Editors' Top Reads: News from Debenhams, PZ Cussons, Victoria Beckham Beauty and more...
Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.beauty team.
Debenhams unveils multi-generational campaign as it encourages consumers to 'redefine their beauty routines'
Debenhams launched a new campaign this week designed to celebrate beauty that transcends age, bringing together models and influencers from different generations to promote a message of inclusivity, self-acceptance, and empowerment.
It hopes to achieve this by also tapping into the experience of industry-leading experts across makeup, skincare, and haircare. The line-up includes celebrity makeup artist and presenter Bryony Blake, hair specialist and entrepreneur Ricky Walters, and skincare expert and advocate for mature skin Natalie Steinborn. Each expert has curated a selection of beauty products available online at Debenhams to support and nourish each age group.
CEO Dan Finley said the campaign heralds a "new era of inclusivity at the online department store" and sets a new standard for beauty campaigns at Debenhams. I look forward to seeing this progress as it champions the notion that beauty is for everyone.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
Victoria Beckham Beauty strengthens customer experience with new subscription service
Given that Victoria Beckham Beauty's CEO, Katie Beauchamp, is the founder of the pioneering beauty box business Birchbox, it was perhaps just a matter of time before she launched a subscription service for the VBB brand.
Unveiled this week, the new service allows items from the brand's makeup and skincare to be sent every two, three or four months, with 5% savings on subscription products. Those in the know tell me that customers can't get enough of the Satin Kajal Eyeliners, which come in a range of 17 shades, and the most stand-out colours are the most popular – so I imagine a fair few of those will be optioned for auto-replenishment.
The skincare, such as the Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturiser and Power Serum created in collaboration with Augustinus Bader, as well as new gel-based and oil-based cleansers developed with celebrity facialist Melanie Grant, will also have a strong following and having a regular supply could be appealing for consumers. This will be an interesting one to watch.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor in Chief.
PZ Cussons to sell off St Tropez and review African business
If you've read our Editors' Picks more than once, it's probably clear that I am a tan-a-holic. Whether it's a new product launch or trading news, I'm hooked. Not only did Tan-Luxe and Paris Hilton's launch a new game-changing tan this week, but St. Tropez also hit headlines.
This week, Imperial Leather maker PZ Cussons unveiled plans to sell off its St Tropez self-tanning brand. It will look to sell the business – bought by PZ Cussons for £62.5 million in 2010 – to an owner "better placed to capture the brand’s significant long-term potential".
St. Tropez, which launched in 1996, has been a high street success story readily available at pretty much any local pharmacy. But, it isn't the only successful brand to mull a sale in recent months. Reflecting a recent surge in beauty M&A deals, Glossier and Merit Beauty are also reportedly M&A exploring options. It'll be interesting to see how this trend continues to progress.
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
Jones Road unveils "I Am Me" campaign to celebrate latest kit launch
I'll declare an interest here, I am a Jones Road Beauty superfan. For someone who doesn't wear a lot of makeup but also won't leave the house without something to boost my complexion (and lashes and brows!), these products are a godsend. The Miracle Balm has a lot to live up to with that name and on first appearances it just looks like a large vat of tinted lip balm in a plain pot, but when you start to use it on a daily basis, it's rather hard to imagine life without it.
But it's not just the products that make JRB such a great brand, it's the content around it and the authentic and inclusive messaging of its founder, the legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown. Her latest campaign, I Am Me, in which women of all walks talk about their lives and experiences, is genuinely touching and they all look genuinely beautiful. The campaign coincides with the launch of the latest JRB kit, which contains an edit of product, selected by Bobbi Brown, to deliver a certain look or feel. In this case she has focused on delivering confidence to her customers, something she succeeds in doing every day.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor in Chief.
