Catch up on this week’s industry chatter with these click-worthy links:
- The term “selfie” has been in use for little more than a decade, but the ubiquitous self-portrait already is revolutionizing more than just social media feeds. When it comes to formulating products, cosmetics companies such as CoverGirl and Avon are taking a look through the lens, according to a report by The New York Times. Increasingly, brands are creating camera-ready foundations, mascaras, and lipsticks in an effort to harness the potential sales and marketing power of social media.
- Brazil’s deteriorating economy and political uncertainty have multinational companies rethinking their investments in the once-fertile market, The Wall Street Journal reports. In addition to paring down corporate tax incentives, officials have reintroduced a controversial financial-transaction tax into the country’s 2016 budget, released earlier this month and awaiting congressional approval. A spokeswoman for Avon, which counts Brazil as its largest market, said the beauty company is committed to doing business in the country for the long term.
- A new crop of online shopping services has made it simpler to find the right fit, but which service is the right fit for today’s working women? To find out, Fortune’s Valentina Zarya is trying out five of the most popular online styling services. The second installment recounts her experience shopping for work clothes through Keaton Row, a free service that teams each client with one of its freelance personal stylists.
- In a letter to the editor published by The New York Times, Direct Selling Association President Joseph Mariano responded to a recent op-ed by columnist Joe Nocera. Mariano addresses what Nocera, in his headline, calls “The Pyramid Scheme Problem”—what he perceives as a lack of concrete legal guidance concerning what constitutes a pyramid scheme. Mariano points readers to standards beyond those mentioned by Nocera, such as the model legislation that has been enacted by 18 states under the guidance of the Council of State Governments.
