July 22, 2016

L’Oreal Buys It Cosmetics for 1.2 Billion

beauty news

Reuters reports today that L’Oreal brought It Cosmetics for a whooping 1.2 Billion dollars! Apparently, L’Oreal buying It Cosmetics is one of their largest acquisitions in eight years and the sale is a cash transaction according to a variety of news sources.

It Cosmetics launched an exclusive Ulta Brush Collection in 2014 and word broke earlier this year that It Cosmetics would be available at Sephora. It Cosmetics continues to grow on many different levels and one wonders what to expect to the brand once the sale goes through to L’Oreal later this year.

L’Oreal also recently acquired niche perfume house Atelier as well earlier this Summer. I find it very, very interesting L’Oreal is focusing their eye on indie and niche brands not to mention they also mid to high end brands such as Urban Decay, Armani, Maybelline, Clarisonic, and more.

It Cosmetics has a rather interesting cult following in my opinion. It’s a very popular brand on the Internet but if you ask someone about it on the street they likely won’t be entire familiar with it unless they are a hardcore beauty and makeup junkie. None the less, It Cosmetics has proven that a small company can very, very quickly turn into an super success story when they offer up quality products that are embraced and loves by the masses.

I look forward to seeing what new things we can expect from It once the sale goes through. I also hope this doesn’t mean things will change. I feel like Urban Decay’s formula has changed a little but since the L’Oreal acquisition. Hopefully it’ll be business as usual for It Girls and Guys!

What do you think of L’Oreal buying It Cosmetics?

Feel free to voice your opinion!

Save

67 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  • nelle

    That’s great maybe now they will start making foundations in a broader range of shades. Wow that is a lot of money!

  • Nicole

    Getting really tired of them taking over my cruelty-free brands. Especially sad about them taking Atelier.

    • Crystal

      Ugh. Really hate that they sold. As soon as I saw the title of the article my first thought well no more it since l’oreal isn’t cruelty free. I love the cc cream and just bought quite a few it products and was saving Ulta points for an it brush.

    • Laurel

      Ditto. So sad to see certified cruelty-free companies being bought by large companies that still test in different countries, even if they don’t test in the U.S. :*(

    • Chloe

      Me too! When big brands take over they seem to discontinue the stuff I love and that it will not be cruelty free means no more powder foundation compacts for me. Well I still have Too Faced they are cruelty free!

    • Shannon

      They did not go cruelty free, even if someone says so. There is too much proof and everything they have is sold in China which means animal testing. Muse is paid by
      Loreal and that’s why she says what she does. But deep inside she knows they test on animals.

      • Isabella Muse

        I’m not paid by L’Oreal, Shannon. Not sure where you got that information from! This is on L’Oreal’s website: http://www.loreal.com/sustainability/l'or%C3%A9al-answers/the-question-of-animal-testing/frequently-asked-questions “L’Oréal no longer tests on animals any of its products or any of its ingredients, anywhere in the world. Nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. The rare exception allowed is if regulatory authorities demand it for safety or regulatory purposes.” Hope this clears up where I got my info from and none of it evolved money or pay checks from L’Oreal, merely a google search.

        • Beth

          The fact that L’Oreal states : The rare exception allowed is if regulatory authorities demand it for safety or regulatory purposes” DOES mean that they allow animal testing. They are NOT cruelty-free!!!

        • Jennifer

          I think what everyone is trying to say is that even though L’OREAL doesn’t test on animals themselves, they sell their products to China (and the Chinese government requires testing on animals after the fact- it says so down further on the L’oreal FAQ page you referenced). So people don’t want to support a brand who will sell in China because by doing so, they’re not taking a stand against this horrible practice. If more brands would stop selling to China because of their testing laws, maybe they would rethink it!

      • Bela T

        That comment was completely uncalled for! Muse is only relaying a message from a business news transaction. For you to assume L’oreal is paying her??? Pfffttt… perfect example of “don’t shoot the messenger”.

        • Isabella Muse

          Thanks Bela 🙂 I’m def not being paid by L’Oreal for anything and if I was I’d have disclosed it.

          • Isabella Muse

            Mainly I’m curious where that information came from. I don’t think L’Oreal knows my name or even that I’m alive 😀

  • Cheryl

    Wow! That is a lot of money for a small company that started pitching a few products on QVC not that long ago. I love most It Cosmetics products and think they have done a great job of pacing themselves in their growth. The consistent quality and emphasis on “getting it done right” over “getting it done fast” has been working well for this company. Let’s hope that the buyout does result in penny pinching, cutting corners, outsourcing, and rapid expansion of product lines at the expense of quality. Love me some cc cream! (And cc bronzer, bye bye Undereye, brow power, etc.)! Let’s hope manufacturing of the cc cream remains in Korea. Not too comfortable with what occasionally ends up in Chinese products…

    • Randi MacDonald

      Their newest eye shadow palette is made in China. So sad.

