
New York privacy law designed to protect citizens, not models’ commercial interests, says judge
A New York court has ruled that a model will not be able to proceed with a lawsuit against a series of online retailers, including Walmart, Amazon and Ulta Beauty, which charged the e-commerce platforms with displaying her photograph without her permission, according to a report published by Reuters.

Viktor&Rolf announces Emily Ratajkowski as face of FlowerBomb
Viktor&Rolf has named Emily Ratajkowski as the face of its FlowerBomb fragrance, effective immediately.

Procter & Gamble Q2 2023: Sales dip 1 percent and earnings down 4 percent
Procter & Gamble has announced its results for the second quarter of fiscal 2023. The US FMCG manufacturer saw net sales drop one percent yoy, although organic sales were up 5 percent excluding the impacts of foreign exchange and acquisitions and divestitures.

Proven partners with Sephora to offer personalized skin care in store
Proven has announced that it is partnering with Sephora to bring its skin care personalization technology and skin care solutions to the LVMH-owned retailer’s customers.

Ulta Beauty names Chief Marketing Officer
Ulta Beauty has announced the appointment of Michelle Crossan-Matos as Chief Marketing Officer, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

Beautycounter Founder Greg Renfrew resigns from position; Marc Rey makes new hires
Beautycounter Founder Greg Renfrew has resigned from her role as Executive Chair and Chief Brand Officer, according to a report by WWD.com.

Independent investigation highlights accountancy concerns for Revolution Beauty Group
The independent investigation into Revolution Beauty Group by auditor BDO LLP has highlighted accountancy concerns, including historical sales, inventory provisioning and personal loans made by a former CEO, according to a report by Reuters.

AS Beauty diversifies into skin care with acquisition of Bliss
AS Beauty has announced that it has acquired skin care brand, Bliss from L Catterton. The purchase is AS Beauty’s fifth acquisition since 2019 and its first foray into the skin care market.

Jil Sander to launch ultra luxe scent; renews Coty license agreement
Coty and Jil Sander have announced that they have renewed their license agreement as well as the mutual decision to continue the long-running partnership between the two companies.

US court dismisses patent infringement suit against L’Oréal
A District of Columbia federal court has thrown out a case bought by GlycoBioSciences charging L’Oréal with patent infringement, citing a lack of jurisdiction, according to a report published by Law Street Media.

Forma Brands agrees to sale via Chapter 11
Forma Brands has announced that it has agreed to be acquired by a group of secured lenders. Jefferies Finance LLC, funds managed by Cerberus Capital Management and FB Intermediate Holdings will acquire all assets of the owner of Morphe make-up.

Bayer and Beiersdorf settle Coppertone case for US$2.3 million
Bayer and Beiersdorf have settled a class action lawsuit brought against the Coppertone sun care brand, according to a court notice issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Mielle Organics to join P&G Beauty; partnership to accelerate hair care brand’s access to more black women
Mielle Organics is set to join P&G Beauty, subject to regulatory approval, in a partnership that aims to further expand access to healthy hair products and services for Black women around the world.

The Estée Lauder Companies launches AI-powered beauty app for visually impaired users
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has launched its Voice-Enabled Makeup Assistant (VMA), AI-powered beauty app for visually impaired users.

GPA Global announces acquisition of packaging company Cosfibel Group
GPA Global has announced the acquisition of Cosfibel Group, a luxury packaging, gifting and merchandising player.

Fashion platform Moda Operandi launches into Beauty section
Fashion platform Moda Operandi has launched into the beauty sector, launching 55 55 skincare, fragrance, makeup, haircare, and body care brands.

JP Morgan must defend itself in court, over Ray Ban dispute says judge
A New York judge has given the go-ahead for a lawsuit bought by EssilorLuxottica against JP Morgan. The Thai division of the maker of Ray Ban sunglasses claims that the bank ignored ‘red flags’ of suspicious activity, according to a report published by Nasdaq, quoting Reuters.

Coty Board reaches gender parity as Lubomira Rochet appointed
Coty has announced the appointment of Lubomira Rochet to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Today’s appointment increases female representation on Coty’s Board of Directors to 50 percent and the total number of directors to twelve. Coty’s five-member Executive Committee, led by CEO Sue Y. Nabi, already holds female-majority.

Morphe closes all US stores
Morphe has announced that it is closing all of its US stores for good, according to a report published by Bloomberg.

Bed, Bath & Beyond could file for bankruptcy ‘within weeks’
Bed, Bath & Beyond could be filing for bankruptcy within weeks, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

Amarte sues Marc Jacobs for trademark infringement
Amarte has filed a lawsuit claiming that Marc Jacobs beauty’s Eye-conic palettes fall foul of its registered Eyeconic trademark, according to a report published by News Law.

Starco Brands snaps up Skylar
Starco Brands has announced that it is poised to acquire Skylar Fragrances. The acquisition follows the company’s purchase of Art of Sport in September last year.

Bath & Body Works names Vice President of Investor Relations
Bath & Body Works has announced the appointment of Heather Hollander as Vice President of Investor Relations with immediate effect, according to a report published by The Retail Bulletin.

Johnson & Johnson’s Kenvue to float on stock market
Johnson & Johnson’s consumer health unit, Kenvue is one step closer to becoming an independent entity as it filed to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, according to a report published by Reuters.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Q1 2023: sales down 1.5 percent
Walgreens Boots Alliance has announced its results for the first quarter of the current financial year. In the three months to November 30, 2022, the drugstore giant saw sales decline 1.5 percent yoy to US$333.4 billion.

