If you’ve been anywhere near online South African beauty communities in the last few days, you’ve probably seen the hauls, the goodies bag reveals and the crowded aisle footage from the Takealot House of Beauty.
The annual event, which brings together beauty brands, product samples, competitions and exclusive deals under one roof, returned this year with a new venue and a noticeably expanded footprint, and The Citizen was there for it.
The upgrade that actually mattered: The venue
Last year’s inaugural Takealot House of Beauty was held at The Forum at The Campus in Bryanston. This year, the organisers moved to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, and the difference was immediately obvious.
The additional space allowed brands to build proper displays, the kind with good lighting (when they had power supply), clear product layouts and, frankly, excellent backdrops for content. If you’re the type to document everything (and at an event like this, why wouldn’t you be?), the larger stands gave photographers and creators far more to work with.
The layout spanned multiple levels (stalls near the entrance, an upper level, a ground floor middle section and a basement level) which helped distribute foot traffic, even if the queues at popular stands remained a persistent issue throughout the day.
R7 000+ worth of products
Addressing the thing everyone actually wants to know about – the goodie bag is valued (by our estimation) at more than R7 000 and includes a mix of full-sized products and samples that lean more towards everyday toiletries than prestige make-up.
If you’re coming in expecting the kind of full-coverage foundation or luxury cosmetics haul that some comparable events deliver, temper those expectations. The Takealot House of Beauty bag skews towards practical, budget-friendly essentials rather than vanity shelf showpieces, but at that valuation, it’s hard to complain too loudly.
Samples, stands and the social element
One of the clearest improvements this year was the willingness of brands to hand out samples freely.
This is genuinely the best way to experience an event like this. Being able to test a product on your skin before committing to a purchase is far more valuable than a slick display or a discount code. Brands that leaned into this earned the longer queues and, probably, the better sales.
Speaking of which: if you’re planning to make purchases on the day using the Takealot’s Mr D platform, prepare yourself. The atmosphere is loud, stimulating and fast-paced, which makes it genuinely difficult to navigate the app in real time and figure out exactly how the Takealot House of Beauty purchasing mechanic works without making a costly mistake. Some stalls that had their own on-site paypoints made the buying experience significantly smoother. If impulse-buying beauty products is your love language, look for those stands first.
The competitions running throughout the event are worth your attention too. The prizes include appliances and products that make entering very much worth the few minutes it takes.
Another upside stems from the fact that this is a deeply social event. Go with friends. Make a day of it. Or make some new ones. That’s really the point.
More men’s options this year
It was good to see a wider selection of stalls and products catering to men this year. Beauty events in South Africa have historically skewed heavily female in their offering, and the expansion here felt intentional rather than tokenistic.
The parts that need work
In the spirit of a proper review, it’s worth noting that there were real frustrations with this year’s Takealot House of Beauty.
Queue management remains a challenge. Popular stalls drew long lines, and several brands ran out of key products before a significant portion of attendees had a chance to get to them. I came specifically looking to purchase a full-coverage foundation to wear to work, a fairly standard ask at a beauty event, and left with a single sample after three different stalls confirmed they hadn’t brought enough stock in that product category to meet that need.
That’s a miss, both for attendees and for the brands.
Some stall attendants were notably unfriendly, which is a shame given that the human interaction at these events is part of what makes or breaks the experience.
The post-event transport situation is also worth flagging for anyone planning ahead. Uber surge pricing was severe for attendees who stayed until the final hour, with rides that cost around R200 on arrival reportedly climbing to R1 000 at the end of the evening.
@mathapelo_s_diary We had fun though @takealothouseofbeauty you owe us nothing my dhiye
#takealothouseofbeauty #takealothouseofbeautygoodiebag #takealothouseofbeauty2026 #fyp
Several people ended up calling family for lifts or waiting for prices to normalise before leaving. If you’re relying on a rideshare to get home, either leave before the closing rush or build extra waiting time into your plans.
Is it worth going?
Yes, with realistic expectations.
The Takealot House of Beauty is a good time, especially if you treat it as a social outing with discovery potential rather than a guaranteed shopping haul. The venue upgrade made a real difference, the sampling culture has improved, and the goodies bag alone justifies the ticket price for most people.
Buy your ticket the day they go on sale (they move fast), go with friends, wear comfortable shoes, and don’t bank on leaving with every product on your wishlist.
The brands that come prepared, with stock, with samples and with warm staff, are the ones that make the day worth it. The rest have some catching up to do.
