Retail & the beauty consumer

Marc Anthony Cosmetics acquires Cake Beauty

Marc Anthony Cosmetics acquires Cake Beauty

By Deanna Utroske

The indie hair care brand out of Canada would like to be that country’s leading beauty company and a bigger contender in the global cosmetics and personal care business too. This week’s deal with Cake Beauty is a next step on that journey.

The Estée Lauder Companies Q2 results

The Estée Lauder Companies Q2 results

By Deanna Utroske

Makeup and skin care continue to do well for the company, while this quarter’s results were uniquely impacted by the recent US tax reform bill, and for the immediate future, the company is banking on digital marketing and prestige beauty.

Crown Laboratories acquires self-tanning brand Vita Liberata

Crown Laboratories acquires self-tanning brand Vita Liberata

By Deanna Utroske

Late last week the pharmaceutical and consumer products company announced it has acquired the organic sunless tanning and skin care brand founded by CEO Alyson Hogg. Crown Laboratories sees the global brand as a fitting addition to their existing sun...

Kao acquiring prestige hair care brand Oribe

Kao acquiring prestige hair care brand Oribe

By Deanna Utroske

Late last year the global salon products company announced the signing of a deal to buy Oribe Hair Care. As part of the agreement, brand co-founder Daniel Kaner will join the Kao management team as president of Oribe.

Ariana Grande and the celebrity fragrance business

Ariana Grande and the celebrity fragrance business

By Deanna Utroske

Influencer and celebrity brands aren’t what they used to be, and recording artist Ariana Grande’s fragrance partnership with LUXE Brands is a case in point. Late last year the franchise passed the $150 million retail sales milestone.

Huda Beauty to launch HB Investments

Huda Beauty to launch HB Investments

By Deanna Utroske

Today, TSG Consumer Partners announced that the firm has acquired a minority stake in the color cosmetics brand. With this funding, Huda Beauty has plans to build a more global business and launch a program that will fund and mentor entrepreneurs in the...

Natural personal care proves to be good business for Clorox

Natural personal care proves to be good business for Clorox

By Deanna Utroske

The Clorox Company announced Q1 2018 financial results this week and it’s clear that the Burt’s Bees personal care and cosmetics brand is doing well for the company, despite its being the only beauty brand in the Clorox portfolio.

More funding for beauty startup Sahi Cosmetics

More funding for beauty startup Sahi Cosmetics

By Deanna Utroske

This month the beauty brand, founded by Shelly Sahi and dedicated to making color cosmetics for women with medium skin tones, was awarded $100,000 in the Rise of the Rest competition for venture capital.

SC Johnson to acquire Method soap brand

SC Johnson to acquire Method soap brand

By Deanna Utroske

The household chemical and product maker announced the forthcoming transaction late last week. It’s a deal that will add Method’s hand and body soaps to the SC Johnson portfolio.

A look at the beauty brands on this year’s Inc. 5000

A look at the beauty brands on this year’s Inc. 5000

By Deanna Utroske

The monthly magazine covering news about growing US businesses has issued its latest 5000 list, a roster of “the fastest-growing private firms in America” and the entrepreneurs behind them.

Is Unilever about to acquire Estee Lauder?

Is Unilever about to acquire Estee Lauder?

By Deanna Utroske

Rumors of a takeover began to fly Friday after the Evening Standard published an item, citing unnamed sources, suggesting that Unilever and other interested buyers (multinational cosmetic companies, global investment firms, and holding companies) are...

Dubai-based vegan cosmetics line hits the US

Dubai-based vegan cosmetics line hits the US

By Simon Pitman

Indie beauty brands Luscious Cosmetics has made the leap into the huge US markets, after expanding rapidly thanks to its focus on a vegan cruelty-free colour cosmetics.

Freeman Beauty acquisition signals intent to go global

Freeman Beauty acquisition signals intent to go global

By Deanna Utroske

Yellow Wood Partners just announced buying the personal care company and has plans to work with the existing senior management team at Freeman Beauty to expand business in current channels as well as into new markets internationally.

