A legal dispute has emerged following the February sale of the HoliFrog skincare brand. On May 13, former owner Seemark Brands and its principals, HoliFrog co-founders Emily Parr and Majeed Hemmat, filed a complaint after the buyer alleged they provided inaccurate information during the sale process and demanded $750,000 in damages.
According to the complaint, the buyer threatened to unwind the transaction, citing a sharp decline in sales to a major customer group following the acquisition. The sellers deny the allegations and characterize the dispute as buyer’s remorse.
Corporate records list Holly Ceplikas, a former investor at Propel Equity and Essex Bay Capital and current co-owner of Parzona LLC, as the organizer and director of HoliFrog, Inc. The case is ongoing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Parr and Hemmat also operate the skincare brand Current State.
Industry sources tell Beauty Independent that Virtue Labs has hired J.P. Morgan to explore strategic options. The company declined to comment on the reports. “We are aware of the interest in Virtue, but we do not comment on market speculation regarding strategic matters,” a spokesperson says.
Combe, the parent company of Just For Men and Vagisil, acquired a majority stake in Virtue Labs in 2020 before increasing its ownership through a growth equity investment in 2023. If a deal materializes, it will extend an active period for haircare dealmaking, following recent acquisitions of Color Wow and Not Your Mother’s and funding rounds for Roz, KilgourMD and Filament.
A week after launching in roughly 2,000 Target stores on July 5, Based Bodyworks, the TikTok-famous brand founded by barber and content creator Lance Baker, said it had sold through 70% of its inventory and become Target’s No. 1 men’s hairstyling brand. Target carries four $18 products from the brand: Sea Salt Volumizer Spray, Leave-In Conditioner, Curl Cream and Texture Powder.
HoliFrog co-founders Emily Parr and Majeed Hemmat are locked in a legal dispute with the skincare brand’s buyer, who is seeking $750,000 in damages after alleging misrepresentations during the sale.
Hyper Skin has paused operations as it searches for a path forward. In an Instagram post, founder Desiree Verdejo said the skincare brand is closing its digital storefront after being unable to secure capital over the past year. Verdejo added that Hyper Skin is in discussions with a short list of potential partners to determine whether the brand can continue.
Verdejo, a former lawyer and owner of Harlem beauty retailer Vivrant Beauty, launched Hyper Skin in 2019. The brand participated in Sephora’s Accelerate program in 2021 before launching at the beauty specialty retailer later that year.
Oliveda International is preparing for a planned Nasdaq listing in 2027. In a press release, the company said its Olive Tree People subsidiary generated $104.5 million in revenue in its second year in North America after reaching $6.5 million in its first year. The direct-selling brand also reports to have more than 70,000 consultants and a valuation exceeding $1 billion.
Oliveda said the listing would support its ambitions to surpass $1 billion in revenue by 2030. The company is opening a flagship store on Los Angeles’ Abbot Kinney Boulevard and plans to unveil a new innovation in October.
Paul Mitchell has quietly launched at Sephora, where it now sells 36 haircare products online across its Tea Tree, Awapuhi Wild Ginger and Super Skinny collections. The brand’s products at the retailer range from $12 to $56.
The debut comes as Sephora continues to expand its professional haircare assortment. In June, Unite Hair launched on Sephora’s website ahead of a rollout to 300 stores, following its expansion to all Ulta Beauty locations. Paul Mitchell and Unite join salon-founded professional haircare brands including Redken, Pureology and Bumble and bumble at the beauty specialty retailer.
Mike McNeil has been named CEO of Half Magic Beauty, according to a LinkedIn post from McNeil. He joins the color cosmetics brand after serving as CMO at Danessa Myricks Beauty. Earlier in his career, he held senior marketing roles at Lawless Beauty, Huda Beauty, Milani Cosmetics, Jouer Cosmetics and Anastasia Beverly Hills.
Founded in 2022 by Emmy Award-winning “Euphoria” makeup artist Donni Davy in partnership with entertainment company A24, Half Magic raised its first outside funding in 2023 in a round led by Alliance Consumer Growth with participation from A24, Imaginary Ventures and Access Entertainment to fuel retail expansion. The brand is available at Ulta.
Just one week after launching in roughly 2,000 Target stores, Based Bodyworks said it sold through 70% of its inventory and became the retailer’s No. 1 men’s hairstyling brand.
