Can My Sephora Storefront Compete With LTK And ShopMy For Creator Commerce Supremacy?

Sephora wants in on the $250 billion creator economy.

Artemis Patrick, president and CEO of Sephora North America, announced during the Fast Company Innovation Festival last week that the beauty specialty retailer is officially launching affiliate platform My Sephora Storefront next month. Currently in alpha testing, the platform will enable United States-based content creators to customize digital storefronts integrated within Sephora’s website and app.

They will also be able to share shoppable links for Sephora’s brands on social media platforms and with the chain’s Beauty Insider loyalty program. For their participation, they’ll receive annual commissions and visibility into performance through detailed analytics. Sephora is building My Sephora Storefront in partnership with creator commerce technology company Motom.

Coming off the Sept. 4 launch of Hailey Bieber’s brand Rhode, which was the largest in its history and estimated by market research and analytics firm YipitData to have exceeded $10 million in retail sales in its first two days at the retailer, Sephora knows full well the power of influence as a business accelerant. According to a study by social media tool Sprout Social, 61% of consumers report they trust influencer recommendations more than brand marketing.

But Sephora is hardly alone in working the affiliate angle. Vogue is premiering its affiliate platform Vette early next year. The neophytes will be up against giants like LTK, ShopMy and Amazon that have established incentives and relationships. Fueling $5 billion in annual sales, LTK has approximately 40 million monthly shoppers and a library of over 1 million brands across consumer categories, including beauty. ShopMy’s network encompasses over 175,000 creators and 50,000-plus brands. Amazon Associates is the largest affiliate network in the world, with an estimated 900,000 affiliate partners.

Curious to find out what beauty industry insiders think about Sephora’s big affiliate grab, for this edition of our ongoing series posing questions relevant to indie beauty, we asked 10 marketers, affiliate experts, consultants and founders the following: How can Sephora’s new affiliate platform successfully compete with ShopMy and LTK? Could it surpass them in the future? How can it best work with brands and creators to drive sales?

Alex Perez-Tenessa Founder and CEO, Trendio

I think it's going to be hard. There's a history of retailers trying to build a social media presence with limited success. Amazon has failed more than once, and I have to imagine it won't be easy for Sephora either. The fundamental issue is the difference between traffic and audience.

Sephora has traffic: People who come to shop. But it doesn’t have an audience: People who come to spend time. Building an audience is hard and expensive, and audiences rarely go to retailers intuitively. Sephora would be better served by leaning into its strength: figuring out how to integrate creator videos into product detail pages in a way that truly supports conversion.

The first priority should be nailing the video experience on product detail pages since that’s where Sephora can most directly move the sales needle. Beyond that, if Sephora wants to borrow from the success of LTK or ShopMy, the key will be creating a highly operational ecosystem for brand-creator collaboration, a setup where it’s easy for brands and creators to connect, collaborate and share upside with limited risk on both sides.

Just as importantly, Sephora needs to make creators feel valued and elevated, not like a second-class sales force, so that participating feels aspirational, not transactional.

Renee Ogaki Founder and CEO, Ogaki Digital

One of the reasons creators have embraced platforms like ShopMy and LTK is their ability to aggregate earnings across multiple retailers. A single dashboard that shows all commissions and sales provides visibility and simplicity that creators deeply value. For Sephora to truly compete, they’ll need to acknowledge this expectation. Though they can’t provide multi-retailer data, they should lean into transparency around commissions and performance metrics to give creators a similar sense of control and insight.

We’ve also seen that single-retailer affiliate programs can work when there is a powerful retailer behind the program, looking at Amazon as the prime example. Sephora has the potential to replicate that type of success within the prestige beauty category because, like Amazon, it already owns the full customer journey. Search, trust, checkout and loyalty are all native to its ecosystem. That gives it a structural advantage over third-party platforms that operate one step removed from the actual point of sale.

Ultimately, Sephora can surpass other affiliate platforms if it blends its retail dominance with a creator-first approach. Amazon, LTK and ShopMy have already proven how powerful these creator commerce programs can be. Sephora has the chance to elevate that model by making it community-driven and deeply integrated with beauty culture.

The biggest opportunity for Sephora is to design a system that feels less like a transactional tool and more like a true community ecosystem. Amazon has already proven that a single-retailer affiliate program can scale globally, but it’s inherently transactional. Creators don’t build identity or culture there.

ShopMy and LTK, by contrast, have built loyal creator bases because they deliver community alongside visibility, control and consolidated data across retailers. That “one-stop view” of earnings is what makes those platforms so sticky.

