Violette_FR Secures $5 Million Funding to Grow Make-Up Empire
French cosmetics brand Violette_FR announced a $5 million financing round, sourced from existing investors including Silas Capital, Female Founders Fund, Monogram Capital and Highlander Partners. The capital follows a Series B round in December 2024 that was co‑led by Silas Capital and Experience Capital. Founder Violette Serrat, a former global beauty director at Estée Lauder, will use the funds to accelerate the brand’s expansion, especially in the United States. The injection underscores the company’s rapid growth since its 2021 launch across makeup, skin‑care and fragrance.
Lush Co-Founder Mark Constantine's Turbulent Life Uncovered Further in Dear John Book Update
An updated edition of Mark Constantine’s biography "Dear John" has been released, adding three new chapters to the 336‑page volume. Authored by Jeff Osment, the book charts Constantine’s evolution from homemade remedies to becoming The Body Shop’s largest supplier and...
The Ordinary Spotlights New York City Transit Problem with Free Bus Shuttle Service
The Ordinary, an Estée Lauder skin‑care label, is launching a free two‑week shuttle called The Ordinary Bus from May 26 to June 9, running between Williamsburg’s Domino Park and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. The service cuts the typical 50‑minute subway ride in half, operating weekdays...
Estée Lauder Companies Hungry for M&A as Turnaround Strategy Pays Off
Estée Lauder Companies says its "Beauty Reimagined" turnaround is delivering stability, enabling the firm to pursue M&A in 2026. The company completed a full acquisition of Indian brand Forest Essentials in March and is weighing a complete buyout of 111Skin,...
Vaseline Signs Blackpink’s Jennie as Global Ambassador for Body Care
Vaseline, owned by Unilever, has appointed K‑pop star Jennie of Blackpink as its global ambassador for the Body Care Collection. She will headline campaigns for the Gluta‑Hya brightening line and the Pro Derma dryness‑relief range, with the launch slated for...
Movers and Shakers: 2026’s Most Impactful Beauty CEO Appointments
2026 has seen a wave of high‑profile CEO changes in the beauty sector, including Heela Yang’s departure from Sol de Janeiro, Markus Strobel’s appointment at Coty, and the exit of Charlotte Tilbury’s founding chief. Industry analysts attribute the churn to a market correction...
What Are the Best Foundation Shade Matching Technologies in 2026?
The AI‑driven foundation shade‑matching market is projected to double from $5.8 bn in 2025 to $12.4 bn by 2034, growing at an 8.8% CAGR. Leading platforms—Inference Beauty, Findation, Match My Makeup, FoundationMatcher and Arbelle—offer distinct strengths, from cross‑brand AI that lifts conversion...
Is Estée Lauder Companies Nearing a Sale of Too Faced, Smashbox and Dr. Jart+?
Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has received final bids to sell its under‑performing brands Too Faced, Smashbox and Dr. Jart+. The sale, rumored since January 2026, could close within weeks. Simultaneously, ELC is negotiating a roughly $40 billion merger with Spain’s Puig, for which...
Paula’s Choice Named Official World Cup Skincare Sponsor as Beauty’s Football Fever Sets In
Paula’s Choice, a Unilever‑owned skincare brand, has been named the Official Skincare Sponsor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The partnership launches a global "Proud Supporter of Your Skin" campaign that frames skin...
World’s First Human Cervix Chips Among Lush Prize 2026 Winners
The Lush Prize 2026 awarded funding to breakthrough animal‑free organ‑on‑chip technologies. Dr. Zohreh Izadifar of Harvard’s Wyss Institute received roughly $64,000 to develop a human cervix chip that uses electrical sensors to monitor vaginal and cervical cell responses without animal...
UK Government Urged to Deliver National Strategy on UV Protection, Including Slashing VAT on SPF
The All‑Party Parliamentary Group for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing released a landmark inquiry calling for a UK‑wide UV safety strategy. It urges the government to eliminate the sunscreen VAT, set adult sunscreen tax at 5% and children’s at 0%, and...
Tiro and the Society of Cosmetic Scientists Launch Level 3 Cosmetic Technician Apprenticeship
Tiro and the Society of Cosmetic Scientists have launched a Level 3 Cosmetic Technician apprenticeship aligned with the national Laboratory Technician Standard. The 14‑month, work‑based program blends Tiro’s scientific training with SCS‑authored modules and offers weekly start dates. Non‑levy employers can...
Why Hailey Bieber Refused to Sell Rhode for Less than $1 Billion
Hailey Bieber sold her skin‑care label Rhode to e.l.f. Beauty for $1 billion in May 2025, a price she set as a non‑negotiable goal. The deal, concluded just three years after Rhode’s launch, keeps Bieber on board as founder, Chief Creative Officer,...
Beauty’s Highest Paid CEO Salaries Revealed: L’Oréal, Shiseido, Coty and More
The 2025 remuneration packages for top beauty‑industry CEOs have been disclosed, highlighting substantial pay levels and varied structures. L'Oréal’s Nicolas Hieronimus earned €11.3 million (about $12.3 million), a 13% rise from the prior year, while Shiseido’s Kentaro Fujiwara received $2.2 million, with roughly...
Wearable Maximalism Is 2026’s Most Rebellious Make-Up Trend. Here’s Why…
Wearable maximalism has erupted as 2026’s most rebellious makeup movement, featuring neon eyeliners, blue mascara and vivid green shadows. The trend directly challenges the “clean girl” aesthetic that dominated the early 2020s, positioning bold color as a visual protest against...