The cosmetics giant is attempting to get out from under its heavy debt load amid soaring prices and a snarled supply chain.
Revlon has filed for bankruptcy protection as the cosmetic giant attempts to get out from under its heavy debt load amid soaring prices and supply chain disruptions.
The company said in a news release that it expects $575 million in financing if the plan wins court approval. The additional funds will support the company’s daily operations. Under the Chapter 11 filing, the company is able to continue operating while reorganizing its outstanding debt.
The 90-year-old multinational is known for an array of cosmetics and skin-care brands, including drugstore favorite Almay and premium label Elizabeth Arden, which Revlon acquired in 2016 after selling more than $2 billion of loans and bonds. It is controlled by billionaire Ronald Perelman’s MacAndrews & Forbes.
Before the coronavirus crisis, Revlon faced growing competition from start-ups backed by celebrities including Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, which siphoned many of its younger consumers through its social media marketing.
But the pandemic only exacerbated those problems as sales of lipsticks — Revlon’s iconic product — curtailed when people masked up. Worldwide net sales fell 20 percent, from $2.4 billion in 2019 to $1.9 billion a year later. In March 2020, Revlon cut 1,000 positions to improve profitability. In November of the same year, Revlon avoided a bankruptcy filing after receiving enough bondholder support.
Debra Perelman, Revlon’s chief executive and daughter of Ronald Perelman, said the company’s “challenging capital structure” has limited its ability to meet consumer demand while navigating “macroeconomic issues.”
“By addressing these complex legacy debt constraints, we expect to be able to simplify our capital structure and significantly reduce our debt, enabling us to unlock the full potential of our globally recognized brands,” Perelman said.
Revlon estimated liabilities of between $1 billion to $10 billion in a court filing. In its most recent earnings report, the company reported $3.3 billion in long-term debt.
Revlon said it’s unable to keep a regular supply of raw materials, putting production at risk, according to the court filing. Nearly one-third of customer demand cannot be timely fulfilled due to the lack of raw materials, it added.
While Perelman said during the March earnings call that the supply chain head winds are “temporary” and that Revlon had sourced additional vendors for key materials, the war in Ukraine and the covid lockdown in China presented new challenges to the global supply chain. Shipping from China to the United States doubled in time and quadrupled in cost compared with 2019, the company said.
Experts said Revlon could take advantage of Chapter 11 provisions to reorganize its portfolio of brands, where some older ones showed unsatisfying performance and lost customers. “If executed effectively, Revlon could emerge from bankruptcy with a cleaner balance sheet and a better operating profile, improving longer term business prospects,” David Silverman, retail senior director at Fitch Ratings, told RetailDive in email comments.
Corporate bankruptcy filings have reached the lowest levels in early 2022, according to S&P Market Intelligence data, which excludes the smallest business filings. As of the end of May, 143 bankruptcies have been filed this year, compared with 203 in 2021 and 263 in 2020 during the same period. Among the 143 bankruptcies, only three are retail filings.
However, Revlon’s filing — the first from a major consumer-facing business in years — could signal a downturn in the consumer discretionary sector, which encompasses largely companies selling nonessential products and are sensitive to the business cycle.
In May, inflation reached 8.6 percent over the last year, which led to financial pressure felt by many households. According to Census Bureau data, retail sales are down 0.3 percent from the previous month in May, as consumers shift to cheaper alternatives amid rising prices.
After ten years, the brand is shutting down soon after an unsuccessful relaunch.
Bite Beauty, a portfolio brand of LVMH-owned beauty incubator, Kendo, has announced that it will close later this year.
The brand shared the news in a post on Instagram:
“We are sad to share that Bite Beauty will be closing later this year. Thank you for the past 10 years of love, growth and fun. You have always been our ultimate inspiration.”
While Bite Beauty is exiting the market, associated Lip Lab locations, where shoppers can obtain custom makeup products, will remain open and expand. There are currently nine Lip Lab locations.
About Bite Beauty
Bite Beauty was founded by Susanne Langmuir in 2011 with a focus on lip products and food-grade ingredients. Highly pigmented lipstick Amuse Bouche was the hero product out of the gate when the brand launched in 2012.
Kendo took over Bite Beauty 2014. Four years later in 2018, Langmuir departed the brand, and went on to spearhead the beauty incubator SL&Co. and waterless skincare brand An-hydra. Many fans felt the brand lost its way after Langmuir’s departure.
