Brands
Kiara’s scent of a woman moment as she joins Vanesa as brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Kiara Advani has added another feather to her stylish cap this time with a hint of floral and a splash of amber. The movie actress has been named the new face of premium fragrance brand Vanesa, stepping into a role that celebrates individuality, grace and modern femininity.
With her effortless poise and magnetic screen presence, Kiara’s journey mirrors the brand’s ethos: empowering women to embrace their true selves, unapologetically. Her signature scent preferences fresh and floral by day, warm and musky by night are now set to inspire a new chapter in Vanesa’s fragrance story.
Expressing her excitement, Kiara Advani said, “I’m beyond thrilled to be associated with Vanesa. For me, confidence is about embracing my true self, owning my strengths and vulnerabilities, and walking through life with authenticity. This is what makes working with Vanesa so special, as the brand celebrates individuality, and that’s something I truly believe in.”
Hamilton Sciences Pvt. Ltd MD & CEO Saurabh Gupta said, “We are delighted to welcome Kiara Advani to the Vanesa family. Kiara embodies the essence of our brand with her elegance, charm, and relatable appeal. Her journey and personality perfectly align with Vanesa’s philosophy of celebrating individuality and modern femininity. We believe this collaboration will inspire women to embrace their individuality with confidence.”
The move signals Vanesa’s intent to expand its emotional resonance with young Indian women who see fragrance as an extension of identity. Building on its legacy, which began with former ambassador Kareena Kapoor Khan, the brand is evolving with a fresh, contemporary appeal.
As the face of Vanesa, Kiara is expected to front new campaigns and inspire a fragrance collection that captures the many moods of the modern woman bold, beautiful and completely herself.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
