“Why is MAC not sold at Sephora?” has long been pondered in beauty enthusiast Reddit groups and by fans of the 41-year-old makeup label. Their wait is over.
The Estée Lauder Companies said on Wednesday that the brand is finally making its way into US Sephora locations. Starting in early 2026, it will be available at both Sephora and Sephora at Kohl’s. The launch comes after slumping sales for the iconic brand, which has been enlisting fresh talent and shaking up its marketing strategy in a bid to return to growth.
The brand has already been available at Sephora locations outside the US including Canada and the UK.
In ELC’s fiscal 2025 earnings results published in August, a sales decline for MAC was listed as one of the primary drivers of 5 percent decrease in makeup sales for the company, which noted “retail softness” and “retailer destocking” for the label. Earlier this year, the brand appointed Nicola Formichetti its new creative director, and announced Doja Cat as its new brand ambassador in September.
Known for its own store footprint, MAC launched at Ulta Beauty in 2017 in the US but remained notably absent from Sephora shelves. It has long been compared to Make Up For Ever, owned by Sephora parent company LVMH, in terms of product lineup and positioning.
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