Sales: $1.8 billion

Comments: Clarins has a research lab in Pontoise that is staffed with toxicologists, chemists, biochemists, agronomists, pharmacists, biologists, botanists, ethnobotanists, microbiologists, biophysicists and more. This team helped the company create its newest line: Clarins Precious.

This new collection centers around the “exceptionally rare” Moonlight Flower. On the coast of Brittany, France, the moonlight flower blooms one night a year and only for a few hours, according to Clarins. The flowers are harvested by hand and are immediately frozen at -320.8°F to harness Clarins’ exclusive Moonlight Flower cryoextract, which is rich in gallic acid, a powerful antioxidant and soothing molecule. Clarins says this green and natural cryoextraction process preserves the flower’s most fragile, youth-promoting active ingredients.

Clarins research has lead to other new developments. It recently rolled out a reformulated Joli Rouge lip product that now boasts 80% of ingredients that are of natural origin. These components include cold-pressed organic camelia oil and shea unsaponifiable, which is obtained from a fair trade sector in West Africa. Available in 51 shades and three different finishes (satin, shine and matte), the lip color comes in refillable packaging made in France; the cases contain approximately 20% recycled plastic.

In 2022, Clarins uncovered a plant-based alternative to retinol, organic Harungana extract, which is the key ingredient in its Multi-Intensive line.

Sales: $1.9 billion

Clarins is truly a family affair. The newest additions to corporate leadership are Virginie Courtin, who was appointed managing director, and Prisca Courtin, who was named chairman of the supervisory board. Both are granddaughters of company founder Jacques Courtin.

Virginie Courtin is the daughter of Christian Courtin. Since 2018, she served as deputy CEO, a member of board of directors, and head of the company’s CSR policy. Prisca Courtin is the daughter of Olivier Courtin. Since 2018, she has served as deputy CEO of Famille C Venture, the investment firm belonging to the Courtin-Clarins family.

In new product news, the MyBlend range has been completely redesigned. Personalization is the foundation of the concept, made possible by the MySkinDiag mobile app. Using photo analysis and a lifestyle questionnaire, the app generates a personalized assessment of each person’s skin concerns and suggests a solution.

A year ago, the Clarins Spa debuted at Brach hotel in Paris.

Clarins (far right) is among the best-selling luxury skin care brands in the world.

Sales: $1.4 billion

In April, Clarins completed the sale of its Mugler and Azzaro fragrance businesses to L’Oréal. The agreement—initially signed in October, following several months of exclusive negotiations—sees L’Oréal take on Thierry Mugler, Clarins Fragrance Group, Clarins Fragrance Group France, Cosmeurop and Clarins Fragrance Group UK—business activities that added up to nearly $400 million in sales in 2018.

At the time of signing the agreement in October, L’Oréal described the fragrance brands within Clarins Group as “successful, international and iconic.”

“The fragrances industry has changed dramatically in recent years to become one of the most competitive and demanding markets in terms of marketing and investment and critical mass. This project would enable the Mugler and Azzaro brands to continue to grow amid these new conditions,” Clarins said, adding that the sale to L’Oréal ensures that its beauty business reached full potential.

Last year, L’Oréal invested in fragrances with a flurry of important perfume launches: Lancôme Idôle in August; Yves Saint Laurent Libre in September; and Valentino Born in Roma in September.

Sales: $1.9 billion.

At press time, L’Oréal confirmed it has entered in exclusive negotiation with the Clarins Group in view to acquire Mugler and Azzaro. The acquisition under discussion will remain subject to consultation with employee representatives and the approval of the regulatory authorities. It should be completed in 2019, according to L’Oréal.

The purchase would cover Clarins’ fragrance and fashion division, which represents 26% of the group’s overall revenues, or €400 million out of a total of €1.6 billion recorded by the company last year. Three structures are therefore concerned: Clarins Fragrance Group (CFG), which is responsible for Mugler and Azzaro Perfumes, as well as certain Azzaro accessories, (leather, eyewear and watches); Thierry Mugler and its ready-to-wear businesses; and Strasbourg-based fragrance manufacturer Cosmeurop.

