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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Clean Beauty’s Quiet Comeback

Credo Beauty has added stylish clean makeup brand Saie to its portfolio, as the category enters a mature, results-driven era.
Credo Boutique
Credo Beauty is known for its well vetted roster of clean beauty, as well as a warm and welcoming curated shopping experience. (Credo Beauty)

Key insights

  • Saie launches into Credo Beauty, marking a major retail milestone for the clean makeup brand, highlighting the retailer's focus onto a new “Clean 2.0” era of transparent, high-performance beauty.
  • Plus, the most exciting beauty products launched between Feb. 27 and March 6.

Welcome to Haul of Fame, your weekly roundup tracking the new products and ideas driving the beauty industry forward.

Included in today’s issue: Billie Eilish, Celine, Chloé Parfums, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Facegym, Hairstory, Indē wild, Megababe, Paume, Rhode, Schwarzkopf and Tata Harper.

But first…

On Thursday, the models of Chloé’s AW26 show paraded down the runway in a full face of Saie, their cheeks rosy and skin dewy. It followed a busy week for the clean makeup label which, after years of anticipation, finally launched into retailer Credo Beauty on Wednesday.

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“It’s got the maximum space that we would ever give a brand,” Credo Beauty chief executive and co-founder Annie Jackson told The Business of Beauty. “We have about 12 core colour brands where you can sit someone down and do a full face of makeup. This is a very selective process for us.”

Credo opened its first doors in 2014, and Saie launched in 2019, quickly becoming popular for its makeup range formulated without parabens, sulphates and silicones. A Saie assortment of 109 product SKUs, including the newly launched Super Suede Radiant Baked Bronzer, rolled into all Credo stores across wall-fitted shelves and gondolas, flanked by exaggerated, colourful billboards of its bestselling Dew Blush and Dew Bronze. “We thought a lot about how we wanted the brand to be represented in Credo, because it is a different format,” said Saie founder and chief executive Laney Crowell.

Saie x Credo
Crowell shared that the Skin Suede product launch, retailer rollout and PFW moment aligned by design: "We wanted to be everywhere all at once." (Courtesy)

Part of that representation hinged on timing: to Jackson, a successful launch needs a compelling story. “The differentiator with Credo Beauty is that the founder behind the brand is just as important,” she said. Coinciding with the launch is Saie’s appointment of its first chief sustainability officer, environmental activist Lauren Singer. “Laney is walking the walk and doing the work, and our guest recognises it and appreciates it,” Jackson added.

Though the clean beauty boom that birthed Credo is long gone, demand for consciously formulated products has only increased: according to consumer research platform Attest, 63 percent of consumers in the US seek products with natural ingredients, while the clean beauty tag has amassed over 1.9 billion views on TikTok alone. But beauty “greenwashing”, as well as the perception that a clean formula means foregoing efficacy, has left some customers confused on what the category is really offering.

While “clean” is still an unregulated term, Credo has upheld one of the strictest standards in the industry — taking into account not only ingredients but supply chain and sustainability — and is raising its own bar with Credo Qualified. An internal regrouping for the retailer, the conversations centre around requiring more stringent vetting for companies wishing to gain Credo certification, with clarity around referrals for labs, contract manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. “We didn’t want to drive market share to suppliers that were creating really clean products, but had no transparency around recyclability or climate accountability,” said Jackson. For its part, Saie is providing a field team in store to educate customers, as well as investing in clinicals that show the skincare benefits of their cosmetics.

Saie x Credo
"From the comments on social media, everybody is so thrilled. The community reception has been bananas," said Jackson. (Courtesy)

But Credo Beauty is truly entering its next grown-up phase of clean beauty with Saie. Though the retailer launched more skincare, ingestible and cosmetics brands than usual in 2025, Saie is by far its splashiest launch. It signals growing consumer demand for sophistication within the clean makeup category: the “clean” aspect needs to land, but so does the “beauty”.

“What’s really exciting about clean makeup, specifically, is that it went from having to compromise on the way products performed, to now getting a whole host of benefits,” said Crowell, who added that the next phase will see clean makeup expanding into heavier coverage, artistry and expression.

“Brands that are leading with science backed innovation are very top of mind,” said Jackson. “For our customers it’s not a bonus: they expect it.”

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What else is new…

Skincare

Who: Tata Harper

What: Crème Supreme

When: March 2

Why: Speaking of clean beauty, Tata Harper has launched its most expensive moisturiser yet: the luxurious Crème Supreme ($248), a seven-in-one anti-aging formula. As premium brands of all kinds double down on more expensive formulas, its seems the luxury skincare market has plenty of room to grow.

