Indie Beauty Brand Youthforia to Close
Founded by Fiona Co Chan in 2021, Youthforia gained early traction with its viral BYO Blush, claims that its cosmetics products were safe to be slept in, and secured a $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban on 'Shark Tank', in 2023, his first deal with a beauty brand on the show. Later that year, the brand later a further funding round with seasoned beauty investors True Beauty Ventures and Willow Growth Partners to support its expansion into Ulta Beauty, Amazon and other retail channels.
The closure follows a major scandal in 2024, where the launch of its Date Night foundation received widespread criticism, initially for its limited range of shades for darker skin tones, and then for a subsequent line extension of darker shades which appeared to be solely a jet black pigment. Backlash from influencers, cosmetic experts, and consumers prompted retailers like Credo Beauty, Thirteen Lune, and Revolve to pull the brand from shelves, and online traffic and social media engagement dropped significantly.
In addition to appearing on 'Shark Tank', prior to its foundation controversy, the line had been featured in publications such as Allure and Vogue.
Learn more:
What to Do When a Beauty Product Launch Goes Wrong
The backlash that follows a botched product launch can quickly spill over from a bad news cycle to an all-out PR crisis. Beauty brands have the power to foresee these events, and stop them happening, providing they're willing to do the legwork.
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