Ree Choi For this renewal, I was in charge of HERA Custom Match, overseeing everything from operational planning for the customized cosmetics service to developing the customer experience content and building the on-site service flow.

Mijung Shim I handled space design and VMD. My focus was on making the product experience as comfortable and seamless as possible for customers and on creating an environment where every brand and product could truly shine.

Se Yeun Yim I worked on space design. The original AMORE YONGSAN was a 47-pyeong (155 m²) space centered on pop-ups and retail. This time, we expanded to approximately 350 pyeong (1,157 m²) and reimagined the entire space as a 'house-concept flagship store.'

Jihye Hyoung I'm on the Custom Beauty Biz Development Team, working on color and diagnostic logic for customized makeup, as well as the planning and design of the service systems customers interact with.

Ree Choi AMORE YONGSAN is a deeply symbolic space within Amorepacific's headquarters, which meant it needed to go beyond simply selling products and become a living expression of the new beauty experience Amorepacific stands for. The meaning of this renewal lay in transforming it into a space in which customers could directly experience the company's vision of 'Create New Beauty.' We wanted to organically connect all of Amorepacific's assets in a single place: products, space design, research, technology, and customer experience content.

Se Yeun Yim The original space was limited in the range of experiences it could offer, given how much symbolic weight it carried. So this time, we set out to create something that could show both the present and future of Amorepacific at once. We designed it so that the Customer Research Center, customized services, and brand showroom would flow together as a single continuous experience.

Mijung Shim I think what we wanted, more than anything, was to turn the headquarters into 'a true destination for New Beauty.' Rather than a space driven by trend, we kept coming back to a timeless design that would feel just as right years from now.

Se Yeun Yim In terms of physical changes: we expanded what had been a 47-pyeong (155 m²) space, divided into retail, pop-up, and counter areas, to approximately 350 pyeong (1,157 m²). We removed the rear wall of the existing store and reorganized the Customer Research Center, offices, and CITY LAB, which had been located farther inside, integrating them with the retail and customized service areas. The FRAGRANCE LAB and CITY LAB within the Customer Research Center are now open to visitors. Guests can experience the research process firsthand or receive consultations, and the MEET-UP LOUNGE is planned as a hub for exchange and events with business partners, including influencers and distributors.

Ree Choi From a content perspective, the defining quality is that customers can actively participate and discover beauty that is uniquely their own. Rather than a space that displays and sells products, this is a place where visitors can get skin and scalp diagnostics, try hero products from across brands, have customized products made for them, and take part in classes or research-focused content.

Se Yeun Yim The most important thing was 'flexibility.' This is a space that needs to keep changing: for seasonal exhibitions, new product launches, and events. So we built modular fixtures and a display system as the foundation, and spent the most time creating a timeless base that would remain stable even as the content around it changed. We also worked to respect the architectural language of Amorepacific's headquarters, with its square-grid ceiling and exposed concrete walls, while maintaining a restrained design that allows the products and services to take center stage.

Mijung Shim Because so many different brands share this space, it was critically important to strike a balance in which no single brand overpowered the others or, conversely, got lost. Ultimately, everything came back to one guiding principle: 'let the products shine.'

Se Yeun Yim To create a space that harmonizes naturally with the architectural language of the headquarters rather than working against it, we anchored our tone and texture choices to the building itself from the very start. We used restrained colors, clear glass, and fine linear elements to draw attention to the products and services rather than the hardware. For the base fixtures, wood was used as the primary material to add warmth and balance, then combined with tempered glass for a sense of transparency and openness, and with a hairline finish and black metal for cool, precise detailing. The result is a finish that feels refined without being heavy.
That said, excessive uniformity would make the space feel monotonous, so we carefully considered how to introduce distinctive accents in specific areas. The back panel of the GIFT SELECTION wall cabinet uses green textile, matched with marble in the same tone for the island fixtures. In contrast, the integrated customized service zone features bold black as its dominant color, drawing the eye toward the formulation process.

Mijung Shim The circular entrance table, at three meters across, commands a considerable presence in the space. Beyond its harmony with the surrounding quarter tables, I thought of it as a critical element connecting what people see from outside the store with the atmosphere inside. During the design process, I had many conversations with Hyemin, who handles MD, about the direction, and spent a great deal of time sampling with the manufacturer. Even on setup day, we were still discussing the table arrangement with the center head, team leader, and team members until midnight, and I think that's precisely why the VMD turned out so beautifully. It's a space I feel especially attached to.

