Beauty & Wellness Briefing: TikTok and QVC team up for star-studded Super Brand Day in LA

“Women aren’t watching television the way we used to,” Annette Dunleavy, QVC’s vp of brand, told Glossy. “No one is channel surfing, which is the way people would happenstance upon us. [For example, a viewer] puts us on in the background, and next thing [they know, they’re] buying a lot of product and connecting with our hosts. Today, that happens on social.”

As previously reported by Glossy, live selling on social media has quickly become a leading channel for brands, with early adopters selling millions of units directly on platforms like TikTok Shop and top brands investing in in-house content studios to keep up with demand. 

According to a 2024 study by Mintel market research company, more than four in 10 consumers have made a purchase on social media, with another nearly 20% interested in doing so.

Announced in April, QVC is joining this cohort with a new 24/7, always-on approach to live selling on TikTok Shop with an expanded arsenal of brands, promotions and hosts. 

To prepare, the team has built TikTok-focused mini studios in its Pennsylvania studio park and is currently programming a never-ending lineup of product sales-focused shows, Dunleavy told Glossy. Current QVC hosts, many of whom have their own fan bases, will also host TikTok segments in addition to their linear TV shows.  

It comes at a pivotal time. QVC reported a 10% sales slump earlier this month as well as a $91 million net loss for Q1 2025. During its earnings call, CEO David Rawlinson said QVC shoppers remain “heavily distracted by current events.” 

That is, economic uncertainty, including a combination of inflation and tariffs, combined with geo-political turmoil, have made channel surfing through cable news a particularly unsettling experience. According to The University of Michigan, consumer sentiment is down 26.5% year-over-year. 

“You watch the news and you’re sad, you’re depressed, you’re angry,” Dunleavy said. “You turn on QVC, and there are your friends presenting. It’s fun, it’s entertaining, and you can shop. I mean, we are a respite. … It’s a great place for women who just need a breather and want to see friendly faces and joy. And that’s why we’re really leaning into [social commerce with TikTok].” 

Outside of the team’s sales goals, Dunleavy also hopes to reintroduce QVC to new, younger shoppers. “QVC doesn’t have an awareness problem; we have a perception problem,” Dunleavy told Glossy. “We’re not the same brand as we were [when your grandmother shopped with us]. … This [social commerce initiative] is a way for us to get to meet women where they are.” 

QVC originally joined TikTok Shop in August with shoppable videos. To kick off its expanded, 24/7 initiative, QVC and TikTok hosted a Super Brand Day in Santa Monica, California on Wednesday, which included a live 8-hour sales event. TikTok’s Super Brand Days are sales events that provide prominent placement on TikTok Shop. Rare Beauty and E.l.f Beauty have participated in Super Brand Days in the past; L’Oréal Paris reportedly sold more than $1 million during theirs in November.

The event was aligned with the kickoff of its second Q50 ambassador program cohort, which includes Jennie Garth, Hoda Kotb, Carla Rockmore, Kathy Hilton, Kathie Lee Gifford, Stacy London, Barbara “Babs” Costello, Billie Jean King and many more over-50 tastemakers. Each deal is structured differently, Dunleavy told Glossy, with some Q50 participants having stake in personal brands. 

“TikTok is live all the time, so it’s just a natural place for us to go,” Dunleavy said. “But we’re not walking away from our core business, which is TV programming, and we have streaming and digital. We just want to be everywhere she is.”

Executive moves: 

• Nicola Formichetti is the new global creative director for Estée Lauder Companies-owned MAC Cosmetics. He replaces Drew Elliot who resigned in February after more than five years. Formichetti is a multidisciplinary creative who has worked for Mugler, Diesel, Uniqlo and Haus of Gaga. According to his website, he is known for cultural flashpoints, including Lady Gaga’s “meat dress,” and boundary-pushing visual campaigns.

• Effective Monday, Daniel Heaf is the new CEO of Bath & Body Works. Heaf’s CV includes executive roles at Nike and Burberry. He succeeds Gina Boswell who stepped down from the role on Friday after more than two years.
  
• Laetitia Toupet-Delon is the new global brand president of L’Oréal Paris. Previously, she led L’Oréal’s dermatological beauty division, a top performer for the conglomerate. She succeeds Delphine Viguier-Hovasse who was promoted to the group’s first chief innovation and prospective officer effective July 1. 

News to know:

• Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer and employer, appears to be in a public debate with President Trump over the impact of global tariffs. President Trump took to social media this weekend to warn Walmart that it should “stop trying to blame tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. … Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘eat the tariffs’ and not charge valued customers anything.” As reported by Reuters, Walmart CFO John David Rainey said tariff-induced price increases will begin later this month. 

• LVMH made two buzzy ambassador announcements this past week: Jenna Ortega for Dior and “White Lotus” star Charlotte Le Bon for Guerlain. Ortega is set to be Dior’s new international ambassador for makeup, while Le Bon will serve as Guerlain’s “bee ambassador” to promote the company’s work in honey bee-focused environmental responsibility.
  
• Front Row — a creative, e-commerce and marketing agency that oversees top beauty brands — has acquired Build in Amsterdam, an E.U.-based Shopify agency known for building digital flagship stores for premium lifestyle brands including Polaroid, Suitsupply and Mammut, according to the company. 

Stat of the week:

U.S. prestige beauty sales revenue remained flat in the first quarter year-over-year, according to market research company Circana. Meanwhile, mass beauty industry sales grew 3% YoY. According to the firm, this marks the first time in several years when the mass channel has outpaced prestige. The fragrance category was a top performer — up 4% in prestige and 8% in mass — while skin care also grew in both categories by smaller numbers. 

In the headlines:

Brands are doing ‘tariff math’ after US-China truce, rolling back surcharges and adjusting prices. Ten most popular supplements, according to SuppCo app users. ‘$5M To $6M To Grow’: Angel investor and advisor Anne Kurtz on the true cost of beauty brand traction. AI tools beauty brands love for optimizing their businesses. Bubble launches first campus scholarship program. Target is heading to small towns across America. They’ve been waiting.

Listen in: 

In today’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, host Lexy Lebsack is joined by Modern Retail’s Melissa Daniels to unpack the nuances facing brands considering supply chain multi- or near-shoring. Plus, industry news including Touchland’s big acquisition and Drunk Elephant’s sales tumble, and a surprising new study about some influencers’ failure to report partnerships.

Don’t Miss:

Glossy’s beauty team hosted its second live Beauty Debrief on Thursday to discuss the most pressing topics facing the industry today: fragrance trends and industry shifts, the growing men’s and teen boys’ beauty opportunity, and how brands are navigating tariffs. Listen in now. 

Need a Glossy recap? 

How Ulta Beauty is tapping in-store associates for content creation with new ‘Ulta Beauties’ internal ambassador program. The pros and cons of near-shoring beauty and personal care manufacturing to Mexico. How expensive can sunscreen get? Fenty enters Roblox retail race with shoppable gloss experience. La Roche-Posay taps into tenniscore with social-first campaign. Amid Blake Lively’s tumultuous lawsuit, Blake Brown launches new products.