Scarlett Johansson’s Skincare Brand The Outset Shuts Down Leave a comment
Scarlett Johansson’s clean skincare brand The Outset is closing in yet another reminder that celebrity doesn’t necessarily translate to longevity in beauty.
The brand announced its closure on its website, where it informed customers that existing orders would be processed, but e-commerce had shuttered. Launched in March 2022, The Outset rolled out to 500 Sephora doors in April of the same year. It subsequently exited the retailer, but its current stockist list includes Amazon, Credo, Cult Beauty, Goop, Knockout Beauty, Niche Beauty, Nordstrom, QVC, Revolve and Shopbop.
The Outset’s site says, “After an incredible journey, The Outset has made the decision to wind down operations. We’re so grateful to everyone who welcomed us into their routines and supported us along the way.”
The shutdown follows heavy discounting at The Outset. It was offering products for up to 50% off in an end-of-summer sale in the weeks leading up to the closure. The brand was active on Instagram as recently as four days ago and has 438,000 followers on the platform. On TikTok, it has nearly 610,000 followers and 18 million likes.
The Outset debuted with five products priced from $32 to $54, including its hero Firming Vegan Collagen Prep Serum, which remains listed as the brand’s No. 1 bestseller. Its assortment later expanded to roughly 14 products. Developed with sensitive skin in mind, the product lineup was meant to reflect Johansson’s minimal approach to beauty maintenance.
Industry sources cited by Women’s Wear Daily projected the brand would generate $10 million in retail sales in its first year. Charm.io estimated its sales at $10 million to $25 million in 2025.
Johansson co-founded The Outset with Kate Foster Lengyel, who previously founded SwearBy and was EVP and CMO at NYDJ Apparel. Foster Lengyel served as CEO until leaving the company in April 2025. The brand launched with backing from The Najafi Companies, a private investment firm that has invested in brand incubator Beach House Group. The firm reportedly invested between $5 million and $10 million in The Outset. Other investors have included Beliade and Plus Capital.
At the time of The Outset’s launch, Najafi Companies founder and CEO Jahm Najafi acknowledged the saturation of celebrity brands and emphasized that its investment thesis extended beyond famous faces. “It’s not about bringing more brands to market with a celebrity face,” he told Fortune. “We’re looking for special brands that can stand on their own.”
The Outset joins a growing list of celebrity-connected beauty and wellness brands that have gone dark recently. Gwen Stefani’s GXVE Beauty shut down earlier this year, and Kate Hudson’s InBloom appears to have closed. Drew Barrymore’s Flower Beauty and Kate Moss’ Cosmoss closed and entered liquidation last year, respectively.
Designed to appeal across genders and generations, The Outset identified consumers aged 25 to 45 as its sweet spot. Johansson, a former L’Oréal Paris ambassador, is 41 years old, and she’s been a fixture in popular culture for much of the lives of many consumers targeted by The Outset. Her acting career spans more than 30 years, and she’s starred in such notable movies as “Lost in Translation,” “The Avengers,” “Marriage Story” and “Jurassic World Rebirth.”
Still, The Outset deliberately sought to distinguish itself from celebrity brands driven by a famous founder’s social media following. Johansson doesn’t have personal social media accounts, though she has appeared on The Outset’s feed.
At the brand’s launch, Foster Lengyel told Forbes, “This isn’t your average celebrity brand because Scarlett is not on social media, so it’s not that Scarlett has this existing audience that she’s looking to monetize. There’s a mystery around her.” Foster Lengyel said the company was taking a “slow-burn approach” and “trying to build a community with longevity.”