Ree Choi What I cared about most was making sure the customer experience flowed naturally from one moment to the next. With so many different types of content operating together (brand showroom, customized services, research spaces), I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make the flow of movement and service feel easy rather than complex or overwhelming. HERA Custom Match, in particular, was designed to separate the self-service and counseling experiences so that anyone could approach it comfortably. We also invested a great deal of time in staff training and service guides.

Mijung Shim As the flagship store within the headquarters, my focus was on creating a space where every brand and product looks its most beautiful. I kept running simulations from the customer's perspective: Is it easy to test? Are the products easy to see? The HERA Custom Match area, in particular, required very fine adjustments to the display height, product spacing, and mirror placement, given the sheer number of products involved.

Se Yeun Yim My focus was on creating a space that sits in harmony with the architectural beauty of the headquarters. The goal was for products and services to surface naturally without disturbing the building's restrained architectural language, while incorporating enough structural flexibility to accommodate seasonal exhibitions and events over time.

Jihye Hyoung With the customized service positioned so prominently in the space, I was focused on making it something anyone could easily step into. I developed new self-service options for skin and lip diagnostics that require no appointment and refined the diagnostic experience to go beyond simple skin tone recommendations, upgrading it to a more precise, personal, color–based assessment.

Ree Choi For me, it has to be HERA Custom Match. It's expanded beyond counseling appointments to include a self zone as well, which means far more visitors can experience the customized service without any pressure. Counseling customers receive an in-depth experience with a specialist artist, while walk-in visitors can engage with the service in a lighter, more intuitive way through the self zone. We designed it so that customers come away not only with the satisfaction of finding the right product, but also with a memory of the whole process as fun and special.

Se Yeun Yim Mine is the corridor leading to the Customer Research Center and the FRAGRANCE LAB itself. Originally closed to the public, it was connected to the store during this renewal, making it accessible to visitors. The FRAGRANCE LAB in particular was designed with smart mirror glass that turns opaque when research is underway and transparent at other times, allowing customers to see inside. Rather than simply showing the results, the space lets visitors experience 'the process of fragrance being researched' firsthand.
The corridor also features a fragrance exhibition where visitors can sample the scents Amorepacific has developed over the years. I think of it as the most quintessentially AMORE YONGSAN space because it is 'a space that shows not only the outcome, but also the journey of research itself.'

Ree Choi HERA Custom Match is a bespoke beauty service in which a customer's skin tone and preferences are analyzed, the most flattering color and formula are selected, and the product is compounded on the spot. We put a lot of thought into making it feel professional without being intimidating. With this renewal, the foundation lineup now includes Silky Stay and Black Cushion alongside the newly added Reflection Skin Glow. For lips, customers can choose from 142 colors, a range of formulas, and even fragrance. A personal label lets you have your own message engraved on the product, and 33 artistic colors are available as well.

Jihye Hyoung In terms of customization, the most distinctive feature is the remarkably granular color range. Each foundation product comes in 205 shades, built from five undertones and 41 levels of brightness, and the lip range offers equally refined, personal color–based options. We also carry a broad, deep selection of shades designed with global customers in mind.

Ree Choi If AMORE SEONGSU earned its reputation through expert counseling-led customization, AMORE YONGSAN is where that experience has been expanded so that more customers can enjoy it freely and on their own terms. The biggest differentiator is the expanded self zone. Moving beyond the previous appointment-based model, AMORE YONGSAN allows walk-in visitors to diagnose, test, and experience HERA CUSTOM MATCH.
The product lineup has also grown. With the addition of Reflection Skin Glow foundation alongside the existing Silky Stay and Black Cushion, customers can now choose based on their preference for a luminous finish as well. And the fact that HERA CUSTOM MATCH sits alongside Mise-en-Scène Perfect Serum Bespoke and City Lab diagnostic services, all in one place, is itself something only AMORE YONGSAN offers.

Jihye Hyoung The makeup customization service begins at the product development stage. Because the diagnostic results and product colors need to align precisely, BM and the research lab first map out the color direction together, and the diagnostic method and service flow are built to match. That work then flows into the UI/UX planning and design of the service screens. I handle both the planning and design, which means I can connect the entire flow more fluidly.
In the final stage, I personally develop the diagnostic questions the customer actually sees, the result descriptions, and the visuals. Every detail is designed meticulously so that customers can understand everything without difficulty and navigate the experience intuitively.

