Brand news: Give Me Cosmetics; Lush; Space NK; Deinde; Ex Nihilo; KKW Beauty
eComplete acquires majority stake in Give Me Cosmetics
eComplete, an ecommerce venture capitalist business that was founded by two former THG executives, has taken a majority stake in TikTok-favourite beauty brand, Give Me Cosmetics.
Give Me Cosmetics is said to generate more than half of its revenue from social media and is one of the UK’s fastest-growing brands on TikTok.
The brand was founded in 2017 by Dan Fletcher and Luke Mills and is aiming to become a global beauty player with the help of eComplete’s well-established eCommerce infrastructure.
Co-founder of eComplete Paul Gedman said its mission is to “build leading global ecommerce foundations to enable us to disrupt traditional eCommerce investing is about identifying and helping unlock potential.”
In 2021, eComplete made its first investment of £50m into ecommerce business CurrentBody, which sells clinically tested at-home-use beauty devices.
Debut launches inflammaging skin care range Deinde
Beauty incubator Debut (which is backed by L’Oreal) has unveiled its first brand, Deinde, with a range of three products that are designed to tackle the issue of ‘inflammaging’.
The products are aimed at consumers in their 20s and 30s and are said to feature upcycled plant-based extracts and bio-tech based ingredients.
For example, its patented Naringenin, which is designed to strengthen the skin barrier and ease inflammation, is a “patented polyphenol typically found in grapefruit peel," according to its website. The brand said its new launches "represent what’s possible when biotech and skin care meet.”
Kim Kardashian relaunches cosmetics range under SKKN brand
Kim Kardashian is set to launch a new colour range – which includes a collection of 10 matte lipsticks; 15 lip pencils, and a matte eyeshadow palette in 12 nude shades – on 26 January and eager beauty shoppers can join a waitlist before then.
In an Instagram post, Kardashian said: “In developing Skkn By Kim Makeup, my goal was not only to create universally-flattering cosmetic essentials, but also to ensure that our products are clean, hydrating, and help improve the look and feel of skin with every wear.”
Kardashian had originally launched cosmetics brands KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrances, but shut these down in 2021 before launching her skin care brand SKKN in 2022.
In 2020, French-American multinational Coty acquired a minority stake in the KKW Beauty brand and had previously said it would be responsible for the brand's NPD.
In mid-2023, Kardashian had also stated that the KKW Beauty colour and scent lines would return under the SKKN brand.
Eurazeo invests in fragrance brand Ex Nihilo
French private equity firm Eurazeo has acquired a minority stake – of around €25m – in fragrance brand Ex Nihilo, which is known for its bestselling 'Fleur Narcotique' scent.
According to Eurazeo, Ex Nihilo is “an authentic French luxury brand celebrating the know-how of Haute Parfumerie.”
The tech-savvy brand offers consumers innovative personalisation services using L'Osmologue – a machine that allows ingredients to be mixed with the extreme precision to personalise existing scents.
Beauty brands hit by cyber attacks
UK retailer Space NK is reportedly the latest beauty business to be hit by suspected cyber attacks. Another UK-based business, Lush, was also recently targeted.
The issue is becoming an increasing issue for beauty businesses. Last year, Estée Lauder Companies was forced to shut down part of its internal network after being hacked, while the UK health and beauty retailer Boots was also a victim of the crime.
