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Hundreds camp overnight for Liverpool's Sephora

BBC People camp out in the open in Liverpool One outside the new Sephora store. People can be seen say in sleeping bags and stood queuing outside the entrance.BBC
People braved the rain and camped overnight to be first in to the new store

Hundreds of people camped overnight outside Liverpool's new Sephora store.

One person in the queue told the BBC those near the front joined the queue at about 9pm on 21 May with the store due to open at 9am.

Sephora was previously only an international brand, but has branched out to the UK with stores in Manchester and London.

Sephora has promised the first 500 customers through its doors will get a free gift.

Ashillous_25 Instagram/TikTok A long line of people sit in between barriers in a queue before the store openedAshillous_25 Instagram/TikTok
Sephora fans began joining the queue from about 9pm the night before the store's opening

Gabriel told BBC Radio Merseyside she and her friends had been camped outside the store since 23:30 BST on Wednesday.

She said: "A lot of the brands here in Sephora, we don't have in other beauty shops. So whether you're the palest person going, or like you're super dark, they have everything for everyone.

"I haven't slept, I've had one bottle of energy drink, but apart from that, I've actually been ok."

Cedra said queuing for eight hours with her friends had been a "fun experience" and she was excited to try the products.

The new store occupies a 6,727 sq ft (2,050 sq m) space formerly occupied by the shoe and sportswear brand Footlocker on South John Street.

Last month similar early morning queues formed when Uniqlo opened up in Liverpool ONE.

Ashillous_25 Instagram/TikTok A line of shoppers sat down on the floor between barriersAshillous_25 Instagram/TikTok
Queues began about 12 hours before the store was due to open

What is Sephora?

Sephora stores don't just sell make-up, but also offer fragrances, skincare and hair products from brands including Rare Beauty, Haus Labs by Lady Gaga and Make Up by Mario.

It is owned by LVMH Group and soared in popularity thanks to TikTok and Instagram users who often film themselves in stores.

Some fans will travel to different cities just to get their hands on Sephora products in person.

It operates more than 2,700 shops in 35 countries worldwide, after it was first founded in France in 1970.

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