Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Beautopia

You know when Dorothy crash-lands into Oz, and her world goes from sepia-toned to Technicolor? It reminds me of some of the major shifts that have been happening in the beauty industry. Over the past decade, we’ve gone from one, mostly-homogenous beauty “ideal” and a handful of major beauty brands to a much more diverse, inviting space with exciting new brands that are cropping up on the daily. It’s exciting to see all the progress we’ve made in innovation, sustainability, and inclusion — with so much more to come in 2022. And one retailer is leading the way: Sephora. Whether it’s through launching the new Clean + Planet Positive seal (because responsible sourcing and packaging is just as important as ingredients!), being the first to discover “The Next Big Thing” in beauty, or always putting inclusive casting at the forefront in their campaigns, Sephora is paving the way for a better, more diverse beauty space for all.

Which brings me to Beautopia, our beauty hub where we’ll be celebrating the bold, the bright, and the colorful. Whether you’re discovering a game-changing new product or finessing your cat-eye (or reverse cat-eye, if you’re a TikTok obsessive like me), I hope you find plenty of inspiration and joy below — or at the very least, a Dorothy-sized dose of optimism for 2022.

— Faith Xue, executive beauty director