Beauty Notes | 13 August 2026
Nicolas Travis to Leave Allies of Skin After 10 Years
Nicolas Travis is stepping down from Allies of Skin, the Singapore-based skincare brand he founded in 2016. The founder and Chief Executive has given six months’ notice and will leave the company on 10 February 2027. Beauty executive Alicia Valencia is joining as interim President during the transition, bringing experience from Makeup by Mario, Pat McGrath Labs, Bobbi Brown, and Estée Lauder.
Beauty Pie Launches Candle Collaboration With Reena Simon
Beauty Pie has launched a new three-candle collaboration with interiors expert Reena Simon, with each scent inspired by a different time of day. Rêves d’Èze is the morning candle, with mint, eucalyptus, tea leaves, and basil; Time Well Spent takes on the afternoon with cardamom, clove, violet, and sandalwood; and Midnight Cashmere is the evening option, blending smoke, cashmere, hazelnut cream, amber, and musk.
Rituals Refreshes Colour Cosmetics Range
Rituals has launched a new makeup and lip care collection, bringing more of its skincare know-how into a refreshed colour cosmetics range. The drop includes new liquid blushes, skin tints, lip glazes, and mascaras, alongside a reformulated Glow Balm. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, ceramides, vitamin E, castor oil, and phyto-keratin appear across the range, with the focus firmly on lightweight textures and natural, dewy finishes.
Akt London Is Giving Customers the Chance to Invest
Akt London is giving its customers the chance to own a piece of the business with the launch of a new crowdfunding campaign. The bodycare brand, founded by former West End performers Andy Coxon and Ed Currie, says more than 1,000 people pre-registered within the first 24 hours. Akt has now sold more than two million products and expanded into retailers including Sephora US and Space NK in the UK. The founders are calling the raise their ‘Final Encore’, with no plans for another community investment round.
Instytutum Makes Its Amazon US Debut
Instytutum has landed on Amazon US, making its skincare products that much easier to shop. The Swiss brand, founded by physician and scientist Dr Natalia Bobok, launches with three products: Brightening Vitamin C Serum, SuperBiotic Regenerating Cream, and Truly-Transforming Brightening Eye Cream. Instytutum focuses on longevity skincare, with formulas targeting concerns like dullness, dehydration, firmness, and visible signs of ageing.
Alma Brings Korean-Inspired TitaniumLift to the US
Alma has brought TitaniumLift to the US, a Korean-inspired treatment designed for people more interested in maintaining skin quality over time than making a dramatic change. The 20-minute treatment works at several depths using three wavelengths, while contact cooling is designed to make the heat more comfortable. Alma recommends having it once a month and says it can be used across all Fitzpatrick skin types.