Lookfantastic launches scholarship programme for emerging brands

Lookfantastic has unveiled a scholarship programme for independent beauty brands, Fantastic Futures, offering them the chance to win exposure on its site and marketing support to help boost their business.

Brands are invited to submit their pitches to be part of scheme after which a panel of beauty experts will review the entries. Shortlisted brands will be invited to pitch to a panel of Lookfantastic experts.

Twice a year a winning brand will be selected to appear on the Lookfastastic site, among its portfolio of 600 brands, and will receive a marketing support package as a complimentary welcome bonus.

Lookfantastic is part of online beauty group THG Beauty, its CEO Rachel Horsefield said the new initiative was created to "champion the rising stars of beauty".

"Fantastic Futures is devoted to bringing independent beauty brands to the forefront, offering them pride of place amongst some of the strongest beauty players in the industry.

"It is our mission at Lookfantastic to provide our millions of global consumers with solutions to their beauty needs, and with our portfolio of over 600 beauty brands, we are the perfect partner for new brands looking to rise through the ranks of the industry.

"Not only are we able to offer a leading global retail platform, but by using THG’s end-to-end direct to consumer ecommerce solution, THG Ingenuity, we can also support with product development, manufacturing, marketing and 360-support of a brand’s own digital strategy. We’re inviting fresh new talent to become part of the Lookfantastic portfolio and join us on our ever-evolving journey in shaping the discourse of beauty.”

The first brand to win a place on the platform via the Fantastic Futures scheme is refillable beauty brand Fiils, which was launched in 2020 by Anna Priadka. Priadka has a 15-year career in beauty and has worked with the likes of Charlotte Tilbury and Lucia Peroni. She later transitioned into a global makeup role and product development for NARS.

“I am so excited to be launching Fiils as the first brand on the Fantastic Futures platform, championing sustainable beauty and encouraging more conscious consumerism.

"When I started Fiils, my aim was to overhaul bathrooms of single use plastic and minimise waste while offering a luxe range of refillable, everyday essentials, that are made with the best ethical, natural and organic ingredients.

"I am really looking forward to being able to bring our ‘refills not landfill’ ethos to Lookfantastic customers around the globe," Priadka said.