Netflix’s ‘Glow Up’ season three: It’s more than just makeup

​​”Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star” came back to Netflix earlier this year for its third season. I couldn’t have been more excited to see upcoming makeup artists face each other head to head. This season’s host is Maya Jama, who replaced the old host Stacey Doole. Jama is almost a more perfect fit than Doole (not to undermine Doole — I was surprised when I didn’t see her red hair). “Glow Up” isn’t Jama’s first rodeo. She is well known on BBC and has been a guest judge on other British TV shows. So, in other words, Jama fits right in. 

But back to an essential part of the show: the makeup, its star judges and guest judges. Val Garland and Dominic Skinner are the two resident judges, and each week they bring in a guest judge that matches the brief or competition the contestants are participating in. The guest judges range from YouTuber MannyMUA to famous British photographer Rankin. 

The best part of this show is the variety of makeup looks the contests are required to do. In one episode, they have to do special effect makeup under the eye of judge Loz Schiavo, the head makeup artist for the sixth season of the hit show “Peaky Blinders,” a British crime period crime drama. Or on another episode, the contestants did period makeup to be judged by the lead makeup artist for the renowned show “The Crown.” 

With challenges like these, we get to see how our favorite movies and shows can make our favorite good-looking characters into a yucky bloody mess or a spitting image of Princess Diana. 

(Spoilers below)

Sophie Baverstock won season 3, and I couldn’t be happier. Her work grew throughout the season, and she was one of the younger contestants. But the show aired in April, and with it being October, I had to know: what is she doing now?

Well, according to Screenrant: She’s doing a lot, including amassing over 300,000 followers and graduating from The Arts University Bournemouth in the Makeup for Media and Performance program.

Not only is Baverstock a talented makeup artist, but she is an inspiration to others. From the start of the show, she talked about her autism through her makeup and overall experiences. “There were so many young girls who messaged me saying they now understand themselves a bit better and a few people got diagnoses since seeing me on the show. People with autism are still quite a hidden group in society” (Screenrant).

You can follow Sophie’s beauty journey on her Instagram, @sophiebaverstock. You can also binge-watch all three seasons of “Glow Up” (which I highly recommend) on Netflix.