With the acquisition of Mugler’s ready-to-wear businesses, which has been led by American designer Casey Cadwallader since 2018, L’Oréal would also be taking its first steps into fashion.

As for the fragrance business, thanks to the global success of Mugler’s Angel and Alien, and Azzaro’s Homme, Chrome and Wanted, the two brands should boost L’Oréal’s already very dynamic luxury division, which currently boasts 22 labels, including four billionaire heavyweights: Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani and Kiehl’s. L’Oréal’s Luxe represents 34.8% of the French group’s revenues and saw a 14.4% increase in comparable sales in 2018, reporting revenues of about $10.9 billion, compared to the growth of 2.5% within L’Oréal’s consumer products division.

“The perfume category is at the heart of our global strategy for growth at L’Oréal Luxe. In this context, we would be thrilled to welcome Mugler and Azzaro: these signatures, with a long history in fashion and olfaction, would perfectly complete our portfolio of brands,” said L’Oréal Luxe President Cyril Chapuy in a release. The two brands would notably reinforce what the cosmetics giant describes on its website as a “portfolio of global brands—the richest and most diverse in the beauty industry.”

Thanks to luxury products and “active cosmetics,” the sales of which have exploded in China recently, L’Oréal saw its annual growth accelerate significantly in 2018, reporting its best performance since 2007.

For Clarins, “this project fulfils the Clarins Group’s ambition to ensure its Beauty business reaches its full potential, while entrusting the Mugler and Azzaro brands to global beauty leader L’Oréal,” as revealed by the company in a release.

It represents a decisive change in strategy at Clarins, which would be saying goodbye to its strongly competitive fragrance category, which is in sore need of significant investments, and refocusing on its namesake brand and its historic cosmetics business. In so doing, the company is seeking to accelerate its international expansion, particularly on China, as well as to invest in leadership talent for its makeup and self-care categories, and boost its digital and omnichannel transformation.

“We know that if the project goes through, our two brands will enjoy optimal conditions as part of L’Oréal Luxe, which will guarantee their future growth, benefiting our employees,” commented Christian and Olivier Courtin-Clarins, president of the supervisory board and managing director of the Clarins Group, respectively.

“We would thus be able to focus on ensuring our Beauty division reaches its full potential,” concluded the two sons of the company’s founder, Jacques Courtin-Clarins, who passed away in 2007.

In other news, Clarins hit the road this past March to showcase its new skin care line. The My Clarins Glow Trip mobile pop-up tour kicked off in Chicago on March 30 and traveled to universities and events nationwide through April 24. The tour showcased the launch of My Clarins, a new vegan range of eight skin care products. The pop-up featured immersive and multi-sensory experiences including an oxygen bar; edible mist that offers a taste of My Clarins’  fruit ingredients; and a prize wall. After Chicago, the mobile tour headed to Pennsylvania, Washington DC, New York City, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona.

Sales: $1.7 billion (estimated).

Fragrances account for about 30% of sales, and cosmetics and makeup, 70%. Clarins is making moves in retail. In May, Clarins opened a pop-up store in the Marais section of Paris. It came nearly a year to the day after the opening of a flagship retail boutique and treatment spa outside Philadelphia. According to retail director Prisca Courtin-Clarins, the company has huge ambitions for its multi-year retail project which runs through 2020. The goal is to create spaces where Clarins can be completely free to express its brand and its values.

Sales: $1.7 billion

Clarins may be a multibillion dollar global business, but it remains a family business, too. The company is overseen by the founder’s sons, who remain committed to Jacques Courtin-Clarins’ vision, and to their employees.

As managing director Dr. Olivier Courtin-Clarins noted, “Our father used to say: ‘What I want is for all Clarins employees to be happy to come to the office on Monday morning.’ So it’s also about making the lives of our employees as beautiful as possible. And then of course, as players in the beauty industry, our goal is to make women more beautiful, more confident… My brother and I test all the products.  It is important for the leaders to know them all.”

Like politics, all cosmetics then, is local. But that doesn’t mean the Clarins Group is against expansion. This year, the company launched its makeup line in India and is partnering with Sanghvi, the largest spa operator in the country.

