Thousands join the queue for new Sephora store in the Trafford Centre in Manchester

Granada Reports Entertainment Correspondent Caroline Whitmore joins the hordes of beauty fans at the opening of the new Sephora store at the Trafford Centre.

Thousands of beauty fans have been queuing outside the new Sephora store in Manchester's Trafford Centre as it officially opened its doors. Some beauty lovers reportedly camped out overnight to get a place in the queue with an estimated 3,000 people waiting in the queue.

The beauty megastore is the third to open in the UK - and the first in the north of England - following the success of its two London branches.

Sephora store opens at the Trafford Centre Credit: ITV Granada

On X, one user said they said saw girls camping outside before the retailer opened their doors just before 10am on Thursday, 16 May.

Another said: "Don’t bother waking up at 4:30am to try and queue up, I missed out by eight people and I've been here since six… and that's the first 500!!!"

The French beauty brand has enjoyed massive popularity on social media and has managed to attract swathes of young fans.

Managing Director of Sephora UK Sarah Boyd said: "Ever since we launched the brand in the UK we've had the most incredible response from customers asking for stores to be opened in their home town.

" I have to say Manchester was number one in terms of requests and comments."

One beauty fan waiting in the queue said: "I love it. Every time I go to Paris I'm always in there so I'm really excited that they've opened one up here."

Another woman said: "There's brands here that we want to purchase but we don't actually get them here in Manchester so we want to try them out before we actually buy them."

Sephora paid homage to the store’s location by picking a mix of Northern talent to perform for guests at the store’s exclusive launch party and official opening.

Performers included Liquorice Black, Sweet Female Attitude, LILL and Coco Cannell.

The Trafford Centre director Simon Layton said: "We are really really proud that this is the first store in the north, right here in Manchester and only the third in the UK."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...