Beauty ended the year stronger than ever, thanks to the holiday shopping habits of Gen Z. At CEW today, Faye Brookman reports on the surge in popularity of brands such as Drunk Elephant, Sol de Janeiro, and Glow Recipe with teens and preteens in the final week of 2023. “Demand for beauty products by teens is growing at an unprecedented rate,” she writes. More than just a seasonal trend, Piper Sandler’s latest semi-annual report on teen preferences revealed that teens spent $324 per year on beauty (a 33% increase from 2022). “They also tend to favor prestige products, citing Sephora as their preferred shopping outlet,” notes Brookman, who also breaks down overall Holiday consumer shopping trends, from much-loved miniatures to the ongoing love affair with fragrance.

Having launched her first scent collection last September, Victoria Beckham’s fashion and beauty company has announced that last year was a landmark one for the brand. It has reported that 2023 was its first profit-making year, during which Beckham also released a capsule skin care range with Augustinus Bader.

In acquisitions news, CEW reports on Unilever’s acquisition of K18 Biomimetic Hair Science, three years after its launch. “Founders Suveen Sahib and Britta Cox leveraged the professional community as well as social media to educate and engage consumers about the science of hair,” writes Andrea Nagel. “In just one year on the market, K18 became the number-one trending brand on TikTok, fueled by its #K18 HairFlip Challenge.”  Meanwhile, Shiseido announced its acquisition of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare during the final week of 2023.

In Paris, the new year got off to a magnifique start for Bernard Arnault, founder, Chairman, and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the luxury goods conglomerate which owns brands including Acqua Di Parma, Parfums Christian Dior, Givenchy Parfums, Fresh, and Marc Jacobs Beauty. Arnault was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, the country’s highest civilian decoration, in its annual New Year’s Day honors list.

Catch up on the most popular articles at CEW in 2023, in a special, click-to-read round-up, featuring the insights into executive moves, trend predictions and retail bestsellers that members didn’t want to miss.

Read more on these, and other stories, at the links below. 

Holiday 2023 Beauty Boomed, Thanks To Gen Z. How an influx of preteens and teens buying brands such as Rare Beauty, CeraVe, Drunk Elephant, Bubble Skincare, Glow Recipe and Taylor Swift pushed beauty sales beyond expectations in the last week of 2023. (CEW)

A Landmark Year For Victoria Beckham Beauty. The fashion and beauty brand announces that 2023 was its first profit-making year. (OK!)

Unilever Acquires K18 Biomimetic Hair Science. Loved by professionals, the TikTok-famous brand is renowned for creating K18Peptide, a molecule designed to mimic the human keratin structure to reverse chemical damage on hair in minutes. (CEW)

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Acquired By Shiseido. The Shiseido Americas Corporation, a subsidiary of Shiseido, has announced its acquisition of the dermatologist-led, science-based skincare brand in support of its “Beauty Innovations For A Better World” corporate mission. (NASDAQ)

An Honor For LVMH’s Bernard Arnault. The founder of the luxury goods conglomerate has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor in France’s annual New Year’s Day honors list. (WWD)

The Inkey List Goes Big With New Campaign. The company is promoting its new Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer by launching its biggest campaign to date. It will include out-of-home ads, events in partnership with Sephora and a social media campaign. (GLOSSY)

Tree Hut Scrubs Up For 2024. The brand is expanding its body care range with the launch of the new Desert Haze Shea Sugar Scrub. (HAPPI)

The Best-Read List. ICYMI, we’ve bookmarked the most popular articles at CEW in 2023. (CEW)