What bBold does

bBold (legal entity B-Bold EU Ltd) is a privately held, Ireland-founded self-tanning and beauty brand established in 2011 and currently headquartered in Draperstown, Northern Ireland. The company develops, manufactures, and distributes a vertically integrated product portfolio spanning DHA-based developing mousses, serums and liquids, instant airbrush body make-up (in five shades), face serum, professional spray tan solutions, and a full applicator ecosystem (brushes, gloves, mitts, wands). Core technical differentiators include PENTAVITIN®-enriched formulations, colour-adaptive serum technology, and siloxane-free, dermatologically approved instant body make-up. All products are marketed as vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and derma-approved.

The business operates a primarily direct-to-consumer commerce model via a Shopify-powered storefront at b-bold.co.uk, augmented by physical retail distribution through Boots pharmacies in Ireland and selected Primark stores in mainland UK. Revenue mechanics are unit-pricing based (£9.95–£15.95 typical, bundles up to £44.80), with no disclosed subscription or recurring contract layer. Marketing is product-led and content-led, anchored on TikTok virality of the Instant Airbrush SKU (over 500,000 bottles sold cumulatively), Instagram shoppable feed integration, email capture (15% first-order incentive), and the Glow Society affiliate programme powered by Refersion. The company ships to 15 European markets across Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe.

Customer segments are diversified across individual beauty consumers (primary), salon/professional spray tan operators (secondary B2B), and content creators/influencers (tertiary, monetised through Glow Society commissions). The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, or M&A activity, and operates with 11–50 employees. Strategic focus to date has been on product portfolio breadth, retail channel expansion, and pan-European DTC distribution.

Name

bBold

Legal name

B-Bold EU Ltd

Website

https://b-bold.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

bBold is a privately held, Ireland-founded self-tanning and beauty brand selling developing and instant tanning products, applicators, and professional solutions direct-to-consumer via Shopify and through Boots and Primark retail across the UK and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Tanning & Body Makeup

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Tanning (Lotions, Mousses, Drops) (CRABAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Tanning (Spray Tan & Salon Systems) (CRABALAI), Facial Skincare (Cleansers, Toners, Moisturizers) (CRABAAAA), Spa Body Treatments & Massage (Oils, Scrubs, Wraps) (CRABALAG), Makeup Brushes & Brush Sets (CRABAKAA)

Keywords

• Self-tanning products
• Body makeup cosmetics
• Tanning mousse serum
• Professional spray tan
• Vegan tanning brand

Headquarters

HQ city

Draperstown

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Product Sales: The company sells its self-tanning and applicator products directly to consumers through its Shopify-powered e-commerce store (www.b-bold.co.uk). Products include developing mousses, serums, liquids, instant airbrush body make-up, applicators (brushes, gloves), bundles, and accessories. Revenue is primarily one-time transactional (individual product purchases), supplemented by bundle upsells and cross-sells. The company also offers gift cards. Sales are processed in GBP and EUR with free shipping over £25/€25.
2. Affiliate / Glow Society Revenue: The company operates an affiliate program (Glow Society) through Refersion, enabling content creators, influencers, and brand advocates to earn commissions by referring customers. This drives incremental revenue through referral links.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

bBold manufactures and sells a self-tanning and body make-up range that includes developing mousses (including a 60-minute express variant), serums, liquids, and face serums, alongside an instant airbrush body make-up line and an instant body tint. The brand also distributes professional spray tan solutions for salons (1L and 200ml sample formats) and a full applicator and aftercare ecosystem comprising tanning gloves, buffing and blending brushes, tanning wands, exfoliating mitts, body gloss, and moisturisers. The portfolio is positioned as vegan and cruelty-free and is sold through owned e-commerce, Boots pharmacies, Primark stores, and an affiliate/influencer network.

