This week, I checked in on Paula’s Choice’s campaign centered on aging well and longevity. Additionally, Rare Beauty makes the jump to Ulta, and Vacation, Inc. eyes expansion.
Paula’s Choice taps into the longevity trend with a sports-centered campaign for 2026
The longevity trend in beauty and wellness is likely to stick around — or at least that’s what Paula’s Choice is betting with its first campaign of 2026. On Tuesday, the Unilever-owned skin-care brand opened up the new year with “The Long Game,” a campaign for its CellularYouth Longevity Serum that ties into many of beauty’s biggest trends in recent months: longevity, sports and the 40-plus consumer base.
The campaign promoting the serum, which launched as a Sephora preview on December 26 before a general launch on Tuesday, stars four 60-plus influencers: Dorothy Wiggins, a 100-year-old creator with more than 350,000 Instagram followers; 75-year-old MaryJane Fahey (313,000 followers on Instagram); 72-year-old Madonna B. Hanna (269,000 followers); and 68-year-old Jacky Lee (117,000 Instagram followers). The social-led campaign showcases the women engaging in sports like tennis, boxing and running.
“We saw there’s a real fear around aging, and we wanted to bring more optimism and give people control over how they age. And we thought these women’s stories were the best way to do that,” said Paula’s Choice CMO Tina Pozzo. “The idea here wasn’t about being a professional athlete, but it was [instead] the idea of celebrating women who were embodying the idea of health span and were living to their fullest.”
According to Pozzi, this is the first time Paula’s Choice has tapped talent in the 70-plus demographic. It is far from the only beauty company to do so: A growing number of brands, like Naomi Watts’s Stripes and Sarah Creal’s namesake makeup line, have emerged to target the middle-aged beauty consumer in recent years.
“We are fortunate enough to have consumers who have been with this brand for 30 years. And we know there’s an appetite for people to hear these stories and see that representation, too,” said Pozzi. “I think seeing these women and hearing their stories doesn’t just appeal to an older consumer, but it offers hope and optimism to younger consumers, as well.”
But it’s not the first time the brand has engaged sports as a vehicle for beauty. Paula’s Choice tapped UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd for a year-long partnership in June and announced U.S. rugby Olympian Ilona Maher as an ambassador in 2024.
Unilever reported 5.1% sales growth in its beauty and personal care division in its Q3 earnings report. The conglomerate reported low single-digit growth for Paula’s Choice, which it acquired from TA Associates in 2021. With the Winter Olympics and World Cup on the horizon, Pozzi hinted there might be more sports-centered activations from Paula’s Choice to come; Unilever struck a sponsorship deal with soccer’s governing body FIFA in 2023 that extends to the 2026 men’s World Cup and the 2027 women’s World Cup.
The growth in sports-centric marketing in beauty has come at a time when ideas like “optimization” and “longevity” have emerged as alternatives to traditional marketing around “anti-aging.”
“We’ve been in some cycles around anti-aging, where it has come in and out of fashion,” said Pozzi. “Ultimately, I think what the consumer is looking [for] is to be their best selves, and so we are looking to provide that solution and give them the opportunity to take some control over how they age, and do it with optimism and positivity.”
According to Pozzi, Paula’s Choice hopes to “democratize” the sometimes high-priced longevity category with its $72 serum. Consumer spending on longevity and wellness products, including supplements and diagnostic tools, is projected to reach $8 trillion over the next five years, according to investment banking company USB. Pozzi anticipates the serum, which includes buzzy ingredients like peptides and NAD+ stimulators, will crack the brand’s top five SKUs in its first 12 months on the market.
“A lot of the products are upward of $300 in the longevity space,” said Pozzi. “[The serum] is one of the pricier treatments within our portfolio. But when we look at the landscape, we are really making [longevity] a bit more accessible for consumers.”
Executive moves:
- Richard Baker replaced Marc Metrick as CEO of Saks Global. The Saks Fifth Avenue owner has faced uncertainty following its acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group in 2024 in a $2.7 billion deal. Metrick stepped down after Saks missed a loan payment and is reportedly considering bankruptcy.
News to know:
- Rare Beauty lands at Ulta. The Selena Gomez-founded beauty brand will expand to 1,500 Ulta Beauty stores and Ulta.com beginning February 1. The partnership marks Rare’s first retail expansion since it launched at Sephora in 2020 and will include two Ulta-exclusive product kits. To mark the debut, Ulta shoppers will also have the opportunity to donate to the Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation and the Rare Impact Fund at checkout throughout February.
- Mielle announces tennis star Taylor Townsend as brand ambassador. The American tennis player is a Grand Slam winner in doubles. The P&G-owned natural hair-care brand has previously tapped into sports with a sponsorship deal with the WNBA in 2023.
- Vacation, Inc. has reportedly hired investment bank Raymond James to explore a sale. The sunscreen brand known for its scents and retro packaging is looking to explore a minority stake deal. In 2023, the brand raised $6 million in series A funding.
- Anastasia Beverly Hills founder and CEO Anastasia Soare made a $225 million equity investment into her namesake brand. The investment aims to reduce the brand’s debt and accelerate new product launches.
Stat of the week:
According to data from MyIQ, 84% of users reported that they continue scrolling their digital feeds even when they intend to stop. The survey of 2,437 respondents found that 73% said they had failed in their attempts to reduce their scrolling time.
In the headlines:
The rise of the over-40 nose job. Billionaire skin. “Emily in Paris” S5 makeup is all about the ’90s. Maison Crivelli’s contrarian bet on Africa.
Listen in:
What will 2026 mean for the beauty and wellness industries? In this special episode, hosts Lexy Lebsack, Emily Jensen and Sara Spruch-Feiner share their 2026 industry predictions. This includes a slowdown of the “no-makeup makeup” aesthetic in favor of bolder color cosmetics trends, the rise of experimental peptide therapy among wellness consumers and an uptick in budget-conscious beauty shoppers.
Need a Glossy recap?
The Glossy guide to what’s in and out for 2026. Tower 28 expands to body care with eczema-friendly body wash. Medicube’s founder on the products and people that fueled the brand’s booming year. Post-acquisition, Dr. Squatch plans to become an “icon brand.” From butter to banana: How yellow took over fashion and beauty in 2025. Eugenics, AI slop and cultural appropriation: The fashion and beauty controversies that defined 2025.
