• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 9, 2018

Neutrogena is teaming up with actress Kerry Washington, introducing a new collection at Ulta. And she joins growing ranks of celebrity women of color who are shaking up the way all women see their skin: Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez recently announced a new line with Inglot Cosmetics. And major brands are still racing to catch up with the buzz generated by Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, launched last fall.

Washington, best known as Olivia Pope in “Scandal,” is already a spokesperson for the Johnson & Johnson-owned Neutrogena. But the new collection, Neutrogena X Kerry, is all her, including an Essential Eye Palette, Essential Cheek Palette and a bath/shower gel. Products are available online and will launch in stores later this month. Lopez’ collection also debuts then, as well.

While celebrity beauty lines and collections are nothing new, with Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner, and KKW from Kim Kardashian, they are still among the hottest. But the complexion of the launches is shifting toward inclusivity, with industry reports published in Women’s Wear Daily saying Fenty Beauty is on track to beat both in sales. Fenty Beauty, which is owned by LVMH and sold at its Sephora stores, also appears to be cleaning up in per-person spending, with WWD reporting the typical Fenty shopper spending $471 per year.

Ulta, meanwhile, continues its hot streak among retailers. Last month, it said its net sales for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year climbed 22.6% to $1.94 billion, up from $1.58 billion. And operating income rose 13.5% to $254.4 million, from $224.2 million in the year-ago period. Revenues at its in-store salons gained 17.2% to $73.7 million, and e-commerce sales jumped 60.4% to $248.3 million.

For the year ahead, it predicts total sales will grow in the low teens percentage range, while comparable sales growth is expected to advance between 6% and 8%. That includes the impact of e-commerce, forecast to rise to about the 40% range.