With the UK beauty industry thriving, new brands are launching fast. But getting from a product to a brand is a huge leap – and packaging is often the bridge. As the Co-founder and architect of accelerator platform Breakout Beauty UK, Paul Finch knows better than most that smart packaging can make the difference between being shelved and being shoppable.
Ahead of his panel at London Packaging Week 2025, Paul shares how next-generation beauty brands are redefining packaging, breaking barriers with bold ideas, and why being scrappy can be a superpower.
From luxury serums to TikTok-born balms, the UK’s beauty scene is bursting with creative ideas. However, turning a product into a brand, and a brand into a business, is a whole different game – and for emerging founders, packaging plays a starring role.
It’s much more than just catching the eye. For the most exciting new names in beauty, packaging is doing the heavy lifting: telling stories, proving credibility, and helping scrappy challenger start-ups punch well above their weight.
No budget, no agency, no problem
"Startups don’t often have the luxury of big budgets or in-house packaging teams," says Paul. "But necessity is the mother of invention, and scarcity breeds a lot of creativity. We see people doing incredibly smart, original things because they have to."
Breakout Beauty UK is built around that ethos. The programme, backed by Boots, TikTok Shop, Venrex and the British Beauty Council, gives promising early stage brands a fast-track route to retail readiness. Packaging is, naturally, a huge part of that.
"For emerging beauty founders, design isn’t just aesthetic, it’s highly strategic. You have a 10 second window to capture attention, especially online. You can’t afford to get it wrong."
From standout design to stand-up values
The next wave of beauty disruptors are not just thinking about aesthetic and tactility, but about function, access and ethics.
Paul highlights London Packaging Week panellist Lucy Edwards as a prime example. A blind broadcaster and entrepreneur, Lucy is launching Etia, a beauty brand with inclusivity built into the packaging design. "She didn’t want to create a ‘disability brand’," Paul explains. "She wanted a brilliant product, designed so that more people can use it with ease and confidence."
By embedding tactile elements inspired by Braille and prioritising ease-of-use without sacrificing style, Lucy’s approach shows how accessible packaging never needs to be a compromise. On the contrary, it’s a strong competitive edge. "Great design solves problems. That’s true for everyone."
Packaging as a start-up superpower
A key insight Paul shares is that packaging can actually be a surprisingly level playing field. "Big brands have their strengths, of course, but equally are often stuck abiding to legacy systems and slow processes. Startups can act fast, break rules, and stand out. That’s a real superpower."
Whether it’s finding compostable materials, learning CAD from YouTube to bypass agency costs, or putting bold graphics on packaging laser-focused for TikTok virality, he says the best founders think of packaging as a growth lever, not a final step.
"Packaging has to do much more than just hold a product. It has to tell a story, stand out in a feed, survive the supply chain and unboxing, and communicate values. When it’s done right, it becomes a brand builder."
Packaging as proof of potential
For early-stage beauty brands, and especially those looking to break into the territory of established brands, packaging holds power. It’s the first handshake, the first impression, and in many cases, the first chance to say we belong on this shelf.
Paul sees this daily: “If your packaging feels underbaked, people assume your brand is too. It doesn’t matter how great the formula is if the outside doesn’t scream credibility.”
That pressure breeds creativity. One founder Paul cites taught herself CAD via YouTube just to create prototype packaging that suppliers would take seriously – skipping the agency route entirely.
“Start-ups don’t have legacy baggage or slow sign-off chains. They have what the big players lack; urgency, hunger, and scrappy resourcefulness” he says. In a world where aesthetics are currency and attention spans are short, packaging is a make-or-break branding moment – especially in beauty, where a scroll-stopping look is the fastest route to the shopping basket.
Helping start-ups break through
Co-ordinated by Growth Studio, Breakout Beauty UK is designed for founders ready to take the leap. The programme offers six weeks of hands-on support, including workshops, investment readiness, access to buyers, and mentoring from beauty icons like Trinny Woodall (Trinny London) and Mitchell Halliday (Made By Mitchell).
"We’re looking for brands with potential to become household names," says Paul. "But more importantly, we’re looking for founders with vision and grit. The right packaging can amplify both."
Paul Finch will speak on the panel "Breakout Beauty UK: Building brands that get noticed" at London Packaging Week 2025, on Thursday 16 October. The session will explore how packaging plays a pivotal role in scaling beauty start-ups and securing the attention of retailers, buyers, and consumers.
Join the conversation at London Packaging Week at Excel London on 15 & 16 October. Register for a complimentary ticket today to experience the future of packaging for yourself.