Sycamore Said to Near Deal to Sell Boots
The private equity firm is nearing a deal, valued at $9 billion, to sell the UK health and beauty retail business to the Canadian branch of the billionaire Weston family, a source told Bloomberg.
Beauty
Analysis and advice on the fast-evolving beauty business.
What Will Happen to Kendo?
The news that LVMH might sell off its stake in Rihanna’s Fenty raises questions about the broader beauty incubator landscape.
How Black Beauty’s Class of 2020 Is Navigating a Tough Market
Recipients of Glossier’s 2025 grants for Black founders spoke to The Business of Fashion about how they’ve sustained growth and built resilience after the hype died down.
Does Light Therapy Really Work?
From infrared saunas to LED beauty masks, a billion-dollar market has grown around the healing power of light. But where does the science end and the hype begin?
Indie Sneeze: Why Niche Fashion Wants In on Fragrance
Launching a perfume used to mean that a brand had arrived. Nowadays, independent labels like Chopova Lowena and Vaquera are releasing niche premium scents to attract entry-level shoppers.
Kering, L’Oréal and the Seduction of Luxury; Inside Amouage’s Success Story; Is Meghan Markle Launching Beauty?
This week, I’m covering everything from the fight for designer beauty brands (and if it's really worth it) to the Duchess of Sussex’s plans for As Ever.
What’s Fuelling (and Threatening) Luxury Skincare’s Growth
Once considered one of luxury’s most resilient categories, top-priced skincare is on shaky ground as it faces slowing sales in key Asian markets and rising demand for medical aesthetics.
Exclusive: Amouage’s Sales Surpass $300 Million in Third Quarter
The Omani fine fragrance brand’s sales surged 73 percent in the three months ending Sept. 2025, with its biggest lifts in the Middle East and Africa.
What Comes After the ‘Clean Girl’?
The trend, characterised by glowing skin, fluffy brows and fake freckles, successfully ended an era dominated by high-glamour makeup. The standards it has set will shape the kinds of cosmetics that consumers will want for years to come.
Why Kering Gave Up on Beauty
The French luxury giant has put aside its ambitions of running beauty in-house. Despite having an enviable stable of brands, the complexity of the business and mounting debt meant it wasn’t worth the pain.
L’Oréal to Acquire Kering Beauty Portfolio for $4.6 Billion
The companies announced on Sunday that L’Oréal will acquire Kering’s beauty brands and licenses for its fashion house names, including Gucci.
Bringing Back the Bombshell
The beauty looks from the 2025 Victoria’s Secret show, by Pat McGrath and Jawara Wauchope, championed lip gloss and big hair in what felt like a return to the mass brand’s high-glamour heyday.
Exclusive: Jessica Simpson Wants Back in the Beauty Game
Three years ago, the pop star saved her eponymous fashion and beauty brand from bankruptcy. Now she’s launching a new scent — and announcing her reentry into the multibillion-dollar beauty market.
THE NEWS IN BRIEF
Dyson’s $499 AI Toothbrush Sees Rocky Debut
The UK firm blamed a production error resulting in ‘water seepage’ for the disappearance of its newly launched camera-equipped toothbrush from stores.
Sephora to Launch at Marks & Spencer
‘Sephora at M&S’ will roll out in M&S stores and online starting next spring, with plans to expand to 100 locations by the end of 2028.
Novo Buys Rights to Early Obesity Pill For $2.6 Billion
The Wegovy maker has signed a deal to license an experimental obesity pill from China’s Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals as it seeks to regain share of the global GLP-1 market.
Oura Delays US IPO
The smart ring maker said on Tuesday it has delayed its US initial public offering, citing market uncertainty.
Scarlett Johansson’s Skincare Brand The Outset Closes
As of Monday, the premium brand’s website has been updated with a message announcing its closure.
Vyrao Acquired by Brand Platform Tresalis
The niche perfume brand has been purchased by the new beauty operator created and backed by German investment firm Athos.
L’Oréal Joins Forces With Nykaa to Invest in Indian Beauty Brands
BOLD, the French conglomerate’s venture capital fund, will collaborate with retailer Nykaa to invest in the next generation of Indian beauty brands.