In 2019, Bite Beauty discontinued Amuse Bouche and announced a rebrand was in the works. A year later, the rebrand was implemented with a vegan reformulation and extensions into the complexion category, but it wasn’t until 2021 that a replacement for Amuse Bouche (Power Move Hydrating Soft Matte Lipstick) was introduced. Reviews for the rebrand were mixed at best.
“In a way, I already said goodbye to Bite Beauty,” writes Christine of Temptalia. “The rebrand did not strike me as promising (I loathe ‘clean beauty’ and never liked that they were leaning into it), and when products came out, nothing made me fall in love with the brand again, only more and more disappointed over time. I’m still sad over the loss of the products from before the rebrand, LOL!”
The future looks even brighter for cult skincare beauty brands The Ordinary and NIOD, part of Deciem Inc.—following Estée Lauder’s $1 billion purchase for majority stake in the Canadian-based, multi-brand company.
Estée Lauder Companies Inc. announced that it will increase its investment in Deciem Beauty Group Inc., from 29% to 76%.
ELC, which owns a portfolio of leading beauty brands including MAC, La Mer and Bobbi Brown, made its initial investment in June 2017, and will purchase the remaining interest after a three-year period. Net sales at Deciem for the 12 months ended Jan. 31 were approximately $460 million.
“Over the last four years, we have built a truly special long-term partnership with the incredible Deciem team, and we are excited for what the future holds,” said Fabrizio Freda, president and chief executive officer at Estée Lauder Companies, in a prepared release.
“The company’s hero products, desirable innovation, and digital- and consumer-first high-touch approach have been instrumental to its success.”
In 2013, Brandon Truaxe founded Deciem, known as “the abnormal beauty company,” with the goal of raising transparency in the beauty industry. The company’s portfolio includes six brands; The Ordinary is its largest brand followed by NIOD.
The Ordinary, whose celebrity fans include Kim Kardashian, retails from $3.95 to $28.90, while the vast majority of products retail under $10. The brand’s top-selling product is the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, a skin blemish serum, for $5.90. According to the company, one product sells every second globally. If The Ordinary offers broad appeal with its budget-friendly prices, NIOD, whose slogan is “skincare for the hyper-educated,” is the higher-end crown jewel in terms of marrying science with skincare. For instance, the smaller-size 15 ml. Copper Amino Isolate Serum retails for $60. All of the Deciem products are created in house in the lab.
“One of the biggest marketing drivers is word of mouth and this can only be achieved by creating formulations that are loved,” said Nicola Kilner, cofounder and chief executive officer of Deciem. “Our products have high levels of trusted ingredients, clear percentages of actives, and most importantly they work.”
Part of the beauty products’ appeal is their simple, almost scientific-looking design.
“The bottles create a lab-like visual in a bathroom cabinet,” Kilner said. “The design has led to a larger conversation about ingredients, we have resonated with a newly coined consumer, the ‘skintellectual,’ who knows exactly what to put on their skin, what the formulas do and in which products to find these ingredients.”
Being a part of the Estée Lauder family will open up a whole new world for Deciem, the executive noted.
“You look at the ELC portfolio of brands and now The Ordinary can mix right next to La Mer,” Kilner said. “We always tried to push that price point does not define luxury.”
The acquisition will allow Deciem to have access to Estée Lauder’s vast resources to grow their brands, particularly global distribution and supply chain.
“We will continue scaling The Ordinary,” Kilner said. “Then we want to get back to the heart of Deciem, which is to be an incubator of brands. Our research and development chemists are working on formulations for new brands as we speak.”
The company’s journey and rise to cult beauty status was not without challenges and growing pains.
“Estée Lauder supported us at our lowest, continue to trust our decisions and most importantly they have loved us throughout,” Kilner said.
The $1 billion paid by Estée Lauder reflects a market value of $2.2 billion. Excluding this gain, Deciem’s net sales and earnings are expected to have a negligible impact on Estée Lauder’s fiscal year 2021 consolidated results, according to the release. The acquisition is expected to close in the quarter ending June 30.
Deciem’s founder Truaxe recognized the synergy between the brands and said Estée Lauder was the only “forever home” for the innovative beauty company.
“They put brand ahead of business and are family-orientated throughout—two values we ferociously hold dear,” Kilner noted.
