Two icons coming together is how MAC Cosmetics’ global creative director Nicola Formichetti described the makeup brand entering Sephora U.S. for the first time in its 41-year history, including in 105 stores and online, and every Sephora concession at Kohl’s Inc.

“Specialty multi is such a fast-growing channel. To not have MAC at Sephora, where they’re both such OGs, I mean, come on,” said Tara Simon, president, the Americas, at parent company the Estée Lauder Cos. 

The launch, on March 2, is also a key component of chief executive officer Stéphane de La Faverie’s corporate strategy to accelerate sales by focusing on fast-growing channels. In 2024, for example, Clinique launched on Amazon, quickly followed by a succession of other Lauder brands including Estée Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Origins and Too Faced.

While MAC is not yet on Amazon, the time is finally right to enter Sephora. “Both companies had real opportunity for growth in makeup in North America and we started talking about this a while ago,” Simon said. “It just was absolutely the right time when MAC was back and on top and gaining share again, with so much amazing momentum that it just really made sense.”

According to the Estée Lauder Cos.’ second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings report, while makeup net sales decreased 1 percent in the three months ended Dec. 31, it was partially offset by MAC, which saw sales rise. This increase was twofold, driven in part by sell-in shipments to Sephora North America, as well as a strong performance in the lip subcategory. Overall, the company’s net sales increased 6 percent to $4.2 billion.

Prior to that, Lauder’s annual report for its fiscal year 2025 pointed to MAC’s decline in face “and retail softness for the brand” as a driver of a 5 percent drop in makeup sales.

The move into Sephora will also help MAC reach a younger consumer, according to Cori Reinartz, senior vice president and general manager of MAC North America, and build on launches that have resonated with this group such as MAC Lipglass Air Non-Sticky Gloss.

“Sephora has a very diverse consumer,” Reinartz said. “They do over index in a younger consumer, and so this is going to be a great opportunity to go after them.”

For Sephora’s part, it’s an opportunity to further tap into the makeup artistry boom.

“There’s a huge resurgence in makeup artistry, makeup maximalism right now,” said Amy Abrams, vice president of merchandising for makeup. “We’ve been watching what the MAC leadership team has been doing with the brand, reconnecting with their roots and doing some incredible marketing campaigns and product innovation.

“They’re a brand that spans multiple generations,” Abrams continued. “There are the old school, die-hard fans. And then with their new marketing campaigns and innovations, they can really reach Gen Z, and we do incredibly well with that audience, so we’re excited to expand that reach.”

While this is MAC’s first time entering Sephora in the U.S., the brand has a strong presence in Sephora Canada, U.K., Latin America, Europe and APAC. 

As part of the relationship with Sephora U.S., there will be exclusives, such as MAC’s new launch, Multisculpt Matte Liquid Colour for Eyes and Face. Sephora will get a lead of two months on this product.

On future exclusives, Reinartz said: “I think more to come in the future. I’ll have a better read of things in a couple of weeks, but obviously something for us to consider as we develop our strategy and plan with them in the future.”

Simon added: “We look at all of our retail partners in a customized way. We work with each of them to create very bespoke programs. We’re going to support the business, just like we manage all the others, by really going deep into data and understanding where we think the biggest opportunities and the brightest spots are.”

MAC will enter with a three-bay gondola, whose design is based on a toolbox Formichetti has had for some time in his home. While he has never used it for practical purposes, it has been very helpful as a source of inspiration.

“This gondola was the first vision of what we wanted to create for MAC in all of the stores. It’s all about MAC as a toolbox of creativity,” he said.

While the gondola concept will initially appear in the U.S., it will likely be rolled out to Sephoras in other parts of the world in time.

Formichetti also oversaw the campaign, which stars Chappell Roan, Gabbriette and Quenlin Blackwell and shows two sides of MAC makeup.

“The perception of the brand has always been this heavier, bolder makeup. We love that,” Formichetti said. “But it was really important also, as an artistry brand, to showcase more of a softer, cool girl look. And then we thought, ‘Oh my god, it would be so incredible to show Chapell, who’s known for her outrageous makeup, with almost nothing,’” he said of Roan’s first ad campaign since being named global brand ambassador for MAC.

On how MAC will break through at Sephora given there is much competition from makeup artist-founded brands like Makeup by Mario, Patrick Ta and m.ph by Mary Phillips, Formichetti said: “By doing different things. Obviously, products need to be number one, and the way we put them toward the customers, and the way we edit and propose. So always bringing the newness in the middle and having our core to support, and then all the activations. MAC is a cultural brand.”

Simon also believes competing brands can be complementary to each other, noting that few customers shop only one brand today. “It’s such an interesting ecosystem in the way the consumer shops today,” Simon said. “She loves hero skus, she loves a MAC lip liner, she loves this lipstick and that lip gloss and this eyeliner. It’s a combined basket, particularly in the specialty multichannel.”

In addition to Sephora, MAC has been in Ulta Beauty since 2017, has 88 freestanding stores in the U.S., is in numerous department stores and joined TikTok Shop in July.

“We went [onto TikTok Shop at] the beginning of the year, and [it has been] incredibly successful for us,” Reinartz said. “It goes back to the overall corporate strategy about expanding consumer coverage, being where the consumer is.”

On the importance of department stores to MAC’s strategy, Reinartz stressed that all of their retailer partners are central to success. “We don’t see it as one size fits all. Every single one of them has this unique proposition for discovering MAC. We look at the consumer target at that retailer. What are the particular areas of growth? Is there a white space here?”

On the North American business overall, Simon highlighted that it has returned to growth for the first time in 11 years.

“We’re really proud. It’s never enough, though, and it’s never fast enough, right? But I’m so proud of the team and all the hard work that we’ve done to win, and MAC is absolutely driving makeup. When I started this job in January of last year, I said, we have to get MAC back because without MAC operating at full tilt, it’s so big, it was a drag. So we did and we’ve returned to growth.”

In January, Aïda Moudachirou-Rébois, MAC‘s senior vice president and global general manager, departed the post she assumed in 2024. Her departure follows a slew of executive shifts at both MAC and parent company the Estée Lauder Cos. under de La Faverie, including Formichetti joining the brand in 2025 as global creative director and the appointment of Lisa Sequino as makeup brand cluster president.

WWD has previously reported that the company is looking to sell Too Faced, Smashbox and Dr. Jart, something that Lauder has yet to confirm publicly.

Most recently, WWD reported that according to multiple industry sources, the  Estée Lauder Cos. is no longer marketing Too Faced, Smashbox and Dr. Jart together. Instead, the makeup brands are being offered together and Dr. Jart by itself.