This week, I checked in on how beauty founders and execs are responding to the whiplash of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s tariffs. Additionally, Brazil may be getting more K-beauty, and Saks secures a round of bankruptcy funding.
‘The tariff seesaw is making us nauseous’: How beauty founders and execs are reeling from the Supreme Court’s tariff decision
When Dame co-founder and CEO Alexandra Fine heard of the Supreme Court’s striking down of President Trump’s tariff policy on Friday, her first reaction was a sense of validation.
“Fuck, yeah,” said Fine, who founded the sexual wellness brand Dame in 2014. “It’s really validating, because the experience was so wild.”
But in addition to the sense of relief that many of Trump’s chaotic tariff policies were unlawful, beauty execs and founders like Fine are now also facing the headache of figuring out what comes next.
“The part where I get my money back feels a little daunting,” said Fine, who estimated Dame could pursue a refund of around $100,000 on tariffs.
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court deemed that Trump’s invocation of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not, in fact, give him the authority to tax imports, stating that such power instead belongs to Congress. On Friday, following the ruling, Trump signed an executive order under Section 122 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 to impose a blanket 10% percent tariff on imported goods, and raised that tariff to 15% on Saturday. Trump is scheduled to address the nation in Tuesday evening’s State of the Union Address.
Major companies like Costco and Revlon already filed lawsuits to pursue tariff refunds even before the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday. But how those refunds will play out remains unclear. And small business owners and startups may have to decide whether a potential refund is worth the resources they would likely need to recoup those funds, particularly as the dust is still settling on how the Trump administration will pursue future tariff policies.
“The tariff seesaw is making us nauseous,” said Alec Batis, founder of skin-care brand Sweet Chemistry.
“Any time taken away from the business to pursue tariff refunds is a huge challenge — we are already working seven days a week,” he said. “Nevermind the legal fees over many months or years that it will take to understand how to do that correctly.”
And for some businesses, it may be too late to recoup what they’ve already spent adjusting to Trump’s initial tariff policies. Kaylee Lieffers, who had already begun moving her private-label beauty manufacturing business, Blanka, from Canada to the U.S., called the news “bittersweet.”
“While the reversal is significant, for us, it comes a little late. We’ve already absorbed costs, navigated disruptions and restructured our operations,” said Lieffers. “At this point, we’re less focused on pursuing refunds and more focused on rebuilding predictability into our supply chain.”
Nick Benson, founder and CEO of Sydney-based beauty manufacturing platform Atelier, believes the Trump administration’s reaction to the Supreme Court ruling indicates the tariff issue is likely far from resolved. But he is still encouraging his clients to protect themselves from yet more volatile measures.
“We’re helping our brands use this time to be proactive — to diversify their supply base; pinpoint opportunities for on-shoring, near-shoring and dual-shoring; and recognize that their supply chain strategies need to be on a SKU-by-SKU basis, not a one-size-fits-all solution for their entire product portfolio,” he said.
Evan Feldstein, GM of North America for the Swedish cleansing device brand Foreo, said his team will proceed with importing goods under the assumption that the administration and customs agents will comply with the Supreme Court’s decision. But that’s not to say they’re not prepared for the situation to change once again.
“We have plenty of practice adapting to new tariff rules and regulations quickly, as last year, tariffs were added, removed or modified frequently,” he said. “At this stage, all we can do is wait for more information.”
Executive moves:
- Roshini Greenwald joins Kendo as gm, svp North America for Fenty Beauty. Greenwald was most recently president of M.ph Beauty and previously held roles at L’Oréal-owned Lancôme.
- Raquel Levy is named social and content manager at Innisfree. She joined the Amorepacific-owned K-beauty brand following stints at Elemis and Joanna Vargas.
News to know:
- Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a deal with South Korean president Lee Jae Myung that could make K-beauty more accessible in Brazil. While meeting in Seoul, the leaders agreed to boost trade cooperation between the nations. Brazil is South Korea’s largest trade partner in South America and home to one of the world’s largest beauty markets.
- A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved Saks Global’s bankruptcy financing, which provides the retail giant with $1 billion in funding. An attorney representing Saks’ creditors said $600 million of the funding will be used to pay vendors who supplied products to Saks before its January bankruptcy filing.
- Omani fragrance brand Amouage reported 66% growth in 2025, reaching $430 million in global retail sales. The luxury perfume maker attributed its sales boom to its Exceptional Extraits and body-care collection, both of which saw more than 150% growth in sales in 2025.
Stat of the week:
TikTok Shop is on track to be a top-three global retailer by 2030, according to a report from Flywheel. The report estimates that TikTok’s owner ByteDance could generate $1 trillion in sales in the next four years, with Amazon projected to be the No. 1 global retailer with $1.1 trillion in sales, and Chinese ecommerce platform Pinduoduo in the No. 2 spot.
In the headlines:
The end of beauty’s easy growth era. How brick became a status symbol for the aspirationally offline. Can Ssense 2.0 work? The spring fragrance trends of 2026 bring a breath of fresh air.
Listen in:
On this episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Pop editor Sara Spruch-Feiner is joined by Catherine D’Aragon, CEO of First Aid Beauty, to discuss the brand’s recent rebrand and its decision to partner with Team USA ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Need a Glossy recap?
Sephora Strategies: What MAC needs to succeed at Sephora. 3 standout strategies driving Revlon’s 2026 comeback plan. Exclusive: Bath & Body Works launches on Amazon. How Clarins reached 70% conversion and doubled its basket size in brick-and-mortar test of shade-matching tech.
