Makeup by Sophie Downing - Derby

Be honest… how much time have YOU actually had for yourself this summer? 👀

The summer holidays are beautiful… but they’re also a LOT.

Days out, snacks, childcare, work, entertaining everyone, making memories, keeping the house vaguely together 😂

And your own self-care?

Probably somewhere near the bottom of the list.

But they’re nearly back at school… which means maybe it’s time to put YOU back in the diary. 🤍

Not just catching up on jobs.

Actual time for you.

Book the facial. Get back to the gym. Meet your friend for lunch. And if you’ve spent all summer throwing on the same makeup and thinking “that’ll do”…

Book yourself a 1:1 Makeup Lesson. 💄

Come and spend a couple of hours being looked after, playing with makeup, learning what actually suits your face NOW and creating an everyday routine that makes getting ready feel good again.

Because September doesn’t just have to be back to school…

It can be back to YOU too. ✨

Message me LESSON and let’s get your YOU time in the diary.

You have probably bought the exact same matte foundation since you were in your twenties.

You always hated looking shiny, so you naturally gravitated towards anything that said 'full coverage' or 'matte'.
And for a really long time, it worked perfectly.

But lately? You put it on and your skin literally looks like dry paper.
It feels tight. It looks totally flat. And instead of making you look flawless, it just completely drains the colour and life out of your face.

It is enough to make you want to throw your whole makeup bag in the bin.

But you do not have bad skin. You just have changing skin.

As we get older and our hormones shift, our skin naturally produces a lot less oil.
So that heavy, matte foundation that used to keep you shine-free all day is now just sucking the absolute life out of your complexion.

Inside the Midlife Beauty Reset, we fix this exact problem.

I teach you how to finally let go of the matte formulas and switch to lightweight, hydrating bases that actually make your skin look plump and healthy again.
I show you the exact skin prep you need for midlife skin, and how to bring a soft glow back to your face without ever looking greasy.

You do not need to settle for looking dry and washed out.

Comment or DM MIDLIFE to get instant access to the Midlife Beauty Reset and get your glow back.

You stand in front of the mirror with a brow pencil.

You just want a little bit of definition because your natural brows are starting to look a bit sparse or faded.

Three strokes later, you just look angry.
Suddenly your eyebrows are the only thing you can see when you look at your face.

So you wipe them completely off, and leave the house feeling like rubbish.

Brows are the hardest thing to get right on your own.

The line between beautifully defined and "drawn on with a marker pen" is incredibly thin. Usually, the issue is simply using a pencil that is way too warm-toned, or pressing too hard right at the front of the brow.

In a 1:1 Know Your Own Face lesson, we take all the fear out of your eyebrows.

We look at your natural brow bone and map out the exact shape that lifts your face.
We find a colour that actually matches your hair tone.
And I show you a incredibly soft, simple technique to mimic tiny natural hairs, rather than drawing a solid line.

You practice the pressure on one side while I guide you, so you actually get the hang of it.

You walk away knowing exactly how to frame your face softly, no more sharpie brows.

If you have completely given up on your eyebrows, DM or comment LESSON.

I have this little belief that if something makes you feel good… find a way to do more of it.

And that includes beauty!

My skincare routine always comes first, then these are some of the little products I genuinely LOVE using…

🤍 BYOMA Barrier Toning Milk — my skin loves hydration and building up the skin barrier in my 30s

✨ Caudalie Beauty Elixir — honestly, THE SMELL. 🤩 A few sprays instantly wakes me up and gives my skin that gorgeous fresh feeling.

👀 Pixi Under Eye Patches — because sometimes 10 minutes with an eye patch on just makes you feel like you’ve got your life together.

☀️ Tropic Sun Shade SPF Tinted Base — protection + a little bit of coverage without feeling like I’m wearing loads of makeup. My kind of everyday base!

🤎 Bobbi Brown Skin Serum Concealer — just where I need it. Fresh, natural skin rather than covering everything.

👁️ Benefit BADgal BANG! Mascara + my Lash Lift — probably one of my biggest everyday beauty hacks. Lifted lashes, mascara, DONE.

💋 Rhode Peptide Lip Tint — because a juicy glossy lip instantly makes me feel more put together.

None of this is about needing makeup to feel good.

It’s about those tiny rituals that take a few minutes but make you catch yourself in the mirror and think…

Yep. I feel good today.

And if something gives you that little boost?

Why save it for best?
Use it. Wear it. Enjoy it EVERY DAY.

Discount code ‘LFTFSOPHIEDMUA’

You were a bridesmaid a few years ago.

You sat in the chair, told the makeup artist you just wanted something really natural, and an hour later you looked in the mirror and wanted to cry.

Your eyebrows weren't you... Your foundation felt an inch thick. You didn't even look like yourself.
You had to smile and say you loved it, and then spent the rest of the morning secretly scrubbing it off in the bathroom with a wet wipe while hoping nobody noticed.

It was horrible.

And now? It is your turn to be the bride.
But instead of being excited to look for a makeup artist, you are just absolutely terrified. You are so scared of paying someone a deposit just to end up hating your face all over again.

It is so hard to trust a stranger with your face when you have had a bad experience in the past.

My bridal trials are completely different.

I actually listen to you. We do not just blindly follow a picture. We start with less, not more. I hand you the mirror constantly so you can see exactly what I am doing at every single step. We tweak, we adjust, and we do not finish until you look in that mirror, relax your shoulders, and say, "That is exactly what I wanted."

No heavy masks. No generic makeup routines. Just you.

If you want a makeup artist who actually listens so you can finally relax, DM or comment WEDDING.

Turns out the dream life still has floors that need scrubbing 😂

A morning of cleaning the house, writing emails for my retreat, chatting to future brides… before the laptop closes for nursery pick-up and a home-cooked family dinner.

And actually, this is the kind of success I want.

A business I love.
A home I love.
Being present as a mum.
Looking after myself.
And helping other women feel more confident, beautiful and connected to themselves along the way.

Not perfectly balanced every day… just a life that feels like mine. ✨

Follow for natural makeup & beauty, self-love, motherhood, business + creating a life you genuinely love living.

Maybe you’re a mum who’s spent a lot of time putting everyone else first.

Maybe you’ve lost confidence in your makeup, your skin, your body… or just yourself a little along the way.

Or maybe life is actually really good — but you’re ready to invest more time into you again. ✨

That’s what this little corner of the internet is about.

Natural, wearable makeup. Beauty that enhances rather than hides. Self-love. Wellbeing. Motherhood. Choosing yourself without the guilt. And creating a life that feels as good as it looks.

Through my makeup lessons, beauty education, REDISCOVER HER retreat… and plenty of real life in between. 🤍

If you’re becoming more of YOU again, follow along. I think you’ll like it here.