Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify the participants' roles, the Beautycon University format, and Refinery29's history of live experiences.
Beautycon announced its return to downtown Los Angeles for September 19, 2026, with Beautycon University, a special one-day, campus-inspired experience featuring masterclasses, conversations, demonstrations, and immersive activities. Beautycon remains the overarching brand; University is the format for this year's Los Angeles event, not a rebrand.
The announced celebrity roster includes a special appearance by Cardi B with her Grow Good brand, rather than a dean appointment. Keke Palmer serves as dean of wellbeing and brings Practice by Palmer to the event, according to the organizers' September 3 press release and Time Out. Sir John, known for his work as Beyoncé's makeup artist, holds the title of head of class and professor of face. Rounding out the faculty are Glamzilla as dean of art, Charlotte Cho — cofounder of Soko Glam and Then I Met You — as dean of history, and Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton, founder and CEO of Chillhouse, as dean of business.
A Brand Rebuilt From Foreclosure
The Beautycon name has been through a dramatic financial ordeal to get here. In September 2021, the company's brand assets were acquired out of foreclosure by an affiliate of Essence Ventures after Beautycon suffered financial troubles, mass layoffs, and pandemic-era event cancellations, according to TheWrap. The outlet reported the company had been preparing for bankruptcy before Essence Ventures stepped in to acquire its loans and assets.
Beautycon University is presented by Refinery29 and its parent company, Sundial Media & Technology Group, according to the organizers' announcement.
A Campus-Inspired Los Angeles Experience
The University concept puts education at the center of this year's Los Angeles experience, rather than replacing Beautycon's broader identity or programming. ESSENCE describes the format as interactive, intimate, and educational.
Beautycon's return to downtown Los Angeles continues the brand's local history.
Beautycon's Los Angeles chapter isn't entirely new territory for Hoodline readers — we covered a Beautycon pop-up shop that opened at 333 La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Grove back in 2018, when the brand ran an Instagram-friendly retail and photo experience during its convention heyday.
Building on Beautycon's Live Programming
The University experience continues Beautycon's existing live programming. The organizers' announcement notes that it follows Beautycon's participation in the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture that summer.
The curriculum spans five majors: art, business, history, science, and wellbeing. The event was scheduled for September 19, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rolling Greens DTLA, with masterclasses, conversations, demonstrations, and experiences, according to Time Out.
Continuing Refinery29's Live Experiences
Beautycon University builds on Refinery29's established work in live experiences; it does not mark the company's entry into live events or a new shift toward experiential marketing. Refinery29's 29Rooms history dates that immersive event's debut to 2015.
The education-focused format reflects comments attributed to Brooke DeVard in Time Out's report about audiences wanting to understand, participate in, and learn from evolving beauty trends. The organizers describe University as an opportunity to learn directly from creators, artists, founders, scientists, and cultural voices.
