started late. At that time, collecting swag bags became another issue, as they said they had run out. We couldn't understand how that was possible, as they had sold a specific number of tickets, and only those many attendees were supposed to be getting swag bags," she added.

The swag bags for VIP ticket holders were worth Dh5,000, so the frustration was understandable. Some visitors said online that they weren't able to get these at all.

However, I.J.A did go back the next day, on a general admission ticket, and the experience was much better. "We were worried if the second day was going to be as bad. We had to walk a long way to the entrance from parking, but you could see the queues was much more structured, security was more actively monitoring so that people couldn't cut lines. It was much better managed. At 6pm sharp, we were inside the venue," she said.

Another guest commented on a Sephora Middle East post, "Today I really felt like a VIP. Sephoria day 2 was a great redemption. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience today. What a comeback!!"

Despite the frustration, I.J.A said that the experience was worth it, considering the amount of goodies she came home with. Over two days she managed to get two bags full of makeup and skincare products from a range of brands.

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