Sephora has gone from selling lipstick to lights, camera and action with the launch of its debut film based on the beauty industry.
Beauty & Belonging premiered during the BrandStorytelling event at the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
The LVMH-owned beauty retailer worked with director Anastasia Mikova to create an “intimate” look at how beauty “empowers individuals”.
The film features more than 75 interviews from Sephora employees and global beauty brand founders, including Glow Recipe’s Christine Chang and Sarah Lee.
Danessa Myricks, Mario Dedivanovic, Caudalie’s Mathilde Thomas and Fable & Mane’s Akash and Nikita Mehta also star in the 30-minute film.
“I’ve always been fond of meeting people and discovering their stories – what makes them unique, their journeys and their perspectives on life,” said Mikova.
“At the same time, I love finding the threads that connect us all as humans, and the meaning of beauty across cultures is one of them.”
The film is available to watch on Sephora’s YouTube channel and Sephora’s corporate site, Inside Sephora.
It was shot in studios and real-life environments over the course of six months at locations in Canada, the USA, Brazil, France, the UK, Poland, Thailand and China.
The retailer plans to create and release more short films throughout 2025.
“I am very proud of this project, which is a first for Sephora. We gave a blank page to Anastasia Mikova to talk about Sephora in her own way,” added Guillaume Motte, CEO of Sephora.
“The movie shows how beauty [can] change lives, and the power of belonging to a caring community.
“I would like to deeply thank our colleagues who accepted to share their unique stories: they are the heart and soul of Sephora.”