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A Mid-Year M&A Check-In

Priya Rao parses the current state of beauty deals with a spotlight on Waldencast’s sale of Obagi Medical.

Β© Shutterstock

2026 has been a moderate year for M&A, despite the collapse of Puig and Lauder's consolidation talks.
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EstΓ©e Lauder’s SoHo Takeover; The Death of the Great American Beauty Brand

This week, I’m eyeing the battle for fragrance relevance and pondering Coty’s makeup mess.

Β© Courtesy of EstΓ©e Lauder Companies

Just a few weeks ago, EstΓ©e Lauder Companies sequentially opened stores right next to each other on Prince Street for some of its biggest fragrance brands, including FrΓ©dΓ©ric Malle, Kilian Paris, Jo Malone and Tom Ford Beauty, creating its very own scent row.
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