<![CDATA[Beauty in Five]]>e7fb181d-46c7-52f5-9782-9155d493e5c2Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:21 +0000Captivate.fmFivewirehttps://artwork.captivate.fm/9a7a64b6-edff-4e16-9c27-025c11299f73/beauty-cover-b2.pngBeauty in FiveFivewireFivewireBeauty in Five is the daily five-minute brief on the beauty business: the five stories that matter, every weekday. Launches, M&A, retail and the shifts moving skincare, colour, fragrance and hair, across prestige and mass. Curated daily, sourced and straight. For brand, retail and indie, and everyone building the category. Walk in already caught up. In the know. In five.https://beautyinfive.comfalseepisodicyespodcastK-Beauty's US Surge, and Medik8 Tests SephoraK-Beauty's US Surge, and Medik8 Tests SephoraKorean Beauty Goes Mainstream in the U.S. CNBC reports sustained U.S. demand for Korean beauty, a trend it says positions K-beauty brands to expand share. (CNBC)

Medik8 Debuts at Sephora, Targets $100M in Sales. UK-founded Medik8 is entering Sephora in the U.S. and Canada, a move Cosmetics Business reports comes with a stated $100 million sales goal. (Cosmetics Business)

Bath & Body Works Opens First Brazil Store. Global Cosmetics News reports the U.S. retailer has entered Brazil with a São Paulo store and localized e-commerce, part of its stated international expansion. (Global Cosmetics News)

Also moving today:

La Favorite: Gaultier’s First Major Feminine Fragrance to Launch in 10 Years (WWD Beauty)

How Neutrogena Is Rebuilding for the New Generation (WWD Beauty)

Chanel Global CFO Philippe Blondiaux to retire end of 2026 (Cosmetics Business)

Shiseido appoints Adele Zhang to lead global travel retail business (Global Cosmetics News)

Get Beauty in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://beautyinfive.com

]]>Korean Beauty Goes Mainstream in the U.S. CNBC reports sustained U.S. demand for Korean beauty, a trend it says positions K-beauty brands to expand share. (CNBC)

Medik8 Debuts at Sephora, Targets $100M in Sales. UK-founded Medik8 is entering Sephora in the U.S. and Canada, a move Cosmetics Business reports comes with a stated $100 million sales goal. (Cosmetics Business)

Bath & Body Works Opens First Brazil Store. Global Cosmetics News reports the U.S. retailer has entered Brazil with a São Paulo store and localized e-commerce, part of its stated international expansion. (Global Cosmetics News)

Also moving today:

La Favorite: Gaultier’s First Major Feminine Fragrance to Launch in 10 Years (WWD Beauty)

How Neutrogena Is Rebuilding for the New Generation (WWD Beauty)

Chanel Global CFO Philippe Blondiaux to retire end of 2026 (Cosmetics Business)

Shiseido appoints Adele Zhang to lead global travel retail business (Global Cosmetics News)

Get Beauty in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://beautyinfive.com

]]>ca235d6a-3914-448e-af45-480fee384c50Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:18 +000004:07falsefullNielsenIQ reports U.S. K-beauty sales reached 2.8 billion dollars early this year, up roughly 48 percent from a year earlier, as Olive Young expands its U.S. store footprint and Morgan Stanley's Simeon Gutman forecasts sales near 4 billion dollars this year. UK-founded brand Medik8 is debuting at Sephora in the U.S. and Canada with a stated target of 100 million dollars in sales, per Cosmetics Business, while Bath and Body Works has opened its first store in Brazil. Jean Paul Gaultier, Neutrogena, Chanel, and Shiseido round out the day's moves.Chanel Deepens Coco Mademoiselle, a K-Beauty ETF, and Beckham's IM8 Lands $1BChanel Deepens Coco Mademoiselle, a K-Beauty ETF, and Beckham's IM8 Lands $1BChanel Extends Coco Mademoiselle With Crush Absolu. Chanel has added a new interpretation of its flagship fragrance, signaling how heritage houses grow established pillars rather than launch new franchises. (Global Cosmetics News, WWD Beauty, Cosmetics Business)

Guinness Atkinson Files for First US-Listed K-Beauty ETF. The proposed fund would package K-beauty as a defined investment category for US public-market investors. (Global Cosmetics News)

