| Cult Beauty | |
| Type: | Online shopping |
| Founded: | 2008 |
| Headquarters: | Manchester Airport |
| Location City: | Manchester |
| Location Country: | United Kingdom |
| Owner: | THG plc |
| Founder: | Alexia Inge and Jessica DeLuca |
| Editors: | --> |
| Products: | Cosmetics |
| Rev: | --> |
| Intl: | --> |
| Num Employees: | --> |
| Parent: | THG Beauty |
| Subsid: | --> |
| Reg: | --> |
| Users: | --> |
| Content Licence: | --> |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
Cult Beauty is a web store which sells cosmetics and specialises in independent brands. It was acquired by THG plc for £291.3m in 2021 and migrated into the company's Ingenuity e-commerce platform.
Cult Beauty was established in 2008 by Jessica DeLuca and Alexia Inge with the aim to simplify hair and beauty retail online. The brand had a focus on sustainable beauty and transparency within the industry.[2] Inge reportedly became frustrated while working as a model by the "illusion" of brands not being accurately represented in celebrity makeup endorsements.[3] The website offered a curated list of around 250 products based on a panel of unaffiliated experts’ recommendations.[4] [5] [6]
In 2011, the brand received the first round of investment from Murray Salmon, former Chief Financial Officer of Net-a-Porter and Mark Quinn-Newall, a co-founder of Net-a-Porter.[7] Carmen Busquets was appointed chair of the board in October 2020.[8]
Although based in the UK, most of the Cult Beauty's business was from international sources.[6] The company recorded sales growth to £123.4 million in 2020, citing the surge in online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
In August 2021, Cult Beauty was acquired by THG plc in a £275 million deal.[10]