Why Did Mikayla Nogueira Choose Sephora Over Ulta for Her Skin Prep Brand?

Mikayla Nogueira says the brand had conversations with both Ulta and Sephora. She chose Sephora because its top brands are founder brands: a founder arrived with a strong vision and built it. She names Makeup by Mario, Patrick Ta, and Charlotte Tilbury. She says Sephora is exceptional at helping founders bring a vision to life, and that if the founder's face and name were removed you could still tell the brands apart. She wanted a brand a stranger could still recognize.

She calls Sephora an exceptional thought partner. While products are in development, Sephora works with the founder in a process she calls In The Kitchen, using trends, analytics, and what sells. People have asked whether she made the right choice now that the brand has been in Sephora for about a month. She says yes, without a doubt. Jay Shetty, in the same stretch, calls the brand POV.