Sephora gathered founders and executives from Rare Beauty, ILIA Beauty, Summer Fridays, Merit Beauty, and Danessa Myricks Beauty at Stanly Ranch in California’s Napa Valley for the Business of Beauty Global Forum 2026, a two-day conference that explored the intersection of brand-building, retail partnerships, and cultural relevance. The event underscored Sephora’s evolving role as not just a retailer but a curator and accelerator of beauty brands.
The forum signals a structural shift in how beauty brands and retailers interact. Sephora’s willingness to convene competing founders in a setting focused on shared challenges rather than brand promotion suggests a maturation of the beauty industry’s collaborative instincts—a recognition that the rising tide lifts all boats, provided the boats are built to navigate the same currents.
Rare Beauty’s founding team discussed the challenges of maintaining a mental-health mission alongside commercial growth, while ILIA’s founders walked through the technical hurdles of scaling clean color cosmetics without compromising performance. Summer Fridays and Merit, both of which have built cult followings through minimalist product lines and influencer-driven marketing, addressed the question of when and how to expand into new categories without losing brand clarity.
Danessa Myricks, whose eponymous brand has carved a distinct space in the professional makeup artist segment, spoke about the tension between accessibility and artistry in product development. Her session was among the most anticipated, reflecting the industry’s growing recognition that professional-grade products have mainstream appeal when the education component is handled correctly.
