
Henkel opens J-beauty innovation hub in Tokyo
Henkel has cut the ribbon on a J-beauty innovation hub in Tokyo. The center, which is dedicated to the Professional Hair segment, will leverage the long-standing expertise of Schwarzkof and Shiseido Professional in hair color developments and trends as well as premium hair and scalp care.

Kao to launch health testing business using skin surface lipids-RNA monitoring tech
Kao has announced that it is set to commercialize the Skin Surface Lipids-RNA Monitoring Technology it has developed, partnering with Healthcare Systems to launch a new mail-in testing service.

Yatsen announces a Q4 net revenue fall of 34.2 percent; experienced a ‘difficult year’
Yatsen has announced net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2022 decreasing by 34.2 percent to RMB1.01 billion (US$145.8 million) from RMB1.53 billion YOY.

Dior launches pop-up inspired by 30 Avenue Montaigne renovation
The House of Dior has launched a pop-up at Sydney harbourside to celebrate the residence 30 Avenue Montaigne, Paris.

Lotte Duty Free to use AI to drive hyper personalised marketing
Lotte Duty Free is set to launch a ‘hyper personalized’ marketing drive powered by AI and big data, according to a report published by DFI Online.

BASF to open new plants in China and Germany
BASF has announced its plans to open a new citral plant in China and menthol and linalool downstream plants in Germany. The new facilities are slated to come on stream from 2026 onwards.

Chinese stock exchanges expand cross-border trading programs
The Shanghai, Shenzen and Hong Kong stock exchanges have upped their cross-border trading programs by more than 40 percent, or some 1,000 stocks, and greenlit southbound trading of eligible shares of international companies with primary listings in Hong Kong, according to a report published by Nikkei Asia.

Kao to train 5,500 beauty sales staff to serve customers both in-store and online by 2025
Japanese beauty giant Kao will train 5,500 beauty sales staff to serve customers both in-store and online by 2025, according to a report by the Japan News.

L’Oréal scoops HKAEE award for environmental excellence
L’Oréal Hong Kong has been named the Bronze Award winner of the Shops and Retailers category at the 2021 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE). The French beauty giant was recognized as a sustainability leader in the Green Office and Green Retail sectors.

Lush joins UK brands travelling to India on trade mission
Lush is among a number of UK beauty and fashion brands joining India’s Fashion Forum 2023. The first-of-its-kind delegation is designed to capitalise on Indian demand for high-end beauty and fashion products, according to a statement issued by the UK Government.

Coty names first Chinese Ambassador for Chloe fragrance
Chloe has appointed Guan Xiaotong as its new Fragrancde Ambassador for China and Travel Retail. The news was shared on Coty’s Instagram account and the actor’s Weibo account last month.

China government focuses on public wellbeing with new regulations roll out
The Chinese government is focusing on public wellbeing and rolling out a new set of regulations this month, according to a report by china.org.cn.

Japanese investment firm Mitsui & Co invests in Kao’s Brazilian subsidiary
Japanese investment firm Mitsui & Co is set to invest in Kao’s Brazilian subsidiary, with a view to expand the skincare business in the country.

Shiseido plans to double size of Spanish HQ with Madrid move
Shiseido has announced that it is set to double the size of its Spanish HQ as it moves to the Cerro de los Gamos business park, Madrid, according to a report published by The Fashion Network.

Itochu Corporation secures rights to sell TonyMoly in Japan
Itochu Corporation has secured exclusive rights to distribute TonyMoly in Japan, according to a report published by Inside Retail Asia.

Maybelline New York tackles misogyny in gaming culture
Maybelline New York has teamed up with Hero to raise awareness of the toxic harassment experienced by women, non-binary people and other LGBTQIA+ communities in the Australian gaming world, according to a report published by Branding in Asia.

Shiseido launches NFT-based community program
Shiseido has announced the launch of what it is claiming to be the first ever NFT-based community program. #AliveWithBeauty, as the initiative has been named, has been co-created with AI and five female pioneers.

LG Household & Health Care to launch portable tattoo printer
LG Household & Health Care is launching a new portable temporary tattoo printer, named Imprintu.

Reliance Retail enters beauty e-commerce with new platform Tira
Reliance Retail has entered the beauty e-commerce space with the launch of its new platform Tira, according to a report by Inc42.

Elf withdraws from China
Elf Beauty is planning to exit the Chinese market at the end of March, closing down its Tmall and Douyin stores, according to a report published by Yahoo! News, quoting WWD.

Shiseido launches Nars in India
Shiseido has announced the launch of its Nars make-up brand in India through a strategic distribution partnership agreement with Global SS Beauty Brands Ltd.

Puig teams up with Tmall to launch Scent Visualiser
Puig has partnered with Tmall on the platform’s newly launched Scent Visualizer to encourage online shoppers to invest in new perfumes without sampling.

Nykaa parent shares tumble as Q3 profit plummets
Nykaa parent company FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd shares have fallen 5.4 percent due to its Q3 consolidated net profit plummeting by more than 70 percent, according to Reuters.

Nykaa expands portfolio with male grooming brand Gentleman’s Crew
Nykaa has expanded its product portfolio with the new male grooming brand Gentleman’s Crew.

LG H&H looks to North America for growth
LG Household & Health Care is pinning its hopes for future growth on the North American market, according to a report published by Nikkei Asia. As the K-beauty behemoth’s new leadership team settles in, the manufacturer of O Hui is said to be pivoting away from China.

