While there is still much work to be done when it comes to inclusivity in beauty, there’s no denying that things are looking much more positive in recent years thanks to trailblazing brands such as Fenty Beauty, Pattern and Pat McGrath Labs. But luxurious beauty events catering to women of colour are still a largely unexplored avenue, one that luxury event specialist and beauty obsessive Donna Dia is hoping to change with Beauty Beat.
Held in Central London across two days, Beauty Beat is a celebration of women of colour by a woman of colour, with panel talks that include industry greats such as hairstylist Charlotte Mensah and aesthetician Dija Ayodele, writer Candice Brathwaite and mega-influencers Patricia Bright and Indiyah Polak. You can also expect plenty of shopping as brands such as Nars, Huda Beauty and Estée Lauder are setting up shop in the beauty hall.
Tell us about your first beauty memory
“My very first memory of beauty is my mum. She’s always been a big one for cleansing; she was always doing the two-stage cleanse. I also went to school near Marylebone and Selfridges was at the bottom of the road. We’d go in there to look at MAC on lunch breaks.”