Celebrating the power of beauty, this year’s British Beauty Week this month was the most inclusive and accessible to date, according to The British Beauty Council (BBC), and saw over 120 events taking place nationwide.
Throughout the seven-day event beauty businesses came together to educate and inspire beauty consumers who were able to connect with leading names and indie disruptors via webinars, panel talks and immersive experiences – spanning fragrance, skincare, hair, make-up and organic beauty.
Highlights included Arkive Headcare’s panel talk about mental health, with Aromatherapy Associates and De Mamiel; Superdrug and Salli Hughes unpicking the challenges of launching a brand; Unseen Beauty delving into future tech innovations; and Weleda’s Skin Food pop-up in Covent Garden’s Piazza.
“Seeing the industry come together at such a challenging time to celebrate what beauty means to Britain was overwhelming,” says BBC chief executive, Millie Kendall OBE. “So many brands stepped up, from large and small brands to retailers and creators. It really showcased ‘the power of beauty’.
Seeing the industry come together at such a challenging time to celebrate what beauty means to Britain was overwhelming
“We saw Space NK activate all over the country with brands like Hair By Sam McKnight, By Terry, JVN and Paula’s Choice. Meta opened up its offices to share insights and learnings for brands and content creators, and we started to make headway with a plastics summit dedicated to making real change for the better in terms of our industry’s environmental impact.”
The Plastic Solutions Summit brought together influential voices from the likes of Estée Lauder Companies, P&G and Boots to formulate a roadmap for a plastic-free future of beauty. Key contributors included Professor Hugh Montgomery and Minister for the International Environment and Climate, Zac Goldsmith. The British Beauty Council will present its findings, formulated with Made Thought and AKQA, in due course.
Another notable event was the STEM Ambassador summit, which launched the BBC’s Future Talent Programme showcasing the diverse range of careers within the beauty industry that rely on basic science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) qualifications. The summit coincided with the release of four Future Talent films featuring Jamie Genevieve, The Welsh Twins and The Plastic Boy aimed at young people interested in a career in beauty and STEM.
