MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT
Mature make-up guru Grace Fodor
Grace Fodor, 54, founded pro-age make-up brand Studio 10, formulated for women in their late 30s and above, in 2016. divorced, she lives in Guildford, Surrey, and has three daughters, aged 21, 18 and 14.
WHEN I hit my late 40s, I found myself labelled as ‘middle-aged’ and surrounded by negative stereotypes that didn’t reflect how I lived my life. I didn’t feel represented in adverts for the brands that were meant to be communicating with me. I was just inundated with ‘ anti- ageing’ messages.
I also realised many mainstream make- up products weren’t designed for mature skin.
I had a background in branding and marketing, having co-founded my own agency at 27. I worked with celebrity make-up artist Jemma Kidd on her Make-Up School range for Boots.
So I thought, ‘Why not create my own range — an independent beauty brand that’s pro-age rather than anti-ageing?’ Beauty has no age limit.
For me, what’s interesting is not so much the fashion side of makeup — getting the latest looks and colours — but make-up as a medium for transformation.
So many mature women get stuck in a rut or feel intimidated. We change our skincare as we age, so why not our make-up?
My four steps are: prime (even out and smooth your skin texture); perfect (cover-up to correct dark circles and redness); shape (boost definition); and shade (add a flush of healthy colour). When we launched, one journalist called us ‘Spanx for the face’, which I love.
Studio 10 started with 15 skin-perfecting quick-fix essentials — all easy-to-use, multi-purpose skincare hybrids. We now have 18 products, but everything still has at least five uses. It’s wearable no-make-up make-up.
Our Age Repair Perfect Canvas SPF30 Foundation gives a smooth faultless finish, while our numberone seller is our Plumping Blush, which is the quickest way to perk up your complexion.
We initially launched with website Cult Beauty and QVC. Later, we expanded to Sephora and Marks & Spencer. But we’re now focusing on selling direct to the customer.
Lockdown has given us our biggest ever sales. I’m a real advocate of women wearing a little make-up — it’s so empowering. It doesn’t just enhance your natural beauty, it makes you feel good on the inside, too.