M&A Deals Continue to Propel the Beauty Industry Forward
Despite tariffs, wars, and rising costs, Raymond James bankers say differentiation, profitability, and founder-led innovation are keeping M&A strong.
Beauty’s Power Players Gather to Celebrate CEW’s 2025 Beauty Awards Finalists
Today more than 1,000 beauty industry insiders will gather at this year’s Beauty Expo at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC to celebrate more than 278 Finalists across 35 categories for CEW’s 2025 Beauty Awards program.
Clearstem, the Female-Founded Acne Brand No One Saw Coming, is Set to Hit $50M in 2025
What began as a patient-practitioner relationship has evolved into a brand that is estimated to reach $50 million in revenue in 2025 fueled by a shared mission to empower and educate consumers at every stage of their acne journey.
Beauty Brand No Makeup Makeup Enters New Era
Victoria Jackson revolutionized makeup in the 1980s and ‘90s, building a billion-dollar beauty empire by empowering women to feel confident in their own skin. Now, with next-gen innovation for today’s skin-conscious consumer that reimagines the concept she pioneered, she and longtime business partner Kim Wileman are leading a less-is-more beauty movement with No Makeup Makeup.
August 2025 Product Watch
This month marks a slate of high-profile beauty launches. Leading the charge is Louis Vuitton’s first foray into color cosmetics with La Beauté, a collection that looks to redefine luxe (starting with $160 price tags for lipstick). The beauty landscape is also seeing the debut of biotech-driven hair care, clean-label startups, and new namesake lines from Chris McMillan and Mary Phillips. Together, these launches forecast a market reshaped by heritage houses, celebrity talent, and science-forward innovation.
Sephora x Lyft New Collab Aims to Glam You Up
In their latest promotion, Sephora is making getting to one of its stores as easy as ordering a Lyft.
June 2025 Product Watch
Beauty is taking a high-tech turn this month with skin care launches that prioritize science and real results. From advanced moisturizers to next-gen sunscreens, these formulas are designed to protect, hydrate, and restore skin. A cult lipstick also makes a comeback with a fresh new shade, and a new DTC brand promises sustainable travel-friendly skin care. Here, we look at the most buzzworthy additions to the beauty aisle this month.
Olay’s Super Franchise Gets Supercharged Actives in Sophisticated Formulas
Following a trend for routine simplification and desire for visible skin transformation, Olay has introduced its Super Franchise, a streamlined lineup of multi-functional offerings that has quickly become a favorite on social channels such as TikTok. “With the beautiful packaging and transformational results, we went to TikTok because we thought it was TikTok-worthy,” said Stephanie Headley, Senior Vice President of North America Skincare at Procter & Gamble. “We are using our heritage plus our craftsmanship to deliver a simple skincare solution with real results you can see.”
From Friends to Founders: Colleagues Create Specialty Beauty Consultancy to Get Brands Retail Ready
Breakthru Beauty offers hands-on consulting to help beauty brands thrive in an increasingly complex and competitive marketplace. Step one: ascertaining if they’re ready for retail – and if not, how to get there.
The Estée Lauder Cos. Taps Lisa Sequino for New Executive Role
Sequino will be responsible for accelerating innovation and makeup trends, step-changing consumer recruitment, and enhancing local relevance.
CEW Product Watch May 2025
This month, the beauty aisle is brimming with innovation, from multi-tasking color crayons and glass-shine hair serums to next-gen sun care. Brands are leaning into hybrid formulas, blending high performance with skin-first sensibilities—think bronzers that blur, mists that mattify, and lip stains that nourish. Clean, vegan, and science-backed formulations are at the forefront, reflecting a consumer push for transparency without compromising on formulas. These launches are setting the tone for a smarter, sleeker summer routine.
Circana: Mass Beauty Outperforms Prestige in Q1
Price increases contributed to the stronger performance in the mass market, as unit sales were down 1%.