Beauty
Analysis and advice on the fast-evolving beauty business.
Highlights

Why Do We Root Against Celebrity Beauty Brands?

Two of the most talked about celebrity skin care brands make their debut this month – Hailey Bieber’s Rhode and Kim Kardashian’s SKKN by Kim. But are consumers getting tired of celebrity beauty lines?

How Dior Made Sauvage the World’s Number One Fragrance

The fragrance’s success runs deeper than the current interest in Johnny Depp. LVMH’s hefty investments in advertising, retail, and a full range of Sauvage-scented products have helped dethrone even the top women's scents.

Case Studies & Reports

Case Study

Sephora’s Bid to Dominate Global Beauty Retail — Download the Case Study

Report

Building Resilience and Value in Fashion’s Supply Chain | BoF Insights

Case Study

The Complete Guide to Influencer Marketing — Download the Case Study

Latest News & Analysis

Kylie Cosmetics Tries to Evolve Beyond the ‘Instagram Makeup’ Era

Under Coty, Kylie Jenner’s cosmetics and skin care lines have expanded internationally. But the brand that kicked off the celebrity beauty boom seven years ago may be showing its age.

How Mielle Organics Is Rewriting the Playbook for Black Hair Brands

Monique Rodriguez is one of a small number of Black women to secure a seven-figure investment for her business. The next challenge: scale while staying Black-owned.

Why YSL Beauté Is Investing in Smart Tools, Intelligent Makeup and Responsible Products

BoF discovers how AI technology, smart tools, regenerative agriculture and purpose-driven projects are defining the next iteration of YSL Beauté, as the brand transforms its products and services to reflect the needs of consumers today.

Armani’s Big Bet on Regé-Jean Page

The Italian luxury brand is betting the rising star – currently the favourite to be the next James Bond – and a new parfum will catapult its Armani Code cologne into the category’s top tier.

Glossier Lays Off 24 Employees Amid Reorganisation Ahead of Sephora Entry

Glossier is re-organising its company as it readies to enter Sephora early next year.

How Dior Made Sauvage the World’s Number One Fragrance

The fragrance’s success runs deeper than the current interest in Johnny Depp. LVMH’s hefty investments in advertising, retail, and a full range of Sauvage-scented products have helped dethrone even the top women's scents.

Glossier Will Sell Products at Sephora Next Year

The beauty company that defined the look and the business model for countless digital brands just signed its first major wholesale deal. The direct-to-consumer golden age is officially over.

The Hottest Perfume Start-Up in Paris

Barnabé Fillion, the multi-disciplinary aesthete behind scents from Aesop and Rick Owens, is using innovative ingredients and tie-ups with the worlds of art and music to fuel his own high-end fragrance venture, Arpa.

Why Diffusion Beauty Brands Rarely Take Off

With the launch of AF94, Halsey now operates two makeup brands. But star power alone won’t ensure success for a diffusion label, a notoriously tricky concept to pull off in beauty.

Exclusive: Halsey Launches a Second Beauty Brand

AF94, the musician’s second beauty label which launches at Walmart this week, targets Gen-Z and will sell for $10 and under.

The Way Consumers Buy Beauty Products Is Changing. Again.

Department stores used to be ground zero for consumers looking to try and buy new makeup or skin care products, only to lose their grip on the market to Sephora and Ulta. Now, another evolution is underway as big-box retailers and drugstores enter the fray.

Selling Lipstick and Stockpiling Cash: How Beauty Brands Are Preparing for a Recession

The category is often thought to be ‘recession proof,’ but brands are making adjustments to prepare for a potential recession.

THE NEWS IN BRIEF

Ulta Beauty Launches Venture Fund

The US-based beauty chain launched digital innovation fund Prisma Ventures, which will invest $20 million in emerging technology start-ups with the potential to shape retail experiences online and in-store.

Sephora Makes Permanent Exit From Russia

LVMH is selling Sephora’s Russia business to the local general manager, the company said on Monday in an emailed statement. In early March, the group temporarily closed its Russian stores.

Glossier to Increase Prices as Costs Rise

The beauty brand put a banner across its site announcing the price of some products would increase by $1 to $4 starting July 6 due to “higher production costs.”

Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin Sued for Trademark Infringement

Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin brand — which launched June 15 to much fanfare — is being sued by the fashion label Rhode, which was founded in 2014 by Purna Khatu and Phoebe Vickers and is carried by retailers such as Net-a-Porter and Bergdorf Goodman.