Makeup by Mario Secures the Bag 💰

Author

CPG WIRE
January 21, 2023

GM and Happy Saturday, folks. There's no "Big Story" this morning but we still have lots to cover. Here's a quick preview:

  • PRIME Energy heads to GNC ⚡️

  • Makeup by Mario lands a big check 💰

  • Jason Momoa's vodka = coming soon 🍸

  • Augustinus Bader gets into retail 🚀

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Indian conglomerate ITC agreed to acquire Yoga Bar, a healthy snack brand founded by sisters Anindita & Suhasini Sampath. ITC will pay around $21.5m for 39.4% of the company, then will buy the remainder in tranches until 2025. Yoga Bar sells some beautiful products. Nestle India was in the mix but seemingly passed. Link

  • UK-based keto snack brand The Curators acquired Cheesies, a baked cheese snack brand from London. Cheesies was founded in 2019 by alums of Innocent Drinks. Link

  • Kadenwood Brands — a wellness company that owns brands like Social CBD, Healist Naturals, and Level Select CBD — acquired global probiotic health brand Probulin. Probulin was founded in 2013. Link

  • Per WWD, luxury cosmetics brand Westman Atelier could be acquired soon. The brand was founded in 2018 and Prelude Growth Partners invested in 2019. Link 

Fundraising

  • TBH, a sustainable and clean label hazelnut spread brand, raised over $700K from 844 investors on investing platform Republic. TBH was founded by Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things. Link

  • Makeup by Mario, a makeup brand founded in 2020 by renowned makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, raised $40m from Provenance and Silas Capital. The brand expects to hit $100m in revenue this year. Link

  • Inclusive beauty retailer Thirteen Lune secured an additional $8m in seed funding. 2022 was a big year for Thirteen Lune: they grew over 2000% year-over-year, launched a private label brand, and landed an in-store partnership with JCPenney Beauty. Link

  • UK-based ethical supplement brand DR. VEGAN raised around $700K from private investors. The company also announced that it exceeded $2m in revenue in year two. Link

  • Redfoo of LMFAO fame (you might remember this song) invested in MaKa, a ready-to-drink wheatgrass brand. Redfoo will also become a Creative Ambassador. Link

  • Canadian vegan footwear brand Grounded People secured $2.5m in funding from Right Season Investments Corp. Link

What's New 😍

  • Actor Jason Momoa of Game of Thrones and Dune (!) fame will launch his new sustainable vodka, Meili Vodka, at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America event in April. Link

  • Skincare unicorn Augustinus Bader partnered with Lanserhof to open The Skin Lab by Augustinus Bader, a skincare treatment center in London. Bader simultaneously opened a second treatment center at The Webster in New York. Very cool. Link

  • Nike collaborated with woman-owned sneaker retailer Premium Goods on a sick pair of shoes. Link

  • Women's wellness brand O Positiv launched a stunning new menopause gummy vitamin. Is O Positiv the best-looking wellness brand since Goli? Link

  • C4 Energy, the energy drink brand that Keurig Dr Pepper invested in a month ago, unveiled a sleek rebrand for its Smart Energy line. An improvement IMO. Link

  • Canadian hydration brand Flow launched a new vitamin-infused water line. Basically Vitamin Water without all the crap. They look good. Link

  • Hims & Hers announced a new line of shampoos and conditioners. The products are available online and at Walgreens. Link

  • Michal Morrison, a new skincare brand from Austin, TX that leverages stem cell science to rejuvenate one's skin, officially launched. Link

  • Mixers brand FICKS collaborated with Buzzfeed on a co-branded line of non-alcoholic cocktail mixers. Link

  • There's a new adaptogenic iced tea brand, Space Tea. Kinda fun packaging. Link

Data 🖥️

  • 818 Tequila, the tequila brand founded by Kendall Jenner, sold 120,000 cases in its first year. Link

  • The most searched beauty brands. Link 

  • Alcohol-free spirits sales soar in the UK. Link

  • Cosmetics brand Trinny London hit almost $30m in revenue. Link

Distribution News 🚚

  • PRIME Energy launched at over 2,000 GNC stores.

  • UK skincare brand Facetheory will launch exclusively at Sephora Asia.

  • WunderEggs is now available nationwide at Whole Foods.

  • Kiwi non-alc cocktail brand Free AF will launch at Sprouts in March.

  • MingsBings launched at Publix and Sprouts.

  • Tip Top Cocktails will launch their Espresso Cocktail on Delta Airlines.