Boston Sephora Blackface Incident

Overview

Boston Sephora Blackface Incident refers to a recorded incident in February 2024 in which three white teenage girls were videotaped in a Sephora with dark makeup covering their faces. Witnesses allege that the girls, who were accompanied by at least one adult, were laughing and making animal sounds while using makeup samples, allegedly to create the look of blackface. Though the girls were made to leave the store, many online have criticized Sephora’s response to the event as it sparked controversy online.

Background

On February 8th, 2024, witnesses at a Boston area Sephora reported seeing at least three teenage girls, accompanied by at least one adult chaperone, using sample makeup for darker skin to cover their faces. A TikTok video of the incident spread quickly on social media, showing a presumed employee of the store scolding one of the mothers. According to the original uploader, @temiojoraa on TikTok,^[1] the original video was deleted. However, @temiojoraa's reupload (seen below) gained over 2.3 million views and 330,000 likes in a week.

Developments

On February 12th, 2024, the first news outlet reported on the incident, releasing an article about it in the Atlanta Black Star.^[2] Sephora executives responded to the incidents with a statement to the news outlet, reading:

“Sephora’s top priority is to create a welcoming and inclusive shopping experience for all. We are extremely disappointed by the behavior of these shoppers at our Prudential Center location, and as such, they were asked to leave our premises. Under no circumstance is this type of behavior tolerated at Sephora.”

As more news outlets picked up the story, more information began to come forward as witnesses shared it. This includes information from Kiara Janae Kudlo, the blonde Sephora employee in the TikTok. According to the New York Times,^[3] Kudlo, who turned out to be a traveling vendor rather than a Sephora employee, said the store allowed members of the group to enter the checkout line and purchase items, rather than asking them to leave the store as previously reported.

On February 14th, 2024, user @temiojoraa posted a follow-up TikTok^[4] sharing a similar story of her experience in which she shared additional details from before the video was shot, including confirmation of the rumors that the girls were making "monkey sounds." The video, seen below, earned over 225,000 views and 44,000 likes in two days.

Online Reactions

Backlash Against Sephora

On social media, many criticized Sephora's response to the incident in February 2024, especially after TikToker @temiojoraa's follow-up video and the statement from Kudlo. Aside from frustration with Sephora employees reportedly allowing the group to check out and leave willingly, some argued that Sephora should stop allowing children into its stores due to frequent misuse and destruction of makeup products.

These controversies were covered in a February 11th, 2024, TikTok^[5] by user @markbeshae, which received 17.2 million views and 2.3 million likes in five days (seen below, left). Another TikTok^[6] by user @reyahthelastdragon discusses the "ban kids at Sephora" rhetoric as well, which earned three million views in six days (seen below, right).

Search Interest

Unavailable.

External References