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.

In 2015, the UK’s market for men’s facial skincare products grew 1.3 percent to £104 million, compared with the 13 percent and 8 percent growth rates in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Data from Mintel showed men’s fashion for facial hair is adversely affecting sales, while a savvy shopping mentality also impacted sales of mass-market beauty and personal care products. As many as 42 percent of men admit they take advantage of discount offers when buying beauty and personal care products, the company said. Data also revealed older male consumers are reluctance to buy and use skincare products have hampered sales. Overall, 35 percent of UK men use lip balm, 33 percent use a facial cleanser, 29 percent use a facial exfoliator, and 26 percent use face wipes.

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.

With A.G. Lafley set to leave Procter & Gamble Co. for the second and final time, the consumer goods giant is set to expand and grow its business operations. On July 1, 2016, president and CEO David Taylor will assume the role as chairman of the company. During his first stint as leader of P&G in 2000 to 2009, Lafley more than doubled sales and expanded its lineup of billion-dollar brands from 10 to 23. Lafley was recalled to refresh his role as leader after the company's sales started declining by 2013, due to the Great Depression. Lafley's second stint, however, was not as smooth sailing as his first at the start. Despite the early headwinds, Lafley led a five-year $10-billion restructuring plan aimed at focusing on the company's core brands and cutting costs significantly. Among the brands disposed of by the company were Mars pet foods and Duracell batteries. In 2015, P&G sold 43 beauty brands to Coty for $12.5 billion.

Unilever CEO Paul Polman said the UK should stay in the European Union. During an interview with TV Channel 4, Polman said leaving the EU would harm the country's economy and put jobs at risk. Asked whether Unilever would relocate its headquarters if the UK left the EU, Polman said the company was dually listed; however, Unilever would seriously consider at its business structure. Also, Polman said leaving the EU could lead to higher food prices, citing ice cream as an example.

Euromonitor defines the “gig economy” – one of eight trends that together create the “New Consumerism” – as a work environment comprising short-term contracts, freelance and entrepreneurship. The gig economy is on the rise because it benefits employers and workers, delivering flexibility and efficiency. But the freedom it gives workers is offset by a lack of job and income security. In the emerging gig economy, businesses can save resources like office space and operation costs like benefits for permanent employees and training. They can also contract experts for specific projects rather than hire high-priced permanent staff. The downside is a less stable, less controllable workforce. Euromonitor says that could in turn undermine productivity and efficiency.

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.

Birchbox Inc. plans to expand its share of the $16-billion prestige beauty industry in the US by opening retail locations. According to Birchbox co-founder and CEO, Katia Beauchamp, the company will not abandon its subscription-box business model. Instead, by opening its retail operations, the company aims to become profitable. Since its launch in 2010, the company has seen plenty of rivals with copycat versions of its samples-in-a-box offering.

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.

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.

Origins introduced the Post Workout Paradise, a trio of skincare products designed for refreshing and taking care of the skin after working out at the gym. Available from Origins travel-retail stores, the collection consists of Refresh Cooling Moisturizer Hawaiian Mineral Water cream gel, Shower Off Exfoliating Body Wash, and Warm Down Warming Lava Scrub.

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.

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.

Old Spice launched a mobile website designed for runners who like mapping their running routes. Created by the brand and agency Wieden + Kennedy, the website was built to promote Old Spice’s Hardest Working Collection of bodywash and deodorants for men. Users may upload the resulting shape of their mapped running routes, with lucky runners receiving gifts that somehow resemble the shape of the submitted routes.

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.

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.

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.

Bulldog Skincare for Men launched the Bulldog Beard line of facial haircare products and Bulldog Shave line of shaving and foaming gels. According to the company, each product comes with skin-nourishing natural ingredients, including shea butter, borage oil, and green tea. Available now in Boots stores and online at boots.com and bulldogskincare.com, prices start from ₤3.50.

Henkel's Swiss haircare brand Syoss created publicity for itself by putting up a hair-washing facility that looked like a car wash in Zurich's main railway station. Participating consumers had to sit in a chair that was moving through a set of rails, with their washed, dried, and styled in different stages of the facility. Created by Jung von Matt's Limmatt office, the publicity activity ran for two days.

