AGP Executive Report

Beauty Retail & Launches: Westfield Montgomery is expanding its mix with new openings like L’Occitane’s refreshed location, plus Popmart, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Häagen-Dazs in August, and HEYTEA and Kami Ramen later this year—while MINISO and PacSun are also lined up. Hair Color Trend: L’Oréal Professionnel’s 2026 forecast spotlights Gold Rush Blonde, a modern, luminous blonde built around refined honeys, soft caramels and buttercream ribbons. Celebrity Beauty/Wellness Retail: Kylie Jenner stars in ALO’s new Pink Marshmallow campaign, spotlighting the Alosoft Intuition set in a soft pink shade. Skincare & Sun Safety: A viral “magic” UV sticker test is making waves as a practical way to judge when sunscreen may need reapplying during hot, high-UV days. Beauty Tech/Marketing: CTRL+ALT Digital expands its med-spa client roster with a Botox’d Beauty Company website redesign, reinforcing the push toward premium, education-first patient experiences. Beauty Culture: A new exhibition, “Animals in Our Lives, Animals in Our Art,” invites visitors to explore wildlife through contemporary artwork.

Beauty Industry Leadership: Caci (FAB Group) appoints skincare entrepreneur Simon Duffy as CEO, betting on his global brand-building track record to scale its clinic network and beauty distribution. Retail & Brand Expansion: Skinfix rolls out nationwide to Ulta doors with eight products plus a $39 Starter Kit, and more launches planned for December. K-Beauty Momentum: Dalba Global posts record Q2 results, with overseas sales driving growth and expanding offline presence; meanwhile, K-beauty continues to surge across Western retail. Event Spotlight: CO2Lift’s THE ROOM convenes beauty, wellness and culture leaders in NYC for a curated conversation on what’s next in beauty. Product/Tech in Beauty: GLO by CO2Lift debuts consumer carboxytherapy at Cosmoprof North America, bringing the science-led ritual to a wider audience. Beauty Culture & Standards: Sai Pallavi reiterates confidence over conventional beauty norms, pushing back on fairness pressure. Local Beauty Business: The Nail Garden is shortlisted for Beauty Salon of the Year 2026, with voting now open. Beauty Meets Business Automation: DenwaFlow launches a task-completing AI phone agent aimed at automating appointment and inquiry calls for beauty salons and other service businesses.

Hair & Beauty Recall: Henkel is voluntarily recalling certain Schwarzkopf Professional Osis Grip Extra Strong Mousse cans in 12 states due to a packaging defect that could leak and potentially explode under pressure. Sun Care Supply Chain: BASF is launching the UV filter Tinosorb S (bemotrizinol) in the U.S. after FDA approval, aiming to help sunscreen brands improve efficacy and photostability. Makeup Trend Watch: Early-2000s makeup is back, with pros pointing to diffused eyes, glowy skin, and frosted lips as the refined comeback formula. Beauty Culture & Community: A Ukrainian manicure trend is gaining buzz for its cuticle-focused, “waterless” approach. Industry/Business Lens: Unilever’s reported beauty and personal care volume growth may be boosted by one-offs like World Cup merchandising and Prime Day timing, according to Jefferies. Workplace Recognition: Sephora is mentioned among PEOPLE’s 2026 Companies That Care, while health plans IEHP and BayCare also earned top spots—highlighting broader lifestyle-company culture.

Retail Expansion: Space NK is opening its first Essex store at Lakeside Shopping Centre on Aug. 14, bringing premium skincare, makeup, fragrance, haircare and body care (Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, Drunk Elephant, Hourglass) plus launch gifts and rewards. K-Beauty Trade Push: JD.com is expanding direct purchases of Korean consumer goods for China, setting up a Korea sourcing unit and signing deals worth $1.5M with Korean firms after a Seoul briefing. Skincare Innovation: Real Skin Retinue launches its Modern Skin Concept™ with SAVEF SKIN™, positioning skincare around individual needs instead of trend-driven routines. Salon & Wellness Community: Lancaster School of Cosmetology & Therapeutic Bodywork highlights long-running community service via free student services and fundraising tied to beauty and wellness training. Beauty Deals: Afterpay Day 2026 kicks off Aug. 13–16 with major fashion and beauty markdowns, while e.l.f.’s Halo Glow Liquid Filter is spotted at £10 on Amazon. Beauty Industry Spotlight: Vitality Institute’s VI Peel marks 20M treatments worldwide, with VI Derm retail growth and a capital-light, profitable model.

