New Fred Segal Store Lets Customers Shop Like The Stars With Wall Of Latest Beauty Buys

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A one-of-a-kind store in the Southland is letting customers sample the latest beauty products for a fraction of the cost.

CBS2's Lisa Sigell reports NewBeauty TestTube at Fred Segal in Santa Monica is a first-of-its-kind shop based on the magazine of the same name, where stars like Jessica Alba and Kate Beckinsale get their favorite beauty buys.

There are other sampling programs that send products to customers' homes - like Birchbox, Sample Society and Glossybox - but NewBeauty is the only in-store program like it in the country.

The store's wall is switched out every month so new samples are always available.

Busy executive and shopper Trina Albus is among customers getting the star treatment - trying out what's new after she discovered she could make her own "test tube" of products.

"I get access to all these luxury products that I wouldn't have found anywhere else," Trina said.

For just $30, customers can get hundreds of dollars of product, all hand-picked by Susan Yara, a beauty editor at NewBeauty magazine.

"You pick a test tube and you choose one full-size product - that can equal $100 alone. Then you pick out five deluxe samples and take home a magazine," she explained.

The idea is that you fall in love with the products — from skin care, to make-up to hair care and even fragrance — and end up buying the full-size. Or you can just keep sampling and having fun with the latest trends. If you love beauty, these tubes can be addicting.

Trina got just what she wanted: an $88 gold anti-aging serum by Veronica Malibu, Mally lip gloss, hair-thickening spray from Bumble & Bumble... and a lot more.

"And if you can't get into the store, you can order a test tube subscription. We pick the products and you let us know what you think of them," Susan said of the store's home-delivery service.

"It's such a great deal and it always pays for itself," Trina said.