Shiseido announces new medium-term strategy: SHIFT 2025 and Beyond
Shiseido has launched a new medium-term strategy guiding its growth up until 2025. The J-beauty behemoth’s SHIFT 2025 and Beyond plan will see it usher in a new management structure designed to shift from defense to offense and ensure further growth.

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corporation FY2022: profit plunges 47.95 percent
China Tourism Group Duty Free Corporation has reported its preliminary results for fiscal 2022, according to a report published by China Travel News. The parent company of China Duty Free Group saw profit plunge 47.95 percent yoy to CNY5.025 billion after the now-lifted COVID-restrictions wiped out travel for the bulk of the year.

Unilever’s Lifebuoy joins disease prevention partnership in Indonesia
Unilever-owned Lifebuoy has partnered with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Power of Nutrition – the charitable foundation, on an initiative to include nutrition as part of holistic approach to disease prevention.

Barry M expands into the lucrative Indian market in partnership with Flipkart
Barry M is expanding its foothold into the lucrative Indian beauty market thanks to an exclusive partnership with Flipkart, according to a report by Fashion Network.

Croda acquires Solus Biotech to expand actives business in Asia
Croda has announced that it has agreed to acquire Solus Biotech from Solus Advanced Materials for KRW350 billion on a debt-free, cash-free basis. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.

Unilever Ventures invests in Straand to help it crack the US market
Aussie scalp care brand, Straand has launched onto the US market after securing a US$2 million pre-seed investment from Unilever Ventures.

Kao unveils research on cause of frizz
Kao and Analytical Science Research Laboratories have discovered a key cause of frizz to the outer layer of hair. The pair found that UV rays can cleave disulfide bonds, causing distortion in a similar way to perms.

Sephora calls off retail partnership with Reliance
Sephora has reportedly called off a retail partnership with Reliance Retail instead continuing its allegiance with Arvind Fashions, according to a report by Mint.

Kose creates make-up projection mapping simulator Color Machine
Japanese cosmetics manufacturer Kose has created a new projection mapping simulator for make-up, named Color Machine, according to a report by Nikkei Asia.

Australia to crack down on ‘manipulative’ influencer marketing
Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating some 100 influencers after receiving several complaints from the public about ‘misleading’ endorsements and testimonials, according to a report published by Reuters.

Kolmar Korea to break ground on new high-tech plant
Kolmar Korea is set to break ground on a new AI-powered manufacturing facility in Sejong, South Korea, in a matter of months, according to a report published by Pulse News.

Amazon debuts air freight service in India
Amazon is now offering a logistics service in the all-important Indian market. The e-commerce behemoth has partnered with Quikjet Cargo Airlines and will use its Boeing 737-800 aircraft to deliver to cities across the country such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Bengaluru, according to a report published by Nikkei Asia.

Lotte Duty Free launches travel retail store for beauty brand Nonfiction
Lotte Duty Free has launched a bricks and mortar store for beauty brand Nonfiction, located at the Seoul flagship, according to a report by Moodie Davitt Report.

Hindustan Unilever Q3 2022: Sales soar 16 percent
Hindustan Unilever has published its results for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. The Indian FMCG behemoth saw sales increase 16 percent during the quarter to Rs 14,986 crore while earnings grew 8 percent and profit was up 13 percent.

OMD retains Nivea India account
OMD has prevailed in a multi-agency pitch, keeping hold of the Nivea India account it has held for almost nine years, according to a report published by Branding in Asia.

Dior names Cha Eun-woo as face of Capture Totale Serum
LVMH-owned Dior Beauty has named K-pop star and actor Cha Eun-woo as the global ambassador for its newly launched Capture Totale Serum, according to a report published by All K Pop.

UK skincare brand Facetheory signs exclusive retail partnership with Sephora Asia
UK skincare brand Facetheory has signed an exclusive retail partnership with Sephora Asia.

Shinsegae International names William Kim as new CEO; continues digital push
Shinsegae International has named William Kim as its new CEO, with the retailer looking to push its digital prowess and expand globally, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency.

Unilever factories in China and Brazil awarded Lighthouse status
Two of Unilever’s production facilities have been awarded Lighthouse statues by the World Economic Forum. The award recognises the factories’ use of technology to enhance productivity and efficiency as well as their environmental credentials.

AmorePacific unveils e-commerce site, Amore Mall
AmorePacific Group has launched a D2C e-commerce platform. Amore Mall, as the new site has been named, is designed to beef up the K-beauty behemoth’s global presence and replace bricks and mortar stores in China, according to a report published by Inside Retail Asia.

Has Carlyle acquired VLCC?
Carlyle is rumored to have purchased a controlling stake in VLCC for an estimated US$300 million, according to a report published by Reuters quoting anonymous sources. Carlyle declined to comment on the rumors when approached by Reuters.

Medmix continues Asia expansion with acquisition of Guangdong Qiaoyi Plastic Co
Medmix has continued its Asia expansion with the acquisition of a majority stake in Guangdong Qiaoyi Plastic Co, a beauty manufacturing business in Shantou.

L’Oréal Paris collaborates with RobbiART on limited edition Chinese New Year collection
L’Oréal Paris has collaborated with collectible toy brand RobbiART on a limited edition collection featuring gift boxes and art toys, according to a report by Jing Daily.

Huda Beauty closes Tmall store; makes exit from Chinese market
Huda Beauty has shut its flagship store on the Chinese e-commerce platform Huda Beauty, signalling its exit from the Chinese market, according to Inside Retail Asia.

L’Oréal invests in Prinker Korea
L’Oréal’s corporate venture fund, BOLD has announced a minority investment in micro-printing firm Prinker. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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