  • kimkats

    Cheez-n-Crackers (as my gramma used to say instead of swearing…) there’s only going to be about 3 players in the makeup world soon – Estee Lauder, L’Oreal and ….. shoot there’s one other one that owns a crapton of brands too…

    That’s an astounding amount that L’Oreal paid for It – I wonder if it’ll be worth it (See what I did there?) in the long run…. that’s an awful lot of money…. I didn’t think IT was big enough to merit a takeover by a gimungous company like L’Oreal….. Well, I hope they don’t ruin the brand; although that seems to be EL’s practices.. EL totally screwed up Stila when they bought it by trying to turn it into an overpriced kiddie/tween line, and that just wrecked it.
    Hope the same doesn’t happen with IT.

  • Deb

    Holy crap! $1.2 B?? I’m an IT fan girl but I would have never dreamed they would be worth that much money.

  • Maria

    I hope it does not effect the QVC today special sets and other values on QVC.

    • Nicole

      Amen!!!! I just opened my email to read this news and kind of freaked out!

  • Vanessa

    I am so PISSED! I only shop cruelty-free and It Cosmetics was one of my go to brands. I can’t believe it. Another one bites the dust. L’oreal did put out a statement last year about not testing but it was not very clear and full of loopholes.

  • Cathe

    There goes the neighborhood. iT cosmetics will never be the same. Time to move on to another brand…

  • A

    Ugh, why does L’Oreal need to own the entire cosmetics isle/counters, etc. I actually am annoyed with companies selling out to them, but with that kind of money it’s understandable why. IT’s not really my thing so it doesn’t matter but now L bought them I definitely will ignore them now. The minute L’Oréal buys these companies, the originality goes out the window. It’s also a bit monopolistic.

  • Nicole

    Isabella,
    Is there some possible way as in Jamie’s statement the integrity of IT Cosmetics products? I am not someone who likes change and I was just going to eat when I read my email. IT’s products up to this point have been cruelty free, but if I remember this correctly some country still want products tested on animals. Then does this kind of turn into the Guthy Rinker WEN debacle? WEN from GR has a different ingredients deck and that is why the lawsuit was against GR WEN by Chaz Dean. The WEN from his salon and QVC were not included in the lawsuit. Now I understand she sells through GR already and no I have not tried that because GR BBB complaints to keep me from ordering (and they don’t have my shade lol).
    Please explain to me what this all means. I know Jamie is still CEO and I get why a person would take 1.2 billion dollars, but part of my draw to the IT brand was Jamie being involved with product development and her passion.
    Look just say it won’t change and I’ll be fine. 😀

    • Isabella Muse

      She actually sent a mass email, posted on Instagram/Twitter/and Facebook about it. You can read her official statement across social media, Nicole 🙂 Hopefully nothing will change! HOPEFULLY!

      • Nicole

        I will be anxiously awaiting to see how things turn out! I will be hoping with you that things don’t change drastically. 🙂

  • Lynn Ellis-Young

    I am so upset! I love It Cosmetics but I can not support a company that tests on animals or a cruelty free brand that would sell to such a big nasty animal testing company. I have lost all respect. That is a lot of money but really, who needs all that money?? I’m sure she was doing just fine! What a huge disappointment! Well I guess I will stick to Too Faced. Hopefully they don’t do the same thing.

  • Stef

    Is the founder of the company staying on as a consultant? Ugh. I use the CC Cream and it’s great- color wise, doesn’t break me out and I work outside a lot so the SPF50 was perfect. It took forever to find a formula with SPF that I liked. Now I’m sure that will change to be more cost effective. If a cosmetics company changes anything in a formula of an existing product do they have to say anything on the packaging about it? Or can they just change it and it’s up to me to figure it out when my face breaks out? Seriously, does anyone know if they are required to say anything about a change on the packaging?

    • Isabella Muse

      she’s actually the CEO and will remain the CEO 🙂 You’ll have to read the ingredients as I doubt they’ll alert anyone to a reformulation if that even happens at all!

  • Jay

    Eh. Maybe now It Cosmetics will finally cater to women of color. I would love to try the raved about cc cream but the “dark” shade is a perplexing gray color.

  • blee

    Cheez-n-crackers ( I like Kimkats g-ma words 🙂 and 1.2 BILLION! They know who we are and what we are buying from IT. Better not change or Ill may have to make a change with them.

  • Bailey

    Loreal has such a monopoly over the cosmetics industry and I think that’s part of the reason why prices are getting so out of control. I will no longer be buying from IT since they’re now owned by a company that tests on animals.

  • Lisa

    It cosmetics may have been cruelty-free but they still used animal derived ingredients so technically they were never cruelty- free..

  • renee

    So sad about this, I just started using It CC cream and love it. But, with the buyout don’t be surprised when the quality deteriorates.

  • Allie

    I don’t buy from IT Cosmetics because of the price, but I personally think it’s going to be the death of IT Cosmetics.

