Editors' Top Reads: News from Pleasing, Kim Kardashian, Sam McKnight and more...
Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.beauty team.
Why Korean sun care is the latest beauty trend to hit the UK
As temperatures are once again set to rise across the UK next week, the importance of protecting your skin from the sun remains front of mind. But increasingly, consumers are turning away from traditional suncreams and opting instead for Korean alternatives.
That’s according to Melody Yuan, owner of K-beauty retailer Skin Cupid, who notes that interest in Korean sun protection is rapidly growing. She shares that, on average, the search terms 'Korean sunscreen' and 'Korean suncream' each generate around 20,000 Google searches per month. This coincides with growing interest on platforms like TikTok, where brands such as Beauty of Joseon, Haru Haru, Skin1004 and Anua are gaining widespread attention.
TheIndustry.beauty explores this trend, featuring further insights from Yuan, alongside commentary from consumer and retail trend analyst Wizz Selvey and industry expert Tracey Woodward.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
Kim Kardashian heads back into beauty - but not how you’d expect
As a confessed pop-culture and beauty fanatic, Kim Kardashian's beauty news is right up my alley. The reality star turned entrepreneur has long had a hand in shaping how we define beauty, so the launch of her new internet-breaking face shaper is bound to leave lasting effects on the industry.
Kim Kardashian is no stranger to the beauty world, remember the contour kits that defined a generation (a discontinued product I was admittedly still using well passed its expiry) or her now-shuttered KKW Beauty? Her latest move is a return to the category - not via bronzers or blushes, but through shapewear.
This week, her brand Skims launched its first-ever Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap, marking an unexpected crossover between beauty and bodywear. The product promises to sculpt, define and support the lower face and neck using compression technology - the same innovation that made Skims a billion-dollar brand.
It sold out within hours of launch in the US, as fans rushed to try the latest Kardashian-approved beauty tool. Though not yet available in the UK, there's something to be said about Kardashian's lasting commercial appeal. Watch this space.
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
Fan power or market potential? Pleasing’s sexual wellness launch sells out 'in minutes'
With a name like Pleasing, a move into sexual wellness was almost inevitable. Last week, the Harry Styles-founded beauty brand made its debut in the category with Pleasing Yourself, launching with a Double-Sided Vibrator and The PleasingLube.
You could say the release created quite a buzz among consumers, with the two new products having sold out "within minutes" both in the US and UK.
It’s clear that Pleasing’s entry into sexual wellness has been a sell-out success - but does this impact signal a real opportunity in the sexual wellness market, or simply the purchasing power of Styles’ fanbase? TheIndustry.beauty takes a closer look…
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
Beauty brand builders unite to launch their own line, Curated Beauty London
One of the very many things I love about the beauty industry is the entrepreneurial spirit and how many brands are born from individuals spotting an opportunity and going for it. News of another new brand reached us this week, Curated Beauty London.
The line, which promises to cut through the noise, delivering only essential skincare, haircare and wellness supplements, is the brain child of three industry experts, Samantha Grocutt, Natalie Ingham and Ros Simmons. It’s perhaps paradoxical that one of the ways to help consumers find their way through the morass of products out there is to launch more products, but I do completely understand the premise of this. And I do support entrepreneurs having the bravery to take the plunge and set up a new venture.
I am keen to see how this one progresses and wish them all the best of luck.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
TheIndustry.beauty Awards Winners' Interview: Legendary hairstylist Sam McKnight
In this series, TheIndustry.beauty continues to celebrate the achievements of the winning brands from TheIndustry.beauty Awards 2025 through a collection of dedicated interviews.
With the Awards dedicated to 'The Innovators' of the industry, we set out to uncover the forward-thinking strategies behind their success. From our winners, we discover everything from the importance of innovation and the trends influencing the next wave of beauty to the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the sector today.
In a special Hall of Fame Award presented by supply chain experts Bleckmann, TheIndustry.beauty honoured hairstyling legend Sam McKnight MBE for his extraordinary contribution to the beauty industry and his enduring influence on the world of hairdressing.
McKnight speaks to TheIndustry.beauty about discovering his unique voice and visual language in a competitive industry, the standout moments and collaborations that helped define his career, the inspiration behind launching his own product line, and more. Read the full interview here.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
Gen Z and Millennials turn to loyalty programmes amid economic uncertainty
It was interesting to read this week that, with consumer confidence remaining low and inflation continuing to bite hard, young UK shoppers are actively seeking loyalty programmes that not only offer financial rewards, but also "experiential perks".
Over 2,000 UK consumers were surveyed on behalf of data-driven loyalty and engagement platform LoyaltyLion, revealing 55% of UK shoppers are more likely to join a loyalty programme than they were a year ago. That shoots up to 71% of Gen Z and 72% of Millennials.
According to Charlie Casey, CEO of LoyaltyLion, "brands that treat loyalty as a relationship rather than a transaction will stand out", noting that "consumers want to feel part of a brand’s journey". Fair enough.
What was perhaps even more interesting was the survey revealed that a whopping 78% are willing to complete a quiz or profile in exchange for loyalty points, showing they’re ready to share data if it helps them save money or get more out of their purchases.
In a world where we are now bombarded with surveys, especially those asking ‘how did we do?’ (for not very much output), it’s perhaps surprising that almost four fifths of respondents are happy to do so if they feel it benefits them.
I’m guessing the 28% who weren’t prepared to engage with a survey are in the older bracket, with a certain scepticism about yet another brand or retailer trying to gain too much information about them.
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