Product overview

bBold is a self-tanning and beauty products company founded in Ireland in 2011, operated by a female-led team. The company offers a unified product portfolio centered on self-tanning solutions across multiple formats (mousse, serum, liquid, instant airbrush, body tint) complemented by professional-grade spray tan products. The product ecosystem includes applicator tools (brushes, gloves, wands) and curated bundles that combine tanning products with applicators. Key product lines include: developing products (Express Mousse, Tanning Serum, Tanning Liquid, Face Serum) that develop over 6-8 hours; instant products (Instant Airbrush Body Make-up in 5 shades, Instant Body Tint) providing immediate color; professional spray tan solutions for salons; and skincare accessories (Body Gloss, Moisturiser, Illuminator). All products are vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and derma approved. The company sells direct-to-consumer through its Shopify-powered e-commerce store and is also stocked in Boots pharmacies across Ireland and selected Primark stores in mainland UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Glow Society: Affiliate and community program for content creators, athletes, students, journalists, and brand enthusiasts offering exclusive perks and networking opportunities.

Products and services

• Tanning Mousse 175ml

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 bottles sold
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BootscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorb·bold products are stocked in Boots pharmacies across Ireland, providing physical retail distribution alongside the brand's direct e-commerce channel. Boots is a major pharmacy retailer, giving b·bold exposure to beauty consumers in the health and beauty retail environment.
• PrimarkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorb·bold products are available in selected Primark stores in mainland UK. Primark is a value-oriented high-street fashion and lifestyle retailer, providing b·bold with access to a broad, budget-conscious consumer base in physical retail.
• RefersioncoreTechnology or IntegrationRefersion is the affiliate program platform used by b·bold to power its Glow Society affiliate program. Content creators and brand advocates join via bbold.refersion.com to access affiliate links, track commissions, and manage their partnership with the brand.
• PETAcoreOthersb·bold is PETA-approved vegan and cruelty-free. This certification is referenced across the website and FAQs as a key ethical differentiator. PETA approval signals to consumers that the brand's products and testing practices meet PETA's vegan and cruelty-free standards.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sephora Collection Sun & Tan: Mass-market beauty retailer with self-tan assortment including its own house brand; relevant as a broad incumbent competing for the same social-discovery beauty shopper, even though it operates at a different scale.
• St. Tropez: Market-leading professional-grade self-tan brand owned by PZ Cussons, sold globally across mass, pharmacy and department-store channels and professional salons; a broader incumbent whose mousses, serums and professional solutions compete with bBold's portfolio.

Direct peers

• Fake Bake: Professional-and-consumer self-tan brand strong in salon distribution and spray-tan solutions; overlaps directly with bBold's Professional Spray Tan Solution line and salon-channel focus.
• Skinny Tan: British self-tan brand selling gradual, instant and mousse products across DTC and major UK retailers including Superdrug and Boots; directly competes with bBold in mid-market self-tan at similar price points.
• Bondi Sands: Australia-origin self-tan brand with a multi-format portfolio (mousse, serum, drops, gradual) sold globally via DTC and major retailers; directly comparable to bBold in category, target demographic, and product formats including a viral Instant Tan line.
• Isle of Paradise: DTC-first UK self-tan brand built around colour-correcting tanning drops, mousses and serums targeting a Gen Z / millennial beauty audience; comparable on vegan-friendly positioning, social-led GTM and product format overlap.
• Tan-Luxe: UK-based premium self-tan brand built around The Water and gradual/drop formats with skincare-grade ingredients; comparable to bBold in skincare-meets-self-tan positioning and DTC-led distribution.
• Coco & Eve: Travel-inspired self-tan and hair-care brand selling bronzing mousse, serum and glow products globally via DTC and Sephora-tier retailers; competes in the same premium vegan-friendly self-tan niche as bBold.
• Vita Liberata: Northern Ireland-based luxury self-tan brand offering organic-certified, non-toxic tanning products via DTC and spas; directly overlaps with bBold on skincare-grade formulation claims, NI/UK origin and salon-distribution channel.
• Cocoa Brown: Irish self-tan brand founded by Marissa Carter with strong Ireland/UK presence, sold in pharmacies (including Boots) and DTC; highly comparable to bBold given shared Irish heritage, Boots Ireland shelf placement, and consumer price positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bboldtan
• Instagraminstagram.com/bboldtan
• TikToktiktok.com/@bbold

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about bBold