Beauty Retail & Deals: Boots has kicked off its Christmas 2026 countdown with selected beauty advent calendars now up to half price online, including a NIVEA Women’s calendar cut from £60 to £30. Beauty Boxes: Give Me Cosmetics slashed its ninth-anniversary birthday box from £94 to £25, with nine items that work out at about £2.77 each, including a Green Tea & Vitamin E cleansing balm praised as “Elemis-like.” Makeup Buzz: Westman Atelier’s new Supreme Skin Bio-Complex Liquid Foundation is drawing attention for exosome-inspired “skincare benefits” in a foundation format. Celebrity Nails: Anne Hathaway’s “coconut jelly nails” are fueling the milky, glossy manicure trend as end-of-summer shades shift toward jelly finishes and glossy turquoise. Skincare Glow: A London facialist’s “not greasy, just right” radiance routine points to thin, fast-absorbing, hydrating products as the real secret. Hair & Brows Growth: Cécred is expanding its viral hair-growth lineup with Restoring Lash & Brow Builder, positioned as a daily serum for fuller-looking lashes and brows after 30 days. Beauty Culture & Community: David’s Clubhouse is partnering with W Social Club to bring Sensory Safe Certification training and sensory support tools to barber and styling services for families with sensory sensitivities.

Beauty Tech & Clinics: Galderma won EU approval for Restylane Shaype, a bone-mimicking hyaluronic acid injectable for temporary chin shaping, positioning it as a non-surgical alternative to implants. Glow & Wellness: Collagen Project in Miami Beach is pitching a skin-first, collagen-focused model built around treatments like Morpheus8, SkinPen, IPL and CO₂ laser resurfacing. Retail Beauty Access: Fenty Beauty opened a bigger Melbourne concept at Myer, adding a 10-minute “Island Glow” facial with a Pro Artist. Beauty Standards Talk: Lisa Ray opened up about the fear-driven pressure to look younger in film, tying it to “The Beauty Myth.” Hair & Makeup Trends: Clean-girl nails are getting a fresh push via Anne Hathaway’s sheer, glossy manicure look; meanwhile, burnt amber hair is trending after Hailey Bieber sightings. Product Buzz: Selena Gomez launched Rare Beginnings, a fruity floral that can be layered with Rare Beauty fragrance balms. Beauty Culture & Community: Aegean authorities exposed an Italian red coral trafficking ring, spotlighting the luxury supply chain behind beauty-adjacent jewelry. Beauty in Numbers: Circana reports prestige hair care is the fastest-growing category in the US, with e-commerce now the biggest channel for prestige skin care.

Beauty & Wellness Science: FDA approved the first new sunscreen ingredient in 20 years, a big potential upgrade for sun protection routines. Beauty Supplements & Safety: Creatine is going mainstream, but “dry scooping” is flagged as a social-media myth—experts say there’s a safer way to take it. Beauty Retail Deals: Dermstore’s Anniversary Sale runs through Aug. 13 with up to 25% off brands like Supergoop and Paula’s Choice, plus code CHEERS. Beauty Brands & Expansion: fillir says it’s won “Best Medical Spa” in every market it operates in, leaning on a physician-led model as it scales. Beauty Culture & Lifestyle: Heathrow and Avolta relaunch “Redefine Your Beauty” with immersive experiences and Dr Barbara Sturm. Beauty Shopping Spotlight: Mejuri’s Sale of the Summer is live with tiered discounts up to 25% through Aug. 16. Beauty-Adjacent Lifestyle: LELO’s survey finds strong interest in products blending sexual wellness and beauty, including at-home LED intimate devices.

Sephora Expansion in Israel: Sephora is set to open its first Israeli stores this month via franchisee Glam42, starting with three full stores plus “corners,” but with a limited lineup focused mainly on Sephora Collection and select LVMH brands. Skincare Retail Push: Dongkook Pharmaceutical says its Madeca skincare line has rolled into Costco, Ulta Beauty, and Nordstrom, expanding both online and in-store availability. Beauty Services Consolidation: Image Studios’ Gorgeous Collective is acquiring Clean Your Dirty Face, aiming to scale the 30-minute express facial concept to 200+ locations over five years. Beauty Product Spotlight: Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream keeps drawing celebrity attention, with Victoria Beckham among reported fans. Hair & Skin Education: Coverage also highlights hyperpigmentation basics and ingredient-led approaches, plus a refractive lens exchange explainer for vision correction.