Danessa Myricks’ eponymous makeup brand kicks off a partnership that’s been a year in the making. You can shop nine product categories, including the Best of Beauty-winning Colorfix, on Sephora’s virtual shelves for glowing, professional-tier looks.
Welcome to Artist Spotlight #42 series on my blog.
Although most of us aren’t wearing makeup as often as we used to, experimenting with makeup and carving out that time for myself has become a major solace for me throughout the past year.
Danessa Myricks Beauty exclusively revealed to Allure that the iconic brand is partnering up with Sephora to launch most of its products on sephora.com. The giant beauty retailer has been watching the brand’s growth for quite a while, and founder Danessa Myricks says the “official courtship” lasted around a year. “From the very beginning, [Sephora has] demonstrated a deep commitment to my long-term success,” Myricks adds. “They’ve followed my journey, knew of all my products, attended my master classes, and were actual customers of the brand.”
Last year was a long-overdue time of retail reckoning spurred by Sharon Chuter’s #PullUpOrShutUp challenge. In addition to sharing statistics on Black employees (especially in leadership positions), major retailers also committed to filling their shelves with more Black-owned brands and partnering with experts in the space to achieve diversity-centric goals with a conscience.
As a small-business owner and Black entrepreneur, Myricks went into initial discussions with Sephora with a certain, necessary level of precaution — but, as you can probably tell, both sides were able to make it work. “I never felt like a box checked off on a quota,” she says. “[Sephora was] thoughtful and present when it was time to have difficult conversations around inclusion and diversity and were mindful of the commitment it takes for a small brand like mine to scale at this level.”
These initiatives go beyond her own brand, too. “What excited me the most about this partnership is not only will this be possible for Danessa Myricks Beauty, but Sephora has also committed to creating this same opportunity for more female-founded, Black-owned brands as well,” Myricks shares.
I’m personally stover excited about the prospect of more makeup enthusiasts catching wind of Danessa Myricks Beauty and trying out the line for themselves. Read on to learn about every DMB product that became available at sephora.com as of their launch date, February 26.
Colorfix 24-Hour Cream Color ($18)
These multipurpose cream pigments allow you to create some seriously vibrant, out-of-the-world looks (see above for proof). And the best of news of all: The brand has confirmed that all 83 shades and finishes — Creams, Mattes, Foils, Glazes, Neons, and Nudes — will be eventually be available to shop on Sephora. (For the initial launch, there are 30 shades to dive in on.)
If you don’t know where to start, Myricks recommends a monochromatic look. “With just one drop, you can take your favorite shade and add it to your lips, cheeks, and eyelids,” she says. (Just look at your favorite celebrities, such as Yara Shahidi, for inspiration.) The intense pigmentation works on every skin tone and lasts all day, Myricks adds.
“I think the number-one unexpected way Colorfix is used is as a complexion product,” Myricks says. Colorfix in shades like Phoenix (matte bright orange) and Carrot Top (neon orange) are crease-proof fixes for dark circles and hyperpigmentation. “The tiniest drop immediately neutralizes darkness and sets without bleeding into foundation or concealer,” she adds.
Vision Cream Cover ($28)
Sephora is known to offer tons of product exclusives in the form of jumbo sizes, pop-culture collaborations, and holiday gift sets, so it’s no surprise that Danessa Myricks Beauty is kicking off its Sephora partnership with an exclusive of its own: a value-size version of the Vision Cream Cover for $22 (normally $28).
“With over 20 years of experience as a makeup artist, one thing I know for sure is everyone wants to look natural, regardless of their coverage needs,” Myricks says. This foundation-concealer hybrid has easily adjustable, sheer-to-full coverage available in 23 shades and six color transformer/additive colors for further customization (i.e. peach to neutralize redness). Infused with moisture-boosting squalane and soothing vitamin E, it glides onto skin like a dream and leaves behind a silky-smooth finish.
You only need one drop of the creamy formula for full-face coverage or a half-drop if you’re using it as a concealer, Myricks says. You can also sheer out the Vision Cream Cover with a hydrating lotion or lightweight oil. As far as application goes, you can play with it however you like. “It’s so finger-friendly but also works beautifully with a sponge or a brush,” she adds.
Dew Wet Balm ($22)
If you’re looking for an instant “glass skin” finish on the fly, Dew Wet Balm will dew that with a single swipe. Available in five luminescent colors (including translucent, rose gold, and bronze), this highlighting balm sinks into skin, rather than simply sitting atop of it. That effect is due to the formula’s hydrating jojoba oil, which lends skin a natural glow. You could say it’s the highlight of 2021 makeup trends.
