There are beauty headlines. And then there are beauty moments.
Rhode’s acquisition by e.l.f. Beauty for $1.1 billion is the latter.
Two years. Five products. One billion-dollar valuation.
It’s not just impressive—it’s quietly revolutionary.
Rhode didn’t shout. It whispered—with frosted tubes, tight formulas, and a founder who never broke character. Every detail of the brand was cohesive, calming, and considered. It felt modern, but timeless. Small, but polished. And that’s exactly why it worked.
Why the Billion-Dollar Deal Makes Sense
From the beginning, Rhode played the long game. It didn’t try to be everywhere. It didn’t launch dozens of products or pivot with every trend. Instead, it stayed focused. One barrier repair cream. One lip treatment. And a message: less, but better.
The brand didn’t just build products—it built trust. And with Hailey Bieber staying on as Chief Creative Officer, it’s clear that e.l.f. isn’t just buying a name—they’re buying a point of view.
This is what modern beauty success looks like. Refined, curated, and confident enough to not overdo it.
Reading Between the Lines—From Our Side of the Industry
We’ll say it: it’s refreshing to see a brand win because it stayed in its lane—not despite it.
In our own boutique salon world, we see this all the time: the pull to do more, launch more, be everywhere. But the best results (and the best brands) usually come from doing less, beautifully.
Marie-Anne Labrie, the founder of Pinklablonde, has always understood that. In our Montreal salon, every product is chosen the way a stylist chooses a perfect tone—carefully, precisely, and never because it’s simply popular.
The lineup? A curated mix of cult-status essentials and niche best-kept secrets—think SACHAJUAN, Leonor Greyl, the kind of names whispered backstage and passed between hairstylists like insider intel. It’s not about hype. It’s about performance. That’s the energy Rhode tapped into too. And we see it.
Final Thought
Rhode didn’t win because it tried to be everything. It won because it knew exactly what it was—and never flinched.
And as boutique creators ourselves? We love to see it.
