Editors' Top Reads: News from Unilever, Sephora, Floral Street and more...

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

Unilever boss leaving after less than two years at the helm

Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher is leaving next month after less than two years in the top job, the consumer goods giant has revealed this week.

He will be replaced by recently appointed Chief Financial Officer Fernando Fernandez, who was President of Beauty & Wellbeing before taking on the finance role in January 2024.

Schumacher’s sudden departure comes mid-way through a major turnaround plan, which involves 7,500 previously announced job cuts, as well as moves to trim down the number of brands in its food division and focus more attention on its biggest sellers. While he steps down from the top job next month, he will leave the group on 31 May.

It will be interesting to see what Fernandez can bring to the business as CEO as it continues its turnaround.

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer. 

LFW with MAC Cosmetics: Makeup trends in the making at Dreaming Eli, Richard Quinn, Ashish and more...

Over the course of London Fashion Week, I was privileged to go backstage amongst the beautiful chaos with global beauty brand MAC Cosmetics. What better way to find out what beauty techniques and looks are destined for success come autumn/winter 2025? 

As models went from fittings to beauty chairs to get ready for the runway, I took a sneak peek into the looks their renowned makeup artists put together for Dreaming Eli, Ashish, Fashion East, Annie's Ibiza and Richard Quinn.

From red smokey eyes inspired by post-breakup club nights at Dreaming Eli to vampy lips and glowy skin at Annie's Ibiza's Renaissance-inspired runway, I compiled a list of the beauty creations MAC's Global Makeup Artists conjured up for the season and their inspiration behind each runway-ready look. Come back stage with me.

Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.

TheIndustry.beauty Awards Winners' Interview: Sarah Boyd, Managing Director UK, Sephora

This is the last in the series of interviews we have carried out with the winners of our first-ever TheIndustry.beauty The Innovators Awards, which took place in the summer of last year.

It's a timely read, not least because we are just about to relaunch the award scheme for 2025 and (while I can't tell exactly what it is yet!) we have a date already firmed up for the event.

The first one blew us away with the quality of the entrants and the winners and it's going to be event bigger and better this time round, so get ready to enter and be part of the action.

To inspire you, have a read of this interview with Sephora's Sarah Boyd on its triumphant return to the UK!

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

The Interview: Floral Street founder Michelle Feeney on growth, new perfume mists and retail expansion

With one of the most prolific careers in beauty, Michelle Feeney launched Floral Street in November 2017, creating an independent British fragrance brand that has sustainability and eco-responsibility at its core.

First launching with eight scents, the brand has since expanded its collection to 12 fragrances. Now capitalising on growing demand for body mists, Floral Street recently debuted three perfume mists and launched at Boots.

In this interview with TheIndustry.beauty, Feeney tells us about her impressive career background, the inspiration behind Floral Street and its growth to date, the brand's new perfume mists, its expansion into Boots, and more.

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.