
Sephora’s bungled reward program spawns mass consumer protest
Consumers are hitting back after beauty retailer Sephora mishandled a much-vaunted giveaway for customers based on its rewards program, according to a report in the Consumerist. The so-called Epic Rewards Day promised extravagant gifts for those who accumulated a set...

Judge to rule on Avon China bribe case; proposed settlement for US$62 million
Avon is hoping to settle a US lawsuit bought by German shareholders for an estimated US$62 million, according to a Reuters report. The direct sales giant is charged with concealing its failure to stop workers bribing officials in China in order to boost sales. Avon...

Brazilian straightening treatments blasted for undisclosed formaldehyde content
US organisation the Environment Working Group has accused the manufacturer of Brazilian Blowout, GIB LLC, and makers other similar straightening treatments of defying regulators and poisoning salon workers and customers thanks to the undisclosed formaldehyde content...

Local players now dominate in booming Bangladesh cosmetics and toiletries market
Local brands dominate in the booming Bangladeshi cosmetics industry with a 60 percent share of the Tk150 billion market, according to a report published in The Financial Express. According to data released by the Bangladesh Cosmetics and Toiletries Manufacturers...

The Body Shop announces plans to rejuvenate business
Arnaud Jeanteur, General Manager of The Body Shop International, has opened up about plans to revamp the business after confessing the family favourite had ‘lost its way’. Speaking to Life in Ubud, Bali, Jeanteur confessed that the reaction to the brand in recent...

Unilever cleans up at Smarties awards
Personal care giant Unilever has been awarded 11 out of the 13 awards on offer at Mobile Marketing Association’s Smarties Awards, held as part of the Loeries Creative Week. The awards were created to recognise best-in-class moblle marketing campaigns from around the...

Californian cosmetics lawsuit dismissed
A lawsuit regarding the failure to label titanium dioxide (TiO2) in powdered cosmetic products has been dismissed in a Californian court. While it is often used in cosmetics for UV protection and pigmentation, “Titanium dioxide, airborne, unbound particles of...

Chinese cosmetic’s company sets sights on North America
Premium cosmetics brand Herborist, owned by Jahwa, is set to launch in North America in a bid to capitalise on the market with its Chinese traditional medicine techniques. Subrina Liu, Head of Marketing for the company, hopes to balance the needs of Chinese and...

Masrouji Group to capitalise on growing MEA beauty retail market
Beauty company Masrouji Group has launched into the GCC as analysts predict the MEA (Middle East and Africa) retail market will grow at a rate of 4.8 per cent year on year until 2019, with the value currently standing at $25.7bn. With MEA market growth being twice the...

Unilever Pakistan partners with WWF to tackle climate change in Karachi
Unilever Pakistan and WWF-Pakistan have joined forces to increase the number of trees in Karachi, Pakistan’s capital city, in a bid to counteract increasing temperatures in the area. According to Ali Dehlavi, Senior Manager, Building Capacity on Climate Change...

Oman tightens rules on cosmetic standards
A set of 52 quality standards have been set up by The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) in Oman for a range of cosmetics, including aromatic lotions, creams, deodorants, oils and shampoos. According to Shaymaa bint Khamis Al Balushiah, Quality Control...

Sephora capitalises on beauty box trend
Cosmetic retailer Sephora has launched into the ever growing beauty subscription box arena with its newest offering, ‘Play’. A area of the beauty market that is fast becoming fashionable with both men and women, beauty boxes are a fairly new concept. Consumers receive...

Morrocan cosmetics entrepreneur reaches finals of Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards
Managing Director of Izil Beauty, Mouna Abbassy, has been announced as a Middle East finalist of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards. The awards were founded in 2006 to foster and encourage women’s projects. Abbassy, 33, creates and markets natural cosmetics that...

European natural and organic personal care market set to grow from 2014 to 2019
According to a new report by Research and Markets the natural and organic personal care market is set to grow at a CAGR of 9.58 per cent during 2014 to 2019. Key drivers in the market are said to be L’Occitane, L’Oreal, Oriflame, Yves Rocher and Weleda, while the hair...

Unilever’s new manufacturing centre set for green light
A new Advanced Manufacturing Centre proposed by Unilever is set to be given the green light. The centre, set for development at Unilever’s Port Sunlight, will allow scientists and engineers to test for new personal care products. Wirral Council is to review the...

L’Oreal India COO quits to start new venture
Dinesh Dayal is set to leave his post of Chief Operating Officer for L’Oreal India in order to start his own advisory venture, the company said in a statement. Dayal has worked at the cosmetics giant for over 30 years and has been instrumental in launching brands such...

Muji to launch into single brand retail segment with cosmetic sales
Japanese household goods chain Ryohin Keikaku Co Ltd (Muji) has proposed a move into single brand retail which will involve the sales of cosmetics and has filed an application with the department of industrial policy and promotion. Muji, which has 700 stores across...

South African cosmetics company eyes Ghana as expansion potential
Gautang-based cosmetics company Yivani Ezi Ndaba Trading is focusing on Ghana, Nigeria for potential export opportunities through the Department of Trade and Industry (dti)'s Outward Selling and Investment Mission (OSIM) to Ghana and Nigeria scheme, which runs until...

Toothpaste becomes new fashion item
Thanks to fashion-savvy packaging Little Dome toothpaste is making waves in the cosmetics world. The toothpaste uses plant essential oils and comes wrapped in a colourful can. The paste was designed by Egg Endless Biotech Ltd which is based in China, and has achieved...

Estee Lauder reports lower than expected quarterly sales
Beauty behemoth Estee Lauder has reported net sales of $2.52 billion, compared with $2.73 billion in the prior-year period, for the three months ended June 30, 2015. However, the company has stated that this included the effect of the accelerated retailer orders,...

Direct sales company Oriflame beats expectations with Q2 operating profit
Swedish cosmetics maker Oriflame has beaten forecasts with its Q2 earnings, with sales in the third quarter having so far risen by four per cent. The company’s operating profit fell to 29.6 million euros, which beat a mean forecast by a Reuters panel of analysts of...

Unilever East Africa’s Idea Trophy announced for 2015 Kenyan Undergraduates
The 2015 Unilever East Africa’s Idea Trophy has been announced. The inter-university innovation competition focuses on Kenyan undergraduates and looks at the development of personal and entrepreneurial competencies. The award, which extends to both private and public...

L’Oreal India to ‘build bridge between traditional recipes and products to modern cosmetics’
L’Oreal India Managing Director Jean-Christophe Letellier has suggested that the company would like to build bridges between traditional recipes and products to modern cosmetics, while capitalising on the ‘India beauty market growth story.’ While speaking to The...

UK male claims Crest teeth whitening products caused hole in throat
An English man has suffered an extreme allergic reaction to Crest 1hr Express Strips, according to the Huffington Post. Jake Barrett, 22, was said to have noticed a painful sac under his tongue 48 hours after using the tooth whitening kit, and was said to be unsure as...

Consumers favour herbal cosmetics, claims new report
According to a new report, the market share for herbal beauty products has increased considerably in comparison to synthetic products thanks to their popularity with consumers. Products such as herbal skin care, hair care and make up items are said to be on the rise...
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