“India is one of the priorities for Clarins; it is a fast-growing market and is one of the important markets for Clarins globally,” Prisca Courtin, a board member and daughter of Olivier Courtin-Clarins, told reporters. “Clarins is already a market leader in the premium skin care segment here. We realized that makeup is extremely popular in India and keeping that in mind, Clarins is launching its makeup line in India in 2017. We feel that Indians will appreciate that given their inclination towards natural products,” said Courtin.

Back home, last month, Clarins Group moved to its new building located in Paris’ 17th arrondissement on the corner of avenue de la Porte des Ternes and rue Gustave Charpentier. Just like the group’s products, the building takes its inspiration from nature to offer all employees the best possible working conditions. For example, the building relies of biomimcry for cooling operations. Cooling tubes move air underground to recover the freshness of the ground and is modeled on termite mounds.

According to Clarins, this new headquarters represents all of the group’s values: performance using advanced technology, sustainability through its energy and environmental high performance certification, the boldness of its modern architecture, and lastly, respect for both nature and its employees.

The company cafeteria, which opens onto the garden, accommodates a large table so that employees can share their lunch all together. A desire for warmth and friendliness that echoes the feelings of the group’s executives towards those who make a daily contribution to its success.

The seven floors of the building combine cutting-edge technology and environmental awareness, particularly through the automatic control of lighting, innovative and low consumption heating and air conditioning systems, as well as rainwater collection for watering green spaces.

Sales: $1.7 billion

The plant’s the thing at Clarins. Each year company researchers study about 300 new plants from around the world, testing each to uncover a new active for its cosmetics and fragrance formulas. That formula has worked for more than 60 years. The company was founded by Jacques Courtin-Clarins and is now run by his sons Christian Courtin-Clarins and Olivier Courtin-Clarins. Last year, the next generation moved into company headquarters as Jenna Courtin-Clarins joined the group as foresight and new concepts manager, and Virginie and Prisca Courtin-Clarins joined the managing board.

Next generation thinking was certainly behind the launch campaign for Multi-Active Day and Night creams. Through #WorthTheWrinkle, Clarins encouraged women to be authentic and not shy away from experiences that make their lives richer. The company partnered with digital content production agency Makers and enlisted four of their top influencers across beauty, fashion and lifestyle to capture and share their #WorthTheWrinkle moments through a series of videos.

Last year, skin care and makeup accounted for 71% of sales, with fragrance making up the remaining 29%. By region, Europe, Middle East and Africa accounted for 57% of sales, followed by Asia-Pacific (23%) and Americas (20%).

Sales: $1.8 billion

Clarins’ history starts in 1954 on rue Tronchet in Paris. In his beauty spa, Jacques Courtin-Clarins developed a massage oil with essential oils and slimming properties designed to increase the effectiveness of skin-firming massages. At the request of his customers, he decided to sell it. And that was the beginning of the relationship marked by trust and dialogue that continues to this day.

Supported by the motto of its founder, “Do more, do it better and enjoy doing it,” the Paris site transformed into an internationally renowned group, a world leader in cosmetics, skin care, makeup and fragrance.

This year is no different, marking a variety of innovative launches at Clarins. For example, following the success of the 2014 launch of Golden Glow Booster for Face, it introduced Golden Glow Booster for Body, the latest innovation in self tanning. With just 4-6 drops added to any body moisturizer, Golden Glow Booster for Body delivers a made-to-measure, summer golden glow all year round with 99.8% natural ingredients. Clarins Everlasting Foundation is billed as a non-oily, long-lasting formulation with 18-hour hold that perfectly evens, illuminates and comforts the skin for a flawless finish, under any circumstances. Visible imperfections and dark spots are concealed, the formula features a matte finish with full coverage, and  protects against UVA/UVB, pollution and free radicals. The new Total Eye Concentrate is powered by organic Harungana plant extract. This all-in-one, anti-aging eye treatment delivers a visible “lift” with every use, according to the company.

