Get super excited because this article is going to be ah-maz-ing. We are kicking it off with the enthusiasm of its subject, Ailish Lucas, a London-based beauty influencer who takes the health and wellness of her fans seriously, but doesn’t take herself seriously. Whether she’s swirling smoothies, sharing beauty hacks or chatting about her love for unpronounceable baby names, Lucas, better known as The Glow Getter, is never without a smile. It’s no surprise that her favorite quote is, “If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely,” from the writer Roald Dahl. Beauty Independent caught up with the lovely Lucas to chat about her whole-body approach, charging for content, why video is a lasting investment for brands, and the power of a good wink.
How did The Glow Getter originally come about?
I have always been obsessed with makeup and beauty. I trained part time at the London College of Fashion in makeup and went to get my beauty therapy qualification whilst working full time as a marketing manager. I assisted on some shoots at MTV and Vanity Fair, but felt like I wanted something that was my own, which is where the blog came about. The natural and organic focus was from the outset because I had just discovered how amazing natural skincare was, so wanted to explore it more. Turns out, it is amazing.
Did you have any idea you would become an influencer?
I only realized I was an influencer in the last two weeks, honestly. When I put a video up telling everyone how much I loved a natural foundation and I got so many messages saying that people have bought it based on my recommendation, it was quite a shock. So, no, I didn’t really realize that I would become an influencer. I’m not sure I’m totally comfortable with the word, maybe because I feel I have so far to go and achieve before I get to that status.
You’ve recently launched a program called The Glow Life. Can you explain what the platform offers subscribers?
The Glow Life is an online six-week course dedicated to helping women improve five key areas of their life. They include what you eat; how you think; how you move; what you use; what you do. I felt called to create this course because it doesn’t matter how many nice products you put on your face, if you eat rubbish, think rubbish and don’t take care of yourself, you’re not going to look your best. The course includes nutritionist-approved advice, yoga videos, guidance on the best brands and products to use for your skin type, guided visualizations and advice on following your passions. All of this combined, to me, is living the ultimate Glow Life and a true definition of being a Glow Getter.
Many influencers are now opting to charge for their content, how did you come to this decision?
The main way I charge for content is The Glow Life course. The reason I charge for content this way is because it’s incredibly valuable information for my subscribers that I have gone above and beyond for. It includes advice that you would have to pay a great deal of money for if you were going to look at all of these areas individually. For example, I worked with a qualified and practicing nutritionist for one of the modules, a yoga teacher for another, and my beauty and makeup background has come in as well. This is the very best content along with full access to me throughout the course, which is why I charge. I’m also opening up a select number of spots for health and lifestyle coaching over the next few months as this is something I really feel called to do to help women achieve happiness and health in all aspects of their life.
What is your favorite way to discover new brands?
Normally, through other influencers. If I hear one influencer raving about something, I have to have the product and try it for myself. Another way would be through going into a shop and trying something out or going to an expo like Indie Beauty Expo. It’s just so much fun testing out natural makeup and discovering something with incredible pigment and color pay off.
How do you identify brands to partner with?
For me, the brand has to be truly natural if it’s beauty-related, or there are clear wellness advantages to having it in our lives. They have to want to build a long-term relationship with me as I don’t really work on a one-off basis with brands anymore because I feel the brand gets more out of myself and a better response from subscribers when it’s over a longer period of time. This is why I offer packages over a three-month period rather than a one-off video nowadays. It works better for the brand and for me.
What do you wish brands knew when it comes to working with influencers?
Again, it has to be based on building a relationship that is mutual for the brand and the influencer. If you can build a relationship, then you can have honest discussions around how you can both work together. And, if your budget really is tiny, then look at other things the influencer is doing that you could be part of. For example, are they running an event that you could be a sponsor for? Or, if the influencer budget is too much for you, look at a slightly smaller budget that you can work with and see what they can do for you.
It’s essential you have an influencer budget in your marketing spend if you want to get your brand out there and really make it work. What else is essential is getting to know the blogger personally. Build that relationship, and you’ll get your money back ten times over.
