Japan consumer confidence hits four month high
Consumer confidence in Japan grew in March for the fourth month straight, according to survey data from the Cabinet Office. The latest figures from the monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, which was carried out on March 15 covering 5,712 households, found that the...
Korean cosmetics companies considering IPOs to fund overseas expansion
Korean cosmetics companies such as Nature Republic and TonyMoly are said to be seeking to raise funds via initial public offerings in order to facilitate overseas expansion. The plans are part of a widespread effort by businesses to capitalize on the ‘Korean wave’-...
Value of Korean cosmetics exports reaches highest level in 15 years
The value of Korean cosmetics exports in March reached its highest level at US$277.5m since the Korean Customs Service began tracking export levels in January 2000. By country, Korea sold US$119 million worth of cosmetics products to China, followed by Hong Kong...
Australian consumer sentiment dips ahead of budget announcement
Australian consumer sentiment has fallen this month ahead of the government’s budget announcement, a survey carried out by the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank has revealed. The survey of 1,200 people, which is closely followed by the Reserve Bank and other policy...
Beauty Cluster Barcelona signs knowledge-sharing agreement with Japan Cosmetic Center
Spanish cosmetics company association Beauty Cluster Barcelona has signed a knowledge-sharing agreement with similar organisation, Japan Cosmetic Center, to disclose details of companies and distributors between each organistion’s members. Ivan Borrego, head of Beauty...
Cosmecca and LF Beauty collaborate on innovative skincare products for Asia
Korean multi-functional cosmetics manufacturer Cosmecca and LF Beauty, a Hong Kong based packaging subsidiary of the Li & Fung Group have announced that they are collaborating on the development of a new line of “innovative skincare products for Asia.” The...
HayMax extends range of hayfever barrier balms to New Zealand market
UK-based hayfever personal care brand HayMax is launching its range of organic, drug-free pollen barrier balms to consumers in New Zealand. The expansion follows launches in Sweden, Canada, the US, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Bulgaria and Poland. HayMax has teamed up...
Kose targets Indian consumers with launch of new brand Spawake
Japan-based cosmetic company Kose is launching a women’s skincare brand in India, to reach a new market of consumers. The company has is targeting skincare brand Spawake at India’s population of young, urban consumers. “We have developed Spawake especially for the...
L’Oreal launches Makeup Genius app in Hong Kong
L'Oreal is introducing its popular Makeup Genius app to consumers in Hong Kong. The free app turns a user's smartphone or iPad into a virtual mirror and using facial mapping technology, allows customers to digitally apply over 500 products. By scanning barcodes at...
Korean TV shopping channel signs retail agreement with Vera Wang
Korean TV shopping channel CJ O’Shopping has announced that it has established a licensing agreement with US fashion label Vera Wang and will retail lingerie, clothing, cosmetics and accessories exclusively across Asia. The TV retail drive will begin later this month,...
Cosmobeaute Vietnam 2015 kicks off with visitors from 15 countries
Three-day beauty, hair and spa trade event Cosmobeaute Vietnam kicked off yesterday with 150 companies in attendance from 15 countries. The event, which is being held at Saigon Exhibition Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, is co-organised by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry...
Sales of men’s cosmetics on the rise in Korea
Korean men in their 20s use an average of 13 cosmetics products a month, according to a government figures. The men's cosmetics industry in Korea has grown 62.8 per cent in the past five years, data from the South Korean Government states. The "grooming jok" trend, as...
Suppliers’ Day 2015 due to focus on Indian market
The New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists is holding a new Suppliers' Day event in May to help visitors learn more about commercial opportunities in emerging economies such as India. The ‘Discover India Symposium’ will be held on May 12 and 13 at the New Jersey...
Benefit loses legal battle in Australia over use of term ‘Brow Bar’
Benefit Cosmetics has lost a legal battle to trademark the exclusive use of the term ‘Brow Bar’ in Australia. Benefit has Brow Bar salons across Australia, yet the chain was established despite the company’s knowledge that Queensland businesses woman Chernai Noonan...
Sales of Korean cosmetics soaring at duty free shops
Korean cosmetics brands such as Amore Pacific are experiencing soaring sales at duty free shops. Duty free sales of Amore Pacific’s cosmetics accounted for 20.6 percent of the company's total sales last year, rising from 13.6 percent in 2013. The brand’s duty free...
FDA Imports expands services in Australasia
Importation consultancy FDA Imports is strengthening its presence in Australasia to help businesses of all sizes import into the highly-regulated US market. The Principal of FDA Imports, Glen Burnie, has relocated to Australia with the intention of building alliances...
