FROM shy home cleaner to booming beauty influencer – Mrs Hinch, aka Sophie Hinchcliffe, has certainly come a long way since she first burst onto the social media scene.
And now one expert suggests it could all be thanks to Sophie hitting 34, the age women often find a brand new confidence after shaking off insecurities from their twenties.
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“For many, 34 is the golden age, where women in particular start to gain clarity about who they are and what they stand for,” says PR expert Brenda Gabriel, speaking exclusively to Fabulous.
And taking centre stage is a huge leap for Sophie because she used to be seen so rarely on camera, sticking to sharing her interior inspiration and cleaning tips on Instagram from firmly behind the lens.
She let her top tips do the talking.
But in a post acknowledging her own self-development, she shared a sweet snap where she could be seen sitting on the edge of a sofa alongside her BFF Stacey Solomon‘s sister, Jemma.
“I hardly ever post pictures of myself like this because in all honesty I never let anyone take them because I’m so b****y conscious,” the 34-year-old wrote.
“Today I’m with some of my beautiful friends & I feel happy and confident.
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“So I’m posting. Happy Saturday Everyone. Let them take the pictures. You deserve the memories & you’re beautiful.”
Since sharing the shot, the cleaning influencer’s confidence has continued to soar, and Brenda describes the mum’s of two’s transition from “shy home cleaner to booming beauty influencer” as “inspirational.”
She explains: “Sophie went from being too shy to show her face, to the face of Home Bargains and is now confidently sharing beauty tutorials and makeup tips.”
Makeup tricks
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In April of this year, Sophie posted an Instagram reel sharing a tutorial of her every day makeup and revealed the exact bargain buys she uses to achieve her glow.
“No idea why I’ve randomly posted this reel but hey,” she wrote.
“I’m not a makeup professional as I’m sure you can tell from this BUT I love buying makeup and just experimenting with it.”
She added: “Some days I might resemble a clown but some days I think I do okay.
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“Makeup brings me joy ( but not quite as much as cleaning does ps breakdown of the products used are saved to my beauty highlight).
The post was flooded with words of encouragement from social media users and celebrities alike, with Molly-Mae Hague writing: “Beautiful!”
While Rylan Clark commented: “Stun,” her BFF Stacey Solomon encouraged: “I love watching these – I find it therapeutic! Keep em coming!”
Brenda explains that while Mrs Hinch’s transformation over the last few years has been “significant,” she believes that moving into beauty seems a natural step for Sophie in light of her own personal journey.
“It’s a great example of brand evolution and diversification that’s on brand,” she says.
“It’s the right mix of authenticity and strategic personal branding that’s become an essential ingredient for brand success.”
Shoppers in a frenzy
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Brenda goes on to refer to Sophie’s partnership with Home Bargains as a “strategic alignment” that also helps to expand her brand.
Earlier this year, the cleaning whizz’s new laundry range hit shelves, with shoppers sent into a frenzy over the laundry detergent and washing pods.
Following the success of the range, she later revealed that a whole host of cleaning products would be added to the collection.
Taking to Instagram, she said: “I’ve been so excited to share this.
A genuine connection with her audience makes her promotions feel more like advice from a trusted friend rather than an endorsement.
Brenda Gabriel
“If you’re loving my vacay vibes scent you’re gonna love this.”
Posting a short clip of herself opening up a bright orange suitcase containing the new products, she enthused: “Not only can we wash our clothes with vacay vibes.
“We can clean our whole house with it.”
The new collection includes Febreeze Air Mist, Fairy Max Power, Flash All Purpose Cleaner, Fairy dishwasher tablets, and more.
And according to Brenda, the collaboration works so well because of Mrs Hinch’s “genuine connection with her audience.”
“It makes her promotions feel more like advice from a trusted friend rather than an endorsement,” she adds.
Homeware collaborations
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Tesco’s Mrs Hinch collection launched in January 2021 with items including bed-linen, heart-shaped bowls, candles and loungewear, with prices starting from just £16 for a two-piece.
The items were famed for their monochrome tones, with grey and beige dominating the colour scheme – reflective of the decor in the first home she began uploading social media content from.
