Sephora Nostalgia, Memorabilia, History & Packaging Thread

[sister13]

UPDATE 6.1.2026: With the Community closing, I wanted to share my personal blog, Makeup Happy Hour, which is makeuphappyhour.com. I'm also @ makeuphappyhour on Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube (though not very active lately). Please follow! I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone during the years and sharing love of Dyson Beauty! This really meant a lot to me over the years. Please stay in touch on makeuphappyhour(dot)com and you can sign an interest form for a new community hopefully down the road. Take care, lovelies and I hope we can all stay in touch! 

Around Christmas, I remember discussing the past holiday special design packaging that Sephora used to make each year. I remember when they did free gift wrapping for several years, and had holiday designs for boxes, bags and cute little plastic envelopes/tubes. I still have a bunch from past years since they were so festive, and of high quality so we just fold them up and reuse them year after year!

I know someone mentioned it, and I kept thinking we should have a thread to catalog and document some of the Sephora items I come across from time to time. Then, finding a brochure from maybe around 2002 (pictured below) has spurred me into action today. I remember feeling so amazed and instantly in love with Sephora because of all the testers. I still have PTSD as a kid/teen of wanting to play with the department store testers and 

I am a bit of a pack rat, and I come across things that either I still can’t part with, or things that I actually want to declutter but will feel better if I can archive a photo somewhere, haha! I’m thinking of the following kinds of items, but feel free to post additional items or memories connected with Sephora that you want to share with us at BIC! 

• Sephora packages or shopping bags from any point in time
• Beauty Insider, VIB, VIB ROUGE/ROUGE Sephora-branded gifts (remember when you got a gift for differs tiers? (I’m sure I still have some of those old welcome card brochures around when I can find them).
• Sephora Ads or mailers or brochures that you like or come across when decluttering 
• Other Sephora merchandise or swag
• Sephora memories or stories
• Sephora or ‘brands at Sephora’ history or memories
• Beauty Insider Community/Beauty Talk swag or memorabilia
• Whatever else you think is relevant!

Hopefully I’m not the only one who has these random things lying around, but if so, feel free to laugh at me and my treasures!

Anyway, below is the brochure I found today! Isn’t it great? It mentions 74 stores, and it was folded up along with a product promo brochure and an online order form from 2002 when I lived in Vail. I totally forgot they ever sold Chanel! I also see Sue Devitt, Bourgois, Tony & Tina, Bliss, and DDF that used to be sold at Sephora (US anyway) but are no longer (unless I’m mistaken).

I remember feeling so amazed and instantly in love with Sephora because of all the testers available. I still have PTSD as a kid/teen of wanting to play with the department store testers and the sales ladies being so mean (we thought anyway!) I also remember such profound hope and disappointment at purchasing drugstore makeup with no testers available! It’s neat that it’s listed here in the Play, touch, smell, try. I also think it’s pretty funny they did an acronym (I think, is that what it is?)

NOTE: Sorry that BIC ruins the resolution on photos, but if you click on them, you can see more detail and text. I’ll try to repost pics from another device at a larger size some time, but right now BIC is preventing me from posting from the iPad! 

 

 

 

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[blackkitty2014]

Gee I never been to ice cream museums @itsfi . Can you believe it even I worked in downtown SF for more than 10 yrs lol 😂. Need to make a trip soon now that I hardly go to SF anymore 

[itsfi]

@blackkitty2014, it was pretty fun, especially the tiny ice cream & gift shoppe at the end of the museum. 😋 The lockdown did it in and that space has been empty for a few years now. 😔 It’s disheartening to see so many stores closed up. 

Did you enjoy working downtown?

[blackkitty2014]

@itsfi yes it so sad to hear so many store closed. Yes I did enjoy my time working downtown (not the commute). But back in the day, the companies I worked for was highly profitable startups so we got lots of little perks liked going out to all 5 star restaurants to celebrate whenever we closed a deal etc and food catering etc etc. when those companies grew to mid size all the perks stopped 🤣😂

[itsfi]

The commute is rough, that’s for sure @blackkitty2014. Especially in this rain fest we had.

Ahhhh, the start up life. Lots of hard work to build up a brand and business; that’s awesome to hear you worked for some that did very well. 😃 Good for you, and them! 

Ohhhhh, the restaurants. I miss and don’t miss 😆 the dining out. The networking / business development can be exhausting. But there was definitely some excellent food and wine along the way. 

[blackkitty2014]

Oh man I can’t imagine have to commute during the rain fest. I’m so thankful I’m 100 percent remote now @itsfi . It can be lonely sometimes 😘

[sister13]

That’s a nice one! Somewhere I have a tote bag I got from a store opening. I have made it to two store openings in Colorado  but I gave one bag away. I tell you, there is NOTHING like a whole store of brand new testers! @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Yes @sister13! I completely understand the allure of brand new testers … and all  throughout a store!! 😍😍😍 The promo bags they hand out at the openings are always soooo cute!

[missjeanie]

Love it @itsfi !  I've been using my BIC Community Ambassador tote the same way.  I love that it gives you a little memory every trip to the market!

[itsfi]

They’re so great for day to day activities @missjeanie, and they’ve been great conversation starters too. 😍 I actually just finished unloading a bag from the farmers market and am off (with my tote) do get in a couple of quick errands - and maybe treat myself to a cup of coffee while I’m on the go. 😉☕️♥️

[missjeanie]

Kudos to you on a productive day @itsfi !  My errands are laying to the side while I lounge in jogging pants (Hey Sephora.... Jogging pants... we need joggers)!! lol

[itsfi]

Ohhh, I think I could do very well with those errands!!! Definitely willing to keep practicing at it @missjeanie! Can we gold medal in lounging??!! 🏅 😆 

[missjeanie]

lol @itsfi I swear sometimes I could... I don't know about you, but the older I get the more I'm cool with lounging.  Why do we need to race everywhere???? lol

[CorgiMommy]

love that tote bag

[itsfi]

@CorgiMommy, thank you. It holds so much! 👍🏼 I take it with me to the farmers market, grocery store, when I’m out running some quick errands. 

[sister13]

I found this one! I definitely used the keyring card (remember those?) until I got my rouge card! Not sure if this was my very original BI card or possibly a replacement but it’s possible it’s the original. This was also in a box from 1999-2002 era when I was living in Vail.  

[Mellmars1185]

@sister13 Thanks for sharing! I have not seen this card before. Key rings are fun. My Keychain is full of them (not this one, though).

[pocketvenus]

I miss those little mirrors they'd give with gift cards. I kept one in every purse! 

[blackkitty2014]

Ooo I still have one or 2 of these spanking new @pocketvenus 😘

[pocketvenus]

@blackkitty2014 Amazing!!! Mine are all split apart at this point with the logos rubbed off ha ha

[quspork]

Same, @pocketvenus. They were the perfect size to slip into pretty much any bag! 

[CorgiMommy]

I never got that mirror but I did get one for a flip phone (now that is nostalgia).