Green-tea flavoured toothpaste brought out by Colgate-Palmolive in China
A personal care company based in China has brought out green tea flavoured toothpaste to appeal to the tastes of the domestic market. Hawley & Hazel, which was acquired by Colgate-Palmolive in 1990, makes Darlie toothpaste, a well-known toothpaste brand in Asia,...
Jawed Habib launches retail line though network of 484 salons in India
Jawed Habib Hair and Beauty, which runs a chain of 484 salons across India, is launching a line of hair products. Jawed Habib previously had a retail arrangement with Sunsilk, yet the company is now going solo in an attempt to capitalize on its existing network of...
Cosmetics testing on animals banned in New Zealand
The government of New Zealand has announced that it is banning cosmetics testing on animals. The ban follows lobbying from four charities earlier in the month, who sent a letter to the government urging ministers to implement the ban while revising the Animal Welfare...
Fujifilm acquires Cellular Dynamics International for US$307m
Japan-based firm Fijifilm Holdings has agreed to acquire US biotechnology firm Cellular Dynamics International for US$307 million. The buyout is part of Fujifilm's efforts to expands its business division to focus on regenerative medicine and functional skincare...
Indian trade show aims to strengthen links with Africa
A four day exposition showcasing Indian products opened on Friday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi as part of the Indian government's efforts to strengthen trade with Africa. The India Trade Expo 2015, held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, is part of...
Malaysian businesses urged to seize opportunities in global halal market
The Malaysian government has urged small and medium enterprises to take advantage of opportunities in the multi-billion dollar global halal food and non-food industry. At the SME Mentoring Programme Awards Ceremony, held in Kuala Lumpar, International Trade and...
Cosmetics maker Shiseido announces new $250M research base
Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido has revealed plans to build a large research and development facility in Yokohama, and is spending US$248 million on the project. With the development of the new plant, Shiseido aims to improve its competitiveness with the goal of...
Dove launches campaign to promote its Beauty Bar to Indian consumers
Dove has launched its first campaign in India to encourage consumers to perform daily cleansing rituals using its Beauty Bar soap. The ‘Beauty begins with care’ campaign advert features a group of regular women who were taken to a spa and given a mystery beauty...
L’Oreal launches makeup genius app in Australia
L'Oreal is introducing its popular Makeup Genius app to consumers in Australia. The app turns a user's smartphone into a virtual mirror and with facial mapping technology, allows customers to digitally apply over 500 products. Since launching in France, the United...
8,000 visitors due to attend Thai beauty fair
The organizers of a new trade fair which aims to showcase Southeast Asia’s beauty industry have revealed details about the upcoming event. The Thai Cosmetic Manufacturers Association and UBM Asia collaborated to organize Asean Beauty 2015, a new trade show due to take...
Indonesia Government holds summit to discuss palm oil production
Indonesia government officials have been holding talks with multinational companies and farming associations to discuss issues surrounding palm oil production. Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Forestry and Environment gathered 100 technical...
L’Oreal launches Urban Decay in Australia
L’Oreal has announced that it is launching Urban Decay products in Australia. The Urban Decay product range is now on sale nationwide through cosmetic store chain Mecca Maxima and is also available online. The move is part of L’Oreal’s strategy to reach out to a...
Nivea launches talcum powder-inspired deodorant in India
Nivea India has expanded its range of deodorants for women with the launch of Nivea Whitening Talc Touch. A new TV campaign featuring brand ambassador actress Anushka Sharma has been released to support the launch of the new product, which combines Indian consumers’...
Nu Skin granted approval for direct selling in Shaoxing City
Direct selling cosmetics company Nu Skin Enterprises has been granted permission to sell its products in Shaoxing City in the Zhejiang Provence of China, allowing the company to tap into the city's population of 6 million. The decision of China's Ministry of Commerce...
LG Group invests US$5.57 billion into research and development
South Korean consumer appliance and electronics company LG Group has announced plans to invest a record 6.3 trillion won (US$5.57 billion) into research and development projects. The funds will be invested over a three-year period to develop the North Chungcheong...
L’Oreal considers new export strategy for Indonesia plant
L'Oréal has revealed that it is exploring opportunities to sell its products made in Indonesia to Asian countries outside ASEAN. L'Oréal factory in Cikarang, West Java commenced operation at the end of 2012 and is L'Oréal's biggest facility worldwide, distributing 30...
