'It’s Time!' Sephora brings holiday magic to life with Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is kicking off the festive season in true diva style, partnering with Sephora for a glimmering holiday campaign that blends her signature sparkle with the beauty retailer’s year-end promotions.

The campaign centres on Carey’s much-anticipated annual “It’s time!” video, the unofficial signal that the holiday season has begun, this year reimagined with Sephora to deliver a mix of festive glam and brand storytelling.

Directed by Joseph Kahn, the video premiered across Carey’s and Sephora’s Instagram accounts, as well as on Sephora’s Times Square billboard. Set inside a Sephora-branded glam room, the clip stars comedian Billy Eichner as a mischievous elf staging a holiday “strike” in protest of the elves’ tough working conditions.

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He threatens to pawn Carey’s beauty essentials to “afford therapy,” declaring that Christmas is cancelled. Carey, unfazed, reminds him that Christmas can’t be cancelled, before delivering her iconic “It’s time!” line, transforming the elf into a snowman and taking off in a Sephora-inspired sleigh through a sparkling winter wonderland.

The collaboration also ties into Sephora’s annual Give Something Beautiful campaign and its ongoing Sephora Savings Event, which runs until 10 November. The retailer is spotlighting exclusive holiday gift sets and a curated list of Carey’s favourite beauty picks on Sephora.com.

The video marks the official cultural handover from Halloween to the holiday season, one Carey has famously dominated for years. 

“Our holiday campaign this year celebrates the notion of ‘glimmers’ – those small moments of joy that a gift of beauty brings – and there is no one that better embodies that sentiment than Carey during the holiday season,” said Zena Arnold, chief marketing officer at Sephora.

She added, “Carey's ‘It’s time’ video is a cultural phenomenon that reaches consumers in a joyful, creative, and highly shareable way, and this partnership enables us to amplify the festive spirit and be at the center of celebration and fun.” 

In tandem, Carey said, “The holidays are a time to celebrate and spread joy, I’m so excited to kick off the season with Sephora. It’s all about creating those magical moments that make you feel glamorous from the inside out.”   

Not everyone, however, was impressed. According to TODAY.com, while some fans called the video “iconic” and cheered Carey’s return to holiday mode, others criticised the ad’s tone and premise. Some TikTok users reportedly argued it was “tone-deaf” and mocked those planning to skip Black Friday and Christmas shopping, with some pointing out the irony of using Carey’s anti-capitalism classic All I want for Christmas is you to sell products. The portrayal of a striking elf being turned into a snowman also drew backlash, with critics saying it trivialised the struggles of overworked and underpaid workers.

Sephora isn’t the only brand getting a head start on the holiday cheer. Coca-Cola has also rolled out its 2025 global holiday campaign, "Refresh your holidays", celebrating those working behind the scenes to bring seasonal magic to life. The campaign features three new films, including "A holiday memory" and two AI-driven reimaginings of its 1995 classic, "The holidays are coming".

"A holiday memory", which will run across North America, Latin America and Asia South-Pacific, follows a busy mother who rediscovers the spirit of the season after sipping an ice-cold Coca-Cola and spotting a magical ornament. AI also plays a central role in Coca-Cola’s campaign this year. Partnering with San Francisco studios Secret Level and Silverside AI, the brand produced updated versions of The Holidays Are Coming, combining technical precision, cinematic storytelling and production quality.

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