Sephora’s Israel debut: Sephora will open its first stores on Aug. 20 with an initial focus on Sephora Collection via GLAM42, starting in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Jerusalem—major brands like Huda Beauty and Fenty Beauty won’t arrive at first as the rollout is treated like a pilot. Skincare spotlight: Cetaphil and SM Beauty/Watsons launch a “ceramides” push at SM Makati, positioning Ceramide Repair Lotion as barrier-first defense. Beauty cautionary tale: Britney Spears says botched Botox left her eyelid drooping for weeks, reigniting debate over injector choice and known ptosis risks. Hair & beauty trends: Short hair gets a fall “renaissance” moment, while mature-eye makeup gets a viral anti-gravity eyeliner technique. Product news: M&S promotes a £30 PRAI leg serum with a freebies bundle, and Italy’s Miamo skincare lands in the UK with a launch discount. Culture meets beauty: A Chinese illustrator, Cai Gao, wins the Hans Christian Andersen Award—celebrated for quiet, beauty-in-detail storytelling.

K-Beauty’s Manufacturing Boom: South Korea’s beauty rise is being powered by contract manufacturers that speed up product launches, echoing the “foundry” model used in semiconductors. Hair Color Trend Watch: Ribbon highlights are back in a more subtle, polished form—fine, softly woven streaks that add dimension without the high-maintenance vibe. Retail Shift in K-Beauty: Olive Young’s dominance is being challenged as discount-heavy warehouse-style shops expand, pushing deeper markdowns into the mainstream. Marketing Leadership: L’Oréal India appoints Rupal Singh Chauhan as Head of Marketing for Biolage, aiming to grow professional haircare access in India. Beauty Meets Culture: Mira Kapoor questions whether “Korean glass skin” is realistic in India’s climate, urging basics and consistency over perfection. Record-Setting Hair: Uttarakhand’s Renu Dhariyal breaks Guinness for longest hair on a living woman at nearly 9 feet, sharing a natural routine. Collectibles & Glam: Mattel unveils a Whitney Houston Barbie tied to her iconic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” look. Summer Skin Care: A monsoon guide for sensitive skin highlights gentler cleansing and barrier support to reduce flare-ups. Salon Spotlight: Boheme is shortlisted for Beauty Salon of the Year 2026, leaning into luxury-meets-accessibility.

AI Retail Shift: Walmart, Ulta Beauty and Wayfair are leaning into AI-driven shopping traffic, but they’re also pushing back on sharing customer data that fuels loyalty and sales. Beauty Deals & Discovery: Nordstrom’s last days for star perfume sets spotlight Le Labo, Tom Ford, Byredo and Maison Francis Kurkdjian, turning the sale into a fragrance “try-before-you-commit” moment. Salon-to-Home Beauty: Lash lifts and brow tinting get the spotlight for fast, natural-looking results—plus aftercare tips to keep the lift lasting. Mature-Skin Makeup Hack: The “damp sponge” foundation technique is making the rounds as a wrinkle-friendly way to keep base makeup skin-like (not cakey). Textured Hair Education: New York will require textured-hair instruction in cosmetology programs starting fall 2026, aiming to make curly/coily care standard, not optional. Refillable Personal Care: Argentina’s first refillable deodorant system launches as a circular alternative to single-use packaging.

K-Beauty’s Next Chapter: Korea’s beauty culture is shifting from sheet masks and BB creams to everyday clinic maintenance—laser, skin boosters and device talk are now as normal as booking a haircut. Ingredient Spotlight: Dermlab+ by Fresh is rolling out a Lumi Rejucare line built around rose vegan PDRN (plus Cica exosome), positioning plant-based PDRN as easier to absorb than salmon-derived versions. Fragrance Drop: Rare Beauty expands with Selena Gomez’s Rare Beginnings Eau de Parfum and two layering balms for a more personalized scent routine. Retail Buzz: Sephora UK opens the waitlist for a £1,000 Advent Calendar ahead of its first Belfast Christmas, promising 41 treats and exclusives. Haircare Trend Check: A trichologist breaks down how apple cider vinegar rinses can smooth and support scalp pH—plus how to use it safely. Beauty Awards: Nykaa’s Best in Beauty 2026 crowns winners across 60 categories based on millions of votes and jury picks. Nail Innovation: Japanese gel manicures are trending for long wear, easier removal, and gentler technique.

