Sophia Thao makes glamour relatable to regular women because she’s a regular woman. A mom who totes her kid to karate four days a week, Thao shows that stunning makeup is compatible with everyday life. “My style is kind of natural, but not really. It’s very glam, but it’s not sultry or heavy,” she says. “My inspiration comes from the Kardashian makeup artist Ariel [Tejada.] He creates the perfect blend between glam and Instagram makeup. When you look at it, it’s almost minimal, but not that minimal.” Thao can walk the edge between over-the-top and just enough because she’s a professional makeup artist, a bit of an oddity in an influencer field dominated by do-it-yourselfers. “I take being a makeup artist very seriously, and I love the makeup artistry side of it all,” she says. “A lot of YouTubers, they only know how to do makeup on themselves. They don’t know how to adjust to other people.” Thao is adjusting to balancing a social media career and freelance beauty work with parenting in Minneapolis. Beauty Independent caught up with her to discuss sweatpants, Snapchat, posts with her two sons and eyebrow trends.
How did you become a makeup artist?
I am the sixth child of nine. I come from a very big family. I was always a really big tomboy because I have five brothers. My sisters were closer in age to each other and did everything together. I dressed like a boy and played with boys, but I always had Barbie. I feel like I was interested in the beauty world, but I never thought of myself as someone girly. I always had guy friends. Once I got older, toward the end of high school, I started hanging out with more girls. The girls I hung out with wore makeup, so I tried doing makeup, and I was actually good at it. My friends would ask me to do their makeup. That’s how I got started. I was working for an entertainment company, and they had events at clubs. The owner would hire makeup artists for promoters and go-go dancers. When I started doing makeup on YouTube for fun, I decided I wanted to keep trying to do it on another people. I asked if I could do makeup on the promoters and dancers. I started doing that, and that’s how I practiced on multiple faces. People started liking my work and hiring me, and it went from there.
When did you begin to post videos on YouTube?
In high school, I would mostly stay home and listen to music on YouTube. I started seeing makeup videos. Back then, makeup contests were very big. Sitting in my room, I would do makeup and win free makeup contests on YouTube. I would win makeup to do more makeup to win makeup. Then, people started subscribing. All of a sudden, it became serious. I didn’t think that would happen.
When did you realize you were gaining traction on social media?
When I worked for the entertainment company, we would be out promoting, and people started to notice me. They would want to take pictures. Even going to the mall, I would bump into a person that would tell me they liked watching me.
What is it like when people come up to you in public?
I love meeting my subscribers because it makes it more personal. Most of the time, I have my kids with me, and I feel bad because my kids are screaming, and I can’t hold a conversation, but I love it if someone comes up and says hey, even if it is for two seconds.
Who is your audience?
A lot of my followers are about my age: 25. I started my channel when I was 17, and my audience has grown with me as I’ve grown. We’ve learned together.
“I love meeting my subscribers because it makes it more personal. Most of the time, I have my kids with me, and I feel bad because my kids are screaming, and I can’t hold a conversation, but I love it if someone comes up and says hey, even if it is for two seconds.”
Have you experienced the negativity that can come with social media?
Not so much, thankfully. I don’t open myself up that much. I’m very cautious about what I post. I’m scared. I don’t want people to come after my kids. I would love to share my life and my family, but I’m so afraid of the negativity that comes with that.
Do you keep your kids out of your social media posts?
I don’t post them on YouTube or Instagram, but I do post them on Snapchat. I follow a lot of mom influencers and, out of everyone on social media, I feel like moms get the most hate. People come after your parenting and what you do with your kids. I’ve always said that people can say whatever they want about me, but to say something about my children is not OK. I don’t want to make the decision for my kids by putting them on social media. I want them to understand everything that comes with it.
You have a manager that you direct brands to when they reach out to you. When did you get a manager?
Two years ago, I started to want a manager because I couldn’t juggle all of it. I needed an extra hand. It has helped me so much because sometimes I don’t know exactly what I’m doing. It’s nice to have a manager that’s familiar with the industry, and it’s really taken a weight off my shoulders.
How many posts do you do a week?
For videos, I try to post once a week. For Instagram, I try to do at least three. Instagram is a little bit easier to do because it’s not as much production.
What goes into the creation of your posts?
