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 Time

Where to shop in Dallas right now: 6 new stores and finds for July

Barbie's House

Summer can often be sleepy when it comes to new store openings, but summer 2025 is not taking a break. This edition of Where to Shop, CultureMap's monthly column of shops and sales, has six new finds, dominated by home decor stores, but also new clothing brands and collections.

Here's where to shop in Dallas in July 2025:

Aroma 360
Home and office fragrance store at Galleria Dallas carries automatic diffusers, reed diffusers, car scents, candles, and sprays. They have a brand new Miami collection, featuring notes like bergamot, pineapple, driftwood, and grapefruit. One signature item is the Mini Pro Scent Diffuser, a $300 automatic diffuser that uses waterless and heatless technology to scent up to 600 square feet.

Barbie's House
Barbie Clariday originally founded a home furnishings store in 1999 to serve Houston clients. Now 25 years later, her daughter Jennifer Brown has opened a spinoff in Prosper, offering the same mix of fine furniture, home accessories, gifts, and design services where they'll help find the perfect decorative item or furnish an entire home. They sell bed comforter sets, pillows, chairs, and gifts from brands like Oh My Mahjong and B's Knees candles.

Conrad Shades
Luxury window shades brand is now available exclusively inside the Holly Hunt showroom in the Design District. Holly Hunt carries the full catalogue of 150 woven designs, including the recently launched Japanese-inspired Shibui Collection. Highlights include the Indigo and Sakuru shades, crafted from recycled denim fibers, and the Kata shade, which evokes the dying and weaving traditions of Japan.

OmniThreads
Dallas-based clothing brand inspired by spirituality, Greek mythology, and the zodiac is online only, where it sells T-shirts, hoodies, dad hats, and kids shirts. Here's where to get T-shirts for every sign of the Zodiac, from Aries to Pisces, rendered in vivid, graffiti-esque designs and colors. They have an eco-friendly mission, using biodegradable packaging and paperless receipts.

Sephora
Beauty chain has opened a location in Allen at the Allen Premium Outlets, next to the Kate Spade store. It's a regular Sephora store, not an outlet, which stocks the usual assortment of cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, and makeup from Glossier, Makeup by Mario, and Summer Fridays. There is no shortage of Sephora locations with 30 in the DFW area including Galleria Dallas, Preston Royal, and Willow Bend in Plano.

Weekend Academy
Walmart’s newest private fashion brand fills a space in the fashion market for Gen Alpha, ages 7-14. The tween-specific clothing brand features 65 clothing items for girls and boys including denim, graphic tees, fleece, skirts and dresses, footwear, and accessories, with a majority of items available under $15 and many under $10. Weekend Academy joins Walmart's two other clothing brands for younger shoppers: Wonder Nation brand for kids and No Boundaries brand for Gen Z teens and young adults.

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