For years, the beauty industry relied on a familiar formula: sign with a distributor, enter a market, and scale. But today’s landscape tells a different story. As niche fragrance, clean beauty, and emerging indie brands compete for space in a saturated global market, the old distribution model is no longer enough and in many cases, actively working against brand growth.
Few people understand this transition more intimately than Sabrina Vincent, founder of TK Beauty, a consultancy known for guiding brands through international development with careful market fit, selective distribution, and an unwavering respect for brand identity. With more than a decade of experience across French cosmetics, organic beauty, niche fragrance, and global export, Vincent has built a reputation for helping brands scale internationally without losing their essence.
Her message to today’s founders is clear: global expansion has changed, and strategy now matters more than size.
The End of the Old Distribution Model
Vincent recalls a very different landscape 10 to 15 years ago. A small number of brands, a small number of distributors, high margins, and mutual trust. Distributors invested heavily because they believed in the brands they represented.
But the model collapsed when major beauty companies began opening their own branches in countries previously developed by distributors. “You did a great job, you opened the country, and now we don’t need you anymore,” she recounts brands saying. The trust that once defined these relationships unravelled.
Today, she says, the situation is far more volatile.
“Right now, you don’t have any trust anymore between the brand and the distributor.”
The result is a strained ecosystem:
Distributors feel pressured to meet unrealistic targets
Brands demand reporting, control, and higher coefficients
Grey-market leakage increases
Both sides become defensive
And the biggest misunderstanding? Believing that having a distributor equals having a market.
Why Distribution Alone Isn’t Enough Anymore
For Vincent, the root issue is not distribution itself, it’s the misconception that distribution equals growth.
“Some brands say, ‘I’m working with Nobility.’ Great. But what are you doing with them?” she asks. A distributor can open doors, but cannot build a brand alone.
Brands must invest in:
Education
Masterclasses
Merchandising
Visibility
Retail readiness
On-the-ground partnership
Her comparison is telling:
“You need to be a partner… it’s almost like a love relationship.”
Brands that neglect this relationship risk losing their position, their strategy, and, ultimately, their identity.
The Art of Strategic Market Fit
Much of Vincent’s work centres on determining where a brand should go and where it shouldn’t. She evaluates product DNA, market compatibility, cultural expectations, and long-term brand health.
“When I see a brand, I say: this brand is for this market and for this distributor,” she explains. Not every brand is meant for Harrods. Not every niche fragrance should go to the Middle East. And not every emerging label is ready for Asia.
One of her most important roles is preventing brands from compromising their identity for short-term opportunity. She recalls a Mediterranean fragrance brand pushed by a distributor to change formulas to stronger, woodier profiles preferred in Gulf markets.“
They changed the spirit of the brand… maybe it’s not a good fit,”
She says. That ability to say no — to protect the DNA of a brand, is the difference between lasting global presence and short-lived exposure.
Building Success Through Authenticity and Alignment
Vincent’s career includes notable wins: opening eight countries for a once-unknown fragrance house, placing brands in Harrods, Liberty, and key European and Middle Eastern retailers, and helping emerging founders reposition for selective distribution. The secret, she says, is not magic; it’s alignment.
Brands contact TK Beauty daily, but Vincent’s approach is selective. She studies the website, the founder and the brand story. She asks where they want to go and often tells them they’re aiming at the wrong market.
Her strength lies in matching the right brand to the right distributor, and the right distributor to the right region. Her longstanding relationships (10–12 years) mean distributors trust her instincts, and that trust opens doors faster than any marketing campaign.
A Future Built on Partnership, Not Placement
As beauty becomes more competitive and globalised, Vincent believes success will depend on emotional intelligence as much as commercial ability. Brands must nurture partnerships, protect their DNA, and approach expansion with intention rather than ambition.
Her message to founders in 2025 is simple and powerful: Global expansion is no longer about being everywhere. It’s about being in the right places with the right partners and for the right reasons.
About Sabrina Vincent
Sabrina Vincent is the founder of TK Beauty, an international beauty consultancy specialising in strategic market entry, distributor selection, and global brand development. With more than a decade of experience working across French cosmetics, organic beauty, and niche fragrance, she supports brands in scaling globally while protecting their identity and long-term market positioning.