Vision Flush ($20)
Similar to Colorfix, Vision Flush can also be applied all over the eyes, lips, and cheeks for a subtle, satin-matte wash of color. Choose from 12 shades — including corals, plums, and browns — and sweep the diamond-shaped reservoir tip applicator across your lips or dab onto your lids and cheekbones. Voilà, radiance in a pinch.
Illuminating Veil ($22)
Tap the Illuminating Veil for backup if you want to add major glimmer to your face or body. Whether you wear it on its own or mix it in with your favourite liquid foundation for a dewy finish, this water-based highlighter makes all skin tones glow in no time at all. If you’re short on time, you can effortlessly blend in any of the 12 bronzey, golden, silver, and lavender shades in with your fingers.
Power Bronzer ($26)
An alternative to cakey powder bronzers, the Power Bronzer is a long-wearing cream bronzer that’s impossibly easy to blend and adds a dimensional dose of warmth to your face. All three shades (Deep, Medium, and Light) are perfect for achieving a summery glow — even when you’re stuck indoors all winter long.
Evolution Powder ($24)
Designed with the harshness of flash photography and TV/film lighting in mind, the Evolution Powder blurs the appearance of texture and fine lines with light-diffusing spheres. Dust on a layer of the translucent setting powder or any of the eight tinted shades (including yellow, peach, tan, and bronze) to set your makeup with ease and guard against mid-day shine.
Hot tip: Sweep the powder in only the areas you experience excess oil with a small makeup brush (aka, precision powdering) if you don’t want to lose your all-over glow.
Light Work Palette I & II ($42)
The Light Work Palettes allow you to layer various highlighting shades so you obtain the exact level of brilliance you desire. Both palettes have six creamy powder shades each, but the “I” edition has cooler rose gold, champagne, gold, and soft white shades, while “II” has a warmer color scheme that incorporates yellow gold, terracotta bronze, cocoa bronze hues. Both, however, contain micro-light-refracting particles that add eye-catching dimension to your face.
Beauty Oil ($30)
Even though it’s spiked with deeply hydrating jojoba, sunflower, and walnut oils, you’ll find the Beauty Oil still manages to be lightweight to the touch. The clear, gold-flecked liquid sinks into skin within seconds to reveal your skin’s natural radiance when it’s worn alone as a skin-care product, underneath complexion products, and mixed with your foundation of choice (just two to three drops will do). It’s especially handy for mature skin.
What are you waiting for? Stock up on all things Danessa Myricks at sephora.com (and in-stores on April 9), and keep your eyes peeled for new and special drops.
Halsey is joining Rihanna, Selena Gomez, and Millie Bobbie Brown with the curation and launch of her very own beauty brand, About-Face. The award-winning artist has been hinting about her latest project for months through mysterious posts on social media. Now, all has finally been revealed.
Welcome to Artist Spotlight #38 series on my blog.
About-Face launched with three distinct franchises: Light Lock, Matte, and Shadowstick. The Light Lock assortment includes face highlighters with ultimate shine in stick, powder, fluid, and lip gloss form. The Matte range includes velvety finishes with products like the Paint-It Matte Lip Colors, Matte Fix Lip Pencils, and Fluid Eye Paint. Lastly, Shadowsticks are precise cream shadow crayons in soft pastel colors. The launch includes ten different products in an array of colors across each category. All About-Face products are vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated without gluten, phthalates, parabens, or synthetic fragrances.
Keeping to her vision of self-love, identity, and reflection, about-face is a creation of Ashley Frangipane (Halsey’s birth name), with the brand’s initials being a reflection of her own. The beauty brand focuses on a collection that is “For everyone, for everywhere, for every way with a dedication to products that are as edgy and non-conforming as the voice behind it,” according to the press release.
Serving as founder and Chief Creative Officer, Halsey has had her hands in every step of the curation and launch, even stating on Twitter that she did the makeup and photos for all the models during the campaign. So far, the campaign has featured people of various backgrounds and identities, emphasizing the theme of multi-dimensional makeup for everyone.
About-Face officially launched on January 25, 2021, on aboutface.com. The line includes affordable items that range from $14 to $32.
