Sephora recently found itself embroiled in political controversy on social media.
The beauty retailer has begun to face calls for a boycott after a viral video on TikTok, which has amassed over 14 million views, accused the company and other retailers of making large donations to former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
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“Sephora made BIG BIG BIG DONATIONS!!” reads the overlay text in the video. “I HOPE we all understand the assignment for this Christmas season.”
@karressmarie4 Well well well… 😏🫡 #christmas #christmasdecor #christmastiktok
♬ Bring Em Out - T.I.
The video has collected over 1.9 million likes so far. In a follow-up video, the TikTok user who originally posted the viral clip, Karress Marie, claimed that she assumed Sephora was making donations to the campaign since the company is part of the National Retail Federation.
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She highlighted that the organization donates to political campaigns through a political action committee called RetailPAC.
According to OpenSecrets, between 2023 and 2024, the National Retail Federation contributed $79,791 to Republican federal candidates and $23,500 to Democratic federal candidates.
In response to Marie's claims on TikTok, some users said they would boycott Sephora and shop at Ulta, the company’s top rival.
“They are canceled for me! I will be shopping at Ulta,” wrote one user.
“On my way to ulta after your last post,” said another TikTok user.
“Not me! I will go without make up if I have to!” claimed another user.
Sephora responds to the outrage
In the midst of the uproar, Sephora is clearing its name.
In an emailed statement to TheStreet, a Sephora spokesperson stated that there is "incorrect information circulating on social media regarding company donations," and that Sephora "does not make corporate donations to political candidates.”
Related: Sephora faces backlash for giving workers a 'stale' reward for hard work
It is important to note that it is against the law for corporations to make direct donations to candidates in federal elections. However, they are allowed to make donations through PACs.
While Sephora has not made any donations to political candidates, individuals from its France-based parent company, LVMH, made a $318 donation to Trump’s presidential campaign this year.
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The controversy comes after LVMH recently praised Sephora in its third-quarter earnings report for 2024.
LVMH stated that Sephora “performed remarkably well” during the quarter and gained market share in the U.S. and other regions. The beauty retailer helped to grow LVMH’s Selective Retailing sector by 6% year-over during the first nine months of 2024.
2024 Presidential election draws mixed reactions on social media
It is no surprise that retailers are starting to feel the wrath of some of its consumers who are upset with the 2024 presidential election results. The race seemed extremely close heading in as both candidates were neck-and-neck in some states. Many widely debated issues such as abortion, immigration and inflation were also on the line.
Despite expectations that the race would remain close, it turned out to be a blowout.
Trump defeated his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, by winning a higher number of electoral votes and the overall popular vote (the first time a Republican has won the popular vote in 20 years).
Trump also unexpectedly flipped three swing states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. In addition, Republicans snagged the majority of the seats in the U.S. Senate and in the House of Representatives.
The election results drew mixed reactions on social media, with some individuals even threatening to leave the country to avoid living under a Trump administration.
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