Estée Lauder Bought Too Faced Cosmetics for So Much Money (UPDATE)
By Rachel Jacoby Zoldan. Photos: Courtesy of Brand.
UPDATE (November 15, 2016): A spokesperson for Estée Lauder confirmed the news to Allure this morning—specifically, that Estée Lauder Bought Too Faced for a whopping $1.45 billion—along with the finalization of its purchase of Becca Cosmetics. Both companies "complement their existing brand portfolio through their distinctive positioning," a point that was elaborated on in a call with financial investors this morning.
Likewise, Too Faced co-founders Jeremy Johnson and Jerrod Blandino, were feeling the love (and, I can only imagine, the $1.45 billion). “We are delighted to be joining forces with The Estée Lauder Companies as we continue to drive Too Faced’s dynamic growth,” the duo said in a release. “We started our careers behind the counters of the Estée Lauder brand, so this is truly a ‘homecoming’ for us.”
Pretty cool they started out at the beauty counter, right? Just goes to show you that pursuing your passion—even a tongue-in-cheek, sassy AF makeup line with products that are literally Better Than Sex—can really pay off. In other words: keep dreaming.
Originally published November 14, 2016.
I know you guys love Too Faced—I mean, why wouldn't you, with its cute packaging and all? (Need proof? PBJ and Peach, right this way.) Turns out we're not the only fans—beauty giant Estée Lauder is too. And on the heels of the recent acquisition of Becca Cosmetics (along with L'Oreal snagging It Cosmetics for a cool $1.2 billion), my jaw dropped when I first learned that Estée Lauder bought Too Faced Cosmetics, to the tune of $1.4 billion. What's more is that this is the largest financial acquisition the Estée Lauder Companies have ever taken under their wing—even with an already-accrued, impressive range of brands including Origins, M.A.C., La Mer and Clinique—according to the news, first reported by WWD.
While I was surprised, this was actually all a well-crafted plan courtesy of the Estée Lauder Companies, of course. So just as they announced the purchase of Too Faced, they finalized their deal on Becca Cosmetics—which they paid an estimated $230 million for—in an effort to attract the always-sexy "millennial" audience. Being a (not necessarily sexy) Millennial, you've got my attention.
“The acquisition of Too Faced is complementary to our portfolio of brands because it has a unique feminine and Millennial communication focus, which is really complementary with very little cannibalization with the rest of our makeup portfolio,” Fabrizio Freda, president and chief executive officer of, told WWD. And I couldn't agree more, to be honest: The fun, care-free attitude of Too Faced's products are undeniable, and its founder, Jerrod Blandino, continues to keep us chomping at the bit with his trademarked #sneakypeeks at upcoming products. And this particular #sneakypeek, you guys, is a game changer.
Blandino, who takes to Instagram frequently to #sneakypeek goodies (including the latest, the Natural Love palette), spoke out about the exciting news in an IG video with co-founder, though its since been deleted.
Allure has reached out to both Too Faced and Estée Lauder for comment and will update this post as information comes in.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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