Beauty Notes | 5 November ’26
Balmain Beauty Introduces Vanille Sculptée
Balmain Beauty’s newest fragrance takes vanilla in a richer, more structured direction. Vanille Sculptée, a gourmand amber eau de parfum created by master perfumer Shyamala Maisondieu, joins the house’s Les Éternels collection. It opens with pink pepper, before lily of the valley lightens the heart. Underneath, five different vanilla notes build up the base, alongside amber woods, benzoin, and soft musk, revealing woody, spicy, leathery, and caramel facets as it develops. The refillable bottle is just as considered, with ombré glass that fades from burnished gold to molten amber. It’s available now at Boots in the UK and balmainbeauty.com in the US.
Hairbrush Brand Original Heir Launches
New brand Original Heir wants your hairbrush to work harder and look better on your dressing table. Founded by Isabella Di Stefano, whose creative agency ISA has worked with MAC Cosmetics and Ganni, it was developed with bioengineer Sareena Karim. The brushes use gem-infused bristles that the brand says cut static, reduce breakage, and spread natural oils from root to tip. First up are two fold-shut travel brushes called Pronta, with silver-plated handles: Smooth is set with rose quartz, and Untangled is a detangling version set with howlite. Read the full story here.
Kiko Milano Collaborates With Stabilo
That chunky neon pen that lived in your school pencil case has been reimagined as makeup. Kiko Milano has teamed up with Stabilo on a lip marker collection housed in the unmistakable shape of the Stabilo Boss Mini. There are five shades, each named with a nod to writing: Fine Print (brown), Afterthought (mauve), Don’t Quote Me (orange), On My Radar (red), and Pink(er), a fuchsia. For Stabilo, it’s part of a move beyond stationery into lifestyle, while Kiko sees it as a fun way to bring colour to everyday makeup. The collection is available now in Kiko Milano stores and online at kikocosmetics.com in the UK. It’s easily one of our favourite collabs of the year.
E.l.f. Beauty Sales Jump 51%
E.l.f. Beauty’s winning streak shows no sign of slowing. The company behind E.l.f. Cosmetics, Rhode, and Naturium has posted its 31st consecutive quarter of sales growth, with net sales up 51% to $520.8 million in the three months to 30 September. Growth came from both stores and online, in the US and internationally. Rhode, the Hailey Bieber-founded brand E.l.f. acquired last year, is doing particularly well, with revenue beating the targets set out in the deal. The company has also used tariff refunds to cut prices on around 10% of its products, according to Reuters, and now expects full-year sales to grow by 22 to 24%, up from its earlier forecast of 18 to 20%.
Outside In and Nature of Things Head to Liberty
Hourglass founder Carisa Janes is bringing her two newest brands to the UK, and she’s chosen a familiar home. Outside In and Nature of Things will open counters in Liberty London’s Beauty Hall, the same store where Hourglass made its UK debut in 2011. Outside In covers makeup, skincare, and fragrance, and its counter will feature custom vanities with lighting designed for shade matching, plus three eaux de parfum exclusive to Liberty. Nature of Things, its plant-based sister brand for body, hair, and home, will have a working sink and shower installation so you can try the bodycare. Both launch on 23 November. Get the full details here.