On February 1, Rare Beauty entered all 1,500-plus Ulta Beauty stores nationwide and debuted on the retailer’s website, marking the brand’s first U.S. retail expansion since its launch at Sephora in September 2020. On launch day, it broke Ulta Beauty’s existing sales records, delivering the largest brand debut in the retailer’s history, according to Rare Beauty representatives. In the roughly 48 hours since, it has claimed No. 1 spots for brand sales in the blush, highlighter, contour, bronzer, lip and brow categories.
Ahead of the launch, Rare Beauty was Ulta Beauty’s most-searched-for cosmetics brand, signaling strong demand going into the partnership, said Kim Magee, Rare Beauty’s chief sales officer, citing data from the retailer. “There was a huge appetite for the brand already, and [now we] have that accessibility in over 1,500 plus stores, which [founder] Selena [Gomez] is super excited about.”
Great efforts were taken to support a strong launch, she said: “There’s a Rare Beauty takeover in over 1,500 stores. We’re front of store, we have all the windows, the banners, a cash wrap display — we’re everywhere. We have advertising on the front cover of the Ulta Beauty magazine, and then inside [the magazine], we had a two-page spread that was super strong.”
The brand is also offering two exclusive kits designed to introduce new-to–Rare Beauty customers to the line. The $34 “Selena’s Most Loved” kit includes mini versions of the brand’s liquid blush, liquid highlighter and mascara, while the $27 “Selena’s Lash & Brow Duo” features a mini mascara and a full-size brow gel.
“The Ulta community has been so welcoming. If you read all the [social] comments [about the launch], that’s what was so exciting for our team, “Magee said. “People were saying, ‘Now I can finally get Rare Beauty!'” There are so many people who just don’t have access to Sephora.”
Gomez celebrated the launch Saturday night at Ulta Beauty’s El Segundo location in Los Angeles, alongside media, influencers, and Rare Beauty and Ulta Beauty executives. The brand staged a drone show using more than 600 drones to light up the sky, spelling out “Ulta <3 Rare Beauty” and making the shape of the brand’s now-iconic Soft Pinch Liquid Blush applicator.
“It was unlike anything we’ve ever done before and, frankly, unlike anything any of us has ever seen,” said Ashley Murphy, vp of consumer marketing. “It really just signified the celebration and brought the entire launch to life.”
On Tuesday morning, Gomez further marked the expansion with an appearance at Ulta Beauty’s Chelsea location in New York, where influencers were invited to meet her.
The retail debut was also supported by a first-of-its-kind donation partnership. From February 1 through February 28, shoppers can donate at checkout, with 50% of contributions directed to the Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation and 50% supporting the Rare Impact Fund; both organizations focus on youth mental health initiatives.
“Our community, as well as Ulta Beauty’s community and the Ulta Beauty Collective [Ulta’s influencer ambassador program] have really rallied around us,” Murphy said. “Since the inception of the brand, Selena has been really true and clear about what our mission is.”
At the brand’s launch, the Rare Impact Fund set a goal of mobilizing $100 million to support organizations that increase access to youth mental health services and education globally. To date, the Rare Impact Fund has raised more than $30 million, Elyse Cohen, chief impact officer of Rare Beauty and president of the Rare Impact Fund, exclusively shared with Glossy, adding, “Initiatives like this one with Ulta Beauty make our work possible. We are grateful to be a part of Ulta’s first-ever checkout campaign with a brand.”
In October 2025, Fortune cited estimates valuing Rare Beauty at over $2.7 billion.
