There’s only one word to describe walking into Boots Beauty Live: wonderland. A visual smorgasbord of colours, shapes, dancing mascots and more skincare than you could shake a stick at - it’s a beauty lover’s paradise. Held in a former custard factory for one day (and one day only), the lofty space looks nothing like its industrious past. Instead, buzzy brands like Byoma, Sol de Janeiro, Beauty Of Joseon, Made By Mitchell, The Inkey List, CeraVe, Laneige, Skin+Me, Bubble, Milk Makeup, and Ghd sit side by side, each stall (they were really more satellite brand islands) more incredible than the last. All around me, people swatched creams, sunscreens, foundations, lip stains and eyeshadows, revelling at the feel and function of their favourite brands.
I visited the Byoma stand first, drawn in by the adult-sized Ultralight Face Fluid SPF mascot bopping around to Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club – the onsite DJ a large highlight of my day. I often stash one of the brand’s Hydrating Milky Toners in my bag for its soothing, strengthening properties and couldn’t help dollop a bit on my hands here. Then, to the CeraVe stand for a quick refresh on what exactly I should be using for my forever dry skin. As the educator talked me through exactly what to use and when (like, did you know the Advanced Repair Ointment can double as a lip balm?) I smoothed and rubbed each of the products onto the backs of my hand, able to feel exactly what she was saying about quick absorption, silky texture and no oily residue – one of the many treats of trying the products IRL. Following a quick stop at the Bloom Bar to collect my stunning bespoke bouquet, I arrived at Nyx Professional Makeup to be colour matched to the Buttermelt Glaze Soft Glow Skin Tint, a hydrating, dewy foundation with SPF30. My chosen shade, 0.5 Chai Butta, piqued my interest and my appetite, and I stopped off at the complementary refreshment table for a quick pick-me-up.
Soon, it was time for the first panel of the day: How Brand Founders Started Their Brand. I was hosting, so I headed over to the ‘Tips & Talk’ room to join Colette Laxton, co-founder of The Inkey List, Mitchell Halliday, founder of Made By Mitchell and Daisy Kelly, founder of Glow For It – all brands stocked at Boots – on stage. The informal chat covered everything from each of the founder’s journeys to dealing with setbacks, harnessing the power of TikTok, making your own luck and what to know when just starting out. When asked if they could sum up their advice to budding entrepreneurs in a few short words, Colette’s “stay in the game” mantra encapsulated the perseverance needed to weather the storms of starting something while Mitchell’s advice to “get obsessed with your idea and believe in it even when no one else does” spoke to the passion needed. Later, the Tips & Talk room would host a masterclass with Mitchell, as well as interactive sessions with both Byoma, Fenty and Ghd.
Mentally scribbling down their nuggets of wisdom, I hurried straight from the panel to the Boots Beauty Bar, ready for a zhuzh. A double-sided bar with Hollywood mirrors and Boots Beauty Crew, I had my brows brushed back into place, my blush revived, and a few small spots re-concealed. Five minutes later and I left feeling as fresh as I had on first arrival. The thing I loved most? That I could go and chat to any of the 1400 Boots Beauty Crew dotted around the country for free when my next beauty question arose. When I eventually grabbed my coat from the cloakroom and made for the exit, I was handed a beauty goody bag fit to bursting with skincare and make-up products, all available at Boots, that I excitedly unboxed on the way home. Heaven!
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