Sal

One day 🥹… @Farah Dhukai

13-hour flight from Toronto to Dubai… to challenge @Farah Dhukai’s logic. Now I’m broke, moisturized (thanks to The Reser cream), and humbled. 🙇

You BETTER like, share, and comment something nice for my wife @Farah Dhukai…. OR ELSE! 😤😤😤 #babyclothes #Relationship #wife

Hailey Bieber sells Rhode for $1 Billion to e.l.f Cosmetics… before entering retail. While Rhode is entering Sephora this fall, they managed to sell without the heavy retail overhead—thanks to the timing of their deal with e.l.f. 😎 Most beauty brands have to prove themselves in retail before getting acquired, but Rhode worked out the perfect deal, timing their retail launch with e.l.f.’s help. This means Rhode doesn’t have to carry the weight of retail costs on its own. It’s like having the best of both worlds—a massive brand acquisition and a smooth retail entry. - #rhode #elf #elfcosmetics

Most people don’t realize what a bold — and complicated — move this is. In 2017, @Huda took a minority investment from private equity firm TSG at a reported $1.2B valuation. PE investments like that can be incredibly powerful. They help scale operations, expand globally, and even give founders access to some liquidity without selling the whole company. But here’s what we don’t always hear about: Private equity firms typically want a 3–5x return within 5–7 years. That means pressure to grow fast — and eventually exit. And if the founder isn’t ready to sell? The firm can sell their shares to someone else. A different partner, with new demands and a new vision. That’s the part that’s rarely talked about — the emotional cost of handing your brand to people who may not understand what you’ve built. Which is why Huda’s decision to buy those shares back is so significant. It may not have been the most financially “logical” move — but sometimes staying in control is the win. Especially when the brand is so deeply personal. We’ve felt this too, on a smaller scale. Years ago, we pulled out of retail and intentionally scaled our business back to focus on something we couldn’t put a price on: our TTC journey. It wasn’t the best financial decision. But for us, it was the right one. And that’s what makes Huda’s story so powerful. She’s not chasing the highest bidder. She’s still building her brand, on her own terms. And that’s rare. — #HudaKattan #HudaBeauty #PrivateEquity #BeautyBusiness @Huda Beauty

What happened to Drunk Elephant? 🤔 let’s talk about it. #drunkelephant #BeautyTok #businesstiktok

This isn’t emotional eating. It’s user feedback processing 🍮🧁 Should I make this a series on “emotionally unavailable business advice”? — #latenightthoughts #therapy

I wasn’t sure if this update was worth sharing, because this is currently a failed launch 😥…… We started working on this formula in June 2024… and a year later, we still haven’t launched. I’m currently testing the latest lab submission on my skin, while Dyna—my chemist—is running stability tests in the lab. She’s made over 100 versions of this formula so far. For context: The Reset Cream, one of our most complex products to date, took a little over 30 trials to get right. A typical skincare formula? Usually finalizes within 3–5 trials. This one? We’ve crossed 100. Why? Because we’re pushing boundaries. It’s a complex blend of ingredients—using a proprietary 10% active blend that has never been done before. And that kind of innovation doesn’t come easy. Some days it’s the thickener. Other days, the preservative system. Sometimes… it’s everything at once. This is the most challenging formula we’ve ever attempted—and we still don’t know if we’ll be able to make it work. But this is the part of product development most people never see. Not every formula makes it to the shelf. And sometimes, the hardest formulas… are the ones worth fighting for. cc: 👩‍🔬 @notyourchemist — #farsali #productdevelopment #skincare

Wife or work? Formulating products is hard… formulating the right answer with your wife in the room? Harder.