Makeup

Who: Céline

What: Beaute Lip Balms

When: March 2

Why: Following the success of its satin lipstick, Céline has introduced eight matte finished balms ($78) to its lip collection. Currently exclusive to Harrods, they’ll be available in Céline boutiques and luxury retailers worldwide from April.

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***

Who: Rhode

What: Sarah Pidgeon campaign

When: March 9

Why: Has Rhode pinched Skims’ crown as the leaders of reactive marketing? This week, the brand tapped Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon to announce new shades of its Peptide Lip Tint, Lip Cases and Pocket Blush — including the brand’s first ever true rouge ($25).

Rhode
The campaign marks the actress' first commercial foray into beauty, while highlighting the brand's nimble response to pop-culture. (Rhode via Instagram)

Fragrance

Who: Billie Eilish

What: Eilish No. 3

When: March 6

Why: Billie Eilish is quietly doing the popstar perfume thing very well. This week, by popular demand, the previously limited-edition Eilish No. 3 ($82) returned to Sephora shelves full-time.

***

Who: Chloé Parfums

What: Mediterranean Essences

When: March 5

Why: A week after accusing Vogue of plagiarising his La Watch Party concept, founder Lyas welcomed Chloé Parfums to his screening of Chloé’s AW show, where the brand debuted its brand new Mediterranean Essences fragrance collection ($140).

Hair care

Who: Schwarzkopf

What: Keratîme Care & Styling Collection

When: March 3

Why: While they might opt for a fancy scalp oil, many shoppers still want affordable shampoos that they can pick up at the grocery store. To cater to them, Schwarzkopf has unveiled a Walmart-exclusive bond building line (from $14), its first consumer-facing bond building technology since the discontinuation of Gliss.

***

Who: E.l.f. Cosmetics

What: Power Grip Stick & Slick Hair Gel and Brush

When: March 4

Why: E.l.f. Cosmetics has expanded its power grip franchise into hair care, with a limited-edition hair gel wand ($5), as well as a pomade and brush bundle ($11). Though E.l.f. fans are rejoicing, the edge-control category is already pretty crowded: Whether the brand has managed to crack a slick-not-crunchy finish will be the real test.

E.l.f. Cosmetics
E.l.f. Cosmetics' power grip primer gained popularity with its grippy, tacky texture — which seamlessly translates into edge control. (E.l.f. Cosmetics via Instagram)

***

Who: Hairstory

What: Ulta Beauty

When: Announced March 3

Why: Following ten years as a purely direct-to-consumer business, Hairstory is entering 370 Ulta stores in April (from $28). The pro-favourite brand said that its shelf space will focus on education, guiding new customers through the process of using the detergent-free no-foam range.

***

Who: Indē wild

What: Sephora launch

When: March 4

Why: Diipa Büller-Khosla’s hair care brand (from $17) entered Sephora stores this week, as its fellow Ayurvedic beauty player Forest Essentials is snapped up by Estée Lauder.

Body care

Who: Paume

What: Hydrating Antibacterial Hand Mist

When: March 5

Why: High-end handcare brand Paume has distilled its non-drying sanitiser formula into a handsome mist pod (from $14). It rounds out Paume’s range of hygiene products, serums and treatments, as anti-ageing handcare becomes more top of mind for consumers.

Paume
The mist contains niacinamide and aloe to hydrate and nourish the skin as it cleans away germs. (Paume)

***

Who: Megababe

What: Thigh Rescue Gel

When: March 3

Why: Megababe’s Thigh Rescue Stick is the clear stand-out of the anti-chafing category. It’s only natural the brand would build a franchise: Thigh Rescue Gel which dropped this week (exclusively at Target, from $14), is a high-performance upgrade, built to withstand higher heat and sweat conditions.

Other

Who: Facegym

What: Next-generation Pro device

When: March 3

Why: As the beauty tech category becomes increasingly saturated, brands must ensure that they stay on the cutting edge. Following the likes of Ziip, Facegym has revamped its microcurrent device, the Facegym Pro ($799), with a higher voltage and improved ergonomic design.

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Further Reading

Can Nars Keep Winning Complexion?

With its biggest launch in years, Nars is hoping to consolidate its reputation as a category leader in foundations and concealers. But the fight to stay on top has never been harder.

Inside Sephora’s Bet on Biotech

Biotech skincare brand Mother Science will debut on Sephora next week as the retailer accelerates its push into lab-developed beauty alongside brands like U Beauty.

How To Launch Skincare That Sticks

Consumers of face masks are seeking more convenient formats and clinical grade efficiency — prompting a maturation of sorts for the stalwart skincare subcategory.

About the author
Rachael Griffiths
Rachael Griffiths

Rachael Griffiths is a Senior Editorial Associate at The Business of Beauty. She is based between St Helens and London, and covers beauty, wellness and industry news.

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