Not long ago, Rimmel Kind & Free Clean Mascara set a new standard for clean drugstore beauty. Affordable, plant-powered, and free from microplastics, it earned a dedicated following—until it was discontinued. Its disappearance hints at the pressures facing mass-market brands in a market increasingly focused on clean formulations, transparency, and social-media-driven visibility.
Now, CoverGirl itself—Coty’s flagship mass-market brand—is navigating this same digital-first landscape. Once a name synonymous with print campaigns and traditional celebrity endorsements, it must remain relevant to consumers scrolling feeds rather than flipping magazines. Legacy can endure, but relevance requires evolution.
Coty is reportedly exploring a sale or spinoff of its mass-market portfolio, which includes both CoverGirl and Rimmel, in order to focus on prestige fragrance and skincare. Coty was founded in France as a fragrance house, however with the growing awareness of phthalates as threats to human health as endocrine disrupters, and it is not yet clear how this reality factors into Coty’s strategy.
Coty is led by Sue Youcef Nabi, an Algerian transgender entrepreneur and founder of the vegan skincare brand Orveda. Nabi was reportedly raised in France and spent two decades at L’Oréal before joining Coty. Nabi’s extensive experience in the industry has coincided with a strategic shift that effectively narrows competition with her former employer, which highlights how leadership shapes Big Beauty’s landscape. Sue was named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list in 2023, and her total reported compensation of $1.5 million reflects the scale and influence of major players in the industry, even as she is expected to leave the company soon.
From Cleantopia to Treatotopia?
Coty’s pivot to fragrance is explained in a recent social media post by CEO Sue Nabi, discussing ‘treatonomics’, as well as the of smell-maxing trend amongst young men.
As we announce our FY25 and fourth quarter results, Coty CEO Sue Nabi reflects on what’s next in beauty and how Coty is well-positioned to lead in the era of “treatonomics.” pic.twitter.com/Sl2Lh0TMKn
— Coty Inc. (@COTYInc) August 21, 2025
As many will recall, CoverGirl actually leaned into “clean” messaging long before the modern conscious beauty movement became mainstream. Their marketing in the mid‑2010s emphasized products that were “dermatologist-tested,” “hypoallergenic,” or free from certain harsh ingredients, essentially highlighting gentler formulas to appeal to ingredient-conscious consumers.
It’s interesting because it shows how legacy mass-market brands were positioning themselves as “clean” in a pre-clean-beauty era, before terms like “plant-powered,” “microplastic-free,” or “sulfate-free” were regularly used in marketing . CoverGirl was using accessible messaging about safety and skin-friendliness, which resonates with today’s clean beauty audience, even if the ingredients weren’t strictly “natural” by modern definitions.
For clean beauty enthusiasts, the story of Rimmel Kind & Free and the current trajectory of CoverGirl highlights a broader tension. Even legacy brands must adapt to new consumer expectations while navigating corporate strategy.
