Revolution Beauty, founded as Makeup Revolution in 2014, has become one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the world.
The UK company’s success is based on the adoption of fast fashion principles pioneered by global giants such as Zara and H&M. Revolution Beauty’s masstige makeup products typically have a 12 week development timeframe and the affordable SKUs appeal to Gen Zers because they are cruelty-free and 76 per cent vegan.
Influencer marketing and embracing diversity before the trend became mainstream have been key to Revolution Beauty’s success. According to Tribe Dynamics, the UK influencer platform, over 40 per cent of the brand’s EMV (earned media value) comes from influencers.
2019 was a landmark year. Revolution Beauty was named in the prestigious Sunday Times Fast Track 100 rankings as the fastest-growing beauty brand in the UK, fuelled by partnerships with major retailers such as Boots, Beauty Bay and ASOS.
In June 2019, the brand launched in Australia through Priceline and six months later debuted in Ulta Beauty, the largest specialist beauty chain in the US. The goal of both international strategies was to double the size of Revolution Beauty’s global business within 18 months.
Earlier this year, Revolution Beauty teamed with RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under to rev up its inclusivity and diversity credentials. According to Adam Minto, co-founder of Revolution Beauty -“At Revolution, we believe that makeup is a route to freedom and self-expression, so it feels natural to collaborate with Drag Race as a franchise that has become a pivotal platform for many communities.”
Revolution Beauty has announced it will float on the London Stock Exchange‘s junior market with a AUD$931.84 million listing. From this week, the company will trade on the AIM index, an international market for smaller, growing companies.
The company plans to raise AUD$206.21 million through new shares, ploughing AUD$37.25 million back into the business to drive growth in the UK and overseas. TSG Consumer Partners, the leading private equity firm, will sell most of its minority stake. Other shareholders, including founders Adam Minto and Tom Allsworth, are looking forward to AUD$354 million from the company’s listing.