Sustainability is making beauty headlines as the week gets underway. In a CEW exclusive, Lynn Power, founder of the Conscious Beauty Collective (CBC) and co-founder of hair care brand MASAMI, talks about the launch of the CBC’s new Indie Brand Certification program. Designed to support smaller, independent beauty brands committed to making a difference when it comes to ethical practices and environmental awareness, the program requires companies to be vegan, cruelty-free, and meet a set of stringent criteria. These include EU compliancy for cosmetic ingredients; being fair-trade minded, and geared towards sustainability. How does the CBC define an “indie” brand? “One that is independently owned and operated — not owned by a corporation or parent company,” Power explains. Speaking of sustainability, Sephora has launched two new sustainability seals: “Clean at Sephora” and “Planet Aware at Sephora.” These were announced in Paris, at the ChangeNow summit. Both seals will be introduced in April.
In breaking beauty news, Jen Atkin, Mary Phillips, and Justine Marjan have joined forces to launch Highlight Artists, a new talent management agency. The agency already boasts more than 20 hair and makeup professionals in Los Angeles and New York.
At this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) event, bringing together tech, film and music, fashion and beauty had a presence across 26 programs of speakers, workshops, panels, and podcasts. The beauty panel sessions included a discussion on brand strategies, led by DIBS Beauty Co-Founders Jeff Lee and Courtney Shields, and a trend prediction panel, with insights from Elizabeth Hogue, Director of Global Brand Product Management at The Estée Lauder Companies.
In executive news, Estelle Létang has been named CEO of La Prairie Group. Létang joins La Prairie from The Estée Lauder Companies, where she has worked for the last 21 years, in roles including General Manager of the Middle East region. Speaking of skin care, PRAI chose to partner with QVC for the exclusive, U.S.-only launch of the new PRAI Pro collection, last week. “As the beauty landscape evolves, so does our commitment to innovation and efficacy,” said Cathy Kangas, founder of PRAI Beauty. “This collection epitomizes our dedication to delivering professional-grade skincare that transcends expectations and QVC is the perfect platform to launch with.”
Catch up on these and other stories at the links below.
Conscious Beauty Collective Launches Indie Brand Certification Program. The new CBC program is designed to empower smaller indie companies with a recognized seal, and a set of modern, conscious, clean beauty standards. (CEW)
Sephora Announces Two Global Sustainability Seals. “Clean at Sephora” and “Planet Aware at Sephora,” which were unveiled during the ChangeNow summit in Paris, will appear beginning April 2024. (GLOBAL COSMETICS NEWS)
Jen Atkin, Mary Phillips, and Justine Marjan Launch Highlight Artists. The new talent management agency already has 20 hair and makeup professionals in Los Angeles and New York. (WWD)
Beauty Makes Its Debut At SXSW. This year’s event included a fashion and beauty track for the first time. (BEAUTY MATTER)
La Prairie Group Taps Estelle Létang As CEO. Létang held a 21-year career with The Estée Lauder Companies, in a variety of roles including General Manager of the Middle East region. (COSMETICS BUSINESS)
PRAI Picks QVC To Launch PRAI Pro. The range launched on QVC and the brand website exclusively in the U.S. (PRAI)
Disappointing Results For Douglas Group. The leading prestige retailer in Europe returned to the stock market on Thursday March 21 in Frankfurt. (PREMIUM BEAUTY NEWS)
Sharon Personal Care Scoops C&T Allē Award. The global supplier of eco-friendly ingredient solutions received a cosmetics and toiletries Allē Award for Emulpharma Mimesis, its innovative a green emulsifier used in skin care products. (HAPPI)
