Right now, the beauty deal on everyone’s lips is L’Oréal’s acquisition of the Color Wow brand. Renowned for its viral, trouble-shooting frizz-fighting styling sprays and clever root concealers, the move is part of L’Oréal’s strategic expansion of its premium hair care portfolio. “Color Wow will fall under the L’Oréal Professional Products Division joining brands such as Redken, Kérastase, and Biolage,” writes Faye Brookman, in a special CEW report today.

In other L’Oréal news, on the tech front, L’Oréal Paris’ partnership with WhatsApp for its AI-powered Beauty Genius tool is going strong. Offering personalized product recommendations, ingredients information, and more, Beauty Genius soft-launched last October and will roll out more widely in 2026.

Sephora, meanwhile, is launching a collab with Lyft Media this month, as part of its “Get Beauty from People Who Get Beauty” campaign. During the promotional period, beauty shoppers in NYC, L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle will get free Lyft rides to Sephora (or $20 off their ride) for a personalized shopping experience to a participating Sephora store location,” explains CEW’s Andrea Nagel.

New research shows that the gender gap in start-ups in Germany is shrinking.  “According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the start-up rate for women in Germany was 8.5% in 2024, which is higher than ever before,” Startbase reports. “This represents an increase of 2.6 percentage points compared to the previous year. In an international comparison of high-income countries, Germany ranks fifth out of 12 countries with a below-average gender gap.” 

Speaking of inclusivity, Chicago city leaders recently addressed diversity, equity,‌ and inclusion (DEI) challenges faced by‌ women-owned businesses at an event hosted by the Chicago Sky Foundation, sharing tips for success, emphasizing the importance of representation and authenticity in the business world. The panelists “shared strategies for success, emphasizing the importance of representation and authenticity in the business world,” according to News Directory.

In international beauty news, Kate Moss’ beauty brand Cosmoss has entered liquidation, and Kenvue has opened a new Australian HQ in Sydney’s central business district. Closer to home, Credo Beauty is showcasing a French pharmacy-inspired capsule collection of beauty products from France, as of today.

Read more about these and other news stories by clicking on the links below. 

L’Oréal’s Acquisition Of Color Wow. Terms of the deal remain undisclosed, but industry sources say the brand generates annual sales of $300 million and could yield a $1 billion transaction. (CEW)

L’Oréal Paris X WhatsApp To Roll Out Beauty Genius In 2026. “The queries range from very sophisticated to very basic — from someone who is new to the category or to beauty in general, you might see questions like, ‘How do I apply eye shadow?’ ‘How do I apply hair dye?’” Thomas Vince, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at L’Oréal Paris, told WWD. “And then you move into more sophisticated, longer and very pointed queries, which show a much more conversational exchange between the brand and the individual.”  (WWD)

Sephora x Lyft Collab. “Upon arrival, shoppers can immerse themselves in all of Sephora’s in-store offerings, which include personalized shopping guidance, expert product matching with Sephora’s skin scan technology, exclusive product sampling, and $10 off any purchase over $50,” reports CEW’s Andrea Nagel. (CEW)

Start-Up Gender Gap Narrowing In Germany. “A high proportion of the founders surveyed stated that they wanted to achieve financial success through self-employment: 58.7% of women and 69.3% of men,” reports Startbase. (STARTBASE)

Chicago Businesswomen Share Strategies For Success. “Panelists emphasized the importance of being assertive and unapologetic in business,” reports News Directory about the recent event by The Chicago Sky Foundation. (NEWS DIRECTORY)

Kate Moss’ Cosmoss Shutters. Moss’ beauty brand Cosmoss has entered liquidation three years after launching. (COSMETICS BUSINESS)

Kenvue Opens Australian HQ. The new, modern office is designed to support flexible, in-person collaboration and team engagement. (GLOBAL COSMETICS NEWS)

Credo Beauty Says Bonjour To French Pharmacy Brands. As of today, it is showcasing a curated range including  Odacité, Doré, Maison Molle, and Le Rouge Francais, among others. (BEAUTY INDEPENDENT)

New Look For Nu Skin. The brand has repackaged its ageLOC Tru Face range, with a sustainable refillable design. (BEAUTY PACKAGING)