TWO popular beauty brands have crashed into administration and shoppers have been left in tears.
It’s been reported that Brand Agency London Limited, a cosmetics group and parent company of Ciaté and Lottie London, fell into administration last month.
Two viral beauty brands have crashed into administration, leaving shoppers totally gutted[/caption]
Beauty enthusiasts were left crying at the sad news, with many desperate to ‘stock up’[/caption]
In accounts for the year to March 31 2023, its fixed assets were valued at around £315,000 and current assets at close to £10 million.
However, its total equity stood at just £204,200 at the time.
And now, beauty enthusiasts have been left gobsmacked at the sad news – and are desperate to ‘stock up’ on the ‘best mascara’ from Lottie London.
Laura Capon, a Beauty Editor from the UK, took to social media to discuss the heartbreaking news, leaving many open-mouthed.
Posting on Instagram, the beauty guru confessed: “I’ve been doing some investigating and I can’t find anybody who still works for the company, which is awful for all those people that have lost their jobs.
“I was also told that there were efforts to try and save the company, particularly Lottie London, however, it’s been a week and there’s been no update.”
Not only this, but Laura also recognised: “All of the websites for all three retailers are down – you cannot order directly from the website, but you can still buy the products from other retailers.
“And on all their accounts, including Ciaté and Lottie London, there have been no posts since January.
“As well as that, there are a lot of, rightly so, angry customers in the comments who have placed orders as far back as November, not received their orders or their money back and don’t appear to be hearing from anyone.”
Ciaté and Lottie London, as well as Skin Proud, another business affected, were founded by London-based editorial nail technician turned serial beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Knight.
Ciaté, an Indie British brand known for its innovative and approachable beauty, was launched in 2009.
It was originally pushed as a nail brand, known for its iconic Christmas advent calendars.
But by 2015, the brand then pivoted to make-up and became recognised for their impressive celebrity collaborations, after having teamed up with Christine Quinn from Selling Sunset.
Ciaté launched in 2009 and was originally pushed as a nail brand[/caption]
Whilst Lottie London became recognised for its viral products including the Superfake Mascara[/caption]
Meanwhile, Lottie London, the affordable, cruelty free and conscious make-up brand, launched in 2014.
The gen Z brand became recognised for its viral products including the Superfake Mascara, Stamp Liner Wing Edition and Freckle Tint.
Whilst Lottie London enlarged its American distribution by entering 131 CVS doors, the brand has also been sold at Walmart since 2021.
With so much saturation in the industry, if you’re not a Rare, Rhode, or established high-end brand, it’s tough to compete
Instagram user
But now, it appears that beauty buffs may have to say their goodbyes, as Laura recognised that such “mid tier brands” tend to struggle during “tough economic climates”.
Laura recognised that Ciaté and Lottie London have some “great products” and claimed that she “feels for” the brands.
Beauty fans left ‘so sad’
Laura’s social media clip, which was posted under the username @laucapon, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as in less than 24 hours, it has quickly racked up 13,500 views.
Beauty enthusiasts were ‘very sad’ by the news and were eager to ‘stock up’ quickly on their favourite buys from the brands.
I’ll be very sad to see Lottie London and Ciaté go. Need to stock up on the Lottie London mascara!
Instagram user
One person said: “This is so incredibly sad. So many of their products are common reaches in my kit, I was using their palettes just yesterday!
“I’m fed up of celeb brands being the only ones that carry through, can we support female owned British brands more please?!”
Another added: “Oh nooo I’ll be very sad to see Lottie London and Ciaté go. Need to stock up on the Lottie London mascara! One of the best ones out there.”
A third commented: “I loved their mascara and it was sold out a lot of the time.”
Top beauty trends for 2025
Hayley Walker, Beauty Expert at Justmylook spoke exclusively to Fabulous about the big beauty trends for 2025.
Haircare
Hair gloss treatments are a must-have as beauty enthusiasts love the salon-quality shine and enhanced colour delivered by the trending treatment.
Hair glosses are multifunctional as they nourish the hair while offering a vibrant, healthy-looking finish, combining 2025’s core trends. This treatment is perfect for those seeking an affordable, at-home glow-up.
2025 will focus on skin repairing and texture-enhancing treatments.
Skincare
Rejuran treatment, a celebrity-endorsed procedure, will see a rise in demand this year as many seek to enhance the skin’s appearance. The procedure entails injecting polynucleotides derived from salmon DNA to enhance skin texture and elasticity. “Rejuvenation is expected to dominate 2025 skincare trends as many seek to a achieve flawless, youthful complexion.
Skincare routines will also include back-to-basic products for a simplified routine.
Ginseng cleansing oil and panthenol cream are among the trending products for 2025. The cleansing oil is excellent for dissolving makeup and impurities without clogging pores and is enriched with nourishing properties to leave the skin feeling and looking refreshed and radiant.
Makeup
Makeup trends will follow suit to achieve youthful and radiant looks. Under-eye brighteners will be sought-after products for delivering coverage while enhancing natural radiance. This beauty tool will complement natural beauty while improving and brightening dull skin.
Makeup looks will be bigger and bolder in 2025 with cluster lashes expected to surge this year. These lashes bring the glam to glamorous looks as they deliver dramatic volume to enhance everyday or special occasion looks.
Peel-off lip stains circulated the beauty industry in 2024 and are expected to dominate in 2025. The growing popularity of this product is due to its ability to provide long-lasting, transfer-proof colour to lips, enhancing a natural aesthetic. Additionally, cherry-coded aesthetics are expected to be everywhere this year as the deep, rich hue can be achieved using peel-off lip stains or bold lip looks for a dramatic effect.
Nails
2025 will be another year of countless, show-stopping nail trends. Goddess Nails and Aura Nails deserve an honourable mention as these designs channel an ethereal, celestial aesthetic for bold, self-expressing nails.
Meanwhile, someone else sobbed: “Ciaté do my favourite highlighter! I’m so sad to hear this.”
Not only this, but another beauty lover cried: “So sad to see Ciaté go. Their skin tint was phenomenal and so were their luminous powder blushes.
“With so much saturation in the industry, if you’re not a Rare, Rhode, or established high-end brand, it’s tough to compete.”
The ‘challenge’ of being a gen Z brand
Prior to the beauty brands going into administration, as reported by Beauty Independent, business owner Charlotte Knight got candid on the challenges of having brands in the gen Z space.
At the time, Charlotte confessed: “Building brand loyalty with a gen Z is certainly much harder than it is with an older consumer. They also want a lot – and rightly so – but they do demand a lot.
Definitely with the way the world is and rising costs and inflationary pressures and everything else, it is a challenge
Charlotte Knight
“They want the best possible performance, best possible product ingredients. They want the transparency around the product ingredients. They want to pay the lowest possible price.
“They want it delivered free and not be charged for the return. If there’s a return, they want exceptional customer service.”
Not only this, but the entrepreneur then added: “There’s no compromise. So, definitely with the way the world is and rising costs and inflationary pressures and everything else, it is a challenge.
“It certainly tests us to make sure that we put out the best quality product at the lowest possible price as much as we can.”
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