Beyond The Headlines: Givaudan launches humanitarian fund, Unilever cuts jobs in global restructuring

This week’s news features key updates from Givaudan, which launched a Humanitarian Fund and donated CHF100,000 (US$113,175) to support flood victims in Spain. Unilever announced 149 layoffs as part of global restructuring and Harry Styles’s Pleasing and JW Anderson partnered for a colorful collection.

Outreach programs

Givaudan announced the creation of the Givaudan Humanitarian Fund, which will provide financial support during natural disasters, pandemics and conflicts in the countries the brand operates. Givaudan’s first donation will be to the Spanish Red Cross and amount to CHF100,000. It will aid communities affected by flooding in Valencia, Spain.

In honor of Giving Tuesday, Thrive Causemetics and Bigger Than Beauty Skincare collaborated with Beauty 2 The Streetz to support unhoused communities in Los Angeles, US, by offering services like meals, showers and beauty treatments to the homeless. Thrive also donated 15% of sales on Giving Tuesday to help fund a new truck for Beauty 2 The Streetz’s outreach efforts.

Business news

Unilever announced 149 layoffs.Unilever laid off 149 employees at its North Jersey, US, headquarters as part of a larger strategy to cut 7,500 jobs globally. With this, Unilever aims to simplify its operations and improve its profitability. The layoffs happened after its relocation from its US headquarters from Englewood Cliffs to Hoboken, New Jersey, and raised concerns about the impact this may have on its beauty portfolio, specifically Dove and Vaseline.

Nykaa acquired clean skin care brand Earth Rhythm, building on a previous minority investment in 2022. The partnership aims to help Earth Rhythm grow using Nykaa’s marketing, distribution and influencer reach. The acquisition is part of Nykaa’s strategy to strengthen its presence in the clean beauty market, which it says has strong long-term potential.

Lookfantastic celebrated the success of its foundation finder, which led to almost 20,000 orders from 426,000 visits. It announced its plans to introduce a similar tool for concealer matching soon, as sales for brands like Illamasqua and Laura Mercier reportedly grew after the tool was introduced.

Product launches

Pleasing, the brand founded by Harry Styles, has teamed up with JW Anderson on a colorful collection featuring apparel, accessories and nail polishes. Style’s Pleasing also updated its popular nail polishes with five metallic shades, marking JW Anderson’s first beauty products.

A skin care brand, DaisyFace, launched with five products, including a cleanser, exfoliator, toner, eye cream and face cream. Its products are formulated with lab-cultivated Daisy Stem Cells using ‘green’ biotechnology and aim to reduce visible signs of skin inflammation while working to regenerate, protect and detoxify skin. The products come in refillable packaging.Sol de Janeiro creates immersive installation. 

Celebratory events

The Skin of Color Society Foundation nears its 10th anniversary and celebrated 2024’s growth in research, education and advocacy to improve dermatologic care for skin of color. The nonprofit focuses on increasing diversity in dermatology and its fundraising efforts, supported by names like Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, Pfizer and Clinique, further drive its community outreach.

Sol de Janeiro partnered with three Brazilian artists for a five-day immersive installation called “Jardim Sol de Janeiro: A Garden for the Senses.” The installation celebrated Rio de Janeiro’s famous orelhões — meaning “big ears —” phone booths, integrating art and the brand’s Cheirosa fragrance to “evoke the spirit of Brazil.”