Beauty birthdays: 9 cult brands celebrating major milestones this year
Some of these pioneering companies were founded more than a century ago.
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Congratulations are in order for a host of our favourite brands this year, as they reach major milestone birthdays and prove their enduring appeal among beauty buffs.
From skincare to styling tools, nail polish to perfume, these cult companies have brought us some of the most iconic products in history, thereby cementing their place in the beauty hall of fame…
1. GHD
It’s hard to overstate quite how revolutionary GHD straighteners were when they were launched in 2001, ushering in the era of poker-straight locks.
Now celebrating two decades of good hair days, the company still sells stack loads of straighteners each year, as well as curling wands, hairdryers and styling products. To mark its 20th birthday, the brand has released a ‘hair-itage’ collection of tools in a cool silver ombre colour.
GHD Gold Hair Straightener in Ombre Chrome, £159
2. Goutal
Former model and classical musician Annick Goutal sought to distil memories of people, places and moments when she began her eponymous fragrance house in 1981.
Goutal sadly died of cancer in 1999 but her perfumes live on. Most notably, Eau d’Hadrien, a citrus-based eau de toilette, has remained popular with men and women alike for four decades.
Goutal Eau d’Hadrien Eau De Toilette, £110 for 100ml, Harvey Nichols
3. Templespa
Turning 21 this year, skincare and spa brand Templespa was the brainchild of husband and wife duo Liz and Mark Warom, who were inspired by the Mediterranean way of life, after spending a year travelling around Europe on sabbatical (they had both enjoyed successful careers in the cosmetics industry).
The ultimate pampering gift for someone special (or yourself) the Truffle Luxe Gift Collection brings together four skincare essentials infused with precious ingredients, including black summer truffles, diamond illuminating powder and real gold.
Templespa Truffle Luxe Gift Collection, £155
4. Chanel No5
The most famous fragrance of all time marks a ‘century of celebrity’ this year, 100 years after Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel chose the fifth sample presented to her by perfumer Ernest Beaux for her debut scent launch.
The fashion designer sought to create a modern eau de parfum that would suit the liberated woman of the roaring Twenties. The No5 blend of florals and aldehydes was a far cry from the single-note perfumes of the time, and remains as popular today as when it first burst onto scene all those years ago.
Chanel No5 Eau de Parfum, £86 for 50ml
5. OPI
And the award goes to… OPI, which is celebrating 40 years of perfectly polished nails with the launch of the Hollywood collection.
Inspired by the glitz and glamour of awards season, the 12 new shades come with the usual witty names like ‘Emmy Have You Seen Oscar?’ (a bright tomato red) and ‘Rated Pea-G’ (a pea green).
OPI Emmy, Have You Seen Oscar? Infinite Shine Long-Wear Lacquer, £15.50
6. Superdrug Vitamin E
It’s been 25 years since Superdrug started harnessing the skin-boosting power of vitamin E with one its most popular own-brand ranges.
Now, the Vitamin E collection contains more than 40 different face and body products, and to mark the special occasion there’s a new gift set available. Containing five full-size hero products, sales of the limited-edition set will support RSPO, as Superdrug works towards its commitment to only use sustainable palm oil by 2025.
Superdrug Vitamin E 25th Birthday Skincare Set, £15
7. Ormonde Jayne
Obsessed with scent since childhood, Linda Jayne Pilkington founded luxury fragrance house Ormonde Jayne 21 years ago, taking inspiration from more than a decade spent living and working all over the world.
While many brand founders choose to sell their companies once they’ve flourished, Pilkington still privately owns her firm and counts Goldie Hawn and Emma Thomson among its admirers. The iconic actors are both fans of the house’s signature scent, Ormonde Woman.
Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Woman Eau De Parfum, £90 for 30ml
8. Kiehl’s
Starting life as an apothecary on a New York street corner in 1851, Kiehl’s has been going strong for an incredible 170 years. Later becoming a pharmacy selling medicine and tinctures, it wasn’t until the 1960s that many of the skincare products we know and love today landed on the shop floor.
To mark this year’s big birthday, the brand has launched heritage editions of some of those fan favourites, including Ultra Facial Cream and Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner.
Kiehl’s 170th Anniversary Ultra Facial Cream, £28
9. Flower by Kenzo
An offshoot of the fashion house founded in France by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada in 1964, the Kenzo fragrance line has become a major success in its own right.
The brand’s flagship women’s fragrance, Flower by Kenzo – launched 21 years ago – sought to give a scent to the naturally odourless poppy, and was recently reimagined in a delicate eau de toilette version.
Kenzo Flower By Kenzo Eau de Parfum, £56 for 50ml, Boots