For bookings or personal appearances please contact lindsay@premierhairandmakeup.com
work
30+ years of retail, brand, marketing and PR experience championing some of the beauty industry’s most exciting brands.
industry
Founder and first CEO of the British Beauty Council. Commissioned groundbreaking industry reports: The Value of Beauty, Diversity & Inclusivity, The Courage to Change. Established the Sustainable Beauty Coalition, who created the Planet Positive Beauty Guide. Launched British Beauty Week and Next British Beauty Brand.
retail
Set up shop and e-commerce site BeautyMART with Anna-Marie Solowij (2012). Launched Aveda (1993) into Harvey Nichols. Launched beauty accessories brand Tweezerman via mail order (1991) and opened the first beauty concession in Space NK that same year. Introduced Shu Uemura (1990) to the European market.
marketing
Founded BRANDstand Communications, a PR and digital marketing agency based in central London, with partners Anna-Marie Solowij and Andrew Perera. Offering dynamic PR, digital marketing, brand strategy and dedicated solutions to UK based emerging and established beauty brands.
brand
Developed and marketed renegade namesake make-up brand Ruby & Millie with partner Ruby Hammer in 1996. The brand launched August 4th 1998 in Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, 3 months later rolled out in 24 Boots the Chemist stores with a further roll out to 114 locations nationwide. Launched tween-and-teen make-up line Scarlett and Crimson (2009) at Superdrug. Has consulted and co-developed many founder-led brands.
writing
Columnist for TheIndustry.beauty. Co-author (with Ruby Hammer) of Face Up – the essential make-up handbook.
MEDIA
Adept at using all media channels to generate a buzz, launch a brand or champion a cause.
campaigns
Millie has worked collaboratively on the following recent campaigns
#OhHelloBeauty, #ChopTheVat, Beauty Backed, Courage to Change, Value of Beauty, #beautyonthebrink
key press
- In Honour of Beauty: The British Beauty Council’s Millie Kendall and Helena Grzesk are Recognised in the 2022 New Years Honours List (PR Newswire)
- Who’s Who in Natural Beauty 2021 (Natural Beauty News)
- British Beauty Council’s Millie Kendall on the UK cosmetic industry’s next big opportunity (Cosmetics Business)
- Hairdressers call for a VAT cut down to 5% to survive winter (Telegraph)
- How she carries on in Covid-19 (35 Thousand)
- 8 activists working hard to make the beauty world a better place (Vogue)
more press +
- Moving hairdressers and beauty salons into Tier 3 would decimate the £28.4bn industry (Telegraph)
- Ten questions with Millie Kendall (Warpaint)
- In conversation with Millie Kendall (COPRA)
- Millie Kendall MBE addresses government stance on re-opening of nail and beauty salons on BBC Breakfast (Scratch Magazine)
- Indie beauty brands ‘opportunistic and probably less risk-averse’, says British Beauty Council CEO (CosmeticsDesign-Europe)
recent podcasts
- The secret to Millie Kendall’s renegade approach to beauty business
Tash Talks (25/03/2024) - How to establish your brand’s voice: Millie Kendall OBE, British Beauty Council
How to Start Up by FF&M (23/04/2024) - In conversation with beauty legend Millie Kendall OBE
The Skin Pod (09/09/2022) - CEO of the British Beauty Council, Millie Kendall
Power of Makeup (02/09/2022) - British Beauty Council: The industry icon who pioneered the British beauty landscape ft Millie Kendall OBE
Founded Beauty (01/09/2022)
more podcasts +
- Millie Kendall on DEI in the beauty industry
Future of Beauty Unfiltered (24/08/2022) - Hard Work: with Britain’s Beauty Boss Millie Kendall
It’s a Matter of (08/08/2022) - Millie Kendall MBE
The Beauty Edit (08/12/2021) - Millie Kendall MBE + the British Beauty Council on how social media has transformed the beauty industry, the impact of politics on business and sleeping on important decisions.
The Busi-Ness Podcast with Emily Austen (11/11/2021) - Why the beauty industry is essential to society – with Millie Kendall
Start Somewhere with Sara Vaughan (06/10/2021) - On Patriarchal Superiority w/ Millie Kendall MBE, CEO British Beauty Council
Anatomy of a Leader with Maria Hvorostovsky (12/08/2021) - A Conversation with Millie Kendall
19/99 Beauty (27/07/2021) - Millie Kendall MBE: A Life in Beauty
Outspoken Beauty (15/05/2021) - Celebrating Industry Leaders: Millie Kendall MBE
DG Podcast with Valerie Delforge (01/05/2021) - Millie Kendall MBE – CEO of the British Beauty Council
Modern Woman (13/04/2021) - Breaking Beauty Stereotypes with Millie Kendall MBE, CEO of British Beauty Council
The Beauty Edit (7/12/2020) - Millie Kendall MBE; CEO of the British Beauty Council and beauty industry champion
The Salonology Show(30/11/2020) - Millie Kendall MBE – Beauty Industry Rockstar! CEO & CoFounder of the British Beauty Council, Co Founder of BeautyMart and Co Founder of Ruby & Millie… but it doesn’t end there…
Pocket Mentors (26/10/2020) - The State of the Industry with Millie Kendall MBE
The Guinea Pig (15/10/2020) - Bring Beauty Back
The Outspoken (10/08/2020) - The State of the Global Health and Beauty Industry – CEO British Beauty Council, Millie Kendall
The Reboot Chronicles with Dean DeBiase (24/04/2020) - Millie Kendall MBE On Future-Proofing Your Brand Through Reputation, Education & Innovation
Phorest FM(23/03/2020) - “Hear Me, See Me.” Podcast with Millie Kendall MBE
Hear Me, See Me (11/03/2020) - Millie Kendall MBE
Life and Lipstick (21/07/2019) - “In Bed With Neil Moodie” with guests Anna Marie Solowij & Millie Kendall
In Bed With Neil Moody (13/04/2019) - Millie Kendall MBE (Business Founder, Beauty Maestro & Trend Setter)
Made Online (20/06/2017) - Millie Kendall & Anna Marie Solowij: Innovations, Influencers and Globalisation.The Emma Guns Show (25/07/2016)
ABOUT
Hard working, loyal and creative, a serial entrepreneur with a “why not” attitude. Passionate about gender equality, policy and advocacy. A self-starter and ideas generator who has forged a path and created career opportunities that hadn’t existed previously.
- Motivated and dynamic – I love to make things happen.
- Workaholic by week – I take my downtime seriously.
- Renegade by nature – I believe boundaries exist to be broken.
- Forward-thinking, outspoken, change maker, opinion former.
- Mum of two amazing kids.
board positions
Advisory Board member at Beauty Bulb. Trustee of Haircuts 4 Homeless. Member of the NewBeauty Brain Trust. Advocate of Menopause Mandate.
awards
OBE for services to the hair and beauty industry (2022), MBE for longstanding contribution to the cosmetics industry (2007), Society of Cosmetic Scientists Medal Lecture (2018), Get the Gloss Beauty and Wellness Award (2020). Marie Claire Hair Awards UK winner (2021). BABTAC Inspiring Beauty Awards, Honourable Mention. Pure Beauty Awards (2021), Achiever of the Year award.