Elena Frankel and Carolyn Barber, early champions of indie beauty through Boston retailer E6 Apothecary, have shuttered their own brand, Flyte.70. They attributed the decision to a volatile economic, environmental and political climate that has hurt small and midsize businesses and altered consumer spending habits.
In a lengthy farewell on social media, they also criticized overconsumption, constant product launches, influencer-driven FOMO and Amazon’s growing dominance. Flyte.70 targeted women over 40, a demographic they noted has received far greater attention from beauty brands since the company’s launch five years ago. The co-founders wrote, “The most important takeaway is that women in midlife now have a seat at the table.”
Vacation’s high-low distribution strategy just took another step. Following a high-profile Sephora launch in June, the throwback sunscreen brand has entered Walgreens. Its retail footprint also includes Target, Ulta, Nordstrom, Costco, CVS and Erewhon.
The Walgreens expansion comes after Vacation’s recent investment from VMG Partners. Coinciding with the brand’s Sephora launch, GM London Krupski described it as having a “very intentionally blurred channel mix,” adding, “Sunscreen is bought by everyone. Why limit it to a specific class of trades?”
Fekkai has halted direct-to-consumer sales, at least for now. On its site and in a May 29 email to customers, the haircare brand said its DTC assortment is sold out and unavailable for purchase, directing shoppers to Macy’s and Amazon.The company didn’t provide a reason for the change or indicate whether direct-to-consumer sales will return. On Ulta’s site, only two Fekkai products remain.
The email predated the public release of testimony in which Jeffrey Epstein’s former assistant Sarah Kellen accused Frédéric Fekkai of sexual abuse, allegations he has denied through a spokesperson. The celebrity hairstylist launched his namesake haircare brand in 1995. Procter & Gamble acquired it in 2008 before it changed hands again in 2015. Fekkai bought the brand back in 2018 in partnership with Cornell Capital through holding company Blue Mistral, which also owns French-inspired beauty brand Bastide. Bastide’s site similarly says products are out of stock and unavailable for purchase.
Noon World has launched in 878 Target stores nationwide with its functional gummies, Chill, Focus and Sleep. The products retail for $27.99 for a 30-day supply. Founded in 2024 by friends Jane Kate Wong, Julie Hwang and Christine Wong, the brand joins a growing roster of emerging wellness brands at Target as the retailer expands beyond legacy vitamins and supplements.
Glimmr has launched at Target stores nationwide with eight haircare products, including its 10-Minute Superfood Hair Mask and Superfood Bond Repair Serum. The assortment ranges in price from $15.99 to $34.99. Founded five years ago in Melbourne by husband-and-wife duo Colin and Olivia McGuire, Glimmr focuses on superfood-powered haircare.
Hyper Skin, the skincare brand founded by Desiree Verdejo in 2019 that launched at Sephora in 2021, has paused operations after being unable to secure capital over the past year.
Finnsul has launched in around 1,500 Ulta stores nationwide. The cognitive wellness brand co-founded by Tarte Cosmetics founder Maureen Kelly and her sons, Finn and Sully McDonough, sells six electrolyte and nootropic drink mixes, including Focus and Sleep. The products retail for $39.99. The launch is the latest sign of Ulta’s emphasis on wellness.
Ceremonia has closed its SoHo flagship after just over three years. Opened in 2023, the 750-square-foot store was designed as a “Latin American oasis” and a physical extension of the brand as it accelerated its omnichannel strategy, particularly its expansion at Sephora.
At the time, founder Babba Rivera described the store as “a billboard in the middle of SoHo” that would deepen brand storytelling and complement Ceremonia’s growing wholesale business. Today, the brand is sold through retailers including Sephora, Credo Beauty, Revolve, Shopbop and Space NK.
PaintLab expanded into more than 1,000 CVS stores nationwide last month. The self-funded, family-owned press-on nail brand is building on its momentum at Walmart, where it has distribution in roughly 2,500 stores. PaintLab specializes in trend-driven, salon-inspired nail designs at accessible prices.
Loops Beauty is launching in 1,400 Walmart stores on Aug. 17, with additional doors slated by year-end. The rollout of its Double Take and Weekly Reset hydrogel face masks builds on the brand’s existing distribution at Target, Ulta and Amazon.