Key Takeaways:
Across mass and prestige, from Walmart and Target to Sephora, Ulta Beauty, SpaceNK, and key UK retailers, brands are leveraging social proof, direct-to-consumer (DTC) momentum, and cult followings to move into wide physical distribution. Functional beauty, biotech skincare, wellness supplements, and purpose-driven fragrance are crossing into mainstream channels, while prestige brands are leaning on high-authority retailers to accelerate international growth. Mass retailers like Walmart are becoming hubs for “better-for-you” hair, body, and wellness products; Sephora continues to champion first-to-market international launches and bold, niche concepts; and UK retailers such as SpaceNK and Tesco are establishing themselves as gateways for high-growth, science-led brands. Target and Ulta Beauty have ended their shop-in-shop partnership, closing 600 locations as Target plans to develop its own in-store beauty experience.
Here is the retail news that the BeautyMatter team saw this February.
Hair and bodycare brand California Naturals has expanded its retail footprint with a nationwide launch at Walmart, marking the brand’s debut with the mass retailer across 1,340 stores and online. Founded in 2023 by Shelby Wild and backed by investor and “Chief Shampoo Officer” Owen Wilson, the brand is scaling its distribution of sub-$20, naturally derived hair and bodycare designed for the whole family. The rollout signals growing momentum for accessible “better-for-you” personal care in mass retail as California Naturals builds on existing distribution with retailers including Ulta Beauty, Target, and CVS.
Schwarzkopf debuted its KERATÎME Care & Styling collection as a Walmart exclusive, introducing a salon-inspired bond repair range powered by the brand’s proprietary Multiplex Bonding Technology. Designed to strengthen hair internally while protecting it externally, the lineup spans Deep Repair, Color Protect, and Styling categories to address common hair concerns. The launch was supported by brand partners including country music artist Jessie James Decker and celebrity hairstylist Kylee Heath, whose client roster includes Sofía Vergara and Amy Poehler.
Odele expanded its retail footprint by rolling out to more than 1,500 Walmart doors. The launch introduced 11 of the brand’s top-performing haircare essentials. The Walmart expansion increased the brand’s national presence to more than 15,000 retail doors across partners, including Target, Ulta Beauty, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, and Amazon.
Bali Body expanded its US retail footprint with a rollout into approximately 2,900 Walmart stores, marking the Australian self-tanning brand’s largest US distribution milestone to date. Founded by Laura Osterloo, the brand previously built much of its US presence through DTC and Amazon before securing national mass retail placement.
MCoBeauty, the Australian beauty brand founded in 2016, expanded into Canada with a launch across more than 247 Walmart Canada stores and online at Walmart.ca, marking a key step in its North American growth strategy.
The new 2,550-square-foot Sephora Victoria Square store in Belfast, Northern Ireland, created 50 direct jobs, along with additional opportunities for suppliers and service providers. Shoppers from across the area queued for hours to explore the store and get their hands on the latest products, making the opening day an exciting milestone for beauty fans.
Korean haircare brand UNOVE launched at Sephora in the US, marking the retailer’s first-ever Korean haircare brand in the category. Known for its bond-repair formulas designed to deliver “glass hair” shine and softness, the premium repair brand debuted with a lineup spanning shampoos, treatments, and styling products, available both in-store and online.
Teen-focused skincare brand Indu expanded internationally for the first time through a partnership with Sephora, launching in 36 stores across Australia and two locations in New Zealand. The rollout marked the brand’s first step in global expansion following strong performance in the UK.
BORNTOSTANDOUT, the Seoul-born fragrance house founded by Jun Lim, expanded its retail presence with a launch at Sephora, debuting online ahead of an in-store rollout across 112 locations. Known for its bold, high-concentration fragrances and disruptive approach to modern perfumery, the brand introduced a selection of eau de parfums and its more intimate Eau Intimité collection, alongside a Sephora-exclusive discovery set designed to showcase its signature scent DNA.
Half Magic Beauty is bringing maximalist makeup back to the spotlight with its UK debut, launching exclusively at Sephora UK as interest in bold, expressive beauty surges. The Sephora launch arrives as searches for “2016 makeup trends” spike, signaling a return to color and full-glam experimentation. Hero products include the Blushing Lizard Eyeshadow, Glitterpuck Pressed Fairy Dust, and The Wing Hack eyeliner system, all designed to make statement beauty more accessible to everyday users.
Bounce Curl expanded into Sephora, launching online and entering roughly 215 stores on March 27, marking its first major retail partnership more than a decade after the brand’s debut. Known for its cult-favorite Define EdgeLift Brush, which smooths and separates curls for frizz-free definition, the brand sold over 230,000 units on TikTok Shop, with the brush selling out 14 times since its 2023 launch.
