Rhode

Rhode has blazed a path toward an unconfirmed debut at Sephora later this year through skillful marketing and product selection by Bieber, who has 54.3 million Instagram and 14.7 million TikTok followers, and its management, including CEO Nick Vlahos, former CEO of The Honest Co. Describing the brand as the “Skims of beauty,” Puck cited YipitData showing it generated $90 million in sales during November and December, a total it expected to draw in a year.

Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment has been an explosive product. The publication Glossy reported it amassed a waiting list of 440,000 people prior to its launch in June 2022 and sold out three days after the launch. By August 2023, nearly 1 million units were purchased. Last year, Rhode introduced Pocket Blush, which beat Benefit, Rare Beauty and Saie as the most talked about blush product in July, according to brand performance software company Launchmetrics.

However, Rhode’s latest launch, Peptide Lip Shape, a not-quite lip liner designed to create a contour effect on the lips, demonstrates the perils of building a business in the social media spotlight. Following the requisite positive reviews from Rhode-aligned influencers, it has inspired a backlash for disappearing on the lips. For better or worse, once Rhode touches down in Sephora, the social media masses will have plenty to talk about, with Rhode facing off against Justin Bieber’s ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty.

Aestura

Last year, Ulta jumped on the K-Beauty boom with the brands Rael, Ma:nyo, Mediheal, Skin1004, Dearcloud and Knours. This year, Sephora has responded. It’s placing nine stockkeeping units priced from $21 to $34 from Aestura, South Korea’s leading dermatologist-recommended skincare brand, notably the bestselling Atobarrier365 collecting centered on encapsulated ceramides for hydration and barrier protection, in over 400 doors and online.

Aestura touts that one Atobarrier365 Cream is sold every seven seconds—that’s 4,505,142 per year—in South Korea, where it’s a cult favorite. At Sephora, it’s priced at $21 for a 1-oz. mini size and $32 for a 2.71-oz. standard size. The retailer carries an exclusive $32 kit of Aestura’s three bestsellers Atobarrier365 Cream, Atobarrier365 Foaming Cleanser and Atobarrier365 Hydro Cera-HA Serum.

Owned by Amorepacific, Aestura launched in 1982 under the name Pacific Pharma before its parent company relaunched it as Aestura in 2015. The brand has been ranked the No. 1 beauty brand in South Korean skin clinics for nine years and is distributed in hospitals throughout the country. Aside from Sephora, it’s available on Amazon and Soko Glam in the U.S.

Biodance

Biodance, a South Korean skincare brand that claims it’s the No. 1 brand in the beauty and personal care category on Amazon in the U.S., has launched an American e-commerce website and inked a partnership with Sephora, where it’s infiltrating stores later this month with a selection starring its viral $17.90 Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask, an overnight sheet mask that promises a glass skin effect after four-hour wear.

Along with Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask, Sephora will carry three other Biodance sheet masks and toner pads in its stores. On its site, shoppers will be able to buy an additional 10 products from the brand. At Sephora, its prices range from $19 to $45.

Launched in 2021 by South Korean e-commerce company Beauty Selection, Biodance has been busy building demand ahead of its Sephora launch. It hosted a three-day pop-up event last year in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood that attracted over 5,000 visitors and generated $100,000 in sales. It was mentioned in 200-plus social media posts garnering over 10 million views.

Element Eight

Element Eight was launched in 2022 by former LVMH EVP Gerard Camme, biomedical engineer Andy Carter and biomedical entrepreneur Brad Patt. The luxury biotech skincare brand’s products feature what it calls Oxygen Amplified Therapy (OATH) that it asserts carries 20X more oxygen than water and delivers it to skin, which loses 60% of its oxygen level by age 40.

