Beauty Independent

A month after President Donald Trump signed an executive order making the gender binary the official position of the United States, good light cosmetics, a clean skincare brand with the slogan “beauty beyond the binary,” is demonstrating that there is still room for a broader perspective on gender in beauty retail. This is evident with an all-door rollout in Ulta Beauty’s mass sections. The move follows Ulta's reaffirmation of its commitment to DEI efforts—efforts that other retailers have stepped away from. At Good Light, founder David Yi says, “As the political landscape reverses DEI, our customer base is doubling down on it.” At Ulta, Lisa Tamburello, VP of merchandising, states, “We can’t wait for even more beauty enthusiasts to discover David’s incredible vision, his beautiful brand purpose that celebrates authenticity and self-expression and, of course, the viral bestsellers that are clean, vegan, cruelty-free and sustainably produced.” Read more: https://bit.ly/4bsbEwS #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

Futurewise, which announced its closure on Monday, is the latest brand to fall victim to the dark side of an ephemeral viral trend. Launched in 2022, the brand introduced a three-product system priced at a premium compared to legacy players like Vaseline and Aquaphor. It offered eye-catching design, buzzy social media content and petroleum-free formulas. Also in 2022, search intelligence firm Spate reported search volume for "slugging"—the practice of coating skin in occlusives for moisture retention—had spiked 78% from the previous year. Hoping to capture gen Z's attention and dollars, big-box megachains quickly picked up Futurewise. However, as the TikTok phenomenon of slugging has faded, so too has the brand. While slugging itself, a practice dating back millennia, won't disappear, it seems packaging it specifically for gen Z consumption may not be wise. Read more: https://bit.ly/3F3b5hb #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

Saks Global CEO Marc Metrick has attempted to reassure the retailer’s vendors that it’s committed to paying what it owes them, but many remain unconvinced. After months of waiting for thousands of dollars, they’re feeling burned. The situation is further complicated by Saks Global’s shift to new payment terms that vendors are less than thrilled about. The company will now pay purchase orders on a 90-day basis, a change from usually paying on 60-day terms before. It also promises to cover past invoices in 12 installments. While Saks Global’s financial position has strengthened since the merger between Saks and Neiman Marcus was finalized last year, the department store sector remains precarious. Some vendors are questioning whether working with the company is still worthwhile. In the beauty industry, emerging brands with limited financial cushions are particularly wary of the extended payment terms. One beauty brand consultant tells Beauty Independent, "Brands are going nuts over that. I mean, in what world can an emerging brand make those terms work?" Read more: https://bit.ly/3QKeQdP #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—but in fashion and beauty, dupes are more than just copycats. As social media reshapes luxury and status, dupes are fueling a new kind of demand. Take the “Wirkin”—a viral Hermès Birkin-inspired bag sold on Walmart’s marketplace for less than 1% of the real deal’s price. Its rise to fame has reignited the conversation around luxury lookalikes and their place in the industry. Join Jane Carlson and three leaders of brands playing in the space as they unpack the power of dupes, the marketing challenges they face, and what’s next for this disruptive market. RSVP and join us for free: https://bit.ly/3X5tmAC #hereforthefierce #indiebeauty #beautypublication #wellness #beautypreneur #entrepreneur #webinars #keyknowledge #fragrancefounders

Even in the age of Amazon and TikTok, most fragrance purchases occur in stores. With the fragrance category on fire, indie fragrance retailers are growing with it, both in sales and locations. As they widen their shopper net, we touched base with six such retailers around the country to learn about the trends and fragrances catching on. A common theme is that Asian-born fragrance brands are having a huge moment. At Ministry of Scent in San Francisco, for example, South Korea’s Borntostandout, Singapore’s Maison de L'Asie, Hong Kong's One Day and Vietnam’s D'Annam are popular. Closer to home, Unknown Pleasures by Detroit-based brand Kerosene Fragrances has been a hit. To keep unearthing hits, indie fragrance stores are adding to their selections. Arielle Shoshana Weinberg, founder of Arielle Shoshana, a niche fragrance boutique in Fairfax, Va., set to open a second location this year, says, “We always want to make sure that anyone can walk in and find something that they love and leave with regardless of what they're prepared to spend that day.” Read more: https://bit.ly/3XnoXJl #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

