VARENNES, Quebec — Jean Coutu Group is expanding its beauty care offerings with the debut of the Clinique prestige brand in select stores.

The Canadian drug chain said Friday that five stores — four in Montreal and one in Saint John, New Brunswick — now carry Clinique products. Plans call for 54 stores to offer the brand by August, according to Christian Comtois, senior manager of cosmetics at Jean Coutu.

“We are pleased to offer Clinique products, previously available only in large centers, over a wider territory. The implementation will be staggered over three years,” Comtois said in a statement.

Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System

Jean Coutu said it will carry popular Clinique skin care lines such as the Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System and the brand’s Acne Solutions products, men’s line, Smart franchise, anti-aging skin care and several recently introduced products.

The drug chain also will offer the latest color trends for Clinique cosmetics, which like the brand’s skin care offerings are allergy-tested and fragrance-free. Popular Clinique items like Clinique Chubby Sticks lip color balm, foundations and lipsticks, as well as several new launches, also will be available, the retailer said.

Jean Coutu said it currently carries two fragrances for women and one for men: Clinique Happy (for men and women) and Aromatics Elixir (for women).

All of the Clinique products can now be purchased via Jean Coutu’s website at cliniqueproducts.jeancoutu.com. The retailer has posted a list of stores for the brand’s rollout.

“As the high-end skin care brand in Canada, Clinique is pleased to partner with Jean Coutu, the most admired and respected retailer in Quebec,” stated Artur Klepacz, brand general manager at Clinique Canada and Lab Series Skincare For Men. “We are convinced that Clinique’s beauty vision, based on simple routines that give astonishing results, is completely in line with Jean Coutu’s customers throughout the province. We look forward to the future and this important association between two iconic brands.”

Overall, Jean Coutu Group operates a network of 418 franchised drug stores in Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario under the PJC Jean Coutu, PJC Santé and PJC Santé Beauté banners.