Beautiful Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Jung Da-yun didn’t quite like what she saw in the mirror. Her ears weren’t big enough.She booked a visit to a South Korean clinic offering “elf ear” injections.For about $70, a plastic surgeon injected the ridged cartilage of her ears with a hyaluronic-acid filler that caused her ears to perk up.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A 42-year-old client says he is in a constant state of transition. “In my 20s and 30s, I felt I had to give everything to my work so that my business could settle. Now, in my 40s, I’m caught between caregiving for my unwell parents and trying to develop a sturdy relationship with my teenage children.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Back in 2024, among the many international brands announcing their launches in India, global makeup giant Laura Mercier entered India through an omnichannel presence, including a store in Mumbai. Cut to 2026, the brand is re looking at its India strategy, relaunching in India with a different partner, Luxasia India. Ginny Wright, CEO, Orveon Global, whose portfolio also includes bareMinerals and BUXOM cosmetics, discusses their relaunch.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Sugar Cosmetics, once among India’s fastest-growing beauty startups, is seeking a sharply discounted funding round after an aggressive offline expansion and slowing sales growth strained its finances, according to four people familiar with the matter.The Mumbai-based beauty brand has begun a process to raise ₹100-150 crore after grappling with a severe cash crunch over the past six months amid declining revenue, a shrinking offline footprint and rising employee attrition, the people said.The fresh fundraise is likely to happen at a valuation of ₹1,400-1,500 crore, sharply lower from its peak valuation of about ₹3,000 crore in 2022, two of the people said. While typical growth investors are unlikely to invest in the current state, the company will tap family offices and high net-worth individuals (HNIs) alongside some existing investors to facilitate the capital raise even as its revenue declined further to about ₹380 crore in FY26, the person added.The need for fresh capital has intensified as the company struggles to manage working capital and employee payouts.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Iran had just opened up e-visas for Indian travellers, but ours quickly got rejected. I read on forums that it was common to get an e-visa rejection, no reasons given. So we set about charting the archaic, long-winded route to get a physical visa at the embassy: get a visa code through an Iranian travel agency, file an application with travel documents at the Iranian consulate in Mumbai and submit medical test results for TB and HIV.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Late in 2018, when Angad Soni was preparing to launch Sepoy & Co., his botanical mixers startup, he was sure of two things: one, he had to get the formulation of his first product, tonic water, right. Two, the bottle in which it would be sold had to stand out.The target audience was consumers of premium gins who had likely sampled high-quality tonics on trips abroad, but had to settle for mass-market brands in India sold in plastic bottles, or in cans, such as Schweppes.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.It’s odd to see Zach Galifianakis being sweet.A uniquely gifted comedian with significant acting range — from The Hangover movies to the Baskets TV series — Galifianakis has, in recent years, become known for the insulting and underprepared interviewer persona he puts on for his YouTube series Between Two Ferns. On it he asked Barack Obama how it felt to be the last black President (“Seriously?” Obama responded) and told Brad Pitt, “You play a lot of people that are Nazi hunters, which is weird to me.” “Why do you say that?”, Pitt asked.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Around two decades after exiting India, UK cosmetics brand Lush has re-entered the market, looking to tap into the country’s growing luxury beauty segment.The maker of bath bombs, shower jellies and solid shampoo bars has partnered with Bengaluru-based Bilberry Brands under a licensing agreement, beginning with an online launch and a physical store in Delhi. A second Delhi outlet, along with stores in Gurugram and Mumbai, is expected to open soon. It plans to open seven stores by the end of 2026.In a video interview, Lush co-founder Rowena Bird discusses the brand’s return to India.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BENGALURU: Reliance Retail has acquired Anomaly Haircare, the global haircare label founded by actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, as it accelerates its push into beauty and personal care.The dealincludes ownership of trademarks and digital assets with plans to scale the brand across India and global markets using Reliance’s omnichannel ecosystem, including its Tira platform, it said in a statement on Thursday.Mint unpacks why Reliance Retail is assembling a celebrity-led brand portfolio despite these companies reporting losses.Reliance Retail’s playbook has increasingly leaned on star power. The company had bought a majority stake in actor Alia Bhatt’s kidswear brand Ed-a-Mamma in July 2023.It acquired a 40% stake in celebrity stylist Manish Malhotra’s luxury ethnic wear brand MM Styles in 2021, and bought a majority stake in celebrity stylist Ritu Kumar’s label the same year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) ended FY26 on a good note, clocking an underlying volume growth of 6% for the three months through March (Q4FY26), a multi-quarter high, supported by steady demand across both rural and urban markets. The improvement is notable, with volume growth rising from 4% in Q3 after a muted Q2, when volumes were broadly flat. The company expects FY27 to be stronger than FY26, driven by portfolio shifts and channel transformation.The durability of this recovery, however, will be tested in the coming quarters.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Americans are increasingly turning to TikTok Shop to buy shampoo, jewelry and apparel. Retailers have noticed, pushing onto the platform with their own virtual stores.Ralph Lauren and Olaplex Holdings moved onto the platform late last year, while Ulta Beauty launched its store in March.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Kolkata-based WishCare, known for its range of serums, sunscreens, and hair growth products, is exploring a majority stake sale that will value the brand at about ₹3,000-3,500 crore, three people familiar with the matter said.The company has appointed O3 Capital to help with the sale and several strategics and private equity funds will be tapped as part of the process, the people said on the condition of anonymity.“The deal is likely to attract a strategic buyer and feelers are expected to be sent to the likes of Marico, ITC and L'Oréal,” one of the people cited above said.India’s beauty and personal care (BPC) market, valued at $23 billion in FY25, is projected to touch $40 billion over the next four years, according to consultancy firm Redseer. Riding this surge in premium, science-led skincare demand, WishCare competes with fast-scaling brands such as Minimalist, Pilgrim, Dot & Key, The Derma Co, Arata, True Frog, Lotus Herbals and Auli Lifestyle across categories.Emails sent to WishCare, O3 Capital, Marico, ITC and L'Oréal did not elicit a response till the time of publishing.“The company clocked about ₹350 crore in revenue and ₹100 crore in Ebitda in the last financial year (FY26),” according to the second person.WishCare clocked about ₹200 crore in revenue in FY25 and has been profitable.At the upper end of the indicated valuation range, the deal would value the company at roughly 8–10x FY26 revenue and about 30–35x Ebitda, indicating strong investor appetite for profitable new-age beauty brands.Interestingly, L'Oréal is also evaluating the acquisition of personal care brand Innovist at a valuation of $350-400 million, Moneycontrol reported last month.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Chasing autumn in South Korea, Bengaluru-based Jiwangi Singh and Milan Tanna turned their K-drama dreams into a thoughtfully planned 12-day holiday.When narrowing down their next international trip, the couple wanted a destination that blended culture, coastal charm and immersive local experiences—without stretching their budget. South Korea checked all the boxes.They spent a total of ₹2.75 lakh, striking a balance between smart savings and meaningful splurges.“We built our itinerary to save where it mattered and spend on must-do experiences.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Open an online fashion app today, and you’ll find a ₹490,000 Gucci dress or a waitlisted ₹415,000 Prada leather shirt sitting alongside discounted streetwear and mass-market labels.This paradox isn’t accidental. India’s online fashion and beauty market is projected to reach $210 billion by 2028.

