Today’s biggest headlines deal with the behind-the-scenes dealings of the beauty industry, from the confusion over the news (or non-news) of a Succession-style shareholder takeover of Estée Lauder, to the announcement of an ASA crackdown on advertisements for aesthetic products like Botox and fillers. And when you’re done with those stories, we recommend reading the excerpt published today in the Business of Fashion on fashion designer and founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge Aurora James’ forthcoming autobiography, Wildflower: A Memoir. You’ll definitely want to pick up a copy of this innovator’s inspiring and insightful story as an addition to your summer reading list. Read these stories and more in the link below.

Wall Street Grapples With Conflicting Reports Over Activist Investor Circling Estée Lauder. Monday saw rumors of activist investor Nelson Peltz pushing for a sale of Estée Lauder and ousting the current CEO; those claims were then denied by CNBC host Jim Cramer, causing share prices to buoy. (WWD)

Is Sephora Ruining Its ‘Free Birthday Gift’ Perk? After announcing an update to its ‘free birthday gift’ policy, the retailer is facing some backlash on social media. (RetailWire)

Ad Watchdog Cracks Down on Misleading Health and Beauty Claims. The Advertising Standard Authority is banning a growing number of advertisements that exaggerate the benefits of aesthetic products like Botox, fillers, and diet aids after a surge of complaints on social media and TV. (The Guardian)

Content Creator Sarah Palmyra Says Influencers Want More Affiliate Options on Short-Form Vertical Video. Linking product pages within short-form vertical video on TikTok or Reels isn’t an easy or streamlined process; however, Palmyra believes finding a solution would benefit both influencers and brands from a revenue perspective. (Digiday)

How Aurora James Launched the 15% Pledge — Book Excerpt. In this excerpt from James’ autobiography, the Brother Vellies founder remembers what it was like in the days after she launched the Fifteen Percent Pledge, challenging companies to dedicate 15 percent of their shelf space to Black businesses. (Business of Fashion)

Meta Threatens to Pull News Content From Facebook and Instagram in Canada. If Bill C-18 is passed by the Canadian Senate, companies like Meta will be required to pay media companies for linking to their content online. If that happens, Meta has announced they will end the availability of news content in the country. (Forbes)