<P> Sephora is a French chain of cosmetics stores founded in 1969 . Featuring nearly 300 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora offers beauty products including makeup, skincare, body, fragrance, nail color, and haircare . Sephora is owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH as of 1997 . The Sephora logo is a white "S" - shaped flame against a black background . The name comes from the Greek spelling of Zipporah (Greek: Σεπφώρα, Sepphōra), the most beautiful wife of Moses . </P> <P> Sephora first launched in Paris in a partnership between the UK's Boots PLC and Nouvelles Galeries as a perfumery chain in 1970 . It was purchased by Dominique Mandonnaud in 1993, who merged the purchase with his own perfume chain under the Sephora brand . Mandonnaud is credited for founding and implementing Sephora's "assisted self - service," sales experience, which departed from then - typical retail models for cosmetics by encouraging customers to try products in - store before purchasing . </P> <P> Mandonnaud continued to expand the Sephora brand through the 1990s, opening up its flagship store in Champs Élysées in 1997 . In July 1997, Mandonnaud and his partners sold Sephora to LVMH, who expanded the stores globally and bolstered the chain's product offerings to include beauty and cosmetic products . </P> <P> Sephora opened its first United States store in New York City in 1998 and its first Canadian store in Toronto in 2004 . Its North American headquarters is located in San Francisco, with corporate offices in New York City and Montréal . Sephora currently operates over 360 stores across North America . </P>

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