In a new approach to marketing, beauty businesses are wading into new territories and forming unorthodox partnerships outside the usual avenues.
It all started with sport – as brands like e.l.f formed an alliance with the Superbowl in the US and other businesses followed suit. This is now spilling into other areas of popular culture, as such as music and Netflix-style documentaries.
We explore three recent ventures from Sephora, Maybelline and NYX…
Sephora has made a documentary
The LVMH-owned beauty retailer has created a documentary that features conversations with over 75 Sephora employees and founders of iconic beauty brands.
‘Beauty & Belonging’ was filmed over six months across eight countries – Brazil, Canada, China, France, Poland, Thailand, UK and the USA.
Sephora said that the film – which includes interviews with its employees – “explores individual experiences and perspectives on beauty from the importance of a diverse representation in society to embracing ones' authentic beauty.”
It also includes interviews with brand founders such as Christine Chang and Sarah Lee from Glow Recipe, Mario Dedivanovic from Makeup by Mario, and Mathilde Thomas from Caudalie.
According to the brand: “Beauty & Belonging” poignantly reflects how society, culture and peers influence our perception of beauty while Sephora’s commitment is to welcome everyone for who they truly are and feel.”
The film is available on Sephora’s corporate site and YouTube channel.
NYX made a mixtape
NYX Professional Makeup has made NYXTAPE: a mixtape made up of five new bespoke tracks co-created with five independent female artists and female songwriters.
The beauty brand said it is “the first to create and distribute co-owned music on TikTok, merging music creators with makeup creators – ultimately amplifying songs to NYX’s global community of more than 30 million social media followers while also promoting them to TikTok’s 1-billion strong global community.”
NYXTAPE will be released in partnership with SoundOn (TikTok’s music distribution and promotion platform), which helps artists earn royalties for their music and connect with the global TikTok community.
NYX noted that it would also become the first brand to have an “Artist Profile” on TikTok, which allows fans to download tracks from the campaign directly from the @nyxcosmetics account.
The brand said that in line with its values of diversity and inclusivity, it had “chosen to support emerging female artists to further amplify the voices of their community, continuing to pave new paths for beauty in entertainment.”
The music videos can be viewed and downloaded on the @nyxcosmetics TikTok account, Spotify, and other streaming services.
“NYX Professional Makeup is digital-first brand rooted in entertainment and community,” said Denee Pearson, who is global brand president at NYX.
“We continue to meet our community where they are: on TikTok, where music and makeup intersect,” said Pearson.
“NYXTAPE gives us an opportunity to advocate for women in the music industry, by supporting independent artists in a space where they can truly be heard.”
The album will be supported by marketing activations, such as a NYXTAPE advert that is set to air during the 2025 Grammy Awards telecast on 2 February, and an album release party featuring live performances from artists on 13 February.
Maybelline becomes lead sponsor of the WLL
Maybelline today has become the lead sponsor of The Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL) in the US, which will be renamed the Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League.
The brand said the partnership “represents a significant investment in women’s professional sports and demonstrates Maybelline’s commitment to empowering female athletes.”
It added that it would also create new opportunities for women in the sport.
“We’re thrilled to launch the Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League, empowering the next generation of professional female athletes and supporting the growth of women’s lacrosse,” said Jessie Feinstein, senior VP of Marketing at Maybelline New York.
“As the Official Beauty partner of the WLL, Maybelline will make athletes look and feel their best while competing at the highest level, with long-wear products built to last on and off the field.”