Jihye Hyoung The most important thing was making it 'easy and enjoyable.' Customization services can easily feel complicated or intimidating, and with makeup in particular, where trends move fast, a high barrier to entry can quickly turn customers away.
At the same time, if the approach is too casual, the brand's expertise and credibility can suffer — getting that balance right was the most critical part of the process. So we leaned heavily on clear, intuitive language and strong visuals, designing a UX that felt approachable without sacrificing the sense of craft behind it.

Ree Choi The robotic compounding system is one of the scenes customers find most captivating at HERA CUSTOM MATCH. Watching your product being precisely formulated and completed, in exactly the color and formula you chose, is what makes it so distinctive. We thought of this not as manufacturing, but as a piece of content: 'the moment your product comes to life.' Every aspect of the customer flow and guidance around this moment was thought through with great care.
On a personal note, holding a license as a customized cosmetics formulation manager has been a genuine asset throughout operations. Customized cosmetics are a delightful experience, but precision and safety are equally important, so staff training and operational procedures were prepared with the same level of thoroughness.

Jihye Hyoung The most important thing is simpler than you'd expect: read the guide. (laughs) Many people skip straight to the measurement without going through it, but even small differences in technique can noticeably change the result. Following basic guidance on things such as palette placement and lighting conditions will get you a much more accurate reading. My own skin tone shifts a little from season to season, so I check in again each season, and honestly, it's a pretty fun experience every time.

Ree Choi AMORE YONGSAN has put extensive preparation into welcoming overseas visitors. Our preparation charts and informational materials are available in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese, and we've also run global service training for our staff. Tax Refund service and product curation tailored to the preferences of different markets are also available.

Se Yeun Yim The reception area at the entrance, in particular, was designed to serve as a 'Bridge,' connecting welcome, payment, and gift wrapping in a single, seamless flow. We aim to make it a meaningful anchor point for global customers visiting to experience K-Beauty.

Ree Choi The most memorable time was the weeks leading up to the opening, preparing the HERA CUSTOM MATCH test zone. HERA CUSTOM MATCH carries approximately 1,000 products, and every ingredient, container, label, and accessory must be managed individually. Over about two months, the teams from Seongsu and Yongsan worked together to hand-make roughly 3,000 testers. With so many products, every corner of the space ended up piled with test items. I was at the HERA zone nearly every day, to the point where my teammates started joking that I'd become the 'resident ghost of the HERA zone.' (laughs) Because everyone made it with their own hands, it's a space I feel even more deeply attached to.

Se Yeun Yim The space I agonized over most was the central core. As the depth of the store grew significantly, we had to design a looping circulation path to ensure the back of the space didn't feel cut off, and we placed a circular curation zone at the center. Hearing feedback after the opening that 'the flow through the space is engaging' was one of the most rewarding moments. The FRAGRANCE LAB also holds a special place: originally closed to the public, it was opened as part of this renewal so that guests can experience the research process firsthand. That work was only made possible through close collaboration with the Beauty Research Team and the Next Space Team.

Jihye Hyoung What stands out most from this project is the process of introducing the personal color diagnosis. Because we had to account for global customers, designing a diagnostic logic that could handle a wide range of skin tones and color data within a single framework was genuinely challenging. BM, the research lab, and the service development team kept going back and forth to align on the color direction and diagnostic logic, and we're still analyzing the data and refining the service today. Seeing customers light up while testing lip colors after the opening made it all feel worthwhile.

Mijung Shim Our team tends to talk more about concerns and uncertainties than about compliments during the design process. We kept asking ourselves questions such as "How is a customer supposed to reach this?" and "Will this actually be easy to operate?", and we revised the design each time. We even had a rule about how to word things, so no one's feelings got hurt. (laughs) I think it was all that pushing back and debating that made the design better.
Noah's thinking on the space-naming and signage system helped give the space's identity a much stronger sense of definition, and Jeongsik and Hyeonhee's perspective on customer-facing design pushed us to think through not only the spatial flow but also the fine details of how customers actually use the space.

Mijung Shim Our team includes people from very different backgrounds: designers, operations, MD, and content. At first, we were all a little fascinated by just how differently each of us worked. Over time, that turned into something really valuable — understanding each other's perspectives and learning from them. This was a project where I genuinely felt, 'So this is another way to work.' There were so many moments of gratitude toward each other.

