Drew Barrymore surprises Moscow

FLOWER Beauty, a product line by Drew Barrymore, flew off the shelves in Moscow’s Ulta branch, and the star behind the products immediately took notice.

Barrymore decided to stop and smell the flowers herself, going out of her way to fly in to the Palouse and meet an unsuspecting group of Moscow customers Tuesday afternoon.

Barrymore, best known for her roles in “50 First Dates” and the Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet,” took the Palouse by surprise when she stopped by to meet with employees and excited fans alike.

“Beauty is for everybody, but beauty is for Moscow, Idaho,” Barrymore said after posing for photos in front of her products.

Ulta and Barrymore teamed up for a competition, with Barrymore appearing at the store that sold the most FLOWER Beauty products in a week.

“My company FLOWER Beauty … did a store contest with Ulta, which we just launched in,” Barrymore said. “We wanted to see what store in the country could have the best sales in one week. Moscow won.”

Barrymore said she frequented Idaho every winter, celebrating the holidays with her family. While she said she does not frequent many of the Gem State’s high-class ski resorts, she does enjoy much of the scenic hiking trails the Northwest has to offer. She said during her ride from Pullman Airport, she was reminded of a simpler time while passing the scenic Palouse.

“I was happy to return,” she said. “I actually come all the time in the summer, because I’m not necessarily a skier, so I like hiking. To see the rolling hills just made me happy and it felt so familiar, being back in a place and a state that I really love.”

Barrymore entered the store around 2:30 p.m. to a welcoming crowd of Ulta employees and anxious community members. Her exit from a large black SUV in front of the store brought an excited atmosphere inside the store, as Ulta employees scrambled to prepare for the celebrity visit.

After a few quick greetings, she met more staffers during a private meeting in the back of the store. Approximately an hour and a half later, she made her return, ready for an onslaught of selfies and fan interaction.

“She was just very sweet and supportive,” said Moscow resident Julia Moya, who came to the store specifically to meet Barrymore. “I explained that my maiden name is Julia Rose. I grew up being called Julia Gulia and Josie Rosey, which are two of her different characters in her movies. She was really cute, and said she was going to send it to Adam Sandler.”

Barrymore, whose products just recently hit Ulta shelves, said she was overly impressed with the way the store, and specifically the Moscow branch, marketed her products and moved merchandise.

“I’m so proud and impressed by what this store did and their innovative ways of killing the competition,” Barrymore said. “We’re really grateful and inspired.”

Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill