In this month’s Beauty Buzz, here’s the latest news.

Market intelligence specialist Mintel has expanded its range of data collection with the acquisition of Black Swan Data, an AI-native company that specializes in analyzing and predicting trends from social media.

The partnership combines Mintel’s consumer, product, and category expertise with Black Swan’s real-time social predictive analytics, giving CPG brands “a clearer, more dynamic understanding of what’s emerging and why it matters.” 

“Mintel’s acquisition of Black Swan Data unites our strengths in structured data, advanced technology, human expertise, and real-time social analytics to deliver unparalleled predictive intelligence for our clients,” said Matt Nelson, Mintel CEO. 

“This data sharing agreement unlocks access to a new level of insight into the beauty space, including expansive point-of-sale coverage of Sephora’s omnichannel business, increasing NielsenIQ’s total coverage of beauty.”

Ulta Beauty Buys Space NK

Ulta Beauty has acquired Space NK Limited, a leading British beauty retailer, from Manzanita Capital, a specialist in the beauty sector.

Space NK retails some of the world’s “most innovative beauty brands” and sells via 83 stores in the UK and Ireland, and online. Space NK will operate as a standalone subsidiary of Ulta Beauty and will continue to be led by its existing management team, including Space NK CEO Andy Lightfoot.

Kecia Steelman, president and CEO of Ulta Beauty, said, “We are excited to enter the UK market via the Space NK banner. International expansion is an integral part of our Ulta Beauty Unleashed plan, and the acquisition of Space NK offers a unique and strategically compelling opportunity to enter the growing UK market with a successful and growing brand. Along with our initiatives in Mexico and the Middle East, we are creating a broader platform for Ulta Beauty to unlock long-term, profitable growth.”

GPI Beauty’s ‘R4 Industrial USA’ Opens Manufacturing Facility in Las Vegas

R4 Industrial USA, a division of GPI Beauty, has opened its state-of-the-art 76,000-square-foot flexible tube manufacturing facility in Las Vegas. This strategically located facility will serve as both a U.S. Customs Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and a Fourth-Party Logistics (4PL) hub, poised to redefine packaging standards across North America.

“This facility represents a groundbreaking evolution in North American packaging production,” said Robert Tognetti, CEO of R4 Industrial USA. “With our unique combination of speed, cost efficiency, and sustainability, we are enabling brands to innovate while significantly reducing their operational impact.”

Key highlights include: duty-free storage and tariff deferral; flexible storage & partner support; reduced carbon footprint; robust production capacity (capable of producing up to 100 million units annually); technological excellence (featuring multi-layer extrusion, automated capping, silk screening, and offset printing for premium packaging solutions); accelerated speed to market; positive local impact; sustainable, integrated solutions; and more. 

Innovative Beauty Group and Centdegrés Form Global Partnership 

Innovative Beauty Group (IBG), a global beauty solutions leader with $380 million in annual revenue, has entered a strategic partnership with Paris-based Centdegrés, a leading design and branding agency. Together, they have formed a comprehensive platform that supports beauty brands and retailers from concept development to launch—offering creative, technical, and global execution capabilities.

According to the two companies, this alliance responds to a growing need in the beauty industry: accelerating product innovation while building distinctive, resonant brand identities in a crowded global marketplace. “With heightened pressure on speed, differentiation, and sustainability, IBG and Centdegrés aim to be the go-to partner for brands navigating this evolving landscape.”