Sephora won’t be able to offer multi-retailer aggregation, but it can lean into what it already does best: community and culture. If My Sephora Storefront is positioned not just as a sales tool but as a cultural hub, an extension of programs like Sephora Squad, Derm Board and Artist List, it can empower creators to showcase expertise, trends and authentic storytelling in a way that feels prestige and purposeful.

Equally important, Sephora has the chance to address one of the industry’s biggest pain points, data transparency. For many brands, Sephora has long been a black box. They know product is selling, but rarely what’s driving those sales. If this program provides unprecedented visibility into which creators are moving product, how trends convert to revenue and what’s truly resonating, it could be transformative. Brands would finally have the insights to sharpen influencer strategies, measure ROI with confidence and make smarter merchandising decisions.

If Sephora can successfully merge prestige positioning with community-driven design and open the door to this kind of data transparency, it can transform affiliate from a revenue stream into a growth engine, one that deepens trust and strengthens the entire ecosystem of brands, creators and consumers.

Benjamin Lord Founder, Antidote

Short answer: It won’t, unless Sephora completely rewrites the economics. The math is brutal. ShopMy offers 10% to 30% commission. LTK offers 10% to 25%. Meanwhile, traditional beauty retailers pay scraps: Ulta at 2%, Target maxing at 8%. Even cult DTC brands failed to compete. Glossier pays 4% to 10% with a seven-day cookie window.

Here’s what matters: At Ulta’s 2% rate, creators need 725 sales to earn $1,000. On ShopMy at 25%, they need just 58 sales. That’s 12X more work for the same payout.

Creators are already advised to “use whichever has a higher commission rate” and join multiple platforms. LTK has 150,000-plus creators driving $5 billion in annual sales. Meanwhile, Sephora received 14,000 Squad applications, but only accepts 50 annually.

To actually compete, Sephora needs to:

Pay 15% to 20% commission minimum. Anything less won’t move creators from proven platforms.
Partner, don’t fight. Become a premium tier within LTK/ShopMy rather than replacing them.
Stop thinking like a retailer. Creators optimize for earnings per click, not “seamless checkout experiences.”

The cautionary tale? Best Buy launched their creator program in April 2025 while simultaneously slashing existing affiliate rates to “0% baseline,” which was referred to as “unheard of” by industry insiders.

My prediction: My Sephora Storefront becomes a supplementary channel for brand loyalists, not a platform that displaces the industry leaders. Sephora is playing checkers while LTK and ShopMy play chess. Stop competing. Start enabling.

The fundamental flaw in Sephora’s approach is treating this as a platform war instead of a creator partnership. Even Glossier admitted their agency-driven approach “is not authentic and isn’t representative of our brand” and had to stop it.

Here’s the winning playbook:

For Creators:

Transparent economics: LTK’s success comes from not taking money from influencers. Creators get the full advertised commission.
Tiered incentives: Hit $X in sales and unlock exclusive brand partnerships or product collabs.
Stack earnings: Let creators earn base commissions through existing platforms plus bonuses for Sephora-exclusive promotions.

For Brands:

Premium placement: Brands pay extra for featured spots on high-performing creator storefronts.
First-party data sharing: Give brands insights on what creators’ audiences actually buy (aggregated and privacy-compliant).
Co-creation opportunities: Fast-track top-selling creators into limited-edition product development.

The controversial truth: Even Target’s affiliate partners lose commissions when browser extensions like Honey automatically apply. Creators earn a “$1 bonus” while Honey takes the full commission. Sephora needs to solve actual creator pain points, not create another walled garden.

The model that works? Look at Revolve’s dual approach: 5% affiliate rate for anyone, but 15% (20% store credit) for committed ambassadors. Sephora should offer:

Tier 1: Standard 15% for all approved creators
Tier 2: 20% to 25% for top performers plus brand partnership access
Tier 3: Equity stakes in limited-edition launches for elite creators

Reality check: Unless Sephora commits to paying market rates (15%+), this becomes another corporate initiative that sounds innovative in boardrooms but dies in creator DMs. The $16 billion affiliate marketing space has already solved this problem: It’s called paying creators what they’re worth.

Sephora’s advantage isn’t technology or seamless integration. It’s access to the most coveted beauty brands on earth. Use that leverage to make creators richer, not to save on commission costs.

Leslie Ann Hall Founder and CEO, Iced Media

This is a game-changing power move for Sephora in an area where they can absolutely compete, and, in many cases win, especially with shoppers like Beauty Insiders already in the Sephora ecosystem.

With native checkout online, in app and with benefits for loyalists or with exclusive brands and products, it will remove friction that third-party platforms can’t control. Sephora will see increased loyalty, AOV from increased basket size and online awareness with creator-led content on social media.

