SEPHORiA: House of Beauty’s Middle Eastern debut turned the Coca-Cola Arena into every beauty lover’s paradise from Nov. 6-8, and tickets sold out within minutes of going live. Some fans even set up camp outside the arena, waving signs hoping someone would part with a ticket, while others were willing to shell out as much as 2,000 AED for entry. It was an exclusive crowd of beauty aficionados who would settle for nothing less.
Inside, the arena was a complete wonderland. Think of it as the beauty lover’s equivalence to SOLE DXB, but cranked up to max sensory overload— Neon lights, over 50 larger-than-life brand booths and activations from practically every skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare brand you can think of, including Huda Beauty, Olaplex, Fenty Beauty, YSL Beauty, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dr. Dennis Gross, and Milk (to name just a few), and a whole lineup of industry titans who actually showed up in person. Contour king Mario Dedivanovic was there, along with Sunday Riley, and a whole crew of brand founders who’d flown in just to connect with their Middle Eastern fans via exclusive workshops and masterclasses.
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Every corner offered something new to discover—a live demo here, a claw machine stuffed with freebies there, and enough Insta-worthy setups to fill your feed for a month. And the swag bags? Let’s just say some lucky attendees walked away with goodies worth over 4,000 AED.
First launched in Los Angeles back in 2018, SEPHORiA has since become Sephora’s flagship event, an ultimate destination for beauty lovers. From educational masterclasses to interactive, Instagram-ready experiences, it’s a blend of product showcases, influencer meet-and-greets, and insider tips that lets attendees see the beauty industry up close. This year, SEPHORiA expanded globally, with events across major cities like Paris, Shanghai, and Rio de Janeiro, and Dubai was the perfect Middle Eastern debut. For those who missed it, the FOMO is real. If SEPHORiA comes back, tickets are bound to be just as hot (if not hotter). Until then, Dubai’s beauty aficionados will be reminiscing about this dream event—and planning their strategy to secure a spot at the next one.
