From Runway to Runway-Ready: 'Sephora Hairlines' Transformed a Private Jet Into a Beauty Haven

BURBANK & NAPA VALLEY, CALIF.—Sephora recently took influencer engagement to new heights with the playfully dubbed "Sephora Hairlines," a unique campaign that flew 20 top beauty and hairstyle content creators from Burbank, Calif., to Napa Valley. The exclusive getaway, part of the brand's "Prep, Style & Refresh" campaign, combined luxury travel with creative content opportunities and sky-high glamour.

Throughout the day, guests were treated to three distinct moments that tied into the campaign—including a trip on a branded private jet and a stay in a five-star Napa Valley resort. "The impetus for the idea came from an agency called Word of Mouth, who presented Sephora the 'Hairlines' tagline and a preliminary logo," explained Cat Choate and Alina Skonieczny, co-founders of Cat/Alina Productions, in a joint email interview. "Sephora then approached Cat/Alina Productions to expand on the overall concept, advancing the experiential journey for guests, crafting the design elements, and executing the production."

They added: "While 'Prep, Style & Refresh' served as the thematic umbrella of the Sephora Hairlines event, it gave us clear direction of how to structure the guest journey, designing individual experiences around each of the three themes that guests could enjoy in a linear way, tying one experience to the next in a way that kept the overarching theme in mind throughout the run of show."

Cat/Alina Productions' work included identifying a private airline that would allow them to reskin a plane and transform its private hangar to evoke the look and feel of vintage travel for the "Prep" component. The duo found that in JSX. "We wanted to reskin a plane to make the experience of flying Sephora Hairlines feel real," said Choate and Skonieczny. "Working with JSX was sort of a no-brainer because of their operating locations and what they could offer—a private hangar near their normal operations that was perfect for our retro vision of the Sephora Hairlines travel experience."Photo: Regan Norton"Once we identified the hangar, we were able to build on the existing scenery and fully realize the extent of branding and experiential moments within the space," they added.Photo: Regan Norton

"While the airline JSX perfectly aligned with our destination choice, we identified Napa Valley as an ideal location given its proximity to Los Angeles, where most of the creators are based, and the abbreviated amount of time in air that allowed for an appropriate amount of in-flight programming," Choate and Skonieczny said. "Not to mention that Napa Valley’s bucolic beauty and high-style, slow-paced setting made for a perfect retreat that embraced the theme of Prep, Style & Refresh." 

The experience actually kicked off a week before event day. "Apropos of preflight preparations, a Sephora Hairlines pilot delivered branded vintage luggage bags packed with select haircare products to guests at their homes the week before they traveled," added the pair. "Guests then arrived with their luggage to the Sephora Hairlines hangar where they were welcomed by pilots and checked in to the experience." Before arrival, attendees were gifted branded vintage luggage packed with select haircare products.Photo: Regan Norton

The private hangar—the event's "Prep" component—was decorated with a red carpet photo moment, complimentary food and beverages, and the wrapped JSX airplane, among other content capture moments. "We tied the space back to the purpose of the event—hair care and style—with a 'Prep' station where guests could choose from a menu of preflight protectant styles and products provided by Davines, OUAI, and Moroccanoil, finishing their look off with a silk bonnet or scarf before departure," they said. 

During the short flight, Sephora Hairlines passengers were welcomed with custom in-seat kits featuring branded style tools and snacks to help take them from runway to runway ready. Pilots and attendants got in on the fun by welcoming guests through provided talking points and custom uniforms. Attendees loved "the exclusivity of being the first invitees on the inaugural flight for Sephora Hairlines," said Choate and Skonieczny, noting that it "galvanized genuine reactions of surprise and delight and encouraged them to capture every moment as they explored the space."Photo: Regan NortonPhoto moments throughout the hangar nodded to the airplane theme and Sephora's iconic striped branding.Photo: Regan NortonIn the hangar, guests could choose from a menu of preflight protectant styles and products, finishing their look off with a silk bonnet or scarf before departure.Photo: Regan Norton

Once they landed in Napa Valley, guests were shuttled in branded vans to Auberge du Soleil, where they were welcomed into the "Style" salon to get ready for the evening's festivities. Here, they chose from a menu of flight-themed hairstyles—Breeze Waves, Runway Ripples, etc.—and were styled with products from Dae, Fenty Hair, Oribe, and Color Wow. The creators were then chauffeured to the Chandon winery for a sunset wine tasting and chef-curated dinner.

The next morning, guests were invited to "Refresh" in a yoga and sound bath meditation session. "Guests were encouraged to strengthen their body-spirit relationship while keeping Sephora top of mind with a curated display of products from Kérastase, Amika, Crown Affair, and Gisou," said the Cat/Alina team, adding that the influencers could select their own products to take home, too. "Our partners at The Brand Agency worked as liaisons with the content creators, communicating any needs they had throughout the event so that we could answer those in a timely way, ensuring constant satisfaction," explained the Cat/Alina Productions team. "The Brand Agency also tracked, catalogued, and collated each post that was shared by our guests, enabling us to measure the success of the event through the millions of earned social media impressions."Photo: Carlos Eric LopezAn overnight trip with a private jet naturally led to some logistical challenges—which the Cat/Alina team handled with careful planning, including staggering arrival times at the hangar. That way, "each guest had a personal entry moment and enough time to experience the Prep station and explore the various touchpoints," they said. "Ensuring that everyone was present and accounted for at the time of departure required a minute-to-minute breakdown of the morning’s events."Photo: Regan Norton

Every step of the experience was designed with content capture in mind. "The allure of a private plane, the majestic views of wine country, and an exclusive hotel—these provided scenery and a framework from which we could expand upon with branded touchpoints and experiences that made creators' UGC instantly stand out across social feeds," said Choate and Skonieczny, noting that popular content moments included custom onboard Sephora travel kits, branded shuttle service from the airport to the resort, and complimentary in-room gifting. 

"These moments were interwoven between the three larger thematic experiences relating to Prep, Style & Refresh, each of which was a distinct opportunity for content capture—but together told a three-act story that enticed creators to pick up their phones and share the experience from their perspective." "All the small details along the way came together to have an outsized impact by anchoring and elevating the experience in such a way that made it unforgettable," said Choate and Skonieczny.Photo: Regan Norton

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