Ulta Beauty Books Selena Gomez and Tate McRae for Holiday Push

Ulta Beauty launched its holiday campaign on Oct. 31 with two pop stars who also happen to be beauty founders: Selena Gomez of Rare Beauty and Tate McRae of the fragrance line behind Tate 01.

The campaign, "The Magic Starts with You," brings back Sandra Gray's Mrs. Claus for a second season. Last winter, Mrs. Claus shared the screen with Paris Hilton, Khloé Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. This year, Ulta shifted the spotlight to Gomez and McRae — both of whom founded brands sold at the retailer.

Tamara Group created the work; Nema Vand directed it. One spot opens inside the Ulta Beauty Holiday Workshop, where Mrs. Claus asks for a gift for her niece. The film cuts to Gomez holding a packaged Rare Beauty brow gel set. Rare Beauty arrived at Ulta in February, the brand's first retail expansion beyond Sephora.

A second spot features Tate 01, McRae's new fragrance. It launched in October during Paris Fashion Week and is exclusive to Ulta in the U.S.

"The holidays are such a special time, but they can also become so focused on making everything magical for everyone else that we forget to enjoy those moments ourselves," Ulta Beauty chief marketing officer Kelly Mahoney said. "At the heart of 'The Magic Starts with You' is reminding our guests that they deserve to experience the joy and wonder of the season."

What does the campaign change for marketers?

The casting signals how Ulta now selects celebrity partners: founder status carries more weight than pure fame. Both women bring built-in product stories that plug directly into gifting season — a brow gel set and a fragrance exclusive — rather than borrowed star power alone.

"Both Selena and Tate connect with our guests in ways that feel deeply authentic and personal. We love being able to celebrate Rare Beauty and Tate 01 while bringing their individual personalities directly into our holiday campaign," Mahoney said.

Gomez framed the campaign around self-care during the season.

"The holidays are meant to be spent with those you love, but they're also a reminder to step back and take care of yourself too. I hope that Ulta Beauty guests can enjoy celebrating the holidays with their favorite Rare Beauty must-haves this year," Gomez said in a statement.

Where the campaign runs

"The Magic Starts with You" rolls out across TV, streaming, digital, social media and in-store experiences. The campaign also plays into Ulta's viral "Pink Bag Energy" on Instagram, tying paid media to an organic social behavior the brand already owns.

Ulta paired the campaign with merchandising depth. The retailer launched its first 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar and has more product launches planned for the gifting season.

The move gives Ulta a repeatable holiday franchise — Mrs. Claus is now in her second year — while the rotating celebrity cast keeps it fresh. Expect founder-brand partnerships to anchor future iterations as exclusives like Tate 01 prove their pull.