UK Small Business Owner to Face L’Oréal in Trademark Dispute
A small business owner from Nottinghamshire is set to face beauty giant L’Oréal in a tribunal next week after a long legal fight over a trademark.
Rebecca Dowdeswell, 49, has spent three years fighting the £170 billion French company, which claims her use of the name nkd for her salon could confuse customers with its own Naked beauty products.
Dowdeswell says the case has badly affected her. She had to close one of her two nkd salons and has spent more than £30,000 on legal fees. L’Oréal is using top law firm Baker McKenzie in the case.
Before the hearing at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) next Wednesday, Dowdeswell said:
“There’s never been any proof of customers being confused. We work in very different parts of the beauty market. My focus is only on waxing and hair removal.”
She explained that her nkd products are for hair removal aftercare, while L’Oréal’s Naked name is used only for a few eyeshadow palettes and makeup products.
“Also, our brand names are different – mine is pronounced ‘n-k-d’, theirs is ‘naked’,” she added.
Dowdeswell started her business in 2009, one year before L’Oréal launched its first Naked product in the UK.
Her trademark expired in 2019, and she missed the six-month renewal window during the Covid pandemic. When she tried to renew it in 2022, L’Oréal objected.
“We had already coexisted for more than 12 years,” she said. “For a big company, £30,000 in legal costs is nothing, but for a small business like mine, it’s been devastating.”
The stress of the case led her to close her main Nottingham salon at the end of 2023.
Earlier this week, Dowdeswell received some good news: L’Oréal reduced the scope of its objection. This means her Leicester salon can keep using the nkd name for some services and products.
However, other parts of the dispute continue. Dowdeswell believes the company’s slow actions are meant to wear her down.
“I feel angry that no one has held L’Oréal to account. I hope they finally are on Wednesday,” she said.
A L’Oréal spokesperson commented:
“Since 2022, our position has not changed. We have always been willing to work with Ms. Dowdeswell to support her business while protecting our trademark rights. The proceedings are ongoing, and we hope to reach a fair resolution.”
Published: 3rd November 2025
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