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Makeup and perfume chain Ulta Salon, Cosmetics and & Fragrances Inc. reported that its second-quarter net income jumped sharply on cost reductions and stronger sales, and its results beat analyst expectations.

The company said it earned $13.1 million, or 22 cents per share, for the quarter, compared with $5.8 million, or 10 cents per share, a year earlier. Adjusting for a one-time compensation-related charge in the most recent quarter the company earned 25 cents per share.

Ulta's revenue grew 17.6 percent to $321.8 million.

The results beat the average forecast of analyst surveyed by Thomson Reuters for 18 cents per share on revenue of $314.9 million. Analyst estimates typically exclude one-time items.

Ulta also reported that sales at its stores open more than a year rose 10.7 percent, compared with a 1.7 percent decrease in the same quarter last year. This is considered a key indicator of a retailer's financial performance as it strips away results from recently opened and closed stores.

The company said it expects this momentum to continue.

Ulta now expects to earn 18 to 20 cents per share for the third quarter, which includes a 2 cent per share one-time charge. Analysts anticipate the company will earn 16 cents per share.

Shares of Ulta jumped $1.97, nearly 9 percent, to $24.20 in after-hours trading.

China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has moved to create the country's first safety assessment and monitoring system for cosmetics and skin care products, said an SFDA official.

It was announced that the SFDA would soon issue an implementation plan for monitoring the safety of cosmetics and skin care products as part of the system, said the official, who declined to be named, during an SFDA meeting on safety supervision that ended Friday in Yiwu city, east China's Zhejiang Province.

However, the official did not reveal the exact date for issuing the plan.

The SFDA had drawn up a draft plan for a product test system, was re-examining the qualifications of agencies that approve cosmetics and skin care products, and was screening candidates for a safety commission, he said.

The SDFA has also issued guidelines on its website that specify procedures, requirements and other information of safety assessment of cosmetics and skin care products. It would be China's first system to assess and monitor safety of cosmetics and skin care products.

In 2006, Japanese-made products of SK-II, a Procter & Gamble Co. brand, were found in China to contain chromium. Chromium is an element that causes skin allergies and is widely prohibited in the production of cosmetics and skin care products.

The findings stirred waves of consumer demand for refunds nationwide and P&G temporarily pulled SK-II from Chinese mainland stores. As it later turned out, the banned element was not added deliberately, but was contained in other ingredients of the products.

More info: http://eng.sfda.gov.cn/eng/

Aptargroup, Inc., a supplier of a broad range of dispensing systems for the personal care, fragrance, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food, beverage and household markets, haannounced that it will host an Analyst Day on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 beginning at 8:00 am EDT. Senior executives from the company will make a presentation and then answer questions from a live audience.

Interested parties can access the presentation slides and listen live to the presentation and the question and answer session by visiting the Investor Relations page om Aptargroup's website at www.aptar.com. A replay of this event will be available on the web site for 30 days.

Aptargroup is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois, with manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

The Soap Girl, a Canada-based natural and organic bath and beauty brand, has launched both a new spa line and new website. The new spa line is a more sophisticated extension of the brand that will be carried by spas and specialty beauty boutiques. In addition, a new e-commerce element will allow bath and beauty junkies across the country to order the organically-infused products.

The Soap Girl spa line is made with natural and botanical products sourced from around the world. The line will include Body Polish, Facial and Body Masque, Shea Butter and Solid Body Butter. All products will be available in three collections: Thai Coconut Lime, Açai Goji Berry and Cranberry Citrus.

“I’ve been creating The Soap Girl for 10 years and have been working towards launching this new botanical spa line,” says Sarah Crawley, founder and owner of The Soap Girl. “For me, it’s about creating a company that has integrity – through the high quality of products The Soap Girl produces as well as the causes it supports. When someone uses a product that feels good for the body, it’s nice to know that at the same time they are making a difference.”

Crawley selects the ingredients for her products based on the “simple factor.” If she can’t understand what it is, she won’t use it. “Consumers should be able to understand what they are using when it comes to their body,” says Crawley.

All the ingredients are natural and organically-infused and have been sourced internationally from Canada to as far as India and Africa. The Soap Girl also uses ingredients that have been ethically-produced, such as fair-trade sugar and ensures all ingredients are Paraben free, Phthalate free, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth free as well as cruelty-free and dye-free.

The Soap Girl contributes a percentage of online sales to a charity through its Inspiring Charity Program.

Living Proof, Inc., the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based beauty company, has announced it was granted two U.S. patents related to its PolyfluoroEster technology. The company believes this new technology has the potential to fill performance gaps that currently exist with the widespread use of silicones in the $35 billion worldwide hair care industry.

Issued under U.S. Patent Nos. 7,763,240 and 7,785,575, these patents claim the use of a broad class of fluorinated esters for treating hair.

"The creation of PolyfluoroEster allows us to deliver performance characteristics in hair care that were not been possible before." says Eric Spengler, senior VP of research and development for Living Proof. "Our material deposits a thin, hydrophobic film on the hair with a low coefficient of friction. This allows us to fill both a technical need and performance gaps left by silicones."

"We view this invention as Living Proof's opportunity to spur the next big leap forward in the hair care industry. In the coming years it will lead to many new products that will deliver on our promise of truly differentiated performance and dramatically better results for consumers." adds Rob Robillard, president and CEO of Living Proof.

