Sephora University was created by the global cosmetics store to “transform each employee into a genuine Brand Ambassador and guide them through their careers.”
Recently, an internal document obtained by Latino Rebels and branded by Sephora University was shared with Sephora employees. It shows a step-by-step makeup guide for employees to celebrate Día de los Muertos this weekend at Sephora’s retail stores.
The document is part of a larger #Sephoraween campaign, encouraging employees and customers to show off their Halloween faces.
The campaign and select company emails have now also extended to Muertos.
The call to go all Muertos at Sephora has some Latin@ employees concerned.
“Sephora is relying heavily on their employees to market their culture via social media by using hashtags,” one Sephora employee told us. “This is crossing the line, and promoting cultural appropriation for their own profit and gain.”
Another employee said, “I am appalled to see that corporate HQ of Sephora US is including Day of the Dead as one of their required/optional looks for employees to not only wear, but photograph and tag for their own publicity online.”
Sephora is just the latest example of companies trying to cash in on what has become one very misunderstood and highly appropriated holiday. It’s not just an extended Halloween, people. It is a bit deeper than that.
