Tastemaker: Sophie Blowfield
On LA over London, beauty brands worth knowing, and treating taste as a discipline
Welcome to Tastemakers, our ongoing interview series spotlighting people with great taste—how they live, create, and notice what others miss.
Sophie Blowfield landed on our radar the way most of our best finds happen: by falling down a rabbit hole of someone whose taste we already trust.
As you may know, we’re big fans of Merit. Dominique was deep in an episode of The Beauty Sessions, Sophie’s podcast, featuring Aila Morin (the CBO of Merit), when she realized she was just as interested in the woman asking the questions as the woman answering.
Sophie spent over a decade in London building beauty brands before betting on Los Angeles in 2023. She’s the kind of person who can articulate exactly what LA gets right that London doesn’t, and which beauty brands are worth your attention. But the thing that makes Sophie magnetic is her conviction that taste is a discipline.
Here’s her take.
👀 S.C.O.U.T—Sophie’s Take
Seeing | Love Story: John F Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette
I’ve been obsessed with this drama based on the love story between them. It’s exactly my type of show: fashion, history, romance and the quiet power of a woman who refused to perform for public consumption. After finishing it, I immediately bought Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy to go even deeper. Now I’ve fallen down a complete rabbit hole!
Consuming | All Time, Los Feliz
I recently discovered All Time, a neighborhood restaurant serving brunch and dinner in Los Feliz, when the lovely Matilda Djerf invited me to her Gathered dinner series. I genuinely had the best Japanese sweet potato I’ve ever tasted. Everything was incredible. Everyone tells me the brunch is exceptional too, so that’s next on my list.
On The Way Out | Performative Influencer Marketing
The obviously transactional, clearly-just-a-paid-ad influencer post where there’s zero authenticity. Consumers can smell inauthenticity from a mile away. What’s on the way in? Affiliate-driven creator ecosystems. Instead of brands paying five big influencers for little return, they’re building an army of micro-sized affiliate creators driving real conversion.
Unearthing | Making New Friends in My Late Thirties
I’ve realized how energizing it is to have fresh conversations with people who challenge your thinking. Everyone’s busy, everyone has established routines, but I’m trying to stay open rather than defaulting to my existing circle. It’s vulnerable, but it’s worth it.
Trying | Taking a Pause
I’ve been operating at full capacity for so long that I’ve forgotten what genuine time to myself feels like. I’m actively building in more unstructured time—mornings without back-to-back calls, weekends without feeling like I should be “producing” something.
❤️🔥 Q&A with Sophie Blowfield
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a global brand builder and founder of Sophie Blowfield Consultancy, a brand and social strategy consultancy specializing in beauty and wellness.
As part of Charlotte Tilbury’s founding team — a pivotal chapter in my career — I built and led the brand’s global social media division, driving explosive growth that earned recognition from British Vogue, Glamour, and The Los Angeles Times.
Following a decade-long career in London working with brands including L’Oréal, M.A.C Cosmetics, Lisa Eldridge, Trinny London and 111SKIN, I relocated to Los Angeles in 2023 where I’ve since worked on strategies for Alo, SKIMS and Hourglass Cosmetics.
I also host The Beauty Sessions podcast and write Between The Sessions.
Your taste, in three words?
Considered. Elevated. Intentional.
What are some of your personal signatures, the details that make you distinctly you?
I really live for elevated basics. A black blazer paired with my Chanel flats or heels. A basic white tee from Shop RLT in Los Angeles. An organic whole milk cappuccino in hand every morning. Rhode Glazing Milk constantly reapplied. And my color palette: black, navy, white, grey marl—I’m building a wardrobe that works, not chasing trends.
Where does your love affair with beauty begin?
It started young. My mother was objectively stunning—people stopped her in the street thinking she was Brooke Shields or Kirstie Alley. I was fascinated by her rituals: mascara for long lashes, a dash of Rimmel pink lipstick. I loved how these small products transformed how someone felt. Beauty was never superficial—it was about confidence.
You relocated your whole life from London to Los Angeles. What does LA get right that London doesn't and vice versa?
LA gets optimism and ambition right. There's energy here that makes you want to launch things, bet on yourself, build out loud. London has sophistication, heritage, and craft. The art and fashion culture is unmatched. But LA fits who I am in a way London never quite did.
What’s a brand you think nobody is paying enough attention to right now?
COPINI Beauty—founded by Casey James and Carla McGraw. It’s an Australian brand, and the Aussies are killing it right now. Their lip contours in Bitter Chocolate and Chestnut are my go-tos—creamier than Rhode, cuter packaging, the whole vibe is just right.
What’s something you believe about beauty that most people in the industry would disagree with?
Not every brand needs to be in Sephora within two years. The best brands resist scaling too quickly and stay deeply connected to their community for longer. There’s real power in staying small and specific.
If we raided your bathroom cabinet, what would we find?
Lots of Merit, lots of Gisou, lots of Saie Beauty. Summer Fridays everything. Hourglass concealer. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. Rhode Glazing Milk. Nécessaire body products. CeraVe—not glamorous but effective. I’m also currently obsessed with Sam McKnight Hair products—the pure genius scalp oil, cool girl texture spray and modern hairspray are amazing. And probably twelve half-empty bottles of things I’m testing for work!
And lastly, who is your favorite tastemaker?
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The quiet power, the restraint, the confidence of not having to prove anything. She understood that true elegance is about what you leave out, not what you add.
To keep up with Sophie’s musings, subscribe to her newsletter Between the Sessions, listen to her podcast The Beauty Sessions, and be sure to follow her on Instagram.
Know a tastemaker worth spotlighting or want to be featured yourself? Enlighten us here. 💌