The news that has everyone in beauty buzzing this morning, April 4, is the announcement of L’Oréal’s acquisition of Aesop, with a valuation of $2.5 billion and an eye set on greater expansion into China and the travel retail market. Speaking of retail, Amazon released its third annual “Brand Production Report” yesterday, and in it the company detailed the steps they’re taking to keep counterfeit goods off the platform, from new, more-intensive vetting processes to legal action in cooperation with brands like Valentino and Cartier.

And in case you missed it, over the weekend a new digital issue of Graydon Carter’s Air Mail dropped. In addition to tantalizing deep-dives into pop-culture drama like Gwyneth Paltrow’s court case and the alleged rift between celebrities and beauty entrepreneurs Selena Gomez and Hailey Beiber, you can also find a treasure trove of beauty and wellness content. This includes Linda Wells’ reporting on Peoplehood, the “therapy without the therapy” group-chatting session in New York City created by the founders of SoulCycle. Read these stories and more in the links below.

L’Oréal Signs Deal to Acquire Aesop. The proposed deal values the Australian luxury brand at more than $2.5 million, the largest ever acquisition for the French beauty conglomerate. (WWD)

Emerging Beauty’s Brightest Executives. Beauty Independent spotlights 30 of the most talented executives working behind-the-scenes at some of the industry’s buzziest indie brands.
(Beauty Independent)

Amazon Reports It Disposed of 6 Million Counterfeit Items Last Year. In its third annual “Brand Protection Report”, published on Tuesday, the company outlines all the details of how it’s tackling the issue of counterfeit goods being sold on the site. (Glossy)

The Influencer Industry is Having an Existential Crisis. Like many in the platform-based gig economy, social content creators have tried to strike, organize, and even unionize against the tech companies whose apps they use to make money. The Atlantic investigates why it hasn’t worked. (The Atlantic)

Inspiring Greatness Through Confidence and Well-Being. On the latest episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Esi Eggleston Bracey, president of Unilever USA and CEO of Unilever Personal Care in North America, speaks about her career journey and her mantras on achieving success. (Adweek )

Eye of the Beholder: Inside Peoplehood. With her usual razor-sharp wit and in-depth reporting, Linda Wells takes readers inside Peoplehood, the new group-chatting concept in New York City created by SoulCycle founders Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice. (AirMail Look)

Is an Inflection Realistic & Can Estée Lauder Get More Youthful? The financial analysts at TD Cowen released their equity research report today on Estée Lauder, outlining the challenges and solutions the company should take to remain a leader in the prestige beauty category. (TD Cowen Quick Take)