Irish cosmetics brand Sculpted by Aimee has launched a Base Camp Tour pop-up event in the UK to tackle incorrect foundation shade-matching “head-on”.
The activation is bringing the Aimee Connolly-founded make-up business to five major cities across the UK, offering complexion advice and immersive beauty experiences.
The pop-up is in reaction to the brand discovering through its own research that 80% of people wear the wrong foundation shade and formula.
Visitors at the tour can get shade-matched and discover the right base for them, as well as trade in an unwanted or mismatched foundation from any brand to a correct one from Sculpted by Aimee.
The Base Camp Tour began on 12 June at Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin, Ireland.
Two more events have already taken place at shopping destinations Birmingham’s The Bullring and Manchester’s The Trafford Centre on 19 June and 21 June, respectively.
The final two stops of the tour will take place at shopping centre Liverpool One on 28 June and in London’s Covent Garden on 29 June.
Although foundation education has been central to the pop-up series so far, Connolly told Cosmetics Business that it also served as a chance to be “IRL [in real life] with our community”.
“For us, community is at the heart of Sculpted by Aimee,” said Connolly.
“We want to show up for our incredible community, and also with our regional roadshow.
“We hope to meet new customers who get to experience Sculpted by Aimee for the first time in person.”
At the same time, educating visitors on complexion products and shades was an important way of ensuring that “everyone who visits feels amazing in their new base and in a shade”.
Connolly added: “It is a chance for us to educate on our complexion products and our shades.
“And most importantly, it is our way of ensuring that everyone who visits feels amazing in their new base and in a shade that is perfect for them.”
The brand’s complexion products, the base of which are formulated in South Korea, are among the brand’s best-selling products, according to Connolly.
This includes skin tint Hydratint, which is made with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E andSPF 20, with lightweight and buildable coverage.
Connolly also chose these five UK cities to visit to ensure beauty fans outside of London were able to access the tour.
She continued: “A lot of beauty activations and events happen in London, so it was a non-negotiable for us to show up in more UK cities.
“We have such a loyal community in the UK and much continues to grow, so we wanted to show up for them.
“We also wanted to reach new customers and help people discover their perfect base.”
Nat Kerr, Senior Account Manager at Backlash, which worked with the brand to create the pop-tour, told Cosmetics Business: "I love Base Camp as a creative concept.
“Why it works is [that] we are providing people the opportunity to swap a foundation that does not suit their skin tone for one that’s expertly shade-matched by the Sculpted by Aimee team.
“The experience is memorable, personal and impactful.
“Our roadshow brings to life our core message of empowerment – because it all starts with a great base."
Once the roadshow wraps up, Sculpted by Aimee will be working towards an “exciting new innovative NPD” launching in September 2025.