Cocofloss has a new name—Cocolab—that reflects its broad assortment and distribution reach. Started a decade ago with coconut oil-infused floss, the brand's current fastest-growing product is fluoride-free toothpaste Cocoshine. Cocolab is available at a wide range of retailers, from Violet Grey to CVS, and has seen its sales multiple 5X over the past five years. The inclusion of "lab" in its rebranding hints at co-founder and dentist Chrystle Cu's role and responds to consumer research informing the brand that people are drawn to its dentist-designed products. "My home is a little crazy with all the concoctions I have in there," says Cu. "So, it is truly like a lab.” Read more: https://bit.ly/43EVq1R #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

As beauty conglomerates continue divesting brands, Carol's Daughter has a new home. Joe Wong has acquired the textured haircare pioneer from L'Oréal, partnering with founder Lisa Price who's leading it as president and has an equity stake. Wong and Price will have their work cut out for them guiding Carol's Daughter in a textured haircare market that's evolved considerably since the brand started in Price's Brooklyn kitchen in 1993. Brandon Schwartz, brand growth strategist at consultancy The Playbook, believes it's time for Carol's Daughter to really shake things up. He says, “Price needs to position the brand at the intersection of heritage wisdom and contemporary science, leveraging her founder authenticity against celebrity-backed newcomers.” Read more: https://bit.ly/43kQGxW #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

The National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics predict record Valentine's Day business this year of $27.5 billion, up from last year's $25.8 billion and the previous record of $27.4 billion in 2020. Over half of consumers expect to celebrate the holiday for lovers and friends by spending $188.81 on average compared to $185.81 last year. The good news for them is that there are plenty of new products to empty their wallets for from brands such as BAWDY, Dr. Squatch, Herbalore NYC and Bloomi. Read more: https://bit.ly/4b19cgI #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

With ambitions to become a billion-dollar brand within the next decade, Naked Sundays SPF has quickly ramped up its retail reach in North America. After launching at 900-plus Target stores a year ago, it's rolled out to 700 Ulta Beauty doors. In Canada, it's also in 1,200 Shoppers Drug Mart stores. It joins Ultra Violette Skincare and Standard Procedure? among Australian sun care brands chasing opportunity in the U.S., the biggest sun care market in the world. As they grow their businesses, they're trying to change the perception of sunscreen from a functional, occasional necessity to an everyday beauty practice. "Australian brands are elevating sunscreen into a far more revered step in skincare similar to how serums or moisturizers are perceived," says longtime beauty marketing executive Ina Subramanian. Read more: https://bit.ly/41Dh4BZ #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews

Over 15 years after its first brand Ciaté London launched, Brand Agency London is in trouble. The company, which also owns Lottie London and Skin Proud, filed for insolvency on Jan. 9 after amassing 10 million pounds or roughly $12.5 million in debt in the year ended March 2023. During the same period, its total net assets were 204,198 pounds or around $260,000. Brand Agency London's portfolio brands are now up for sale as they face mounting competition for fickle gen Z consumers’ attention. “Building brand loyalty with a gen Z is certainly much harder than it is with an older consumer. They also want a lot—and rightly so—but they do demand a lot,” Charlotte Knight, founder of Brand Agency London, told Beauty Independent in a 2023 interview. “They want the best possible performance, best possible product ingredients…so, definitely with the way the world is and rising costs and inflationary pressures and everything else, it is a challenge.” Read more: https://bit.ly/3F28xzM #hereforthefierce #beautyentrepreneur #wellnessentrepreneur #beautybusiness #beautynews