Inside Tom Ford's first standalone beauty store in London

London is officially the home of Tom Ford's first ever standalone beauty store, and it's now open for business. Having previously lived in London for many years, Mr Ford has chosen the perfect spot for this global innovation of the brand, with Covent Garden's status as the go-to beauty hub of the capital. And, boy, it does not disappoint.

The new outpost triumphs in both the uttermost luxury and sleekest of design, with meticulous attention to detail. Suspended marble counters, creamy glass and seemingly endless illuminated infinity mirrors play host to your shopping experience, all punctuated by floral accents.

With a dedicated make-up room, fragrance room and colour room as well as some very impressive technology, the experience is more 'exhibition' than 'retail'. A mammoth 'TF' light installation greets you outside the entrance, an 'augmented reality' smart-mirror allows shoppers to try on virtual lipstick shades (great news for the germaphobes among us), and an interactive fragrance installation turns the act of trying on perfume into an art-form.

On the lower level of the shop are the 'appointment-only' consultation rooms and event spaces (or, in our opinion, where things really get exciting). While the list of services available are too extensive to detail, they include makeup consultations which are filmed by a smart mirror (yes, a mirror) and then sent to the customer so that they too can recreate the look. Barbers, facialists, make-up artists and more will also be on call.

In short, the Tom Ford beauty store in Covent Garden is almost perfect, while mind-blowingly avant-garde. We're using this as a marker of what's to come in the future, as smart technology begins to make its mark on the face of the beauty industry. A must-visit for beauty lovers.