L’Oreal Paris announces Formula One driver Carlos Sainz as its newest brand ambassador; The Body Shop closes all 16 New Zealand stores; Fine fragrance brand Abel abandons its “one in, one out” policy; Aesop’s new launch celebrates the intersection between art and beauty.
Welcome to Viva’s Beauty Insider, our
Check back every second Thursday for the latest instalment, or keep your finger on the pulse by heading to our @Nzhviva Instagram for updates as they happen.
Read on for every important beauty announcement worth knowing this week.
L’Oreal Paris in the fast lane with Carlos Sainz
At last, Carlos Sainz is getting recognised for that impressive mane of hair he’s sporting.
The Formula One driver, who formerly raced for Forza Ferrari and is now proudly in an Atlassian Williams seat for the 2025 season, has been announced as L’Oreal Paris’ new global ambassador of the Elvive haircare range.
The Elvive range is known for its scientifically backed products that help boost both hair growth and strength on all hair types.
While he’s mostly spotted donning a helmet, true fans are aware of the thick, glossy brown locks hiding underneath (which somehow always look perfectly styled?).
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Carlos joins a glittering ensemble of L’Oreal Paris ambassadors, including actresses, activists, models and more, like Kendall Jenner, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis, Renee Rapp and Andie Macdowell.
The Spaniard’s meteoric rise to success in the motorsport world began with karting, and in the time since, he’s grown to amass 200 Grand Prix races, four wins and 27 podiums across the 10 seasons he’s been involved with Formula One.
Selected for his passion, talent, determination and ability to stay cool under pressure, the brand says Carlos’ energy both on and off the track made him an excellent candidate to embody the brand’s fundamental values.
Not to mention, he’s easily one of the most well-groomed figures in Formula One, who oozes charisma during interviews and media appearances.
Carlos’ first brand campaign is for the Elvive Growth Booster, which is live now in Spain, and will roll out into other markets over the coming months.
End of an era for The Body Shop
Long before Lush lured people into its stores with its lingering scent trail and playful packaging, there was The Body Shop.
At its peak, The Body Shop was the place to go for all manner of sweet-scented body care, and quickly became synonymous with its suite of brightly hued, fruity-flavoured body butters ranging from luscious strawberry to juicy mango.
The Body Shop stores were dotted across the country, a longstanding stalwart in malls in major centres. So it came with great surprise when The Body Shop appointed voluntary administrators back in January this year.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.But without any interested parties to purchase the New Zealand arm of the business, The Body Shop’s closure was imminent, and notice was given last week of The Body Shop going into liquidation – closing all 16 of its New Zealand stores and leaving 70 staff without jobs.
A statement shared on the beauty retailer’s website read: “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued customers for your unwavering support throughout the years. Your passion for our products and ethical values has meant everything to us.”
The outlook appears brighter overseas, with the UK business saved from administration back in September after an investment firm purchased all 113 UK stores and claimed control over its assets in two other global markets.
The Body Shop’s New Zealand website is no longer processing orders, nor is the international website shipping to New Zealand, meaning mango body butter addicts will have to travel a little further afield to get their fix in the future.
Abel pivots to a ‘one in, none out’ policy
Good news, fine fragrance lovers – New Zealand natural fragrance brand Abel is reshaping its internal “one in, one out” policy.
The policy, which was put into effect in 2018, capped Abel’s collection at seven eau de parfums to ensure the brand remained intentional with both its production processes and stance on consumption. One fragrance was removed from the collection when introducing another, meaning that new launches had to outperform an existing one in order to find its spot on the shelf.
Now, the brand is pivoting from this stance, as determined by customer feedback for its archival fragrances coupled with recent advancements in the biotech space.
“Fragrance becomes your identity. It’s deeply personal and emotive. We hear our customers when they say: ‘you discontinued this scent and took away my identity!’ When we discontinued Grey Labdanum, we had a customer reach out to us to purchase a stockpile of 40 bottles, so it really is something people hold dear. We still get emails to this day about scents that were discontinued more than six years ago,” says Abel founder, Frances Shoemack.
“The framework was introduced as a standard of excellence, but we’re now at that point where all of our formulas are made using cutting-edge biotech and upcycled ingredients. They’re highly innovative and low impact, so it no longer makes sense to ‘kill a darling’.”
Abel has been at the forefront of the natural fragrance movement for years, proving that the use of natural and biotech ingredients offers a viable alternative to the widespread use of petrochemicals in scent.
The ability to offer a wider range of fragrances is exciting for Frances, who says this move won’t change their commitment to low-impact operations.
“As a brand, our mission is clearer now than ever before. With this evolution of our philosophy, we are now able to penetrate deep enough into the fragrance category to realise our leadership positioning and enact real change,” she says, adding the shift wouldn’t be possible without the help of master perfumer Isaac Sinclair and perfumer Dr Fanny Grau.
Abel’s selection of natural fragrances are available from Abel’s Wellington Fabriek, from selected stockists, or online at Abelfragrance.com.
Aesop fuses art and beauty
Artisanal beauty brand Aesop has revealed its most cosseting body wash yet, with the new Eleos Nourishing Body Cleanser.
A timely launch given the shorter days and cooler evenings, this new formulation is unlike others in Aesop’s stable – instead an emulsion-based body wash which cleanses and cares for even the most dry, dehydrated skin.
It does so with a blend of cedar atlas, patchouli and clove bud, famed for their purifying properties as much as they are for their nuanced aromas.
To celebrate, Aesop has commissioned a dance piece by choreographer Nayoung Kim to help transform the daily cleansing ritual into something poetic and beautiful.
The piece cements Aesop’s ongoing commitment to storytelling – every launch has a deeper meaning behind it to enrich connection and affinity with the brand.
“The dance is very abstract,” says Nayoung of the piece. “We thought a lot about happiness. And then we thought a lot about moisturising. And moisturising to me is like humans coming together.”
The new Eleos Nourishing Body Cleanser is priced at $57 for 180ml and $79 for 500ml, and is available now from all Aesop signature stores and online at Aesop.com/nz.
More beauty
Unpacking appearance medicine’s undetectable era, an inside look at Wellington’s newest skin club bringing world-class beauty treatments to Aotearoa, plus a helpful guide to banishing dandruff.
Appearance Medicine’s Vibe Shift: What You Need To Know About Undetectable Aesthetics. Forget over-filled, frozen faces. The 2025 beauty aesthetic favours a more ‘natural’ look.
Every Product A Beauty Editor Packed For A Six-Day Luxury Cruise. Frequent travel often calls for a pared-down beauty routine, but what if your trip entails six nights spent on a luxury Silverseas cruise around NZ’s north island? Beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti shares her cruise beauty essentials.
Inside Numa, The New Skin Club Bringing World-Class Beauty To Wellington. Co-founder Kristen Teo’s global beauty tour inspired her to create a Wellington ‘skin gym’ founded on principles borrowed from South Korea, Japan and Australia.
How To Get Rid Of Dandruff, According To A Hairstylist With Two Decades In The Know. Fed up with flakiness? A hair expert shares her hot tips on the best way to treat it.
8 Trending Autumn Nail Designs To Inspire Your Next Manicure. One nail expert shares the shades, shapes and styles you’ll see everywhere this season.
