THE LATEST ARTICLES
NEWSLETTERS
Patrick Starrr
Rachel Strugatz July 2, 2025
YouTube makeup O.G. Patrick Starrr’s setting spray, On ’Til Dawn, has made him a top seller at Sephora. But with subcategory domination comes the inevitable question: What’s next?
Kyle Leahy
Rachel Strugatz June 25, 2025
The sudden departure of C.E.O. Kyle Leahy is merely the latest setback for the decade-old Millennial beauty brand, which is struggling to raise fresh capital at even half the valuation it achieved in 2021. “Everyone is balking at the price,” said a person with knowledge of the situation. And the private equity vultures are beginning to circle.
Vennette Ho
Rachel Strugatz June 18, 2025
A flurry of recent beauty biz M&A deals are notable not just because they’re more targeted and considered—the days of the bidding war are on the wane—but because they didn’t involve industry rainmaker Vennette Ho.
Tiffany Masterson
Rachel Strugatz June 11, 2025
How a viral-hit bronzer, post-exit blues, and Shiseido’s bungling of the clean beauty pioneer sobered up Drunk Elephant.


meghan markle
Rachel Strugatz June 4, 2025
The Duchess of Sussex’s cringey farm-style brand—with its signature jams and ginger tea—has been marred by mixed messages, a curious ownership arrangement with Netflix’s consumer products, and mostly, the sense that Montecito’s ranking royal is just in it for the money.
hailey bieber emily weiss
Rachel Strugatz May 30, 2025
News and notes on e.l.f. Beauty’s $1 billion acquisition of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, and the collateral damage to Emily Weiss’s Glossier.
hailey bieber rhode
Rachel Strugatz May 28, 2025
E.l.f. Cosmetics, a staple of the Target beauty aisle, is buying Hailey Bieber’s booming beauty brand, Rhode, in a $1 billion deal.
blake lively taylor swift
Rachel Strugatz May 21, 2025
Blake Lively’s haircare line was leveled by Baldonigate—and now, a bizarre legal contretemps involving Taylor Swift. Blake Brown has become “a non-conversation” at Target, according to a person familiar with its plunging sales. “It went from a $100 million brand to a $15 million brand.”


Andrea Lisbona
Rachel Strugatz May 14, 2025
Church & Dwight has made a fortune on the glitter-free side of the CVS aisle—baking soda, acne cream, condoms—but with its stake in Zoomer hand sanitizer brand Touchland, it’s revealing a glimpse of its novel acquisition strategy while showing there are signs of life in beauty M&A.
Stéphane de La Faverie
Rachel Strugatz April 30, 2025
All is eerily quiet at Estée Lauder, despite a brand new C.E.O., ongoing layoffs, underperforming brands, and Stéphane de La Faverie’s executive search for someone to finally lead makeup.
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