Beckham's IM8 Secures $1 Billion Growth Financing. General Catalyst is backing customer acquisition for the celebrity-founded wellness brand, per trade reports. (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Kering Names Romain Spitzer CEO of Bottega Veneta. A fragrance-side executive crosses from LVMH to lead a Kering fashion house, adding to luxury leadership movement. (Premium Beauty News, Cosmetics Business)

Also moving today:

TikTok reveals beauty industry impact as part of £10 billion contribution to UK economy (Cosmetics Business)

Shiseido unveils research on ring-shaped collagen structure to maintain facial shape (Cosmetics Business)

Bolognafiere Cosmoprof acquires Bergamo's Beauty to Business trade show (Premium Beauty News)

George E. Johnson, Pioneering Black Hair Care Entrepreneur, Dies at 99 (WWD Beauty)

]]>Chanel Extends Coco Mademoiselle With Crush Absolu. Chanel has added a new interpretation of its flagship fragrance, signaling how heritage houses grow established pillars rather than launch new franchises. (Global Cosmetics News, WWD Beauty, Cosmetics Business)

Guinness Atkinson Files for First US-Listed K-Beauty ETF. The proposed fund would package K-beauty as a defined investment category for US public-market investors. (Global Cosmetics News)

Beckham's IM8 Secures $1 Billion Growth Financing. General Catalyst is backing customer acquisition for the celebrity-founded wellness brand, per trade reports. (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Kering Names Romain Spitzer CEO of Bottega Veneta. A fragrance-side executive crosses from LVMH to lead a Kering fashion house, adding to luxury leadership movement. (Premium Beauty News, Cosmetics Business)

Also moving today:

TikTok reveals beauty industry impact as part of £10 billion contribution to UK economy (Cosmetics Business)

Shiseido unveils research on ring-shaped collagen structure to maintain facial shape (Cosmetics Business)

Bolognafiere Cosmoprof acquires Bergamo's Beauty to Business trade show (Premium Beauty News)

George E. Johnson, Pioneering Black Hair Care Entrepreneur, Dies at 99 (WWD Beauty)

]]>9cb0e394-bfe2-4709-8e31-1a75983e2795Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:34 +000004:29falsefullChanel launched Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu, its first addition to the pillar in six years, which WWD, Cosmetics Business, and Premium Beauty News frame as a reinterpretation of the flagship rather than a new pillar. US asset manager Guinness Atkinson has filed for what would be the first US-listed ETF dedicated to K-beauty, and IM8, the supplement brand co-founded by David Beckham and Prenetics Global, secured up to one billion dollars in growth financing from General Catalyst. Kering also named LVMH Beauty veteran Romain Spitzer chief executive of Bottega Veneta, per Premium Beauty News and Cosmetics Business.Beauty M&A Map, Korea's Online Flip, Ulta's New CTOBeauty M&A Map, Korea's Online Flip, Ulta's New CTOCosmetics Business tallies first-half 2026 beauty M&A. A running deal tracker reports Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Unilever and Henkel among the acquirers in a busy first half, giving founders and investors a read on what strategics are buying. (Cosmetics Business)

Luxury beauty brands expand on Korean e-commerce platforms. Korea JoongAng Daily reports luxury houses that once avoided local online retail are now scaling there, a channel reversal tied to shifting consumer habits and K-beauty's rise. (koreajoongangdaily)

Ulta Beauty names board member Kelly Garcia CTO. Cosmetics Business and Global Cosmetics News report Garcia, an Ulta director since 2022, joins as Chief Technology Officer in August, an insider taking the tech seat at the largest US beauty specialty retailer. (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Also moving today:

Macy's names Kering Beauté veteran Alexandre Choueiri as CEO of Bluemercury (Premium Beauty News, Global Cosmetics News)

Sephora Global COO Alexis Rollier exits after 14 years (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Sephora Restructures: Mónica Cigognini Takes on Europe, Cecilia Sánchez Steps Up for Iberia - Modaes Global (modaes.com)

'Sephora Summer' kicks off as first-ever Scottish store opens in Edinburgh (The NEN - North Edinburgh News, Cosmetics Business)

Aora makes history as Sephora's first fully plastic-free beauty brand (Cosmetics Business, WWD Beauty)

]]>Cosmetics Business tallies first-half 2026 beauty M&A. A running deal tracker reports Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Unilever and Henkel among the acquirers in a busy first half, giving founders and investors a read on what strategics are buying. (Cosmetics Business)