Avon struggles continue as losses mount

Avon struggles continue as losses mount

By Lucy Whitehouse

In a continuation of its recent poor performances, Avon again announced a quarterly loss with its most recent, second-quarter statement.

Colorescience announces new funding and new board member

Colorescience announces new funding and new board member

By Deanna Utroske

The beauty brand, known for its color products that function like skin care and sell primarily in the pro channel, has just completed a series C funding round and is welcoming Adele Oliva to its board.

Avon Products says this is the last leadership change, for now

Avon Products says this is the last leadership change, for now

By Deanna Utroske

This week the direct sales beauty company announced the appointment of a new chief operating officer. And in making the announcement, Avon Products assured investors, the industry, and the public that the company is now moving full speed ahead toward...

Hourglass will become Unilever’s first color cosmetics brand

Hourglass will become Unilever’s first color cosmetics brand

By Deanna Utroske

The personal care company announced on Tuesday that a deal has been struck to acquire the makeup brand Hourglass. It’s the latest in a string of Unilever acquisitions to bring prestige personal care and beauty brands onboard.  

Alex Keith steps up to lead P&G’s streamlined beauty business

Alex Keith steps up to lead P&G’s streamlined beauty business

By Deanna Utroske

Following last year’s divesture of dozens of brands, P&G still does a multibillion dollar business in beauty. And as of next month, Keith, who’s been with the company since 1989 will be in charge of what’s left of the P&G skin care and personal...

Sabine Chalmers is first woman to join Coty board of directors

Sabine Chalmers is first woman to join Coty board of directors

By Deanna Utroske

Just six months after becoming the world’s third largest beauty company (thanks to the acquisition of what had been P&G’s specialty beauty business) the personal care, fragrance, and cosmetics company has announced the addition of a woman to its previously...

expert opinion column Two Views business impact of beauty brand story

Two Views: The business implications of a beauty brand story

By Deanna Utroske

This installment of Two Views features experts in PR and beauty brand building on the value of story in today’s cosmetics and personal care market.  Stephanie Scott, CEO at First and Last PR, and Laureen Schroeder of Bespoke Beauty Partners explain how...

At Coty, there will soon be a new president of consumer beauty

At Coty, there will soon be a new president of consumer beauty

By Deanna Utroske

Esi Eggleston Bracey, who has overseen the consumer beauty portfolio at Coty since the company finalized the acquisition of P&G’s specialty beauty business in October of last year, will leave Coty at the end of the month.

Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) Washington Report cosmetics

Washington DC and the state of beauty industry

By Deanna Utroske

A week ago Monday, the Personal Care Products Council convened a panel, as part of the organization’s annual meeting, to discuss the ramifications that the new Presidential administration’s legislative endeavors and policies will have on the cosmetics...

Elizabeth Arden: A beauty brand turnaround case study with Air Paris

Elizabeth Arden: A beauty brand turnaround case study

By Deanna Utroske

Last summer Revlon got into the prestige beauty business in a big way by acquiring Elizabeth Arden. Some two years before that deal, Elizabeth Arden invested in an Air Paris rebranding scheme that wisely leveraged the potential of content, sharing and...

Where politics, the Trump White House, and the beauty business meet

Analysis

Where politics and beauty meet

By Deanna Utroske

New leadership took over the United States not two months ago, and already executive orders, emerging policy platforms, and the pandemonium of an experiment in business-tycoon-as-government-official have warranted a new level of coverage in a cosmetics...

new New York City headquarters social selling beauty company New Avon

A new headquarters for New Avon

By Deanna Utroske

After nearly one year as a stand-alone company, the North American social selling beauty company has announced the location of its new offices here in New York City. Soon hundreds of New Avon staff will move from the East Side to Lower Manhattan.

Elementis acquires SRLH Holdings

Elementis acquires SRLH Holdings

By Deanna Utroske

The specialty chemical maker has plans to grow its business with personal care manufacturers in the US and emerging marketing, including Latin America. This deal is very much a part of the Elementis growth strategy.