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 this week’s issue: Charlotte Tilbury, David Protein, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Glossier, Icon Skincare, La Roche-Posay, Oura, P.Louise, Urban Decay and YSL Beauté.
But first…
If the influence of department stores is waning, nobody seems to have told Harrods.
ADVERTISEMENT
In fact, the London-based retailer is the muse behind Memo Paris’ fragrance Ubique ($188–$363), made in collaboration with UK couturier Giles Deacon and debuting at a Harrods on June 5, The Business of Beauty can exclusively reveal.
Ubique, whose name references Harrods’ latin motto “Omnia Omnibus Ubique” (“All things for all people everywhere”) acts as a tribute to the department store, honoured through Memo Paris’s narrative-driven approach. The fragrance’s visuals — drawn by Deacon — drew inspiration from the department store’s green hues and signature tiling.
Though he has illustrated for other beauty brands, Ubique marks Deacon’s first-ever fragrance collaboration. A scent inspired by Harrods, where both he and Memo Paris have a presence, seemed like a natural fit. “At Harrods, I feel like I’m at someone’s home. It feels like a singular personality has curated everything,” said Clara Molloy, co-founder of Memo Paris. “Giles knows exactly how to make that magic happen visually.”
Though fashion and fragrance’s relationship is well documented, the fragrance-to-department store relationship goes a little deeper. For fragrances to resonate, and for department stores to survive, they both have to place unparalleled emphasis on experience. “In the US, some department stores are facing problems because they stayed in the ‘boring zone,’” said Molloy. “People don’t queue outside of a department store for no reason; you have to be seductive and fun.”
The same is true of fragrance: Increasingly niche tastes mean that a new scent relies on its world building more than ever. “As designers, we create for varying scenarios and moods in a client’s life,” said Deacon. “Consumers are now using fragrance the exact same way.”
Harrods, which centres on a singular historic location, is a magnet for high-spending international tourists and a destination for ultraluxe fragrance. Niche brands regularly create exclusive scents for the retailer, like Ex Nihilo’s “Brompton Immortals” or Amouage’s Reception Essence de Parfum.
If department stores have historically acted as a conduit for beauty, that relationship is strongest in the fragrance hall. But that relationship has also been complicated, especially in the US after Saks declared bankruptcy — leaving brands like Parfums de Marly high and dry. Rising online fragrance purchases indicate that department stores may become less relevant over time, even if a dominant 32 percent of fragrance is still sold through the channel, according to Grand View Research.
To Molloy, the channel’s enduring allure boils down to its singularity: There’s no substitute for the high-touch experience of browsing premium fragrance in-store. And for brands hoping to convince customers to part with hundreds of dollars, specialty retailers like Sephora cannot compete with a department store’s retail theatre.
ADVERTISEMENT
“My theory is that because we live in a hyper-digital world, scent represents something real that cannot be shared through a screen,” said Molloy. “It is an experience you must feel on your skin.”
What else is new...
Skincare
Who: Alec Call and Bryan Johns, the co-founders of iS Clinical
What: Icon Skincare ($29-$65)
When: June 1
Why: On Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, the iS Clinical founders and avid Old Hollywood memorabilia collectors have launched a skincare line inspired by the techniques of facialist Madam Renna, who worked on Monroe.
***
Who: La Roche-Posay
What: Minions & Monsters collaboration
ADVERTISEMENT
When: June 1
Why: I don’t know why, if I’m being honest. To highlight its acne-fighting Effaclar range, La Roche-Posay has selected the upcoming Minions movie as its first ever cinematic partnership. “Skincare shouldn’t require a dictionary,” said the brand’s global general manager, in what critics are calling the most tenuous link of all time.
Makeup
It was a bumper week for makeup, but you’ll notice two glaring omissions here. For the inside scoop on Patrick Ta’s controversial Transition Blush and the much-prophesied return of Marc Jacobs Beauty, be sure to read Priya Rao and Brennan Kilbane in this week’s Full Coverage.
Who: E.l.f. Cosmetics
What: Set It Bright Powder Quad ($12)
When: May 23
Why: To save you purchasing four chunky tubs of blurring powder, E.l.f. has combined all of the shades needed to brighten, colour correct and more into one reasonably priced product. Simple, and great!
***
Who: Charlotte Tilbury
What: Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Sticks ($23)
When: May 28
Why: After a busy month of complicating the top-secret Lauder-Puig merger talks, it’s back to business-as-usual for Ms. Tilbury. Her easily blendable new shadow sticks made their Met Gala debut earlier this month on Cher, are available in 12 shades and last for up to 24-hours.
***
Who: YSL Beauté
What: Skin Affair Soft Glow Cushion Foundation ($49)
When: May 29
Why: Summer 2026 is all about the cushion foundation. First it was L’Oréal Paris, now it’s the newly Charli XCX-fronted YSL Beauté. Thanks to the boom of K-Beauty products such as Tirtir’s foundation, the format has found new legs. YSL’s is infused with squalane to avoid cakiness, and comes in a respectable 31-shade range.
***
Who: Urban Decay
What: 24/7 Eyeshadow Mono in Gash returns ($23)
When: May 29
Why: I would recognise the eyeshadow worn by My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way anywhere: This week, Urban Decay has brought it back. According to the brand, the better-red-than-most eyeshadow shade was its most requested product ever across all its social media channels.
***
Who: P.Louise
What: Boots launch
When: May 29
Why: P.Louise has officially entered Boots. P.Louise originally gained virality in 2016 with its cut-crease-defining eyeshadow bases. The brand has since become a powerhouse on TikTok Shop, where it broke records by earning $2.7 million during a single 14-hour livestream.
Wellness
Who: Oura
What: Ring 5 ($399)
When: June 4
Why: Ring 5 is the world’s smallest smart ring. Designed to fit more “seamlessly” into everyday life, it comes in at 40 percent smaller than its predecessor, has a six to nine day battery life and comes in a range of six finishes. In more Harrods news, Oura also today unveiled a dedicated flagship space within the department store.
Other
Who: Glossier
What: Pink capsule collection for dogs and their humans (from $5)
When: May 26
Why: How much for that Cloud Paint in the window? Glossier has taken a brief pause from its fewer, better drop strategy to unleash a capsule collection for dogs and their parents. It includes a hoodie, lead and pet waste bag dispenser, each in the brand’s signature pink.
***
Who: David Protein
What: Protein Ice Cream in Vanilla, Cookie Dough, Triple Chocolate and Triple Peanut Butter ($90 for 6)
When: June 1
Why: Bella Hadid doesn’t pause her protein intake — or paid promos — even at Cannes. Over the weekend, the model was spotted indulging in a tub of David Protein’s new ice cream, which packs 30 grams of protein, 260 calories and 2 grams of sugar in each $15 tub.
Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day’s most important beauty and wellness news and analysis.
