Ulta enters C-beauty with Flower Knows launch

Flower Knows has become the first Chinese beauty brand to be featured at Ulta Beauty. The US is the brand’s largest overseas market, accounting for 60–70% of international revenue.

“Entering Ulta marks a significant milestone in Flower Knows’ international expansion and represents an important step in tailoring our brand to the needs and preferences of US consumers,” says Gong Fang, partner and chief marketing officer of Flower Knows. 

Ulta says it will introduce three to four Flower Knows collections yearly to complement its direct-to-consumer releases. 

Founded in 2016, Flower Knows made its US retail debut in 2023.

“[We are] now one of the fastest growing brands on social, consistently going viral with millions of followers. Industry reports consistently rank Flower Knows as one of the top trending makeup brands on Instagram and TikTok, with a combined follower count of four million,” says the C-beauty brand. 

The makeup brand is known for its whimsical themed collections and unique packaging. 

Ulta’s online store will feature an assortment of 62 products across all categories, including lipsticks, eyeshadows, blushes, and palettes. These include the themed collections Strawberry Cupid, Shell’s Jewel, Little Angel, Swan Ballet, and Strawberry Rococo Series.

C-beauty bounces back

Flower Knows is also available in Japan, Southeast Asia, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Australia, and the Middle East. It also recently expanded into South Korea through a “record-breaking” pop-up store in Seoul.

Flower Knows makes its Ulta Beauty debut. However, China remains Flower Knows’ biggest revenue driver at 90%. 

C-beauty has been experiencing a revival. After a period of slower growth in recent years, Chinese-based beauty brands are showing signs of renewed traction globally and domestically. 

To continue this momentum, China’s government recently announced updates to its cosmetics safety and approval policies. The regulatory move could make the cosmetics market easier to navigate for international brands that have been struggling to keep a stable footing in the country. 

Last month, L’Oréal took a minority stake in the Chinese mass-market skin care brand Lan, which marked the beauty giant’s second investment in a Chinese beauty company in recent weeks. 

The company’s CEO, Nicolas Hieronimus, also reported that a gradual recovery in the US and China helped support its overall financial results for Q3. In particular, sales in mainland China returned to growth for the first time in two years.

Meanwhile, Nouryon has opened an innovation center in Shanghai, China, as a part of its commitment to strengthening co-development and sustainable growth across the Asia Pacific region.