Sephora to roll out makeup classes for trans people by trans people
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 05: A general view inside the Sephora store before it opens the doors to its Westfield Pitt Street Mall store on December 5, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. This is the first Sephora store to open in Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Makeup retailer Sephora will soon roll out in-store makeup classes for trans people, administered by the company’s trans staff.
The makeup giant will hold the first class of this new programme in June. The initiative was introduced by its trans and nonbinary staff.
“It’s been two years in the making. It’s one of the initial programs we wanted to design, but we wanted to make sure we did it right,” said Sephora’s Head of Social Impact and Sustainability, Corrie Conrad.
In recent years, Sephora has introduced several inclusive makeup classes under their Classes for Confidence programme, which aims to “help inspire fearlessness in those facing major life transitions.”
Such classes aimed to help people feel more confident in the workforce, in the face of cancer or, as of June, while transitioning.
“We held focus groups and worked with our employees experiencing their own gender journeys to help determine class content, sensitivity training procedures, and to help figure out which stores would make the most sense,” Conrad said, discussing the newest addition to the Classes for Confidence programme.
“The trans and nonbinary community is a beloved part of our community and we want to be allies,” she added.
“Whether you’re entering the workforce or questioning your gender, that’s a major life transition. We want to be there for you.”
Dominique Anderson, who worked as a consultant on the project, said they decided to work at Sephora because of their welcoming stance on trans people. They will be giving makeup lessons as part of the programme.
“I hope to teach clients tricks that I use myself to soften up features and achieve certain looks,” they said. ”I want to instil confidence in my clients so that when they walk out of Sephora, they feel comfortable letting the world know who they are,” they added.
On top of these in-store classes, the company will be rolling out YouTube tutorials to advise on colour correction and smooth skin, among other topics.
- Shoppers attend the opening of Sydney’s first Sephora store in Sydney, Australia (Metcalfe/Getty)
Several companies have taken a stand for LGBT rights and members of the trans community in recent years.
P&G, the company behind Pantene, Herbal Essences and a long list of household haircare and skincare products, is a Stonewall ally and part of its trans equality initiative.
Lush cosmetics introduced special bath melts as part of their #TransRightsAreHumanRights campaign in February and their website features a beginner’s guide on how to be a trans ally.
Nike, on top of being a leader in sportswear, is also a leader in employment of LGBT individuals. It introduced special groups for its trans employees.
Other brands such as Mac cosmetics and Clairol have featured trans people in their ad campaigns on more than one occasion as well.
Sephora’s Bold Beauty for the Transgender Community classes will be available in 150 stores from June onwards.
