Beyond The Headlines: Esteé Lauder and Jo Malone partner, E.L.F. launches VR experience

This week in personal care news, Esteé Lauder partnered with Jo Malone and Origins to celebrate the homecoming season with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Nivea announced plans to strengthen its Eastern European reach. Meanwhile, E.L.F. launched a virtual reality (VR) shopping experience for the holiday season.

Celebrations for impact

The Estée Lauder Companies partnered with Origins and Jo Malone London to celebrate the 2024 HBCU homecoming season by hosting a weeklong “The Beauty of Homecoming” event at Florida A&M University, US. The initiative offered immersive brand experiences, professional development and networking opportunities for the HBCU alumni attendees.

Collaborations for innovation

E.L.F. collaborated with Obsess to launch its first immersive e-commerce experience, the Virtual Luxe Lounge. The VR experience offered Beauty Squad members in the US and UK a 3D, speakeasy-themed virtual store where members could shop curated holiday products and redeem loyalty rewards.

Personal care brand Native partnered with the Mexican soft drink brand Jarritos to launch a bath and body collection featuring scents like mandarin, passion fruit, watermelon and pineapple. The collaboration offers irritant-free deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, body washes and lotions without added parabens, talc, dyes or aluminum in product formulations.

Business news

Nivea Polska, part of Beiersdorf AG, announced plans to open its first office in Warsaw, Poland, securing a five-year lease in Varso Tower. The new office is set to open in May 2025 and aims to improve operational efficiency and strengthen Beiersdorf’s presence in Eastern Europe.

The Avon Company, which functions as a direct selling brand, announced a simplified commission structure for Avon Ambassadors starting January 1 next year. The new system offers up to 50% commission based on two-week campaign sales, making it easier to maximize personal earnings. It also includes faster growth opportunities and new recognition titles to reward performance.

Product launches

Tree Hut unveiled its Peppermint Collection for the 2024 holiday season, featuring a foaming gel wash, shea sugar scrub and moisturizing body lotion infused with peppermint hydrating oils made of avocado, kiwi and orange. The products are available at Ulta, Target and Walmart, offering consumers festive, nourishing self-care options.

Native partnered with Jarritos to launch a bath and body collection.Mr. Bubble launched a festive range of limited-edition bubble baths, non-toxic and fragrance-free fizzy tub colors and bath potions for a “nostalgic” holiday season, with retro packaging and gummy bear-shaped containers. The line is exclusively available at Target and Walmart and aims to offer children and adults a “sensory” bath time.

Moody, a provider of color contact lenses, launched MoodyBlue, which it said is a premium brand of medical-grade clear contact lenses designed for hydration and comfort. MoodyBlue’s M and S Series utilize advanced stabilization and silicone hydrogel technologies to improve water retention, tear circulation and oxygen permeability.

Daily Shade introduced Babe Shade, a 99.4% naturally derived all-mineral sunscreen designed for children and adults, specifically for winter sports. The water-resistant, reef-safe formula features non-nano zinc oxide and is touted to offer invisible, ghost-free application. Skin cancer expert Breelyn Vanleeuwen developed Babe Shade to address the increased UV exposure from snow reflection. The product is free from harmful chemicals, vegan and hypoallergenic.