This week, I checked in on skin-care brand Rodan + Fields’ plans for growth out of its affiliate-model roots. Additionally, Old Navy launches its beauty line, and a former Weight Watchers CEO gets into the fragrance boom.
How Rodan + Fields is growing its ‘affiliate-fueled modern omnichannel business’
While it seems like just about everything is sold on Amazon, there are still brands making their way to the e-commerce giant. As of last week, that now includes Rodan + Fields.
The launch on the Amazon Premium Beauty Store in August is just one part of the skin-care brand’s plan to expand its distribution network. That also includes growing its footprint at Ulta Beauty, where it launched in 2025, from 150 to 400 stores. Those efforts join what CEO Dimitri Haloulos calls the brand’s “affiliate-fueled modern omnichannel business,” a model that includes a network of 70,000 affiliate sellers, brick-and-mortar distribution at Ulta, and a presence at Amazon and TikTok Shop.
“We realized the world has changed in how consumers find product, buy product, shop. And so we transformed our business to what we believe is very unique: an affiliate-fueled, modern omnichannel business,” said Haloulos. “Our big goal of the transformation was to make more women aware of our brand and actually unlock pockets of demand we couldn’t if we were not omnichannel.”
In 2024, Rodan + Fields announced plans to shed approximately 100 roles as it grew beyond its original multi-level direct selling model. The brand hired L’Oréal veteran Anncy Rowe as chief commercial officer that same year.
“Two years ago, we did a lot of work. We didn’t have Anncy. We didn’t have a marketing department,” he said. “We have rebuilt the company over the past two years, and really transformed our glide path. Now’s the time for us to bring more accessibility to customers.”
Rodan + Fields declined to share specific growth projections, but suffice to say, there are sales to be made in those new retail channels. Ulta’s net sales grew 8.9% to $3 billion in the second quarter of 2026, according to the company’s most recent earnings report. On Amazon, beauty sales grew 27% in the same quarter, to $9.8 billion, according to data from e-market analysts Front Row. Skin-care sales, specifically, were up 33%.
Numerous other beauty brands have also cast a wider net into both prestige brick-and-mortar retailers and Amazon as omnichannel distribution becomes table stakes for growth. Byredo expanded to U.S. Sephora stores in September, while Bath & Body Works, which already commands 1,900 stores across North America, launched on Amazon in February and at Ulta Beauty in July.
With a 70,000-person-strong affiliate network and expansion to 400 Ulta stores and to Amazon, there will surely be some overlap in territory. But Haloulos insists those new points of sale will not cannibalize Rodan + Fields’ affiliate business; he said in areas around the original rollout to 150 Ulta stores, overall affiliate sales remained flat.
“Many consultants’ businesses actually grew, because there’s credibility saying, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you about a product. It’s also in an Ulta,’” he said. “[Affiliates] have trust, but they might not have the credibility that an Ulta has. And we believe the same will happen on Amazon.”
Executive moves:
- LVMH names Alexandre Oulès chief operating officer of its beauty division. Oulès joins the company from Balenciaga, where he was chief operating officer of the Kering-owned brand.
- Lisa McKnight joins SC Johnson as CEO of its lifestyle brands division. In her new role with the conglomerate, she will oversee home and personal care brands such as Method, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea. McKnight joins from Mattel, where she most recently served as evp and chief brand officer.
- The Estée Lauder Companies names Kathleen Mitchell vp and gm of its new Hair Care Hub based out of London. She joins from the U.K. department store chain John Lewis, where she served as commercial director.
News to know:
- Old Navy launches a beauty line to 500 stores nationwide and online. The Gap Inc.-owned retailer first teased its plans for a beauty line last fall with a limited launch at 150 stores. The full rollout includes hair and body mists, body wash, and body lotion with prices ranging from $7.99-$14.99. The seven scents across the line were created by Robertet perfumer Jérôme Epinette.
- Britney Spears’ son Jayden James appears on the cover of MAC Cosmetics’ MACzine. He and his brother, Sean Preston, previously made their runway debut as models for the Vetements Menswear Spring/Summer 2027 show at Paris Men’s Fashion Week. MAC ambassadors like Doja Cat and Chappell Roan have also appeared on the cover of the makeup brand’s magazine.
- Former Weight Watchers CEO Sima Sistani launches a fragrance brand. Sistani, who led the weight-loss company from 2022-2024, debuted her brand, Liberation of Flowers, with three perfumes made by master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel.
Stat of the week:
Plastic surgery rates are growing amongst older patients. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ 2025 Procedural Statistics Report, plastic surgery procedures were up 24% among patients 66 and up, making it the fastest-growing age cohort. Procedures were down 9% among patients aged 18-25, and down 5% among patients aged 26-35.
In the headlines:
Group chats might be full of affiliate links soon. Does anyone actually shop at the Oculus? India investigates fragrance giants over price collusion, document shows.
Listen in:
For today’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, host Lexy Lebsack sat down with veteran celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg to unpack exactly where makeup is headed next and whether bold makeup can finally dethrone the “clean girl” aesthetic.
Need a Glossy recap?
New brands flock to Target’s post-Ulta beauty section. Bath & Body Works says its Amazon sales have ‘tripled’ as it seeks to return to growth. Wellness Briefing: ELC-owned NIOD enters Sephora with wellness positioning and cold plunge activation, plus news. Curology says Walmart shoppers convert to prescription skin care at 5x its online rate. Glossy+ Research: The marketers’ 2026 guide to retail media marketing, including The Home Depot, Milani Cosmetics and Tinuiti.
