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Birchbox store opening in SoHo: 11 things beauty buffs need to know

Since 2010, the beauty obsessed have been turning to Birchbox for almost too cute to open packages stocked with mini cosmetics and other must-haves of the moment, sent straight to their doorsteps each month.

But now, the online-based subscription sample service is turning the tables, and finally opening its long-rumored, first ever brick and mortar store, right in the heart of SoHo. (Where else?)

“The reason we started Birchbox was to make it easy, efficient and fun to discover new beauty products,” co-founder Hayley Barna, who launched the company with former Harvard Business School classmate Katia Beauchamp, told amNewYork.

“We started online, but with this really important physical component– samples to try at home– so we always bridged the two worlds. The decision to open a store is sort of an extension of that … bringing the Birchbox brands to life and then integrating technology and the digital assets that we have for a better in-store shopping experience.”

The store, which opens its doors July 11 at 10 a.m., is a literal translation of the Birchbox.com experience, with new monthly products, customer reviews via iPads and personalized recommendations, plus added perks like a hands-on, Build Your Own Birchbox bar, a Try Bar for testing editors’ favorite looks and in-store beauty services.

Here are 11 things you need to know before you go.