Sephora founder Dominique Mandonnaud began her now world-renowned beauty business with an idea on how to make the beauty-buying experience far better. She began a fragrance shop called Shop 8 in 1969 that offered an open layout in which customers could try products before purchasing. This concept was something quite uncommon in the beauty industry at the time, but it proved successful. Just ten years later, 12 stores were already operating. Across the continent, the beauty retailer UK’s Boots PLC had 38 stores that were on the decline. In 1993, Mandonnaud bought out these stores, and they eventually became the first Sephora shops. The Sephora brand, built on years of growth and hard work, officially launched its current brand name in 1995. Its success and innovation caught the eye of Louis Vuitton and Moet Hennessey (LVMH.) They purchased the chain ...