L'Oréal

One of the biggest winners in the years following the pandemic, the skincare category has started to normalise, with consumers looking for more instant results, niche brands and in-office treatments.

President-elect Donald Trump's idea to ratchet up tariffs on foreign-made goods could mean a hit to supply chains, margins and overseas sales for beauty brands like E.l.f. Cosmetics and Jolie.

While nowhere near as dire as luxury fashion, beauty is seeing consumer momentum wane globally.

Amid a luxury fashion slowdown, brands are launching full beauty lines at a record pace as they jostle to find their position in a crowded market.

The L’Oréal-owned skincare line grew its sales almost five times between 2017 and 2021, riding a wave of enthusiasm for straightforward, affordable, expert-approved skincare, and becoming an industry-shaping force in beauty. Other mass brands are hoping for their moment in the spotlight.

From cutting costs, rebuilding brand equity and right-sizing its exposure to volatile markets, incoming chief executive Stéphane de La Faverie has a lot to accomplish if he wants to reassure investors that the company’s best days are still to come.

L’Oréal’s dermatological beauty division is usually a blockbuster, but the impact of increased competition and the decline of drugstore distributors on its recent earnings show the company can’t rest on its laurels.

Despite a slowdown in the M&A pipeline and rising pressure on indie brands, British cosmetics company Refy thinks it can buck the trend and become a breakout star. Pulling it off will require careful calibration to help it broaden its presence without denting its status.

The luxury skin and body care brand is nurturing a culture of learning and development to position its retail employees for internal mobility and progression. BoF sits down with the general manager of Europe, a commercial director and London-based store manager, to learn more.

The backlash that follows a botched product launch can quickly spill over from a bad news cycle to an all-out PR crisis. Beauty brands have the power to foresee these events, and stop them happening, providing they’re willing to do the legwork.