March’s top news stories

L’Oréal extended licence agreement with Armani

French cosmetics company L’Oréal signed an agreement with Italian fashion house Armani to renew its licence until 2050.

The extended agreement will allow L’Oréal to continue creating perfumes, skincare products and makeup under the Giorgio Armani brand.

Launched in 1975, Armani has been working with L’Oréal since 1988. Some of the products in its Giorgio Armani portfolio include Acqua di Giò, Code Man, Les Eaux and La Collection fragrances, as well as Face Fabric makeup and Crema Nera Extrema skin treatment.

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Sephora selected Salesforce to provide new digital shopping experience in Europe

Sephora selected customer relationship management (CRM) provider Salesforce’s Commerce Cloud and Service Cloud to provide a personalised shopping experience to customers based on their location and preferences.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud will enable Sephora’s European customers to access unique content, offers and recommendations based on their past purchases, while Service Cloud is expected to improve customer satisfaction through a personalised service.

The platform is currently available in Sweden and Denmark and will be released to other parts of Europe in the coming months beginning with Portugal, Germany and France.

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India-based Dabur reduced acquisition price of two South African firms

Consumer products manufacturer Dabur India reduced its offer for an acquisition of South African firms D&A Cosmetics Proprietary and Atlanta Body & Health Products Proprietary that was first agreed in 2017.

In a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange, Dabur will now pay a total of R42m ($3.5m) instead of its initial offer of R50m ($4.2m).

This new offer values D&A Cosmetics at R40.27m ($3.4m) and Atlanta Body at R1.73m ($146,600), a reduction of around R7.7m ($647,900) and R0.3m ($23,200) respectively.

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InventHelp announced three new products for sale or licensing

InventHelp announced that a portable wipe dispenser, a smile enhancer and a safety accessory for hair braiding are now available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers.

InventHelp is a leading inventor service company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

WIPE ROLL is a portable device designed to dispense baby wipes. Claimed to be smaller than a typical travel pack of wipes, the unit is said to be the right size to fit conveniently in a bag or handbag.

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AmorePacific K-beauty brand Mamonde launched in US

South Korean cosmetics firm AmorePacific’s skincare brand Mamonde launched in the US at Ulta stores and online.

As part of the brand’s expansion outside of Asia, it has partnered with Ulta Beauty for high street retail distribution.

Ulta Merchandising, Prestige Skincare and Fragrance vice-president Penny Coy said: “We’re delighted to be the exclusive US brick and mortar retailer for Mamonde, with many additional items specially developed for Ulta Beauty.

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Victoria Beckham to launch skincare line

Fashion designer Victoria Beckham announced plans to launch her own line of skincare products.

Beckham revealed the new business plan in a live video through a social media channel from her store in Dover Street, London, UK.

This move follows a successful collaboration with Estee Lauder in 2016 for a 14-piece limited-edition makeup collection called Victoria Beckham Estée Lauder.

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Mecca to open large concept store in New Zealand

Australian cosmetics retailer Mecca announced its plans to open a large store in Wellington, New Zealand.

Set to open later this year, the store will lease the bottom level of the Lambton Quay site.

It will encapsulate Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima stores, which already have a presence on the New Zealand market.

Details regarding the design, brand line-up and other features are yet to be revealed.

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Lilumia launched fully automated makeup brush cleaner

Lilumia launched ZOË, an automated brush cleaner designed to remove bacteria from make-up brushes.

ZOË’s patented technology is able to remove oil and makeup from 20 brushes in five minutes. It contains a specially designed multi-surface cleaning disc that removes particles from different sized brushes.

It also features a gentle and effective drying cycle fan, which is said to preserve and extend the life of the brush.

ZOË is available for pre-order in black, white and hologram versions through Indiegogo.com for $149.

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Mana launched Hush haircare products

Mana launched Hush Prism Airbrush Spray and Hush Fill Seeker Hair Plumping Fibers offering vibrant hair colouring options.

Available at Sephora, QVC and Sephora.com, the new products are priced between $24 and $34.

Hush’s Prism Airbrush Spray is a temporary colour spray that contains kaleidoscope pigments to deliver a prismatic saturated look. It is available in seven colours, and is claimed to be free from parabens, sulfates and phthalates.

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Beauty brand Kat Von D launched Pro membership for makeup artists

US makeup brand Kat Von D Beauty introduced a new membership scheme for professional make-up artists.

Known as Kat Von D Beauty Pro, members receive a membership card, early-access to new products and member discounts.

The brand will reward the first 5,000 people to sign up as Pro members with a box of complementary products, including Tattoo Liner and Lock-It Concealer Crème in White Out.