What the Beauty Experts at Sephora Wear to Work

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When Sephora began its open-sell retail concept in France, the beauty purveyor offered a unique opportunity to interact with a wide variety of products and brands in a single location. Fast forward four-and-a-half decades, and the company's San Francisco headquarters play host to the beauty experts that shape the inventories and services offered at today's 1,900 stores worldwide.

We visited the Market Street high-rise that Sephora calls home to see how the team styles a day filled with makeup, hair products, and beauty treatments. Once inside, the staff greeted us in their monochromatic dress code: They only wear black, white, red, and gray—with free dress on Fridays—to show solidarity with retail employees and their uniforms. While that keeps the spotlight on beauty, it doesn't deter this fashion-loving crew from showing their individual styles.

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Beth Hayes, Vice President, Sephora Collection, is wearing Rag & Bone 5 pocket jeans, a silk black camisole from J.Crew, an Alice and Olivia lace blazer, Valentino boots, and rings from Lulu Frost, Alexis Bittar, and Delfina Delettrez.

What’s your typical office look?
Put together casual with a twist. Jeans and blazers. Black leather and silk tops. I don’t wear a lot of dresses or skirts.

Describe your weekend wardrobe.
Unfortunately, sweats. If I must go out, jeans and a silk top or cashmere sweater and heels or boots depending on the weather. I love that the fog in San Francisco can justify year round boots.

What do you think everyone should splurge versus save on?
Accessories—specifically shoes and bags. Save on jeans, tanks, sweats and swim suits.

What beauty category do you spend the most on: skincare, hair or makeup?
Skincare. I’m a fanatic. One of the most difficult questions I can be asked is what type of skincare I use. I use everything from Guerlain Orchidee to stuff I find at the drugstore or read about in a magazine and have to find online. Oh, and I am guilty of buying Retinol every time I go to Mexico, regardless of the state of my supply. I just like the accessibility— even though my derm would happily prescribe.

What's a product that's come out recently you think everyone should know about and why?
Beauty Amplifier Pore Spray Primer—a brand new franchise we are introducing in April. It has blurring technology and leaves a velvety, flawless finish with a touch of a button.

Most life changing hair styling tool?
Our Sephora Collection round brushes—people ask me if I had a blow out.

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Teresa Weldon, Assistant Merchant, is wearing a Zara dress, Vince booties, a vintage ring passed down from her mother, a vintage bracelet, and a Stella and Dot necklace.

In three words, describe your personal style.
Modern, metropolitan, edgy.

What’s your typical office look?
My wardrobe ranges from comfortable shift dresses and booties to a pair of jeans, my favorite Kurt Cobain t-shirt, and a military jacket. Casual, modern, and always black, white, red, or gray.

What are your feelings on Marsala?
Love it. The most wearable shade, yet.

Do you stockpile a certain type of makeup?
I stockpile lipsticks. I like all formats—liquid, cream, and everything in between. You will hardly ever find me without a polished lip. Sephora Cream Lip Stains are my latest obsessions.

What beauty category do you spend the most on: skincare, hair or makeup?
Skincare is the most important. Without a good base to work with, everything that you apply on top of it, won’t look as good. I tend to splurge on serums, eye creams, and my favorite—chemical peels.

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Weston Townsend, Associate Merchant, Accessories, is wearing a Sandro dress, shoes from a boutique in Paris, earrings and a bracelet from Margaret Elizabeth, an Alexis Bittar bracelet, and a vintage gold link bracelet.

In three words, describe your personal style.
Eclectic, feminine, polished.

Describe your weekend wardrobe.
I try to wear as much color as possible since we wear "concept" colors during the week—black, white, grey, and red—for work.

What's a product that's come out recently you think everyone should know about and why?
Sephora Collection Pro Contour #79. This brush takes contouring to the next level.

What’s your daily skincare routine?
I alternate Sunday Riley’s Good Genes serum and Juno Sleeping Night Oil at night and use Ole Henriksen Truth Serum and Shiseido sunscreen during the day. When I travel, I can’t forget my Sephora Collection Sheet Masks.

Best trick or tip for piecing together an office look, from outfit to makeup to hair?
A bold lip can make you look instantly put together. Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in "The Red," Kat Von D lipstick in "Backstage Bambi," and Nars lipstick in "Manhunt" are my faves.

