Happy Birthday Sephora!

Imagine, if you will, a world without Sephora.

The year is 1997. You're listening to Ray Of Light by Madonna, cleaning off your eyebrow ring, and picking out fancy cargo pants for a rave you're headed to later that night. First, you need a new tube of lipstick (raisin - that color is so hot right now!). You:

a) Venture into a drugstore, only to waste $5.99 on a hot-pinky-icky lipstick you couldn't try or even open before you bought;
b) Try your luck at a beauty counter in the middle of a department store focused on about a zillion other things besides beauty;
c) Get angsty and cranky and wind up coloring in your lips with a red-colored Sharpie
d) You have no idea how you managed to acquire makeup pre-Sephora

1998 was the year the first Sephora store launched in the U.S. and frankly, I think I've blanked out the pre-Beauty Authority years.

As a happy birthday treat, some of beauty's best brands created Limited Edition goodies for Sephora. For example:

Bare Escentuals put their Mineral Veil in a super-handy to-go wand for us.


Stila loaded up a collectible canister with best-sellers.


Philosophy packed 10 (yes, 10!) of their yummiest bath scents in their Classic Cookbook.
You can only get these b-day presents at Sephora (take a peek at the other brands that got gifty with us). These limited edition numbers are only around through October, but still, what a great party: Happy birthday, Sephora - now WE get the presents!