Lush Black Girl Fest

Date for your diaries. If you’re interested in inclusive beauty, you’ll want to know about Lush’s upcoming #collab on Saturday 20th July with Black Girl Fest, the UK’s first arts and culture festival celebrating Black British women and girls, which was founded by Paula Akpan and Nicole Crentsil.

Taking Black Girl Fest’s key message for the year – ‘Taking Up Space’ – Lush Studio Soho will be given over to a curated event for black women and to share their experiences with beauty and makeup.

There’ll be three panel discussions and the line-up of speakers includes make-up artists who are known for using their platforms to celebrate their identity, showcase their talents and represent their community.

Tickets are limited but The event is split into three ‘explore, experience, exchange’ sessions (11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.) with 80 tickets available per session. (To attend all three sessions, you’ll need to buy three individual tickets, NB.) Ticket prices start from £5 (per session) and are limited (with the proceeds going toward Paula and Nicole’s two chosen charities, Inside Out UK and SAIE.

Black Girl Fest and Lush have also collaborated on a fab limited edition tote bag, designed by illustrator and painter Nadia Akingbule featuring the illustration above, which will exclusively be sold at the event for £10 with proceeds going to the chosen charities.

Get tickets via Eventbrite here – and scroll down for Lush’s laudable ‘make-up statement’. It’s great stuff…

Lush say…

‘The next stage in our mission is to revolutionise the cosmetics industry. The new Makeup collection is defined by individuals not industries and focuses on bringing the customer to the heart of product development. Taking innovation to the next level not only with product inventions but also in packaging; Lush are pioneering new materials and methods to create compostable, recyclable or refillable packaging where we have to, and going naked where we don’t. Ingredients have always had a purpose in Lush products but in the new range we're striving not only for skincare-like benefits but also using sustainable ingredients that directly support women in work and children in education. We believe Makeup should be cruelty-free and for everyone, no exceptions; tested on and celebrating humans of different genders, skin colours, ages, styles and cultures. And as always, bringing that Lush fun to makeup, encouraging borderless, unrestricted creativity and experimentation.’