FACE
About-Face wants you to embrace your inner light with their face products that feature shimmery colors and pigments that will leave you “Straight Beaming!” Featuring products like the Matte Fix Spray ($28), the Light Lock Highlighting Fluid ($32), the Light Lock Powder ($30), and the Light Lock Stock ($25). Each Light Lock product includes at least three varying shades from light sheer to a deeper bronze.
Light Lock Powder
A crazy smooth highlighter powder that transforms for a glass-like finish.
Often one to rock a bold look, Halsey curated lip products with bold shade ranges that highlight a deep wine red, a matte burnt beige, a light pale pink, and more. Featuring products like the Light Lock Lip Gloss ($20), the Paint-it Matte Lip Color ($22), and the Matte Fix Lip Pencil ($17).
Paint-It Matte Lip Color
A flexible, matte liquid formula infused with natural peppermint with a powerful pigment load.
Currently, About-Face offers two eye products that provide a bold matte finish, a saturated matte look, or a pearlescent shimmer—featuring products like the Matte Fluid Eye Paint ($24) and the Shadowstick ($21). The smooth, buildable Matte Fluid Eye Paint pigment comes in six shades described as a “one-swipe color” that is smudge and budge-proof. The Shadowstick contains both matte and shimmery shades that can be used as eyeliner, eyeshadow, or truly whatever you choose.
Shadowstick
An insanely pigmented, one-stroke eye crème with a built in sharpener.
What’s left to say about the year 2020 that hasn’t already been said? These past 12 months may have tested humanity and the planet and every institution on it in ways most of us could never have fathomed — but even in the bad, weird, living nightmare times, the beauty industry did not quit.
Despite the odds, the economic downturns, the flailing retail structure, the unstable political climate, the sheer number of times the word “unprecedented” was uttered, beauty charged on. After all, there were game-changing formulas, groundbreaking technology and conversation-shifting campaigns to bring to market.
And so, as we look back at 2020 (and slowly but surely claw our way out of it), industry experts — ranging from dermatologists to Insta-famous makeup artists to beauty editors — identified some of the most noteworthy beauty launches of the year.
It was a big year for celebrity beauty, and a handful of star-backed brands had an impressive showing on this list, with multiple experts highlighting their superiority or buzz-worthiness amidst a sea of so many other celebrity lines. Skin care also reigned supreme, particularly as so many of us spent a record-breaking amount of time at home, staring at our own faces during Zoom calls. And perhaps most promisingly, brands that emphasized inclusivity — by serving marginalized and too-often underserved communities, by bringing all genders into the beauty conversation, by broadening the definition of what “good” skin can look like — were a welcome addition to 2020.
BIDEN BEAUTY
“Biden Beauty is an initiative that was near and dear to my heart because Very Good Light was behind it. It was a small idea that became a reality and was really amazing to see it thrive. We wanted to support the 2020 elections — arguably the most important of our lifetimes — and engage Gen Z and the beauty community to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. To do this, we [sold] a beauty sponge by the name of the Biden Beat from a beauty brand called Biden Beauty. We ended up selling one sponge every 60 seconds and it was probably the most meaningful initiative I’ve been a part of.” —David Yi, Founder and CEO, Very Good Light
HUMANRACE
“We don’t include men enough in conversations on skin care. Although Humanrace was created for all genders, [it’s] exciting to have a man at the forefront of the push to normalize skin care beyond just facial hair grooming. I love that the brand is guided by the expert input of his dermatologist with carefully selected science backed ingredients and prioritizes exfoliation and hydration as part of its simple three step routine.” —Dr. Adeline Kikam, Board-certified Dermatologist and Founder, @BrownSkinDerm
“[I] particularly [like] the Humidifying Cream. I wasn’t expecting to be floored by this product, but it’s honestly one of the best moisturizers I’ve ever used. I think we’re all a little burnt out when it comes to celebrity beauty launches — especially this year — but it seems like Pharrell actually put a lot of time and care into this one. He was thoughtful with his collection, from adding braille to the packaging to working with the brilliant Dr. Elena Jones to create simple and clean, but effective formulations, and I definitely appreciate it.” —Kayla Greaves, Senior Beauty Editor, InStyle
“Many men are not as passionate about skin care as they should be. And [Pharrell] is Benjamin Button! He’s pushing 50 and looks arguably 20-30 years younger. It’s about time he shares his secret to the fountain of youth.” —Ron Robinson, cosmetic chemist and Founder, BeautyStat
