Now in its second year, the Student Beauty Shadow Board is delivered as part of the British Beauty Council’s Education Strategy, in partnership with UNiDAYS and Sephora UK. Designed to create a pathway into the beauty industry, the programme gives students direct access to industry leaders through mentorship, workshops and hands-on experience, while ensuring the student voice helps shape the future of the sector.

Applications were promoted to UNiDAYS’ community of more than 20 million verified students in 115 markets, attracting an exceptionally strong and diverse pool of candidates from a wide range of academic disciplines. Following a highly competitive nationwide selection process, five students have been selected from almost 600 applicants – an increase of 23% on last year.

As part of the selection process, applicants were invited to identify an area of success within the beauty industry and present ideas for how it could be taken to the next level. The winners were selected by a panel of industry leaders chaired by Jessica Hewitt, Global Head of Beauty and Wellness at UNiDAYS, alongside Emma Dawson, CEO of VIEVE, Sabina Ellahi, Head of Brand at Sephora UK, and Jacqui Burchell, Chief Commercial Officer at the British Beauty Council.

The 2026 Student Beauty Shadow Board winners are Tejal Vadukul (Real Estate), Liv Camacho Wejbrandt (Engineering & Design), Tito Idowu (Dentistry), Estelle Morris (Integrated MSc Cosmetic Science) and Sahara-Love Campbell (Accounting and Finance). Together, they represent the breadth of talent entering the beauty industry, bringing fresh perspectives from disciplines that reflect the sector’s increasingly diverse and multidisciplinary future.

As part of the selection process, applicants were invited to identify an area of success within the beauty industry and present ideas for how it could be taken to the next level. The winners were selected by a panel of industry leaders chaired by Jessica Hewitt, Global Head of Beauty and Wellness at UNiDAYS, alongside Emma Dawson, CEO of VIEVE, Sabina Ellahi, Head of Brand at Sephora UK, and Jacqui Burchell, Chief Commercial Officer at the British Beauty Council.

Over the next 12 months, each winner will receive a £3,000 grant and join a year-long development project with Sephora UK, taking part in workshops with industry leaders, receiving mentorship from senior professionals and gaining behind-the-scenes experience through visits to Sephora UK’s London Head Office, retail stores and distribution centre. At the conclusion of the programme, one Student Beauty Shadow Board member will be offered a 12-month paid internship with Sephora UK.

Jacqui Burchell, Chief Commercial Officer at the British Beauty Council, says, “The calibre of applications we received this year has been truly inspiring and reflects the incredible breadth of talent, creativity and ambition emerging across the UK. The Student Beauty Shadow Board is about opening doors for the next generation, bringing fresh perspectives into our industry and creating meaningful pathways into beauty careers. Congratulations to Tejal, Liv, Tito, Estelle and Sahara-Love – we’re excited to support them over the coming year and see the impact they will make on the future of our industry.”