Korean exports of Halal food predicted to double by 2017
The Korean government announced has announced that it plans to double halal food exports by 2017, gaining a predicted market value of US$1.23 billion. The Islamic food market reached US$1.088 trillion in 2012, and is estimated to grow to US$1.626 trillion by 2018....
Public urged to report animal testing to tip line launched in India
An international animal protection charity has launched a tip line in India, which it is urging the public to call to report cases of illegal cosmetic testing on animals. The tip line is part of Humane Society International's (HSI) BeCrueltyFree campaign, which aims...
Kerachi University establishes halal testing laboratory
Kerachi University has established a special laboratory called The International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) to test halal food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics products. The ICCBS has been established to provide Pakistan with an authentic halal...
Supervision of cosmetics industry to be tightened in China
China's drugs watchdog is soliciting public opinion on whether tighter supervision should be applied to the production of cosmetics. On Tuesday, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) outlined provisional changes to regulations, which would require cosmetics...
Indian personal care e-commerce site Nykaa registers 323% growth
Indian beauty e-commerce website nykaa.com has experienced soaring sales over the last nine months, registering 323% growth. Despite having been founded as recently as 2012, Nykaa's customer base has grown to over 300,000 people all over India who have purchased a...
Shiseido teams up with IBM to launch mobile app for brand ambassadors
Global cosmetics manufacturer Shiseido Group is collaborating with IBM to create a mobile app to be used by its network of 10,000 brand ambassadors in Japan. Shiseido’s ‘Beauty Tablet’ will be linked up to the company’s internal systems to process direct sales carried...
Toxic lipsticks still sold in Manila
An environmental advocacy group has warned that lipsticks containing “atrocious” levels of toxic ingredients are still being sold in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, despite repeated alerts from the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The EcoWaste...
Charities lobby New Zealand government to ban animal testing
Four of the world’s leading animal welfare charities are urging the New Zealand government to ban cosmetics animal testing. Humane Society International, World Animal Protection, International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Royal Society for the Prevention of...
The Body Shop acquires its Australia franchise business
The Body Shop has completed its acquisition of Adidem Pty Ltd, the independent franchisee company which has been operating The Body Shop in Australia since 1983. This acquisition will move the fifth biggest The Body Shop market's retail sales from a franchise...
AmorePacific’s opens 350 new stores in China
Korean cosmetics firm AmorePacific has announced plans to increase its revenue by opening 350 new stores in China. The firm will increase the number of Laneige and Sulwhasoo sales outlets and partner with a wider range of online retailers to drive sales of its...
South Korean Cosmetics Company Cosmax Opens First U.S. Plant In Solon
South Korean cosmetics manufacturer Cosmax USA has opened its first US-based plant in a former L’Oreal factory in Ohio. Cosmax USA has four factories in China and Indonesia and produces cosmetics for more than 200 brands worldwide, including L’Oreal, Estée Lauder,...
Men account for majority of spending in China’s luxury goods market
Men account for around 55 percent of China’s luxury goods market, well above the global average of 40 percent, according to research from brokerage CLSA. The trend has been attributed to the gift-giving culture in China as businessmen regularly buy presents for...
Indian company Emami acquires controlling stake in Australian personal care manufacturers, Fravin
Indian consumer goods company Emami has acquired a 66.67 percent stake in Fravin, an Australia-based manufacturer of natural and organic personal care products. The acquisition of Fravin is the first overseas acquisition by Emami in four years after the company took...
Use of parabens in cosmetics banned in Southeast Asia
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations' Cosmetics Committee has banned the use of five parabens as preservatives in cosmetics. The substances include isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, phenylparaben, benzylparaben, and pentylparaben. The compounds will be added to...
AmorePacific considers patent lawsuit against L’Oreal Korea
AmorePacific, South Korea’s leading cosmetics firm, revealed on Tuesday that it is considering legal action against Lancôme over a possible patent infringement of its signature air cushion compact. Officials from AmorePacific said the company would decide whether to...
Australian patent granted to Cellmid for the use of midkine in hair loss products
Australian biotechnology company Cellmid has been granted an Australian patent for the use of molecular protein midkine to prevent and treat hair loss. Midkine is a protein that in humans is produced during oncogenesis (the creation of cancerous tumours), inflammation...
Animal testing banned in South Korea
South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has announced plans to ban animal testing for cosmetics. Under the government’s Five Year Plan for Animal Welfare, testing finished products on animals will be banned, and further consideration will go into...
The Government of India releases new Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill
The Government of India has published a draft of its Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill, 2015, a revised and updated version of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The Bill proposes to expand the scope of the 1940 Act. Its documentation outlines that it will,...
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