A summer roundup of news from the beauty industry: amidst flagging results and economic turbulence

As summer draws to a close, it’s time to take stock for global beauty players. The 2025 summer season has been marked by mixed financial publications, against a backdrop of slowing consumer spending, markets that have become unpredictable and, above all, the forthcoming rise in customs duties in the United States.

While some companies fared better than others, all had to contend with a more complex economic reality. Here’s a look at the main players in the sector: France’s L’Oréal and the Americans, Coty and Estée Lauder.

Coty in transition, between falling sales and possible asset disposals

The American group Coty saw its sales fall by 4% in its fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, for net sales of $5.89 billion (€5.07 billion). Demand remains weak, particularly in North America, and retailers are clearing their inventories rather than placing new orders. The group has indicated that it is going through a “transition year” and is counting on a return to growth in the second half of fiscal 2026.

Faced with this tense economic situation, Coty has launched a new phase of transformation called All-in to Win, which involves restructuring around 700 jobs. At the same time, market speculation has been circulating since June about a possible sale of assets, notably in luxury and consumer cosmetics. France’s Interparfums may be in the running.

Estée Lauder deepens losses and accelerates restructuring

For the other American giant, Estée Lauder, the results published at the end of August were particularly alarming. The group recorded a net loss of $546 million in the fourth quarter of its 2025 fiscal year, a figure almost double that of last year. This underperformance is largely due to the implementation of a restructuring plan announced in February, the total cost of which is estimated at between $1.2 and $1.6 billion. In all, between 5,800 and 7,000 jobs will be eliminated worldwide.

The general decline in sales, down 8% for the full year to $14.3 billion (€12.3 billion), affected all segments except perfume, which remained stable. The group was particularly hard hit by the collapse of travel retail sales, which fell by 28%.

Despite this, Estée Lauder remains hopeful of a rebound as early as 2026, betting on a gradual recovery, selective price increases, and double-digit growth in e-commerce. However, management anticipates a negative impact of around $100 million from U.S. tariffs in the current financial year.

L’Oréal forges ahead, buoyed by North America

In this tense climate, L’Oréal is doing rather well. At the end of July, the French group published sales up 1.6% to 22.47 billion euros for the first half of 2025, with net income up 1% excluding exceptional items. The United States is positioned as the main contributor to this growth, despite the introduction of new customs duties of up to 15% on cosmetics imported from Europe.

For the moment, management is downplaying the impact of these tariffs, describing the situation as “manageable”. L’Oréal already manufactures half of its products sold in North America in its four local plants, has built up strategic stocks, notably for its luxury and fragrance ranges, and is planning moderate price adjustments.

The group is also continuing to invest and strengthen its position, with the acquisition announced in June of the Color Wow brand, specialized in hair care products. CEO Nicolas Hieronimus says he is “ambitious” for the second half-year, while acknowledging an uncertain economic climate for both businesses and consumers.

While performances are mixed, global beauty players all share one observation: the market has become more volatile, purchasing behavior more unpredictable, and economic pressures increasingly difficult to circumvent.

Inventory adjustments, restructuring, industrial relocation, price increases, or asset disposals… the strategies differ, but all aim to maintain balance in an environment that has become highly unstable.