Editors' Top Reads: News from Space NK, The Inkey List, Sol de Janeiro and more...

Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.beauty team.

Space NK Chief Commercial Officer to exit after major growth period

It was to be expected that after Space NK was sold to US giant Ulta, some of the management team responsible for the success of the British beauty retailer might then depart.

This week, Chief Commercial Officer Margaret Mitchell revealed she is leaving Space NK after a decade of service. During her time at the business, she was instrumental in its rapid growth and its sale to Ulta last year. While neither former owner Manzanita Capital nor Ulta disclosed the value of the deal, it is thought to have been in the region of £300 million.

We await to see Mitchell's next move. She is a great operator and strategist, and it is to be hoped she remains on the UK beauty scene for many years to come.

Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.

INKEY Lab lands at Boots with rapid limited-edition skincare drops

INKEY Lab, the fast-innovation arm of The Inkey List, has launched with its first retail partner, Boots. The range is landing in more than 100 stores as well as online, with each product released as a limited-edition run before being discontinued and replaced with new launches.

Originally introduced in November 2025 as a “test and learn” platform, INKEY Lab focuses on bringing emerging skincare ingredients and trends to market quickly, with input from its community. Following five launches within six months, the brand is now joining Boots’ Ignite programme, which highlights trend-driven beauty brands entering the UK retail space.

The INKEY Lab concept centres on a new product drop every eight weeks. The initial retail launch includes three products: the PDRN Serum, Milk Toner and Exosome Mask.

This is an interesting concept that breaks away from traditional retail models. Rather than relying on a fixed core range, INKEY Lab creates a sense of constant discovery, encouraging consumers to regularly check back in-store or online to see the latest innovations.

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.

Beauty's next tech-driven wave: Exclusive in-depth report & consumer research

In an extensive 26-page study, TheIndustry.beauty, in partnership with Commerce, explores consumer attitudes to spending on beauty and outlines the most popular channels and tools driving engagement and sales.

The findings in the report are truly fascinating and show just how much consumer behaviour has shifted over the last few years, driven by new technologies including AI and VR, as well as new retail formats such as live shopping (on TikTok, for example) and tech-enabled retail stores.

Some insights that I found truly surprising included just how serious Amazon has become about beauty, and how consumers’ adoption of AI, technological innovations, and live shopping experiences differs across age groups (and you would be surprised by just what the numbers reveal).

If you work in the beauty industry, and especially in e-commerce, and want to understand how to make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources, check out the full report.

Camilla Rydzek, Senior News & Features Writer.

Sol de Janeiro appoints new CEO as co-founder exits

Sol de Janeiro has appointed Jordan Saxemard as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding co-founder Heela Yang, who has stepped away from the business.

Saxemard’s promotion comes after he joined the brand in October last year as Chief Marketing & Digital Officer, where he led global brand and product marketing, communications, digital strategy and consumer engagement.

He brings more than 20 years of experience across the beauty, luxury and technology sectors. Before Sol de Janeiro, he was President for the Americas and EMEA at Dyson, overseeing commercial and marketing operations across key international markets. Earlier in his career, he spent 12 years at Coty Luxury, where he led brand strategy for Gucci Beauty and managed marketing across fragrance, makeup, skincare and nails for brands including Chloé, Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu and Philosophy.

We spoke to Saxemard at the end of last year, as he stepped into his marketing and digital role, where he outlined his early priorities, his vision for enhancing the brand’s digital experience, and the consumer behaviour shifts he was closely monitoring.

Now, as CEO, his ambitions are likely to expand even further, and it will be interesting to see how he shapes the next phase of growth for Sol de Janeiro under his leadership.

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.