Beyond The Headlines: Revlon claims ex-execs poached Britney Spears perfume partnership, Bath & Body Works implements AI

06 Sep 2024 --- This week in industry news, Revlon subsidiary Elizabeth Arden claims former employees “sabotaged” a perfume partnership with pop singer Britney Spears, Nimir Industrial Chemicals acquires the soap manufacturing facility from Procter & Gamble Pakistan and Bath & Body Works launches a generative AI-powered fragrance finder.

Beauty battle

In a case filed in Manhattan federal court, Revlon and subsidiary Elizabeth Arden claim four ex-staffers stole trade secrets and breached their contracts by going to upstart rival Give Back Beauty and taking the Britney Spears account with them. Though an initial delay in Spears re-signing the 20-year perfume partnership deal was “attributed to Ms. Spears being preoccupied with other matters,” Revlon claims it realized that its executives had been orchestrating a corporate heist.

Acquisitions and partnerships

Chemical manufacturer Nimir Industrial Chemicals completed its acquisition of the soap manufacturing facility from Procter & Gamble Pakistan. Nimir is a publicly listed company with a product portfolio that includes aerosol, soap and personal care products.

Front Row Group announced an investment from private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners will help accelerate innovation and business growth for the e-commerce agency and accelerator that provides outsourced marketplace management to beauty, health & wellness and CPG brands. It says Charlesbank has raised more than US$18 billion in capital since its inception.

Kilian Paris appointed British actor Lucien Laviscount the ambassador of its newest fragrance, Old Fashioned. The scent is a blend of heritage and modernity, featuring whiskey accords inspired by the taste of an 18-year-aged single malt. Laviscount is the brand’s inaugural spokesperson and was personally selected by founder Kilian Hennessy.

Launches

Bath & Body Works said it would launch generative AI-powered fragrance finder Gingham Genius later this year. The tool features a conversational interface where customers can describe a scent or cand

Fenty Hair will launch in 700 Sephora doors and online in North America. Joining Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin and Fenty Eau de Parfum at Sephora, this first retail expansion will allow customers to shop every Fenty beauty category in person, in one place, for the first time.

Expansions

Amorepacific’s beauty brand, Hera, expanded to the Thai market with its first store at Central Chidlom, a prominent department store in one of Bangkok’s key shopping districts. The grand opening event attracted over 200 attendees, including global media representatives and influencers, and featured a brand introduction and demonstrations of makeup looks and beauty routines.

Sarah Creal launched in 22 Sephoras US-wide and online. The luxury brand features makeup and skin care for women over 40. Sarah Creal clinically tests every product with third-party labs. Sephora will introduce the brand with its core lineup of Everyday Essentials, a new Lip Collection containing ten Hydrating Lipsticks and a Peptide Priming Treatment called Lip Grip. The colorless, universal lip treatment is designed to hold lip color in place while softening the look of lip lines — a common concern for the brand’s key demographic. The lipstick collection Speak For Yourself celebrates women’s rights, with shade names including Pink Tax, Red V. Wade, Double Standard, Pay Equity and Madam President.

Evolvetogether announced its retail debut with luxury beauty retailer Bluemercury. The hair care brand now extends beyond its direct-to-consumer digital roots to deliver its products to a broader audience. The partnership with Bluemercury closely follows Evolvetogether’s launch with Amazon, strengthening the beauty brand’s distribution channels.

By Sabine Waldeck

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