São Paulo – Founded in 2011 in Rio de Janeiro to serve haircare professionals, Lola from Rio sells products for straight and curly hair for retail markets in Brazil and abroad. Known for its irreverent and playful product names, the company sells its cosmetics in 50 countries, including the Arab countries of Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The brand now plans to further expand its international presence.
“We started exporting in 2023 and have grown ever since. We initially sold our products to just a few countries, and by 2026 we had reached 50 destinations. In 2025, international sales revenue already accounted for 7% of our total revenue. We have our foot on the accelerator and want international sales to soon account for 30% of everything we sell,” Lola’s President of International Operations, Tarik Mohallem, told ANBA.
Although the company has been around for 15 years, international expansion only became a major focus for the brand in 2024, when it was acquired, along with Skala, by Grupo Bora Brasil, a corporate holding company controlled by U.S. investment firm Advent International.
“In these 50 destinations, we are present in leading retailers, supermarkets and local pharmacies. In the Middle East, we have sold to Kuwait and Qatar in recent months. But I can say that Morocco is definitely the country where we have the strongest acceptance and receive the most orders in the region,” Mohallem said of the brand’s presence in the Arab world. An electrical engineer with business training abroad, Mohallem is from Minas Gerais state and is the grandson of Lebanese immigrants.
“Two months ago, I was in Morocco for one of the region’s most important beauty trade shows. This market has significant growth potential. When we started selling there, we intended to focus on Brazilian women who missed products from home, but we were surprised to find that we ended up serving many more local women.”
Although Lola produces products for all hair types, the brand has built a strong following and grown among consumers with curly hair.
“Arab women, like Brazilian women, have curly and coily hair, which is why we have seen strong demand. They end up buying the same haircare products as our Brazilian consumers. To enter these markets, depending on the country, we had to comply with different requirements, including translating the packaging into Arabic,” the Minas Gerais native explained.
In addition to Morocco, the company has seen strong consumer acceptance in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“Although the UAE is an important hub, with products shipped from there to several other countries, we slowed sales somewhat because of the war. Despite that, things are improving, and in October we’ll be at Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai,” Mohallem said, referring to the beauty trade show that will take place from October 6 to 8 in the UAE.
Repositioning and expansion
Beyond its geographic expansion, the company has also undergone a repositioning to reinforce its roots: originally founded as Lola Cosmetics, it adopted the Lola from Rio name to bring a Brazilian identity to international markets.
The brand’s bold and humorous communication is reflected in the names of lines such as “Meu Cacho Minha Vida” and “Xapadinha.” Its flagship products include the Morte Súbita mask, a deep-conditioning treatment for damaged hair, and the Rapunzel tonic, focused on strengthening and hair growth, as well as the Densidade lines. The brand also relies on 100% vegan and cruelty-free formulas, meaning they are not tested on animals.
Covering all stages of a haircare routine, the company offers everything from basic products to specialized solutions such as acidifying treatments and finishing oils, catering both to complete routines and specific needs for different hair types.
Around the world
The company is currently present in more than 50,000 points of sale in Brazil. In Europe, Lola already has a strong presence, with Portugal as its largest market outside Brazil. “Europe remains one of our major growth drivers, with distribution and sales expanding in strategic markets such as Spain, France, England and Italy,” Mohallem said.
At the same time, the United States is also emerging as one of the company’s top priorities for the coming years, as it is the world’s largest haircare market.
In the U.S., where the company has its own operation and physical office, Lola is already sold through major retail chains, including Walmart, Target, CVS and Sally Beauty, as well as Amazon, expanding its distribution to American consumers.
Report by Rebecca Vettore, in collaboration with ANBA.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
