Celebrity makeup artist Lisa Laudat paints the faces of some of music's biggest stars, with her client list including icons such as Ellie Goulding, Camilla Cabello and Pink.
Working with A-listers on music videos, TV appearances and awards shows means that Lisa is more than familiar with beauty's incredible ability to uplift our mood.
Why does beauty make us happy?
"I've been doing makeup for over 25 years and it's rewarding to see someone feel more confident once they have makeup on. Especially working with celebrities as they are under a lot of pressure and constant scrutiny, makeup helps them feel their best, enhances their natural beauty and is a tool to bring out their personalities.
"I'll do someone's makeup and they get up in the chair and start dancing, or they start feeling bouncy and that happiness transfers to me too," Lisa says of beauty's power to cheer us up, and she goes on to say that makeup is one of the most empowering ways to feel like the best version of ourselves.
This happiness is created because when we see a version of ourselves that we really like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin are released in our brains, creating a warm fuzzy feeling.
DISCOVER: Why an image overhaul can genuinely make us happier - a neuroscientist explains
Loss of confidence
Despite constantly making others feel beautiful and confident, Lisa has seen a dip in her self-esteem in recent years, explaining: "I'm in an industry where what you look like is very important, and I prefer to look natural, but as I've got older I've started wearing makeup to feel a little more confident.
"Because I'm constantly helping others look their best, I don't always get a chance to spend time on myself. Between the early call times, travelling and jet lag, I don't always have time to do something for myself.
"I just don't like looking old," Lisa tells HELLO! candidly, before explaining she decided to have skin-tightening treatment Potenza at the 111 Harley St Clinic, "to get rid of the fine lines," and help boost her confidence.
What is Potenza?
Potenza combines radiofrequency and microneedling to help tighten and smooth out the skin on the face, neck and around the eyes. The procedure is personalised, with your therapist able to control the depth of the treatment.
For instance, if you have more wrinkles and fine lines around a particular area, you can go deeper into that area, so it's a targeted and precise approach to skin rejuvenation.
Since having five sessions of Potenza, Lisa says she feels back to her confident best, telling HELLO!: "Potenza has helped rejuvenate my skin, making it look tighter and smoother, so when I have early call times, I can still feel confident makeup free.
"It's also made me feel more comfortable wearing my hair up again, which I haven't for a while now.
Increased confidence
Confidence in our appearance is key to feeling happy, so it's no surprise that a boost in confidence has lifted Lisa's mood.
"When you’re not feeling confident it impacts your mood,” confirms confidence coach Tiwalola Ogunlesi. “If you have low self-esteem, you are more likely to see yourself through a negative lens, meaning you lack true joy and happiness."
READ: I cried tears of joy after having treatment for my cleft lip in my thirties
Comparing ourselves to others is a confidence drain, but Lisa is quick to point out she's not doing that.
"I didn't have Potenza because I want to look young like the girls on Instagram, it's about maintaining the best version of you," she said. "I feel comfortable again in my skin and it has made me feel really happy."
While Lisa's tweakment made her feel more confident and happier, neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart, who recently underwent a mood-boosting image overhaul of her own, cautions we shouldn't assume we'll be happier simply by changing our appearance, and there are important things to consider before taking the plunge.
1. Make sure it feels authentic
"An appearance change can confuse our friends and family, because we no longer look like the person they know, and it takes a lot of getting used to," Dr. Tara says.
"You need to find a transformation that feels authentic to you."
2. Don't hide your decision
If you're considering changing something about yourself but wouldn't feel comfortable with people knowing, it could be a sign that it goes against your values, which could be problematic, Dr. Tara explains.
DISCOVER: Can changing your body co-exist with body acceptance?
"If you feel the need to hide it, I would question what's behind the decision to have the work done," she says.
3. Do the work on the inside too
"People often want to change themselves due to a lack of confidence, but when they make the exterior change they are disappointed when they don't feel different inside," Dr. Tara explains. "External changes don't solve the problem that was on the inside."
"If you make a change on the outside, but still feel the same on the inside, it's called cognitive dissonance. This is because what's happening on the outside doesn't mirror what's happening on the inside and vice versa."
REAL LIFE: When I can't face the world, my beauty routine helps pick me back up
For example, you could look glossy and gorgeous on the outside but still feel a lack of happiness.
"If you want to make the change for confidence reasons, you need to really think about how it's going to improve your confidence and work on that too."
Find out more about Potenza at 111 Harley St. Clinic here.
Subscribe to Hello Happiness, for your ultimate guide on how to be happier.
