Sephora is an international name—and the biggest beauty retailer in the world—but it didn’t open its first Australian store until 2014. In the over ten years since, it has made its mark on the beauty scene down under, opening over 20 stores across Australia and New Zealand, and stocking cult-favourite international brands like Fenty Beauty, Patrick Ta, Olaplex, and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as locally-owned and loved brands like UltraViolette, Alpha H, and Urban Jungle (although these are well loved internationally, too).
From budget-friendly beauty to the most luxe products, Sephora stocks a wide range of skincare, makeup, fragrance, haircare, and other beauty and self care-related products.
Who owns Sephora?
Sephora Australia is owned by Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, often referred to as ‘LVMH’. LVMH is a multinational conglomerate specialising in luxury goods, and owns a suite of household name brands including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Tiffany & Co.
Does Sephora have its own private label brand?
Yes, Sephora sells a range of skincare, makeup, haircare, and nail products through its private label, Sephora Collection.
The in-house line of products offers relatively affordable alternatives to most of the other brands stocked by Sephora, and regularly releases new products both in-store and online.
Some of the most popular purchases by customers shopping the Sephora Collection are the Nano Lip Liners, Original Eye Masks, and Best Skin Ever Natural Finish Foundation.
Does Sephora do Afterpay?
If you want to purchase your beauty faves now, and pay for them later, you’re in luck, because Sephora offers Afterpay both in-store and online. To use Afterpay in-store, download the Afterpay app and add the card to your Apple or Google wallet. To pay online with Afterpay, select Afterpay as your payment method at checkout, and follow the prompts to log in to your account and finalise your purchase.
When is the Sephora sale?
One of the reasons many Australian beauty-lovers adore Sephora is because it runs some pretty big sales. Most notable are the Beauty Pass Sales, which are bi-annual sales where shoppers receive a discount based on their Beauty Pass tier.
If you’re unfamiliar, Beauty Pass is Sephora’s loyalty program.
Beauty Pass is split into three tiers: White, with no minimum spend; Black, with a $300 minimum spend over a 12 month period; and Gold, with a $1200 minimum spend over a 12 month period. Each tier has its own benefits, and when Beauty Pass sale time comes around, the higher the tier, the higher the discount.
Sephora also offers holiday sales, so if you’ve found yourself frantically Googling ‘when is Sephora’s next sale’ before you make your next big purchase, then rest assured, it’s probably not all that far away.
How to get your birthday gift from Sephora
If you’ve seen others unbox birthday gifts from Sephora on TikTok and wondered how they got them, Beauty Pass is also your answer. Both Black and Gold members receive birthday gifts, as well as welcome gifts, which are rewards for moving up a tier.
You can redeem your birthday gift in-store with no purchase required by scanning your Beauty Pass card (which you can store in the Sephora app). You can also redeem it online through your Beauty Pass account, although a purchase is required.
Can you return purchases from Sephora?
If you change your mind about a product, you can only return it to Sephora if it is unused and still in its original purchase condition, and within 30 days of the original purchase date. You also must have proof of purchase.
While previously you could return lightly sampled products to Sephora Australia, the returns policy changed in May of 2024, and this is no longer an option.
Can I get free samples at Sephora without buying anything?
Yes. If you want to try a product before buying it, you can ask a Beauty Advisor in-store for a sample. They can make one for you in the shade, colour, formula, etc, you’re interested in. However, this does not apply to all products; for example, most lip products and products with flocked applicators or spoolies can’t be sampled due to hygiene reasons, and some skincare products can’t be sampled as they need to be kept in specific packaging.
Quick Fire FAQs
Does Sephora price match?
No, Sephora does not price match in-store or online.
Does Sephora do click and collect?
Yes, all Sephora Australia stores offer click and collect.
How long does Sephora take to ship?
Standard shipping to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane takes 2-3 business days, and express shipping takes 1-2 business days. Regional areas and other states take longer.