Se Yeun Yim I also remember the moment when the Custom Beauty Biz Development Team and I came together around the idea of turning the AMORE BESPOKE FACTORY into 'a living showroom window.' There had been a lot of debate about whether to tuck it further back, but we eventually concluded that 'the compounding process itself is the content.' So much of that space reflects perspectives none of us designers could have arrived at alone.

Ree Choi What meant the most was when customers said things like "There are this many colors and shades?" and "There's so much more to do here than I expected." Seeing how long people stayed and how much they enjoyed themselves made every hour of preparation feel worthwhile.

Se Yeun Yim "I feel like I could spend hours here," was the feedback that stayed with me the most. With a space this large, I'd been worried it might feel either dull or overwhelming, so hearing "there are so many different experiences here and it's genuinely fun" was a real relief.

Mijung Shim I heard that someone from the HERA brand team said, "whoever made this must really love HERA," and that just meant so much to me. Even though it's a multi-brand space, the fact that a brand itself felt seen by our design was incredibly meaningful.

Ree Choi Beyond the store floor that's immediately visible, there are spaces further inside, such as the FRAGRANCE LAB and the MEET-UP LOUNGE, that you won't find in a typical retail setting. The MEET-UP LOUNGE is personally my favorite: it's a self-contained space where you can really focus on a beauty class or one of the various programs on offer.
If you're visiting, I'd really recommend going beyond the front floor and exploring all the way in. Strolling through the brand showroom, the global best curation zone, and the GIFT SELECTION rounds out the experience beautifully — Amorepacific's signature products and the latest in beauty, all in one place.

Se Yeun Yim The New Beauty we wanted to capture was this idea: 'the space accompanies the customer on a journey toward finding their own answer.' AMORE YONGSAN isn't simply a space where products are displayed; it's a place where diagnosis, research, customization, and curation converge as one. Ultimately, we wanted it to be somewhere people experience not a narrow, momentary kind of beauty, but beauty that is sustainable across a whole life.

Jihye Hyoung The New Beauty I think about in the context of customization is 'refusing to define beauty.' It's not about following a predetermined standard; it's about understanding each customer's unique essence and helping them layer their own preferences and personality on top of that. The idea that there is no single right answer to beauty. And that the answer lives within each person — that's the essence of New Beauty as we see it.

Ree Choi Rather than arriving with "I'm going to buy this product," already decided, I'd love for people to slow down and explore a range of colors and products. In practice, just a few minutes of testing often reveals that a completely different color suits you far better than you'd expected. HERA CUSTOM MATCH, in particular, has such a wide color range that, rather than settling on one, I'd really recommend comparing at least two or three. A small difference can shift the whole mood of a look quite dramatically.

Se Yeun Yim I'd recommend experiencing it in the sequence: Diagnosis → Curation → Customization. Getting a skin or scalp assessment at CITY LAB, moving through the brand curation, and then flowing into the customized service — that journey itself is the New Beauty experience AMORE YONGSAN is proposing.

Jihye Hyoung I'd also suggest getting your skin tone re-assessed each season. My own tone tends to shift by about half a shade to a full shade after a vacation, and HERA CUSTOM MATCH makes it so easy to find the right color again. I'm currently using shade 21.5N1. (laughs)

Mijung Shim I've become a regular at the HERA CUSTOM MATCH self zone myself. I got a diagnosis and have been using foundation shade 19C1, which blends seamlessly into my skin. I personally love a glow finish, and the HERA glow foundation in 19C1 is only available through HERA CUSTOM MATCH at AMORE YONGSAN, which makes me love it even more. I hope everyone who visits discovers the color that truly suits their skin.

Ree Choi AMORE YONGSAN is a space that won't stand still; it will keep changing. Reflecting our customers' voices and the latest in beauty, we want to keep bringing fresh and exciting experiences.

Mijung Shim I hope that within the authentic space AMORE YONGSAN has created, many people come to find their own unique beauty.

Jihye Hyoung I hope the customized service reaches more and more customers, and that this becomes a space where people can discover firsthand just how fun and compelling it truly is.

Se Yeun Yim For global visitors coming to experience K-Beauty, I hope AMORE YONGSAN is remembered as 'the most immersive place to experience the New Beauty of Amorepacific.'

▽ Explore the AMORE YONGSAN Renewal Design Story (click)

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