Update: As the news of Estée Lauder's acquisition of Too Faced circulated, fans of the beloved cruelty-free brand quickly took to social media to voice their concerns. Now, cofounder Jerrod Blandino has finally addressed the backlash on the brand's Instagram account.
"We have been a champion for animals since our beginning in 1998, and that has only grown stronger and more powerful with every passing day," he wrote. "Rest assured we continue to have iron-clad rules in place that will ensure we will NEVER test on animals and we will NOT sell in China."
See the full statement below.
This story was originally published on November 14, 2016.
It's no secret that the mainstream beauty world is made up of a web of mega beauty companies that own numerous others. The many-brands-under-one-roof concept is something that insiders know very well, from Kylie and ColourPop to, well, just about all the big guys. In the grand scheme of things, Estée Lauder is one of the heavyweights, with brands like MAC, Tom Ford, Bumble and bumble, and many more under its umbrella — but the latest to join the roster is setting major records. Estée Lauder just acquired Too Faced for a cool 1.45 billion, the biggest acquisition in Lauder's history. So how will this impact you and the products you love? What about the cruelty-free formulas? Let's dive in. First things first: A rep from Too Faced confirmed this: "The formulas will stay the same, and yes, the brand will stay 100% cruelty-free!" Phew! “We started our careers behind the counters of the Estée Lauder brand, so this is truly a ‘homecoming’ for us," Jeremy Johnson and Jerrod Blandino, cofounders of Too Faced said in an official statement. “The Estée Lauder Companies appreciates our unique vision — to provide innovative, cruelty-free makeup products that give women the confidence to ‘have fun, play, and dream big’ — and is committed to ensuring that we retain and build on the core pillars of our brand that are so important to us and our fans." And don't expect them to waver on those feel-good pillars many fans love: “We will not be animal testing, we will not be going into China, we will not be made to fold into a corporate culture that we do not have," Blandino told WWD. "[ELC] love and respect what we have created and are just going to support us and lift us up, without changing us in any way but great.” Fret not, for all the Too Faced goodness is here to stay... This is a developing story, and we will update it as new information comes in.
It's no secret that the mainstream beauty world is made up of a web of mega beauty companies that own numerous others. The many-brands-under-one-roof concept is something that insiders know very well, from Kylie and ColourPop to, well, just about all the big guys. In the grand scheme of things, Estée Lauder is one of the heavyweights, with brands like MAC, Tom Ford, Bumble and bumble, and many more under its umbrella — but the latest to join the roster is setting major records. Estée Lauder just acquired Too Faced for a cool 1.45 billion, the biggest acquisition in Lauder's history. So how will this impact you and the products you love? What about the cruelty-free formulas? Let's dive in. First things first: A rep from Too Faced confirmed this: "The formulas will stay the same, and yes, the brand will stay 100% cruelty-free!" Phew! “We started our careers behind the counters of the Estée Lauder brand, so this is truly a ‘homecoming’ for us," Jeremy Johnson and Jerrod Blandino, cofounders of Too Faced said in an official statement. “The Estée Lauder Companies appreciates our unique vision — to provide innovative, cruelty-free makeup products that give women the confidence to ‘have fun, play, and dream big’ — and is committed to ensuring that we retain and build on the core pillars of our brand that are so important to us and our fans." And don't expect them to waver on those feel-good pillars many fans love: “We will not be animal testing, we will not be going into China, we will not be made to fold into a corporate culture that we do not have," Blandino told WWD. "[ELC] love and respect what we have created and are just going to support us and lift us up, without changing us in any way but great.” Fret not, for all the Too Faced goodness is here to stay... This is a developing story, and we will update it as new information comes in.