Rhode, founded by Hailey Bieber, executed a highly anticipated product strategy between June 15th and September 4th, 2025, culminating in its official launch at Sephora across the USA and Canada on September 4th, 2025. This period was characterized by consistent weekly sales revenue, peaking at $4.7 million in early July with new lip and blush launches, and extensive digital-first marketing efforts targeting a wide demographic, including younger audiences. The Sephora expansion was met with unprecedented consumer demand and is considered one of the largest launches in Sephora’s history in North America.
Sephora Launch Strategy and Impact
The strategic Sephora launch was a major highlight for Rhode, preceded by significant anticipation. In the year prior, Sephora’s platforms recorded over 2 million unique searches for “Rhode”, signaling exceptional pre-launch consumer interest. This event, occurring on September 4th, 2025, was lauded as the largest launch in Sephora’s history in North America, reflecting its substantial scale and expected market penetration. Hailey Bieber’s direct involvement was central to the marketing, leveraging her celebrity status through influencer collaborations and high-profile social media campaigns, including TikTok unboxing events, which significantly amplified excitement and drove user-generated content.
“We’ve been liaising with Hailey Bieber for a while and had our eyes on rhode since it burst into the industry,” said Priya Venkatesh, Global Chief Merchandising Officer at Sephora. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome rhode to our portfolio of best-in-class brands and to bring it to our beauty fans, starting in the US and Canada today, followed by the UK.The brand’s prior online exclusivity further intensified demand, leading to immediate sellouts and restock notifications upon entering physical retail. Rhode achieved the #1 ranking in overall skincare brand earned media value (EMV), demonstrating measurable digital and social engagement. These strong indicators suggest high conversion rates and sales performance for Rhode within Sephora. Rhode’s target market primarily encompasses younger consumers and urban professionals who prioritize authenticity and value-aligned brands in their beauty choices.Product Performance and Customer Reception
The brand’s future efforts will concentrate on maintaining a focused, high-efficacy product line, executing targeted international retail expansion, and leveraging key strategic partnerships, particularly under its new ownership by e.l.f. Beauty, to sustain rapid growth and market penetration. Rhode maintained robust sales revenue, fluctuating between $2.2 million and $4.7 million weekly during the period. The week of July 6th saw the highest sales at $4.7 million, driven by the launch of the Lemontini Peptide Lip Tint and Summer Pocket Blushes, with “the glam on + off set” becoming the top product with $783k in sales revenue.
The following table summarizes key top-selling products and their customer sentiment:
| Rank | Product Name | Key Customer Feedback Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glazing Milk | Hydrating primer, acne-friendly glow, calming, refreshing |
| 2 | The Rhode Kit | High-quality skincare, effective products, soothing results |
| 3 | Glazing Mist | Skin refreshment, lightweight hydration, dewy glow |
| 4 | The Glam On + Off Set | Great for travel, love the set, essential skincare |
| 5 | Peptide Lip Tints | Perfect color and shine, moisturizing formula, long-lasting |
| 6 | Pocket Blush | Creamy texture, easy blending, long-lasting wear |
| 7 | The Summer Blush Duo | Beautiful shades, creamy formula, easy blending |
Credit: Ranking based on avarage sales revenue and number of reviews using Particl data.
Future Product Development and Philosophy
Rhode’s future product development strategy is rooted in a minimalist, essentials-focused approach, emphasizing high-efficacy skincare formulas such as the Peptide Glazing Fluid and Barrier Restore Cream. The brand is committed to developing products with science-backed ingredients like peptides and niacinamide. Rhode intends to avoid extensive SKU proliferation, instead maintaining consumer interest through periodic seasonal or limited-edition product drops.
Recent examples from Particl data demonstrate this strategy, including the August 2025 launch of new Pocket Blush and Peptide Lip Tint Duos, as well as the return of popular items like the Strawberry Glaze, Jelly Bean, and Salty Tan lip treatments and tints.
This approach allows the brand to refresh its offerings without diluting its core focus. Rhode will also leverage customer data collected via DTC and Sephora channels to inform product personalization and future formula ideation. The brand aims to uphold an affordable-luxury positioning, with most product pricing remaining between $16 and $30 to ensure broad appeal and competitive standing.
International Market Expansion
Following its successful entry into Sephora in the U.S. and Canada, Rhode plans broader international retail expansion, with UK and European in-store launches anticipated by the end of 2025. This strategic move from a primarily direct-to-consumer (DTC) online distribution model to a major retail presence is designed to scale globally and significantly increase accessibility. This expansion is particularly aimed at reaching Gen Z and younger demographics, who increasingly favor in-store beauty shopping experiences. Rhode will continue to leverage Sephora’s extensive retail network as a key channel for its international rollout, as demonstrated by its earlier Canadian market entry in 2023.
Marketing and Promotional Activities
Rhode’s marketing strategy during this period was intensely active and digitally focused, primarily leveraging Hailey Bieber’s influence. Hailey Bieber’s central role as the founder and face of the brand will continue to be a cornerstone of Rhode’s marketing and product development, fostering sustained consumer demand and brand relevance through ongoing collaborations and direct engagement.
Key 2025 marketing events included:
- Rhode’s Three-Year Anniversary (June 15, 2025): Celebrated on Instagram, reflecting on brand milestones.
- Glazing Mist Introduction (June 19, 2025): Launched via Instagram, emphasizing “next-level glow” and skin-nourishing ingredients.
- Birthday Week Promotion (June 20-22, 2025): Offered a free mirror with purchases of two or more items, advertised via email and Instagram, contributing to a sales increase from $2.3M to $3.9M in that week.
- Summer Collection Launch (July 2-14, 2025): Introduced the Lemontini Peptide Lip Tint, new Pocket Blushes, and the Rhode Summer Kit. This initiative, supported by email and Instagram promotions, drove the highest weekly revenue of $4.7M on July 6th.
- Rhode Summer Beach Club in Mallorca (July 10-22, 2025): An immersive event publicized on Instagram and email to celebrate the summer collection, further engaging the community.
- Sephora Launch Previews (August 6 & 15, 2025): Hailey Bieber participated in a Sephora Store Manager Conference in Las Vegas, followed by an official announcement of the September 4th launch date, strategically building anticipation for retail availability.
- Return of Beloved Lip Products (August 25-27, 2025): Included the highly anticipated Strawberry Glaze Lip Treatment, along with Jelly Bean and Salty Tan, promoted heavily on Instagram and email, likely to build excitement before the Sephora launch.
These activities demonstrate a concerted effort to maintain high brand visibility and drive sales through a mix of product innovation, experiential marketing, and celebrity endorsement.
Future Outlook
In 2025, Rhode focused on delivering a curated range of high-efficacy skincare products through a disciplined approach of minimal SKU proliferation balanced with exciting seasonal and limited-edition drops. The brand is set for significant international expansion into the UK and European markets by the end of 2025, leveraging the extensive retail reach of Sephora to increase global accessibility for younger demographics. Crucially, the acquisition by e.l.f. Beauty provides robust backing and resources to accelerate future growth and innovation, while Hailey Bieber’s continued influence remains central to product development and marketing