Lixr, the Toronto-born “skincare disguised as makeup” brand founded by Susanne Langmuir, has made its debut at Sephora, arriving online in the US and Canada before expanding to a limited in-store rollout. The brand, which eliminates water and silicones in favor of concentrated formulas without synthetic preservatives, launched in roughly 30 US doors and 80 Canadian stores, with a product lineup heavily focused on complexion.
Biotech beauty brand SickScience Labs debuted its first facial skincare product, the NetWork Rich Concentrated Serum, introducing a formula powered by NX35, a patented plant-exosome complex designed to support skin renewal and collagen production. The launch coincided with the brand’s retail expansion into Ulta Beauty, with an in-store rollout across 757 locations.
Vimi Joshi Beauty, founded by makeup artist Vimi Joshi, made its retail debut in the Middle East with an exclusive launch at Ulta Beauty in Dubai. The premium makeup line, developed with a focus on warm undertones inspired by South Asian heritage, introduced a curated assortment of color cosmetics spanning eye, lip, and complexion products. The launch marked a key milestone for the brand, positioning the Middle East as an early market in its global expansion strategy.
Bloomeffects expanded its retail presence with a nationwide launch at Ulta Beauty, bringing the Dutch tulip-powered skincare brand to 750 stores and Ulta.com. Founded by Kim van Haaster, the brand is known for its proprietary Dutch Tulip Complex derived from upcycled tulip bulbs grown on her family’s farm in the Netherlands. The rollout also introduced the Royal Tulip Elevate Crème, an Ulta Beauty-exclusive moisturizer designed to support elasticity and strengthen the skin barrier.
Hairstory expanded into brick-and-mortar retail for the first time with an exclusive launch at Ulta Beauty, rolling out to 370 stores and Ulta.com beginning April 5. The debut was led by the brand’s cult-favorite New Wash, a nonfoaming cleansing cream that cleans hair without traditional detergents. The partnership marked a milestone for the brand, bringing its “detergent-free” haircare philosophy to a wider audience through the national beauty retailer.
VOESH is bringing its spa-born approach to bodycare to Ulta Beauty, launched online before rolling out to 458 stores nationwide. The K-beauty brand, known for applying facial skincare principles to the body, introduces a results-driven assortment designed to turn everyday shower routines into treatment-led rituals. The lineup includes lymphatic-inspired Massage Roller Crèmes, a sculpted Gua Sha Body Cleansing Bar, exfoliating Body Buffing and Resurfacing Sugar Scrubs, and a Glow Shower Filter that infuses water with vitamin C while helping remove chlorine and heavy metals.
Cymbiotika is entering national beauty retail through a new partnership with Ulta Beauty, launching on Ulta.com before rolling out to more than 1,000 stores beginning March 29. The debut marks the wellness brand’s first national beauty retail partner and signals Ulta Beauty’s continued investment in ingestible beauty through its wellness assortment. Founded in 2019 by Durana Elmi and Shahab Elmi, Cymbiotika has rapidly scaled as a DTC supplement brand built around liposomal delivery technology designed to enhance nutrient absorption.
Your Turn II Eau de Parfum by Billie Eilish launched at Ulta Beauty, marking the fragrance’s first retail expansion after debuting DTC in late 2025. Retailing for $90, the launch built on the momentum of the Your Turn fragrance pillar while reinforcing Eilish’s vision of scent as both an intimate form of personal expression and a creative extension of her artistic identity. The move into Ulta Beauty signaled the brand’s next step in scaling distribution beyond its initial DTC release.
Made by Mitchell expanded into the US market with a launch at Ulta Beauty, marking a major milestone in the UK-born makeup brand’s international growth. Founded by celebrity makeup artist Mitchell Halliday, the brand built a global following through bold color cosmetics, an inclusive ethos, and a social-first approach. The US debut followed Made by Mitchell’s viral success on TikTok Shop, where it became the first beauty brand to surpass $1 million in sales within 24 hours.
Native expanded its shave care offering with the launch of Native Shave Care at Target stores nationwide and on Target.com. The rollout introduced the brand’s Ultra Moisture Shave Cream and Super Silky Shave Oil, formulated with ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, and grape seed oil to deliver a smoother, more comfortable shave without sulfates or parabens. The expansion further strengthened Native’s presence in clean bodycare at mass retail.
Babe Original expanded its retail footprint with a nationwide launch at Target, rolling out to more than 600 stores across the US and Target.com. The assortment introduced a curated lineup of the brand’s lash, brow, and lip treatments, including its hero Essential Lash Serum and Renewing Lash Serum, alongside a Target-exclusive Birthday Cake Lip Mask. The expansion marked another step in Babe Original’s rapid retail growth strategy following recent distribution gains at Ulta Beauty online, as well as new placements at Costco and JCPenney.