US cosmetics regulatory update signed into law
President Biden has signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 into law, according to a report published by the National Law Review. The legislation includes the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MOCRA) of 2022, amending Chapter IV of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Victoria’s Secret CEO Amy Hauk set to leave post after just 8 months
Victoria’s Secret brand CEO Amy Hauk is reportedly exiting her post after just 8 months at the helm, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Google and Meta lose advertising prowess as TikTok, Netflix and Amazon continue to dominate
Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook parent company Meta are no longer ranking in the majority of US digital advertising dollars for the first time in a decade, according to estimates from research firm Insider Intelligence Inc.

Neutrogena partners with Nourished on new skin-care gummy product
Neutrogena has partnered with Nourished, which specialises in 3D-printed health and wellness supplements, on a daily skin-nutrient gummy, named SkinStacks.

New York goes cruelty free
The Governor of the State of New York, Kathy Hochul has signed the New York Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act, prohibiting the sale of cosmetics newly tested on animals in the region, effective immediately.

Unilever cleared in formaldehyde suit
A Chicago-based federal judge has found in favor of Unilever in a suit that alleged that the manufacturer’s TRESemme range contained a formaldehyde-releasing preservative that was not disclosed on the front of the bottle, according to a report published by the Courthouse News Service.

Ulta names addition to Board of Directors
Ulta Beauty has announced the election of Heidi Peltz to its Board of Directors. Peltz is President and COO of The Sherwin-Williams Company.

Californian court slaps Avon with US$10.3 million punitive damages in talc suit
Avon has become the latest cosmetics firm to face a jury trial over the presence of asbestos in its talc-based products. The direct sales firm was ordered to pay US$10.3 million in punitive damages to a plaintiff who developed cancer after using talc-based powders sold by the beauty brand, according to a report published by Bloomberg.

The Honest Co appoints CEO
The Honest Co has become the only US publicly traded company to be headed up by an Afro-Latina after the appointment of Carla Vernon as its CEO.

Tech in 2022 – can’t touch this
What were we expecting of technology in 2022? Well, after the dominance of internet shopping over the prior two years, more of the same, with bells on. All bets were on livestreaming, already a dominant trend in China, booming in the west.

Retail in 2022 – shopping around
After the ravages of 2020 and 2021, retailers could have been forgiven for hoping for a smoother ride at the start of 2022. Pandemic restrictions were lifted, IRL shopping was back and even travel was resuming. So far, so hopeful.

Regulation in 2022 – clampdown
Cruelty free cosmetics and product safety have long been the dominant regulatory issues faced by the cosmetics industry but, in 2022, we saw lawmakers turn greater attention to greenwashing and the environmental impact of the products on offer too.

Products in 2022 – cashing in
In our humble opinion, 2022 wasn’t a year of huge innovation. Launches were subdued compared to pre-pandemic but if there was one prevailing trend among the launches of the year it was celebrity, celebrity and a bit more celebrity.

Packaging in 2022 – we need to talk about plastic
If there was one issue and one issue only that dominated packaging stories this year, it was sustainability. Packaging suppliers are working on reducing their impact on the environment.

Marketing in 2022 – all aboard the bandwagon
If there was one thing that defined marketing practices in both halves of 2022, it was not just jumping but positively leaping on the marketing bandwagon of the day.

Manufacturing in 2022 – grinding to a halt
At the start of the year, manufacturers were gearing up for growth. With the end of Covid restrictions in the west and omicron receding, it was back to business.

Ingredients in 2022 – the price is right
The supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic showed no signs of abating in early 2022. If anything, it got worse as inflation rose, leading to price rises across the board.

Finance in 2022 – inflation, inflation, inflation
Whether as a result of the pandemic, supply shortages or price gouging, inflation started rising worldwide in mid 2021 and was only exacerbated at the start of 2022 as Russia invaded Ukraine, sending fuel prices soaring.

Environment in 2022 – promises, promises
In the first six months of the year, we saw more and more targets set: Douglas published its global ESG goals, China’s Yatsen published its first ESG report and Christian Dior unveiled its eco strategy, while existing sustainability agendas were expanded or extended

Cantu Beauty announces singer Jordin Sparks as its newest brand ambassador
Singer Jordin Sparks has been named as the newest brand ambassador for Cantu Beauty, and will be highlighting the company’s community initiatives that give back to women across the world, focusing on the brand partnership with Women Empowering Nations.

L Brands pays US$2.75 million settlement as part of class action lawsuit
L Brands has agreed to pay US$2.75 million settlement as part of a class action lawsuit, relating to claims the company charged unreasonable fees as well as making high-cost investments with employee 401(k) funds, according to Top Class Actions.

Sephora promotes Deborah Yeh to Global Chief Purpose Officer
Sephora has promoted Executive Vice President, Global Chief Purpose Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of Sephora for North America, Deborah Yeh, to solely Global Chief Purpose Officer, effective January 1st.

Kering and L’Occitane partner on Climate Fund for Nature at COP15
Kering and L’Occitane have announced that they have partnered up to create the Climate Fund for Nature. The ambitious initiative will mobilize resources from the luxury fashion and beauty sectors to protect and restore nature.

Serena Williams launches line of muscle care solutions, Will Perform
Serena Williams has launched a line of topical pain relief and daily muscle care solutions, named Will Perform. The clean, cruelty free range is intended for athletes and those leading an active lifestyle.

The Estée Lauder Companies announces updates to the travel retail leadership team
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has announced changes to its travel retail leadership team, with Alice Marvillet appointed as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Estée Lauder, Travel Retail Worldwide.
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