Scarlett Johansson’s skincare brand The Outset closes after four years
The clean-beauty label, co-founded by the actress and entrepreneur Kate Foster Lengyel in 2022, has ceased operations and shut down its e-commerce site.
Scarlett Johansson’s clean-skincare brand The Outset has ceased operations, the company announced on its website. Existing orders will be processed, but e-commerce has closed. The brand did not disclose a reason for the shutdown.
“After an incredible journey, The Outset has made the decision to wind down operations,” the statement read. “We’re so grateful to everyone who welcomed us into their routines and supported us along the way.”
From launch to closure
The Outset debuted in March 2022 with five products priced between $32 and $54. The Firming Vegan Collagen Prep Serum served as the brand’s flagship product and its bestseller at the time of closure. The assortment later expanded to roughly 14 products, including the Nourishing Squalane Daily Moisturizer, with formulations designed for sensitive skin that reflected Johansson’s minimal approach to beauty maintenance.
The brand initially reached 500 Sephora locations in April 2022 but subsequently left that retailer. At closure, its stockists included Amazon, Credo, Cult Beauty, Goop, Knockout Beauty, Niche Beauty, Nordstrom, QVC, Revolve and Shopbop. The Outset maintained 438,000 Instagram followers and nearly 610,000 TikTok followers with 18 million likes on that platform.
In the weeks before closure, heavy discounting marked the brand’s final stretch, with up to 50 percent reductions on products. The brand’s Instagram account showed activity within four days of the shutdown announcement.
The celebrity-brand model
Johansson and Kate Foster Lengyel, an entrepreneur with previous ventures including SwearBy and leadership positions at Victoria’s Secret and Juicy Couture, established The Outset together. Lengyel departed her role as CEO in April 2025. The Najafi Companies provided initial backing of between $5 million and $10 million, according to reporting, with additional investors including Beliade and Plus Capital.
Industry sources had projected first-year retail sales of approximately $10 million, according to Beauty Independent. By 2025, Charm.io estimated annual sales in a range of $10 million to $25 million. At the brand’s introduction, the investment firm’s leadership sought to distance the venture from celebrity-driven models. “It’s not about bringing more brands to market with a celebrity face,” Jahm Najafi, founder and CEO of The Najafi Companies, told Fortune. “We’re looking for special brands that can stand on their own.”
The Outset positioned itself distinctly within the crowded celebrity-beauty category. Johansson, notably absent from personal social media, appeared selectively on The Outset’s accounts rather than driving the brand through her own following. Foster Lengyel articulated this strategy to Forbes at launch, describing a “slow-burn approach” focused on cultivating “a community with longevity.”
A pattern of closures
The Outset’s closure reflects a broader retreat of celebrity beauty brands. Drew Barrymore’s Flower Beauty ceased operations in September 2025 after 13 years, and Kate Moss’s Cosmoss entered liquidation in June 2025. The closures underscore the persistent difficulty celebrity founders face in translating brand recognition into sustained business performance within a saturated market.
This article was compiled by the Glamorade editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
