British Beauty Council, UNiDAYS & Sephora UK Launch The Student Shadow Board

Launching today, The Student Shadow Board, will see young people from across the UK apply to receive mentorship and grant support as part of a new initiative from the British Beauty Council, UNiDAYS and Sephora UK.

Tapping into UNiDAYS’ 29 million student-member base, the programme has already received more than 700 registrations from students who are eager to shape the future of beauty.

Upon launch, students will be asked to pitch their future-facing beauty solutions across topics including innovation & technology, sustainability, creativity, marketing and science.

The applicants will be shortlisted before being put in front of a panel of beauty experts. Winner of Forbes 30 under 30 Hall of Fame, ranked on The Times Beauty Rich List, and Founder of Vieve, Jamie Genevieve, will head up the judging panel, joined by experts from the British Beauty Council, UNiDAYS and renowned retailer Sephora UK.

Five winners will be chosen, and will go on to receive mentorship opportunities via a programme of exclusive events. Each winner will also receive a £3000 grant as part of the initiative.

Jamie Genevieve, British Beauty Council Advisory Board Member, said: ‘I am delighted to be judging The Student Shadow Board. This is an amazing opportunity to spotlight the power of next-generation talent for the beauty industry, something which personally resonates with me as I found my feet as a makeup artist as a student. It will be inspiring to witness the professional development of the winners throughout the programme.’

Sephora UK is the lead financial supporter of the initiative, with Sabina Ellahi, Head of PR & Communications, acting as a judge.

On the launch of The Student Shadow Board, Ellahi said: ‘Sephora UK is dedicated to nurturing young talent and ensuring accessible opportunities are present for students who are keen to break into the industry — which is why this initiative feels perfectly aligned to our ongoing work as we continue to grow our footprint in the UK. The beauty industry is ever evolving and we must ensure young people are given every opportunity to thrive in this exciting sector.’

The Student Shadow Board sits within the British Beauty Council’s ‘Talent & Careers’ pillar, which is committed to ensuring clear routes to careers in the beauty industry are accessible to young people, and better educational practices are implemented industry-wide.

Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council, said: ‘Young people are the brains of tomorrow’s beauty industry, so this is the perfect opportunity to scout some of the most impressive young talent. Not only that, the next generation are more in touch with the workings of the beauty industry than any other generation, so why not tap into their ideas to propel our sector forward? We are delighted to be collaborating with Sephora UK and UNiDAYS on this initiative.’

The winners will be chosen via a number rating system which will cover areas such as creativity, proactivity, initiative taken and implementation. Entries to the programme will close in April 2025, with winners announced in May 2025, mentorship and events will follow.

You can find out more about the Shadow Board here.