Sephora Canada Tips Off "Pretty Badass" Partnership Platform as a Founding and Official Beauty Partner of the Toronto Tempo
Featuring Tempo athletes, the new platform challenges perceptions of beauty and sport, championing the growing cultural impact of the WNBA in Canada.
TORONTO, June 1, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, Sephora Canada officially reveals "Pretty Badass" a new partnership platform that marks an exciting chapter as a proud Founding and Official Beauty Partner of the Toronto Tempo. The platform is a celebration of a more expansive vision of beauty and belonging, built on the belief that women cannot be defined by a single label, trait, or expectation.
Featuring a powerhouse roster of newly minted Tempo players Marina Mabrey, Kiki Rice, Nyara Sabally, Isabelle Harrison, Temi Fágbénlé, Head Coach Sandy Brondello, as well as athletes in the Canadian community, the high-energy platform pushes the beauty and sports conversation forward by turning the word "pretty" on its head and rejecting the misconception that women must be put into boxes – feminine or athletic; beautiful or brainy; pretty or badass - and instead celebrates their limitless individuality and power.
"With the WNBA now in Canada and the Toronto Tempo season tipping off, we want to fuel this defining cultural moment across Canada," says Allison Litzinger, SVP of Marketing at Sephora Canada. "Our platform is rooted in celebrating these elite athletes for both their unstoppable talent on the court and their fierce individuality, expanding how the world sees beauty and showing that how they express themselves is exactly what makes them Pretty Badass."
"As someone who works with these athletes every single day, I see firsthand their dedication, their drive, and their authenticity" says Sandy Brondello, Head Coach of the Tempo. "Sephora Canada's partnership is a gamechanger because it helps us celebrate these players for every part of who they are, reinforcing that they don't have to leave any piece of themselves behind."
"Being part of this moment goes beyond basketball. It's about how we show up as ourselves and what that represents for the next generation. When Canadians see us on and off the court, they should see possibility, individuality, and a new way of thinking about beauty. That's what makes this so powerful. It's about being unapologetically who we are", says Tempo's Isabelle Harrison.
In tandem with the platform launch, Sephora Canada is opening a national social media call for submissions to uncover inspiring stories of women who embody the Pretty Badass spirit.
From June 4–11, Canadians can visit @sephoracanada on Instagram to nominate a Pretty Badass woman in their life. Winners will have their stories showcased in a national social media campaign and experience the energy of the Tempo firsthand with some pretty badass courtside Tempo tickets.
Featured Toronto Tempo Roster:
- Marina Mabrey
- Kiki Rice
- Nyara Sabally
- Isabelle Harrison
- Temi Fágbénlé
- Head Coach Sandy Brondello
The campaign will roll out nationally on TV, CTV, Online, in arena and out of home in markets where Tempo will play, alongside the social content series spotlighting nominated Pretty Badass women in the Canadian community and product integration.
About Sephora
Sephora is the world's leading global prestige beauty retail brand. With 55,000 passionate employees operating in 36 markets, Sephora connects customers and beauty brands within the world's most trusted and dynamic beauty community. We serve a highly engaged community of hundreds of millions of beauty followers across our global omnichannel network of more than 3,400 and iconic flagships, and our e-commerce and digital platforms, offering personalized and immersive seamless experiences across every touchpoint. With our curation of close to 500 brands and our own label, Sephora Collection, we offer the most unique and diverse range of prestige beauty products, tailored to our customers' needs from fragrance to make-up, haircare, skincare and beyond, as we constantly reimagine the world of prestige beauty. Since our inception in 1969 in Limoges, France, and as part of the LVMH Group since 1997, we have been disrupting the prestige beauty retail industry. Today, we continue to break with convention to drive our mission: champion a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty.
About Toronto Tempo
In May 2024, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced its expansion into Canada by awarding Toronto an expansion team, the league's first outside the United States. The new team, controlled by Kilmer Sports Ventures, will begin play in the 2026 season as the WNBA's 14th franchise. Sephora Canada and CIBC are the team's first announced founding partners. Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures and a 30-year veteran of building championship-caliber teams, is also Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and Chairman Emeritus of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA's Toronto Raptors, NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, MLS' Toronto FC and other professional sports franchises. Under his leadership, the Raptors won their first NBA championship in 2019.
SOURCE Sephora Canada
Media Contact: Sydney Brancatella, Middle Child, [email protected]
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