A slow day on the beauty front, this morning’s biggest headlines are beauty-industry adjacent — from China’s sluggish exports to reports that Instagram is developing its own AI chatbot. Read these stories and more in the links below.
4 Criteria Every Indie Beauty Brand Must Meet to be Considered by Ulta Beauty Today. Josie Ostrowski, senior manager of new brand partnerships at Ulta Beauty, talks about what she saw at the Adit Live trade show and what the retailer is focused on at the moment in terms of bringing on new brands. (Beauty Independent)
GetHarley Closes $52 Million Funding Round Led by Index Ventures. The London-based online marketplace connects consumers with top skin clinicians and provides them with personalized product recommendations, and has received triple-digit growth since launching in 2019. (WWD)
Instagram Appears to be Developing an AI Chatbot With 30 Different Personalities to Choose From. According to a tweet from a mobile developer who delves into Instagram’s codes, the company might be working on bringing AI agents to the platform’s chat functions. (Business Insider)
China’s Trade Slowdown Points to Global Woes. Chinese exports and imports dropped in May, with exports falling steeper than expected, sparking concern that not only is the country still struggling to recover after reopening in January, but that global trade has also softened in general. (The Wall Street Journal)
Harvey Alstodt Dies at 83. As executive vice president of sales for cosmetics at Del Laboratories, Alstodt helped Sally Hansen become the leading nail brand in the country. (WWD)
