Cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty is growing its business by focusing on consumers who prefer to shop in-store instead of buying online. What makes the company different from other retailers in the beauty segment is its focus on offering a wide collection of mass brands and prestige brands. Also, the retailer has convinced prestige beauty brands to sell their products in Ulta stores by showing them the concept of “mass migration.” With the beauty segment not affected by issues hampering the apparel market, such as sizes, weather, and price sensitivity, the market is expected to keep growing.

Coty's Sally Hansen Miracle Gel has made it to the winners' list of the 2016 Breakthrough Innovation Awards. Published by Nielsen, the awards recognize products launched in 2014 and have recorded sales of more than $50 million in their first year, growing more than 90 percent in the next year. After Coty acquired Sally Hansen in 2008, the company started developing the Miracle Gel, a two-step at-home gel nail coloring product that does not need UV light to cure.

Beauty brand Lush co-founder Mark Constantine said his company would manufacture in Europe products that it sells to European markets outside of the UK. Constantine said the UK’s vote to depart the European Union means Poole, where the company’s main factories are located, and the country do not want and do not welcome non-UK employees currently working there. About a third of Lush’s 1,400 employees in Poole are not UK citizens, but they spend around £4.6 million on food, leisure, and housing, and contribute approximately £700,000 in council tax.

Shiseido launched the Rouge Rouge Kiss Me digital marketing campaign to promote its new 16-color Rouge Rouge line of lipsticks. According to Shiseido global creative director Ruba Abu-Nimah, the campaign urges two people to kiss their smartphone screens at the same time in order to create a virtual kiss. Created by Tokyo-based TeamLab, the campaign lets anybody who wants to virtually kiss someone to access the website rougerougekissme-shiseido.com and create a personalized link they can send to that person they want to kiss. There are similarities with the campaign created by Burberry Kisses and Google that also lets people send virtual kisses; however, Shiseido’s campaign takes the concept of “virtual kiss” a step further. Kiss Me goes live in Japanese, Chinese, English, and French versions.

A U.S. study in mice suggests the possibility that exposure to a common chemical family used to make cosmetics and personal care products significantly reduces the urge to exercise. The findings may help to explain why people who know they should be physically active nevertheless avoid exercising. The researchers looked at the impact of a class of chemicals called phthalates that are found in many everyday products, including food containers, shampoos and perfumes. For the study, some mice fetuses were exposed to benzyl butyl phthalate (BPP) and monitored as pups and beyond. By young adulthood, the exposed animals were not moving much. In fact, the male mice that had been exposed to BPP in utero ran about 20 percent less during adulthood.

Beauty brand Mary Kay was ranked number 11 in the 2016 edition of “Happi” magazine's The Top 50 Household and Personal Products Companies list. Although the company reported flat sales in 2015, the company received more than 130 patents. This enabled the company to reach more than 1,200 patents for products, technologies, and packaging designs. Among the more significant patents the company received during the year were those for Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum, Mary Kay TimeWise Body Targeted-Action Toning Lotion, and Repair Volu-Firm Eye Renewal Cream.

TRG Duty Free opened new Aveda, Jo Malone London, and MAC Cosmetics stores at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport's international terminal D. In 2015, DFW Airport's board of directors appointed TRG Duty Free, a joint venture between Duty Free Air Ship and Supply and Texas retailer CBI Retail Ventures, to design, build, and operate modern duty-free shops in the terminal starting in 2017. Estee Lauder Companies owns the Aveda, Jo Malone London, and MAC Cosmetics prestige beauty brands.

YSL Beauty launched a marketing campaign to promote its new Mon Paris women’s scent. Highlighting the French capital as a city for lovers, the campaign invites consumers to fall in love. As part of the campaign, the company created a 360-degree video highlighting a race through the city. Developed by master perfumers Olivier Cresp, Dora Baghriche, and Harry Fremont, Mon Paris is their interpretation of a traditional chypre, with the note structure turned upside down. According to the brand, the scent has a first impression of accords of bergamot, raspberry, and strawberry, with a note of pear. Photographer Billy Kidd shot pictures of the couple appearing on the advertising video for the campaign’s print edition.

Walmart execs recently met with 800 suppliers to hear pitches on potential Walmart.com products that are made exclusively in the U.S. The company said a third of the companies at the U.S. Manufacturing Summit were minority- or women-owned. A Walmart merchandising executive promised that all of the products – except those that can’t be shipped because they contain hazardous materials – would be automatically approved for sale on Walmart.com. The Summit is part of the company’s initiative, launched in 2013, to spend $250 billion on American-made goods for its stores, Sam’s Club, and website.