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Josh Johnson, Product Development Manager, Sephora Collection, is wearing a Hanes tee, a Sandro jacket, 3x1 black jeans, and Saint Laurent boots.

In three words, describe your personal style.
Straightforward, structured, and easy.

What's your typical office look?
A sweater, jeans and a nice pair shoes. We are covered in makeup all day that gets everywhere. The only place it makes sense for me to splurge is shoes.

Describe your weekend wardrobe.
Totally comfortable: a cheap t-shirt, jeans, and a super soft hoodie that can double as a pillow—in case I’m ever lost somewhere in the city.

What beauty category do you spend the most on: skincare, hair or makeup?
Skincare, of course. Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation is my go-to lightweight moisturizer that makes my skin feel great all day.

Most underrated beauty practice/product/brand?
I can’t get enough of bold, feathered brows. The super skinny Sephora Collection Retractable Brow Pencil creates a full, natural looking brow that lasts. The bigger the brow, the closer to God.

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Tiila Abbitt, Director of Product Development, Sephora Collection Accessories & Collaborations, is wearing a Just Female dress, Free People clogs, Marc by Marc Jacobs charm necklace, black quartz earrings from Catbird, and an Alexis Bittar lucite ring.

What's a product that's come out recently you think everyone should know about and why?
My newest obsession right now is our Sephora Pro Airbrush Blender Brush #78. It is made of over 100,000 bristles in the brush head and will seriously elevate your foundation game. You will look instantly flawless.

Most underrated beauty practice/product/brand?
Cleaning your makeup brushes! Not only do they get covered with bacteria from daily use, but if you clean your brushes weekly, you will prolong the life of your brushes. It’s a win win.

Do you stockpile a certain type of makeup?
I’m obsessed with all things natural. Anything with natural or organic ingredients—you name it, I’ve tried it! I'm currently lusting over anything from Bite Beauty.

What are your feelings on Marsala?
It’s the most unexpected, but also wearable, color that we have collaborated on with Pantone, yet. It looks great on all skin tones and has a great pink undertone. We call it the new nude.

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Sara Bachis, Assistant Manager, Product Development, is wearing a white scoop neck tee from Madewell, a 1970s vintage Swiss white eyelet skirt, a 1960s Turquoise Squash Blossom from Chimayo, New Mexico (a family heirloom), a vintage Mexican leather beaded belt from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Hurache-inspired stacked heels by Hinge.

What’s your typical office look?
A laid-back desert vibe, meets California cool.

Describe your weekend wardrobe.
We have a dress code at work. We can wear black, white, gray, or red and our Color of the Year (Marsala) so on the weekends, I try to wear as much color as possible. Brightly embroidered tops, boyfriend jeans, and moccasins are a go to look for me around the house. When I go out, I reach for breezy dresses and Southwestern jewelry.

What are your feelings on Marsala?
Love. I think everyone has a different opinion about this one, but I’m into it. I think it’s very flattering for most skin tones and if you have light eyes, it really makes them pop.

Most life changing hair styling tool?
Not washing it! I only wash my hair twice a week and it’s much healthier for it. When I need a little pick me up, I use Drybar’s Detox, Dry Shampoo.

Best trick or tip for piecing together an office look, from outfit to makeup to hair?
When I don’t know what to wear, I go for an unexpected mix of styles. It automatically makes an outfit interesting. Distressed cowboy boots or a vintage camo jacket can completely transform a polished black work dress. That and messy hair. It gives you instant edge.

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Sarah Koch, Merchant Brand Manager, is wearing an IRO jacket, a Club Monaco tank, AG jeans, a Dana Rebecca necklace, Alexis Bittar earrings, and shoes from Club Monaco.

What’s your typical office look?
[My] uniform is blazer and jeans. When I wear a skirt or dress, I think I make people nervous that they forgot about an important meeting.

What beauty category do you spend the most on: skincare, hair or makeup?
Once you work at Sephora, it all becomes about what you didn’t know you needed. Now skincare is my biggest vice. I like to think I have reverse aged since I have started taking better care of my skin.

Do you stockpile a certain type of makeup?
Sephora Collection Sheet Masks. They are a life saver when traveling and an instant pick me up if you stayed out too late, or just need a refresh.

Best trick or tip for piecing together an office look, from outfit to makeup to hair?
A tailored blazer looks instantly polished. I am a sucker for IRO.

In three words, describe your personal style.
West meets East [Coast].