Nobody’s Nobody Skincare has made its US retail debut at Target, launching into 1,800 stores nationwide and introducing the Australian-born brand’s accessible, results-driven approach to skincare to a US audience for the first time. Founded by Alanna Hinds, the Melbourne-based label positions itself within the growing masstige category, offering barrier-focused formulas designed for intuitive, mix-and-match routines.
Barrière expanded its retail footprint with a nationwide rollout to 776 Target locations, marking the wearable vitamin and adaptogen brand’s largest retail partnership to date. The launch built on existing distribution through retailers including Hudson News, Bergdorf Goodman, and Revolve, as the company continued to scale following 337% year-over-year revenue growth.
SURI expanded into US mass retail with its first in-store launch at Target, rolling out to nearly 500 stores nationwide. The move marked a key milestone for the design-led electric toothbrush brand as it scaled beyond its DTC and specialty retail roots. The launch coincided with the debut of Canyon Sunrise ($105), the brand’s first new colorway in more than 18 months, inspired by outdoor landscapes and adventure.
Moon Juice took a major step toward national scale with its US debut at Target, launching in 755 stores and on Target.com. Founded in 2011 by Amanda Chantal Bacon, the Los Angeles-born functional supplement brand initially cultivated its following through beauty and premium wellness channels such as Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, Erewhon, and Sprouts, deliberately avoiding traditional supplement aisles.
I’m Meme, the Korean color cosmetics brand developed by Memebox, launched a nationwide in-line makeup assortment at Target, bringing its viral “fast beauty” concept to US mass retail. Known across Asia for simplifying trend-driven makeup into easy-to-use, multifunctional products, the rollout featured swipe-on blush and glow products, finger-friendly eye colors, and portable lip stains designed for quick, on-the-go application.
Dr Sam’s expanded its UK bricks-and-mortar presence with a nationwide launch at SpaceNK, marking a major milestone in the brand’s evolution from a digitally native business to a multichannel skincare label. The partnership followed Dr Sam’s initial UK entry with Sephora in September 2024, reflecting a selective, high-authority retail strategy.
Solférino Paris made its US debut through Bloomingdale’s, launching online and in seven stores, with additional rollouts planned for fall. First launched in France in July 2025 by Inter Parfums, the collection includes 10 fine fragrances priced at $330 for 125 mL bottles, alongside two floral and woody candles at $100.
Petal Fresh expanded its Skin ResQ Hello Hydration collection into Whole Foods Market stores nationwide and on WholeFoodsMarket.com, marking the line’s first national retail debut following a soft launch on the brand’s website in late 2025. The rollout represented a key milestone for the brand, introducing its dermatologist-tested, K-beauty-inspired hydration solutions for dry and sensitive skin to a new national audience of Whole Foods shoppers.
Bath & Body Works has officially launched its first authorized storefront on Amazon in the US, making a curated selection of the brand’s best-selling products available online. The collection includes fragrance mists, body wash, body cream, hand soap, three-wick and single-wick candles, and wallflowers in popular scents like Champagne Toast, Mahogany Teakwood, and Eucalyptus Spearmint.
Instacart partnered with Lush Cosmetics to offer same-day delivery from 250 stores across North America, giving customers access to more than 600 products through the platform. Timed ahead of Valentine’s Day, the partnership enabled shoppers to order items ranging from bath bombs to fresh face masks with delivery in as little as one hour and no markup pricing.
Sona Cosmetics expanded its retail presence with a launch in select stores and online at Canadian retailer Ardene. The Canadian-born makeup brand, co-founded by Lauren Mezzaluna, introduced a range of Gen Z-focused, vegan, and cruelty-free products spanning lips, eyes, and face, including peel-off lip stains and liquid blushes. The partnership marked a step in Ardene’s broader push to grow its beauty assortment while bringing Sona Cosmetics to a wider youth-focused retail audience.
Bubble Skincare expanded its Nordic retail presence with a launch at Matas in Denmark, the country’s largest health and beauty retailer; the rollout placed the brand in 172 Matas locations.
Bubble Skincare expanded into KICKS, a leading Nordic beauty retailer with approximately 230 stores across Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The brand entered 162 KICKS stores across the Nordic region, further accelerating Bubble’s international retail expansion and strengthening its presence in the European skincare market.
Ameliorate, the British dermatological skincare brand, expanded its UK retail footprint by launching in 116 Tesco stores across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Developed with dermatological expertise and manufactured in the UK, Ameliorate leverages clinically backed ingredients to support the skin’s natural moisture barrier.