In January 2015, the Clarins group acquired Trimex Pty Ltd., the skin care and fragrance distribution leader in Australia and New Zealand and the sole distributor of the group’s products in this zone since 1977. With this acquisition, Clarins is signaling its ambition to keep its distributor’s expertise while establishing a direct presence on the market.

“Australia represents a strategic market for us. We have actually been one of the leading brands on this market for many years. By acquiring Trimex and thereby establishing a direct presence in Australia and New Zealand, our ambition is to fully seize the opportunities for local growth. We will consolidate the Clarins brand’s leader position, so that our market share in Australia reflects our international potential,” stated Philip Shearer, CEO of the Clarins Group.

And this is why the company is opening laboratories in China and Singapore, and plans to do the same in Israel and the US. It’s all part of a strategy to reach sales of €2.5 billion by 2023.

Sales: $1.6 billion (estimated)

Clarins is global beauty house powerhouse. The privately-held company derives about 68% of sales from skin care and 32% comes from the sale of fine fragrances, according to company statistics. On geographical basis, 63% of sales come from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Americas accounts for 19% of sales and Asia-Pacific the remaining 18%. Although Clarins is best known for its skin care offerings, it is is fine fragrance business that is experiencing the most change. That’s because Zadig & Voltaire recently announced plans to move over to Beauté Prestige International (BPI), signing a 15-year licensing accord. In other news, Clarins has parted ways with Porsche Design Group too.

One of the most recognized scents within the Clarins stable, Thierry Mugler’s Angel, has a new face—Georgia May Jagger. Her mother, Jerry Hall, was the face of Angel from 1995 to 1997.

This year, Clarins Group will inaugurate its new building in Paris. The building is said to combine cutting-edge technology and environmental awareness with features such as automatic lighting, low consumption heating and air conditioning systems and rainwater collection.

Sales: $1.7 billion

Privately-held Clarins derives about 66% of sales from skin care products and the remainder from fragrances. More than half of sales come from Europe, but with expansion in the US and growing operations in Asia (especially China and Korea), company executives expect the majority of sales to come from outside Europe in the next few years.

Ever since the company went private in 2008, Clarins has been mum about annual sales, but company executives remain staunch supporters of plant-based chemistry. In fact, its 80 researchers take upwards of 18 months to create a new product developed using an inventory of 1000 raw materials, according to Clarins. But even pure ingredients can’t eliminate office politics.

Last month, the company announced that the president of its fragrance group, Joël Palix, was leaving the company. He was replaced by Sandrine Groslier, who had been managing director of Clarins Fragrance Group France.

The announcement followed a recent restructuring within the Thierry Mugler fashion and fragrance divisions. That shakeup led to the departure of Mugler himself as artistic director of the fragrance brand.

Still, the shakeup hasn’t kept Clarins from cutting new deals. In June, the company inked an agreement with Italian fashion house Ittierre to develop new fragrances. That agreement follows Puig’s decision in March to have Clarins handle its North American distribution.

Sales: $1.6 billion (estimated)

Group sales rose more than 10% last year. CEO Philip Shearer says he is determined to make Clarins the No. 1 brand in the global prestige skin care market. But to get there, the company will have to do a better job in key markets such as the US. That’s because, while Clarins hold a 16% share of Europe’s prestige skin care market—including a 26% share in France and 21% share in the UK—its US share is just 4%, according to the company.

According to industry sources, Clarins is aiming for a sales target of €1.3 billion for 2012, which would represent a 30% jump over the pre-crisis figures of three years ago.

Just last month, Clarins said it will relaunch its Club Clarins loyalty program in the US. Club Clarins USA offers customers the opportunity to redeem special gifts and sample sets reserved for its VIP members. Customers can track their purchases, rewards and earned points and gain access to exclusive information all in one place online.

The skin care and cosmetics company is working with Canadian company LoyaltyMatch Inc. on the project.

“We chose LoyaltyMatch OnDemand because it provides a streamlined platform with the existing features we require and the ability to customize the site as wanted,” said Han Wen, director of internet marketing for Clarins USA. “We wanted to manage the site administration ourselves, with support from LoyaltyMatch when needed. LoyaltyMatch OnDemand could do all that.”

