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Sol de Janeiro

Sol de Janeiro is an American skincare and fragrance brand founded in 2015 by Heela Yang.[1][2] Sol de Janeiro products are inspired by Brazilian beach culture and are known for its signature scent base of pistachio and vanilla. The brand is majority-owned by Groupe L'Occitane.

History

Co-founder and CEO Heela Yang worked as a director of marketing at Clinique and as a manager at Lancôme before moving from Brazil to New York with her husband in 2012.[3][4][1] Yang, a Korean-American and Harvard Business School alumna,[5] founded Sol de Janeiro after living in Brazil and experiencing its inclusive beach culture firsthand.[1][6]

In 2021 L’Occitane Group acquired a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro, valuing the company at US$450 million.[7][8][9][10]

Spider pheromone hoax

In December 2023, a review of a Sol de Janeiro moisturizer went viral, claiming it attracted spiders. Other users backed up this claim by saying the cream contained pheromones sexually attracting male spiders.[11][12] Sol de Janeiro later denied the rumors, along with experts labeling it unlikely to be true.[13]

Marketing

TikTok had a major effect on the brand's business, collaborating with social media influencers such as Katie Fang.[14][15] Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira was chosen as a brand ambassador in 2023.[16]

Awards and honors

Fast Company named Sol de Janeiro to its 2024 list of the most innovative companies.[17]

External links

References

  1. Heidi Mitchell. Sol de Janeiro's candy-sweet scents are what summer 2023 smells like Fast Company, retrieved June 10, 2023^
  2. Cristina Montemayor. How Sol de Janeiro Turned a Single Hero Product into a Fragrance Phenomenon BeautyMatter, October 24, 2023^
  3. Jennifer Weil. Sol de Janeiro's Heela Yang on Being Hyperfocused CEO Women's Wear Daily, May 19, 2023^
  4. Hannah Tan-Gillies. Interview: Heela Yang on spreading body positivity and Brazilian confidence with Sol de Janeiro The Moodie Davitt Report, 26 April 2023^
  5. Heela Tsuzuki. STRONG FINISH A timely, strategic partnership pays off Harvard Business School, 2 November 2022^
  6. Ali Donaldson, How PE Helped This Beauty Founder Land a Sale to L'Occitane Inc magazine, October 2022^
  7. Press Release L’OCCITANE acquires majority stake in Brazilian-inspired premium beauty brand Sol de Janeiro 15 November 2021^
  8. L'Occitane acquires Sol de Janeiro, valuing the brand to US$450 million Premium Beauty News, retrieved 2021-11-18^
  9. L’Occitane to Acquire Sol de Janeiro: L'Occitane is buying a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro, while the founder and CEO will maintain a minority position. Women's Wear Daily, Allison Collins, November 15, 2021^
  10. Camille Bersola. "Stellar" Sol de Janeiro helps L'OCCITANE Group deliver strong first-half results The Moodie Davitt Report, 25 October 2023^
  11. Sopan Deb. This Body Butter at Sephora Doesn’t Really Attract Spiders, Right? The New York Times, 2023-12-29, retrieved 2024-01-22^
  12. Skincare Brand Responds to Viral Claim Their Product Attracts Wolf Spiders, and a Dermatologist Weighs In (Exclusive) Peoplemag, retrieved 2024-01-22^
  13. Beauty Company Denies Its Body Butter Sold At Sephora Attracts Spiders HuffPost, 2023-12-30, retrieved 2024-01-22^
  14. Alexandra Pauly. How Sol de Janeiro Became TikTok’s Favorite Fragrance Brand Highsnobiety, 2023-09-20^
  15. Sara Spruch-Feiner. Glossy Pop Newsletter: Meet Katie Fang, Gen Alpha's favorite beauty influencer Glossy, 2023-11-10, retrieved 2023-12-25^
  16. Yola Mzizi. Sol de Janeiro Bets On Barbie Business of Fashion, 3 May 2023^
  17. THE WORLD'S MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES OF 2024 Fast Company^