Sali Hughes
British journalist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sali Hughes MBE (born 21 February 1975) is a Welsh journalist, writer and broadcaster. She is The Guardian's resident beauty columnist.
Early life and education
Hughes was born on 21 February[1] 1975[2] and grew up in Blackwood, Caerphilly. Her father worked in politics for the Labour Party and her mother worked for a local education authority.[3] She has three brothers,[4] and attended Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, a comprehensive school.[5] She initially worked as an assistant to make-up artist Lynne Easton for two years while looking for work experience at magazines. This included working on photo shoots with George Michael and Pet Shop Boys, and television commercials.[2][6]
Career
Journalism
Hughes's first job in journalism was as a staff writer for the men's lifestyle magazine Loaded in the mid-1990s.[7] She then wrote features and opinion columns for various publications as a freelancer including Grazia,[8] Elle, The Guardian, Glamour, Stylist, Shortlist, and Cosmopolitan.[9] Since January 2011, she has been The Guardian's resident beauty columnist, featuring weekly in its Saturday magazine and online video tutorials.[10][11] She also appears weekly on BBC Radio 5 Live.[11] Hughes presented an edition of the BBC Radio 4 programme File on 4 in October 2020 about her experiences as a victim of abusive comments from internet trolls.[12]
Writer
Hughes' first book, Pretty Honest was released on 25 September 2014. It was a beauty handbook and was published by the 4th Estate division of HarperCollins.[13][14] Two years later she released her second book Pretty Iconic which was about influential beauty products.[15][16] In 2019, Hughes' third book Our Rainbow Queen by Penguin was released. It was about the fashion trends of Elizabeth II.[17][18] Her fourth book, Everything is Washable and Other Life Lessons, published by HarperCollins UK, was released in September 2022.[19]
Podcasts
In 2019, Hughes partnered with Avon to be the host of their new podcast The Beauty Podcast.[20] In 2022, she launched her own podcast Beyond The Bathroom[21] with guests that included Jo Malone CBE, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Bobbi Brown.[22] In December 2025, Hughes announced season 3.[23]
Skincare line
In April 2022, Hughes partnered with Revolution Beauty to launch her own skincare line.[24] The range launched with two cleansers, an exfoliant, serum and two moisturisers.[25]
Personal life
Hughes married comedy writer Daniel Maier in October 2017.[26] They live in Brighton with her two sons from a previous marriage.[9][27][28] In 2018, she co-founded Beauty Banks, a charity that provides those living in poverty with basic daily hygiene essentials and personal care items.[29]
Hughes was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2026 Birthday Honours for services to the alleviation of hygiene poverty.[30]