E.L.F. Cosmetics Is the First Beauty Brand to Launched a Branded Channel on Twitch
Allure | 7 May 2021
If you love first-person shooters, digital world-building, and virtual role-play just as much as you do lipstick, blush, and mascara, we have good news for you: E.L.F. Cosmetics is about to become the first brand to have its own Twitch streaming channel — and that’s not all, folks. The brand announced back in November 2020 that it had paired up with streamer Loserfruit; since then, she and E.L.F. global makeup artist Anna Bynum have streamed hours’ worth of content together. The E.L.F. Twitch channel (located at twitch.tv/elfyou) kicks off with a live three-hour stream on May 9 at 7:30 pm ET. Autumn Rhodes, a gamer and special effects makeup artist will host, joined by fellow gamers Loserfruit and Fasffy. There’ll be a DJ set by Sofi Tukker, a chance to learn some makeup tips and tricks from Bynum, and plenty more — in other words, it’s going to be a rager.
Ulta Beauty leans into the curly and textured hair category with first subscription box
Glossy | 7 May 2021
Ulta Beauty is delving into subscription boxes for the first time. On Friday, the beauty retailer announced its partnership with monthly subscription box Curlbox, an Atlanta-based company founded by Myleik Teele. Together, Ulta Beauty and Curlbox have created three boxes that will be available on Curlbox.com. The boxes, which will be sold for $25-$30 and have a $98 value, will be released in May, in early fall and for holiday. Ulta Beauty hair-care brands such as Tracee Ellis Ross’ Pattern and Mane Choice will be featured. Curlbox’s monthly offering typically features one brand per month, and sells out on the same day it is released digitally. The company currently has a 153,000-person waitlist. For the pilot program, customers will be directed to the Curlbox site to maximize the sales and growth opportunities for the indie brand. Ulta Beauty will be supporting the launch across marketing including social and digital channels. There is also potential for an in-store Ulta Beauty launch, said Philips Perez. In 2018, subscription beauty company Birchbox launched in Walgreens to provide more access to its customers.
Kosas takes beauty e-commerce sampling to the next level
Glossy | 11 May 2021
On May 21, the cosmetics brand will officially announce its new Kosas Try Outs, which soft-launched on April 22. Exclusively on the Kosas DTC site, the new sampling system lets customers buy samples and apply their cost as a credit for a full-size item. Samples are available for 12 products on the site in all shades of a given item. Individual samples range from $3-$5. A “take the site home kit” for $35 offers the full shade range of 12 products including concealer, tinted face oil, bronzers, blushes and lip products. The Kosas Try Outs program “mimics the in-store experience, in that you can touch and feel every single shade, so that you can precisely find your exact match,” said Sheena Yaitanes, founder of Kosas. Consumers remain wary of in-store sampling. According to January 2021 data from predictive analytics firm First Insight, 71% of respondents said they feel unsafe testing beauty products in-store. That number is even higher for women alone, at 80%. The Try Outs are being launched in addition to the brand’s free individual sample packets that it distributes via its site and retail partners including Sephora and Credo. Those samples work for product discovery and getting a sense of formula and texture, but not shade matching, said Yaitanes. “You might be able to get in the ballpark of your shade, but you wouldn’t ever be able to make an exact match” with free three-shade sample cards, she said. Kosas also offers a shade-finder tool on its DTC site which includes a mini quiz and emails the results to shoppers with product recommendations.
Clean K-Beauty Brand Rael Brings Vulva Care To Walmart And Skincare To CVS
Beauty Independent | 4 May 2021
Walmart is realizing that “live better” can and should include better sexual wellness. Rael is rolling out to 2,000 of the big-box giant’s nearly 11,450 stores with skincare and intimate care. The K-Beauty brand’s new vulva care line is being carried in 720 of the doors and its organic period care products will be available on Walmart.com. The partnership comes on the heels of direct-to-consumer men’s health darling Roman entering 4,600 Walmart doors as well as the retailer’s website with supplements for heart health, stress relief and prostate health. Walmart doesn’t represent Rael’s only recent retail launch. In March, it introduced its 10-product skincare range spanning sheet masks, acne patches, cleansers, toners, serums and more in 723 CVS doors across the United States. The brand hopes to extend its relationship with the pharmacy chain in the fall, bringing in its bestselling organic period care and intimate hygiene products. Among Rael’s other retailers are Target, Walgreens and Nordstrom. Rael also has a robust business on Amazon, where it debuted exclusively in 2016.
Shiseido and Dolce & Gabbana Partially Terminate Beauty Agreement
BOF | 30 April 2021
Changes will be effective from December 31st in all markets, except France. The termination is in line with Shiseido’s long-term strategies announced for 2023 onwards. Currently, Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International (BPI) is considering a continuation of license activities with Dolce & Gabbana within France through the rest of the year. An agreement would also see the production of Dolce & Gabbana beauty products worldwide for at least a year, starting in January 2022. This news comes following a sales slowdown for Shiseido during the pandemic. Earlier this week, the company also announced it was considering selling its North American makeup assets, including Bare Minerals, Laura Mercier and Buxom, according to WWD.