Beauty destination: Iris Store & Studio

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to chat via Zoom to Hannah Wiles, the talented and passionate woman behind new Wellington beauty destination, Iris Store & Studio. Her enthusiasm for all things makeup, skin, fragrance and hair was palpable, and has left me with a hankering to take a trip to our capital city to check the glorious space out.
A world class beauty concept space on Victoria Street in Wellington’s CBD, Iris Store & Studio offers customers a one-of-a-kind experience that focuses on high-quality, internationally renowned beauty products and an intimate customer experience.
Hannah has carefully curated a selection of premium international and local beauty brands to explore and fall for, all of which come with expert advice and personalised recommendations from the Iris team. Many of the brands such as Sana Jardin will be entering the New Zealand market for the first time, and many I had never before heard of but am now Googling like a demon.

A beauty industry “lifer” who has worked across numerous prestige names, Hannah has designed the store with a mission to “offer Wellington a careful selection of value-centric brands chosen for efficacy and sensoriality, sustainability credentials and transparency of ingredient listings”. This mission is paired with a commitment to expert and personalised service, which is something she “felt was missing from the market”.
“As a qualified and experienced makeup artist there are not a lot of spaces in Wellington or even New Zealand that feel in line with the needs of modern consumers who want to interact with beauty in a mindful way, in spaces that feel unique, considered or inspired” she says. With over 18 years’ experience working within the beauty industry with premium brands like Guerlain, Hermes, Bobbi Brown, and Spring Spa, her edit is impeccable, and the shelves of Iris stocked with international names like Lanshin and the incredible Kjaer Weis, with Josh Rosebrook, (M)anasi 7, Lesse and Vahy being new to the Wellington market.

In addition, Iris Store & Studio is a concept store that facilitates education. Through a personalised facial experience, Iris guides their customers through non-invasive beauty treatments such as lymphatic drainage that they are able to implement at home using products stocked within the store. The concept space also offers makeup lessons with a focus on enhancing the wearers natural look.
“Women can be their harshest critic when it comes to beauty,” says Hannah, “and much of the industry fuels this hardship. I want to see a shift in this societal norm and help more women to feel great in the skin they're in, with high quality products that can support their age and stage.”
If you’re lucky enough to be in Wellington you can visit the store now, or explore more of their online offering here.