After a long (and somewhat tumultuous) relationship, cosmetics brand Hourglass and beauty retailer Mecca are officially breaking up. The cruelty-free high end beauty brand is taking a hop, skip and jump over to Sephora, which will start stocking its shelves with Ambient Lighting Palettes and Veil Primers in February.
To some beauty lovers, this might not come as a shock. There have been rumours circulating about Hourglass leaving Mecca for months now, with people posting on social media that they had heard from insiders on both Mecca’s side and Sephora’s side. While we didn’t know what was going on at the time, it was sure that something was going on.
And while it’s sad that Hourglass and Mecca are ending their 16-year partnership, it actually comes as good news for those of us who aren’t die-hard members of the Mecca Beauty Loop. Hourglass entering Sephora means that you’ll be able to shop the luxurious beauty brand at a discounted price, as Sephora hosts sitewide sales multiple times a year. Get excited!
Want to know what went down, plus all the deets for when you can shop Hourglass at Sephora? Keep on reading, friend.
Why isn’t Hourglass sold at Mecca anymore?
New York brand Hourglass originally signed on to be sold exclusively at Mecca in 2010. For the past 16 years, the Aussie beauty retailer has been the only store where shoppers could get their hands on Hourglass’ products. The beauty brand also wasn’t allowed to ship to Australian and New Zealand customers through their own website or open any Aussie stores — all products needed to be sold through Mecca.
Hourglass’ exclusivity contract with Mecca ends in February 2026, although the exact date products will be cleared from shelves hasn’t been shared. Mecca has slowly been phasing the brand out of its stores for months, with social media users reporting not being able to find Hourglass stocked at their local Mecca as early as October.
What happened between Mecca and Hourglass?
It’s not the most shocking surprise that Hourglass is leaving Mecca. The two brands came to blows back in 2020, when Mecca sued Hourglass for breaching its exclusivity contract.
The beef started in May 2020 when Hourglass’ Chief Executive Carisa Janes accused Mecca of violating the terms of the contract, since the retailer had not distributed cosmetics for 28 days due to government orders during the COVID pandemic. In Janes’ letter, she said this immediately terminated the deal between the two brands.
In October that same year, Hourglass attempted to sell its products direct to consumers in Australia and New Zealand through its own website, in addition to being stocked at Mecca.
Mecca sued Hourglass, and the two brands went to trial in 2021. A Victoria Supreme Court sided with Mecca, stating that Hourglass’ termination of the contract was “invalid and of no legal force”, as reported by news.com.au.
While the two brands continued to work together for almost half a decade after that, we wouldn’t be surprised if there were some bitter feelings about it.
Does Hourglass ship to Australia?
Hourglass hasn’t been able to ship to Australia or New Zealand for the past 16 years due to its exclusivity contract with Mecca. However, that’s about to change!
The brand announced on its Instagram and TikTok that it would officially start shipping Down Under on February 17. In the caption, it wrote: “A new chapter begins”.
“Our high-performance complexion and color formulas are landing in Australia & New Zealand on February 17 at hourglasscosmetics.com/en-au. Find them in-store exclusively at Sephora starting February 26, or get early access in the Sephora App on February 25,” the caption read.
While you can’t start adding to cart just yet, you can browse the complete range online and begin creating your wishlist for when they launch.
When does Hourglass launch at Sephora?
While Hourglass hasn’t signed onto another exclusivity deal with Sephora, the brand won’t be opening any Aussie stores as it becomes a “Only at Sephora” partner. This means if you want to shop the products in person, you can do it at Mecca’s competing beauty retailer. Hourglass will officially be on Sephora’s shelves on February 26, but Sephora App users can get in a day early and shop the brand via the app on February 25.
The partnership makes sense, considering Sephora stocks Hourglass in multiple other countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia.
“The launch of Hourglass in Sephora Australia marks an important milestone in our global partnership, allowing us to scale our collaboration and create even stronger, more impactful global messages,” Sephora’s Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Priya Venkatesh, said in a press release.
Although Mecca has been Australia’s leading beauty retailer for decades, and Sephora has been lagging behind in the race to the top, competition between the two retailers to secure in-demand beauty brands is growing more intense. From Mecca nabbing Rhode in time for its launch to Australia (although they interestingly didn’t sign an exclusivity deal) to Hourglass jumping ship, the premium beauty landscape is going through a bit of a remodelling phase.
Hey, if that means our favourite products will be more affordable, I’m welcome this change with open arms!
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