L’Oreal’s Dark and Lovely haircare and styling brand launched #LoveMyColor, a campaign aimed at empowering African-American women and promoting the company’s Fade Resist Rich Conditioning Color product. Seeking to give women a platform to embrace their beauty, the campaign also highlights women’s colorful personalities, which make them who they are, the company said. Also, the campaign features real-life “Hair Dyeries,” which calls on consumers to share personal testimonies about things that make them feel powerful, unique, and confident.

Gac, a fruit rich in the antioxidant lycopene and vitamin-A precursor beta-carotene, is a strong candidate to be the next popular natural ingredient in the beauty and personal care market, according to Mintel. Data from market research firms, including Technavio and Mintel, revealed a growing demand for products that include natural and organic ingredients from fruits and vegetables that help the skin look healthy. In Southern European markets, more than 80 percent of consumers believe that antioxidants from foods can reduce the effects of aging, and almost 25 percent prefer to buy body care products with antioxidants. Gac can satisfy consumer demand for antioxidants with anti-aging features, as well as Southern Europeans’ preference for antioxidants that can work inside and outside the body to maintain health.

Millennial consumers and young executives are driving growth in the cosmetics industry's adoption of sustainable packaging. Although significant progress has been made in developing environment-friendly packaging for beauty products, many factors, including lack of recycling facilities, non-oil-based materials, costs, and demand, are slowing down adoption. With millennials becoming stronger in corporate management, they are expected to push for more adoption of sustainable packaging, prompting major suppliers in the beauty sector to work harder to develop environment-friendly packaging and practices. This trend has been gaining strength in the past several years, with the cosmetics industry adding more post-consumer recycled materials into packaging. Neenah Packaging’s director of marketing Mark Sng said, millennials account for an increase in customer requests for ecology-friendly packaging.

Johnson & Johnson’s Listerine brand of mouthwash launched a campaign in several markets in Asia. Created in partnership with J. Walter Thompson, the campaign claims Listerine users are more adventurous than people who do not use the product. According to the company, the campaign’s message was based on the results of “The Study of Bold” consumer survey, which showed Listerine users “live bolder lives.”

In the United States, 32.2 percent of consumers said they are currently buying more private-label brands, according to the latest edition of “The Checkout” report by Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research. Among shoppers who buy private label, only 6.6 percent said they plan to return to name brands. Results of the study showed 74 percent of shoppers who bought a private-label product said it was better priced than name-brand products. Data also revealed that African-Americans expressed a stronger preference for name brands, being more likely to buy more name brands in the future, and avoid purchasing private label. According to the researchers, the report presents significant implications for brands and retailers: private label is here to stay; private-label brands are no longer just the “cheap” option, they now come with good-enough or comparable quality; African-Americans, as a target market, are a potential area for growth; “trust can be seen as a reflection of shared values with the brand and social currency;” and values are not rational.

Beauty retail chain Aritaum is opening 70 stores across the US and Canada. Aritaum will sell only brands owned by parent company, South Korea-based beauty brand Amore Pacific. Also, the retailer plans to launch an e-commerce site for the US market by the end of 2016. Brands to be carried by the retailer include Iope skincare products, Hanyul line of skincare products made from traditional Korean ingredients, and Laneige facial care products.

Johnson & Johnson plans to relaunch its baby care business, because millennial mothers are abandoning the company’s talcum powders and shampoos and are turning to more expensive organic products. In the first quarter of 2016, sales of the company’s baby care products in the United States fell 14 percent year on year to $95 million, a record low for Johnson & Johnson in a decade. Chief financial officer Dominic Caruso said the decline in sales was due to the emergence of new competitors, especially those that manufacture high-end, natural products. Caruso, however, said the company has “robust plans” for relaunching the business.

According to a panel of hair experts, there are at least eight marketing claims that shampoo makers cannot back up with scientific evidence. Shampoos claimed by their manufacturers as capable of making the hair healthier are unlikely to be able to do so, because the hair is dead. Reversing hair damage by using a shampoo is not possible, while shampoos claimed capable of thickening the hair does so by putting something on the surface. Also, the panel of experts discovered that some shampoo packaging comes with fine print indicating the claim depended on using more than one product from the same brand.

Burberry launched the Mr. Burberry men’s fragrance, which is inspired by the brand’s heritage trench. To support the product launch, the company released a capsule collection and a grooming line it will promote on social media platform Snapchat. Described as herbal and woody, the fragrance was designed by chief creative and CEO Christopher Bailey with perfumer Francis Kurkdjian.