LoyaltyMatch OnDemand is a loyalty program Software as a Service (SaaS) platform enabling the full integration of online and offline consumer presence including social media, mobile, web and purchase data. It can be deployed as a standalone solution or integrated with existing social, web, mobile, e-commerce or POS systems.

Sales: $1.5 billion (estimated)

Under the terms of a four-year renewable agreement announced last year, Clarins Fragrance Group US and InterParfums Luxury Brands will share and manage an expanded sales force. Logistical and administrative support will be provided by Clarins Group USA from its Park Avenue offices in New York and a warehouse in Orangeburg, NY.

According to Jonathan Zrihen, president and CEO of Clarins Group North America, the “coherent fit and high quality of our respective brands and the combined efforts of our teams will significantly contribute to strengthening positions of both companies in the US.”

Now the pair will enlist a similar strategy in Spain. This June, Interparfums España announced it would team up with Clarins’ Madrid-based subsidiary, Clarins Espagne. The five-year, renewable agreement is effective July 1.

According to Sandrine Groslier Douhet, managing director of Clarins Espagne, the two groups “share a corporate culture characterized by team commitment, common ethical values and a sense of solidarity along with strong brands that will significantly contribute to further developing the positions of both companies in this market.”

Also in June, actress Eva Mendes was tapped as the new face of Angel by Thierry Mugler. In other Mugler scent news, Womanity—his most recent juice—was a top 10 finalist in the 2011 FiFi women’s luxe category.

Sales: $1.4 billion (estimated)

Like most department store beauty brands, Clarins was hit hard by the recession. Happi estimates that Clarins 2009 sales dipped from $1.5 billion in 2008 to approximately $1.4 billion.

According to Kline & Co., in the U.S., the weak economy has forced department store share of the total market down another two points in 2009 versus 2003 levels, according to a new study. The decline has prompted both marketers and retailers to actively engage customers with purchase incentives, loyalty programs and even direct sales. Brands like Lancôme, Estée Lauder and Clarins have stepped up marketing directly to customers with online enticements like bonus gifts and free shipping with purchase.

“Savvy brands are employing a mix of complementary channels, including online sales, catalogs, and social networking to maximize their reach and target consumers in the format that’s most comfortable for them,” explained Karen Doskow, industry manager for consumer products research at Kline.

The economic slowdown hasn’t kept Clarins away from the perfumers’ bench, however. The company recently launched a fourth fragrance in its Eau de Soins series, Eau des Jardins. The “treatment scent” is a part of Clarins’ well-being initiative, as the perfume offers both aromatherapy and phytotherapy.

In collaboration with International Flavors & Fragrances, Clarins applied gemmotherapy—an herbal therapy using the extracts of plant buds or rootlets.

Eau des Jardins’ concoction is comprised of “extracts from buds of beech, black currant and mountain ash billed to help moisturize, soften and brighten skin.”

Eau de Jardins ($62, 100ml) is available in Europe and will officially launch in the U.S. this fall.

Back in May, Thierry Mugler launched his much anticipated Womanity fragrance, which is described to be both savory and sweet at the same time. The creation of the eau de parfum was “a challenge and a technological breakthrough,” according to Clarins Group.

The sweet and savory comes from fig and caviar. Molecular extraction of fig and caviar was performed exclusively by Mane for Thierry Mugler fragrances, marking the first time the patented extraction method has been used in a fragrance. The technology makes it possible to extract the aromatic molecules
of any material and to precisely reconstruct its olfactory
properties, thus obtaining ingredients that perfectly preserve and express each ingredient in all its subtlety and nuance, according to Clarins.

To promote the scent, Womanity.com—an interactive platform with a goal of building an extensive community among women—went live in June.

“Developing through this kind of interactive, collaborative space has long been a part of our brand DNA,” noted Joël Palix, president of Clarins Fragrance Group and the Thierry Mugler brand.

Sales: $1.5 billion

It’s all in the family for Clarins these days, since the Courtins-Clarins clan last June took the cosmetics company private.

