What do nail polish, science class, and a beauty blog have in common?...

January 30, 2025
Stephanie Houghton
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What do nail polish, science class, and a beauty blog have in common?...

My career, apparently! As a kid, I was always curious. My love for science meant I was constantly asking questions like, “Why does this work? How does that happen?” I was the one in class ACTUALLY enjoying Science lessons! ⚗️

Beauty was my favourite! I spent hours painting my nails, doing makeup and hair on my mannequin doll, and obsessively watching beauty YouTubers. (Hands up if you remember the OGs - Fleur de Force, Tanya Burr, Zoella, Sam and Nic Chapman!!!)

At 13, I started my own beauty blog. I’d write reviews about products I saved up for, or I'd even email beauty brands to request samples (with surprisingly good results!). Teen-me was living her dream life✌️, posting about my favourite mascara (Maybelline Colossal Volume Express – still my number 1 mascara to this DAY!), Barry M dazzle dust and their crackle effect nail polish (iconic) and everything in between. Little did I know, I’d eventually combine that passion with science into a full-blown career!

When I left school, I started an apprenticeship in Business Administration for a telecoms company, working on their admin and marketing. I then left, and got a job at a recruitment firm doing their social media marketing… I soon got roped into doing some recruitment duties for them and before I knew it... I was a fully fledged recruiter. I worked there for a few years looking after a Scientific client, I then moved to a scientific recruitment firm where I specialised solely on the cosmetics and personal care industry, and that’s where my career really took off. It was the perfect fit - a career that combined my love for science with my passion for beauty 💄 🧪

Fast forward to today with almost nine years of recruitment experience, and almost seven years specialising SOLELY in the Beauty, Cosmetics & Personal Care industry, I’ve launched (my very own baby) Blush & Bloom Talent Ltd . I specialise in roles across the entire product development lifecycle - this isn't just scientific roles now, I've gained vast experience in other business units across the industry too - from NPD and R&D to regulatory, quality, logistics, packaging, and senior leadership roles for these functions. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with such incredible brands, manufacturers, and suppliers in the industry such as 111SKIN , Herrco Cosmetics , LALEHAM HEALTH AND BEAUTY LIMITED , ELEMIS , Augustinus Bader , VIEVE , Estée Lauder , and ICONIC LONDON to name a few!

I absolutely love recruiting for this industry, and I genuinely couldn’t imagine working in another sector. I’m so passionate about the development of the cosmetics industry, which isn’t just about the latest innovations or new products, it’s also about the incredible teams behind it all. We’re all part of a huge community who are immensely passionate about the development of the industry. It’s clear to see this at events such as SCS Formulate , Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna and in-cosmetics Global – we’re like one big happy family! ❤️

I work closely with professionals in the industry, whether they’re candidates seeking the next step in their career - taking the time to understand their aspirations, ambitions, strengths, and weaknesses to match them perfectly with their dream roles and companies – or businesses looking for the next rising star in the industry. I take a personalised, friendly, and tailored approach to make the process seamless while ensuring the perfect match between the two! 🤝

If any of the above resonates with you, and you’re looking to partner with an industry specialist who genuinely cares about the industry and making a difference – then please get in touch!

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