Iced Media helps clients navigate the fragmented path to purchase. Beauty shoppers discover in one place, research in another and transact wherever it’s most convenient based on their unique circumstances. Sephora’s storefronts smartly try to close that loop with creators, content and checkout living together, which will grow Sephora’s share of beauty purchases and create a halo for beauty brands that pilot early.

That said, it’s not a zero sum game, and there’s enough for everyone. LTK and ShopMy won’t disappear because beauty routines don’t live in a single store. Open the vanity or makeup bag of any gen Z or millennial and you'll likely find Sephora items sitting alongside drugstore dupes or Ulta exclusives.

LTK and ShopMy will continue to be the best home for mixed baskets across retailers and price points. Sephora will gain meaningful share of beauty conversions while LTK and ShopMy remain the go-to for cross-retailer curation. The winner isn’t one platform, it’s the shopper who gets more curated, guided selling experiences to address their beauty needs.

Iced Media helped write the playbook for social shopping as TikTok Shop’s first U.S. beauty partner, so we’ve seen what actually drives sell-through. Sephora can borrow those best practices that turn creator picks into a curated shelf of trusted recommendations, not just a link.

While storefronts are Sephora-only, the unlock is access for all of its brands, not just marquee sellers or new launches. The retailer should offer brands and their agencies self-serve tools to source the right creators, launch turnkey campaigns and measure performance effectively. They should pair that with promotions that incentivize creators like early access, limited drops, creator exclusives and subsidized commissions.

If Sephora couples transparency with strong merchandising levers, brands and creators will lean in and revenue will follow.

Sonia Elyss Beauty Marketing Consultant and Creator Mentor, Lipservice World

The launch of Sephora's new affiliate platform will mark a very interesting turn in affiliate marketing in the beauty industry. With so many creators hopeful to join the Sephora Squad and gain visibility with brands retailing at Sephora, I can imagine they will feel pressure to use the new My Sephora platform, even if it requires more work and management on the part of the creator.

While I think ShopMy and LTK will take a major hit if Sephora removes all links from their platforms, they still offer a massive variety of other products outside of the beauty industry that creators can link. Well-diversified creators will likely need to be active on at least two of these platforms if they want to have a well-rounded affiliate strategy.

I don't see My Sephora surpassing ShopMy or LTK in the future, but it definitely has the possibility to be a major player depending on the specifics of how it functions and commissions it offers.

If My Sephora wants to drive significant sales and revenue for brands and creators, I would hope they have studied the benefits and goals for both parties before launching. For example, ShopMy has gained major traction with creators due to their open communication methods and ability for brands and creators to actually connect personally and start authentic relationships. This is one of the many reasons I always suggest creators and brands I work with to focus on ShopMy, the opportunities are more robust for growth and expansion beyond affiliate commission.

If My Sephora has sampling, paid campaigns and other growth opportunities that cannot be found outside their platform, they are sure to grow quickly. The major downfall of most affiliate platforms or strategies is that they are solely focused on making sales. There are no reasons for brands or creators to stay active outside of that.

Once future growth, authentic collaboration and community are brought into the picture, we see both brands and creators start to invest more time and energy into their affiliate content.

Lara Schmoisman Founder and CEO, The Darl

Sephora’s announcement of its My Sephora Storefront platform is more than a new feature. It's a strategic move that places the beauty giant at the center of the most critical conversation in the creator economy today: the battle for authenticity.

To successfully compete with established players like LTK and ShopMy, Sephora’s primary advantage will not be its technology, but its capacity for expert curation. We are in a challenging era for content creators. Audiences are more sophisticated than ever and can instantly distinguish between sponsored content created for a commission and recommendations born from genuine passion. That authenticity is the currency of modern influence, and it is where Sephora has a unique opportunity to lead.

The platform's influence could surpass others not by the quantity of its storefronts, but by the quality and trust inherent in them. Its long-term success will be directly tied to the rigor of its selection process and its commitment to a high standard. If Sephora leverages its brand equity to create a highly vetted, prestigious ecosystem of creators, it can offer a hallmark of credibility that other, more open platforms cannot.

This directly informs how the platform can best serve brands and creators. For creators, participation must signify a level of validation, a true partnership with a respected industry leader. Sephora can best drive sales by providing its creators with frameworks that uphold a standard of authentic, user-generated-style content. For brands, the platform offers a pre-vetted, high-trust marketing channel, reducing the risk and guesswork of influencer partnerships and ensuring genuine brand alignment.

