The British Beauty Council, in partnership with UNiDAYS and Sephora UK, has announced the return of the Student Beauty Shadow Board for 2026 – introducing new opportunities designed to give students even greater access to real-world industry experience.
Building on the success of its 2025 launch, this year’s programme will offer winners enhanced development opportunities, including a field trip to Sephora’s Birmingham store. During the visit, selected students will hear directly from the Sephora team through a series of presentations, before taking on a live challenge to test their creativity, problem-solving and commercial thinking.
This year also introduces a potential paid internship opportunity with Sephora UK – participants who show up, share their ideas and stand out could be in with a chance of securing a 12-month paid internship. Alongside this, winners will take part in a mentorship programme, working closely with industry leaders – including Emma Dawson, CEO of Vieve, and Jacqui Burchell, Chief Commercial Officer at the British Beauty Council – to develop their ideas into fully realised projects they can take forward into their future careers.
Originally launched in 2025, the Student Beauty Shadow Board was created to bridge the gap between education and the beauty industry, offering further education students a platform to share ideas, gain mentorship and build meaningful industry experience and connections. The initiative attracted significant interest nationwide, with over 400 applications submitted through the UNiDAYS community.
Applicants were tasked with pitching forward-thinking solutions to some of the industry’s biggest challenges, spanning innovation, sustainability, creativity, marketing and science. From this competitive process, five winners were selected to form the inaugural Student Beauty Shadow Board, representing a range of disciplines including cosmetic science, pharmaceutical science and digital marketing.
Throughout the programme, the students took part in a series of in-person workshops and mentoring sessions with experts from the British Beauty Council, Sephora UK, UNiDAYS and Vieve. The experience fostered a unique, collaborative environment where participants not only benefited from expert guidance, but also contributed their own perspectives on the future of the industry.
Discussions explored key themes such as representation, sustainability and how the sector can better position itself as an accessible and aspirational career path. Each participant received a £3,000 grant and presented a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening the industry’s future talent pipeline. Notably, one of the 2025 winners was also invited to speak on a panel at British Beauty Week, sponsored by Sephora UK, which focused on talent and education in the industry – highlighting the real impact and visibility the programme can offer.
2026 Applications
Applications are now open for the 2026 Student Beauty Shadow Board. Running throughout May, the competition invites students across the UK to submit bold, future-facing ideas that will help shape the next chapter of the beauty industry. This year, applicants will be encouraged to reflect on the industry’s current successes and think critically about how these can be evolved further – challenging them to combine insight with innovation in their responses.
Following a competitive selection process, five winners will be chosen to join the Shadow Board, each receiving a £3,000 grant alongside access to exclusive mentorship, networking opportunities and industry events.
The Student Beauty Shadow Board forms part of the British Beauty Council’s ongoing commitment to supporting future talent and fostering innovation across the sector. Delivered in partnership with UNiDAYS and Sephora UK – both long-standing supporters of the Council’s Education programme – the initiative continues to champion the next generation, ensuring their ideas and perspectives help shape the future of the beauty industry.
Applications are open from 5 May until 24 May. Students can apply via the UNiDAYS website here.