At Sephora, it sells 11 products priced from $95 to $185, including bestsellers $325 O2 Niacinamide Eight Active Multitasking Serum, $250 O2 Peptide Firm Perfect Moisturizer, $250 O2 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrate Correct Cream. Beyond Sephora, Element Eight is carried by Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

According to financial information resource Pitchbook, Element Eight raised $8.35 million in series A funding last month. Previously, it raised $7.9 million in funding. In 2023, Martin Brok, former global CEO of Sephora, joined the brand’s advisory board.

Emi Jay

Launched in 2009 by Julianne Goldmark when she was just 13 years old, Emi Jay has entered 390 Sephora doors in the Next Big Thing displays. The brand is known for colorful hair clips, scrunchies and headbands loved by celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Emma Chamberlain and Bieber. It joins Mane and Chunks in Sephora’s hair accessories offering.

At the retailer, it sells 25 brushes, hair clips and haircare products, including two limited-edition products (Popstar Hair Setting Clips in Pink Aura and Sweet Heart Hair Claw Clip in You’re An Angel) and 12 online-only exclusives. Prices run from $24 to $48.

Emi Jay ventured into haircare in 2023 with  $38 Angelstick Hair Smoothing Styling Stick, now its second bestselling product. It’s since expanded in haircare with $24 Aura Hydrating Hair Fragrance Mist, $44 Dream Crème Hydrating Hair Mask and $38 Halo Shine Hair Oil. According to Claudia Allwood, Emi Jay’s fractional CMO, haircare is often customers’ entry into the brand. Outside of Sephora, Emi Jay is stocked at Urban Outfitters and Revolve.

Isamaya Beauty

Isamaya Beauty, the brand from makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench, is toned down and stored up. It’s jettisoned penis-shaped lipstick bullets and BDSM-inspired packaging for futuristic silver encasements to enter Sephora. In the spring, it’s set to expand to Italian department store chain La Rinascente and Australian beauty specialty retailer Mecca. On pace to reach $25 million in sales over the next year, it’s also stocked at Moda Operandi and Cult Beauty.

At Sephora, Isamaya is starting online with 13 skincare-infused complexion, cheek, eye and lip products priced from $28 to $44. Among them are Lip Lacq Maximising Lip Pulping Serum, Lips Metal Sheer Metallic Balm and 5 Point Lift Color Correcting Serum, which CEO Federica Nicolao believes will be its top seller. Nicolao is the executive director and CEO of FlashBeauty Holding, a brand holding company and incubator that launched Isamaya in 2022.

Roz

Founded by celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak, a high-end minimalist haircare brand Roz is rolling out to 60 Sephora stores this month with its full range, including bestsellers $52 Milk Hair Serum, $81 The Foundation Shampoo and Conditioner Duo and $39 Air Thickening Spray. Sephora has been doubling down on haircare, a category that had the second-highest sales growth in prestige last year, with a 9% bump in dollar terms, and The Rootist, Aavrani and Mane bowed at it last year.

Prior to Sephora, Credo and Goop picked up Roz. It’s received an undisclosed amount of funding from Silas Capital and G9 Ventures last year. Celebrities Lily Collins, Zoe Saldana, Mila Kunis and Brooke Decker, and makeup artist Pati Dubroff are also investors. Industry sources tapped by the publication Women’s Wear Daily estimate the 4-year-old brand is on track to rack up $20 million in global retail sales this year.

Sofie Pavitt Face

Sephora is growing its adult acne category with Phyla and Sofie Pavitt Face. Launched by celebrity aesthetician Sofie Pavitt in 2023, Sofie Pavitt Face is landing at 363 Sephora doors in Next Big Thing displays after premiering online at the chain in December. The brand’s offering at Sephora contains seven cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturizing products, including bestseller $54 Mandelic Clearing Serum.

To gear up for Sephora, Sofie Pavitt Face snagged an undisclosed amount of seed funding from beauty and wellness venture capital firm True Beauty Ventures last year after participating in Bridge Mentorship. Bridge Mentorship is a partnership between TBV and Beauty Independent that readies emerging brands for fundraising. Sofie Pavitt Face’s revenues rose 200% in 2024.