Last week in beauty was rich in financial announcements with L’Oréal and Unilever continuing to overperform the overall beauty industry.
L’ORÉAL H1 26 SALES RISE 6.5% LED BY PREMIUM HAIRCARE AND DERMA
L’Oréal reported first-half sales of €23.77 billion, up 6.5% adjusted like-for-like, with operating profit rising 6.8% to €5.06 billion and margin expanding to 21.3%. Professional Products (11.6%) and Dermatological Beauty (10.6%) led growth, while North America rose 6.7% and SAPMENA-SSA advanced 13.8%.
UNILEVER BEAUTY & WELLBEING H1 26 SALES RISE 5.9% TO €6.5BN
Unilever’s Beauty & Wellbeing division generated €6.5 billion in first-half sales, up 5.9% underlying (4.5% volume, 1.3% price), outperforming group growth of 4.8% and strengthening to 8.1% in Q2. Haircare was the main engine with 9% growth, while skincare and wellbeing grew low-single digits, as margins rose only 10bps to 19.5% due to lower gross margins and higher marketing investment.
PUIG H1 SALES RISE 4.4% TO €2.35BN, DRIVEN BY MAKEUP AND APAC
Puig reported first-half 2026 net revenue of €2.35 billion, up 4.4% like-for-like (2.4% reported), with adjusted EBITDA margin slightly improving to 19.5% and operating margin stable at 14.5%. Makeup was the best-performing division with 9.1% LFL growth driven by Charlotte Tilbury, while APAC led regional growth at 20.9% LFL, and the group confirmed its outlook to continue outperforming the premium beauty market.
AMOREPACIFIC Q2 26 REVENUE RISES 17% AS GROWTH SHIFTS WEST
Amorepacific reported second-quarter revenue of KRW 1,175.9 billion (€729 million), up 17% year-on-year, with operating profit surging 59.3% to KRW 117.3 billion (€72.7 million) and margin expanding to 10.0%. International sales grew 27.6% led by the Americas (+56.5%) and EMEA (+63.3%), while North Asia declined 6.2% amid ongoing channel optimisation in China, with COSRX, Aestura and Sulwhasoo driving broad-based growth across Western markets.
LVMH H1 26 ORGANIC GROWTH RETURNS AT 2% BUT BEAUTY STAYS FLAT
LVMH reported first-half revenue of €38.6 billion, up 2% organically but down 3% on a reported basis, with Q2 organic growth accelerating to 3% driven by improving trends in the US and Asia. Perfumes & Cosmetics remained flat organically at €3.9 billion, while Selective Retailing grew 5% organically led by Sephora, highlighting a divergence as beauty lags behind the recovery in LVMH’s core fashion business.
HERMÈS H1 26 SALES RISE 6.1% TO €8.2BN, BUT BEAUTY DECLINES 4.5%
Hermès reported first-half 2026 sales of €8.16 billion, up 6.1% at constant exchange rates and 1.6% reported, with all geographies growing except the Middle East. Perfume and Beauty sales fell 4.5% to €233 million (widening to 9.5% in Q2) as new launches including Plein Air foundation could not offset softer fragrance sales.
P&G FY26 SALES RISE 3% TO $87BN WITH BEAUTY ORGANIC SALES UP 4%
Procter & Gamble reported fiscal year 2026 net sales of $87.0 billion, up 3% year-on-year (1% organic), with diluted EPS up 2% to $6.62 and operating cash flow of $19.6 billion, as CEO Shailesh Jejurikar described a year of “foundation building” amid a challenging environment. Beauty segment organic sales increased 4% for the full year and 5% in Q4, driven by mid-single-digit growth in Hair Care and Personal Care, while Skin Care was flat as super-premium SK-II growth was offset by volume declines in Greater China.
LG H&H Q2 26 SALES RISE 3.3% AND BEAUTY TURNS PROFITABLE
LG Household & Health Care reported second-quarter sales of KRW 1,657 billion (€1 billion), up 3.3% year-on-year, with operating profit surging 87.5% to KRW 103 billion (€62.5 million) as Beauty turned profitable with KRW 44 billion (€26.7 million) in operating profit compared to a loss a year earlier. Beauty sales rose 3.9% to KRW 818 billion (€497 million), driven by growth in domestic channels and North America where Dr. Groot saw triple-digit growth while operating profit improved on premium brand growth and a one-off US tariff refund.
DSM-FIRMENICH H1 26 LFL SALES +5%, PERFUMERY & BEAUTY LEADS AT +7%
dsm-firmenich reported first-half LFL sales growth of 5% (Q2: +6%) with adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.3% and LFL EBITDA up 7%, driven by volume-led growth. Perfumery & Beauty delivered 7% LFL growth with a 21.8% margin, led by double-digit gains in Fine and Consumer Fragrances, and the company confirmed its full-year outlook at the higher end of its 2-4% target range.
SYMRISE H1 26 ORGANIC SALES UP 2% WITH SCENT & CARE STABLE
Symrise reported first-half sales of €2,539 million with organic growth of 2.0%, accelerating to 4.5% in Q2, as adjusted EBITDA reached €553 million with a margin of 21.8%. The Scent & Care division recorded stable H1 sales of €1,009 million with a 17.7% margin, though Q2 organic growth improved to 3.8% driven by Fragrance and Aroma Molecules. The company reaffirmed its full-year outlook of 2-4% organic sales growth.
