TSG Consumer Acquires PHLUR

TSG Consumer has announced an agreement to acquire Phlur, the cult fragrance brand celebrated for its emotion-led storytelling and sensorially rich scents. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We’ve always believed fragrance is a deeply personal form of self-expression,” said Chriselle Lim, Creative Director of Phlur. “Our community values transparency, creativity, and emotional connection. TSG Consumer shares those values, and we’re thrilled to partner with them for this next chapter.”

Founded by Cynthia and Eric Korma in 2015, Phlur was born on the principle of fragrance being a personal form of self-expression. It was acquired in 2021 by The Center, a Los Angeles-based beauty accelerator founded by Ben Bennett. Shortly after the acquisition, Lim came onboard as co‑owner and creative director to reimagine and relaunch Phlur with a fresh creative vision. Since then, the clean brand has quickly carved out a niche with a loyal customer base and cult-favourite products like Missing Person, Vanilla Skin, and Heavy Cream. It also expanded rapidly via its own e-commerce platform and retail partners, including Sephora, Amazon, and Space NK.

The deal will see Lim continue in her role as creative director, while retaining a meaningful stake in the business alongside The Center, which will remain actively involved. Existing investor Prelude Growth Partners will exit as part of the transaction.

“TSG Consumer’s expertise in brands and understanding of the beauty space make them an ideal partner,” said Elizabeth Ashmun, CEO of Phlur. “We’re grateful to The Center and Prelude Growth Partners for believing in us early on, and we’re now poised to accelerate Phlur’s reach while continuing to champion the creativity that has always set us apart.”

TSG Consumer is a leading private equity firm specialising in high-growth consumer brands. With approximately $13 billion in assets under management, the firm has backed several global beauty brands including e.l.f. Cosmetics, Smashbox, Revolve, and Summer Fridays.

“Phlur’s commitment to authenticity, emotional storytelling, and modern scent creation makes it a standout in today’s fast-growing fragrance market,” said Hadley Mullin, Senior Managing Director at TSG Consumer. “We’re excited to support Phlur’s continued growth by expanding its presence across geographies and product categories while preserving the creative vision and emotional resonance that define the brand.”

Phlur is available in the UK exclusively at Space NK, and in the US at Sephora and phlur.com.