Sephora, the leading beauty retailer, has returned with its most anticipated event of the year: Sephoria: House of Beauty. The event, which debuted in Los Angeles in 2018 and was held virtually in 2021-2022, has come to life in a hybrid format for the first time in 2023, with an in-person event in New York City and a free global virtual experience in select markets.
A Celebration of Beauty Diversity and Innovation
Sephoria: House of Beauty is a two-day festival that celebrates Sephora’s beautifully diverse beauty community and showcases its uniquely curated product assortment. The event offers attendees the opportunity to discover the latest trends and exclusive products through hands-on experiences and interactions with many of Sephora’s most-loved brands, beauty icons, and surprise guests.
The event in New York City took place on September 29 and 30 at the brand-new venue Skylight at Essex Crossing in Lower Manhattan. More than 50 brands participated in the festival, each curating booths and activations featuring free samples, games, photo opportunities, and more. The event also featured a theater to host masterclasses by Patrick Ta, Natasha Denona, Summer Fridays’ Lauren Ireland, and others.
The virtual experience, which opened on September 29, included an immersive, customizable 3D gaming-like platform, where visitors could create their own avatars to experience new social touchpoints, chat live with Sephora Beauty Advisors, and play games that allowed them to earn Beauty Insider points (US and Canada clients only). Attendees could also redeem a unique free NFT, or P.O.A.P (Proof of Attendance Protocol), upon entering the space that could be added to Crypto wallets for free.
A Milestone for Sephora’s 25th Anniversary in the U.S.
Sephoria: House of Beauty marks an exciting milestone for Sephora, as it falls within its 25th anniversary year in the U.S. The event serves as both a celebration of its past and a nod to its future, as well as a symbol of the remarkable benefits of being a cherished member of Sephora’s community.
“We are beyond thrilled to introduce the latest iteration of Sephoria with our first-ever hybrid experience, including an in-person event in New York City. Falling within our 25th Anniversary year in the U.S., this event marks an exciting milestone and serves as both a celebration of our past and a nod to our future, as well as a symbol of the remarkable benefits of being a cherished member of Sephora’s community,” said Jessica Stacey, SVP External Communications, Event & Experiential Marketing at Sephora.
“While we’re grateful for the return to an in-person experience, we also recognize the importance of making these events inclusive and broadly accessible to our global beauty community and will do so with free virtual components that are equally enriching. We can’t wait to debut our biggest event endeavor yet and deliver on an unforgettable beauty experience in partnership with many of the world’s best brands.”
A Preview of What’s Next for Sephoria
Sephoria: House of Beauty is not over yet. The event will continue with its Paris leg on October 14 and 15 at La Grande Halle de la Villette. The Paris edition will feature more than 60 brands and exclusive activations, such as a Dior Backstage Studio, a Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Playground, a Guerlain Beehive Experience, and a Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Pop-up Store.
The Paris event will also offer masterclasses by Huda Kattan, Anastasia Soare, Charlotte Tilbury, Drunk Elephant’s Tiffany Masterson, and more. Additionally, attendees will be able to enjoy live performances by Angèle, Yseult, Lous and The Yakuza, and other artists.
The virtual platform will remain open until October 31 for those who want to explore the House of Beauty online. The platform will also feature new content and surprises throughout the month.
Sephoria: House of Beauty is a must-attend event for all beauty lovers who want to immerse themselves in the world of Sephora and discover new products, tips, trends, and inspiration. Tickets for the Paris event are still available on sephoria.com, while the virtual experience is free and open to everyone on sephoriavirtual.com.
