‘Scooby-Doo’ Star Mckenna Grace Turns Target’s Beauty Studio Launch Into a Full Style Moment

Retail launches rarely feel like red carpet events, but brands have increasingly leaned on celebrity appearances to turn routine store openings into cultural moments. Target’s latest beauty push is the newest example of that strategy in action.

The retailer has spent recent weeks rolling out a rebranded beauty concept designed to feel less like a big-box aisle and more like a curated specialty destination. To mark the occasion properly, Target brought in some star power to help spread the word.

Mckenna Grace attends the Target Beauty Studio Celebration Event.

In the photos, she appears next to the red Beauty Studio backdrop and in other areas of the event.

You can see a little more of everything they prepared there, with Mckenna Grace appearing in different parts of… pic.twitter.com/E6TiKRa44v

— JumpTrailers (@JumpTrailers) September 26, 2026

Actress and singer Mckenna Grace attended the Target Beauty Studio Celebration Event, posing next to the brand’s red Beauty Studio backdrop and throughout other areas of the celebration, with Getty photographer Presley Ann capturing her among the new displays.

The event tied directly into the nationwide rollout of Target Beauty Studio, which officially launched on September 10 across more than 600 stores and on Target.com. The concept fills the gap left behind after the end of Target’s long-running partnership with Ulta Beauty, which had been in place since 2021.

princess! mckenna grace at target beauty studio celebration event in los angeles today. pic.twitter.com/ziF3IvLtP9

— mckenna grace files ⋆.𐙚 ̊ (@mckennafiles) September 26, 2026

Target Beauty Studio brings together more than 1,600 products from 90 brands, with over two-thirds of those names entirely new to Target’s shelves. The lineup includes prestige and buzzy indie labels such as Dyson, Sunday Riley, St. Tropez, and Boy Smells, alongside products from Ariana Grande, SARELLY, Glamazon Beauty, and Tula Skincare.

Shoppers exploring the new spaces can expect dedicated Beauty Advisors working in signature uniforms, hands-on product testing for select items, and a curated assortment of minis designed for easy discovery. Saturday’s in-store celebrations ran nationwide from noon to 4 p.m. local time, with the first 100 guests at most locations receiving a Target Circle bonus.

the way she fixed his cap and the way he kissed her everytime they were waiting for the fans to take pics with them….. MCKENNA GRACE AND MASON THAMES UR THE CUTEST 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/1WHDBoNwVE

— Sarah | fan account (@cloiskryptonite) September 26, 2026

Amanda Nusz, Target’s senior vice president of merchandising, essentials and beauty, framed the new concept as a response to how shoppers actually want to browse. “When guests shop for beauty, they want to pick up their standbys while also exploring what’s new and trending, and Target Beauty Studio is designed with that mix in mind,” she said in a statement reported by Retail Dive.

She added that the space is meant to serve as an inspiring destination for discovering what’s new in beauty, calling it a clear example of how the retailer’s merchandising strength translates into an elevated shopping experience. The timing lines up with recent momentum for the category, as Target’s most recent quarterly earnings showed beauty sales climbing about 7%, outpacing the company’s overall merchandise growth of 5%.

For Grace, the appearance lands during an especially active stretch of her career. Her supernatural thriller ‘The Last Kiss,’ directed by Yoko Okumura, arrived on digital platforms on September 15, with Grace playing a character cursed with the ability to foresee death through kisses.

She’s also been busy building out her music catalog. Grace released her new single ‘Bones and All’ on September 25, following her June return with ‘Ugly and Rotten,’ marking her first solo single in more than two years, with the newer track reportedly inspired by her deep dive into the film of the same name.

Between franchise blockbusters, streaming originals, and now a splashy retail event tied to one of the year’s bigger beauty relaunches, Grace continues to stay visible across multiple corners of pop culture at once. Her appearance offered a lighter, brand-focused moment amid an otherwise packed year of film, television, and music commitments.

For Target, pairing a recognizable young star with its beauty relaunch signals just how seriously the company is treating this category shift. Whether that translates into sustained foot traffic beyond opening weekend will likely become clearer as more Beauty Studio locations roll out.

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