Mona Kattan's fragrance brand Kayali has broken into the Chinese beauty market through an exclusive partnership with LVMH-owned beauty retailer Sephora.
More than three-years-in-the-making, the beauty brand made an omnichannel rollout across more than 300 stores in the region and on Sephora China’s digital platforms on 15 October.
The move follows Kayali’s strong brand momentum across markets, including its recent launch in India, with Mainland China feeling like the “natural next chapter”, Kayali founder Kattan told Cosmetics Business.
“China is one of the world’s most influential beauty markets, and I feel its fragrance category is entering such an exciting stage,” said Kattan.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, discerning, and curious about distinctive brands, ingredients and scent stories.”
Entering China gives the brand, founded in 2018, an “incredible opportunity” to introduce its Middle Eastern heritage and the art of scent layering to a new audience, while also building one of its “most important long-term markets”.
Kattan explained: “We are arriving with a clear point of view, but also with open hearts: we are here to listen and learn as much as we are here to launch.”
The initial Kayali range in Sephora China includes Vanilla | 28 Eau de Parfum, Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81 Eau de Parfum, and Eden Sparkling Lychee | 39 Eau de Parfum, with plans to expand this offering even further in November.
Why Sephora plays a key role in Kayali’s China ambitions
Sephora was a crucial element to the success of this launch, claimed Kattan, given Kayali’s long-standing relationship with the beauty retailer.
“Sephora has played a pivotal role in Kayali’s journey from the very beginning,” said Kattan.
“Our eight-year partnership now spans more than 30 countries and approximately 3,000 doors globally, so there is already a deep understanding of our brand, our community and the way we want consumers to discover fragrance.”
In particular, Sephora has an “expertise in the Chinese market” and a “growing authority in fragrance”.
This commitment to long-term brand-building made it the natural exclusive partner for this launch.
Kattan continued: “Together, we are introducing Kayali at [a] meaningful scale, giving consumers a connected journey from discovering our world online to smelling and layering our fragrances firsthand in-store.”
Beyond distribution, Sephora brings local insight, education and retail expertise.
“That support will help us understand the market, create immersive discovery moments and build a meaningful long-term presence, rather than treating China as a single launch moment,” said Kattan.
“Our ambition is to become one of Sephora China’s top three fragrance brands, while continuing to grow thoughtfully alongside Chinese consumers.”
How Sephora will support Kayali’s growth in China
Supporting Kayali’s ambitions to become a top three fragrance player in China came its debut at Sephora’s beauty festival event, Sephoria Shanghai, from 23 to 25 October 2026.
This immersive showcase invited consumers to step inside the brand's universe, explore scent layering and create their own custom scent moods,” Agnes Brissiaud, Sephora's Global VP Merchandising Fragrance & Haircare, told Cosmetics Business.
She added: “On opening day, Mona hosted an exclusive masterclass, taking guests deeper into her fragrance inspirations, Kayali’s Middle Eastern heritage and the brand's signature layering philosophy.”
Launching exclusively with Sephora China gives Kayali the scale, deep retail expertise and brand-building platform needed to establish a meaningful, long-term presence, said Brissiaud.
She continued: “This marks Kayali's next major milestone in Asia, bringing its signature art of fragrance layering to one of the world's most influential markets.
“Kayali is entering at a significant scale, featuring prominently in our stores through a mix of full backwalls and dedicated shelf space.
“Combined with our digital ecosystem, this creates a seamless path for consumers, from engaging with Kayali’s content and community online to discovering and layering fragrances firsthand in-store.”
Another key pillar of this strategy is the introduction of discovery formats tailored to the category, such as the 10ml Kayali bottle and curated ‘Sephora Favourites’ kits.
These formats have seen immediate success in China, claimed Brissiaud, catering to consumers' desires for discovery and penchant for gift giving.
Equally vital are Sephora’s Beauty Advisors, who play a critical role in transforming beauty from a “transaction into a personal relationship”, using their expertise and guidance to help consumers.
“Ultimately, our focus centres on differentiation: offering exclusive products from global partner brands, incubating visionary local Chinese brands like Documents – whose founder Mona met for a deeply enriching discussion – and expanding our accessible range of discovery-sized products,” said Brissiaud.
Kayali's ambitions to win over Chinese consumers with its fragrance range
Kayali’s initial assortment of products available in China aims to introduce “several sides of the brand” to the consumer.
Kattan explained: “We wanted Chinese consumers to discover that Kayali extends far beyond one scent profile, with fragrances spanning gourmand, fruity, floral and musky families.”
The arrival of nine additional fragrances in November will expand that wardrobe even further, on top of a strategy to connect digital discovery with real-world fragrance education.
Social platforms are important in China, but fragrance ultimately needs to be experienced on the skin, said Kattan.
She added: “Through Sephora stores, digital content, the Kayali Café, Scent Lab and Sephoria, consumers can discover the ingredients, explore layering and understand the full story behind the brand.
“The opportunity is to build with a highly connected and curious fragrance community.
“The challenge, and responsibility, is to earn their trust, remain locally relevant and avoid assuming that what works elsewhere will automatically work in China.
“We will listen closely to their reviews, preferences and layering rituals, and allow those insights to inform how Kayali evolves in the market.”
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