Charlotte Tilbury, Color Wow and Estrid named Gen Z beauty favourites

UNiDAYS has announced the winners of its Beauty Awards 2025, offering a snapshot of Gen Z’s beauty and wellness preferences in the UK. The results? Charlotte Tilbury, Color Wow, The Ordinary and Estrid topped wishlists.

Nearly 20,000 student votes were cast across twelve categories, revealing the brands most popular with young consumers today.

Charlotte Tilbury was a standout, topping both the "Best Face and Base" and "Best Lip" categories, while Too Faced was voted "Best Eye Product" with more than 40% of the vote.

In skincare, The Ordinary was named "Best Skincare Brand", while Estrid took home the title of "Best Personal Grooming Brand" and Color Wow won "Best Haircare".

The awards also extended beyond beauty into health and wellness, reflecting Gen Z’s growing focus on fitness. PureGym was voted "Best Fitness Brand" by UK students, securing 58% of the vote, and MyProtein was named "Best Nutrition Brand.

What unites these winners is not just their popularity, but the ways they are actively engaging young consumers through digital platforms, affordability or cultural relevance. For example, Charlotte Tilbury keeps Gen Z engaged by driving TikTok virality around hero products like Hollywood Flawless Filter and hosting Instagrammable pop-ups that merge beauty with entertainment. Meanwhile, Color Wow leans into celebrity culture, with stylist Chris Appleton showcasing its Dream Coat on stars like Kim Kardashian via TikTok.

The results highlight the brands resonating most strongly with the student demographic - a key consumer group driving the future of the beauty market.

Jessica Hewitt, Global Head of Beauty and Wellness at UNiDAYS, said: "We are excited to announce the winners of this year’s UNiDAYS Student Beauty Awards.

"With nearly 20,000 votes cast in the UK alone this year, the results give a unique snapshot of the beauty brands and products that resonate with Gen Z right now and provide fresh inspiration of what brands need to be doing to remain relevant to the students of today, and the future."

Earlier this year, UNiDAYS also partnered with The British Beauty Council to launch the Student Beauty Shadow Board, a mentorship and grant programme aimed at supporting the next generation of beauty industry leaders.