Beauty Notes | 21 October
Kayali’s Newest Yum Scent? Birthday Cake
Kayali is adding another gourmand to its Yum Collection — or should we say dessert menu? Yum Vanilla Cupcake | 108 is the third fragrance in the line, following Pistachio Gelato and Boujee Marshmallow, and it’s designed to capture the smell of childhood birthday cakes. Founder Mona Kattan says vanilla was her first scent memory, and the notes lean fully into the theme, with lemon sugar, rainbow sprinkles, white caramel, coconut flakes, and vanilla frosting. The number in the name isn’t random either. According to the brand, it took 108 tweaks to get the formula right. It launches on 30 October at kayali.com and Sephora in both the UK and US.
Touchland Founder Andrea Lisbona Steps Down as CEO
Andrea Lisbona is no longer running Touchland day to day. The founder, who launched the hand sanitiser brand in the US in 2017, has left her role as CEO, Beauty Independent reports. The move comes after Church & Dwight bought the business in 2025 in a deal valued at up to $880 million. She isn’t going far, though. According to her LinkedIn profile, she’s staying on as founder and strategic adviser, guiding product innovation, retail partnerships, and growth. Church & Dwight, meanwhile, is recruiting a new GM to lead the brand. The timing is notable, with Touchland in the middle of a big global push. It arrived in the UK at Space NK in September, and its owner plans to take it to more than 20 countries by early 2027.
Nina Park Looks Set to Launch Her Own Makeup Line
If you’ve ever tried to copy Zoë Kravitz’s soft, blurred lip, you’ve probably come across Nina Park. Now the celebrity makeup artist, whose clients also include Emma Stone and Greta Lee, appears to be working on a brand of her own. A company called Nina Park Beauty LLC filed a trademark application on 5 October covering cosmetics, brushes, and makeup bags, after an earlier filing in January for the name Lipshadow. No launch date has been confirmed yet.
Eqqualberry Brings Berry-Powered Skincare to Ulta
Eqqualberry has landed at Ulta Beauty. The K-beauty brand is now live on ulta.com and heads to the K-Beauty Bar in more than 500 stores from 1 November. It pitches itself as longevity skincare, and says every formula lists its key ingredient percentages and is backed by clinical testing. Three of its lines are on offer. Vitamin Illuminating targets dark spots with acerola fruit water, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid, while NAD+ Peptide Boosting pairs NAD+ with peptides and ceramides for firmness. There’s also Bakuchiol Plumping, which uses the plant-based retinol alternative to target pores and fine lines, and which Eqqualberry says is suitable for sensitive skin. UK shoppers can already find the brand at Boots.
Europe Dominates Beauty Dealmaking
Beauty brands are changing hands at a record pace, but buyers are spending less per deal. According to consultancy Kearney’s latest annual report, there were 384 beauty and personal care acquisitions worldwide in 2025, up 8% on the year before. Over the same period, the median disclosed deal value dropped from $26 million to $22 million. Europe accounted for 47% of all deals, its biggest share in eight years. Kearney says many of the big beauty groups are still busy restructuring and absorbing past purchases, leaving smaller deals and investment firms to set the pace. Brands hoping to sell will need more than fast growth, too. Buyers increasingly want profitability and a clear fit, though Kearney expects opportunities to widen from 2027.
UK Government Considers Tighter Rules for High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
High-risk cosmetic procedures in England could soon be limited to qualified healthcare professionals. The Department of Health and Social Care has opened a 12-week public consultation on proposals that would also ban under-18s from cosmetic surgery and certain high-risk treatments, and toughen enforcement against providers who break the rules. The government has reiterated its commitment to a licensing scheme for lower-risk treatments, such as Botox and dermal fillers. The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology has welcomed the move, and CEO Lesley Blair says it’s a chance to draw clearer lines between beauty treatments and medical procedures.