Sephora Announces the Ultimate Hello Kitty Beauty Charity Auction

NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sephora announces the ultimate Hello Kitty Beauty charity auction featuring one-of-a-kind experiences and products to celebrate the launch of Hello Kitty Beauty, presented exclusively at Sephora.  In partnership with eBay Giving Works, Sephora's Hello Kitty Beauty charity auction will be live for 10 days beginning January 17th, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting the Starlight Children's Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their challenges.  So everything about this charity auction experience is beautiful!

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110110/NY27352 )

To get your bid in for must-have Hello Kitty Beauty experiences, log on to www.ebay.com/sephorahellokitty, bidding starts at 11:01 EST on January 17th. Prior to and during the charity auction, sneak peeks and updates will be available on Sephora's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sephora) and Hello Kitty's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hellokitty). The charity auction will run until 11:01am EST on January 27th, so get Hello Kitty gifted and give to a beautiful cause.   Items up for charity auction include:

• The chance to star in your very own Hello Kitty Beauty photo shoot in New York City shot by a famous photographer, including hotel, airfare, makeup application by a Sephora makeup artist, invitations to an exclusive party with Ms. Yuko Yamaguchi, Hello Kitty designer from Sanrio Tokyo, a selection of Hello Kitty Beauty products, PLUS a custom piece of Hello Kitty artwork created especially for the shoot. This VIP experience also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

• 3 once-in-a-lifetime "Hello Kitty Beauty Experience" trip packages for two to New York City, Los Angeles, California or Honolulu, Hawaii, including hotel, airfare, priority access to meet Ms. Yuko Yamaguchi, Hello Kitty designer from Sanrio Tokyo, at an exclusive Hello Kitty Beauty event at Sephora, makeup application by a Sephora makeup artist and a selection of Hello Kitty Beauty products. These VIP experiences also come with a Certificate of Authenticity

• 50 Hello Kitty Beauty silver compact mirrors signed by Ms. Yuko Yamaguchi, Hello Kitty designer from Sanrio Tokyo

• 2 Limited edition Swarovski compact mirrors from the Hello Kitty Beauty collection also signed by Ms. Yuko Yamaguchi

• 4 Super Limited Edition Hello Kitty "bling" makeup Brush Holders adorned with Swarovski crystals (note: they have a black and white striped "Sephora" bow – silver/black only)

• A bountiful selection of Hello Kitty Beauty products featuring items from the Hello Kitty Beauty Collection presented exclusively at Sephora

About Sephora Americas

Launched in the U.S. in 1998, Sephora Americas today operates more than 270 stores in the U.S. and Canada as well as the world's top beauty website, Sephora.com. In 2010 Sephora expanded into Latin America where it operates the Brazilian beauty market leader Sacks.com, and plans to open retail stores in Mexico beginning in 2011.  Sephora is well known for its unique retail concept, which is rooted in its distinctive store design, the beauty expertise of its sales consultants and, most importantly, its unparalleled combination of over 200 classic and emerging brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, bath & body, smilecare, and haircare, as well as Sephora's own private label. In addition to its North and Latin American business and its initiative with JCPenney, which includes more than 230 Sephora inside JCPenney locations, Sephora today has more than 1,000 stores within 24 countries in Europe and 60 locations in China. Sephora was founded in France in 1969 and acquired in 1997 by Paris-based LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's leading luxury products group.

About Sanrio

Sanrio, best known for global icon Hello Kitty® and home to many more endearing characters including Chococat®, My Melody®, and Keroppi®, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.  August 2010 marks the golden anniversary for the worldwide lifestyle brand that was founded on the "small gift, big smile®" philosophy -- that a small gift can bring a big smile to people of all ages. Today, over 50,000 Sanrio-branded items are sold in over 70 countries around the world. In the Western Hemisphere Sanrio character-branded products are sold in upwards of 12,000 locations including department, specialty, national chain stores and over 95 Sanrio boutiques. For more information, please visit www.sanrio.com.

About Starlight Children's Foundation

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For more than 25 years, Starlight Children's Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight's programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

SOURCE Sephora