Beauty results for 2025 are in and a new emerging group doubled it sales last year.
L’ORÉAL SALES UP 4% LIKE-FOR-LIKE IN FY25 WHILE PROFIT IS DOWN
L’Oréal delivered 4% like-for-like sales growth to €44.05bn in 2025, but net profit fell 4.4% to €6.13bn due to a €250mn exceptional French tax levy. The group placed a strategic €4bn bet on acquiring Kering Beauté, ramped up tech investments, and expressed cautious optimism for 2026.
UNILEVER BEAUTY SALES UP 4.3% IN FY25 OUTPACING GROUP’S RESULTS
Beauty & Wellbeing sales rose 4.3% in 2025, accelerating to 4.7% in Q4 with balanced volume and price, while underlying operating profit fell 3.2% and margin dipped 20 basis points to 19.2% due to increased brand and marketing investment. The division continues its strategic pivot toward science-led, premium innovations—with double-digit growth from Dove, Vaseline, Nutrafol, and K18—positioning Beauty & Wellbeing as Unilever’s primary growth engine.
SHISEIDO SALES CONTRACT 1.8% IN FY25, TARGETS 3% REBOUND IN 2026
Shiseido closed 2025 with like-for-like sales down 1.8% to €5.34bn, though core operating profit rose 22.4% to €244.9m. A €257.4m goodwill impairment in the Americas pushed the group to a net loss of €223.7m; management now forecasts 3% sales growth for 2026 with a 55% profit rebound, though China and Travel Retail are expected to remain in decline.
AMOREPACIFIC 2025 SALES UP 9.2% IN FY25
Amorepacific’s sales in 2025 rose 9.5% to €3.15bn, with operating profit surging 52.3% to €249m. Overseas revenue grew 15%, driven by 20% growth in the Americas and a 42% jump in EMEA.
HERMÈS SALES UP 8.9% IN FY25 WHILE BEAUTY IS DOWN 7.6%
Hermès revenue climbed 8.9% at constant exchange to €16bn in 2025, but perfume and beauty contracted 8% against exceptional comparatives from the prior year’s Barénia fragrance launch, despite new scent introductions and lipstick expansion. Leather goods and saddlery accelerated 13% on new silhouettes and atelier openings, while all geographies grew—Americas up 12% and Middle East 15%—underscoring the group’s resilience beyond the beauty segment’s temporary deceleration.
DOUGLAS SALES UP 1.7% IN Q1 FY26
Douglas reported Q1 sales up 1.7% to €1.67bn with adjusted EBITDA of €334m, slightly ahead of consensus, though gross margin contracted 120 basis points under sustained promotional pressure. E-commerce grew 4.2% to represent 33.9% of total sales while store like-for-like declined 2.8%; the group now counts 61 million Beauty Card members as it rolls out exclusive brand partnerships across 22 markets.
DSM-FIRMENICH PERFUME & BEAUTY SALES UP 3% IN FY25
Perfumery & Beauty delivered 3% organic sales growth, with Fine Fragrances up high-single digit and the Middle East a standout region, while Beauty & Care was hampered by weakness in sun filters and softness in the Americas. Adjusted EBITDA margin held at 21.7%—a resilient performance despite the sun filter drag—and EBITDA was flat excluding a 3% negative currency effect.
APR ACHIEVES 111% REVENUE GROWTH IN 2025 DRIVEN BY GLOBAL DEMAND
South Korean beauty company APR reported record annual revenue of approximately €950 million in 2025, marking a 111% year-on-year growth, with overseas markets accounting for 80% of sales. The company’s operating profit surged 198% to about €225 million, fueled by the global popularity of its Medicube cosmetics brand and the expansion of its premium device segment.
GROUPE BOGART SALES DOWN 8.7% IN 2025
The group’s Fragrances & Cosmetics division (its 12 owned brands) saw a sharp 13.1% revenue decline to €47.9 million, despite some successful new product launches. Conversely, its Beauty Retail division (about 450 selective perfumeries and drugstores) experienced a slightly softer 7.6% decline, generating a larger share of the group’s total revenue at €216.0 million.
VÉRONIQUE COURTOIS APPOINTED HEAD OF LVMH’S BEAUTY DIVISION
Véronique Courtois has been promoted to lead LVMH’s entire Beauty Division while retaining her role as CEO of Christian Dior Perfumes. This internal promotion follows her long tenure at LVMH, where she previously served as CEO of Guerlain and has held various marketing and leadership positions since 2000.
CLARINS EXTENDS €500M+ DOUBLE SERUM FRANCHISE INTO FOUNDATION
Clarins has launched Double Serum Foundation, the first category extension of its flagship franchise estimated by industry sources to generate over €500m annually. Priced at €62 and available in 37 shades, the product combines 14 actives with the original serum formula; early sell-out has been so strong the company risks supply constraints, with first-year sales projected at 10 to 15 percent of the franchise’s total.
L’ORÉAL ENTERS NUTRICOSMETICS WITH VICHY’S FIRST COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENT
L’Oréal is entering the nutricosmetics market through its dermocosmetic brand Vichy, launching its first clinically tested dietary supplement, Liftactiv Collagen Supplements, designed to support collagen synthesis. This move represents a strategic expansion beyond topical skincare, offering a holistic beauty and health approach that bridges dermatology and nutrition.
OLIVE YOUNG PARTNERS WITH GABONA TO EXPAND K-BEAUTY IN EUROPE
Olive Young has entered a distribution partnership with Poland-based Gabona to expand its private-label K-beauty brands—Bioheal Boh, Bringgreen, and Colorgram—across European markets, starting in Poland. This move aims to capitalize on growing European demand for K-beauty and follows Olive Young’s strong 2025 performance, where it accounted for about 88% of cosmetics purchased by tourists in Korea’s tax-free program.
MIIN EXPANDS EUROPEAN FOOTPRINT WITH OPENINGS IN ITALY AND GERMANY
The Barcelona-based Korean cosmetics retailer is accelerating its European growth by opening three new stores in Naples, Verona, and Hamburg, bringing its total to 50 stores across the continent. This expansion follows a 63% sales increase in fiscal 2024, with revenue reaching €25 million, driven by rising European interest in K-beauty.
DSM-FIRMENICH OPENS LAB IN RIYADH TO DRIVE PERFUME INNOVATION
The ingredients giant has partnered with luxury concept-store Villa Po ONE to launch Po ONE Lab, a creative space in Riyadh dedicated to fine fragrance development through cultural immersion and experimentation. The initiative, accompanied by a seven-perfume collection inspired by iconic Saudi destinations, reinforces dsm-firmenich’s long-term investment strategy in the Middle East and positions the kingdom as an emerging hub for olfactive creation.
AI FRAGRANCE STARTUP OSMO SECURES $70M, CLAIMS PATENT LEADERSHIP
Osmo, an AI-driven fragrance startup, has raised $70 million to expand its proprietary technology for discovering novel scent molecules, after filing more fragrance patents in 2025 than all major perfume houses combined. Concurrently, the company has strengthened its leadership team with several seasoned industry executives to accelerate its commercial growth and mission to democratize perfume development.
WARPAINT ACQUIRES RIVAL BARRY M IN £1.4 MILLION DEAL
British cosmetics supplier Warpaint has acquired the rival brand Barry M for £1.4 million, adding its intellectual property and stock to a portfolio that includes W7 and Super Facialist. The acquisition aims to accelerate Warpaint’s penetration into key UK retail channels, following its expected £105 million revenue for FY2025.
