In beauty industry it is very important to have a logo that sends the right message to customers. Sephora, a chain of stores that offers a wide range of beauty products representing about 300 brands as well as its own label has such a mark.
The brand has a relatively long history. It was founded in France in 1969. At first it was owned by one person, then in 1997 the company was purchased by conglomerate LVMH that is also based in Paris.
It is easier to grasp the logo meaning when you know the origin of the name “Sephora” which is a hint to what the company deals with. It is a combination of two words ‒ “sephos” that in Greek means “beauty” and “Zipporah” which is the name of one of Moses’ wives. She is described as a woman of exceptional beauty, clever, generous and free. These qualities have a lot in common with the values the Sephora stores adhere to ‒ freedom and creativity.
What is Sephora?
Sephora is a famous cosmetics brand, which was established in France at the beginning of the 1970s. Today the company has more than 2 thousand stores across the globe, selling not only the products of its own brand but many other niche cosmetic and perfume labels. Sephora is also very active in the online sales segment.
The Sephora logo is one of those cases when simple shapes and minimalistic color palettes make up a timeless badge, which never loses its appeal and actuality.
The only element here is the uppercase wordmark, written in solid black bars against a white background. Executed in a neat geometric sans-serif typeface, with medium-weight bars and straight edges, the lettering has a lot of space in between the characters, which makes it fresh, airy, and unique.
The Sephora logo represents the brand’s aesthetic and values, though it does not have any beauty elements at first sight. It incorporates a wordmark which is the brand’s name and a symbol ‒ a white flame in the shape of the letter “S” against a black background. The first thing that comes to mind is that the shape of the flame refers to the brand’s name. And it is really so. At the same time it also resembles a strand of wavy hair. The symbolism behind this image is freedom of choice and creativity, as the company states it.
In fact, the logo meaning can be interpreted in different ways. Some people even see in the flame image clear aspects of a slim female body sending the message of beauty. Whatever the image means, it gives the logo a memorable look.
The name of the brand is beneath the flame. It is also in white color.
Being elegant is a must for any cosmetic logo. The Sephora logo has some sophistication in it. First of all, it is black and white. This color combination adds to the elegancy created by the flame symbol. It also gives the message of professionalism ‒ the company knows how to make and deliver beauty products.
The typeface used for the wordmark looks aesthetic. The simple geometric shapes of sans serif typeface complement the clean minimalism of this logo and signal the high quality standards of the products offered by the company. It looks as if the spacing between the letters was also a matter of special concern for the graphic designer.