ROBERTET H1 26 ORGANIC SALES GREW 2.8%, BELOW EXPECTATIONS
Robertet reported first-half organic sales growth of 2.8% to €444 million, below analyst expectations, as reported revenue declined 0.5% due to currency effects while the Perfume division (+12.6%) and Health & Beauty (+11.3%) drove performance. The company confirmed its full-year organic growth target of approximately 5% at constant currency, approaching the second half with caution.
TRUMP IMPOSES NEW TARIFFS ON 60 COUNTRIES
President Donald Trump has implemented new tariff hikes ranging between 10% and 12.5% on 60 economic partners including the UK, South Korea, India and China, replacing expired global tariff hikes. The move follows a Supreme Court ruling that struck down previous tariffs imposed under emergency powers, and comes as the beauty industry continues to navigate tariff impacts.
GAP RE-ENTERS FRAGRANCE WITH GAP BEAUTY LAUNCH
Gap has launched Gap Beauty, reintroducing its iconic scents Dream, Grass, Heaven and Om alongside a new fragrance, Harmony, all reformulated as long-lasting eau de parfums in partnership with DSM-Firmenich perfumer Honorine Blanc. The relaunch marks the first step in Gap’s expanded beauty strategy, reflecting consumer demand for fragrance layering and premium scent experiences.
ESTÉE LAUDER LAUNCHES GLIMMER EAU DE PARFUM
Estée Lauder has launched Glimmer Eau de Parfum on August 6, priced at $160 for 100ml, marking the brand’s first foray into gourmand fragrances with notes of macaron rose, raspberry mousse and vanilla bean. The campaign, fronted by actress Hailee Steinfeld, aims to recruit younger consumers as fragrance continues to be a key growth driver for the company, with industry sources estimating first-year retail sales could reach $60 million.
KT AND AMOREPACIFIC LAUNCH PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AI ASSISTANT
KT and Amorepacific have developed a specialized generative AI research assistant called Lemon that reduces ingredient research and regulatory review from up to 12 days to approximately five minutes. The AI tool will allow researchers to spend less time on repetitive information gathering and more time on innovation.
ALIGN VENTURES CLOSES $125M EARLY-STAGE FUND II
Align Ventures has closed its second early-stage fund at $125 million, surpassing its $100 million target, to invest $2-10 million initial checks in 15-20 brands across beauty, personal care, health, wellness and consumer categories. The firm, whose portfolio includes Touchland (acquired by Church & Dwight) and Coterie, sees beauty and wellness as a major focus for the new fund.
L’ORÉAL FUND INVESTS IN CHINESE HAIRCARE BRAND KOSLIV
A L’Oréal-affiliated fund has completed a multi-million RMB Series A investment in Kosliv, marking the first L’Oréal-backed fund to invest in a domestic Chinese hair care brand. Founded in 2019, Kosliv specializes in scalp care with patented supramolecular technology for hair loss prevention, as L’Oréal continues to tap into China’s rapidly growing haircare market where the hair loss population exceeds 340 million.
TSG CONSUMER ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN BODYCARE BRAND SALTAIR
Private equity firm TSG Consumer has acquired a majority stake in bodycare brand Saltair, which is expected to generate approximately $150 million in sales for 2026, with founder Iskra Lawrence transitioning to chief community advocate. The brand, available at Target, Ulta Beauty and Amazon, will leverage TSG’s experience scaling brands following the exit of Prelude Growth Partners.
IRIS VENTURES INVESTS IN FRENCH BRAND KRÈME
Iris Ventures has taken a minority stake in Krème, a French dermocosmetics brand for ultra-sensitive skin that uses probiotics and is sold in 3,000 French pharmacies, with revenue doubling annually since its 2020 launch. The funding will support expansion into the UK and Spain, following the brand’s presence in Belgium, as the microbiome-focused brand targets growth through pharmacy and specialty retail channels.
AKUMS ACQUIRES ORIFLAME INDIA MANUFACTURING BUSINESS
Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire Oriflame India’s manufacturing business for ₹56 crore (approximately US$5.6 million), marking its entry into the colour cosmetics sector and expanding its contract manufacturing capabilities beyond pharmaceuticals. The acquisition includes facilities in Roorkee and Noida, which manufacture skincare, hair care and colour cosmetics products with European equipment and Halal certification.
RELIANCE RETAIL LAUNCHES AJIO BEAUTY
Reliance Retail has launched AJIO Beauty, integrating cosmetics, skincare and personal care into its AJIO fashion platform with over 1,500 Indian and international brands available across 19,000 PIN codes nationwide. The launch reinforces the convergence of fashion and beauty retail, intensifying competition in India’s online beauty market against Nykaa and Myntra.
PRADA BEAUTY NAMES ZENDAYA AS PARADOXE AMBASSADOR
Prada Beauty has appointed Zendaya as global ambassador for Prada Paradoxe, fronting a new campaign directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins timed with the launch of Prada Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry Eau de Parfum. The brand described Zendaya as embodying “a femininity that defies definition, is constantly evolving and always authentic,” with the actress noting she wore the fragrance before being approached for the partnership.
YSL BEAUTY NAMES ALISHA BOE BLACK OPIUM AMBASSADOR
YSL Beauty has appointed 29-year-old actress Alisha Boe as Global Ambassador for its flagship Black Opium fragrance, fronting the new Pink Glaze scent described as “a thrilling new chapter” for the franchise. Boe, who represents a new era of Hollywood built on connection and self-expression, joins a roster including Charli XCX.
