The Beauty Breakdown: Lucy Edwards on makeup, skincare and why representation in the cosmetics industry is so important

Tv presenter, author and disability activist, Lucy Edwards, lost her eyesight at just 17,  after being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition named Incontinentia Pigmenti.

Since then she’s become the first ever blind BBC Radio 1 presenter, the official ambassador for Blind Barbie, and most recently walked for Sinead O’Dwyer as the first blind model at Copenhagen Fashion Week.

You may also like

• 'Empowerment is a process' Patricia Bright on financial independence and living authentically online

• Editor’s Letter: The 'Women x Women' Digital Issue

Here, she shares how losing her sight helped her reframe her relationship with beauty, why diversity in the industry is so important, and the one person she’d love to swap makeup bags with…

The Beauty Breakdown with Lucy Edwards

Her Beauty Philosophy

A self-confessed makeup junkie, Lucy’s approach to beauty had to change when she lost her sight, but she stands by the fact that it was a change for the better.

“We should learn to value ourselves by our inner beauty. Inner beauty is the most valuable thing. When we align with our values and show up for ourselves, then your beauty shines from the inside out.”

Morning Skincare

"Before makeup I always use the Toleriane Cleanser by La Roche-Posay, Dr Sam's Vitamin C NAD+ Serum, La Roche-Posay AntheliosSun Cream and the Ole Henriksen Peptide Boost Moisturiser & Banana Bright Eye Cream."

"When I know it’s going to be a busy morning, I use the Maybelline Tattoo Brow and leave it on overnight, so in the morning my eyebrows are done! I also love the St Tropez Face Mist the night before so I wake up in the morning with a glowy & even skin tone."

Everyday Look

“When I wash my hair I’ll shampoo twice with the Authentic Beauty Concept Hydrate Shampoo and then the Authentic Beauty Concept Scalp Treatment, then Davines Oi Conditioner & Oi Oil. Then I blow dry my hair with my Dyson Air Wrap, usually curls, spritz Kayali Rose Oud Hair Mist as well as a texture mist from Sam McKnight. When my hair is dry I spray with Authentic Beauty Concept hair spray.”

A few of Lucy’s daily beauty go-to’s include:

Fenty Beauty's Skin Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, NYX Micro Brow Pencil, Nars Laguna Bronze, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Liner and Lipstick

Evening Skincare

“I take my makeup off with the Elemis Pro Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm and then I love using the Ole Henriksen Truth Juice Daily Cleanser. After this I use Drunk Elephant A-Gloei Retinol Oil and my Erborian Red Pepper Pulp Moisturiser.

In my handbag there is always... Ishga Hand Sanitiser, Huda Beauty lip contour in Pinky Brown, Huda Faux Filler Gloss in Honey, Kayali Oudgasm Rose Oud Hair Mist, Rare Beauty True to Myself Tinted Pressed Finishing Powder and the Sol De Janiro spray in 62.

If I could swap makeup bags with anyone in the world it would be... Sabrina Carpenter!!! I love her blush and makeup in general. I’ve been using Huda Beauty Liquid Blush in Strawberry Cream and Nars Orgasm Blush to get a baby pink glow like her.

For AW24 I'm most excited about... My makeup not sweating off in the heat. But also red lips, glitter, autumnal cranberry, orange colours and big lashes!

My favourite eyeshadows palettes are... TheUrban Decay Naked Palette has been a favourite since the beginning. I'm so excited that it has been relaunched. It's the first palette I labelled as a blind girl because it’s pretty much in colour order, the eyeshadows go from light to dark and that’s so useful for me.

My favourite lipsticks are... I tend to go for lipsticks with nice vanilla scents like all the Vieve, M.A.C. and Charlotte Tilbury ones. Me and my sister have mutually decided that peachy colours look nice on my skin tone. If I go too neutral or brown it doesn’t flatter me as much. I love red because it really pops on my pale skin too. I never wear dark lipstick in general as it just doesn’t suit me and I worry about getting it on my teeth as a blind gal!

I get beauty inspo from... My stylist Harriet Nicholson, she inspires me to try new things I would never have thought of. We have such a special relationship, she brings me so many amazing outfits and shoes that are full of texture and glitter.  My sister Alice is also a massive inspiration to me, she helps me navigate trends on TikTok and talks to me about what I would like. I’ve always had such a strong sense of style and she always wants my flame to burn bright in this way and has never given up on me.

My favourite perfume is... Fragrance is everything to me as a blind woman. I have so many for my different moods and that evoke different memories. Oud To Greatness by Initio was my wedding day scent and is my lucky perfume that I wear when I want good luck and to have a fabulous day, but Kayali Rose Oud is my everyday perfume, those two are my signature scents and what people know me for.

Representation is so important because... The beauty industry currently is missing out on a massive group of people. Nearly 20% of the global population is disabled and when you think of the purple pound, which is the spending power of disable people and carers and people around us, it’s $8 trillion. If you don’t market to us, your company won’t grow. Every bottle, every product I hold currently feels exactly the same. A lot of brands use the same packaging which means everything feels the same. I have to go home and inevitably my sister or my husband spends hours and hours labelling all my products and I don’t want to dread being a make-up junkie.

I enjoy the way beauty makes me feel inside. Even make-up counters aren’t always accessible. We’ve got a long way to go but I’m constantly advocating for these things and I work on the camera with a lot of makeup artists and stylists that keep me on trend, but if I didn’t have those people around me I wouldn't’ be able to access the things I do and that has to change. We need to see disabled people represented in the beauty industry.