“Humanrace was a late entry this year, but made a lot of noise upon release. Although it’s a small launch it has the potential to attract a whole new audience to the skincare industry. It’s exciting to see.” — Saleam T. Singleton, men’s beauty advocate and contributing writer for Byrdie and AskMen
“I think Pharrell Williams’ Humanrace debut was incredibly successful and highly anticipated. The man is practically a vampire and for years we’ve been dying to know (beyond the fact he has melanin on his side) how he continues to look like he’s in his 20s. Not only is it a simple system of just three products, but it’s also eco-friendly. Wins all around!” —Julee Wilson, Beauty Director, Cosmopolitan
TATCHA THE SERUM STICK
“I’m already a loyal fan of the entire dewy skin collection, but the stick is like Chapstick for the face and perfect for the random seasonal dry spots. I also use it as a highlighter in makeup applications when I’m looking for a shine without any pearl. Being a hands-free application and a multitasking product, it feels like a true hero of the year.” — Shayna Goldberg, makeup artist and consultant at The Wall Group
KOSAS REVEALER CONCEALER
“This concealer-meets-eye-cream has enough coverage to work on the toughest spots, but is flexible enough that the 16 shades work for every one of my clients all wrapped up in a dreamy formula.” —Tony Tulve, freelance makeup artist
ONE/SIZE BEAUTY
“Patrick Starrr’s One/Size truly brought some new, better and different to the market. Yes, it was makeup, but it was gender-neutral makeup and represented a new breed of founder at Sephora. Patrick is unabashedly himself and wants others to be as well, which is so needed in an industry that’s striving to be inclusive but not quite there.” —Priya Rao, Executive Editor, Glossy and host, “Glossy Beauty” and “Unfair” podcasts
FENTY SKIN
“It seemed like the world stopped when Rihanna came out with her skin-care line. Everyone either had already tried it, wanted to try it or was watching YouTube videos of people trying and reviewing it. It’s so revolutionary for the simple fact that it’s Rihanna, a well-known Black woman, showing that you can [create a] business that feels true to you.” —Ali, beauty model, creator and makeup artist at @SweetMutuals
“I haven’t tried any of the products myself, but many of the reviews I’ve seen have been more lukewarm than I would have expected. Much of the trepidation from the online skin-care community came from the use of fragrance in the Fenty Skin products. This product launch ignited a wide-ranging debate about the function of fragrance in skin care and whether the fears surrounding it are warranted. While most consumers probably have no idea about the debate around fragrance, I think there are a few lessons to be learned here: First, skin-care hobbyists can be extremely discerning, and not even someone as universally adored as Rihanna may not be immune to their criticism. Second, for the many celebrity skin-care launches that followed it (we’ve already seen entries from Pharrell and Jennifer Lopez this year), we can expect even more criticism as these people are seen as outsiders with little experience by the industry.” — Dr. Angelo Landriscina, board-certified ermatologist in New York City, @DermAngelo
“Fenty Skin broke barriers when it came to promoting sun protection for darker skin tones. The brand messaging is very inclusive, showing that skin care is for everyone.” —Tiara Willis, esthetician and influencer, @MakeupforWomenofColor
“Fenty Skin was for sure the most talked-about, most debated, most anticipated launch of the year, mainly because of innovation (Fat Water and the idea of the toner essence), effectively speaking to young, Black consumers about the importance of SPF and because of ingredient discussions on witch hazel and fragrance.” —Dr. Ranella Hirsch, Board-certified dermatologist in Boston
RARE BEAUTY
“[Selena Gomez] entered the already crowded celebrity-with-a-beauty-brand space, but gave it purpose in 2020. It’s so refreshing to have a brand centered around giving back to the community Gomez herself is part of with the Rare Impact Fund. Everyone at Elle has been obsessed with the products to the point where we won’t shut up about them. To more inclusive and transparent brands with a mental health impact in 2021!” —Chloe Hall, Beauty Director, Elle.com
“Rare Beauty was the most exciting launch for me, mostly because it felt genuine. Celebrity brands will always make headlines, but not all launches are up to snuff. But the team managed to carve out a unique space for themselves while creating a great lineup of staple products. It was a cohesive launch with purpose. I respect the brand for creating the Rare Impact Fund, which promises to donate $100M over the course of 10 years, starting with 1% from Rare’s first year of sales. As someone who’s often pitched new brands and products on a daily basis, it’s important for me to see that this celebrity-faced brand has a long-term vision.” —Kirbie Johnson, content creator and Co-host, “Gloss Angeles” podcast
