Sonia Khemiri is the founder of the revolutionary brand Beautyque Verse, the first-ever beauty 3D storefront and disruptive retail marketing platform that offers an immersive VR experience. Delve into our exclusive interview to learn how Khemiri is changing the beauty industry.
Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your background?
My name is Sonia Khemiri, and I am the founder and CEO of Beautyque Verse. I have over a decade of experience in the beauty industry, combined with a master’s degree in finance and over 20 years of corporate experience. My background blends practical administrative positions with visionary foresight for leveraging technology in the beauty industry. With a diverse background in administration and a personal motto of trailblazing uncharted paths, I established Beautyque NYC in 2020 to champion indie brands and unique customer experiences. I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and have been involved in many industries, including restaurants, real estate, entertainment, medical and now beauty. I’m a bit of a nerd inside and a beauty enthusiast outside.
What is Beautyque Verse and why did you decide on this name for your app?
Beautyque Verse is our groundbreaking virtual reality (VR) beauty shopping platform, currently in beta testing. It merges AI, AR, and VR to create an immersive and interactive beauty retail experience. The name “Beautyque Verse” reflects the expansive virtual worlds we are creating, where users can explore, discover, and shop for beauty products in a completely new and engaging way. Users can shop with friends, talk to a live avatar, receive guidance from a beauty expert avatar, and see live shoppers all from the comfort of their homes using iOS, Android, or Oculus. We bring the social experience absent in today’s online e-commerce. Our platform bridges the gap between the physical store experience and online shopping, starting with beauty products for now.
For those of us who do not know much about A.I., why would we want to incorporate it into our daily lives? How does A.I. take Beautyque Verse to the next level?
AI has the power to assist us in various tasks, both personal and professional. It’s like an intelligent assistant that can be trained to help us improve in what we do. Why should we add it? It’s like hiring an expert in every possible field for just a few bucks a month or sometimes even for free. Why not do it? If not, we’ll have to live with its consequences. In Beautyque Verse, we’ve integrated AI to enhance product recommendations and navigation guidance, making the shopping experience as personalized as possible. We did a minimum integration in Beautyque Verse’s beta test version, however the next phase will be fully integrated. AI can recommend products tailored to our preferences, lifestyle, and goals. It becomes a VIP service better than a physical store in a luxury setting, with no additional cost to the customer. On the backend, we aim to use AI to help us select products according to our Beautyque code for safety and transparency. There is an overwhelming number of brands and products out there, and consumers don’t know who to trust and what to choose. AI can help make our selection criteria more transparent and clearer. AI-driven guidance can also simulate advice from a celebrity makeup artist or skincare specialist, acting as your personal beauty assistant. There’s no more VIP than this. It helps us manage operations more efficiently by automating tasks as well. Overall, AI simplifies what we do and lets us focus on our strengths in intuitive intelligence and creativity.
What was it about A.I that piqued your interest to implement it into your business?
The intelligence and potential of AI fascinated me, especially after ChatGPT launched. I did not sleep for three days in a row when I started using it. Although AI has been around for decades, its ability to automate mundane tasks, boost creativity, and enhance our intelligence is what captivated me. Implementing AI is time-consuming and costly, so we are doing it step by step. We integrated it gradually on our website and in the Beautyque Verse beta test platform. Our main goal is to bring a personalized, immersive shopping experience to everyone. AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data and provide personalized experiences bridges the gap between online and offline shopping even more with efficiency and personalization, making the shopping experience more engaging and enjoyable for our customers and making us more efficient in our work.
Having worked in the beauty industry for many years, do you have any top products or beauty tips you could share with us?
One of my top beauty tips is to always prioritize skincare. Healthy skin is the foundation for any beauty ritual. Some of my favorite products include:
Sunscreen: Always, no matter the season! It’s crucial for protecting against UV damage and maintaining youthful skin.
Eye serums and masks: In these busy days, our eyes get tired, and our faces need a good boost. These are must-haves in our purse.
Additionally, always remove makeup before bed and stay hydrated. Consistency in your skincare rituals is key to seeing results.
Anything else you would like us to know?
We are currently looking for beta testers. If you’re intrigued, please connect with us and try out our beta test platform using this link. It’s strongly suggested to test it with a friend because that’s the fun part of it. To discover the future of beauty retail with Beautyque Verse and to sign up for beta testing, visit, Beautyque Verse Sign Up https://www.beautyque.nyc/pages/beautyque-verse-account to immerse yourself in the next generation of VR shopping. From there, you can download any of the three available beta versions of the app.
Peruse the entire site at https://www.beautyque.nyc/.
