“She loved makeup. She always said it made her feel confident.” That feeling became the foundation of everything Lucy built.
Not every journey begins with a plan some begin with instinct. For Lucy Conlan, her path into the beauty world wasn’t mapped out in advance. It grew naturally over time, shaped by experience, observation, and a deep understanding of what confidence really means.
Her Story In Her Own Words
My Nanna Jean is the reason I started CONLAN. I’ve been a makeup artist for over ten years. I’ve worked with incredible people, built a brand and created an education platform but if you ask me where it all really started, honestly? It started with my Nanna Jean.
She loved makeup. She always said it made her feel confident and watching that as a little girl stayed with me. That feeling of someone looking in the mirror and just feeling themselves that’s what I’ve been chasing in my career ever since. I do this for her. I know she’d be cheering me on.
I started building my platform from my bedroom in Liverpool when I was fourteen. I used to go live on Instagram most nights doing different makeup looks and just chatting to people. I didn’t even realise I was building something back then. I was just being me.
After nearly ten years doing makeup professionally, I started noticing the same thing over and over. People weren’t bad at makeup. They just didn’t have the right tools or anyone showing them properly. So I created CONLAN brushes built around real technique for real people, not just what looks good in a flat lay.
Being a Scouse girl has shaped everything about how I work. We like to look polished, feel confident and know it’s going to last. That’s CONLAN in a sentence.
But confidence isn’t just about makeup. I’ve learned that the hard way. Real confidence starts from within from knowing your worth, trusting yourself and being brave enough to back yourself even when nobody else is yet. I spent time early in my career comparing myself to others, watching people’s videos thinking why haven’t I got that, why aren’t. I working with those brands. It can get so dark and negative if you let it. But the minute I stopped looking sideways and started looking inward, everything changed. I realised I am my own superpower. And that nobody does you better than you.
The people you surround yourself with matter more than most people will ever admit. I’ve had people in my corner who celebrated my wins genuinely, who pushed me when I needed it and gave me space when I needed that too. That energy is everything. When you have the right people behind you people who want you to actually win you move differently. You take risks you wouldn’t take alone. You back yourself because you’ve seen what real support feels like and it reminds you that you deserve it.
And to whoever is reading this whether you’re thinking about starting something or you’ve already started but you’re scared to keep going I just want to say this. I didn’t start ready. Nobody does. I started from a bedroom in Liverpool with a phone and a dream and I figured it out as I went. You don’t need everything in place. You just need to take the first step and trust that you’ll grow into the rest.
Chase your dream. Protect your energy. Surround yourself with people who genuinely want to see you win. And never, ever save your confidence for special occasions because you deserve to feel your best every single day.
This one’s for my Nanna Jean. And for younger me. And for anyone who needs to hear that it’s not too late to start.
Stories like Lucy’s remind us that you don’t need to have everything figured out to begin. Sometimes, all it takes is one small step, one honest moment, and the courage to keep going.
Femest invites you to reflect on your own journey and share your story with a community that believes in growth, strength, and showing up as your true self.
