LONDON — Scarlett Johansson’s The Outset, which she launched with beauty veteran Kate Foster, is coming to the U.K.
Johansson and Foster, who serves as the brand’s chief executive officer and has worked in beauty at Victoria’s Secret and Juicy Couture, launched the brand in 2022.
“It’s important to set your boundaries so that you can give your best to the things that you prioritize. Being able to delegate is critical to the success of any ambitious project. We have a lot of moms working on our team at The Outset and it feels like moms are especially gifted at multitasking,” said the actor, who is launching in the U.K. with Cult Beauty on Wednesday.
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The cosmetics retailer will sell the brand’s Gentle Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser, Firming Vegan Collagen Prep Serum and Nourishing Squalane Daily Moisturizer, starting from 32 pounds.
The Outset uses a signature Hyaluroset complex, a botanical alternative to hyaluronic acid, in all of its products that is meant to provide lasting hydration, plumping and smoothing. The brand said it excluded 2,700 harmful ingredients from its products and looked to only clean ingredients.
“Our U.K. community members have been particularly vocal asking for the brand, and we’ve seen that many of them have traveled to the U.S. to shop The Outset at Sephora,” said Johansson, explaining that she wants to forge a deeper relationship with her European customers in order to figure out where to expand to in the future.
More than 50 percent of The Outset’s social community comes from outside the U.S.
The brand has a combined social reach of 769,000 across Instagram and TikTok, and has 4,000 5-star reviews. According to the company, 30 percent of customers are men and the repeat customer rate stands at 40 percent.
The business is expecting to double its numbers this year.
According to industry sources, the brand was expecting to reach $10 million at retail for its first year on the market in 2022, which is when it entered Sephora.
Foster said the company has been “selective about retail expansion at this early stage.”
The idea had been brewing for five years for Johansson, who suffers from very sensitive skin. She teamed up with Foster to play scientists until they came up with a clean product.
In a sea of celebrity-founded lines, The Outset considers itself an indie brand.
“We think like an indie brand and set goals for ourselves to earn the opportunity to take the next step. Last year was all about launching, learning and optimizing. This year is really about growth, engagement and capitalizing on efficient opportunities for growth,” said Foster, who is spearheading the business side.
“We have a five-year strategic plan with a product development roadmap, but it would be premature to discuss. At every stage our goal is to listen to the customer and let those insights inform future plans,” she said.
Johansson was a longtime beauty ambassador in her 20s, starring in campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana.
“I met so many generous and intelligent leaders in the beauty industry who taught me about the various business models and helped me determine which path was the right one to take in order to bring this vision to life; that’s how I determined that I wanted to do it independently with a cofounding partner,” she said, adding that it was the only way she could get her hands dirty in the process.