Sephora Collection at 30: One Mascara Every 10 Seconds, Four Bets Ahead

Sephora sells one Size Up mascara every 10 seconds, and the mascara holding that record belongs to its own brand, Sephora Collection, which turns 30 this year. Industry sources estimate the line's annual sales run northward of 1 billion euros.

Parent retailer Sephora operates almost 3,500 stores, employs 55,000 people and serves 80 million consumers. "We are winning share in all our markets," said Guillaume Motte, chief executive officer of Sephora, calling the retailer "the leading and the only global beauty retailer" on a winning trajectory.

Sephora Collection, he said, sits at the core of that run. "It is a brand which has constantly innovated, made beauty accessible to all and has played a very important dynamic in our trajectory — and that's still the case," Motte said. "It's at the heart of our success."

Dominique Mandonnaud, who founded Sephora in 1969 — the retailer is now owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton — launched the line with 365 shades of lipstick. In the 2010s it introduced facial masks before they became ubiquitous.

Who runs the brand now?

Sylvia Tournery, a beauty veteran who spent much of her career at L'Oréal, became president of Sephora Collection in June. "These kinds of moments, turning points, are what I love to do," she said. "This is why I joined Sephora Collection."

She frames the anniversary as proof of staying power, noting that nine out of 10 of the brand's products are priced below 20 euros, or $22.30. "This is a unique model," Tournery said. "The magic of it is the Sephora touch — the fact that we have always felt the pulse of beauty, making sure that we always capture what's happening within society, within beauty culture, and making it accessible to women."

What sells?

• Makeup drives more than half of the business. The new tubing mascara It's a Stretch is already the number-three mascara at Sephora.
• Masks remain the number-one volume product: 60 sell every minute since the beginning of the year.
• Brushes: one out of two brushes sold at Sephora is a Sephora Collection brush, with credibility among working makeup artists.
• Scale: the line spans more than 2,000 products.

Motte credits the retailer's 49,000 beauty advisers, whose constant feedback on consumer insights keeps the line relevant across markets.

What are the four strategic bets?

1. Brand personality. Tournery wants a sharper brand platform and a stronger social media presence. "Not only to be visible, but also to give our own point of view on beauty," she said.

2. A more selective offer. The team plans to filter innovation while scaling icons such as Size Up across all geographies. "We still have potential to make them even bigger," Tournery said. Skin care is the next target category, described as a big growth driver for Sephora overall.

3. Global expansion. Europe, the historical market, still delivers most growth. Tournery sees bigger potential in the U.S. first and in China. The playbook is "globally consistent, but also locally relevant": specific shades and products per region. In China, a recent collaboration with Goodbai, the fashion brand founded by actor and singer Bai Jingting, was "a big success," she said.

4. Speed. Competitiveness, in Tournery's view, is now "less about innovation and more about speed of innovation." When a trend emerges on TikTok or from any worldwide city, the team decides fast, then works with suppliers to bring products to market without compromising quality. "We never compromise on quality," she said.

The ambition matches the parent's. "If Sephora accelerates, then its signature brand needs to accelerate," Tournery said. Motte put it more plainly: the brand "bears our name."

With a 1-billion-euro line, one mascara selling every 10 seconds and a new president installed in June, the thirty-something house brand now carries a share of the retailer's growth plan equal to its shelf space.