Hourglass, a US prestige cosmetics label known for luminous, skin-focused make-up, has grown rapidly since launching in 2004 and now sells in 32 countries through about 4600 in‑store locations. The brand’s rise has been fuelled by global demand for radiant, high-performance products and backed by a major acquisition in 2017 that reportedly valued the company at up to about $450 million, giving it the scale to pursue more ambitious international expansion. Australia has played an outsized role in that growth, becoming one of Hourglass’ most engaged online audiences and a key market for its hero complexion lines.
For more than a decade, Hourglass products in Australia were available only through beauty retailer Mecca under an exclusivity agreement signed in 2010. That relationship came under legal pressure in 2020, when Mecca successfully challenged Hourglass over direct online sales into Australia and New Zealand that breached the exclusivity terms, which led to a court order requiring Hourglass to compensate the retailer for its losses. Despite that ruling the brand remained on Mecca shelves until now, when it is rolling out direct shipping to Australia and New Zealand and preparing to enter Sephora’s local stores in March as part of a broader strategic reset.
The new approach brings Hourglass into line with its global distribution model, where Sephora already serves as a key partner across the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia. Industry insiders describe Hourglass as a top performer within Sephora’s prestige line-up, which appears to give the brand confidence that replicating that partnership in Australia will help it deliver more consistent product launches, exclusive ranges and in‑store experiences. At the same time Hourglass is investing in its own physical footprint, adding a New York flagship, 17 standalone stores in China and a Sydney CBD pop-up planned for late February that could pave the way for a permanent Australian store.
This shift is likely to reshape the premium beauty landscape in Australia, where competition between major retailers for in-demand global brands is intensifying. Hourglass’ move appears designed to balance direct-to-consumer ecommerce with high-end bricks-and-mortar locations, which gives Australian shoppers more ways to test and buy its products while aligning the market with its global presence. However, the transition also shows how exclusivity deals can evolve, and sometimes fracture, as brands grow, legal rulings are handed down and international strategies change, which leaves open questions about how other prestige labels might rethink their own local partnerships.
