L’Oréal Groupe has announced plans to buy the cult favorite hair-care brand Color Wow, whose viral Dream Coat smoothing treatments helped fuel the popular "glass hair" trend.
Known for its innovative anti-frizz and color-safe products, the fast-growing brand was founded in 2012 by veteran product developer Gail Federici. She had previously developed the first mainstream anti-frizz serum on the market, Frizz-Ease, as co-founder of John Freida Professional Hair Care.
“Joining L’Oréal is an amazing opportunity for our team," Federici says. "Being part of the world’s top beauty company will help us keep growing and pushing our products even further.”
With celebrity stylist Chris Appleton as its Global Creative Director, Color Wow has won more than 130 beauty awards.
Color Wow earned cult favorite status right out the gate when its first product, Root Cover Up, became an immediate hit. That success was followed by the anti-humidity sealant Dream Coat, which went viral for creating looks so sleek that hair resembled polished glass.
Other products that boomed in the wake of social media and influencer buzz include Money Mist Leave-in Conditioner and Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer.
It's L’Oréal's latest acquisition for a portfolio of prestige hair-care brands that includes Redken, Kérastase, Shu Uemura, Mizani, and L'Oréal's eponymous line.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Color Wow to the L’Oréal family,” says Omar Hajeri, president of L’Oréal’s Professional Products Division. “As a premium haircare brand ... this acquisition will give us an increased foothold in haircare and in the styling category.
"Convinced of its strong potential, our ambition is to make Color Wow a powerful brand worldwide.”
The deal is subject to regulatory approval. It is the latest in a string of major acquisitions by L'Oréal, including Australian luxury beauty brand Aesop, UK skincare brand Medik8, Korean skincare brand Dr. G, and Danish research company Lactobio.
L'Oréal also nabbed the license to develop luxury beauty products for fashion designer Miu Miu, and is in the process of acquiring the outstanding shares of Swiss environmental tech company Gjosa, which partnered with the beauty giant to develop the L’Oréal Professionnel Water Saver showerhead.