...

real life

BLIND BEAUTY BLOGGER:

im determined

Meeting my idol
Zoella was a
dream come true!

to live life to
the full

20-year-old Lucy Edwards lost her sight almost three years ago, but shes
refused to let it stop her creating her online make-up tutorials. Closer
treated her to afternoon tea with her idol, beauty blogger Zoella Sugg

W
PHOTOS: DARREN COOL. VISIT WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/YESTERDAYSWISHES

hen Lucy
Edwards went
blind at 17,
she was
devastated.
As a result, the 20-year-old
who suffers a rare genetic
condition called incontinentia
pigmenti, a disorder ordinarily
affecting skin but which can,
in extreme cases, lead to
blindness had to take a year
off school, and feared her
dream of a career in beauty
blogging was over.
However, Lucy has refused
to let her disability hold her
back. Since going blind, shes
perfected a make-up regime that
she can do herself, and set up her
blog, Yesterdays Wishes, giving
beauty tips including videos
showing how to tackle liquid
eyeliner to her 25k followers.
Closer treated Lucy to a trip
to Brighton to meet beauty
blogger Zoe Zoella Sugg, 25,

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who since setting up her blog

in 2009 has amassed more
than 10m YouTube subscribers.
LIKE A FRIEND

Lucy, who lives in Birmingham

with her fully-sighted boyfriend,
student Ollie Cave, 19, says:
Zoellas been my idol since
I was 14 and meeting her was
a dream come true. Many
people treat me differently
because Im blind, but Zoe
treated me like a friend. She
gave me great advice about my
blog, and we swapped numbers.
Before I went blind I watched
her tutorials for beauty tips.
She even wore a blindfold to
understand how hard it is
to put on make-up blind.
When I was diagnosed,
there were times when Id feel
angry or frustrated. When my
sight started deteriorating aged
11, I felt scared about how it
would affect my future, but

ING
ZOELLA TRIES APPLY
ED
LD
FO
IND
BL
-UP
MAKE

watching Zoes blogs pulled me

through. Make-up and beauty
gave me something positive to
concentrate on, and thats part
of why I set up my blog. I want
to show just because Im blind,
it doesnt mean I cant be girlie.
Zoella who lives in
Brighton with her blogger
boyfriend Alfie adds: Lucy
is so happy, bubbly and
passionate and I loved being
in her company. Its so inspiring
to meet someone who lets
nothing get in the way of doing
what she wants. Shes such
a role model to anyone
struggling with a disability

like hers, and proves that

with a positive mental attitude,
you can do anything.
BAD NEWS

When Lucy who grew up in

Birmingham with her mum
Helen, 49, dad Andy, 51, and
sister Alice, 18 was born,
there was no indication
anything was wrong. She says:
Mum took me for a routine
eye test aged eight and they
immediately referred me to
an eye hospital. Doctors found
a bleed at the back of my right
eye and I was diagnosed with
incontinentia pigmenti.
In 2007, aged 11, Lucy was

given devastating news. She

says: I refused to acknowledge
how bad my sight had become.
It was happening so gradually,
I got used to it. But when
doctors told me I was blind in
my right eye, I was devastated.
Mums attitude was amazing
she let me experiment with
my hair and make-up as much
as I liked, as we didnt know if Id
eventually go blind. I watched
Zoellas blogs and if I felt down,
Id throw myself into trying out
products shed recommended,
working out how to apply them
even with bad vision.
Aged 16, Lucy started dating
her friend Ollie, who already
knew about her eye condition.
She says: I felt so lucky to have
met him when I was sighted, as
I know Im attracted to him.
In March 2013, aged just 17,
Lucy lost her sight completely.
She says: The realisation Id
never see my familys faces ever

again really upset me, and I lost

all my independence. I had to
learn how to read Braille and
had to take a year out of my
A-levels. I couldnt even do my
make-up in the morning, so my
sister Alice would do it for me.
MAKE-UP TIPS

But Lucy started looking for

new ways to adapt to life. She
says: My parents built me
an adapted flat next to their
house and, with Ollie, weve

learnt Braille and how to use

computer screen readers.
I got a guide dog, Olga, and my
sister came up with a beauty
regime that I could do myself.
I was determined to live life as
normally as possible.
In January 2014, Lucy set up
her blog. She says: I decided to
do my own videos, showing
how to do make-up if visually
impaired. I wanted to show
that people with disabilities
could lead normal lives, too.

Lucy now hopes it could

become a full-time career. She
says: By being able to do my
own make-up and share my
videos, I feel Ive got my
independence back. Meeting
Zoella has inspired me to carry
on and Ive had so many positive
comments from people saying
my videos have helped them.
By Miranda Knox
l The Zoella Beauty Tutti Fruity
range is available at Superdrug
and FeelUnique.com

HOW LUCY APPLIES HER MAKE-UP:

With boyfriend
Ollie and her
guide dog, Olga

I get my brows threaded every month. As theyre a little sparse,

I use an Urban Decay Brow Box. I use shadows on my brows with
a brush because you can slip with a pencil. Being blind, putting
lipstick on is hard, as you have to follow your lip line. I prefer lip
glosses. With lipstick, someone has to tell me if its smudged.
With mascara, I use a smaller brush to avoid smudges. Its easier
to manoeuvre. I use LOral Lumi Magique Concealer under my
eyes. For general concealer, I use Collection Lasting Perfection.

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