Cosmetic News In Brief: Unilever Nabs Living Proof; TINA.org’s ‘Naughty’ List; More

The Anglo-Dutch consumer-goods giant continues its 2016 buying spree with the acquisition of Living Proof, Inc. for an undisclosed sum, adding to its portfolio a range of premium, problem-solving hair-care products based on “science and patented technology originating from MIT.” (Also see "Living Proof Takes An Outside Approach To Solving Everyday Hair Issues" - HBW Insight, 5 November, 2012.) Founded in 2005 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Robert Langer and Jon Flint of private-equity firm Polaris Venture Partners, Living Proof will join brands including Dermalogica, Kate Somerville, Murad and REN in Unilever’s prestige lineup. “The prestige hair retail market is very attractive and offers significant potential for growth,” says Unilever’s Personal Care President Alan Jope, touting Living Proof’s “compelling product result demonstrations and influencer-driven marketing.” The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, follows the firm’s purchase of Dollar Shave Club in July and Seventh Generation in September, among other pickups of late. The firm also was rumored to be in talks with The Honest Company prior to recent transactions that have made a bid for Honest less likely in analysts’ eyes. (Also see "They’re Just Like Us! Honest Celeb Brand’s Illusory Persona Fading" - HBW Insight, 30 November, 2016.)

Direct-to-consumer startup Memebox, with deep roots in Korean beauty, will use $60m of funding raised through a Series C extension round to “invest in streamlining its mobile shopping experience, develop a database of beauty ingredients and products, and build out its global operations for efficiency as the company grows its global footprint,” according to a Dec. 15 release. Based in San Francisco as a graduate of seed accelerator Y Combinator, Memebox is backed by $160m in total funding since its founding in 2012, which has enabled the company to evolve from a subscription box model to a rapid-fire developer of fast-growing in-house brands including Bonvivant, Nooni, I’M Meme and Pony Effect. The startup, which has five other offices in Korea, China, Taiwan and Singapore, relies heavily on social-media influencers to drive its mobile shopping experience