Beauty News to Know #11: Milks, Marriage, and Majorca Brand Trips
Ulta's having quite the month. Plus, more billion-dollar deals and some personal updates.
Long time no talk! Welcome back to a slightly more polished version of Glossed Over. It’s so great to have you here.
I am now a married woman, which feels nearly the same as being an engaged woman. The biggest difference is that Brandon has taken to tapping his ring on different surfaces to see what sound it makes—beer bottles are a huge hit with their sharp clinks, beer cans not so much. Ah, the joys of married life!
The wedding was a dream. In retrospect, I’m not sure what I was so worried about. I got to marry the love of my life, everyone showered me with compliments, and no one was allowed to tell me to shut up. This is mostly a joke; there was plenty to be worried about, of course, but as someone who wasn’t sure she could handle having a wedding, I was pleasantly surprised by how calm and centered I felt. It made the day so easy to enjoy. I like to think that’s a testament to the peace Brandon brings to my life. And, of course, years of therapy.
In the coming weeks, I plan to share all the beauty wedding details with my paid subscribers. If I can hack it, I’m hoping to alternate them with these bi-weekly round ups. I’ll be breaking down my day-of look and everything I did to prep for the big day, but I also want to talk about the uncomfortable stuff—the pressure to lose weight ahead of the big day, coming to terms with the physical parts of myself I just don’t like, the massive whiplash back to normal life I’m experiencing.
Despite my better judgement (and whatever my mother says upon reading this), I plan to dissect my own vanity and neuroses in the name of good journalism—and because I really do believe no experience is wholly unique. It should go without saying this will all live behind the paywall. If I’m going to bare my soul to you, I might as well sell it too.
Post-nuptials, I took some time to refine the Glossed Over experience. The nuts and bolts are the same, I just made some tweaks and mapped out a more concrete plan for future growth. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want this space to be. Namely, how much of myself do I share here? I’m still wrestling with it, but this is my Substack; there’s something that feels inherently intimate about that. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it all—good and bad! Go ahead!
On another note, I’m strongly considering changing my byline to Dani Hardman. Now, I'd guess your first thought is that marriage can be a tough thing to bet on, statistically speaking at the very least, and while I like to think we'll beat the odds, I do have a few compelling reasons for this:
I've never loved my byline—I heavily considered using a pen name but couldn’t settle on one before getting published; this feels like my chance. Hardman doesn't have much wow factor, but it’s better than Cohen.
I can finally separate myself from my nemesis, the other Danielle Cohen who writes at The Cut. There’s also a new Danielle Cohen working on a start-up app in the beauty space, who could pose problems later on.
Virtually everyone I know calls me Dani, but I felt like Danielle was the more professional option when I started writing. The problem is I almost always call myself Dani in person. It's created a ton of confusion within the industry—no one really knows what to call me.
I kind of love the idea of a new "era" of myself and my work. I should be able to change most of my old bylines, but even if not, it's not terribly hard to explain the discrepancy.
I’d really appreciate any input people have here, writers and non-writers alike! Should I just do it? Does it even matter?
Last thing, which isn’t so relevant as it is good for all of you: ILIA has very kindly offered us a promo code. Code ILIAxDanielleCohen will get you 20% off any purchase (no minimum spend requirement!) from Iliabeauty.com now through August 1. One use per customer. I’m a fan of the Limitless Lash Mascara, Base Face Milk, In Frame Brow Gel, and the surprisingly hefty brushes. Plus, the Eye Stylus Shadow Sticks are perfect for one-and-done summer looks, and I already have the forthcoming Soft Focus Blurring Blushes en route (more on those below). Not an ad, just passionate about saving people money.
And now, onto the news.
Ulta Beauty acquires Space NK (BoF): Ulta has acquired British beauty retailer Space NK. While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, previous reports suggest Space NK, which specializes in high-end beauty products, is valued at more than $300 million (does that mean $350 million? $400 million? Unclear). Ulta has highlighted international expansion as a key growth opportunity, and the deal gives the retailer a clear and strong entry point into the UK market. Space NK currently has 83 storefronts open, many of them in smaller market towns and exclusive enclaves. Per the deal structure, Space NK will function as a subsidiary of Ulta, operating stores independently.
