Budding beauty entrepreneur Ofome Eyanagho awarded £20,000 as winner of Beauty in Colour Start Up Competition

As the winner of our competition to celebrate ideas and amplify voices of underrepresented women of colour in the UK beauty industry, Ofome scoops the prize money and mentorship to develop her natural, vegan skincare business, The Glow Pot. She was awarded this life-changing opportunity by an expert judging panel including Ateh Jewel, skincare expert, ‘Eyebrow Queen’ Nilam Holmes and British Beauty Council’s CEO Millie Kendall MBE.

The competition, launched in October 2020, invited budding female beauty entrepreneurs of colour to submit their product ideas, at any stage of development, to be in with a chance of winning a £20,000 grant towards progressing their business.

Launched to encourage more diverse and representative products and people within the beauty industry, the Beauty in Colour Start-Up attracted hundreds of applicants, including winner, Ofome Eyanagho.

Ofome impressed the judges with her all-natural, vegan skincare range, The Glow Pot. Developed after struggling to find the right products to treat her eczema and formulated with women of darker skin tones in mind, Ofome’s range offers gentle, effective, and affordable products for achieving glowing skin.

With research showing that two fifths (39%) of people agree that products for underrepresented ethnic communities are too expensive¹, Ofome aims to address this issue with her range.

Ofome Eyanagho, winner of our Beauty in Colour competition and founder of The Glow Pot, says, “I struggled with my eczema for years. My flatmate would come home to find me with a face covered in all kinds of natural home remedies, because I just could not find the right products on the market. I found skincare was heavily targeted towards fairer skin tones, so I felt it was time to make my own. I wanted to share my formulas with as many people as possible – and that is how The Glow Pot was born!

“Winning the Avon Beauty in Colour competition is invaluable for me. I quit my job recently so I could focus all my energy on my business, so this could not have come at a better time. The £20,000 prize money and Avon’s mentorship means I can actualise my dreams and have a chance to take my business where I know it can go. As a woman of colour, I think I’ve definitely had less opportunities - doors like this don’t seem to open for people like me so I’m extremely grateful and excited for what the future holds.”

Eleven candidates made it to the final and each pitched their ground-breaking ideas, including textured hair products, make up, facial mists and skin treatments for melasma and hyperpigmentation, to a panel of the industry’s best and brightest talent - including journalist, business owner and diversity advocate, Ateh Jewel, skincare expert and ‘Eyebrow Queen’ Nilam Holmes and Millie Kendall MBE, founder of the British Beauty Council.

Nilam Holmes comments “ All of the candidates blew us away with the quality of their pitches, the ideas behind their products and their passion, which meant choosing a winner was no easy task. Ofome’s dedication really shone through in the final. It was clear to see the sacrifices she has already made for her business and her determination to make her dream a reality.

I’ve been in the beauty industry for over 30 years and I know from experience how hard it is to get a project off the ground with no investment, so I’m pleased to see Ofome get the chance to take her business to the next level. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this competition, allowing me to pay forward the opportunities I’ve had to others. I hope more beauty brands follow in Avon’s footsteps.”

The competition entries were judged on the strength of product idea, innovation, scalability, quality of pitch and overall strength of each candidate.

Two runners-up, Danielle Reid and Emmanuela Mbazuigwe will be awarded support and mentorship by some of Avon’s leading beauty experts, to provide them with the tools they will need to grow their ideas. Danielle pitched an idea for affordable, quality haircare specifically for women of colour to enable them to wear their hair with confidence. Emmanuela, a budding cosmetics scientist had an idea for a skincare regime to address hyperpigmentation and provide protection from UV damage, addressing the need for more education and access for consumers of colour in the marketplace.

The Beauty in Colour competition is part of our wider commitment to encourage the beauty industry to be inclusive for all.

Hannah Lally, Head of Beauty, comments, “At Avon we are dedicated to being inclusive throughout every aspect of our business and continue to focus on listening and responding to our multi-cultural Rep and customer base to deliver product lines with a broad choice of benefits. At the same time, we recognise that the beauty industry still has a long way to go when it comes to inclusivity, and we understand how vital it is to create opportunities for women of colour. That is why we decided to launch our Beauty in Colour Start-Up. We wish Ofome every success with The Glow Pot and hope to provide more opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life in future.”

To find out more about the Beauty in Colour Start Up competition visit: https://avon.uk.com/pages/beauty-in-colour