Nottingham local fronts national beauty campaign after open call from Collection Cosmetics
Nottingham-based software engineer Chloe Tang, 27, has just been announced as one of the new faces of Collection Cosmetics - a leading beauty brand available in Boots, Superdrug and Tesco, following a nationwide open casting that drew over 250 applicants.
Tang, based in Nottingham, stood out to the panel not for her follower count or polished image, but for her honesty. Her story, shaped by neurodivergence, mental health struggles,and a long journey toward self-acceptancecaptured the essence of what Collection Cosmetics 'Real Life Beauty' campaign set out to find - people who reflect beauty as it exists in the real world – unfiltered, raw and unapologetic.
The campaign marks a bold move from Collection Cosmetics, who in 2021 banned filters and editing across all branded content. This year, they’ve doubled down by replacing models with everyday people, many of whom come from outside the traditional beauty industry.
The nationwide campaign is a huge opportunity for Nottingham based beauty Tang who said: “Real life beauty to me is about authenticity of self. For a long time, I wore makeup as a mask to disguise me into someone who could take on the world, who wasn’t afraid, who wasn’t neurodivergent and who wasn’t struggling.
It’s taken me 27 years to feel authentically myself, I still love makeup just as much, but I know now that I’m able to take on the world as exactly who I am and not have to mask as someone I’m not. Makeup is something to have fun with and not something to hide behind, and real-life beauty is being truly yourself.”
This year’s Real Life Beauty panel was made up of freelance journalist Scott Wells, influencers Cambell Kenneford, Naomi Native and Collection Cosmetics Marketing Director Annie Anstey. These Real Life Beauty experts met in London to make the tough decision on the new cast of the 'Real Life Beauty' campaign.
With over 250 people attending the casting, Collection Cosmetics will feature a total of 11 real life beauties across a range of their campaigns, including Chloe Tang from Nottingham.
The winners have all been selected to attend a photoshoot, and will go on to represent the Collection Cosmetics brand and their new products as well as winning a goodie bag of Collection Cosmetics makeup and a £300 voucher of their choice and a year supply of Collection Cosmetics makeup. The cast now also have exclusive access to all Collection Cosmetics launches and have invites to selected Collection events.
Annie Anstey, Collection Cosmetics’ Marketing Director commented: “To me, real life beauty is about confidence, individuality, and authenticity. It's not about perfection it's about expression. At Collection , we celebrate the beauty found in real moments: a bold lip before a job interview, a touch of mascara after a sleepless night, or a swipe of highlighter that catches the light just right on a busy morning. Real life beauty is messy, joyful, powerful, and unique to every person. Our mission is to create accessible, high-performing products that empower people to show up as their true selves - no filter needed.
"Last year’s open casting was such an uplifting experience, we met so many incredible individuals with powerful personal stories. It reminded us why championing uniqueness is so important, and we knew straight away we had to do it again.”