ACT BEAUTY Brings Its Turnkey Makeup and Skincare Offering to New York

Exhibiting at MakeUp in NewYork for the first time on September 16–17, 2026, the French group, with U.S. commercial development led by Sharon Prestowitz, presents a Cosmetics Business Unit that combines formulation, sourcing, accessories, packaging, quality management and regulatory oversight, from a single component to a complete turnkey program.

Turnkey becomes the baseline expectation. Brands and retailers rely on partners able to deliver a market-ready product including formula, applicator, packaging, compliance and packing, so their own teams can concentrate on brand building and distribution. ACT BEAUTY meets that standard, and adds a degree of freedom: a brand can also brief a single packaging component, accessory or GWP alongside its existing supplier panel. The group brings both configurations to New York this September, six months after its first show appearance at MakeUp in Los Angeles, with Kendo and Unilever groups already among its clients.

A business unit built on a conviction. Following the acquisition of the 10-year-old cosmetics development laboratory LAVAY Paris in 2024, ACT BEAUTY has taken a new step in its expansion and is reinforcing the ambition driven by its founder, Cyril Dauvers: to establish ACT BEAUTY as a global partner capable of supporting brands far beyond packaging or accessories. Known for its premium packaging, accessories and lifestyle products, the group is now structuring its turnkey skincare and makeup offering around a strong conviction: the product cannot be separated from its use, its application method, its industrialization process or its retail reality as each of these dimensions is intrinsically woven into the identity and experience of the product itself.

With its Cosmetics Business Unit, ACT BEAUTY responds precisely to this logic: integrating an established expertise in makeup and skincare product development, together with a longstanding network of industrial partners and a deep understanding of regulatory, industrial and go-to-market challenges. Cosmetic development cannot be improvised. Formulation, formula-packaging compatibility, an increasingly complex regulatory environment, sourcing and industrialization all require highly specialized expertise that can be difficult to build in-house when it is not a company’s core business.

Led by Amélie Jumel, an Industrial Biology Engineer with 15 years of international experience in cosmetic product development, regulatory affairs and industrial coordination, ACT BEAUTY’s Cosmetics Business Unit oversees every stage of the product development process, from concept through to market launch. The company positions itself as an “outsourced product manager”, capable of selecting the right partners, integrating technical and regulatory constraints from the earliest stages, and securing development so that brands can focus on their identity, universe and distribution.

The group does not operate its own manufacturing facilities and deliberately embraces this model. It relies instead on a carefully selected network of specialized partners, chosen according to the requirements of each project and the type of formulation sought; hybrid makeup, innovative and multisensory textures, lip products or skincare formulas; with centralized in-house management at every stage, supported by multidisciplinary teams in sourcing, quality, design and logistics.

Four questions for Amélie Jumel, Operations Manager – Cosmetics

What role does ACT BEAUTY aim to play in makeup and skincare development today?

A.J.: We want to be a development partner for brands, not only for formulation and packaging, but for the whole product. Makeup is a highly cross-functional discipline: everything matters. Texture, applicator, packaging, end use, regulatory requirements and industrial feasibility all need to work together. Our role is to coordinate all these parameters within a single management framework, making projects smoother, more coherent and more realistic for brands.

How is your offering structured?

A.J.: We support brands on both bespoke developments, which require more extensive lead times, and on projects built from existing, customizable formula bases. This allows textures, shades and active ingredients to be adapted to their needs and launch timelines, while gaining in agility.

Our offering follows market trends and evolving consumer expectations, with a growing focus on hybrid makeup formulas and on-the-go formats: multi-use sticks, lip products, hybrid balms, transformative textures, stick eyeshadows and liquid formulations. We place a strong emphasis on usability and application gesture, developing products that are intuitive to use and aligned with the new rituals of modern makeup. We also develop the associated accessories, applicators and packaging. Everything is considered as a whole, so that it all comes together as second nature.

How do you ensure quality and regulatory compliance throughout development?

A.J.: Compliance requirements are integrated from the very first stages of development, thanks to our in-house quality and regulatory affairs expertise, but it is equally essential to draw on external specialists, such as toxicologists, with whom we work closely as part of a network of trusted expert partners.

Depending on the target markets and the level of requirements, we coordinate regulatory testing, support market launches, compile and manage Product Information Files, and handle formula-packaging compatibility, stability, safety assessments and claims substantiation. This last point is critical. We rely on our partner network, whose high standards in quality and regulatory compliance, combined with centralized project management, allow us to anticipate and address risks at a very early stage, once again, because we maintain an end-to-end view of the project.

Why does this model resonate particularly well with fashion and lifestyle brands?

A.J.: These brands are looking for partners capable of delivering product vision, retail insight and operational execution without multiplying points of contact. This model is particularly common in North America, where CDMOs develop turnkey product lines, including brand creation, brand platforms and merchandising, for retailers, fashion and lifestyle brands. Ultimately, we take on a process that would be too resource-intensive for brands to manage alone, and we secure projects from A to Z.

Packaging and accessories, integrated or standalone

The packaging and accessories offer rests on more than thirty years of expertise. ACT BEAUTY designs premium packaging, creates cosmetic accessories such as brushes, sponges, pouches and tools, and develops lifestyle textile and luggage collections for retail and promotional use. Each block can be briefed independently, alongside a brand’s existing supplier panel, or assembled into a single program covering makeup formulas, packaging and accessories.

Recent collections illustrate both readings. BOLD TOTEM breaks away from brush ranges built around uniform handle shapes, each brush defined by its own form and specific use. AURA, a large body brush with a dense bicolor head, distributes formula uniformly across the décolleté, arms, back and legs. COFFEE TRAVEL, a PU beauty book combining a hand cream, a customizable metal makeup palette, a travel kabuki, a mascara and grooming tools, provides brands with a full-service solution integrating both packaging development and beauty products.

Social responsibility remains at the heart of the group’s identity. Awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal since 2021 (99%), ACT BEAUTY operates its ACT OF CARE programme, ensuring certified materials (GRS, GOTS, FSC®), socially audited production sites and full supply chain traceability. Its BIEN FAIRE label gives clients complete visibility into production via a QR code integrated into the product, from raw material origin to each stage of the chain, through to post-use disposal instructions.

Sharon Prestowitz, NA Sales Manager: Sharon Prestowitz handles all U.S. projects and commercial development for ACT BEAUTY, working at the intersection of the French and U.S. markets. An American who has built her career across both markets, she brings a background in beauty packaging development and purchasing, fashion retail and beauty e-commerce, and is fluent in both French and English. She manages commercial development across North America, working with brands from initial concept through to completion.

Her experience gives her a strong understanding of both sides of a development brief: translating a brand’s needs into clear product strategies and specifications, while coordinating directly with factories on timelines, pricing and product requirements throughout production. For brands, she serves as a single commercial contact for packaging and accessory projects, providing a direct and seamless connection with ACT BEAUTY’s Cosmetics Business Unit when a brief extends to formulas.

ACT BEAUTY – Booth #B15 – MakeUp in NewYork, September 16-17, 2026 –  [email protected]