News Briefs

Essence Makeup is bringing variety to its Lash Princess Mascara line. 

The brand announced the launch of a new shade and primer to the collection, which features products that help consumers achieve long and not so dramatic lash looks. 

Following the trend of brown-coated lashes on social media, the Lash Princess Mascara now comes in a brown shade. The mascara features a conically shaped fiber brush to give length and dramatic volume to users for a false lash effect. 

The newly launched Lash Princess Primer, which is made with a pastel green, creamy texture and soft elastomer brush, aims to provide users with extra length and volume that will lay the base for any desired lash look. 

Both the mascara and primer and ophthalmologically tested, with the primer being suitable for contact lens wearers and the mascara is made with caring plant waxes, the brand said. 

Consumers can find essence Makeup’s new Lash Princess Mascara in brown and Lash Princess Primer available for purchase online. 

HRG’s Dave Wendland, vice president, strategic relations, will be moderating the education breakout session, “Bringing Nonfood Destinations to Life,” Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET at the Food Marketing Institute’s  Midwinter Conference. T

The session will focus on how strategically positioning nonfood categories can add items to shoppers’ baskets and bolster loyalty. Panelists Joe Toscano, vice president, trade and industry development, Nestle Purina PetCare Company; Bill Wolfenden, vice president food and alternate channels, Haleon; and Jill Blanchard, president, Advantage Solutions; will share insights about assortment planning, merchandising tactics, omnichannel trends, and digital marketing, and provide creative ideas to engage customers.

Wendland stated, "I'm excited to bring these three industry powerhouses together to explore ways to spotlight nonfoods within the grocery channel. There are unrealized opportunities for grocers to expand sales to current customers and solidify loyalty by focusing on categories such as pet food and digestive health. When shoppers realize these items are competitively priced and recognize how convenient it is to pick them up as part of their regular weekly trip, they’ll wonder why they haven’t been purchasing them at the grocery store all along."

Puig has acquired a majority stake in skin care brand Dr. Barbara Sturm. 

Founded in 2014 by Dr. Barbara Sturm, a doctor best known for her work in the field of anti-inflammatory treatments, the brand offers a range of products that span the skin care, body, hair care and supplement spaces. 

As part of the acquisition, Sturm will retain a minority stake in the company and continue as its chief product development officer and brand ambassador. 

Puig is the parent company of such beauty and fashion brands as Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, Byredo, Carolina Herrera, Paco Rabanne and Jean Paul Gaultier among others. 

Rimmel London is channeling the wonder of the iconic London Eye with its new Wonder’Volume Thrill Seeker Mascara. 

The mascara boasts a whipped and creamy formula that is infused with panthenol to leave lashes feeling softer, smoother and stronger, the brand stated. 

Per the brand, the peanut-shaped mascara brush is designed to separate every lash and features a clump-free formula that does not smudge.

Available in Extremely Black, Black Brown and Waterproof Black, Rimmel London’s new Wonder’Volume Thrill Seeker Mascara retails for $9.99 and can be found at mass-market, drug store, food and e-commerce retailers nationwide. 

High Noon is debuting a limited-edition pack inspired by the sunshine. 

The Snowbird pack, crafted to bring sun-kissed vibes to adult consumers, is made with real vodka and juice. 

"During the winter months, we know our fans seek that extra bit of sunshine in their day," said Brandon Lieb, vice president of Spirit of Gallo. "We wanted to create a bright spot for fans with the High Noon Snowbird Pack, tailor-made for those embracing the sun-drenched snowbird life"

Featuring two flavors—plum and raspberry—each can contain 4.5% alcohol by volume and currently retail for $19.99 per eight-pack. 

HRG has updated and rebranded its Benchmark Performance Analysis program for independent pharmacies. After a thorough review that included gathering feedback from retailers and wholesalers, HRG defined enhancements to improve usability.

Benchmark provides a store-specific assessment of which categories are performing well or under-achieving compared to national averages in an easy to digest and implement format, providing direction community pharmacies can take that will positively impact their front-of-store profitability. The report covers Never Outs performance, measures department sales per square foot against the national average, and offers an item-level detailed review.

Enhancements include the report now being organized by category for an easier-to-follow format. Additionally, a Focus 5 Report has been added, which identifies five HBW departments where pharmacies should focus first to make the biggest impact to their bottom line and satisfy customer demand.

Colleen Volheim, HRG category and research analysis manager, stated, “Pharmacies that put the information provided in Benchmark into action will see an increase in profits. If they dedicate the effort to follow all of the recommendations included in the report they will see a significant impact on their bottom line.”