Fashion

In 2013 Charlotte Tilbury had 50,000 people on the waitlist for her first standalone product, without spending a single penny on advertising. The waitlist showcases the demand for her product, illustrating the gaps in the UK beauty industry, and that’s the kind of story we want to tell. The UK beauty market is worth over £13 billion, and is one of the most watched consumer markets in the world. It is not because British woman are buying up all the mascara, but instead what happens in this market tends to happen in other markets 18 months down the line. Emerging independent brands from kitchen tables are now outselling brands that have had their products on shelves in boots for decades.

The beauty market is evolving and consumers are more informed and quicker to switch to another brand than any previous generation. With all of that in mind Brand Stories is not a shopping guide, but a guide to understanding the UK beauty market. It is about the beauty market and understanding the pivots, the decisions, and the collapses that define this industry.

Why was Lush’s online sales rejection a benefit instead of a disadvantage? What implications does the growing budget dupe culture have for higher-end market segments? With trend cycles shortening to weeks instead of months, how can legacy brands like Rimmel remain relevant? All of the pieces in this section have been written by individuals with real insight and understanding of the field, including its past, economic aspects, and key figures.

Expect to find extensive brand analyses, founder narratives, and strategy dissection that goes beyond the press release. If you want to actually comprehend the landscape of beauty in the UK, you have come to the correct destination.