Editors' Top Reads: News from Kulfi, Revolution Beauty, M&S and more...
Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.beauty team.
Founders rejoin Revolution Beauty to ‘reset’ troubled beauty brand
Well, here's a turn up for the books. Revolution Beauty founder Adam Minto is back at the business to turn around its flagging fortunes after it failed to find a buyer. Minto has a lot on his hands right now, having just launched Gen Zalpha make-up brand Trouble Maker with wife Sally (which I must say looks bang on the money).
Adam Minto quit Revolution Beauty as CEO in 2022, when the company was thrown into crisis, sparked by auditors refusing to sign off on its accounts for the previous year. The brand ultimately reached a settlement with Minto over the ordeal and, to be honest, it has been a bit lost without him. You can read more about that here.
He has now been brought back on a consultancy basis with co-founder Tom Allsworth to execute a turnaround. Let's see what they can do. This is an intriguing and exciting development.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
The Interview: Kulfi's founder on bringing inclusive South Asian beauty to the UK with Space NK
Earlier this month, I attended Space NK's new Oxford Circus store opening. If you've had a chance to stop by, which I recommend you do, you'll stumble upon Kulfi's unmistakable lilac and neon orange products in all their glory, making their UK debut.
Admittedly, I'm new to South Asian beauty. But, after trying the brand's tubing mascara and glossy lipsticks, I knew I needed to find out more: cue an exclusive interview with Kulfi's founder, Priyanka Ganjoo.
Ganjoo’s career in beauty reads like a masterclass in curiosity meeting opportunity. From a strategy role at Estée Lauder to leading merchandising at IPSY, she saw firsthand how makeup could empower - or, sometimes, frustrate - its users. "I didn’t grow up wearing makeup," she admits, "so being surrounded by people who loved beauty gave me space to rediscover it on my own terms." That rediscovery sparked something bigger: a desire to create products that celebrated joy, play and shades for skin tones often overlooked. Enter Kulfi Beauty, Priyanka’s vibrant, high-performance indie brand that fuses South Asian heritage with bold, innovative formulas.
The UK launch is significant for both Kulfi and the wider beauty industry: it signals the growing demand for diverse, inclusive brands in mainstream retail, and positions the UK as a key market for indie beauty expansion.
In the interview, Ganjoo shared the journey from career pivot to cult-favourite brand, her plans for UK expansion, and the joy of creating beauty that makes people feel seen.
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
TheIndustry.beauty Awards Winners' Interview: Kirsti Shuba, co-founder, Katherine Daniels
One of the most heartfelt moments at TheIndustry.beauty ‘The Innovator’ Awards last month was the genuine emotion shown by Katherine Daniels, co-founder Kirsti Shuba, upon receiving the award for Experience.
In this exclusive interview, Shuba reflects on the brand’s recent win, the success of its virtual skin bar, the growing impact of live shopping in driving both sales and brand awareness, and the latest initiatives aimed at further enhancing the customer experience.
This feature is part of our ongoing awards interview series, spotlighting the industry’s true innovators. Each week, we dive into the forward-thinking strategies behind their success - revealing insights into the role of innovation, the beauty trends shaping the future, and the key opportunities and challenges facing the sector today.
Be sure to check back every Wednesday for a new winner. In the meantime, catch up on previous features - including interviews with industry icons like Sam McKnight, Amanda Morgan (Managing Director UK at Diptyque), and Glow for It founder Daisy Kelly - for a dose of inspiration and expert insight.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
Marks & Spencer expands partnership with Estée Lauder into skincare and make-up
I just want to punch the air whenever I see good news from Marks & Spencer. After enduring the horrors of a cyber attack, just as the business was in the midst of a major turnaround, it has continued to innovate and show resilience across all aspects of its business.
This week, it has revealed it has extended its partnership with beauty giant Estée Lauder from fragrance into skincare and make-up, with 17 counters being installed nationwide and a further nine to be opened by the end of the year. Hundreds of products will also be added to M&S.com.
This is great news for M&S, which is determined to position itself as a true authority in beauty with around 40% of its beauty sales now coming from third-party brands. Also great news for Estée Lauder, too.
M&S has identified beauty as a key growth market – there will be many more interesting partnerships to come.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
