Makeup artist Violette Serrat first built her French girl beauty brand online with viral products and simple tutorials. Now she's taking her business to one of beauty's largest retailers: Sephora.

The center marks L’Oréal's largest facility outside of France and represents the group's efforts to better serve a growing and more diverse U.S. audience, which constitutes one quarter of its sales.

With recent investments in niche perfumers like Amouage and Borntostandout, L’Oréal is looking to capitalize on a growing appetite for fragrance brands built on craftsmanship, particularly in hot markets like China and the Middle East. But that also means facing stiff competition and winning over savvy consumers.

While major conglomerates have reported declining sales in recent quarters, Oddity achieved double-digit growth in 2024 with a focus on digital sales.

The fashion magazine welcomes its first digital issue dedicated to beauty as part of a larger push to invest in beauty content through pillars like shoppable newsletters. That also means competing in a crowded landscape of social media and Substack where legacy media outlets have struggled to find their footing.

The so-called “Republican makeup” look has become viral TikTok fodder for its heavy-handed application. For users participating in the trend, a warm-toned foundation and black eyeliner can connote not only aesthetics, but also political affiliations.

Now in its third season, HBO show "White Lotus" has become not only a ratings hit and critical darling, but also a boon for commercial sponsorships capitalizing off of its escapist fantasy. That includes beauty brands like Kiehl’s.

Facing headwinds from China and mass beauty, the owner of brands like Kylie Cosmetics and Marc Jacobs fragrances reported a net revenue decline of 3% in Q2 FY2025.

Of Sephora’s 40 million loyalty members, roughly one-third will redeem their birthday gift each year. That makes it an enticing opportunity for not only consumers, but also for participating brands to acquire new customers and for Sephora to establish its dominance in the beauty retail landscape.