Luxury beauty brands expand on Korean e-commerce platforms. Korea JoongAng Daily reports luxury houses that once avoided local online retail are now scaling there, a channel reversal tied to shifting consumer habits and K-beauty's rise. (koreajoongangdaily)

Ulta Beauty names board member Kelly Garcia CTO. Cosmetics Business and Global Cosmetics News report Garcia, an Ulta director since 2022, joins as Chief Technology Officer in August, an insider taking the tech seat at the largest US beauty specialty retailer. (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Also moving today:

Macy's names Kering Beauté veteran Alexandre Choueiri as CEO of Bluemercury (Premium Beauty News, Global Cosmetics News)

Sephora Global COO Alexis Rollier exits after 14 years (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Sephora Restructures: Mónica Cigognini Takes on Europe, Cecilia Sánchez Steps Up for Iberia - Modaes Global (modaes.com)

'Sephora Summer' kicks off as first-ever Scottish store opens in Edinburgh (The NEN - North Edinburgh News, Cosmetics Business)

Aora makes history as Sephora's first fully plastic-free beauty brand (Cosmetics Business, WWD Beauty)

]]>d6bcfb51-f40e-47cc-8615-bed824c09584Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:02:05 +000004:50falsefullCosmetics Business refreshes its first-half beauty M&A list, with Estée Lauder Companies, L'Oréal, Unilever and Henkel buying across skincare, haircare and wellness, even as Estée Lauder is reported to have halted planned divestitures of Too Faced, Smashbox and Dr. Jart plus. The Korea JoongAng Daily reports luxury brands that once avoided Korean online retail are moving onto Musinsa Beauty, Naver Plus Store and Beauty Kurly, with e-commerce at 60.8 percent of the country's cosmetics market in 2024, per Korea Ratings. Ulta Beauty names board member Kelly Garcia as Chief Technology Officer, plus moves at Bluemercury, Sephora Europe and Sephora UK.Estée Lauder Keeps Three, Bluemercury's New CEOEstée Lauder Keeps Three, Bluemercury's New CEOEstée Lauder to Retain Too Faced, Smashbox, Dr. Jart+. WWD reports the three brands are no longer on the block, a signal of how Estée Lauder is weighing divestiture against turnaround. (WWD Beauty)

Bluemercury Names Alex Choueiri Chief Executive Officer. The Macy's-owned beauty retailer hands its top job to a prestige-brand operator, per WWD, as it competes with Sephora and Ulta. (WWD Beauty)

Valentino Beauty Launches Vendetta Fragrance Franchise. Cosmetics Business reports Valentino Beauty's first prestige fragrance franchise in six years arrives as two scents, not a single flanker. (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Also moving today:

Which Beauty Brands and Products Won Prime Week? (WWD Beauty)

Luxury Beauty in the Backpack: How Brands Are Attracting Gen Alpha and More (WWD Beauty)

Sephora's Global Operations Chief Steps Down After 14 Years - Modaes Global (modaes.com)

Jones Road Beauty CEO Cody Plofker is stepping down (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News, WWD Beauty)

Superdrug sales rise 5.2% despite subdued footfall on UK high streets (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

]]>Estée Lauder to Retain Too Faced, Smashbox, Dr. Jart+. WWD reports the three brands are no longer on the block, a signal of how Estée Lauder is weighing divestiture against turnaround. (WWD Beauty)

Bluemercury Names Alex Choueiri Chief Executive Officer. The Macy's-owned beauty retailer hands its top job to a prestige-brand operator, per WWD, as it competes with Sephora and Ulta. (WWD Beauty)

Valentino Beauty Launches Vendetta Fragrance Franchise. Cosmetics Business reports Valentino Beauty's first prestige fragrance franchise in six years arrives as two scents, not a single flanker. (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

Also moving today:

Which Beauty Brands and Products Won Prime Week? (WWD Beauty)

Luxury Beauty in the Backpack: How Brands Are Attracting Gen Alpha and More (WWD Beauty)

Sephora's Global Operations Chief Steps Down After 14 Years - Modaes Global (modaes.com)

Jones Road Beauty CEO Cody Plofker is stepping down (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News, WWD Beauty)

Superdrug sales rise 5.2% despite subdued footfall on UK high streets (Cosmetics Business, Global Cosmetics News)