Consumer interest in natural formulations could help revive the facial skincare and anti-aging market in the US, which saw sales decline in 2015 after years of slow but steady growth, according to Mintel. Data from the market research firm’s report, Global Beauty and Personal Care Trend Gastronomia, revealed 14 percent of consumers agree that pollution affects the appearance of their skin. This leads to consumer interest in products that have milder, more natural formulations and shield them against pollution. Also, consumers agree that lifestyle plays an important role in their skin’s appearance, with 44 percent saying hydration and 36 percent saying diet affect the skin.

Estee Lauder Cos. Inc.'s Bobbi Brown brand is opening its first West Coast retail store and second US store in Beverly Hills. Featuring almost 700 square feet of retail space, the store gives the brand exposure on a major route in Los Angeles. Selling all of Bobbi Brown's product lines, as well as its signature line of sunglasses, the store lets customers view new products and features a section, which allows shoppers to try products. Also, the store offers 18 how-to tutorials designed to help customers pick products and services.

Technology firm ModiFace launched a beauty advisor bot for Facebook Messenger. Offering a hint of what the future of beauty shopping looks like, the bot is programmed to help shoppers choose lipsticks by brand, color, or shade name from a lineup of 20,000 products. Designed to direct customers to where they can buy their favorite lipstick, the beauty advisor bot answers most questions related to lipstick options. ModiFace sees lipsticks as a test platform for the bot technology and sees more complex applications for the technology in the future.

Lush Cosmetics does not advertise on traditional media but instead relies on word-of-mouth marketing. In order to grow into a large beauty retail company, Lush Cosmetics has implemented a content strategy using non-traditional methods using brand values and identity, reinforced by the company's dedication to its ethical principles, such as minimal packaging and protests against animal testing. Also, the company is known for its unique and interesting copywriting, using flowery and humorous language to describe its products.

Procter & Gamble's Head & Shoulders haircare brand named singer Dara, a member of the South Korean girl group 2NE1, as brand ambassador in the region. As part of a campaign for the brand, Dara will visit Bangkok to promote the shampoo brand on June 24, 2016. Dara is famous for her unique hairstyles; however, she appears with a beautiful silky hair in her advertisement for the brand.

Beiersdorf said 18 percent of its sales in 2015 came from products with significantly reduced impact on the environment. Data from the company's Sustainability Review 2015 showed Beiersdorf aims to continue offering high-quality, safe, and reliable products made from materials from environment-friendly sources. Based on the company's sustainability targets for 2020, Beiersdorf seeks to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 30 percent.

Beauty retailer Sephora has started allowing its Snapchat followers to buy products it features in live stories. By taking a screenshot and downloading the ShopStyle application, consumers can buy beauty products they like. With Snapchat not allowing marketers to include clickable shopping links in photos they upload, beauty marketers are creating ways to make money using the image-sharing website. PopSugar’s ShopStyle app is designed to help marketers monetize their Snapchat stories.

L'Oreal Paris partnered with agency Rare Breed to create a pop-up styling station at Westfield London. Part of the brand's “Who do you want to be today?” campaign, the salon offered free styling sessions using Studio Pro products from April 4 to 10, 2016. Participants were invited to have their post-do photos taken in a branded photo booth and share them on social media. According to the brand, about 1,000 consumers availed of the free services, boosting sales at the Boots store in Westfield by 300 percent in the process.

Bath & Body Works vice president of brand development, Soyoung Kang, said the personal care company is seeing a renewed consumer interest in classic olfactive ingredients. Kang said customers love fragrance notes that feel nostalgic but come in modernized forms and structure in the overall fragrance. According to the executive, customer favorites include Fine Fragrance Mist, which allows fragrance to be worn in a lighter way all day.

Whole Foods Market has opened its first 365 retail store in Los Angeles. Combining affordability with the retailer's offerings of organic foods and natural personal care products, the 365 retail concept is designed to help the company attract millennial shoppers. In addition to private-label products, 365 also offers relatively affordable natural beauty brands, including Burt's Bees, Everyone by EO, and Alba Botanica.

Schwarzkopf Professional expanded its BLONDME line of hair coloring products by launching INSTANT BLUSHES in June 2016. Developed to provide salons and clients with expanded range of ways of coloring hair, INSTANT BLUSHES let blonde-haired customers have color highlights. Designed to stay in for up to three washes, the spray-on INSTANT BLUSHES come in four tones: Strawberry, Ice, Steel blue, and Jade.

