Advertise on podcast: The Beauty Sessions

After 16 years as an award-winning Beauty Director and Editor—including her roles as Beauty Director at Stylist Magazine and Beauty Editor at The Sunday Times Style Magazine—Joanna Ellner felt disillusioned. Even the most science-driven skincare wasn't delivering tangible results. The answer didn't come from another lab or ingredient innovation—it came from studying Traditional Chinese Medicine. In this episode, Joanna shares how decades of conceptualizing formula ideas finally materialized into REOME in 2023—an elevated skincare brand that exists at the intersection of advanced biotechnology and grounding practice. This is a conversation about patience, expertise, and what happens when you refuse to compromise on either results or ritual. I hope you enjoy! Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow REOME on⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Joanna Ellner on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Izzy Utterson has built a mini wellness empire teaching women how to level up and live their best lives. After leaving corporate marketing roles at brands including Charlotte Tilbury, the mindset coach and content creator has amassed almost 500K followers across Instagram and TikTok with her viral "Hot Girls Don't Gatekeep" series and practical glow-up advice. In this episode, Izzy breaks down why glowing up isn't just about aesthetics—it's about mindset, wellness, and showing up as your best self. She shares her journey from corporate life to full-time content creation, her approach to skincare, and why her glow-up tips have gone viral. Izzy walks through her complete AM and PM routines, reveals her best life hacks for staying organized without burning out, and shares the five most important things you can do to glow up your 2026. This is the conversation you need to start the year right. I hope you enjoy! Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Izzy Utterson on⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to Season 2! In this episode, Sophie Blowfield goes inside Pamela Anderson's mindful beauty brand Sonsie with CEO Kailey Bradt—the chemical engineer turned founder turned leader driving the brand's most successful year yet. Kailey breaks down what it's really like working with Pamela, how they're building a plastic-negative brand without compromising performance, and why her product obsession is the secret weapon behind Sonsie's growth. From sustainability practices every brand should adopt to her biggest life hacks as a woman in business, this conversation reveals what happens when purpose-driven leadership meets serious formulation expertise. If you want the real story behind one of beauty's most authentic brands, this is it. I hope you enjoy! Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sonsie Skin on Instagram

Isan Elba is building something radically different in beauty. As founder of Beauty Access and Beauty Forward, she's created a scalable, tech-enabled system that turns the industry's excess of beauty PR packages into dignity for underserved communities. In this conversation, Isan shares how receiving 1-3 PR packages daily led her to build custom inventory technology, redistribute over 3,000 products to women in need and partner with major brands like MAC, Giorgio Armani Beauty, and Tarte Cosmetics to do so. From recently speaking at Harvard Business School to challenging beauty's most entrenched gifting practices, this is the unfiltered story of building purpose-driven impact and using AI and tech for good. I hope you enjoy! Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Isan Elba on⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Beauty Access on Instagram

Your founder story isn't just background information—it's one of the most powerful tools you have to build trust, attract press, and position yourself as a leader in the beauty and wellness industry. In this solo episode, Global Brand Builder, Sophie Blowfield breaks down exactly how to strategically tell your founder story in a way that actually drives results. She shares why most founders get this wrong, the framework she uses with her consulting clients to craft compelling founder narratives, and how to weave your story consistently across your content strategy. You'll learn: ​Why your founder story is a strategic asset, not a one-time post​How to lead with the problem, not the product​The transformation arc that makes people connect with your journey​How to define your signature aesthetic and content pillars ​A practical framework you can implement immediately Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your existing brand founder story, this episode will change how you think about sharing your story. Work with Sophie Blowfield here Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sophie Blowfield on LinkedIn

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Michelle Hu, founder and CEO of Étoile - the beauty accessories brand that's brought calm to the chaos of our beauty routines. What started as a chaotic morning in 2016 - getting ready in the dark with shocking lighting and constantly misplaced items - sparked the idea for a business that would transform how we organize and experience our beauty rituals. Michelle unpacks the scrappy early days of building from her bedroom with pixelated imagery and a living room converted into a warehouse, the moment she nearly ran out of cash and questioned if she'd make it, and the game-changing iPhone timelapse video that went viral and catapulted sales. Tune in to discover the strategic insights behind turning everyday beauty chaos into a multimillion-dollar solution, why scrappy content can outperform big-budget production, and how Michelle's approach to intimate, transformative beauty rituals is reshaping the accessories category. I hope you enjoy! Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Étoile on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode Sophie Blowfield sits down with Alex Goldney, founder of Née and Slope Siren, for a conversation about building modern luxury brands that solve real problems. After her own frustrating name-change experience following her wedding, Alex identified a major gap in the market and created Née - the elevated name-change brand that's become the go-to gift for modern brides. In the same year, she launched Slope Siren, a luxury women's skiwear label that merges high fashion with performance. In this episode, Alex shares her journey from corporate digital marketing to founding two successful brands simultaneously. Plus, all the beauty secrets, what it's like living between Miami and Paris, and the upcoming product launches that are set to expand the Née universe. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alex Goldney on⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Née on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Follow Slope Siren on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Neada Deters, founder of LESSE - the simplified, elevated ritual of clinically advanced, active botanical skincare. Born and raised in Sydney by the ocean, Neada moved to New York after studying art history and theory, where she worked as a beauty editor before founding LESSE seven years ago. Neada reveals how her beauty editor background built an exhaustive archive of ingredient knowledge, why Australia ingrained a reverence for nature while New York demands uncompromising results, and how her philosophy of "ritual, not routine" transforms skincare from perfunctory to emotional. Tune in to discover the strategic insights behind building a luxury skincare brand, why refusing investor pressure can actually elevate your brand, and how Neada's approach to distilling nature's most potent actives into clinically advanced solutions represents skincare's future. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Neada Deters on⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Follow Lesse on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠

