True Botanicals Taps Into the U.K. Market With Cult Beauty
LONDON — As clean beauty brand True Botanicals gets closer to its 10-year anniversary next year, the brand has one thing on its mind: the U.K. market.
So, the brand launched exclusively with retailer Cult Beauty.
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“We noticed that traffic to our site was from the U.K. specifically and that our bio-holistic approach to skin care was resonating,” said Hillary Peterson, founder of True Botanicals, in an interview.
The decision to partner up with Cult Beauty was due to its “high end positioning” and because the site is a “trusted source” for beauty, she said.
The retailer is leaning into conscious beauty, which aligns with Peterson’s values for her brand, she noted.
“They are a digitally native brand, just like we are, so it just made a lot of sense to us to start with them,” said Peterson, who has started expanding True Botanicals into physical retailers in the U.S.
Cult Beauty has become a key player in bringing brands to the U.K. market, from Scarlett Johansson’s The Outset to Milk Makeup.
True Botanicals is part of Cult Beauty’s big skin care focus — in their first month together, the brand has already outperformed their forecasts. Seventeen products from the brand are stocked on Cult Beauty for the U.K. market, from a 24-pound glossy balm; 75-pound Chebula Active Serum to the Renew Repair Nightly Treatment for 110 pounds.
“Their clinical trials speak volumes of their result-driven formulations, and combined with their Made Safe seal for innovation, safety, and sustainability, this brand is perfect for the Cult Beauty customer in every way,” said Francesca Elliot, managing director of Cult Beauty.
Peterson said she hopes this partnership will be a long-term one. The brand has just done the same thing with Nordstrom in the U.S. as it continues to focus on its growth in the U.S.
“At this point, we don’t have other plans for global expansion. We’re one of the top-selling brands at Nordstrom,” she said.
“Our retail launches in the U.S. have been extremely successful. Prior to our launch at Credo, we were the most highly searched brand which has resulted in incredible sell through. And at the Detox Market we have consistently outperformed expectations,” she added.
Brooke Shields, who joined as a face of True Botanicals in 2021, will be hosting a luncheon to celebrate U.K. launch at Claridge’s.
Other notable faces of the brand have included Laura Dern, Olivia Wilde and Rachel Lindsay.
In March, WWD reported that True Botanicals gained a series B investment from San Francisco-based growth equity firm NextWorld Evergreen.
Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, WWD had reported in 2021 that True Botanicals had tapped investment bank Moelis & Company to evaluate deal options, with sources noting at the time that the brand was projecting sales of around $50 million for 2022.
“True Botanicals directly aligns with NextWorld’s deep conviction in clean beauty. It is a very special brand that delivers on quality, modern luxury and proven efficacy and is led by a powerful and proven team of beauty executives,” Tiffany Obenchain, NextWorld Evergreen managing partner, said. NextWorld has also backed clean beauty retailer Credo.
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