“When Selena launched Rare Beauty, it was clear that she really took her time to build this brand. The product formulations are innovative (that Lip Soufflé is so good!), the packaging is gorgeous and most impressive was Rare Beauty’s commitment to being a mission-driven brand. While I’m hoping fewer celebrities feel the need to launch their own beauty brands in the future, I do hope that those who do take note from Selena.” —Sara Tan, beauty editor and Co-host, “Gloss Angeles” podcast
SUPREME X PAT MCGRATH LIPSTICK
“This was Supreme’s first foray into makeup in its 26-year history, and the Pat McGrath Labs brand was the perfect co-conspirator. Streetwear is supposed to be about breaking the rules and foraging new paths; McGrath has done both her entire career. I think there are a lot of lessons the beauty world can learn from the streetwear space from both a marketing and storytelling perspective, and visa versa. So much so, I once wrote about it earlier this year. I’m interested to see how else these worlds may dance together.” —Darian Harvin, Beauty Reporter, Beauty IRL
TATCHA THE LIQUID SILK CANVAS PRIMER
“I’m always looking for products that can retain longevity and stretch makeup to new boundaries through intense color payoff or innovative formulas. Tatcha’s launch of Liquid Silk Canvas Primer in the spring of 2020 was the [brand’s] first bridge product integrating innovative skin-care ingredients into makeup. This product became the makeup magnet of the year locking down whatever you put on top of it.” —Daniel Martin, makeup artist and global director of artistry and education at Tatcha
MAKEUP BY MARIO
I had to personally add it to this list, how could I not? One of the most world-renowned and looked-up-to makeup artists came out with his own makeup brand exclusively at Sephora in 2020. The brand’s mission statement is:
“Created by Master Makeup Artist Mario Dedivanovic, MAKEUP BY MARIO features pro formulas and tools in the most universal shades and easy-to-use textures. Infused with Mario’s philosophies and techniques, each product is crafted to provide an effortless makeup experience and inspired artistry.”
Patrick Ta has become one of Hollywood’s top makeup artists, but it wasn’t always so glamorous for the San Diego native. Before touching makeup, Ta had explored becoming a culinary chef and even owned a nail and tanning salon in Scottsdale, Arizona. After his salon venture failed, he got a job at MAC Cosmetics where he found his love for makeup. “After my salon went bankrupt, my roommate at the time gave me my first job doing makeup at MAC Cosmetics and from there my obsession for makeup began,” explained Ta. Even though he didn’t have any experience, he started doing makeup on people for prom, events and weddings. Welcome to Artist Spotlight #14 series on my blog.
Instagram had just started becoming popular around the time Ta was becoming passionate about makeup so he started his own page uploading his work. “I was really lucky that all my girlfriends let me practice on them. They would share my work on social media which led me to grow my clientele and eventually led me to want to pursue makeup in Los Angeles,” said Ta. When Ta first moved to Los Angeles as a freelance makeup artist he didn’t know anyone in the industry. He took to Instagram once again to connect with influencers to do their makeup. Then one day Shay Mitchell started following Ta and slid into his DM’s. “I knew Shay was going to make a huge difference in my career. I am so grateful that she was one of my first celebrity clients because she allowed me to grow with her, and then I met Gigi Hadid which took my work to the next level in the world of high fashion,” stated Ta.
Ta went on to work with Olivia Munn, Adriana Lima, Jessica Alba, Joan Smalls, Ariana Grande, Chrissy Teigen, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Bella Hadid Kendall Jenner, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, and Jenna Dewan Tatum, among others. Patrick’s devotion to his craft has allowed him to develop a refined hand and keen eye for color and composition. Although his client roster consists of the highest profile models, celebrities, and influencers today, he believes that every person, no matter who they are, deserves to feel confident and beautiful every day. As his fanbase grew, so did the demand of knowing how he achieves that natural, yet sultry glow on his clients. That led him to work on creating his own beauty line which launched in April 2019 as an homage to the women in his life that have supported him and given him the confidence to be who he is.
