Welcome to Hands On
A new kind of beauty dispatch, from someone who's been on both sides of the treatment bed.
Hi, I’m Grace—and welcome to Hands On.
After more than a decade writing about beauty—first as a blogger, then as a beauty editor, and now as a freelance writer—I’ve done what any rational person obsessed with beauty would do: started a Substack (some would say finally).
This newsletter is a return to something that used to bring me a lot of joy: writing just for the sake of it. Not for SEO. Not to hit a campaign deadline. But for you, the reader who cares about what actually works, what’s worth spending your money on, and what’s going on beneath the surface of the beauty industry.
Hands On is where I’ll share honest reviews, ingredient deep dives, curated product roundups, behind-the-scenes insights, and conversations from both sides of the industry: the treatment bed and the beauty desk. It’s informed by the questions I get from clients every day, the products I try, and the ongoing challenge of separating helpful advice from hype.
If you’ve ever stood in front of a crowded skincare aisle, felt overwhelmed by what TikTok is telling you to buy, or just miss when beauty writing had a real point of view—this is for you.
Here’s what to expect:
The Weekly Shop – a free series where I play personal shopper and respond to reader-submitted product recommendation requests
Monthly deep dives – into ingredients, trends, and how skin really works
Curated recommendations – from products to people, treatments, and tools
Grace Notes – my subscriber-only monthly letter on life beyond beauty: books, travel, fashion, and the many and varied things I talk about with clients in the treatment room
Whether you’re here for better skin, a better understanding of the industry, or just want someone to help decode the noise—welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.
Grace x
