ARTDECO

ARTDECO is a German colour-cosmetics company founded in Munich in 1985 by Helmut Baurecht [2]. Built as an owner-operated, family-run business based in Karlsfeld in the greater Munich region, it makes makeup, nail products and skincare and positions itself around the idea of affordable luxury — high-quality makeup at accessible prices. The brand is best known for its refillable magnetic Beauty Box palette.

In May 2024 a majority stake in the ARTDECO Cosmetics Group was acquired by the Italian Sodalis Group, though founder Helmut Baurecht and his son Matthias remained shareholders and stayed on in management [7]. The company therefore continues to operate largely as before while no longer being wholly family-owned.

Helmut Baurecht founded ARTDECO in Munich in 1985, with the aim of offering premium makeup at affordable prices — a concept the company sums up as "affordable luxury." The brand describes 1985 as "the beginning of the success story of the owner-operated company."

In its early years the brand concentrated on ornamental cosmetic items such as colourful powders, glitter and decorative accessories, broadening into colour cosmetics like eyeshadows, lipsticks and nail polishes during the 1990s [9]. One trade-press profile nicknamed Baurecht the "Prince of the Niche" and quoted the brand's stated vision: "Our biggest success begins where the collections of international premium brands stop" [8].

From a Munich base the company grew into a broad makeup range covering eyes, face, lips and nails, alongside makeup palettes, brushes and a skincare line. By its own account ARTDECO products reach consumers in roughly 70 countries through more than 14,000 points of sale, including department stores, perfumeries, salons and online channels. The exact reach is given inconsistently across the company's own materials and third-party listings: its philosophy page cites about 65 countries [3], while one external profile puts distribution at over 78 countries [9].

A first step in the family succession came in 2012, when Matthias Baurecht, the founder's son, took a share in the ARTDECO Cosmetic Group [11]. The most significant ownership change followed in 2024 with the Sodalis transaction described below.

ARTDECO was an independent, family-run business from its founding until 2024. In May that year, Italy's Sodalis Group — a health and beauty company — agreed to acquire a majority stake in the ARTDECO Cosmetics Group. At the time of the deal the group's portfolio included the flagship ARTDECO makeup line, Make up Factory and the nail brand ANNY [12]. According to WWD's reporting, ARTDECO accounted for around 84% of the group's sales, and the group recorded 2023 sales of about €72 million, up 16% year on year [7].

A defining feature of the deal was the continuity of the founding family: Helmut Baurecht and his son Matthias "will remain shareholders and unchanged in the management of ARTDECO" [7]. Sodalis chief executive Fabio Granata framed the acquisition as a way to expand in the German beauty market, while Baurecht said the partnership was intended to accelerate the brands' international growth.

ARTDECO presents itself as driven by individuality, inspiration and the art of makeup, with a guiding line the company renders as "luxury that everyone can afford." It frames its mission as creating makeup that helps people feel more radiant and confident, and organises its self-description around four pillars: affordable luxury, individual beauty, the art of makeup application, and trend leadership through regularly released limited-edition collections.

On its philosophy page the company also describes itself as an "undisputed market leader in German retail trade" [3]. Customisation is central to how the brand explains its appeal — its refillable system is presented as the offering that best lets customers personalise their products.

ARTDECO's range spans makeup, nails and skincare, but the product most closely tied to its identity is the Beauty Box, a refillable palette held together by a magnet system that lets users insert and swap individual pans such as eyeshadow, blusher, contouring and eyebrow powder. One editorial review calls it "the signature product of ARTDECO" and describes the company as "the inventor of the refillable beauty box" [8]. The brand sells the palette in several sizes and extends the refillable approach to lipsticks and mascaras.

The company links this magnetic, refillable design directly to waste reduction, stating that it has supported a refillable system "to minimize these materials since our founding in 1985" [5], under the slogan "Replace cosmetics instead of throwing them out!"

ARTDECO frames sustainability as "part of our DNA" and centres it on its refillable products, encouraging customers to replace and reuse items in their original packaging. The company also cites greener logistics, such as shipping through DHL GoGreen. Its sustainability page names no specific carbon targets, and no vegan or cruelty-free certifications are listed in the sourced material.

ARTDECO remains an active brand, releasing collections and distributing across multiple regions, but its ownership status changed in 2024. Following the Sodalis Group's acquisition of a majority stake that May, it is best described as acquired rather than independent: it operates much as before, with founder Helmut Baurecht and his son Matthias retaining shares and a management role, while majority control sits with Sodalis [7]. Production and logistics are run from the company's own facilities in Karlsfeld and Bergkirchen in the greater Munich area [6].