]]>68311f1b-d8d5-4345-9ec2-0907794cec3dWed, 15 Jul 2026 14:28:45 +000004:55falsefullWWD's sources say Estée Lauder will hold on to Smashbox, Too Faced and Dr. Jart+, three brands that had quietly been shopped, opting for a turnaround inside the house rather than a sale. Bluemercury names Alex Choueiri, formerly of Kering Beauté and L'Oréal, as chief executive, and Valentino Beauty unveils Vendetta, its first new prestige fragrance franchise in six years, launching as a two-pillar duo. Also today: Prime Day beauty winners spread across skin care, hair and fragrance; prestige brands test lower price points for Gen Alpha and Gen Z; exits at Sephora and Jones Road Beauty; and a 5.2 percent sales rise at Superdrug.Gucci Beauty's Early ExitGucci Beauty's Early ExitL'Oréal takes Gucci Beauty license a year early. L'Oréal has secured the Gucci Beauty license ahead of schedule as Coty reportedly exits for US$400M, a move sources frame as consolidation in prestige fragrance. (https://www.personalcareinsights.com, The Sacramento Bee, TheStreet)

Rituals to refit 1,500 boutiques for €40 million. The Dutch retailer reportedly plans its largest European store upgrade yet, refurbishing 1,500 boutiques across 30 countries in about 30 working days. (Cosmetics Business, WWD Beauty)

Index ranks beauty brands by AI-chatbot citation share. 5W AI Communications' Beauty AI Visibility Index 2026 ranks the top 25 U.S. beauty brands by how often they are cited inside AI assistants, framing generative AI as an emerging discovery channel. (CNHI News, Cosmetics Business, pressportal.co.za)

Also moving today:

L'Oreal, Mondelez Use AI to Accelerate Product Innovation, Cut Costs - CNBC TV18 (cnbctv18.com, Global Banking & Finance Review, Market Screener)

PPWR: The new european regulation requiring cosmetic packaging compliance (Cosmetics Business)

Versed has been acquired by Belle Brands to ‘maximise its potential’ (Cosmetics Business, Premium Beauty News, WWD Beauty)

BASF and Bota Biosciences launch first AI-designed bio-identical collagen III (Premium Beauty News)

How Olive Young’s debut US stores have performed in numbers (Cosmetics Business)

]]>L'Oréal takes Gucci Beauty license a year early. L'Oréal has secured the Gucci Beauty license ahead of schedule as Coty reportedly exits for US$400M, a move sources frame as consolidation in prestige fragrance. (https://www.personalcareinsights.com, The Sacramento Bee, TheStreet)

Rituals to refit 1,500 boutiques for €40 million. The Dutch retailer reportedly plans its largest European store upgrade yet, refurbishing 1,500 boutiques across 30 countries in about 30 working days. (Cosmetics Business, WWD Beauty)

Index ranks beauty brands by AI-chatbot citation share. 5W AI Communications' Beauty AI Visibility Index 2026 ranks the top 25 U.S. beauty brands by how often they are cited inside AI assistants, framing generative AI as an emerging discovery channel. (CNHI News, Cosmetics Business, pressportal.co.za)

Also moving today:

L'Oreal, Mondelez Use AI to Accelerate Product Innovation, Cut Costs - CNBC TV18 (cnbctv18.com, Global Banking & Finance Review, Market Screener)

PPWR: The new european regulation requiring cosmetic packaging compliance (Cosmetics Business)

Versed has been acquired by Belle Brands to ‘maximise its potential’ (Cosmetics Business, Premium Beauty News, WWD Beauty)

BASF and Bota Biosciences launch first AI-designed bio-identical collagen III (Premium Beauty News)

How Olive Young’s debut US stores have performed in numbers (Cosmetics Business)

]]>3e6e6f5d-ec10-4791-a5ca-ee54c6503cfaTue, 14 Jul 2026 00:31:59 +000005:00falsefullKering says it has signed the deal moving Gucci Beauty's license to L'Oreal a year ahead of schedule, with Coty set to receive around 400 million dollars for the early exit and both sides agreeing to settle pending litigation. Dutch retailer Rituals plans to spend about 40 million euros refurbishing 1,500 boutiques across 30 countries, its largest European store upgrade, as some rivals trim their store estates. And a new 5W AI Communications index ranks the top 25 US beauty brands by citation share in AI assistant answers, with The Ordinary on top and ingredient-led independents drawing about a third of all beauty citations.