Estee Lauder launched the Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Balm and Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam nighttime skincare products. Part of the Advanced Night Repair range, the products are available at Estee Lauder Travel Retail locations worldwide. Cleansing skin at night is important because makeup, impurities, and pollution that clings to the skin during the day need to be removed, according to Estee Lauder Companies VP for Skin Biology and BioActives Research & Development, Nadine Pernodet. According to Pernodet, the products work by ensuring the skin is thoroughly cleansed and that the skin can receive the most benefits of the skincare regimen that follows.

Clinique launched the Take The Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes for Face & Eyes to Clinique travel retail stores worldwide. Available in a portable packet, the wipes come with cleanser the company claims can remove dirt, waterproof mascara, and long-wearing makeup. Micelles are spheres formed by molecules which have a side that is attracted to water and another attracted to oil, the company said.

Cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty said total sales increased 23.7 percent to $1.073 billion in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, compared with the same quarter of the previous year. Comparable sales jumped 15.2 percent, driven by 11.0 percent growth in customer traffic and 4.2 percent in average price. Salon sales grew 14.7 percent to $58.9 million, compared with $51.3 million in the first quarter of FY 2015. E-commerce sales grew 38.8 percent to $61.0 million, accounting for 130 basis points of the total comparable sales increase of 15.2 percent during the period.

Procter & Gamble’s My Black is Beautiful community-building initiative partnered with celebrity natural hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood to launch the #hairtruth social media campaign. Uniting the company’s haircare brands, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, and Aussie, the campaign aims to promote the idea that “healthy hair is the truth.” Also, the campaign includes a series of online how-to videos that offer tips on hair maintenance and styling for African-American women.

Walgreens plans to launch its improved beauty business at 2,000 of its retail locations across the US. According to Walgreens group VP for beauty and personal care Lauren Brindley, the company will leverage its pharmacy heritage to position its more than 26,000 beauty advisers as credible source for nonbiased beauty advice. Also, the company wants to expand the range of beauty products its stores are selling, based from Walgreens Boots Alliance’s experience in the UK.

Artisan from John Varvatos is the number 1 cologne for men, according to the list of the 15 best smelling colognes for men in 2016 from The TrendSpotter website. Also on the list are 1 Million from Paco Rabanne at number 2; Bleu de Chanel at number 3; Armani Code from Giorgio Armani on the fourth spot; and Polo Red Intense from Ralph Lauren at number 5. Other men's colones on the list are Essenza from Acqua de Parma at number 6; Sauvage from Dior at number 7; and at number 8, La Nuit de l'Homme by Yves Saint Laurent.

Estee Lauder Cos. Inc. named Patrice Beliard as senior vice president and general manager of global market development of the company’s Aramis and Designer Fragrances Division. Previously president of Beaute Prestige International USA at Shiseido, Beliard will manage the global development of the division’s eight designer fragrance brands. She will report to Daniel Annese, global brand president.

Beauty brand Lush is selling solid products, such as shampoo bars, soap, and Bath Bombs, that do not need as much packaging as conventional personal care products. When a product needs packaging for protection, Lush uses packaging made from recycled materials. One of its recycling programs, Black Pot, has helped collect more than 300,000 black pots, which were later recycled into new black pots. Lush's ethical buying manager Heather Deeth said creating packaging-free products is a main part of the company's business philosophy, with the company's emphasis on focusing on product quality instead of packaging. Lush uses 100-percent recycled content material for plastic, paper, or cardboard packaging, Deeth said.

Tigi Tienda Productos Peluqueria expanded its lineup of Tigi haircare products to include those designed for men, tweens, and those with special hair types. Serving consumers in Spain, the online store now offers Bed Head for Men, Urban Antidotes, S Factor, and Tweens. According to the company, the expansion of the product range will allow consumers to buy the Tigi haircare products at best prices available.

Estee Lauder launched the Nutritious Vitality8 Collection, a line of skincare products designed for the Asia market. Joining the decade-old Nutritious range, the Vitality8 products come with Pomegranate8 Complex as their key ingredient. According to the company, the product line comes with enhanced anti-oxidant benefits from pomegranate, which have been intensified by combining them with nutrient-dense pomegranate, mangosteen, super berry ferment, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Designed to detox the skin, the products — Radiant Energy Lotion Fresh Moist and Intense Moist, Radiant Energy Mist, and Pomegranate Glossy Lip Balm — add moisture, energy, and nutrients the company says will restore a natural look of healthy radiance.