EPL is the world's largest manufacturer of laminated tubes, producing roughly 9 billion tubes annually. It operates 21 manufacturing facilities across 11 countries, catering to the oral care, beauty, and personal care (BPC), and pharmaceutical segments.

Drumah sapushpaah salilam sapadyam, streeyah sakama pavanah sugandhih |Sukhaah pradosha divsashch ramyaah, sarvam priye charutaram vasante ||The meaning of the verse is as follows: Oh beloved! everything has turned so beautiful during spring time. Trees are laden with flowers, ponds are full of lotus, air is scented, evenings pleasant and days are delightful.I entered my housing society park with a lot of enthusiasm to meditate, but failed. Why? Incredible decibel assault was on from the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway in the vicinity.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Unilever plans to spin off its food business, after carving out its ice-cream unit into The Magnum Ice Cream Company, including India’s Kwality Walls. It continues to sell brands such as Hellmann’s, Kissan, Brooke Bond and Horlicks in India.“Looking ahead, our priorities are clear: more beauty and well-being and personal care,” Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandez said in July 2025.Later, the Financial Times reported that Unilever and Kraft Heinz held talks about a potential merger of their food businesses.While the future of these deals is uncertain, they reflect a broader global trend of major FMCG companies reducing their food portfolios—a contrast to India, where private capital is pouring into packaged foods.

₹350 crore, its managing director and chief executive Saugata Gupta said during the December-quarter earnings call.Gupta said the company’s broader digital-first portfolio, which includes specialized and online-led brands, is also scaling rapidly and is expected to exit 2025-26 with an ARR exceeding ₹1,000 crore.Premiumization has also played a key role in its core hair oil business. Gupta said the value-added hair oils category delivered another strong quarter with market share reaching an all-time high of nearly 30%, reflecting “considerable progress towards premiumization of the mix”.Marico's group chief financial officer, Pawan Agrawal, said this shift towards higher-value products has also supported profitability.

Like most people, artificial intelligence (AI) is not funny. I check every week. For some time now, I have been asking ChatGPT, and later Claude too, to tell me something funny.

₹5,065 crore, up 60% year-on-year, according to an earnings statement from Reliance Industries.India’s FMCG sector remains dominated by established players such as Hindustan Unilever Ltd, which reported revenue of about ₹64,138 crore in FY25—highlighting the scale of the opportunity Reliance is targeting as it builds its consumer business.“What Reliance is doing is cobbling together a portfolio of brands that already have some momentum,” said Arvind Singhal, chairman of The Knowledge Company, a Gurgaon-based management consulting firm.Mint explains the strategy behind Reliance’s push to acquire regional brands and how it differs from rivals.Over the past few years, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) has assembled a portfolio of regional brands across food, beverages and personal care.One of its latest additions is Chennai-based Southern Health Foods Pvt. Ltd, which sells millet-based foods, health mixes and baby nutrition products under the Manna brand.

The Estée Lauder Companies has signed an agreement to acquire the stake it doesn’t already own in Indian luxury beauty company Forest Essentials, with the transaction expected to close in the second half of 2026, said Stéphane de La Faverie, president and chief executive officer of The Estée Lauder Companies.The deal completes an 18-year partnership with the luxury Ayurveda brand, which was founded by Mira Kulkarni.Forest Essentials sells Ayurvedic skincare and haircare products and competes with premium labels such as Kama Ayurveda. Estée Lauder had a 49% stake in the company in 2013, which it increased from a 20% stake it took in 2008.Speaking to Mint, La Faverie, said, “Today, this brand is the leader in prestige skincare in India, which is still a very small segment of the larger beauty business in India.