My first encounter with Lisa Eldridge was over a dodgy Skype connection 13 years ago. At the time, I was writing a piece for a well-known fashion magazine and wanted to talk to her about her growing YouTube presence. She had already started her channel in 2010, just two years earlier, and was quickly gaining attention.
Her journey to YouTube wasn’t the usual story. At the time, she was busy with 10 Years Younger, the popular UK TV show that had made her a household name. After each episode aired, her website – a gallery of her work across TV, editorial and celebrity looks – would experience a surge in traffic.
But as her popularity grew, so did her frustration with how some segments of the show were edited. She felt key moments, where she demonstrated make-up techniques, were often cut short. It was this frustration that led her to take matters into her own hands, so she began creating short videos on YouTube – a mix of tutorials and tips that allowed the public to recreate the looks she was so passionate about. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In 2018, she took a significant (and much-anticipated) step forward, starting her own make-up line with a limited-edition collection of velvet lipsticks, which sold out in a matter of hours.
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This wasn’t her first foray into product formulation, though. She had previously designed and launched a make-up range with Shiseido and, soon after, became the creative director for No7 at Boots, where she would stay for more than a decade.
“Having created bestselling products for many of the top brands over the years, I realised that if there’s one thing I really know how to do, it’s to create unique, interesting and truly efficacious products and formulas. I would wander through beauty halls and see products I had created for other brands and I just thought, it’s time I do this for myself!” Eldridge says. And so she did.
Fast-forward to today, and her eponymous range has expanded far beyond lipsticks. Now, it includes complexion products, skincare, make-up tools and more. Her products are available at some of the UK’s most prestigious retailers, like Liberty of London and Selfridges – and, more recently, at Space NK in Dundrum, Dublin.
But it’s her latest launch that’s making waves in the beauty world. Long-time fans of Eldridge will recall her signature technique of pinpoint concealing – applying the tiniest amounts of product to cover even the smallest blemishes. In fact, many will remember her using the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer for this exact purpose.
So, when Eldridge finally released her own concealer, it was a surprise, yet also made perfect sense. Rather than opting for a traditional liquid or cream, she introduced the Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil (€33 from Space NK) – a precise tool that allows for controlled application (and pleasingly, it’s available in 16 shades).
The concealer itself is incredibly soft and creamy, so it takes only the slightest pressure to apply it to the target areas. The first time I used it, I went a bit overboard, to be honest – aiming for every blemish I could spot. The results? Impressive – undetectable, in fact. So much so, that it’s now been promoted permanently to my handbag.
[ I tested 20 long-wear lipsticks. These five are actually worth your moneyOpens in new window ]
When it comes to using it, Eldridge says it’s all about non-uniformity: “Scribble softly over, on and around the micro area you wish to camouflage (don’t apply the concealer in a completely round circle over the area, make the edges non-uniform instead, as it will help with blending and will make it less visible to the eye). Using fingertips or a small brush, buff over the area. The trick is to thin out the edges so it blends in with the surrounding skin, and for everything to look like it’s in one, seamless continuum. You want to cheat the eye away from thinking anything has been concealed!”
As for what’s next, Eldridge tells me it’s a big one. “This year sees the return of a real community and fan favourite – my blushers. I have been working now for a few years on getting the packaging absolutely perfect for the unique formula that I developed. I’m so excited to bring the shades everyone loves back to my community – as well as a new one! Watch this space”.
This week I’m using ... Skin Rocks The Eye Cream
From Skin Rocks, the much-loved skincare line by Caroline Hirons, comes The Eye Cream (€80 from skinrocks.com) – a product born from Hirons’ “real obsession” with the delicate under-eye area. As she puts it, “It had to do everything. It had to have all the bells and whistles”. True to her word, the eye cream doesn’t just promise results – it delivers, with clinical trial data showing noticeable improvements right from the start, and visible changes at two, four, and even eight weeks.
