L'Oréal
L'Oréal Brandstorm
L'Oréal's global innovation and business-case competition for young people - teams solve a beauty-industry brief through local and national rounds, with national winners flown to Paris for the international final.
Brabble editorial · Updated 12 Aug 2026 · Official page
Particulars
- Organiser
- L'Oréal
- Mode
- Local/national rounds vary by country, international final in Paris
- Prize / outcome
- All-expenses-paid trip to Paris for the international final
- Team size
- 3 members
- Application fee
- Free
- Rounds
- 3
What it is
Brandstorm is L'Oréal's flagship global student competition, open to anyone aged 18-30 regardless of academic background. Teams of three work through a business/innovation brief tied to L'Oréal's industry, competing first in local and national rounds - often a mix of online submissions and in-person pitches - before national winners travel to L'Oréal's Paris headquarters to compete in the international finals.
Rounds
01. Local rounds
Format varies by country - commonly a written case submission, sometimes with an additional online or in-person round. Teams of three submit a solution to the year's brief.
02. National finals
Top local teams present to national judges; the national winning team is selected to represent the country.
03. International finals
National winners travel to L'Oréal's Paris headquarters to pitch to a global panel for the international title.
Who can enter
- Aged 18 to 30
- No prior academic background or industry experience required
- Cannot have previously reached the Brandstorm international finals
- Cannot have interned at L'Oréal in the relevant division within the last two years
- Postgraduate students (e.g. MBA, doctorate) are generally ineligible, except in a small number of specified countries
- More than two years of full-time work experience generally disqualifies a candidate
What you actually get
National winners get an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris for the international final, direct visibility with L'Oréal's leadership, and a strong case-competition credential; the brief itself is real enough that solutions have influenced actual L'Oréal thinking in past editions.
Frequently asked questions
- Three broad stages: local rounds (format set per country, commonly a case submission), national finals where the country's representative team is chosen, and international finals in Paris for the national winners.
- Anyone aged 18 to 30, in teams of three, with no required academic background - but a few exclusions apply: no prior Brandstorm international finalists, no recent L'Oréal interns in the relevant division, generally no postgraduate students, and no more than two years of full-time work experience.
- Yes, free to register and compete at every stage.
- National winning teams get an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris for the international finals, direct exposure to L'Oréal leadership, and the case-competition credential itself.
- Generally no - postgraduate students including MBA and doctorate candidates are excluded in most countries, with a small number of specified exceptions. Check the official rules for your country before assuming eligibility.
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More guides
Checked against L'Oréal's own 2025/2026 official rules PDF and aggregator reporting, 12 Aug 2026. Round format varies by country and is republished each season - confirm on your country's Brandstorm page before entering.