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Molly Dowrick

A memory of Swansea's old Debenhams is revived in Boots as nine new beauty brands arrive in big investment

Debenhams was a huge loss to Swansea when it closed in the Quadrant shopping centre in 2021. Thousands of us ventured there to browse the many different departments - and it was the kind of place where you could do your entire Christmas shop in one go.

And if you entered via the large open area in the centre of the Quadrant, you would have to navigate the myriad of beauty brands, with customers often sat at brightly lit counters having make-overs to encourage them to splash out.

All of that was lost when the high street stores closed and the name was bought up by online retailer Boohoo and moved to the internet. But a little slice of it has now been brought back - thanks to fellow Swansea Quadrant store Boots. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

Read more: Parents of little girl who died after life-long battle shower hospital that cared for her with gifts

Remember this? Debenhams, pictured before it closed in the Quadrant Shopping Centre (WalesOnline/Gayle Marsh)

The Swansea store has undergone a major refit and 'extensive investment' which has added nine premium beauty brands. You can now head to Boots and find Rihanna's Fenty Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, Laura Mercier, Bobby Brown, Too Faced, Elizabeth Arden, Kat Von D, The Ordinary and Origins. It is believed to be the only store west of Cardiff to offer all these big names in one place.

New make-up products from brands including NARS and Urban Decay have also been introduced into the store, in perfect time for customers to snap them up for Christmas presents.

Boots has also added a new "Beauty Studio" with specialists now offering customers mini-makeovers and touch-ups, or "fully un-biased make-up advice and guidance". The beauty studio is also equipped with phone chargers, so customers can "sit back, re-charge and experience the best beauty advice in Swansea," a spokesperson for Boots said.

Manager of Boots Beauty Hall, Helen Bamford said: "We are so excited by the arrival of our new make-up lines. There is huge demand locally for these brands and we’ve already experienced a big surge in shoppers taking advantage of the incredible lines now available in store.

"The arrival of our Boots Beauty Specialists has also been fantastic. Their knowledge is second-to-none and customers can rest in the knowledge that they are being advised to use the products that are best suited to their individual skin and beauty needs. The specialists are not employed by any one brand and so their advice is fully non-biased and shoppers may walk out of store having purchased items from lots of different brands.

"We can’t wait to welcome even more shoppers in the run up to Christmas and help gift-buyers find the perfect gift for their friends and family."

Beauty Specialists are now available offering advice and mini-makeovers! (Boots Swansea/Rethink PR)
Rihanna's Fenty Beauty range is now available at Boots Swansea (Boots Swansea/Rethink PR)
Too Faced is another of the fancy brands now available (Boots Swansea/Rethink PR)

Manager of Quadrant Shopping Centre, Lisa Hartley added: "This is an exciting time for Swansea’s make-up lovers. Many of our new brands can only be purchased online or Cardiff, so this is an exciting time for beauty fans across Swansea and south-west Wales.

"We are also proud that large, national brands are seeing huge potential for growth in Swansea. The Boots Beauty Hall transformation joins other brands including Ernest Jones and Vision Express, who have each invested heavily into their existing stores. It’s brilliant seeing big brands giving their Swansea stores a new lease of life, in-line with the exciting, changing face of Swansea’s city centre."

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