The undisputed Queen of Christmas is back to kick off the most wonderful time of the year—Mariah Carey has dropped her annual “It’s Time” holiday announcement, and this year, she’s bringing Billy Eichner and Sephora along for the festive fun.
Right at midnight on Halloween, the 56-year-old singer shared the highly anticipated video on social media, marking the official start of a season where her 1994 classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is sure to once again top the charts. The clip opens with Carey in a showstopping angel Halloween costume, declaring, “Halloween absolutely slayed!” before teasing, “But now, it’s time” as the first iconic notes of her holiday hit begin to play.
Her singing is cut short, though, when she spots her vanity in disarray—her Sephora bag toppled over, with products nowhere to be found. “Spill the tea—who’s the thief here?” Carey demands, only for Eichner to pop up, dressed as a sassy elf loaded with Sephora bags and a Santa sack. “Busted!” he admits with a grin. “Bad news, Mariah: The elves are on strike this year. Revenge for putting us through holiday chaos! Santa’s helpers quit, and I’m pawning all this to pay for elf therapy.”
“That’s my blush, elf boy,” Carey fires back, calling him out. Eichner holds up a Sephora gift bag triumphantly: “And your lipstick? I’m taking that too!” He quips, “Christmas is canceled—no bells, no cheer, no glam. Later, sweetie!” Carey shuts down the idea immediately: “You can’t cancel Christmas.” When Eichner asks if she has “any last words” before making off with his loot, Carey delivers her signature whistle note: “It’s time!”
As “All I Want For Christmas Is You” blares, Carey works her magic—turning Eichner into a fluffy snowman and transforming her angel getup into a glittering red Santa suit. She then hops on a reindeer-pulled sleigh, dropping Sephora gift bags down chimneys across the town. “It’s Time!!! #SephoraPartner,” Carey captioned the joyful clip.
Eichner didn’t hold back his excitement in the Instagram comments: “Always an honor to be your elf, @mariahcarey! .”
Carey’s Halloween midnight “It’s Time” tradition has been a holiday staple since 2018, with the singer releasing a new festive video each year to signal the start of Christmas season. Her timeless hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You”—one of the best-selling Christmas songs of all time—first entered the charts in 1994, but it took 25 years for the track to claim the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2019. Last year, the song stayed atop the Hot 100 for an impressive 18 weeks, solidifying its status as a holiday anthem.