Patrick Ta Beauty initially launched with Major Glow which included three highlighting mists, body oils and lip shines. “My first collection all about translucent glow for all skin tones; then my next collection was named Monochrome Moment which featured four blushes, lip liners and lip cremes. I love monochromatic looks because thats what I do for my clients when they hire me for an everyday look. Simple browns and bronzes to give that natural glow” explained Ta.
Ta is set to expand Patrick Ta Beauty with more makeup and color. His masterclasses are always full and his insights and techniques are extremely unique.
Huda Beauty is a cosmetics line launched in 2013 by Iraqi-American businesswoman and makeup artist, Huda Kattan. The founder, Kattan, was chosen as one of “The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet” by Time in 2017, listed as one of The Richest Self-Made Women and one of the Top Three Beauty Influencers by Forbes. In the span of 5 years, the brand has built a positive reputation on some of its products, such as fake eyelashes series, a collection of foundation, eyeshadow and some face palettes. Welcome to Artist Spotlight #11 series on my blog.
In April 2010, Huda Kattan started the beauty-related blog, Huda Beauty, and a YouTube channel. She later found success on other platforms. Kattan launched a cosmetic line named after her channel in 2013. It has since become one of the world’s fastest-growing beauty brands.
As of 2020, Huda Beauty has more than 4 million subscribers on YouTube and is the number one account on the Instagram Beauty section in the world, with over 40 million followers. The contents of Kattan’s channels are beauty tutorial-oriented: Kattan shares makeup techniques, skincare routines and personal preferred beauty products from multiple brands. On Sephora.com there are currently 55 products listed for her brand.
The first Huda Beauty product was a collection of false eyelashes released through Sephora, in Dubai in 2011 and the United States in 2015. The Kardashian sisters were reported to use Huda Beauty lashes, providing an early publicity boost to the label. As of 2018, Huda Beauty has an estimated net value of US$550 million and the company as a business is valued at over a billion dollars, according to Forbes.
In December 2017, the company received a minority investment from TSG Consumer Partners, a private equity firm which had previously invested in beauty brands such as Smashbox and It Cosmetics (both of which were purchased by major beauty conglomerates — Estée Lauder and L’Oréal).
Huda Beauty offers more than 140 products online & in-store. The beauty brand has launched an entire range of products, which include lipstick collections, face palettes like highlighter and contour, false lashes, and a collaborative product with Tweezerman. Its Samantha Lashes #7, since launch, has been ranked as one of best selling and highly reviewed lash products.
In 2018, all launched products that together bring in at least $200 million in annual revenue. Time described this “an internet based beauty brand age”, as internet-to-business beauty products have taken over a large percentage from the traditional beauty market. They own a significantly growing share of the whole market.
The price of Huda Beauty’s products has been widely seen as reasonable compared to similar products that share similar markets. Though, among blog-to-brand beauty brands, that are created by YouTubers or Instagram bloggers, the price of Huda Beauty’s products are relatively high. Bloggers mostly launch beauty products for which they set a price a bit lower than the ordinary market price, as their brand names and quality usually have not been tested through time.
However, Huda Beauty’s foundation sells at 65 Australian dollars in Australian Sephora stores, while Fenty beauty by Rihanna offers a similar market-targeted foundation at 50 dollars. Also, the first-line beauty company, Estee Lauder, sells its well-reviewed foundation “Double Wear” under 60 dollars at department stores, like Westfield and David Jones in Australia.
However, Huda Beauty’s most well known product: fake lashes “#7 Samantha” still achieve success in sales, although its price is 35 dollars in Australia. While SHU UEMURA, currently the first name in eye-related beauty section, offers fake lashes around 25 Australian dollars in department stores.
In 2017, Huda Beauty announced that it would soon be debuting a foundation collection with a more diverse range of shades. Just after this, the collection been criticized by Fenty Beauty followers that “it copies Fenty Beauty’s “Pro Filt’r” foundation collection image”. Huda Beauty’s “#FauxFilter” foundations have a selection of 30 shades, while Rihanna’s brand – Fenty Beauty “Pro Filt’r” foundation collection has 40 shades. Others, however, applauded Huda Beauty for being one of the first brands to release an inclusive range of shades in Sephora stores globally.
Huda Beauty is among the best-selling cosmetics brands in Sephora in the Middle East and Harrods in London. According to The Business of Fashion, Kattan’s background as an Iraqi immigrant in America distinguishes her from other beauty influencers. She studied finance in the United States, and pursued a career as a makeup artist in Dubai.
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