Last week in beauty Sephora enters TikTok shop and Wella files for IPO.
SEPHORA LAUNCHES ON TIKTOK SHOP WITH US PILOT
Sephora is launching on TikTok Shop in the US on September 19 with Sephora Drop Shop, a social commerce format featuring exclusive monthly beauty product drops supported by teasers, creator-led content and TikTok LIVE events. The US pilot will operate with a test-and-learn approach, with selected items later rolling out to Sephora.com and stores, as the retailer strengthens its social commerce strategy.
WELLA FILES FOR US IPO AS SALES REACH $2.94BN
KKR-backed Wella Company has filed for a US initial public offering, reporting annual revenue of $2.94 billion and net income of $2.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2026, compared with a $44.6 million loss on $2.69 billion revenue a year earlier. The beauty group, which owns Wella, Clairol and OPI, plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker WELA, with proceeds partly used to repay debt and cover tax restructuring costs.
VICTORIA BECKHAM RETURNS TO PROFIT WITH BEAUTY DRIVING GROWTH
Victoria Beckham Holdings reported its first-ever operating profit of £7.3 million in 2025 on revenue of £129.8 million, up 15% year-on-year, reversing a £1.6 million loss in 2024. Beauty drove the turnaround, expanding from 3 retail doors in 2023 to around 300 across 15 markets, while double-digit sales growth continued into the first half of 2026.
RHODE CONFIRMS SEPHORA EUROPE LAUNCH DATE OF SEPTEMBER 30
Rhode, the e.l.f. Beauty-owned brand founded by Hailey Bieber, will launch in 19 European countries across Sephora’s online and physical stores on September 30, following successful US, UK and Canada rollouts. The brand, which surpassed $10m in sales at Sephora US within two days of launch and became Sephora UK’s number one brand in its first week, will offer fan favorites including bronzers and luminizers alongside exclusive items.
YOUTUBE PARTNERS WITH AMAZON TO EXPAND SHOPPING PLATFORM
YouTube has added Amazon as an affiliate partner for YouTube Shopping, allowing eligible creators to tag Amazon products in videos and livestreams to earn commissions, joining retailers including Sephora and Walmart. The partnership strengthens YouTube’s creator-led commerce push as global gross merchandise volume for YouTube Shopping increased 13-fold between Q1 2024 and Q1 2026, with viewers watching approximately 110 million hours of shopping-related content daily.
MAO GEPING H1 26 REVENUE SOARS 26.2%
Chinese prestige beauty company Mao Geping Cosmetics reported first-half revenue of RMB3.27 billion (€419 million), up 26.2% year-on-year, with earnings rising approximately 20% to RMB805 million (€103 million) and EPS increasing to RMB1.64 from RMB1.37. The results highlight the continued growth momentum and increasing commercial strength of China’s leading domestic beauty brands.
AESOP REDESIGNS FRAGRANCE PACKAGING AND UNVEILS NEW SCENT
L’Oréal-owned Aesop has redesigned its fragrance bottles for the first time in 20 years, introducing a taller, slimmer design with a basalt-textured cap alongside the launch of its new woody-mineral fragrance, Unforeseen Aer. The redesign, led by Creative Director Aï Kato, integrates more closely with the brand’s retail environment and will extend across the fragrance portfolio, as Aesop strengthens its fragrance proposition while maintaining its distinctive minimalist identity.
SHISEIDO LAUNCHES MAX MARA FRAGRANCE
Shiseido has launched Max Mara Le Parfum, the first fragrance under its long-term licensing partnership with the Italian fashion house, rolling out through selected retailers in North America and Europe on August 24. The launch expands Shiseido’s prestige fragrance portfolio, leveraging its Paris-based Center of Excellence and global distribution network to scale fashion-led brands internationally.
JO MALONE ENTERS DOG GROOMING WITH SHAMPOO
Jo Malone London has launched its first pet care product, an Orange & Cedarwood Dog Shampoo developed in collaboration with British pet care brand WildWash, featuring Brand Ambassador Tom Hardy and his French bulldog Blue in the campaign. The permanent addition to the fragrance house’s portfolio reflects the brand’s focus on extending its scented lifestyle proposition into new categories.
LAURA GELLER BEAUTY LAUNCHES IN SEPHORA AT KOHL’S
Laura Geller Beauty has launched in 854 Sephora at Kohl’s stores nationwide beginning August 31, marking the primarily direct-to-consumer brand’s return to widespread physical retail. The launch features the bestselling Baked Balance-n-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation in a boxed set with a Kabuki brush, responding to years of customer demand for in-person shade matching and trial.
SARAH CREAL BEAUTY LAUNCHES AT SPACE NK IN UK AND IRELAND
Sarah Creal Beauty, the luxury makeup and skincare range for women 40-plus founded by veteran product developer Sarah Creal, has launched exclusively at Space NK in the UK and Ireland. The brand, featuring clinically tested products priced from £28 to £75 with hero items including Moisture Source essence and Face Flex concealer, has won more than 20 industry awards since its 2024 debut.
COTTONBALL LAUNCHES PREMIUM PRESCRIPTION SKINCARE BRAND
Cottonball is launching on September 1 as a direct-to-consumer prescription skincare brand priced from $198 to $234 for a two-month supply, requiring customers to complete an online assessment before a board-certified dermatologist develops a custom treatment plan. Developed with cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson and dermatology adviser Dr. Mona Gohara, the brand aims to bridge clinical dermatology with prestige beauty by offering prescription-strength formulations packaged and marketed with luxury positioning.
NATURA EXPANDS MANUFACTURING IN MEXICO WITH NEW PLANT
Natura is expanding production capacity at its Celaya facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, adding new production lines and quality control technology to increase output by 30 to 60 percent. The investment strengthens the 189,000-square-metre complex’s role as a manufacturing hub for Natura and Avon in Mexico, following the relocation of Avon’s production and distribution operations to Celaya.
SEPHORA BECOMES FIRST BEAUTY RETAIL PARTNER OF US OPEN
Sephora has been named the first-ever Beauty Retail Partner of the US Open tennis tournament, hosting a shade-matching activation during Finals Weekend from September 12-13 where visitors can be matched by Sephora Pro Artists. The partnership showcases the retailer’s extensive complexion offering with more than 7,000 shades across brands including Danessa Myricks Beauty, Westman Atelier and Haus Labs.
HAUS LABS TAPS PHILIPPINE LEROY-BEAULIEU FOR CONCEALER CAMPAIGN
Haus Labs has signed Emily in Paris actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu to front its “We Love Concealer” campaign for the new Triclone Skin Tech Collection, celebrating beauty at every age. The 63-year-old French actress was chosen for her embodiment of Parisian style and attitude, with the brand’s Chief Brand Officer noting the campaign is “driven by attitude and personal happiness” rather than age.
