Becca Cosmetics Is Closing Due To COVID-19 Losses
The brand that paved the way for natural, lit-from-within beauty is officially closing its doors come September 2021.
Becca Cosmetics, the brand responsible for see-them-from-space highlighted cheekbones, is the latest company to be hit hard by COVID-19. On February 24, the influential beauty brand announced it would be closing come September 2021.
With a statement shared on Instagram and its website titled “Glowing with Gratitude,” the brand lamented the devastating impact the pandemic has had “on everyone around the world on many levels,” and encouraged Becca lovers to continued to “keep illuminating your true selves.”
“At Becca, an accumulation of challenges, together with the global impact of COVID-19, has sadly been more than our business can withstand, and we have had to make the heartbreaking decision to close down the Becca brand at the end of September 2021,” the statement reads. “We believe in you, and we believe that the beauty inside you is the light you share with the world. We are confident that the spirit of Becca will continue to live on through all of you.”
“Please keep illuminating your true selves. Light your own paths and push your limits. Share positivity and light the way for others as you make an impact on this world. Own your light on your own terms.”
Fans are heartbroken over the news, taking to Instagram to voice their undying love for the brand.
Makeup artist Allan Avendaño commented: “Thank you always for the support you’ve given to all the artists. You will be missed. I can’t imagine my kit without you so I refuse to let that happen.”
Another fan wrote: “But you guys invented highlight. The end of an era. #champagnepopforever.”
The end of an era, indeed.
Becca Cosmetics, founded in 2001 in Australia, was one of the first brands to leverage the power of social media influencer marketing. Its complexion-inclusive, cruelty-free products appealed to the new age of natural, lit-from-within beauty; a major shift from heavy looks that dominated the better part of the 2000s.
The brand saw considerable growth in 2015 when popular makeup YouTuber Jaclyn Hill started talking about it on her channel shortly before the launch of Becca’s hugely successful Champagne Pop Collection. Champagne Pop, a highlighter in the collection, sold 25,000 units within just 20 minutes of going online. Hill went on to release her own line with the brand the following year. Their campaign was launched entirely on social media.
Acquired by Estée Lauder Companies — which also owns big-industry brands like Smashbox, M.A.C and Dr. Jart+ — for $200 million in 2016, Becca maintained strong relationships with influential people, like Hill and actor Barbie Ferreira, and collaborated with its own customers to make a name for itself as a trusted brand with beloved products.
But last year, Estée Lauder Companies announced a huge reduction in their workforce worldwide, effectively laying off about three percent and closing from 10 to 15 percent of their stores.
Although Champagne Pop will become a makeup artifact with collector’s-item status by the end of this year, the brand has had an incredible impact and spearheaded the natural beauty trend that will definitely live on past the pandemic.
