The Boringification of Sephora

And how the subtle retail shifts reveal an ageist undertone.

Say what you want about makeup in the 60s, 70s and 80s, at least it was interesting.

Over the past three years, I’ve worked as a freelancer in various Sephora stores

, supporting sales as a makeup artist. I’ve seen brands come (Rare Beauty, GXVE, Haus Labs, Patrick Ta) and go (Bite Beauty, Becca), and some be relegated to online only status (Smashbox, Nudestix, KVD and more).

As time has gone on, I’ve noticed that the driving forces behind Sephora’s stock decisions have been: viral Tiktok items and what will make them the most money.

First, I’ve watched as single eyeshadows and many single powder blushes have been replaced with pricier eyeshadow palettes. There are now only a handful of brands that carry each.

Second, as the “clean girl” aesthetic took makeup by storm, hanging on with surprising lasting power for the past two years, lipsticks and eyeshadows slowly lost their saturation. Gone are the burgundies and reds of 2016, the blues of the early 2000s, the greens and purples of the 80s. Gone too the bright pinks that generations of women have gleefully painted on their lips. Now I walk through rows of brown eye palettes and nudey pink lipstick, like a dessert of sad beige tones.

What do all these changes have in common? They completely exclude the purchasing habits and favourites of older women.

I can’t tell you how many older women (50 and up) come into the store looking for a raspberry or fuchsia lipstick and find their choices have dwindled. Or the women looking to purchase a blue, purple or green eyeshadow who are met with nothing at all. The age of infinite choice is an illusion- the industry is pumping out six versions of the same pink glossy tinted lip balm, while Susan can’t find a single frosted periwinkle eyeshadow.

Here’s the thing Sephora seems not to realize: get that frosted eyeshadow back in stock, and Susan will buy three so she doesn’t run out. She’ll also pick up a new luxury face cream and restock her favourite foundation, concealer and mascara. Give her the care and attention she deserves, and she’ll be back for a shampoo next month, a Christmas gift a few months from now. Meanwhile, a teen will grab a solitary viral lip balm and not purchase another item for months. I had an older client the other day who was devastated that her favourite lipstick was discontinued. When I found her an exact match, she hugged me and bought five. THESE are the women you should be catering at least half of the store to.

My colleagues agree: older women are the heart of our work at Sephora. Bring back their favourites, and make makeup fun again.