The British haircare start-up Only Curls is launching into Boots, celebrating its first high-street retail listing. The brand is joining Boots existing haircare portfolio, of over 130 haircare brands already available at the health and beauty retailer.
Officially launching on the 17th February, customers can shop online and in 389 stores across the UK and Ireland. Founded by Lizzie Carter and Hugo Lewis in 2016, Only Curls product range spans cleansing + conditioning, styling products, accessories and tools. All with vegan-friendly and cruelty-free formulas that are kind and nourishing to curls.
With a line-up of 8 hero SKUs, customers can shop the brand’s best-selling Curl Refresh Spray & Mega Hold Gel along with the All Curl Cleanser, All Curl Conditioner, Hydrating Curl Creme, Deep Hydration Mask, Enhancing Curl Gel and Volumizing Curl Mousse.
Lizzie says “To partner with Boots is a pivotal moment for the brand, and we’re still pinching ourselves! It’s something that we have been working towards since launching. Boots is where our customers shop – and it was our number 1 store requested by our customers. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, so this partnership allows us to meet this demand while aligning with a retailer that shares our values. With unrivalled accessibility, having a regional presence was key to us. We want all of our community across the UK to be able to go into their local high-street and be able to shop easily in-store – and from feedback, our customers want that too.”
The brand was inspired by founder Lizzie’s own hair journey after failing to find a special towel for her hair’s specific needs. Investing £500 to get the business started, this saw the launch of the Microfibre Hair Towel.
“During the 2000s, the emphasis on “smooth, sleek hair” had pushed us towards straighteners, leaving curl care neglected. By 2016, many of the products I was using were the same outdated formulas in the same packaging I’d been purchasing 20 years earlier. It became clear that things needed to change, and I felt driven to start a new conversation around embracing and nurturing curls.” Lizzie adds.
Launched with the ambition to inspire others to ditch the chemicals and embrace their natural curls, Lizzie began packing orders at her kitchen table and has since grown the brand into a multi-million-pound business. To this day, Only Curls remains self-funded with no additional backing for the brand.
Since launch, Only Curls marketing strategy has focused primarily on building their social media and directing customers D2C. The brand’s vibrant presence on social media, with a combined following of 432k across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, has solidified its reputation as a leader in curl care innovation. Their TikTok account @onlycurlslondon has received over 1.7 million likes alone, harnessing the platform’s potential through engaging content such as curl care tutorials, dramatic before-and-after transformations, and relatable styling tips. Their very engaged and loyal Facebook group, “The Curl Club”, with over 5.9K members, offers tips and tricks along with curl education and advice.
@onlycurlslondon We are shouting from the rooftop about this ⬆️ Who’s excited? 👀 #smallbusiness #curlyhair #ukhighstreet #fyp ♬ Energetic Inspiring Upbeat Funk(1091157) – respectrum
Continuing to go strength to strength, Only Curls saw a record-breaking £15 million in sales in 2024. The launch into Boots aids their UK expansion goals with a global vision in the works for the next few years.
Customers can shop the Only Curls range in-store and online at Boots.com from the 17th February.