  • Joi

    Nope…doesn’t work for me either. I don’t support loreal. It is a shame too, as I really loved their products.

  • Bonnie

    That’s a lot of money! I have been curious about why, since their products seem to be successful, the new No Foundation product is a Guthy-Renker autoship product only.

  • Majick

    Oh man, I didn’t finish reading everyone’s comments but I agree with most.
    I will not be purchasing It Cosmetics going forward. This saddens me and I love It products.

  • Jeanette Larson

    I am in my late 50’s and it has taken years to find something that matches my skin tone and works with my chemistry. We all know what happens when a large corporation takes over. Wonder how long it will be before the formula changes and the brushes go downhill? This is so disheartening.

    • Tracy

      Agree. I used to love Ojon and their hair products until they sold out to Estee Lauder. Now their stuff is full of silicones and crap and not at all the same. And you can barely find it anymore. It’s like EL bought the company to kill it. IT Cosmetics won’t stay the same.

  • Carol G

    I agree with what most of you are saying. It is never good when one parent company owns every makeup brand. Also, $1.2 billion dollars is an obscene amount of money for IT Cosmetics but as someone stated above, I guess that’s all people care about is the money and not the integrity of the products. They will alienate a lot of customers since they are not going to be cruelty free.

  • blee

    In my email from Jamie, she said she will stay the CEO and it will stay cruelty free. And she gave 15 million to woman with cancer. Bless you Jammie xoxoxox

  • Melissa

    I got an email YESTERDAY from IT COSMETICS with this news!! I am very shocked & upset to say the least!! I just loved the IT Company & what it stood for and I have turned many over to the brand!! To Me it just is never the same when a company sells over to another one!! Look at Philosophy for instance, I didn’t even know at first they sold out but I noticed the quality was different, then I researched and bam, they sold to Coty I believe! There was my answer!! I’m very sad, I feel like it’s The End of IT now!! Luckily I have a lot stocked up of their products!! And being cruelty free is a must for this animal lover here too!! I’m just so very disappointed and actually hurt lol over this!! I loved how IT would take its time to get their products just right and how they worked with the plastic surgeons etc!! It’s a shame in my eyes!!

  • Christian

    I wanted to love the It cosmetics cc cream so much and when I finally tried it I was so disappointed! It looked horrible on my face! I never tried anything else from their line after that. I don’t trust the L’ Oreal company and I feel bad for It fans

  • Cathi C

    Too bad, so sad, for real! I have loved some products from the brand and have many on auto-ship from QVC. This takeover will probably be the death of that. Quality will most likely change/suffer, similar to what’s happening with some of my favorite Kate S. products.

  • Bela T

    Well, shoot, got rid of my and no longer purchase Urban Decay (because of L’oreal buyout), no longer use MAC (Estee Lauder), Tarte (Kose), Nars (Shiseido) because of the cruelty free status’. This is a shame I JUST bought an IT product from QVC and loved it, guess that’s it! Oh well….. 🙁 Guess as far as high end products that leaves Too Faced and Kat Von D for me.

  • ACG

    Ugh I am soooooo upset. This is the only makeup that works on my roseacea skin and covers it wonderfully without makeing it look like I have a ton of makeup on. I just know Loreal is going to ruin it by cutting on costs and quality. I don’t buy their products now and never will…..Back to the drawing board on finding new products.

  • Penny

    I love the It products that I have, but I too am saddened to hear this news. One thing I really like about Jamie is the fact that she is so passionate about her products when she is on QVC…hopefully, this won’t change as well as the quality of the products offered. This is bumming me out. 🙁

  • Linda

    I am hoping they will be cruelty free. Happy for Jamie Kern. She put her heart into this brand. Best. Brushes. Ever. And I hope that doesn’t change.

  • Barbara Leonard

    I hate this. The other commenters are correct – there goes the originality and the research on quality that makes It unique. I love this brand, but am not sure I will continue to buy it if they change. Darn L’Oreal!!

  • Lesa

    What happens to your members subscription prices that I’m already locked in with???? Meaning will it be more more expensive or what??

  • Lesa

    I failed to ask this question in my original post: what exactly does the sale out mean to the ingredients of bye bye foundation products mean?? I absolutely loved it cosmetics & everything they stood for. I know that Jamie supported women’s cancer awareness & I really liked that about her. You see, I am a cancer survivor & the it cosmetics was & has been the only cc cream ( bye bye foundation & under eye) that has worked on my sensitive skin. I have rosacia & a few other things going on with my complexion from everything I went through. I have been so pleased with it cosmetics & didn’t mind paying the high prices because as I said it worked for me. Also that it was animal cruelty free. From what I understand everyone feels the L’O company may change everything. This is really disappointing to me & like others I am upset. I did watch a video of Jamie talking about this merge & she stated that the company will not change the way the product works. I don’t have the link to that but anyone can simply Google search for it. I hope that will be true.