The New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) is known for introducing the latest and greatest in ingredient and product innovation. This year’s event was no different. Launched in 2021, this year’s NYSCC INDIE 360° pavilion presented a curated assortment of indie beauty brands hand selected by beauty industry veteran Daniela Ciocan. Here, the five brands Beauty News identified as stand outs for their ingredient, packaging, and brand concept innovation.

In an effort to celebrate and discover Black content creators, a new event has been formed by one of their own who saw a need for such a platform within the beauty industry. Quani Burnett, the creator of Beauty4BrownSkin, a platform advocating for equity amongst creators within the beauty space, is hosting the first Black Creator Brunch, to be held at downtown Los Angeles restaurant Manuela on June 26 at 10 a.m.

The world of podcasts expands every day with fresh takes on often taboo topics. The latest brand to enter the world of audio-focused entertainment is The Honey Pot Company, the clean feminine hygiene brand. The company’s new podcast, called “The Honey Potluck” looks to spotlight varying views about sex, the vagina, and all subjects relating to both topics.

Consumer-focused private investment firm Bansk Group has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in hair care brands amika and Eva NYC. This marks the firm’s second and third acquisitions in the beauty category, following its 2020 acquisition of Ethique, a plastic-free and vegan-based beauty and wellness brand.

Mindy McKnight wants to make exceptional hair care accessible to all. With an impressive resume boasting more than 1.5 million Instagram followers and 5.6 million YouTube subscribers, her successful hair care brand Hairitage was Walmart’s first by a digitally native social influencer. CEW caught up with Mindy to discuss her journey in building her approachable beauty brand.

Unilever has acquired a majority stake in Nutrafol, a leading provider of hair wellness products. Unilever, which made the announcement on May 31, had previously held a minority stake of 13.2 percent in Nutrafol through Unilever Ventures.

The Make It Black campaign is back for its third season.

Founded by beauty executive Sharon Chuter in 2021, the campaign looks to deliver iconic beauty products in limited-edition black packaging to redefine what it means to be Black and to raise funding for Black founders. This year’s campaign took effect June 9 and teams up with seven beauty brands including Black Radiance, Covergirl, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Hairitage, Shea Moisture, TPH by Taraji, and Uoma by Sharon C.

June marks Pride Month and with that comes a focus on Queer-owned businesses, particularly within the world of beauty and aesthetics. Here, Beauty News presents a selection of Queer-owned brands making major moves in the world of beauty as they give back to their communities.

Beauty brands are taking Pride Month in stride with a number of rainbow-hued releases and philanthropic initiatives to support the LGBTQAI+ community. From virtual parades to charitable donations, here are just a few of the beauty brands celebrating Pride Month.

Most entrepreneurs say success doesn’t happen overnight—with many citing five to 10 years as the average amount of time it takes to get a brand ready for retail. The Good Mineral’s journey is no different, with its brand journey totaling nearly 17 years. Beauty News sat down with The Good Mineral’s co-founder and CEO, Ego Iwegbu, to discuss creating the brand’s first product, Loves You Back 3in1 Powder Foundation, along with fellow co-founder and sister, Natasha Iwegbu, on how they turned a personal experience into a business.