Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Welcome to Haul of Fame, your weekly roundup tracking the new products and ideas driving the beauty industry forward.
Included in today’s issue: Billie Eilish, Celine, Chloé Parfums, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Facegym, Hairstory, Indē wild, Megababe, Paume, Rhode, Schwarzkopf and Tata Harper.
But first…
On Thursday, the models of Chloé’s AW26 show paraded down the runway in a full face of Saie, their cheeks rosy and skin dewy. It followed a busy week for the clean makeup label which, after years of anticipation, finally launched into retailer Credo Beauty on Wednesday.
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“It’s got the maximum space that we would ever give a brand,” Credo Beauty chief executive and co-founder Annie Jackson told The Business of Beauty. “We have about 12 core colour brands where you can sit someone down and do a full face of makeup. This is a very selective process for us.”
Credo opened its first doors in 2014, and Saie launched in 2019, quickly becoming popular for its makeup range formulated without parabens, sulphates and silicones. A Saie assortment of 109 product SKUs, including the newly launched Super Suede Radiant Baked Bronzer, rolled into all Credo stores across wall-fitted shelves and gondolas, flanked by exaggerated, colourful billboards of its bestselling Dew Blush and Dew Bronze. “We thought a lot about how we wanted the brand to be represented in Credo, because it is a different format,” said Saie founder and chief executive Laney Crowell.
Part of that representation hinged on timing: to Jackson, a successful launch needs a compelling story. “The differentiator with Credo Beauty is that the founder behind the brand is just as important,” she said. Coinciding with the launch is Saie’s appointment of its first chief sustainability officer, environmental activist Lauren Singer. “Laney is walking the walk and doing the work, and our guest recognises it and appreciates it,” Jackson added.
Though the clean beauty boom that birthed Credo is long gone, demand for consciously formulated products has only increased: according to consumer research platform Attest, 63 percent of consumers in the US seek products with natural ingredients, while the clean beauty tag has amassed over 1.9 billion views on TikTok alone. But beauty “greenwashing”, as well as the perception that a clean formula means foregoing efficacy, has left some customers confused on what the category is really offering.
While “clean” is still an unregulated term, Credo has upheld one of the strictest standards in the industry — taking into account not only ingredients but supply chain and sustainability — and is raising its own bar with Credo Qualified. An internal regrouping for the retailer, the conversations centre around requiring more stringent vetting for companies wishing to gain Credo certification, with clarity around referrals for labs, contract manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. “We didn’t want to drive market share to suppliers that were creating really clean products, but had no transparency around recyclability or climate accountability,” said Jackson. For its part, Saie is providing a field team in store to educate customers, as well as investing in clinicals that show the skincare benefits of their cosmetics.
But Credo Beauty is truly entering its next grown-up phase of clean beauty with Saie. Though the retailer launched more skincare, ingestible and cosmetics brands than usual in 2025, Saie is by far its splashiest launch. It signals growing consumer demand for sophistication within the clean makeup category: the “clean” aspect needs to land, but so does the “beauty”.
“What’s really exciting about clean makeup, specifically, is that it went from having to compromise on the way products performed, to now getting a whole host of benefits,” said Crowell, who added that the next phase will see clean makeup expanding into heavier coverage, artistry and expression.
“Brands that are leading with science backed innovation are very top of mind,” said Jackson. “For our customers it’s not a bonus: they expect it.”
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What else is new…
Skincare
Who: Tata Harper
What: Crème Supreme
When: March 2
Why: Speaking of clean beauty, Tata Harper has launched its most expensive moisturiser yet: the luxurious Crème Supreme ($248), a seven-in-one anti-aging formula. As premium brands of all kinds double down on more expensive formulas, its seems the luxury skincare market has plenty of room to grow.
Makeup
Who: Celine
What: Beaute Lip Balms
When: March 2
Why: Following the success of its satin lipstick, Celine has introduced eight matte finished balms ($78) to its lip collection. Currently exclusive to Harrods, they’ll be available in Celine boutiques and luxury retailers worldwide from April.
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Who: Rhode
What: Sarah Pidgeon campaign
When: March 9
Why: Has Rhode pinched Skims’ crown as the leaders of reactive marketing? This week, the brand tapped Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon to announce new shades of its Peptide Lip Tint, Lip Cases and Pocket Blush — including the brand’s first ever true rouge ($25).
Fragrance
Who: Billie Eilish
What: Eilish No. 3
When: March 6
Why: Billie Eilish is quietly doing the popstar perfume thing very well. This week, by popular demand, the previously limited-edition Eilish No. 3 ($82) returned to Sephora shelves full-time.
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Who: Chloé Parfums
What: Mediterranean Essences
When: March 5
Why: A week after accusing Vogue of plagiarising his La Watch Party concept, founder Lyas welcomed Chloé Parfums to his screening of Chloé’s AW show, where the brand debuted its brand new Mediterranean Essences fragrance collection ($140).
Hair care
Who: Schwarzkopf
What: Keratîme Care & Styling Collection
When: March 5
Why: While they might opt for a fancy scalp oil, many shoppers still want affordable shampoos that they can pick up at the grocery store. To cater to them, Schwarzkopf has unveiled a Walmart-exclusive bond building line (from $14), its first consumer-facing bond building technology since the discontinuation of Gliss.
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Who: E.l.f. Cosmetics
What: Power Grip Stick & Slick Hair Gel and Brush
When: March 4
Why: E.l.f. Cosmetics has expanded its power grip franchise into hair care, with a limited-edition hair gel wand ($5), as well as a pomade and brush bundle ($11). Though E.l.f. fans are rejoicing, the edge-control category is already pretty crowded: Whether the brand has managed to crack a slick-not-crunchy finish will be the real test.
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Who: Hairstory
What: Ulta Beauty
When: Announced March 3
Why: Following ten years as a purely direct-to-consumer business, Hairstory is entering 370 Ulta stores in April (from $28). The pro-favourite brand said that its shelf space will focus on education, guiding new customers through the process of using the detergent-free no-foam range.
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Who: Indē wild
What: Sephora launch
When: March 4
Why: Diipa Büller-Khosla’s hair care brand (from $17) entered Sephora stores this week, as its fellow Ayurvedic beauty player Forest Essentials is snapped up by Estée Lauder.
Body care
Who: Paume
What: Hydrating Antibacterial Hand Mist
When: March 5
Why: High-end handcare brand Paume has distilled its non-drying sanitiser formula into a handsome mist pod (from $14). It rounds out Paume’s range of hygiene products, serums and treatments, as anti-ageing handcare becomes more top of mind for consumers.
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Who: Megababe
What: Thigh Rescue Gel
When: March 3
Why: Megababe’s Thigh Rescue Stick is the clear stand-out of the anti-chafing category. It’s only natural the brand would build a franchise: Thigh Rescue Gel which dropped this week (exclusively at Target, from $14), is a high-performance upgrade, built to withstand higher heat and sweat conditions.
Other
Who: Facegym
What: Next-generation Pro device
When: March 3
Why: As the beauty tech category becomes increasingly saturated, brands must ensure that they stay on the cutting edge. Following the likes of Ziip, Facegym has revamped its microcurrent device, the Facegym Pro (£500, $799), with a higher voltage and improved ergonomic design.
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