I do everything by myself. I film. I edit. I do the lighting. For videos, I have a whole setup, so I can flip a switch, and my background and lighting is good to go. Depending on the videos I do, I switch out the backgrounds. As far as Instagram posts, it’s pretty much the same thing. If I have an outfit picture, I usually have my husband or a friend help me out with the right angles. When I do product pictures, I have to find a backdrop and lay out the products perfectly. I do at least 10 takes to make sure the angles are right.
Where do ideas for posts come from?
When I do makeup looks, it’s usually because I have a new makeup item. Whenever I get a new item, I just want to play with it. I try not to overthink something because I don’t want it to come off as unnatural. I just turn on the camera and play with it. As far reviews, I test it out for a week, and I try to write down talking points because my mind runs wild. I use the talking points to stay on topic.
What’s a brand partnership you’ve done that you felt was successful?
One of my favorite ones this year was with Laneige. It was a mixture of skincare and makeup. I used their skincare and created an everyday look. It was a really easy look that was very fresh, but still very glam, and that was combined with how to take care of your skin.
What does your audience really like to see from you?
My number-one most requested video is an eyebrow tutorial. A lot of my followers want to see tutorials from a professional perspective. When I do videos, I give tips and tricks. I switch up my products and techniques a lot, and people want to see that.
“Eyebrows are a lot softer. I remember when eyebrows blew up four years ago, they were very harsh, dark and sharp. These days, it’s all about natural hairs. You want to see sparse areas, and you want feathery brows.”
Have you noticed the feathered eyebrow trend rising?
Eyebrows are a lot softer. I remember when eyebrows blew up four years ago, they were very harsh, dark and sharp. These days, it’s all about natural hairs. You want to see sparse areas, and you want feathery brows.
Is liquid lipstick over?
I feel like it has gone. It’s had its time. I started going back to gloss a year ago because I felt that my lips were always so dry. I noticed that, since the beginning of the summer, everyone else started to switch back to gloss. Some people still like liquid lipsticks, but I don’t like the matte ones. I like satin finishes and products that feel good on your lips.
What’s another trend you sense is growing?
Pink blush has been a big thing. It used to be very coral. Kylie [Jenner] started wearing pink blush and, of course, I started to try it. Everyone has been asking me about bright pink blush. Not just a neutral one, but a bright pink one.
What are a few of your favorite brands?
My foundation has always been Make Up For Ever, and I just started to use Fenty. I’m in love with the Fenty foundation. I love using MAC eyeshadows on my clients, but I like Kylie Cosmetics eyeshadows for myself. For bronzer, I love Too Faced. For brushes and blushes, I love Sigma. For lip products, I love Dose of Colors and Milani.
Is Snapchat big with your fans?
It is, and I like it because it’s more personable. People get to see a different side of me on Snapchat. I’m very careful about what I post on Instagram. Even in Instagram Stories, I don’t post anything personal. On Snapchat, I can be completely myself, and I don’t have to worry about it as much.
Why did you want to share your breast enhancement experience on YouTube?
I wanted to share my experience because, during my research process, I watched so many videos that really helped me. I like to think of it as returning the favor to the internet. Even though it was a very personal video, I hope it will help inform people if they are interested in getting a breast augmentation or if they’re just curious. I have a lot of mom followers who can relate to my story so, in case anyone has been considering it, but doesn’t know where to start, I hope my video can be of some help.
Why did you want to start your brand Superficial by Sophia? What are your goals for the line?
I wanted to start my own line of lashes because I feel like lashes are the last touch to any makeup look like a purse, jewelry or shoes that really complete an outfit. It’s also fun to switch out lashes with different looks. It can be so fun. My long-term goals are to expand into other things, more than just beauty.
What do you wear when you aren’t posting on social media?
It’s changed a lot. When I was younger, I didn’t really care about appearance. I loved makeup, but you would always find me in sweatpants. I used to go to the store in pajamas, but I have learned that part of feeling good is looking good. Every day, I try to at least wear workout clothes, so I look like I’m trying even if I’m not. I have forced myself to throw out all of my sweatpants because you never know who you are going to see. I might bump into someone at the grocery store who wants to take a picture. That has happened.
“When I was younger, I didn’t really care about appearance. I loved makeup, but you would always find me in sweatpants. I used to go to the store in pajamas, but I have learned that part of feeling good is looking good. Every day, I try to at least wear workout clothes, so I look like I’m trying.”
How do you want to evolve your influencer career going forward?
I want to get more involved with my fans and do more meet-ups. My main goal is to talk to everyone and hug everyone. I want them to remember that I’m just like them except that I do makeup on YouTube. I want them to think of me as a friend.
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