Like I mentioned, this deal is really rooted in Ulta’s goal of global expansion. We used to have a Space NK in my hometown—it always felt highly curated and elevated with an almost spa-like atmosphere; similar to a Bluemercury, if you’re familiar. That storefront is now long gone, as well as the rest of its U.S. locations, which were sold off in 2024. What interests me here is the curatorial differences between the two retailers. Space NK focuses on premium, luxury beauty products, whereas Ulta has a little bit of everything, but maintains a more approachable, Target-adjacent feel. While this might feel like a bit of an odd couple, I think it’s a smart move so long as the two brands are kept separate, which appears to be the intention right now. After all, no one’s going to Space NK for a restock on Maybelline mascara.
Rhode is hosting a Majorca brand trip and beach club takeover in honor of new launches (WWD): While some beauty brands put marketing dollars toward human-sized claw machines and dry cleaning-themed pop-ups (creative, but weird), Rhode is putting that million-dollar acquisition to work with a European beach club takeover—complete with gray-and-yellow sun loungers, branded towels and inflatables, what appear to be lemontini slushie machines, and custom jet skis. The Rhode beach club is at the Gran Follies in Majorca, Spain, now through July 23 in celebration of three shade expansions; a limited-edition Peptide Lip Tint in Lemontini (a shimmery, sheer gold) as well as two new Pocket Blush shades designed to pair with it—a pinky tan aptly named Tan Line and the spiced-orange Sun Soak. There was also a brand trip with select European tastemakers including Dutch model Romee Strijd and British Vogue’s Global Beauty and Wellness Director Jessica Diner.
Well, this is certainly a way to celebrate three half-baked launches. I say half-baked because these aren’t even new products, they’re simply shade expansions of pre-existing products. Of course, that doesn’t stop Rhode from going all out. And why not? The brand clearly has the money for it, and it rarely misses the mark. To be fair, the Lemontini Lip Tint will feature a new (and hopefully improved) formula, which should resolve the graininess that developed in some of the other Lip Treats and Tints over time. So that’s new! I’d be willing to bet this has something to do with Rhode’s imminent Sephora arrival. Rhode can pretty much do no wrong right now, and I’ll admit the bougie beach club is very cool. Plus, the two new blush shades are right up my alley. I can’t be too critical; I already called in all three new products.
L’Oréal acquires Color Wow for an estimated $1 billion (Beauty Independent): In yet-another sign that the beauty dealscape seems to be heating back up, L’Oréal announced its acquisition of Color Wow, a hair care brand perhaps best known for its hero product, Dream Coat Supernatural Spray. This comes on the heels of L’Oréal’s Medik8 acquisition just last month. While neither deals’ financial terms were publicized, both are estimated to be around $1 billion.
This is the fourth billion-dollar (ish) beauty brand deal announced in the last three months—the others being Rhode, Dr. Squatch, and Medik8—but it doesn’t make the feat any less impressive. Especially for a hair care brand. To be clear, these sort of 10-digit valuations and sales are still rare and require near-herculean business feats. So while I wouldn’t expect too many more billion-dollar deals in the near future, I would keep an eye out for more big beauty buyouts. We might be a year late, but it seems the 2024 speculation about a boom in industry acquisitions is finally coming to fruition.
Ulta Beauty continues to nab up buzzy beauty brands, with JVN Hair, Versed, and The Inkey List entering the retailer this month (Glossy, Glossy, WWD): In more Ulta news, the retailer is welcoming three more major beauty brands, with JVN Hair, Versed, and The Inkey List hitting select stores and online this July. This is most impressive for JVN, which sold to private equity in December 2023 following parent company Amyris filing for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Versed’s entrance into Ulta comes on the heels of a successful rebrand and color-cosmetics introduction. Apart from its DTC site, Target had been its sole retailer for the duration of the brand’s six-year existence. The Inkey List’s deal feels fairly standard and expected; the Ulta consumer falls in similar demographics to its existing shopper. All this to say, it’s been a very big month for Ulta Beauty.
