Clean Skincare, Made in France

French Pharmacy Staples: A Modern Icon and An Enduring Classic

And Why L’Oréal Revitalift Remains a Skincare Icon Few French skincare products have achieved the widespread recognition of L’Oréal’s Revitalift, a retinol-infused moisturizer celebrated for delivering visible results at an approachable price. Its red jar is instantly recognizable, backed by decades of research, billion-dollar marketing, and a presence in nearly every beauty aisle. Part of …

Trends

Monochromatic Makeup Is Undeniably Chic—But Not Always Lip-Friendly

When “multitasking” turns into “moisture theft.” Monochromatic makeup sticks—the idea of wearing one shade across eyes, cheeks, and lips—is undeniably chic and is very flattering. A single stick that unifies your look feels modern, effortless, and travel-friendly. But as anyone who’s swiped one over their lips knows, not all multitasking sticks are made equal. (Yes, …

Fragrance

The Perfume Capital of the World: Grasse’s Enduring Influence in an Era of Transparency

Grasse’s Enduring Influence in a New Era of Clean Beauty There’s been a noticeable shift in how we talk about fragrance, particularly in an era defined by health and longevity advancements. As explored in a recent feature, The Aroma Axis: Fragrance, Luxury, and the Rise of Asia, Asia’s growing role in the premium fragrance space …

Clean Skincare, Ingredient-Led Brief

What Exactly Is an Ampoule?

And why everyone’s talking about this French-K-beauty Crossover. In French, the word ampoule means a small glass vial, the kind an apothecary may have used to store a potent tincture. In medicine, it was once the purest and most sterile way to preserve a formula’s strength. In skincare, it’s been reborn as a precise, potent, …

China market, Fragrance

Will the Fragrance Industry Have to Come Clean?

As global fragrance giants like Coty, L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Symrise, and Givaudan ramp up efforts to capture the Chinese market, transparency about ingredients is becoming unavoidable. While proprietary formulas are a core part of the industry, the widespread use of phthalates and other synthetic chemicals—recognized endocrine disruptors—raises serious health questions. Consumers increasingly expect to know …

Beauty Culture, Commentary

Kardashian Kash: French Eyes on the Caricature of Celebrity

There’s been a wave of French content creators on YouTube and TikTok comparing themselves to Americans—how they apply makeup, dress, speak, and how they age. The tone is usually polished and lightly ironic, but there’s also an undercurrent of something sharper. This isn’t meant as a criticism, since few nations have contributed more to the …

China market, Fragrance

The Aroma Axis: Fragrance, Luxury, and the Rise of Asia

F amily-owned French company Gattefossé is in the news after opening its first full-scale production and manufacturing plant in North America, located in Lufkin, Texas. Gattefossé is considered one of the foundational names in the cosmetic industry. The company’s founder, René-Maurice Gattefossé, was a French chemist who coined the term aromatherapy in the early 20th …

China market, Fragrance, Made in France

Sustainable vs Clean: What’s the Difference

Fragrance is one of the most powerful segments in the cosmetics industry. With Coty Inc. making headlines for doubling down on its fragrance business—particularly in China, where the market is reportedly experiencing significant growth—the company’s strategy offers a glimpse into the industry’s next chapter. Coty CEO Sue Nabi has noted that the China International Import …

Biotech Beauty, Vegan Skincare

Vegan Beauty Innovations: Powered by Green Biotechnology

As mentioned previously, Coty, Inc. recently made headlines with reports it may sell off its consumer beauty division, including brands such as CoverGirl and Rimmel. But what is equally newsworthy, Coty’s CEO Sue Nabi, who joined Coty in 2020, brought her own high-end vegan skincare brand Orveda into the portfolio in 2021. Orveda is positioned …

Hyaluronic acid
Biotech Beauty, China market

How Chinese Biotech Powers the Global Hyaluronic Revolution

Bloomage Biotech is one of China’s biotech titans and a global leader in industrialized hyaluronic-acid (HA) production. Bloomage has pushed HA into luxury formulas and helped make China an indispensable supplier of high-performing HA to brands worldwide. At the same time, Western firms investing in local Chinese ingredient innovators (for example L’Oréal’s backing of the …

China market, Fragrance

Perfume & Pollution: Coty’s China Playbook at the Crossroads of Clean Beauty

When Coty’s CEO, Sue Y. Nabi, laid out the company’s vision three years ago, she sketched a bold transformation: mass-market brands like CoverGirl, Rimmel, and Max Factor would evolve toward “clean” and “skinified” makeup. Prestige fragrance would surge, and skincare brands designed for China’s pollution-sensitive consumers would become central. Today, many of those ambitions are …