skin care brand philosophy celebrates its sweet 16 birthday

PHOENIX, March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- on the first day of spring in 1996, the dawn of a new era in beauty began with the launch of an inspirational skin care company, philosophy. the brand was created so women everywhere could access the most advanced innovations in skin care and be inspired to live better lives by being better to themselves. unlike any other beauty brand, philosophy created a strong emotional connection with its consumer because of the unique combination of brand approachability and product performance. this year, on march 21, the brand will celebrate its milestone 16th birthday.

philosophy was created by entrepreneur and visionary, cristina carlino, who previously developed biomedic, the highly acclaimed medical skin care company. biomedic was distributed in the world's leading plastic surgeon and dermatologist offices. drawing from biomedic's successful product innovations, philosophy delivered revolutionary formulations and ingredients, destined to make it one of the most revered brands in the cosmetics industry.

over the past 16 years, philosophy evolved into a cutting-edge skin care company, with its formulas deeply rooted in the brand's medical heritage. philosophy is continuously praised by the industry's most influential publications, receiving beauty awards for both new products and long-standing customer favorites, year after year.

in 2010, recognizing the brand's power and influence in the marketplace, Coty Inc. acquired philosophy, allowing Coty to further diversify and expand its prestige division. this partnership will help philosophy launch on a global level, affording them the opportunity to expand across asia into countries such as korea, china and japan. domestically, philosophy continues to grow its retail relationships, with the product line available at sephora, qvc, ulta, nordstrom, macy's and lord & taylor, as well as the brand's ecommerce site: philosophy.com.

to joyously celebrate their birthday, philosophy created a limited-edition shower gel, it's philosophy's sweet 16, which is sweetly scented with cinnamon buns, a perennial customer favorite and one of the company's best-selling shower gel scents.

about philosophy
philosophy, acquired by the Coty Inc. prestige portfolio in 2010, is a brand that approaches personal care from a scientific point of view, while celebrating the beauty of the human spirit. our skin care, fragrances and bath and body products are formulated with scientifically-proven ingredients. philosophy believes science can give us better skin . . . but only humanity can give us better days. born from biomedic, the acclaimed medical company that pioneered some of the most popular in-office treatments, our skin care products have long been recommended by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. philosophy is an international skin care and cosmetics company founded in 1996 and headquartered in phoenix, arizona.

About Coty Inc.
Coty was created in Paris in 1904 by Francois Coty, who is credited with founding the modern fragrance industry.

Today Coty Inc. is a recognized leader in global beauty with annual net sales of over $4 billion. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, passion, innovation and creativity, Coty Inc. has developed an unrivaled portfolio of notable brands and delivers its innovative products to consumers in 135 markets worldwide.

The Coty Prestige brand portfolio is distributed in prestige and ultra-prestige stores and includes Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Cerruti, Chloe, Chopard, Davidoff, Jennifer Lopez, Jil Sander, JOOP!, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Cole, Gwen Stefani, Lancaster, Marc Jacobs, Nikos, philosophy, Roberto Cavalli, Sarah Jessica Parker, Truth or Dare by Madonna, Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood and Wolfgang Joop.

The Coty Beauty brand portfolio is more widely distributed and includes adidas, ASTOR, Baby Phat, Beyonce Knowles, Celine Dion, Chupa Chups, David and Victoria Beckham, Elite Models, Esprit, Exclamation, Faith Hill, GUESS?, Halle Berry, Heidi Klum, Jovan, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Manhattan, Manhattan Clearface, Miss Sporty, Nautica, N.Y.C. New York Color, Nicole by OPI, OPI, Pierre Cardin(1), Playboy, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Stetson, Tim McGraw, TJoy and Tonino Lamborghini.

Coty and Puig S.L. have a strategic partnership for the distribution of the perfume lines of Antonio Banderas, Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne, Prada, Shakira and Valentino in the United States and Canada.

For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit www.coty.com.

(1) Not available in North America

SOURCE philosophy