Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1530961
46 • THE ARTISAN SPRING 2025 British Beauty Week 2024: B Y V A N E S S A B L A N C H A R D L E E M A K E - U P A R T I S T London calling … the future The Premise: British Beauty Week (BBW), hosted by the British Beauty Council (BBC), is a week of educational celebratory events, for industry, brands and consumers throughout the UK, with a focused panel and trade hub in London. I was delighted to be able to attend as press. BBC was founded by Millie Kendall, OBE, in 2018. She is active in Parliament to boost the booming UK beauty industry, lobby for meaningful change and policy, leading the way in diversity representation, innovation and international relations. Film and television between the UK and the US is ever more cemented, so now is the time to open our ears, eyes, and possibly our passports to British beauty. The Party: Opening with a fabulous launch party at the notable Groucho Club in Soho, sponsored by Space NK + lovely swag, with BBC ambassadors and British brand gurus, Caroline Hirons, Sam McKnight, Mary Greenwell and Lan Nguyen Grealis. A fabulously hosted networking event with great food, drinks and great company. On the way home, I popped into see a gorgeous blonde snippet of Vicky Vivacious from RuPaul's Drag Race UK, as you do in SOHO, all in the name of make-up research. The Panels: Bright and early the next day at BAFTA, Piccadilly, there was a full day ahead of us with thoughtful, innovative content, questioning current status and reflecting on future solutions. The panel presentations, with experts and representatives of brands were: Skin care visionaries— the future of formulations. ELEMIS, Teresa Tarmey, DICIEM A Beauty Industry That Looks Like You: Winnie Awa, DEI Committee Chair, BBC Belinda Brown, Chief Financial Officer, Sephora UK Lucy Edwards, Broadcaster, beauty founder, author & disability activist Jack Oliver, Multi-make-up artist Matilda Lansdown, Brand Development Consultant, Face Equality International Dominic Skinner, DOMA at Mac Cosmetics, GlowUp Judge The Big Beauty debate: skin care content in the post truth era. With No. 7 Beauty, Dr. Emma Wedgeworth, Shakira Allyn Unlocking the power of social shopping. With TikTok shop, L'Oreal, Mitchell Halliday, Alessandra Steinherr Creating a beauty community: the power of authentic voices for brands. With Pinterest, the Gel Bottle, Revolution Beauty, and UNiDAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The copious notes in my notebook can tell you … it was an extremely engaging day! Some discussions really resonated with me (as an ex-healthcare professional) and for the industry. What's our place in the beauty industry? What we buy and what we stock at our stations places us as equally as consumer, influencer, and expert. The second panel richly reflected on representation and moving away from the "tick box" version of inclusion. The panel spoke of needing to truly reflect, including full visuals (visibly queer, clear identity, etc.), the range of potential and actual consumers in adverts. The notion that creating make-up for specific populations/geography is acceptable, helpful, validating and it can still be profitable. When you design for all … can it really suit all? Skin colors must be tested on real skin and not in a lab, not on paper. True inclusivity is not just when people show their face, but they need to be engaged in the room where decisions happen with ongoing involvement high up, for true empowerment. Equity leads to equality. There is so much to be said. (For the full report, please see the reference links provided.)