Buzzworthy Beauty Insights Vol 182: K-Beauty Anchors Skin; Haircare Stays Split

Research evidence excerpt

Buzzworthy Beauty Insights Vol 182: K-Beauty Anchors Skin; Haircare Stays Split

rtedly submitted

in May. The potential divestitures come as these brands have faced recent market share erosion,

discounting pressure, and impairment charges. EL has not commented on the report.

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Source: CEW, Pattern

K-Beauty Cont's to Dominate; Olive Young Opens US Doors: Per Nielsen, US K-Beauty sales

reached ~$2.4B in the LTM ended Jan ’26 (+46.7% Y/Y) & accounted for 41% of total facial skincare Exhibit 3 - US Haircare Sales Share by Online

growth. Despite a generally lower price point, the K-Beauty consumer spends ~$1,234/yr (+$280 Marketplace

above avg beauty buyer). Distribution remains structurally digital & discovery-led (AMZN~53%

share, TikTok Shop & ULTA ~11% each, Sephora ~8%). Against this backdrop, Olive Young’s US

B&M entry introduces a scaled, high-velocity retail model (1,380 stores globally; 5K SKUs across

400 brands; ~$4.2B sales), leveraging rapid merch cycles (refreshes every 2-3 wks vs legacy

planograms shifting 1-2x/yr) to better capture viral demand. While this speed-to-mkt is a clear point

of differentiation, the Olive Young model will need to demonstrate durability across cycles, operating

proficiency in a new geo, & scale its store base before it can pose meaningful competitive pressure .Source: CEW, Pattern

on the likes of ULTA & Sephora.

Rhode Summer Launch Strong, Still Subscale to Move ELF Sentiment: Rhode’s Summer ’26

launch is showing strong early velocity, with Highlight Milk, Pocket Bronzer, and Peptide Lip Tint

shades nearing full stock-out and driving the “largest volume of orders in a single day” per a post-

launch Rhode Instagram update. This initial traction signals robust consumer uptake and further