The British Beauty Council hosted a drop-in session at the Palace of Westminster to give parliamentarians a taste of the breadth of the beauty industry, giving them the opportunity to spruce up with a makeup touch up, hand massage, or blowdry at work.

On top of these services, the MPs also had the opportunity to get their skin scanned using Pro-Derm analysis, with experts giving them tips and tricks for a great routine.

The event allowed the Council to engage with stakeholders from across parliament to emphasise the economic contribution of beauty in the UK. Not only does the sector contribute £27.2bn to GDP and employ more than 600,000 people, it is also key to the creative output of the UK, nurtures unique talent and is at the forefront of innovation.

Carolyn Harris MP, Labour MP for Neath and Swansea East, collaborated with the Council on the event. She said: ‘I was delighted to host such a successful event in Parliament this week highlighting the value of the beauty industry.

This industry has been historically undervalued, and it really is powerful to be able to show colleagues both the positive impact it has on people’s health and wellbeing, and the substantial contribution it makes to our economy.’

With attendance from elected MPs from Stratford & Bow, Liverpool, Newcastle and more, the session showcased beauty to leaders from across the UK. This widespread engagement is key to ensuring the industry is fully represented as we know that the sector’s employment footprint is just as large in the poorest third of local authorities as it is in the third with the highest income levels, proving the diversity of opportunity it supplies to all areas of the UK.

Victoria Brownlie MBE, Chief of Policy and Sustainability, said: ‘The British Beauty Council is dedicated to raising the reputation of the beauty industry within the walls of Whitehall, and this week’s event was a true manifestation of that aim.

I am driven to ensure that we give beauty a seat at the table by cultivating meaningful relationships with MPs from across the UK, and cross-party. It was a delight to see so many policy-makers engaging with the beauty industry and realising its true influence on the socio-economic fabric of Britain. The event was key to encouraging visitors to understand the contribution to the high street, to science and innovation, to the nations wellbeing and as a creative industry.’

MPs were given the opportunity to experience:

• Hand and arm massages from Elemis (Link:https://uk.elemis.com/)
• Makeup touch ups from Bobbi Brown (https://www.bobbibrown.co.uk/)
• Blow drys and styling from Josh Wood Atelier (https://joshwoodcolour.com/pages/josh-wood-colour-hair-salon-london)
• Pro-derm skin scanning from No7 Beauty Company (https://www.no7company.com/)

Following the event, Oriele Frank, ELEMIS Co-Founder & Chief Product & Sustainability Officer, said: ‘We were honoured to join the Council at The Houses of Parliament this week and fly the flag for British beauty showcasing ELEMIS’ latest innovation. Having invaluable time with MP’s and their teams enabled us to discuss the impact of the personal care sector from the value it drives to the economy and the opportunities our industry, and specifically what ELEMIS can offer. We are supportive of increased representation of beauty within the government and encourage this to be championed even further.’

You can read more about the British Beauty Council’s Policy Vision here.

Want to learn more about the Value of Beauty? Read the report.