Preteen girls have allegedly been causing disruptions and exhibiting disrespectful behavior in beauty retail stores like Sephora and Ulta, with employees attributing the issue to social media trends and influencer culture, while some have been calling for age restrictions.
Sequoia Cothran, a Sephora employee from Tennessee, told Fox News: “It’s not the fact that they’re little girls in Sephora because makeup is subjective, there’s no age limit to it.
“It’s more about what these girls are reaching for when they’re in these stores.”
Preteen girls have allegedly been causing disruptions and exhibiting disrespectful behavior in beauty retail stores like Sephora and Ulta
Image credits: freepik
The 21-year-old makeup expert further explained: “It’s also the way that they’re treating the workers within it. You see these kinds of mean girl antics from these 10-year-olds.”
In the past couple of weeks, TikTok has been flooded with viral posts from beauty retail store shoppers and staff discussing their own brutal experiences with being “bullied” by pre-teen girls from ages 9-12, dubbed “Sephora kids,” while shopping for beauty products.
Sequoia said: “You see this aggressive demeanor towards older people. This level of disrespect that you’ve never seen from a child to a woman. Like they just simply do not care.”
"They’re all following a trend. I think that’s where we’re seeing this fascination come from,” Sephora employee Sequoia Cothran said
Image credits: Deva Darshan/Unsplash
The stunned employee reportedly witnessed “Sephora kids” push other customers out of the way to reach a product first, open and contaminate sealed products without buying them, and then abruptly interrupt while she was helping other customers, as per Fox News.
According to Sequoia, the issue stems from social media’s influence, which is the reason girls are flocking to Sephora and all seeking out the same products.
“They’re all following a trend,” she said. “I think that’s where we’re seeing this fascination come from,” Fox News reported.
The hashtag #ultakids is amassing 3.7 million views on TikTok, and #sephorakids is also trending on the video-sharing platform, gathering 204.2 million views
Image credits: andymndoza
With the hashtag #ultakids amassing 3.7 million views on TikTok, and #sephorakids also trending on the video-sharing platform, gathering 204.2 million views, other employees have come out with their own stories of being terrorized by little shoppers.
Olivia Vaphiades took to her TikTok page to post a video, which has been viewed 2.6 million times, recounting her time working at Sephora.
She explained that a little girl eagerly demanded products from the popular and viral brand Drunk Elephant.
Image credits: hankyute
A Sephora customer counted the number of preteen girls at a store, noting one of them was getting her eyebrows done
After vulgarly exclaiming “Are you f*cking me?” upon Olivia trying to explain that the specific product she was looking for was sold out, the seemingly 10-year-old girl went on to demand the retinol serum from the same brand.
Retinol, a powerful ingredient added to beauty products aimed at slowing down skin aging, isn’t recommended for use by those aged below 20, which is what Olivia was trying to convey to her impatient and obviously underage customer.
“I’m not a parent, I just work at Sephora,” Olivia reminded her viewers.
All this came to a surprising twist when Olivia’s young customer’s mother showed up, asking if the product was safe for her daughter. According to Olivia, the prepubescent girl lied and affirmed that Olivia had recommended the product to her.
Following some attempts at clarifying what had really happened, Olivia went on to explain in her TikTok that the mother bought the retinol serum for her daughter against her advice.
“I had so much beef with a 10-year-old at Sephora today,” Kat exhaustingly said on TikTok
Image credits: nemu.jo
One former employee shared that a seemingly 10-year-old girl wanted to buy retinol serum, a product aimed at slowing down skin aging
Meanwhile, a woman named Kat shared her encounter with a rude Sephora customer in a video that has been viewed 6.7 million times on TikTok.
“I had so much beef with a 10-year-old at Sephora today,” Kat exhaustingly started her video.
She went on to reveal that a young girl cut a long line at the beauty store after asking to pass in front of Kat, which she refused.
“There’s a b*tch *ss long line back here,” Kat exclaimed.
Kat recalled being repeatedly disturbed by the rude little girl who was hitting her with her bag and making snarky comments.
“I tried not to punch this 10-year-old,” Kat quipped.
Bored Panda has contacted Ulta Beauty and Sephora for comment.
Sequoia witnessed “Sephora kids” open and contaminate sealed products without buying them
Image credits: peytonxblack
Generation Z has reportedly been experiencing premature aging due to the potential overuse of skincare and poor lifestyle choices.
Dr. Rasha Rakhshani-Moghadam told the Daily Mail: “Overuse or unnecessary application of filler and toxins at a young age may affect the natural facial development, causing younger patients to look older than they are.”
She further explained: “Millennials generally have a heightened awareness of skincare and diet compared to previous generations, often incorporating a more holistic approach to well-being.
“This shift involves a greater emphasis on preventive skincare practices and a focus on balanced diets.”
Many readers and TikTok users shared similar experiences