What are different ways you work with brands, and what do you charge for the varying projects?
If we decide that working together is the right fit, then there are three different package options that a brand can choose from. They go in a bronze, silver, gold format over three months stepping up in price, but getting more coverage over that period through video, blog posts and social media. The cost for this varies depending on which package a brand would like.
The second is through sponsorship for my events such as The Glow Getter Summit, which is launching in spring. I’m looking for 10 key sponsors for this particular event and, for this, they get a dedicated video on the brand and product, are featured in all communications around the event and, then, an interview with the brand owner on the blog as well as mentions in social media. So, there’s a large amount of coverage over a three to four-week period of time. The cost for this is £500 [or $363 at the current exchange rate].
The final way is through freelance marketing strategy and social media work. I do freelance work, which is based on three-, six- and nine-month projects where I work with brands to help increase their social media following, produce blog content, create email, review the overall strategy and everything else in between. I love marketing and helping brands achieve results. With one particular brand, I helped to increase their Instagram following by 23% and their organic reach on Facebook by 8,000, great results for a 12-week contract. The cost for this varies depending on project length.
What have been your most successful brand partnerships, and why?
The most successful partnerships are the ones that are built on respect, trust and consistency. One of my favorite relationships in the U.K. is with Tabitha James Kraan. She originally came on board as a sponsor for the first edition of The Glow Summit a couple of years ago, and we built a relationship from there, which has blossomed into a friendship. Tabitha and her husband Dennes understand the importance of working together with bloggers, want to help raise our profiles and know, if we can build each other up, then the message of green beauty and wellness can reach more people.
Two other ladies that I absolutely adore and I would move mountains for are Jeannie Jarnot, founder of Beauty Heroes and Annie Tevelin, founder of SkinOwl, a brand that has helped to clear up my hormonal acne. Both ladies deeply care about you as a person, wanting to help you and, in turn, I would do anything they asked. They took the time to get to know me and help me understand their mission. Jeannie came on board again as a Glow Summit sponsor in the beginning. I then became an ambassador for Beauty Heroes, and she is truly a remarkable lady.
Which The Glow Getter posts seem to get the most attention?
Videos that provide real value to people. For example, my Green Beauty Starter Kit I created a week or so ago has gained traction quite quickly. People want help with moving over to green beauty and wellness, so that’s what I try to provide in a fun and accessible way.
What changes do you see in the industry because of the indie beauty movement?
It’s a super exciting time to be an indie beauty brand. Expos like Indie Beauty are giving smaller brands a chance to be seen by not only the consumer, but also more influencers and press, which is something that hasn’t been done before, especially in the U.K. The environment is supportive, collaborative, and I cannot wait for them to come to London. When you realize you’re stronger together as part of something bigger than you, that’s where magic can happen.
Where do you think the green beauty movement is in the U.K. compared to the U.S.?
The States is definitely further ahead in terms of makeup, health and wellness. I feel we are slightly smaller in skincare, but catching up quickly. There is a huge opportunity for a great natural makeup brand to come to the U.K. and absolutely fly with it. We love makeup over here, and are ready and waiting to get behind an awesome brand.
Where do you see the influencer community heading in the next few years?
I see the influencer community becoming even stronger through collaborations with each other on video, projects and supporting each other even more. Maybe even brand collaborations where they work with a few influencers at the same time who all promote each other, too. Alone we might be great, but together we can achieve so much more.
Video content is a hot topic right now. You have such a great presence on YouTube, how are changes to it affecting you?
Video is hard work, but ultimately is the most effective form of content and isn’t slowing down. IG Stories are nice for 24 hours and should be part of any social media strategy, but, if you want long-lasting, useful content that will get you return on your investment, long after you’ve paid for it, then video is where your focus should be as a brand. There are changes with algorithms happening all the time. It’s just part of being an influencer and the landscape overall. You can moan about it, or you can look at it straight in the eye, give it a wink and work out how to make it work for you.
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