Hailey Bieber’s make-up and skin care brand Rhode, beauty retailer Sephora and science-led hair care line K18 have been named among the world’s most innovative companies.
Make-up brands Merit and Hourglass also made business magazine Fast Company’s annual ranking.
Rhode was ranked 35 overall in the list of top 50 most innovative companies from across industries, for “expanding the glazed-doughnut aesthetic into a lustrous US$1bn business” that was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty last year.
In a separate list by Fast Company of the most innovative companies within the beauty industry, Sephora was praised “for giving influencers a shoppable store front” and K18 “for defending hair from heat, from the cortex-out”.
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The LVMH-owned retailer launched “shoppable storefronts” last year, where content creators can curate and monetise their Sephora recommendations.
My Sephora Storefront now has 2,000 active storefronts, according to Fast Company.
Minimalist make-up brand Merit was credited for “creating a two-way fashion and beauty collaboration” after partnering with fashion designer Brandon Maxwell for a limited edition lip blush that sold out.
Meanwhile, Hourglass’ efforts “drafting from the past to celebrate the company’s future” landed it a place in the list.
The Unilever-owned make-up brand celebrated its 20th anniversary with a month-long activation recreating iconic department store Barneys in New York City, US, where the brand was first launched.
The pop-up included fashion designers who also made their debuts at the retailer, as well as a limited edition make-up collection.
This added to the 50% growth in overall sales for Hourglass in 2024, Fast Company said, along with a 63% hike in new customer acquisition and 42% growth in Instagram followers.
P2 Science also made the list of the top ten most innovative beauty companies, for creating a petrochemical alternative that makes scents last longer.
Tilt Beauty also made the list for creating ergonomic packaging to make beauty products more accessible, along with Flamingo Estate, for creating a skin care line from regenerative-farm-sourced ingredients,
Dazzle Dry, which has created a nontoxic alternative to gel-polish manicures, and IlluminateAI’s shade-matching system completed the list.
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