One of the firm’s goals is to grow its U.S. operations. To that end, Clarins plans to open new skin care spas in department stores as part of its effort to bolster its U.S. presence. In addition, the company will be courting Hispanic/Spanish-speaking consumers in the U.S., having early this year tapped RL Public Relations for a one-year contract focused on this consumer group.

On the product development front, Clarins describes High Definition Body Lift as the newest and most innovative cellulite control treatment it has ever produced (or seen on the market). The primary ingredient—blue button flower—helps to optimize the release of excess fluids around fat cells, thereby helping the overall formula to work more effectively including increasing the penetration of caffeine, also known for its fluid reducing capabilities.

In anti-aging, Clarins’ new Multi-Active Day helps correct the appearance of early wrinkles, combats new signs of aging and delivers high antioxidant protection all day long through a “time-release” system.The formulation also includes two key ingredients—soothingambiaty andprotective hesperidin—which work in tandem to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by targeting the dermal-epidermal junction, which is where sagging starts to appear.

Sales: $1.38 billion.

Net sales rose 7.3% last year, but it has been a busy summer for Clarins. In late June, the company’s board announced plans to buy back the outstanding shares not already owned by the Courtins-Clarins family, taking the company private. According to Christian and Olivier Courtin-Clarins, the family will buy more than 15 million shares in an offer backed by CIC Bank.

By taking the firm private, Clarins puts an end to—for the time being—takeover rumors that had circulated since the death of founder Jacques Courtins-Clarins in March, 2007. After the delisting from the Paris Bourse, Clarins plans to refocus its portfolio, emphasizing leading brands such as Thierry Mugler, Azzaro and Clarins, and expanding its makeup and color cosmetics operations.

In 2007, beauty sales rose 8.6%, driven by the renewal of its make up line and new launches in skin care, such as Double Serum Generation 6, Truly Matte Skincare, Décolleté and Neck Concentrate and Younger Longer Balm. On the perfume side, sales rose 8% backed by the performance of classic fragrances such as Angel, Azzaro Pour Homme and Chrome as well as newer scents such as Azzaro Now.

Clarins currently has a number of licenses and accords that contribute to its portfolio and partnerships to distribute cosmetics for prestigious brands such as Hermès, Burberry, Cartier, Jean Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake and Nuxe in selected markets.  In addition, Clarins has invested in companies its management deems as “offering strategic potential and provide opportunities for synergies and sharing expertise.” One of those is Kibio, a range of organic products distributed through direct sales, pharmacies and parapharmacies. Clarins’ Pontoise factory, which has obtained the Ecocert label for the production of organic products, will handle all production for Kibio by the end of the year.

Clarins has been leveraging well-known names from outside the beauty industry. Its long-term partnership with Porsche Design, forged in 2006, has yielded its first scent, The Essence, which will hit the streets on Sept 1. Also, Thierry Mugler Parfums has signed an exclusive license agreement with crystal expert Swarovski for the worldwide distribution and creation of Swarovski Beauty, a line of fragrances, makeup and beauty accessories that will come to market in 2010. The range will be distributed in selective perfumeries, prestige department stores and Swarovski boutiques worldwide.

In skin care, Clarins has added a new brand called My Blend. The premium line of personalized skin care, which was developed by Dr. Olivier Courtin, made its debut in the U.S. late last year. It features advanced formulas based on biotechnology developments and a patented neuro-cosmetic complex delivers “customized” skin care that can be adapted to specific individual needs. The line features Essentials day/night skin care products, Emergency Boosters—concentrates of pure active ingredients added to the day and/or night product for a treatment cure (dull complexion, extreme dehydration, redness)—and other “add-ins.”  While the offering is extensive, the company said the key to My Blend is the point-of-sale expertise its sales staff will deliver at the counter. Currently Saks Fifth Avenue department stores in New York, Chevy Chase, MD and Costa Mesa, CA are carrying the line. Clarins plans to bring the brand to France in September and expand its reach to 80 locations in 2009.

For the first quarter of 2008, Clarins’ sales rose 4.9% to €240.1 million.