E.l.f. Buys Rhode. Sephora’s Retail Power Play + the New Formula for Beauty Growth.

INSIDE THE POWER MOVES SHAPING BEAUTY'S NEXT GROWTH ERA

Hey there Beauty Insider,

You didn’t hear it from me but…

If June proved anything, it’s this: beauty isn’t just moving fast, it’s completely rewriting the growth playbook.

From billion-dollar acquisitions to the seismic rise of retail media, the smartest list in beauty is your curated filter for what actually matters (and what to do about it).

Let’s dive in.

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🚨 Headlines You Need to Know

E.l.f. Acquires Rhode for $1B

Yes, you read that right. E.l.f. just bought Rhode. This isn’t just an influencer success story, it’s proof that the creator-to-enterprise pipeline is real.

A DTC-first, creator-led brand going from Instagram launch to billion-dollar valuation in under three years is a loud signal for the future of beauty M&A.

💡 If you’re not writing like a founder-led brand, even if you’re not one, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity for growth.

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Sephora Doubles Down on Retail Media

Sephora’s retail media network is expanding fast, joining Ulta and Boots in turning their owned platforms into ad empires.

This isn’t a side hustle, retail media is expected to be a multi-billion dollar profit centre for beauty retailers.

💡 If paid media inside retail ecosystems isn’t in your strategy — you don’t have a strategy.

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Unilever Buys Wild for £230M

The DTC hygiene boom isn’t over. Unilever snapping up Wild, a plastic-free deodorant brand, proves that functional sustainability is more than a marketing slogan.

💡 Eco still sells BUT only when it’s paired with good design, retail-readiness and real community traction.

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💡 Emerging Trends to Watch

The Creator-to-Retail Pipeline is the New Blueprint

Rhode. Summer Fridays. Half Magic. The creator-to-brand-to-retail pathway isn’t a trend, it’s the dominant growth model.

Whether or not your brand was founded by an influencer, you have to act like one in 2025: community-first, visually literate, and algorithm-fluent.