Meanwhile, LVMH’s perfumes and cosmetics division reported 2% organic sales growth to €1.9 billion in the third quarter of the year. The company said that the US remained stable in the first nine months of 2025.
The US has become more strategically important for beauty labels, but prioritizing the region is not a sure-fire way to mitigate soft Chinese and travel retail sales. As more brands invest in the market, competition for American dollars is heating up. To stay ahead, brands will need to lean into their heritage and prove their genuine intentions to the American consumer, by offering convenient services that merge storytelling with strong product placement.
Dominique Temple, founder and CEO of communications agency DT Consulting, which works with top beauty labels including Dr. Barbara Sturm and Rhode, says that a strong US market launch should blend storytelling, strategic retail positioning, influencer partnerships and cultural immersion. “It’s important to clarify your brand positioning while anchoring your credibility, whether that’s through hero products, expert authority or an aligned retail channel partner,” she explains.
Meeting the consumer where they are
A large portion of American consumers will buy into luxury and premium beauty “without the bells and whistles other markets require”, says Marc Elrick, CEO and founder of UK-based skincare brand Byoma, which is stocked at Ulta Beauty, Target and Amazon. These mass market retailers, which focus on convenience and ease over the “frills” of luxury shopping, are a key vehicle for brand discovery and expansion in the US, particularly with younger consumers.
Beauty is one of the fastest-growing categories for Amazon in the US, reaching more than a hundred million unique beauty customers per month. Amazon currently stocks scores of premium labels, including Elemis, Olaplex, Lancôme and Tatcha, with ambitions to scale its premium beauty business, former general manager of Amazon Beauty US Stores Melis Del Rey told Vogue Business at a recent event. (Del Rey was tapped last week to lead Supergoop as CEO.) International labels are adopting the platform in response. Charlotte Tilbury launched on Amazon Beauty in September, in addition to existing stockists Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom and Bluemercury.
Ulta Beauty is another key platform for international labels looking to scale across the States. The retailer raised its full-year sales guidance last week, after outperforming forecasts for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, buoyed by healthy demand for fragrances and skincare, per the company. International brands are leading the charge: fragrance saw double-digit growth, led by Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana, with skincare spikes led by K-Beauty brands, which Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman said “continues to resonate and drive” sale.