Living Proof has differentiated itself by taking an approach to beauty that combines scientists from universities and research laboratories with the talents of professional hair stylists and beauty experts to create original, proprietary technology. Its technologies and products have been awarded some of the industry's most prestigious awards including Allure Magazine's Beauty Breakthrough Award and the Cosmetic Executive Women's Awards for Indie Company of the Year, Best Hair Styling Product and Best Hair Care Product.

Irving Place Capital (“IPC”), a middle-market private equity firm, announced today that it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Alpha Packaging (“Alpha”), a leading blow molder of plastic bottles and jars for the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and personal care markets. IPC is investing in partnership with Alpha’s current management team, led by President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Spence and Chief Operating Officer Dan Creston. The transaction is expected to close in September of 2010.

Alpha, which is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, manufactures plastic bottles and jars at five manufacturing facilities located strategically throughout the U.S., as well as a recently-opened plant in the Netherlands. The company’s Technigraph division provides high-quality container decorating services to leading personal care brands. Stonebridge Partners of White Plains, New York, fueled the growth of Alpha with significant capital investments that allowed the company to triple in size during their investment period.

Dave Spence, President and CEO of Alpha, said, “I am enormously proud of the business we have grown over the last 25 years and excited about the bright future that we have in front of us with Irving Place Capital. We are constantly looking for ways to support our customers’ growth by offering new products and technologies. We are committed to making our network of distributors and direct customers more competitive through additional investments in our existing operations and the completion of add-on acquisitions.”

COO Dan Creston said, “Alpha’s growth strategy will be accelerated when the company is recapitalized. Having IPC as an equity investor will allow us to continue our growth and make even larger acquisitions than those that we have made in the past.”

Phil Carpenter, a Senior Managing Director at Irving Place Capital, said, “Alpha is an excellent platform for growth and is a great complement to our packaging portfolio. The company has a strong position in attractive end-markets, and we look forward to working closely with Alpha’s management team to further expand the business.”

This transaction represents a continuation of Irving Place Capital’s focus on investing in packaging, a key area of focus and strength for the firm. IPC’s other platform investments in packaging include Multi Packaging Solutions, Inc., Chesapeake Corporation and Mold-Rite Plastics, Inc.

Under the agreement with IPC, Alpha’s top management team will stay in place. Dave Spence will remain as Alpha’s President and CEO. Upon transaction close, Dan Creston will oversee all acquisition integration as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development. Mike DeFazio, who currently serves as Vice President of Operations, will become Chief Operating Officer. Alpha’s Chief Financial Officer, Gary Seeman, and its Executive Vice President of Sales, Jack Baily, will remain in their positions.

OPI has made a name for itself by naming its premium nail enamel things like Kiss on the Chic, I'm Not Really a Waitress and You're a Pisa Work. But now the company is in the news not for its nail color, but for its rumored sale.

According to sources, privately-held OPI is on the auction block by investment bank Lazard. In fact, rumors persist that first round bids went out last week. But company founder George Schaeffer recently told Women's Wear Daily that his company is not for sale.

Still industry observers have noted in the past that Schaeffer has an agreement with his ex-wife to run the company for a couple of more years and then sell it. Currently, Schaeffer's right-hand man is a woman, executive vice president and artistic director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, who also happens to be his ex-sister-in-law.

According to sources, multinational beauty companies have shown an interest in OPI as well as private equity firms.

Christie Brinkley, who holds titles of supermodel, entrepreneur and philanthropist, will add another this fall, when she receives the 2nd Annual HBA "Positively Beautiful" Award from HBA Global Expo for her active support of Smile Train and its mission. Smile Train (www.smiletrain.org) provides free cleft surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries and free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals.

The Positively Beautiful Award was established by HBA Global to annually recognize a celebrity who uses his or her name and talents to further a cause that champions inner beauty and self-esteem building. The Award Presentation will be part of the event’s keynote and kick-off presentation on Tuesday, September 28th starting at 9am in the Special Events Hall at Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. HBA Global Expo & Conference (www.hbaexpo.com) is the largest product development event for the cosmetic, fragrance, skin care, personal care, and well-being industries.

"Christie Brinkley has one of the most recognizable smiles in the world, and she knows the importance a new smile will make in these children lives who are born with cleft lips and palates. Her awareness building for Smile Train is helping millions of deserving children find their 'inner beauty' and giving them a second chance at life," said Jill Birkett, brand director, Beauty & Wellness, of HBA Global Expo. "We are extremely proud to present Ms. Brinkley with this year's 'Positively Beautiful' award and recognize the beauty of her commitment to the empowerment of disadvantaged children."

Brinkley has appeared on over 500 magazine covers worldwide and was the first model to appear on the Sports Illustrated iconic swimsuit issue for three consecutive years. She has held contracts or appeared in ads for many HBA attendees including Chanel No 19, Max Factor, Noxzema, Revlon, Borghese Cosmetics and Nu Skin. Her major contract with CoverGirl is the longest running cosmetics contract of any model in history.

Prior to the Positively Beautiful Award presentation to Brinkley, Pamela Baxter, president and CEO, of LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics North America will deliver a keynote address to the crowd. More info: www.hbaexpo.com.