Jenni Baden HowardCos Bar has announced that it has been acquired by Mitchell Family Office, a private investment firm based in Birmingham, Michigan, after a potential deal with Violet Grey fell through. And in other acquisitions news, Carisa Janes, founder of Hourglass Cosmetics, has bought and relaunched Nature of Things, for an undisclosed sum. The plant-based bath, body, and skin care brand was founded by Jamie Leilani Pelayo and JP Collet in 2019.
In beauty executive news, Iced Media has tapped Emily Rose Campbell as Head of Performance, as the company unveils a new Search + Discovery practice. “As AI and LLMs reshape consumer search from ChatGPT to TikTok to Reddit and beyond brands need precise, intentional guidance to show up where beauty buyers are searching,” said Leslie Ann Hall, CEO and Founder, Iced Media and Haut Drops. “Under Ashley Banks’s leadership, Emily strengthens the strongest A-team in beauty advertising today. We’re helping winning brands rank in AI answers, own modern search, and convert in a single chat.” Meanwhile, Unilever has named Srinivas Phatak its new Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Phatak has been in the role of acting CFO since February 2025.
In international beauty, the L’Oréal-owned Vichy Laboratoires is making headlines with its presentation of two, longevity-focused skin and hair care products — the Neovadiol Longevity Cream and Dercos Aminexil Clinical R.E.G.E.N. Booster — at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) in Paris. The event runs from today until Saturday.
Here at CEW, we spotlight WSL Strategic Retail’s latest report which explores why K-beauty is perfectly timed to succeed, as shoppers seek out ranges which are accessible and affordable, while being open to making new discoveries. Also at CEW, we exclusively report on the winner of this year’s Clean Beauty Summer School (CBSS), Christal Alert, founder of TONAL, the 2025 CBSS winner. CBSS was founded by Tower 28’s Amy Liu, which gives BIPOC beauty entrepreneurs with mentorship, education, and the opportunity to pitch their brands to top investors and retailers.
In business leadership news, CEO World highlights 10 “curiosity questions” adapted from the work of Dr. Diane Hamilton, author of Cracking the Curiosity Code and Curiosity Unleashed. “Cultivating curiosity as a discipline helps leaders resist the temptation to default to what they already know. Instead, curiosity empowers them to explore new perspectives,” reports CEO World.
In other headlines today, Bath & Body Works has announced that it is boosting its sales associates force in advance of Holiday 2025. The retailer will hire over 30,000 seasonal associates throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. And Sephora is showcasing Wonderskin’s Wonder Blading Lip Stains, online and in-store, at its ‘Hot on Social’ endcap.
Catch up on these and other news stories by clicking on the links below.
Cos Bar Acquired By Mitchell Family Office. “We are thrilled to partner with the Cos Bar team to honor the company’s legacy while positioning it for future growth. At MFO, we invest in brands with strong founders and passionate leaders, and we see tremendous opportunity to build on Cos Bar’s success with innovation, scale, services and technology,” said Mark Mitchell, managing partner of Mitchell Family Office. (BEAUTY INDEPENDENT)
Hourglass Cosmetics Buys Nature of Things. A new range of products will relaunch, with prices starting from US$28, available on 16 September at natureofthings.com. (COSMETICS BUSINESS)
Iced Media Taps Emily Rose Campbell As Head of Performance. The announcement comes as Iced Media unveils its Search + Discovery Practice, “built for the post-Google era where beauty discovery starts in ChatGPT, TikTok, Reddit and the feeds where decisions are made,” the company stated on LinkedIn. (LINKEDIN)
Unilever Names Srinivas Phatak Chief Financial Officer. “The appointment provides leadership continuity for Unilever as the company pursues margin expansion and growth targets, reinforcing the role of financial strategy in navigating challenging consumer markets,” reports Global Cosmetics News. (GLOBAL COSMETICS NEWS)
Vichy Laboratoires Premieres Longevity Hair And Skin Care. “Longevity is a very important topic for the brand,” said Vincent Chauvière, global brand president of Vichy Laboratoires. “The future of dermocosmetics is this new longevity science and this integrative approach.” (WWD)
WSL Strategic Retail Report Proves K-Beauty’s Perfect Timing. The report notes how mass retailers are showcasing K-Beauty, such as Ulta, which recently launched 200 SKUs from eight K-beauty brands. (CEW)
Clean Beauty Summer School Winner Shares Her Story. “I’m trained as a cosmetic scientist, but my story really starts in Barbados, where I grew up,” TONAL founder Christal Alert told CEW. “The Caribbean climate is beautiful, but also incredibly harsh on makeup … I felt there was a gap for makeup that could withstand tough environments while also protecting skin.” (CEW)
10 Game-Changing Questions For Executives. Adapted from the work of Dr. Diane Hamilton, author of Cracking the Curiosity Code and Curiosity Unleashed, they include the “Missing Piece” question — What are we missing here?— which “opens up blind spots, challenges assumptions, and surfaces overlooked insights.” (CEO WORLD)
Bath & Body Works To Boost Holiday 2025 Sales Force. “It’s our peak season and delivering excellence for our customers starts with the incredible people in our stores and distribution centers,” said said company CEO Daniel Heaf. “We’re proud to create jobs for thousands of associates who will help us meet the moment and deliver a world-class experience for every customer.” (HAPPI)
Wonderskin’s Wonder Blading Lip Stains Make Sephora’s ‘Hot on Social’ Spot. “We are thrilled to partner with Wonderskin and introduce their innovative line of fan-favorite lip stains to our Sephora community,” commented Jennifer Cohen, VP Makeup Merchandising at Sephora. (BEAUTY PACKAGING)
