Taylor Bryant
How Hello Klean Became Brita’s First Beauty Investment And What’s Next
Once considered a plumbing concern, water quality is increasingly being viewed as a beauty issue. An estimated 80% to 85% of Americans live with hard water, defined as water that contains high levels of dissolved...
California Naturals Raises Series B To Expand Distribution And Categories
California Naturals believes there’s space in the market for another big, better-for-you family-friendly brand spanning multiple categories, and new funding is giving it the ammunition to become one. Started in 2023 by Playa...
The War In Iran Is Straining Both Beauty Indies And Conglomerates
As beauty brands scramble to cope with 2025’s tariff increases, the conflict with Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have introduced a new layer of instability. Shipping delays are stretching timelines by months, freight and fuel...
How Haircare Became Prestige Beauty’s Hottest Category
Haircare has officially overtaken fragrance as the fastest-growing category in prestige beauty after years of fragrance’s momentum dominating the industry conversation. According to first quarter data from market research firm Circana, prestige haircare sales rose 10% versus...
How Squishmallows Fragrances Bottled A Billion-Dollar Toy Franchise
Joel Ronkin lived several beauty lives before arriving at what may be his most joy-filled venture yet, Blue Meadow Brands, an incubator he started last year where, as CEO, he oversees Squishmallows Fragrances. A lawyer by...
Henkel Backs Science-Driven Synthetic Hair Extensions Brand Ruka In $4.5M Round
Henkel is backing Ruka, the British textured hair brand known for its synthetic wigs, weaves and braiding hair, as part of a $4.5 million funding round to fuel fiber innovation, retail expansion in the United...
How Bask & Lather Used TikTok Shop To Power A 9-Figure Business
Bask & Lather has become one of TikTok Shop’s breakout beauty successes. The bootstrapped textured haircare brand ranked No. 8 on e-commerce intelligence platform Charm.io’s list of top beauty brands on the platform during the first...
