EPISODE · Jul 27, 2026 · 5 MIN
Merit Draws Prestige Capital, K18 Bets on Hair Longevity
from Beauty in Five
Semcap's Petrou takes board seat at Merit. Ex-Unilever Prestige chief Vasiliki Petrou is joining the minimalist brand's board via a Semcap minority investment, a signal of institutional capital entering the minimalist skin-care segment. (Cosmetics Business) K18 launches £110 'hair longevity' serum. K18 is extending the anti-ageing 'longevity' framing from skin care into prestige hair care, with benefit claims stated by the brand rather than independently verified. (Cosmetics Business) Beauty bodies criticise hospitality-only business rates cut. Trade voices are calling a new business rates reduction for hospitality venues a 'slap in the face,' framing beauty's exclusion as a sign it sits outside targeted tax support. (Cosmetics Business) Indian beauty brands expand across retail and exports. Indian beauty is being described by industry accounts as both a fast-growing domestic market and an emerging export source as trade barriers ease. (https://www.personalcareinsights.com) Also moving today: GS Global Enters Beauty Distribution With K-Beauty Expansion Into Japan (Global Cosmetics News) Katia Beauchamp Returns to Beauty With Nail Care Brand (WWD Beauty) EXCLUSIVE: GHD Launches Sculpt, Its First AI Styling Tool That Adjusts to Hair Temperature, With Zero Damage (WWD Beauty) Glossy Pop Newsletter: Ulta Beauty to welcome dupe fragrance brand Oakcha to hundreds of stores (Glossy) Get Beauty in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://beautyinfive.com
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What this episode covers
Cosmetics Business reports that minimalist brand Merit has taken a minority investment from Semcap's Beauty and Wellness vertical, led by former Unilever Prestige chief Vasiliki Petrou, who joins Merit's board; the amount was not disclosed. The same outlet reports K18 has launched its FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum at 110 pounds, and covers the British Beauty Council branding UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's 20 percent business rates cut for hospitality venues a slap in the face for excluding salons and retailers. Personal Care Insights frames India, with a beauty market past 30 billion US dollars, as the sector's next growth chapter, while Global Cosmetics News, WWD and Glossy track GS Global's move into Japan, Birchbox cofounder Katia Beauchamp's new nail line Buff Beauty, GHD's AI styling tool Sculpt, and dupe fragrance brand Oakcha entering Ulta stores.
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Merit Draws Prestige Capital, K18 Bets on Hair Longevity
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