One of the biggest trends in the beauty industry in the past year was not a product or a makeup look, but a store. Sephora has remained remarkably popular despite its pricing, selling beauty, makeup, personal care, skin, hair and fragrance products. Sephora opened its doors as a fragrance shop in 1969 and has only continued to expand almost a century later (LVWH). In the 21st century, Sephora has created a beauty standard for creators and consumers. Overall, Sephora certainly has the world in a chokehold, and here are some of the main factors that have led to its revolution.
Product Range
One of the most important values of Sephora is a culture of inclusion that they strive to create with their makeup products. To ensure accessibility for all customers, they are focused on hosting brands with various shades and undertones that can accommodate any individual’s skin color, specifically with foundations. One of the best cosmetic products that Sephora sells is Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty. Her Liquid Touch Weightless Foundations and Brightening Concealer come in 48 shades, accommodating a diverse range of skin tones. Ultimately, Sephora carries products for everyone that drugstores or other makeup companies may lack. This expands their consumer audience and naturally makes people feel welcome when browsing the store aisles.
LIPPIES
“The Lipstick Effect,” aka the only thing I remember from macroeconomics class. This theory expresses that to avoid discretionary spending but still stimulate spending, there will be an uptake in smaller and more affordable luxury items, namely lipstick. This phenomenon occurs in times of economic distress, such as the immense inflation the economy has suffered in the past four years (Intuit Mailchimp). Because of this and popular trends for lip products or “lippies” exclusively sold at Sephora, thousands of people have turned to Sephora for economic pleasure and the most trending products. Over the past year, it seems almost every big-name makeup brand has created its own lip gloss or oil. Currently, the brands in Sephora holding the top trending lip products are Charlotte Tilbury, Dior, Summer Fridays and Laneige. These standout lip products are certainly getting me through (yet also contributing to) my financial crisis as a broke college student!
Social Media
Through advertisements and influencers, social media users are constantly filled with “GRWMs” and product reviews of various Sephora products. Whether they are paid advertisements, PR boxes or anyone who wants to show off their new products or makeup looks, each of these videos has the potential to reach millions of users of all age groups to inspire them to purchase these products. Even Sephora’s social media presence, specifically through Instagram and TikTok, includes popular social media trends and slang incorporating influencer partnerships to connect with audiences in a relatable way.
Gen Alpha
We must talk about the elephant in the room… or the mess of Drunk Elephant and other products that this new “Sephora Kids” era is leaving in stores. Young girls in Generation Alpha have grown to be some of the biggest consumers of beauty and skincare products. This generation, growing up with social media, has become obsessed with Sephora and all of the trending products, most of which are not even appropriate for their age. Every girl in Generation Alpha can tell you that Glow Recipe and Drunk Elephant are essential for skincare. However, many of the ingredients in these products are too strong for such youthful skin, with acid and retinol that may not be safe for children to use. On the safer side, Sol de Janeiro and Rare Beauty are popular brands that Generation Alpha cannot get enough of. Nonetheless, the rise of such a young demographic obsessed with beauty and outward appearance will surely have negative implications in the future.
Beauty Overconsumption
Some of the most satisfying yet wasteful videos on social media show individuals organizing hundreds of makeup products into drawers and vanities. Social media has fostered a culture of overconsumption, particularly in beauty, as it has become the epitome of success and womanhood. In reality, no one needs 50 different lip glosses or every mascara available. Still, this consumer culture drives women to make weekly trips to Sephora to meet an idealized version of beauty and success.
Overall, Sephora’s recent rise has not been entirely positive. Although their inclusivity, high-end formulas and PR strategies have brought them significant success, a misperception of beauty and success has also been created. It’s not necessarily the brand’s fault; however, it should be acknowledged when discussing the makeup store, we all know and love.