Beauty behemoth Sephora is catching heat for its plans to carry a “Starter Witch Kit” in stores and online on Oct. 9. The nine-piece set, launched by perfume brand Pinrose, will retail for $42, plus tax, and offer fragrances, as well as ”tarot cards, sage, and a rose quartz crystal.”
With the rise in awareness surrounding inner and outer beauty, beauty brands are tapping into the lucrative, highly-marketable wellness space, which boasts $3.7 trillion, according to the Global Wellness Institute. But many are doing so without acknowledging the root of varying spiritual practices, and capitalizing off its trendiness at the expense of spiritual practitioners, their offerings and where their tools and materials are sourced.
Brujas and indigenous practitioners ain’t having it, accusing the French company with going too far and even cultural appropriation.
Indigenous artist Chief Lady Bird provided cultural content, tweeting, “If you find yourself skipping over to Sephora to buy a witch kit, remember this & go home or go get the medicines you need from a source that isn’t capitalizing on spirituality & over-producing a sacred medicine.” The words accompany an image of a Lakota medicine man who was arrested for his practice in the 1880s.
If you find yourself skipping over to Sephora to buy a witch kit, remember this & go home or go get the medicines you need from a source that isn’t capitalizing on spirituality & over-producing a sacred medicine. https://t.co/x4yNV1JlFu
— Chief Lady Bird 🦅 (@chiefladybird) September 3, 2018
Bri Luna, owner and creative director of The Hoodwitch, offered several gems on authentic partnerships for practitioners in a Twitter thread:
As a business owner, and practicing witch. I want other people to know that you don’t have to compromise the integrity of your work, or who you are when you collaborate with larger or corporate brands. You can create something beautiful and authentic by learning the power of no.
— THE HOODWITCH (@thehoodwitch) September 1, 2018
I’ve said No in some of the scariest meetings, because I knew I wouldn’t be happy with the outcome and how it wasn’t reflective of my practice. This goes for interviews, tv shows, etc. it’s ok to allow yourself to thrive in new mediums, but ask yourself if it feels genuine
— THE HOODWITCH (@thehoodwitch) September 1, 2018
You can create a witch box and say “no I don’t want to use white sage because “It’s improperly harvested and is sacred to indigenous people, let’s work with something else.” If they said no, that’s not the brand for you. Stay true to your vision, and think of the bigger picture.
— THE HOODWITCH (@thehoodwitch) September 1, 2018
Don’t block your blessings, but also remember that everything that glitters isn’t gold.
— THE HOODWITCH (@thehoodwitch) September 1, 2018
Ok my rant is over, love ya’ll! Thank you for supporting us. We know you can shop *anywhere* now for your supplies! and we gonna keep making our magic pop! Let the witches keep rocking!
— THE HOODWITCH (@thehoodwitch) September 1, 2018
With corporations cashing in on spiritual practices, women of color are often the ones most impacted by these moves. On a positive, the Sephora controversy did incite consumers to create lists to support POC-owned brands.
In lieu of this Sephora drama, I’ve put together a list of POC owned brands for you to get that real magic from, instead of summoning demons in the name of “spiritual wellness”. Enjoy!
Ft @3rdEyeLounge @browngrlalchemy, @TatiannaTarot & more!https://t.co/tBrJYcIrSD
— a$iahmae 🌱💎🧡 (@_asiahmae) September 4, 2018