In this episode, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Darcy Moore, founder of Belnu – the clean luxury fragrance brand redefining the industry through mood-enhancing scents, 100% ingredient transparency, and emotional connection. After years leading creative and art direction at Apple and running her own design studio, Darcy built Belnu – creating fine fragrances that don't just smell beautiful, but serve as tools for personal empowerment. Darcy reveals her transition from design leadership to fragrance entrepreneurship, how scent became her emotional anchor and the strategy behind Belnu's stunning visual identity. This is essential listening for beauty entrepreneurs, fragrance enthusiasts, and anyone curious about building transparent luxury brands. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Darcy Moore on⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Follow Belnu on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Noel Capri, model and founder of Nicoya Organics - the 100% certified organic skincare brand proving clean beauty doesn't have to compromise on luxury. Noel unpacks how this brand was born from a deeply personal mission and her unique perspective on building a beauty brand while navigating two worlds as both model and founder. Tune in to discover the strategic insights behind building organic luxury skincare with integrity and how Noel's approach to uncompromising purity and performance represents the future of clean beauty done right. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Noel Capri on⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Follow Nicoya on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Maeva Heim, founder of Bread Beauty Supply - the Australian-born hair care brand that's redefining "lazy girl hair" for natural and textured hair. Growing up in Perth, Australia, Maeva found solace in her mother's braiding salon - the only place that catered to textured hair in her hometown. After years working in marketing at beauty giants like L'Oréal and P&G, she saw a gap in the market and set out to create gentle, effective products that embrace Black women's hair in its natural form. Maeva reveals the challenges of filling the gap between multinational conglomerates and kitchen-counter brands, and shares the story behind Bread's recent acquisition by Cost Of Doing Business, the holding company led by Topicals founder Olamide Olowe. Tune in to discover the strategic insights behind building an inclusive hair care brand that made it into Sephora, why representation in beauty leadership matters more than ever, and how Maeva's approach to celebrating textured hair in its natural form represents the future of the category. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Maeva Heim on⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Follow Bread on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Casey James and Carla McGraw, co-founders of Réforme Beauty - home to the viral Power Lip product that is making makeup artist lip contouring accessible to everyone. Known as the "Lip Contour Queen," with her loyal following, Casey built a devoted community before Power Lip even launched, while Carla brought her expertise as a Product Development Brand Consultant in beauty to bring the formulas to life. Casey and Carla unpack the reality of co-founder dynamics, how they involved Casey's community in testing formulas, and the process of navigating major decisions together - from manufacturing in South Korea to their vegan, cruelty-free commitments and the upcoming re-brand. Tune in to discover the strategic insights behind building a community-first beauty brand and why their approach to making professional techniques accessible represents the future of beauty innovation. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Follow Casey James on⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram Follow Réforme Beauty on ⁠Instagram⁠

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Olivia Boyd-Smith, founder of Par Olive - the Australian-made ingestible beauty and wellness brand that's redefined the supplement space with dermatologist-developed marine collagen super powders. This is the collagen supplement that Victoria Beckham swears by, and what started as a law school side project built on community has become the go-to for celebrities like Martha Stewart and beauty enthusiasts worldwide. Olivia unpacks the reality of selling out in three weeks by leveraging her pre-built community, the process of partnering with dermatologists and how celebrity endorsements like Victoria Beckham happened organically through results-driven products that become mainstays in beauty rituals. Tune in to discover how Olivia's approach to merging wellness, beauty, and aesthetic vision represents the future of supplement brands. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on Instagram Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠Instagram⁠ Follow Olivia Boyd-Smith on Instagram Follow Par Olive on Instagram Shop Par Olive here

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Shiri Feldman, a beauty copywriting consultant and product marketer who's become the strategic voice behind compelling brand messaging for female-founded, eco-friendly beauty companies. Shiri unpacks the reality of transitioning from corporate to freelance life, the art of balancing business and creativity, and shares her biggest strategic wins that moved the needle for beauty brands. Tune in to discover the strategic insights behind transforming beauty brand messaging and why Shiri's copywriting philosophy represents a fresh approach to beauty marketing innovation. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠Instagram⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on Instagram Follow Shiri Spills on Substack here

In this episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie Blowfield sits down with Bryony Basse (Deery), founder of Pilates by Bryony, Dior Beauty wellness expert, host of Beyond the Mat podcast, and co-founder of Cloudcha matcha - who has built an incredible wellness empire after discovering Pilates during rehabilitation from a serious road accident. Drawing from her insider perspective on breakthrough brand strategies, Sophie explores how Bryony has mastered community building in wellness - from her community events and matcha walks, to the intimate text group chat where she constantly learns from her audience, plus her strategic positioning at the intersection of wellness and beauty through her Dior partnership. Tune in to discover the strategic insights behind building authentic community in wellness and why Bryony's approach to merging movement, beauty, and lifestyle represents the future of holistic brand building. I hope you enjoy! Follow Sophie Blowfield on ⁠Instagram⁠ Follow The Beauty Sessions on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Follow Bryony Basse (Deery) on ⁠Instagram⁠ Join Pilates by Bryony here