Meanwhile, in March this year, Mrs Hinch launched a new collaboration with Not On The High Street that was complete with everything from personalised Easter gifts to fun-filled family crafts.
Amongst the collection included a £10 Easter Egg Hunt kit, which contained carrot-shaped clues and bunny-themed markers to help your little ones find their hidden eggs.
There was also a personalised Easter Chick Letterbox Cookie, which retailed at £10.50, along with a personalised Easter Chicks Chocolate Egg tin for £16.75.
34 is the magic number
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The mum-of-two has undeniably achieved the level of success that many influencers can only dream of and Brenda says:
“At the age of 34 it appears that Sophie cares less about what trolls may have to say about her and more about living her best life,” she explains.”
This transition isn’t just about makeup; it’s about creating a community where everyone feels like they’re getting tips from their down-to-earth friend.
Brenda
She goes on to say that while our twenties tend to be plagued with insecurity and a desire to be liked, our thirties mark a phase of “increased confidence” and caring less about what others think of us.
Brenda adds: “For influencers such as Sophie, this phase meant she felt comfortable to open up more, sharing more personal content and connecting with her fan-base on a whole new level.
“This transition isn’t just about makeup; it’s about creating a community where everyone feels like they’re getting tips from their down-to-earth friend.”
Vulnerability and openness
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Brenda points out that beauty is a sector that also calls for vulnerability and openness, something which she says Sophie has “in spades.”
She goes on to recall how the cleaning whizz previously shared her back story with us of struggles with weight in the past and her choice to get a gastric band as the start of her personal image transformation.
In a candid Instagram post shared in 2020, the former hairdresser revealed how she piled on the pounds in her late teens, which resulted in insecurity over her weight.
As a result, she forked out £6,000 gastric band fitted, but this left her in agony needing emergency surgery.
Sophie’s Home Bargains collaboration and move into beauty is a great example of brand evolution and diversification that’s on brand
Brenda Gabriel
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday’s You magazine, she told how after leaving home and passing her driving test, she’d often find herself at the McDonald’s Drive-Thru.
But the turning point came when she couldn’t fit in a ride at a fairground.
“It hit me… the stares, the way people look at you,” she said.
Desperate to change her appearance, Sophie revealed she was just 21-years-old when she had a gastric band fitted – something which she regrets.
That’s because just two years later she was left in agonising pain after it slipped and ended up being lodged in her oesophagus, resulting in an emergency operation to have it removed.
How Mrs Hinch keeps her relatable image
By Chloe Morgan
MANY of us may think we have few things in common with someone who raked in a whopping £2.8 million last year alone – but when it comes to Mrs Hinch, you couldn’t be more wrong.
The cleaning influencer, 34, whose real name is Sophie Hinchcliffe, has amassed a staggering 4.8 million followers on Instagram and fast become the most ‘relatable’ celeb mum out there – and it’s easy to see why.
While social media can often present a rather warped view of reality, the mum-of-two, who shares sons Ronnie, four and Lennie, three, with doting husband Jamie, offers a refreshing realness about how hard motherhood can be.
From showing that even cleaning pros can have messy houses to expressing mum guilt like the best of us, it’s no wonder she’s loved by a legion of loyal fans.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital, Hannah Williams, independent PR consultant, explains just how she’s remained so relatable.
“Mrs Hinch has managed to hold on to her relatable image because she has, in a nutshell, kept the authentic voice she started out with – even as she has grown wealthier and more successful,” she says.
“If you began following her on social media years ago because you wanted to get tips on home décor and cleaning from a highly relatable woman, you will absolutely still get that from her now, albeit with slicker execution and delivery (and a more impressive house!)
“Her followers don’t just follow her for tips from a ‘cleanfluencer.’ They also get insights into the highs and lows of family life which, even as she becomes wealthier, feel relatable.”
Despite a whopping eight-stone weight loss while the band was fitted correctly, Sophie was left with excess skin on her arms and required an operation to remove it in 2016.
According to PR expert Brenda, sharing such a vulnerable aspect of her life makes Sophie “more relatable and appealing to her audience who now likely see her as an online friend.”
She concludes: “If we can take anything from Mrs Hinch, it would be that being yourself, embracing your quirks and not being afraid to show up authentically can take your brand to the next level.”
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