November 21st 2023.
Sophie Headon, 26, is the Londoner behind the YouTube channel Sophdoeslife, which has 1.4 million subscribers. If you've ever stumbled on beauty YouTube, you've likely seen her bargain brand reviews.
This week we're chatting with Sophie to find out how her channel grew, how she got swept up in the FaceTune era, and how she likes to remain somewhat private in her job as a content creator.
When did you first get into YouTube?
I started my channel in 2015, when Beauty YouTube was at a real high and I had a lot of beauty creators to look up to. I was 18 years old and thought I would just give it a go! I had no idea at that time that it would turn into such a big part of my life.
How have you pivoted to TikTok as that’s become more popular?
TikTok was really growing in popularity during the 2020 lockdown, so I downloaded it and started doing quick product reviews, makeup hacks, and mini tutorials. It's great to be able to reach a different audience on another platform, but I do find it less personal than YouTube.
What are the challenges you’ve faced in growing your channel? How long did it take to become ‘big’?
My growth on YouTube came in waves. It was never as simple as uploading a video and it becoming ‘big’ overnight. At the very beginning, my makeup skills weren't great and I had to balance filming and editing YouTube videos with university studies.
It wasn't until a year later that I filmed a Testing Primark Makeup video and Testing Poundland Makeup Video, which really started to gain traction. Those videos became super popular and by the end of summer 2016, I had hit 100,000 subscribers - much more than I ever expected.
What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty is all about whatever makes you feel your best. Sure, there are trending makeup styles, but if you want to do a full coverage look with heavy eye makeup, then you do you.
What I'm most excited to see is people embracing their supposed ‘flaws’, and showing what real skin actually looks like. I think it's important to remind people that you never know what people are going through.
Have you had to work a ‘regular’ job?
I started my YouTube channel while I was studying for a Graphic Design degree, and then I was offered a job with Revolution on their social media content creation team. I had to juggle both for a couple of years, but then decided to focus on my own content and brand deals.
What do you love most about your job?
The fact that I get to work with brands I grew up loving is a great perk of the job, and I recently got to be a part of YouTube’s Edition, which was an amazing experience. It's also great to be able to encourage other young creators and share their work with my audience.
What do you dislike the most?
The fact that people can sometimes expect certain things from me. I think sometimes when you watch someone online, you can feel like you know them, but in reality you are only seeing a tiny portion of their life.
An average day in the working life of Sophie Headon
I start the day by replying to messages from my manager, then checking my calendar and seeing what deadlines I have coming up. I usually spend the morning completing briefs, writing content ideas, and doing product testing.
In the afternoon I'll film some organic content for TikTok and Instagram, then make some edits to sponsored videos. I also try to answer any questions from my viewers, and respond to comments.
Do you ever get overwhelmed by being so public with your profile and aspects of your life?
Sometimes yes, but I choose to share less about my life and stay a bit more private. I don't put my family and friends online, and would rather keep those things separate so I can switch off when I’m with them.
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