Ulta’s recently refreshed C-suite is making some serious moves, all in an attempt to increase its competitive advantage against rivals Sephora and Amazon. While it’s a good move, The Inkey List’s expansion into Ulta feels obvious and less exciting than the other two. Given the widespread consumer boycotts that followed Target’s announcement to pull back on DEI initiatives, the Versed deal is pretty major. It’s a great look for the brand, especially following its successful makeup launches. Along with the Ulta launch, Versed recently made its largest investment in influencer marketing to date, partnering with 14 creators as well as an IRL masterclass with makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell. An Ulta entrance is great news for JVN Hair following a very rocky couple of years. Against all odds, the Jonathan Van Ness-backed beauty brand is reportedly doing quite well—though I do feel it’s lost a lot of steam and social awareness. This new deal allows the brand to expand its retail presence across the country, particularly in rural areas and around the Midwest.
ILIA Soft Focus Blurring Blush ($36)
About the Launch: Launching July 15 on ILIAbeauty.com, Sephora.com, and Ulta.com, this cream-to-powder baked blush leaves behind a luminous, blurred finish, inspired by the soft-focus effect of a camera lens. The formula features the brand’s proprietary soft focus complex, “an optimized ratio of blurring and illuminating powders,” as well as edelweiss extract to smooth and lift, winged kelp extract to hydrate, and squalane to boost elasticity. The blush has a 12-hour wear time, according to both consumer perception and instrumental clinical studies (here’s a refresher on the difference).
Initial Thoughts: We’ve been seeing an influx of talc-free, blurring powder blushes and setting powders over the last year, likely spurred by reports of a potential EU talc ban. Earlier this year, Rare Beauty, Tower28, and Saie all launched their own powder blushes in close succession. This new ILIA product is following suit, albeit a bit later and during a less-crowded launch period. I like these shades; they’re well suited to my complexion, though I question whether they’ll be pigmented enough for deeper skin tones. It’s not a particularly novel or ground-breaking launch, but no one’s ever been upset about a nice new blush.
Tatcha Dewy Milk Moisturizer ($64)
About the Launch: Available now on Tatcha.com, Sephora.com, and Ulta.com, this lightweight “liquid-luxe” moisturizer is the latest addition to Tatcha’s Dewy collection. The milky moisturizer features prebiotic green tea extract to support the microbiome, antioxidant-rich Japanese purple rice, and zinc hyaluronate to deliver lightweight, oil-balancing hydration. The launch is inspired by the Japanese concept of uruoi, which describes a richly hydrated appearance, “like flower petals kissed with morning dew.”
Initial Thoughts: Aptly named, this feels like a true cross between a moisturizer and a milk, leaning more toward the former end of the spectrum. It’s certainly lighter weight than the original Dewy Skin Cream but stops short of a gel-cream feel. It’s slightly runny but still noticeably hydrating. I think it’s a great summertime option for anyone with normal or combination skin. Of course, I love the pump top—why so many moisturizers come in pesky jars, I’ll never understand.
Point of View Drench It Soothing Priming Milk ($34): Mikayla Nogueira really did something with POV. This is easily the thinnest, runniest essence I’ve ever tried—and make no mistake, I mean that as a compliment. It has an almost water-like feel to it with a slight cooling sensation that immediately sinks into the skin and hydrates. All this makes it perfect for layering under makeup, which is a good thing given that’s the intended use. It’s especially great for summertime, when excessive heat and sweat necessitate light layers. The essence is infused with the brand’s patented 2X FermentVital Complex Technology, which appears to be a mix of Korean-inspired ingredients (fermented rice, ginseng, adlay, and potato), as well as niacinamide, peptides, and squalane. Performance aside, the POV website is delightfully informative, complete with a collection of masterclasses, in-depth formulation explainers, an ingredient glossary, and Mikayla’s personal tips and tricks.
Thanks for making it this far. I’m so excited for this next step in the Glossed Over universe. Don’t forget to upgrade to a paid subscription as I start rolling out my wedding beauty content.
And if you’re still with me, consider this your reminder to reapply that SPF—I’m willing to bet you’re all due for a touch up.
More from me soon! Xx