The CultureMap Interview

Bluemercury CEO explains why she chose Dallas and local expansion plans

Bluemercury, a luxury, one-stop beauty shop, debuted its first Texas location in Highland Park Village on May 19. With more than 90 skincare and cosmetics brands — including big names like Laura Mercier and Nars and proprietary line M-61 — and an extensive menu of spa services, it is certain to be a hit with Dallas’ most discerning beauty buyers.

Founder and CEO Marla Malcolm Beck was in town to celebrate the opening, so we visited with her about how she turned a hobby into a career, why Dallas has always been in her sights and her expansion plans for Bluemercury (hint: Southlake Town Center in the fall).

CultureMap: Did you always know you wanted to be involved in the beauty industry?

Marla Malcolm Beck: I didn’t. I have always been a beauty junkie. I used to drive 30 miles to get a specific lipstick. I would go into Henri Bendel in New York to get MAC lipstick because that was the only place you could find it.

I don’t know how I even knew it was there — this was before the Internet — so it was really a hobby that became a business. Making your passion into a business: That’s what we look for in the brands we carry.

CM: How do you select new brands?

MMB: It’s a little bit like venture capital, really, looking for that point of difference. We like finding entrepreneurs who are passionate about what they are creating. We don’t just look at the product; we look at where they are headed.

Francois Nars [NARS Cosmetics] was working out of a room when I met him. When we first picked up Fresh, they only had a line of limited soaps. It’s just not just about the product; it’s about the person behind the line.

CM: What makes Bluemercury stores special?

MMB: People want convenience, to pull up out front, stop in for what they need and go. When you walk into one of our stores, our salespeople know everything about every line. You don’t have to go from one counter to another.

CM: Why did you select Highland Park Village as your first Texas location?

MMB: I visited Highland Park for the first time when I was in Dallas with some HBS [Harvard Business School] friends. We came to Highland Park Village to do some shopping and have coffee. It was such a unique place, so I’ve always known we eventually wanted to be here.

CM: What do you think differentiates the Highland Park Village shopper?

MMB: Shopping has become much more a part of a lifestyle, and I think the women in Highland Park Village really embody that. She’s not just here to shop. She may be here having lunch, hanging out with a friend; she may live close by. She wants somewhere easy and convenient to stop in and pick up what she needs.

CM: Do you have plans for additional Texas stores?

MMB: Yes —Texas women love their beauty products! We are opening in Southlake in the fall, and then Houston.

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Bluemercury is hosting a public grand opening celebration on Saturday, May 30, 10 am-7 pm, with cupcakes, makeovers and mini-facials. The first 100 attendees get a deluxe gift bag.

Bluemercury founder and CEO Marla Malcolm Beck.

Photo courtesy of Bluemercury

Bluemercury founder and CEO Marla Malcolm Beck.

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Shopping News

Where to shop in Dallas right now: 6 new stores to check out for June

LoveShackFancy

LoveShackFancy and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders collaboration.

The June edition of Where to Shop, CultureMap Dallas ' monthly roundup of new shops and hot sales has a little of everything: buzzy new designer boutique, museum shop, thrift store, and furniture boutique that graduated from online to brick-and-mortar. There's also a new cheerleaders collection and a major tile sale.

Here's where to shop in Dallas for June 2025:

Billy Reid
Texas fashion designer has opened a boutique in Dallas at 1902 N. Henderson Ave., in the former Knot Standard space. Reid is known for his carefully crafted clothing and accessories embodying lived-in luxury, with high-quality fabrics and unexpected detailing. Reid says that the space will allow them to combine their main collection and custom clothing efforts under one roof. They carry men’s and women’s clothing, including men’s polos and trousers, dresses, blazers, plus travel bags, belts, and cotton twill ball caps.

Casa Bella Decor
Luxury home furniture boutique is now open in Melissa at 3210 Milrany Ln. #300. After eight years as an online store, this is the brand's first physical showroom with items like bedding, chairs, patio furniture, and nightstands. They carry home goods and furniture brands such as Barefoot Dream, Farmhouse Fresh, Rowe Furniture, and Voluspa Candles. There are also complimentary design consultations available.

Daltile
Dallas-based company — the largest manufacturer and marketer of tile in the U.S. — has launched a summer sale highlighting "Made in the USA" products with up to 40 percent off American-made tile collections on 36 lines ranging from ultra-trendy Artcrafted colored glass tiles to the wood look of Acreage to the convincing faux marble of Marble Attache. Daltile products are distributed through 260-plus company-owned sales service centers, stone slab yards, design studios, and independent flooring retailers, searchable online. The sale runs through August 31.

Frontiers of Flight Museum store Thomas Garza

Frontiers of Flight Museum store
There's a museum store now open inside Frontiers of Flight Museum, at 6911 Lemmon Ave. near Dallas Love Field. The store is a 1,400-square-foot space with Frontiers of Flight merchandise, interactive STEM kits, aviation-themed books, art prints, and toys, plus candles, apparel, and jewelry from local makers chosen to reflect the innovation that defines the museum. Located right inside the museum’s lobby, it's open to the public, no ticket required.

Goodwill Carrollton
Goodwill's newest location is a state-of-the-art store and donation drop-off center which opened on June 5 in a former Big Lots. This store is the non-profit's 19th location in its eight-county service area and represents Goodwill's mission-integrated social enterprise that is dedicated to helping people with barriers recognize and reach their full potential through the power of a job.

LoveShackFancy
Cotton Incorporated and LoveShackFancy have partnered with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders on an "America's Sweetheart" all-cotton 28-piece collection featuring frilly print and gingham sundresses, American flag sweatshirts, and a line of skirts, dresses, and tops embroidered with cherries. The brands will host a tailgate party at LoveShackFancy’s Dallas boutique (at 29 Highland Park Village) on June 21, that includes a meet & greet with two of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

museums openings where to shop