This week, I checked in on how expertise is showing up at Sephora in both its brand curation and marketing strategies. Additionally, Olive Young announces big ambitions to grow across Southern California, and Skims tries to make nice after backlash to its Advent calendars.
From founder-led brands to a Seth Rogen holiday campaign, Sephora is doubling down on the power of expertise
The beauty aisle has long been stocked with makeup artist-founded brands like Nars and Laura Mercier. But while those pioneering makeup artists stayed largely behind the scenes, today’s artist-founders are acting as not only the brains behind the operation, but the public face as well. Case in point: Sephora’s second-annual Makeup Experts campaign.
“We realized we have this unique collection of founders where they are the expert. They’re great educators. They each have a technique that only they can speak to,” said Mili Dutt Reddy, svp, category and brand marketing at Sephora, while speaking at Glossy’s Beauty & Wellness Summit in Westlake Village, California.
For Sephora, the campaign was a chance to market and message expertise as one of its core offerings. The retailer showcased the products and techniques each founder is known for, like Patrick Ta’s blush or Danessa Myricks’ eyeliner, with the founders themselves acting as models and appearing in social content.
Sephora has taken a similar approach with other categories like skin care and hair; even while those brands have traditionally competed for shelf space and consumer spend, Dutt Reddy said the campaigns showcase how the retailer’s founder-led brands complement each other.
“We really emphasize in these moments that it is about collaboration, not competition,” she said. “And you see it — [these founders] will then go on and be in each other’s [Instagram] Reels and TikToks.”
That idea of turning potential competitors into collaborators has spread to how Sephora is working with a fellow multi-brand beauty retailer. In August, Sephora launched a partnership with Korean retailer Olive Young.
K-beauty has been booming once again across the U.S. in recent years. But rather than simply add more Korean brands to its assortment to keep up with demand, the partnership sees K-beauty displays with products curated by Olive Young appearing at select Sephora stores. The strategy lets Sephora better keep up with South Korea’s fast-moving beauty market.
“They can bring the expertise and curation. Everything that they are putting into their assortment with us is really what’s the hottest trends coming out of Seoul right now. And they can do it at a speed that is just very unique,” said Dutt Reddy.
The partnership is mutually beneficial. While Olive Young has two freestanding stores in Los Angeles, the Sephora partnership brings it into 500 doors across the U.S., including in valuable real estate like a shop-in-shop at Sephora’s Times Square flagship.
“They’re so focused on innovation, and it’s partnered with our understanding of our client and the experience we can give, and our scale,” said Dutt Reddy.
Sephora’s strategy to position itself as the destination for beauty expertise led it to bring on another familiar face, albeit one known more for comedy than beauty: Seth Rogen.
In October, Sephora unveiled the “We All Sephora” campaign starring the Canadian actor. Dutt Reddy said Rogen served as a conduit to highlight the knowledge of Sephora’s staff by showcasing Rogen asking for help shopping for holiday gifts with a Sephora sales associate.
“It’s again about how we market expertise, and in this situation, it’s actually the expertise of our beauty associates,” said Dutt Reddy. “They have like PhDs in beauty, with the level of education that they get from Sephora. We have Sephora universities. Our brand partners provide so much education. They are a wealth of knowledge.”
Executive moves:
- Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella names Roberto Pesenti as CEO. Pesenti previously held roles at Eurazeo and e-commerce platform Callmewine. Former Balenciaga exec Ludivine Pont was appointed CEO at the Italian perfume house in 2025 and departed the brand in July.
- Justin Boxford departs the Estée Lauder Companies after more than 22 years with the company. Boxford most recently served as global president of the beauty conglomerate’s luxury beauty brands, a position he was promoted to in September.
- Kim Wileman and Shauna Lahiri step down as CEO and president of No Makeup Makeup, respectively. Wileman co-founded the 40-plus makeup brand in 2024 with Victoria Jackson, who remains on at the brand.
News to know:
- Olive Young announces plans to open five new stores in California by the first half of 2027. The Korean beauty retailer is already present in the U.S. with two existing stores in the Los Angeles region and a partnership with Sephora. Olive Young will grow throughout Southern California with new stores in the likes of the Irvine Spectrum Center, Orange County’s Brea Mall and San Diego’s Fashion Valley.
- Spectrum Brands is proposing to purchase Helen of Troy, owner of personal care brands such as Drybar and Olive & June. Helen of Troy rejected an all-cash offer of $37 per share, which would value the company at approximately $1.6 billion
- Skims to issue refunds after online backlash to its holiday Advent calendars. Fans expressed disappointment on social media at the offerings in the $148 12-day calendar, which includes products like bobby pins, scrunchies and tree ornaments.
- Unilever is pledging €35 million ($39 million) to invest in its R&D facilities in India. The investment is slated to expand the personal care giant’s existing outposts in Mumbai and Bangalore, with the addition of artificial intelligence tools to accelerate product development.
In the headlines:
The vanity economy is taking over America’s downtowns. What beauty product will Hannah Chody bring back next? What you need to know about Volufiline, everyone’s latest skin care obsession. Will beauty and wellness have more space to shine in a revamped CVS?
Listen in:
In today’s episode, Glossy Beauty Podcast host Lexy Lebsack is joined by Julie Zerbo, lawyer, legal analyst and founder of The Fashion Law, and Ian Ginsberg, president of iconic Greenwich Village apothecary C.O. Bigelow Chemists. They discuss the recent Patrick Ta lawsuit against CVS over its sale of allegedly unauthorized products, and the proliferation of off-price beauty retailers.
Need a Glossy recap?
Exclusive: Ulta Beauty bets on health tracking with Oura in 1,000 stores. Cardi B’s hair-care brand is bringing new shoppers to Revolve. Interparfums, Inc. to launch new Off-White, Longchamp fragrances in 2027. Rhode’s European summer fuels 51% sales spike for E.l.f. Beauty.
