Mariah Carey Faces Backlash Over Her 2025 'It's Time' Sephora Ad

Mariah Carey’s beloved “It’s Time” tradition—the annual declaration that the holiday season has arrived—struck a sour note this year. The pop icon’s Nov. 1 announcement, long a festive staple for fans, has sparked debate after doubling as a promotional spot for Sephora.

via: EW

On Saturday, Nov. 1, the "Queen of Christmas," as is tradition, released a video signaling that the holiday season has officially begun. For years, the "All I Want for Christmas Is You" singer's festive countdown has been a balm for fans eager to dive into the festivities — until now.

This year, the announcement doubled as an ad for beauty retailer Sephora, and reactions have been anything but cheerful. Here's everything you need to know about the backlash and why some Carey fans aren't feeling the holiday spirit this season.

What happens in Mariah Carey's 2025 "It's Time" video?

In this year's "It's Time" video, Carey dons a white gown with angel wings. "Halloween slayed! But now, it's ti... ," she begins, only to stop herself when she discovers her bag of Sephora products has been raided.

"Spill the tea. Who's the thief?" she asks before spotting comedian Billy Eichner, dressed as an elf, absconding with her Sephora swag. 

"Busted! Bad news, Mariah Carey: the elves are striking this year," Eichner's elf declares. "Elf revenge for putting us through holiday hell! Santa's helper quit. I'm pawning all this so I can afford elf therapy."

Carey fires back, "That's my blush, elf boy!" Eichner retorts, "Your lipstick? I'm taking it. Christmas is cancelled. No bells, no cheer, no glam. Bye, sweetie."

"You can't cancel Christmas," the five-time Grammy winner insists before belting her signature line, "It's tiiiiiime!"

In an instant, Eichner freezes and transforms into a snowman. Carey then reappears in a Santa-inspired outfit, riding a sleigh as she drops a Sephora bag into a chimney.

Why is Mariah Carey's "It's Time" video facing backlash?

Some fans found Carey’s video amusing, sharing supportive messages and calling it "iconic." Others, however, criticized the ad for its tone and alleged anti-worker message, especially given the current social and economic climate.

"So disturbingly out of touch," one person wrote in the comments section of Carey's Instagram post. "Time to boycott the folks at Sephora who thought it was funny to make fun of real struggles people are facing nationally right now."

Another added, "Really disappointed in this ad on mocking boycotting, strikes, workers needing healthcare and mental health."

TikTok users have also weighed in on the controversial commercial. One called the clip "corny," saying it appears to mock "working class people who have decided, 'You know what? I'm not fueling this economy. I'm not spending all this money on Black Friday. I'm not spending all this money on Christmas [and] fueling the economy when the economy is not fueling us.'"

In a viral post, beauty influencer Jasmine Hinton argued that "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is arguably an anti-capitalist anthem, as Carey sings about "wanting to spend time with the people, or the person, that you care about the most" rather than focusing on material possessions.

"Yet somehow, this ad does the exact opposite, and it's a dig at consumers for boycotting all these corporations. I don't understand why they needed to do that," Hinton said.

She went on to frame the ad as a reflection of current class tensions. "I think it's really just ragebait. … [The] fact that big corporations are doing this is so ridiculous. Having Mariah Carey dress up as an angel and then having the elf be 'the thief'... this is a class war, and it's right in front of us."

Another TikTok user echoed Hinton's sentiments in a viral post. "These companies are laughing in our faces," she said. "What do you mean you have the elves boycotting and they're not working?"

They continue, "So, if your goal, really and truly, is to not pay for anything, not buy anything this holiday season, you need to stand on that ... If we sit here and still buy up all the stores this holiday season, they're going to continue laughing in our faces all the way to the bank."

As of this writing, the post has nearly 90,000 likes and more than 4,500 comments.

Representatives for Carey and Sephora did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.