Nostalgia-Driven Body Care: PINK is bringing back its iconic early-2000s square-bottle body mists with three classic scents (Hot Crush, Pretty and Pure, Total Flirt), proving the Y2K glow is still a sellable mood. At-Home Skin Tech Review: Shark Beauty’s FacialPro Glow is pitched as an at-home “Hydrafacial”-style device that exfoliates, extracts, and depuffs fast—Cosmo editors put it through its paces. SPF Without the White Cast: TimeSavvy’s Hybrid Sheer Sun Serum SPF 50 gets a one-month test, with the focus on redness-prone skin and a lighter, serum-style finish. Makeup That Skips Mascara: Zendaya, Hailey Bieber, and Dua Lipa are leaning into “ghost lashes” looks—bare lashes, soft-focus glow, and minimal eye makeup. New Foundation Launch: Hung Vanngo’s Red Carpet Skin Luminous Foundation targets blurred, long-wear radiance with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and niacinamide. Beauty Safety Watch: Ocoopa recalled 1.5M rechargeable hand warmers after lithium-ion batteries overheated and ignited, with reports of fires and burn injuries. Beauty Retail Buzz: Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale still has Le Labo discovery sets discounted, keeping luxury scent deals in the spotlight.

Beauty Advent Buzz: Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Beauty Wonderland Advent Calendar is back for 2026, with a waitlist now open ahead of a Sept. 10 launch—15 makeup, skincare and accessory picks valued at $390 for $220. At-Home Skin Tech: Red light therapy continues to go mainstream as dermatologists tout at-home devices for smoothing wrinkles and targeting dark spots, with the glow trend fueled by quick, non-invasive routines. French Pharmacy Staple: Editors are still calling Embryolisse’s Lait-Crème the French pharmacy face cream to beat—an almost-80-years-old cult moisturizer loved for hydration and makeup prep. Nail Care Trend Watch: The “immaculate” dry pedicure (often called a Russian pedicure) is trending for a salon-fresh finish that lasts—though experts warn there are key booking and safety details to know. Mascara Mood Shift: “Ghost lashes” are making mascara optional this summer, with more people leaning into bare-lash looks and lash-enhancing alternatives. K-Beauty + Entertainment Commerce: Innisfree is leaning into entertainment-style marketing to sell its Green Tea Sunscreen Serum, showing how beauty brands are turning content into the new ad. New Launch at Mass Retail: Cocokind founder Priscilla Tsai and Ava Lee are bringing collagen-infused konjac jelly snacks, Mimitime, to the U.S. with an Aug. 16 Target rollout.

Beauty Retail Expansion: T&T Supermarket is opening its first Manitoba store at Winnipeg’s CF Polo Park, with an Asian beauty section (skincare, makeup, haircare, body care) plus hot-food and dessert counters—slated for spring 2028. Brand Growth & Strategy: e.l.f. Beauty turned a ~$50M tariff-refund windfall into reinvestment plans after Q1 revenue jumped 36%, lifting guidance as it pushes toward $2B sales. Beauty Science Claims: HelloBiome launched SLST, a new way to profile Cutibacterium acnes at an “academic gold standard” level to help brands substantiate acne and skin-longevity claims. Viral Beauty Culture: Blush tailoring is trending as a shade-matching method—mixing blush with a touch of foundation/concealer for a more natural pink. Beauty Meets Lifestyle: Aroma-Zone’s ingredient-led store model is spotlighted as a trust-first alternative to trend-chasing. Beauty Industry Leadership: L’Oréal named Rahquel Purcell as North America DE&I chief, reporting into L’Oréal USA leadership.

K-Beauty Manufacturing: Factosquare wrapped up Cosmoprof North America with North American brands lining up for low-MOQ, end-to-end OEM/ODM production in South Korea. Retail Beauty Access: BIG W is rolling out 88 new viral K-beauty skincare and makeup items in Australia, expanding its range to 126+ products. Beauty Tech & Personalization: Fayshell launched “The Skinvestment,” pairing 3D skin scanning and goal mapping with a tailored facial plus LED therapy for $199 (limited-time). Biotech Beauty Trend: South Korean biotech L&C Bio says it plans an injectable “Ozempic face” volume-restoring booster made from donated human fat, aiming to ride demand for cosmetic fixes tied to GLP-1s. Brand Expansion in India: Reliance Retail’s luxury arm brings Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS to India via physical and digital channels starting in Delhi and Mumbai. Beauty Industry Services: Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking beauty-skilled volunteers to help patients with haircuts and nail services. Haircare Spotlight: East Durham College partners with celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford to deliver industry-level training for students.