Ultimately, while the future of social commerce is undeniable, its effectiveness is being diluted by inauthentic, over-produced content. Audiences are fatigued, and they clearly understand the difference between a paid placement and genuine advocacy. If Sephora can successfully champion the latter, its platform won't just be a new tool, it will set a new standard.

Jack Llewellyn-Karski Founder, The 2nd

The platform's potential is enormous because it meets customers when they are already in a shopping mindset, which is precisely when influencer recommendations are most powerful. The constant "selling" on social media has created such a fatigue, but a dedicated storefront within the shopping journey feels like an additional service. To successfully drive revenue, Sephora must treat this as a true three-way marketplace between themselves, creators and brands.

For creators, success means moving beyond just a commission check. To earn their already-stretched bandwidth, Sephora must provide a best-in-class experience that includes:

Robust Compensation: A transparent, tiered commission structure that rewards creators.
Actionable Data: Clear analytics that show them not just what they sold, but audience insights that can help them create better content.
Efficiency: Tools that make building a beautiful, effective storefront seamless and fast.

For brands, the platform must offer a pathway for discovery. It can’t just be a sales channel for the top 50 brands or another pay-to-play platform. Success means providing:

Creator Matching: Tools that help brands discover and partner with aligned creators who are genuinely driving sales in their category.
Performance Insights: Access to data on how products are performing across the platform, and Sephora as a whole, to help refine marketing and product strategy.
Collaborative Opportunities: A framework to easily run co-branded campaigns, provide samples or offer exclusive commission rates to select creators.

Ultimately, if Sephora makes their platform the most lucrative place for creators and the most insightful sales channel for brands, they won’t just drive revenue, they’ll build an incredibly powerful and defensible ecosystem.

Tasha Blackman Founder and CEO, Blackman Digital

As a retailer, Sephora is leading the evolution of affiliate marketing by bringing commerce, influence and community together in one seamless experience. As beauty is such a dominant category, Sephora’s program has the potential to go head-to-head with platforms like LTK and ShopMy. The key difference is that those partners operate across multiple categories, while Sephora’s strength lies in owning beauty end-to-end.

My philosophy has always been that brands win when they put the customer at the center, and this program is built around the customer. By keeping the entire shopping journey within Sephora’s ecosystem, it removes friction at a time when attention is the new currency. Customers can browse across brands and categories without ever leaving Sephora, which naturally drives higher conversion and deeper loyalty.

It also elevates creators, enabling them to deliver a seamless shopping experience backed by Sephora’s authority, reinforcing their credibility with their audiences. This isn’t just an extension of the Sephora Squad, it’s the next evolution. By creating a fully integrated way for brands, creators and customers to interact, Sephora has built one seamless experience and that’s a powerful competitive advantage for a retailer.

Aaron Hefter Founder and CEO, Imaraïs Beauty

Sephora’s affiliate platform has a real advantage when it comes to beauty-focused creators since it consolidates trusted brands, exclusives and product launches in one place. That said, its biggest limitation compared to LTK and ShopMy is scope. Creators who share home, fashion or lifestyle products won’t be able to fully monetize through Sephora alone.

Because of that, I don’t see it replacing platforms like LTK, which offer broader coverage, but I do see it becoming a strong standalone channel similar to Amazon storefronts. For creators in the beauty niche, it could quickly become the go-to and surpass other affiliate platforms for Sephora products specifically.

For brands, Sephora can leverage exclusivity by offering higher commission rates, first access to launches or bonus incentives for creators who generate strong sales. If Sephora also layers in content amplification like spotlighting top creators on Sephora’s own channels, it strengthens the incentive to participate.

The platform will thrive if it positions itself not as a competitor to LTK, but as a complementary beauty-first channel that drives higher conversion and more credibility within the beauty vertical.

Ann Krisha Buenaobra Beauty Content Strategy Consultant and Former Beauty and Lifestyle Partnerships Manager, TikTok Shop

They would need to integrate into the social experience as easily as ShopMy or LTK have with a more seamless shopping experience to receive consumer favor. They'd need to also offer higher commissions than other platforms in creators' favor to make up for the lack of range the platform will have in comparison to ShopMy or LTK, both which cover fashion, home and much more than beauty.

At the moment, the only way I could see this new affiliate platform surpassing others is if they create an even easier, seamless shopping experience that meets the consumer where they already are like TikTok Shop. For brands, I think Sephora will need to subsidize some of their profit to get them to use and get used to the platform. Platform exclusive products would also be smart.

For creators, higher commission and a generous gifting program would be attractive and maybe a bigger online program to foster their participation, something less exclusive than Sephora Squad.

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