Face Palette
Face Palette
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Partnership
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#SDGAction60464
Description
Face Palette® uses Makeup as a tool to take women on a journey to employability and entrepreneurship, equipping them with a flextime skillset like makeup artistry that helps them to balance their personal and professional commitments. As a social impact venture, Face Palette is an innovative response to a need we saw for women who have had a social and economic disadvantage in Kerala, India. We are designed to offer opportunities for women to build a future for themselves. We provide a safe and professional environment where women can grow holistically – encouraging ambition, restoration, and second chances. We offer makeup courses, makeup work experiences, and paid makeup works within our Face Palette brand, empowering women to build their careers. By investing in and releasing them to realise their dreams - through training, work, and community - we aim to break cycles of poverty, violence & disadvantage once and for all. As envisioned by our Founder Lekshmi Menon FRSA, who is the first Indian Makeup Artists to be elected to 265-year-old London based Royal Society of Arts, Face Palette’s has a 3E mission of Educating, Engaging and Empowering women and other makeup enthusiasts in the art of makeup artistry and hairstyling. We aim to achieve this objective by Educating and regularly training people in the art of makeup and hair through our professional makeup artistry/ Diploma in Makeup and Hair courses; Engaging our artists in delivering makeup & hair services to our clients, and by our artists’ continued association with Face Palette and Empowering them to become beauty influencers in their region
Our implementation follows a documented sustainability practice that minimizes environmental footprint, ensures hygiene and safety, and embeds social inclusion into every program. Operational measures include prioritizing reusable tools and recyclable packaging, running digital-first curricula where feasible to reduce travel and paper use, and instituting supplier screening for ethical makeup product sourcing. Program delivery mixes structured classroom and online modules, hands-on internships, on-location services by Face Palette Makeup Angels, and periodic public campaigns, each supported by standard operating procedures for tool sterilization, and participant wellbeing. A dedicated quality and compliance protocol ensures instructors are certified, learning outcomes map to employability benchmarks, and events follow carbon and waste-conscious checklists.
As a sustainability-driven beauty education institution, Face Palette provides capacity building through professional makeup training programs, mentorship support, career pathways, and industry exposure for youth and women in the Indian state of Kerala. The academy supports skill empowerment especially for young women, homemakers, and aspiring entrepreneurs, enabling financial independence and long-term employability. Through online learning modules, international masterclasses, and community events, Face Palette promotes knowledge-sharing, confidence-building, and awareness about ethical and inclusive beauty practices.
Face Palette is aligned with the United Nations Global Compact through its ongoing Communication on Progress (CoP) reporting, integrating SDG-linked responsible business practices within beauty education and makeup services. Face Palette is also part of United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles. The initiative is also connected to regional awareness campaigns such as #ScarsAreBeautiful, #WomanBehindTheWoman, and #MakeOverChangesLife movement, amplifying social sustainability narratives across fashion, beauty, and lifestyle communities. In addition, Face Palette partners with regional and international bodies such as the Europe India Centre for Business & Industry for cross-border masterclasses and events (e.g., London Makeup Masterclass). Through these platforms, Face Palette continually strengthens its governance structure, with trained internal team of CEO, Centre Manager and HR, and ensures alignment with global sustainability frameworks.
The impact of Face Palette’s initiatives is assessed through measurable indicators including student graduation outcomes, employability rates as makeup artists, public engagement in campaigns, and digital storytelling reach, thereby helping spread information about the latest trends in the world of makeup artistry. Google reviews by our students captures the stories of their success. To date, Face Palette has empowered thousands of learners, many from non-urban regions, to pursue careers in beauty, thereby contributing to economic participation and gender equality. Campaigns such as #NewYearNewYou and #WomanBehindTheWoman have received strong public response for redefining beauty standards and promoting emotional well-being through representation and body positivity. Regular reviews feed into the UN Global Compact Communication on Progress and internal course revision cycles, enabling iterative improvement in curriculum relevance, partner effectiveness, and environmental practice. Ongoing monitoring prioritizes outcomes that align with SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption).
Europe India Centre for Business and Industry
SDGS & Targets
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.6.1
Youth/adult literacy rate
4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment
4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships
4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level
Goal 5
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.1.1
Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex
5.2
5.2.1
Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age
5.2.2
Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence
5.3
5.3.1
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18
5.3.2
Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age
5.4
Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
5.4.1
Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location
5.5
Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
5.5.1
Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
5.5.2
Proportion of women in managerial positions
5.6
Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
5.6.1
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care
5.6.2
Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education
5.a
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
5.a.1
(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure
5.a.2
Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control
5.b
5.b.1
Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex
5.c
Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
5.c.1
Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment
Goal 8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.1
8.1.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita
8.2
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
8.2.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
8.3
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
8.3.1
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex
8.4
Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.4.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
8.4.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
8.5
8.5.1
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
8.5.2
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
8.6
8.6.1
Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
8.7
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.7.1
Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
8.8
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
8.8.1
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
8.8.2
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
8.9
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
8.9.1
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
8.10
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
8.10.1
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
8.10.2
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
8.a
8.a.1
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
8.b
By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
8.b.1
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|
Deliverables & Timeline
Ensuring quality education focusing on vocational skills
To empower women in this region with makeup artistry skills relevant to the local economy so as to make them financially indepedent and increase their confidence
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
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Timeline
Entity
Region
- Asia and Pacific
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
Primary beneficiaries majorly include women of all age groups seeking vocational training and livelihoods in beauty and bridal services, especially those from semi-urban and rural communities in Kerala. It also includes their family as in majority of the families in this region, women from beauty sector tend to be primary breadwinners. Secondary beneficiaries are salon owners, small beauty entrepreneurs, wedding-service supply chains, and clients who receive more ethical, inclusive, and hygienic beauty services. Wider stakeholder benefits include event organizers, and industry networks reached through shared curricula, campaigns, and masterclasses. Collectively, the initiative strengthens local economic participation while promoting sustainable consumption and inclusive representation across the fashion and lifestyle ecosystem
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Lekshmi Menon, Ms