Theirry Mugler and IFF award the best in fragrance
Clarins owned Thierry Mugler and International Flavors & Fragrance last month awarded top prize in the 2009 Perfume Competition to London Royal College of Art student Collette Pearson...More>>
3 July 2009
Crabtree & Evelyn files for Chapter 11
Luxury personal care manufacturer Crabtree & Evelyn has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US...More>>
2 July 2009
Loewe goes crazy
Loewe, Spain ’s venerable leather goods house since 1846 renowned for its luxury handbags accessories and ready-to-wear range, gets a little crazy with the launch of Aire Loco, its latest women’s edt...More>>
1 July 2009
Jo Malone lands in Dublin Airport
Estée Lauder brand Jo Malone has launched its third freestanding shop in Dublin Airport...More>>
30 June 2009
Dabur completes acquisition of Fem Care
Indian FMCG giant Dabur has completed its acquisition of Fem Care Pharma by snapping up the remaining 27.85% in the skin care company for Rs 54 crore ($11m)...More>>
26 June 2009
Young and Pure acquired by Beauty Withough Cruelty
After going out of business a couple of months ago, UK teen natural skin care brand Young and Pure has been bought by ethical cosmetics brand Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC)...More>>
25 June 2009
3 July 2009
Clarins owned Thierry Mugler and International Flavors & Fragrance last month awarded top prize in the 2009 Perfume Competition to London Royal College of Art student Collette Pearson.
Sponsored by Thierry Mugler, known in the fashion and perfume worlds, the competition involved 40 students from RCA.
IFF has been running the competition for 15 years but this year is the first time that Theirry Mugler has been involved.
The winner was awarded with a six month internship at Thierry Mugler and a £2000 prize while the runner up also gets a six month internship as well as £500. The other nine finalists were awarded £500 each.
This year’s winner, Pearson, was selected by judges for the originality of her project that combined imaginary and reality in the imprint of the Thierry Mugler signature.
2 July 2009
Luxury personal care manufacturer Crabtree & Evelyn has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US.
The company, which is owned by Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad and is a unit of the UK’ Crabtree & Evelyn Holdings, took the decision after facing up to a potential 25% fall in sales and losses of $13.3m on revenue of $100m, mounting on top of the $8m loss on revenue of $107.5m it recorded in the year ended 30 September 2008.
Acting president Stephen Bestwick blamed the US division’s woes on a downturn in consumer discretionary spending, especially in shopping malls, where many Crabtree & Evelyn stores are located.
Bestwick added that management changes had led to a “disconnect” between executive pay and performance and lower sales to wholesale accounts.
The company plans to use the Chapter 11 protection to reorganise its business, close stores and renegotiate leases on others. It has 126 stores in the US , and employs approximately 950 people.
The decision does not affect Crabtree & Evelyn’s business outside the US.
1 July 2009
Loewe, Spain ’s venerable leather goods house since 1846 renowned for its luxury handbags accessories and ready-to-wear range, gets a little crazy with the launch of Aire Loco, its latest women’s edt.
The new fragrance is a far cry from the classic Aire Loewe first launched in 1985. Juan Pedro Abeniacar, president of Perfumes Loewe worldwide told Cosmetics International that Aire Loco was conceived to reflect a new generation of women who are not afraid to provoke and reveal their “unspeakable desires and fantasies”.
As part of the marketing strategy, a racy TV spot featuring a model spying on men through a peep hole and licking champagne off her body will be aired.
Created by IFF’s Carlos Benaim and Yves Cassar, the new floral fragrance features top notes of Italian bergamot, magnolia, red pepper and yellow freesia, a heart of passion fruit, rose, jasmine and orange blossom and base notes of patchouli, vanilla, cedar and cardamom.
The fragrance is priced €57 for 50ml and €83 for 100ml.
30 June 2009
Estée Lauder brand Jo Malone has launched its third freestanding shop in Dublin Airport.
The new 70 sqm location is similar to the two others in the UK at Heathrow Airport Terminals 3 and 5.
Plans for more travel retail locations elsewhere in Europe are in the works but no locations have been confirmed yet, an Estée Lauder spokesperson told Cosmetics International.
The shop in Dublin Airport mimics the style of the first shop in London with library-style shelves, linear glass bottles and gifv boxes throughout.
It also features the Jo Malone Tasting Bar where customers can experiment with fragrances as well as complimentary hand and arm massages.
For the home, customers can have a Scent Surround Consultation to create a customised home fragrance product.
Another key feature of the store is a personalised gift giving where customers can select from pre-packaged gifts or create bespoke gifts.
26 June 2009
Indian FMCG giant Dabur has completed its acquisition of Fem Care Pharma by snapping up the remaining 27.85% in the skin care company for Rs 54 crore ($11m).
Dabur had previously bought a 72.15% stake for Rs 203.7 crore ($42m) at the end of last year (Cosmetics International 12 December 2008).
Fem Care will operate as a subsidiary of Dabur India and makes its parent the second largest skin care player in India, according to ceo Sunil Duggal.
Duggal says Dabur plans to turn Fem into its fifth flagship brand rather than absorbing it into its portfolio. According to the Economic Times, the company will rationalise Fem’s portfolio, perhaps stripping out its hair removal and liquid soap lines. At the same time, Dabur will phase out its Vatika skin care products, taking the brand back to its hair care roots.
The Indian skin care market is valued at Rs 2,500 crore ($518.5m) and its mass segment is growing at approximately 20-25% a year.
25 June 2009
After going out of business a couple of months ago, UK teen natural skin care brand Young and Pure has been bought by ethical cosmetics brand Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC).
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition will allow BWC to expand its customer base to the youth market.
Since the 1970s, BWC has been pioneering cruelty-free beauty products with a focus on quality control and ethical formulation development.
Young and Pure is also a supporter of ethical movements such as the removal of potentially harmful ingredients in products and is 100% vegan, which is why Tim Green, director of BWC, feels that Young and Pure is a good fit for his company.
“We are excited by this opportunity to provide an enhanced ethical offering for our customers and we commend the founder of Young and Pure for her achievements in promoting ethical skin care.”
Young and Pure was founded by Lianne Miller in 2006 but succumbed to the economic downturn in April when her company had been compulsorily liquidated by the High Court of Justice.