May’s top news stories

Perfect included AR beauty advisor service to YouCam Makeup app

Cosmetics technology company Perfect updated its YouCam Makeup app with an augmented reality (AR) beauty advisor in the US.

To provide this interactive service, the company recruited a team of professionals with extensive retail beauty experience.

Leveraging the brand’s innovative technology, the new service allows customers to have personalised video consultations with beauty experts around the country.

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Unilever brand Love Beauty and Planet joined Recycling Partnership in US

Unilever brand Love Beauty and Planet joined the Recycling Partnership to help develop a recycling system in Falls Church, Virginia, US.

The beauty brand also aimed to reduce its own carbon footprint by 20% by 2020 and will be contributing $40 to the Recycling Partnership for every carbon ton of greenhouse gas that is emitted during the production and distribution of its products.

In addition, the company will be donating its profits from holiday gift sets sold this year to the Recycling Partnership.

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DEFRA plans to ban wet wipes in UK

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is reportedly planning to enforce a ban on the use of wet wipes as part of efforts to reduce plastic waste in the country.

Wet wipes contain non-biodegradable plastics such as polyester and polypropylene, which is hazardous to the environment.

The ban is part of DEFRA’s 25-year environment plan.

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Ideavillage to launch new hair removal tool

Ideavillage Products announced it is releasing new hair removal device Finishing Touch Flawless Legs.

The new tool is the latest addition to the company’s hair removal line Finishing Touch.

The precise device is easy-to-use and is said to protect the user from the hassle and pain associated with waxing or shaving.

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UK’s Designer Parfums acquired fragrance licence for Playboy brand

UK-based Designer Parfums acquired a fragrance licence for the Playboy brand to strengthen its portfolio of fragrances.

Playboy was established in 1953. The brand appears on a range of consumer products in more than 180 countries, selling more than $1.5bn worth of goods each year.

Designer Parfums chairman and CEO Dilesh Mehta said: “We are pleased to be adding Playboy to the Designer Parfums collection of brands. Playboy is an iconic American lifestyle brand with a rich and storied legacy.”

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Scentbird secured $18.6m series A funding

Subscription-based fragrance company Scentbird secured $18.6m of series A funding from direct-to-consumer technology firm Goodwater Capital.

The investment will be used to speed-up new product development, improve the consumer experience and hire new staff for market expansion.

The investment round was led by Goodwater Capital with support from other businesses, including Y Combinator, Rainfall Ventures, FundersClub, Soma Capital, Scrum Ventures and ERA.

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MEPs called for worldwide ban on cosmetics testing on animals

Members of the European Parliament (MEP) called for a worldwide ban on the testing of cosmetic products on animals by 2023.

The parliament is also seeking to ban the marketing and sale of cosmetic ingredients that have been tested on animals and has urged EU leaders to use their diplomatic networks to form a coalition introducing an international convention within the UN framework.

The EU first enacted a ban on the sale of all animal-tested cosmetics in 2013. This ban is said to have had no effect on the growth of the cosmetics industry, which is claimed to have witnessed a smooth functioning over the past few years.

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Kimberly-Clark to invest $30m in nonwovens production plant

Multinational personal care company Kimberly-Clark is set to expand its nonwovens manufacturing facility in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

With a $30m investment, the expansion is designed to increase the production capacity and efficiency of the facility, which produces nonwoven materials for the company’s North American adult and feminine care brands Depend, Poise and U by Kotex.

Kimberly-Clark’s Berkeley Mill plant manager Ernest Humphries said: “The Berkeley Mill team is proud about the role we will play in supporting the future growth of Kimberly-Clark’s adult and feminine care business in North America.

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L’Oréal Paris named new global spokesperson

French cosmetics company L’Oréal Paris selected Hollywood actress Amber Heard as its new global spokesperson.

Heard is known for her roles in various romantic comedies and thrillers, including Friday Night Lights, Justice League and Aquaman.

L’Oréal Paris’ global president Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou said: “One of a new generation of actresses rewriting the script when it comes to having a voice in the world, the energy Amber Heard brings to her philanthropy, to her advocacy and to her performances make her a powerful ambassador for L’Oréal Paris as we take Because I’m Worth It beauty into 2018.”

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Shiseido joined SPICE for sustainable cosmetics packaging

Japanese personal care company Shiseido joined the Sustainable Packaging Initiative for Cosmetics (SPICE) to establish a new framework for eco-friendly packages and containers.

SPICE is co-founded by L’Oréal and environmental sustainability consulting firm Quantis to guide sustainable packaging policies and drive packaging launches accordingly to understand the environmental performance of products.

As part of the initiative, Shiseido will contribute to the evaluation process of eco-friendly technologies offered by Japanese cosmetic companies and work to improve the sustainability of the industry.

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Boardroom Salon for Men opened new store in Dallas, Texas

Boardroom Salon for Men opened its 30th salon in Dallas, Texas.

The company plans to open additional salons in more than 14 locations by the end of next year, followed by a further 63 in the next four years. These new stores will increase the firm’s count to 92 across the country.

The locations that are scheduled to open salons this year include the Clear Fork area of Fort Worth in June, the Kingwood area of Houston in August, the Peachtree Corners area of Atlanta in September, and Tulsa in Oklahoma in November.