Ashley Stobart: “I Wasn’t Going to Pretend it was Just Skincare”
Main image – @thecosmeticconsult/Instagram
Ashley Stobart has little patience for beauty hypocrisy. When we catch up with The Cosmetic Consult founder, podcast host and returning Live That Glow Independent Beauty Awards judge, she points out the oft-lamented truisim that women are criticised whether they have work done or not.
“Cameron Diaz was criticised for not having any work done,” she says. “Demi Moore is criticised for having a facelift. You can’t win.”
It’s one of the reasons Stobart has always been unusually open about her own tweakments (she’s previously acknowledged spending more than £135,000 on them over the years). “Without honesty, beauty standards become unrealistic,” she tells me.
It’s a theme that runs through much of our interview. But while beauty has thankfully become more transparent, she believes there’s still a gap between what people see online and the reality behind it.
Here, I chat to Stobart about tweakments, transparency, beauty trends, product launches and why she’s become much harder to impress as a beauty founder.
Skin first, everything else second
For someone who is often asked about her cosmetic treatments, Stobart’s beauty priorities are a refreshing surprise. “Without good skin and optimal skin health, nothing else will look its best,” she says.
Long before Cosmetic Consult existed, she describes herself as a skincare obsessive. That focus has become even more pronounced during pregnancy, when many of the treatments she would usually have are temporarily off the table. “My skin has always been my number one priority,” she says.
Image – The Cosmetic Consult
The origins of Cosmetic Consult can be traced back to the pandemic, when clinic appointments suddenly became inaccessible. “I couldn’t get into clinic for my regular facials,” she explains. “I saw a gap in the market for a one-step, accessible treatment that could deliver instant, overnight results without the clinic price tag.”
The result was Miracle Skin Transformation, the product that launched the brand and remains its bestseller today.
The transparency question
The conversation around tweakments feels very different to even five years ago, but Stobart isn’t convinced the judgement has disappeared. Instead, she thinks people have become more willing to discuss the subject openly. “I think the conversation is slowly shifting,” she tells me.
Image – The Cosmetic Consult
Celebrity transparency has played a role in that. She points to the Kardashians as an example. “The Kardashians gained a lot of respect when they became more open about the work they’ve had done,” she says.
For Stobart, the problem isn’t cosmetic work itself though, it’s pretending it doesn’t exist. “That’s why I’ve always been transparent,” she explains. “I don’t want people thinking my appearance is solely down to skincare products.”
Why people are approaching tweakments differently
One of the more interesting shifts she’s noticed is that people seem less interested in completely changing how they look. “People are no longer looking to completely transform their appearance,” she says. “It’s more about refining and enhancing natural features.”
That doesn’t mean beauty trends have disappeared though. “People still follow trends,” she says, pointing to filler overuse as one example of how celebrity influence can shape treatment decisions.
What has changed, she believes, is that more people are looking at longer-term solutions. “I’m seeing more people opting for surgery earlier rather than over-correcting with filler.”
It’s a topic she discusses frequently on her podcast, but carefully. “I’m not a plastic surgeon,” she says. “I only share my own experiences rather than telling other people what they should do.”
Becoming harder to impress
Stobart returns this year as a judge for the Live That Glow Independent Beauty Awards, and she admits founding her own brand has changed how she evaluates products. “Absolutely. I’m much fussier now.”
It’s not cynicism though. If anything, she says creating products herself has made her appreciate good ones more. “As a founder, I create every product from scratch, so I have huge respect for brands that genuinely impress me.”
Image – The Cosmetic Consult
The standards are simply higher. “It takes a lot to stand out.”
When asked which beauty purchases genuinely justify their price tags though, Stobart doesn’t hesitate – and at-home beauty devices feature heavily. “I’m a big fan of CurrentBody’s LED mask and the Ziip Halo device,” she tells me.
She’s also currently focused on skin cycling and remains loyal to fake tan. “Vita Liberata is my go-to.”
The launch that kept getting delayed
Stobart’s newest launch, the Cosmetic Consult Cryo Eye Masks, took almost two years to bring to market, mostly, she explains, because of her own perfectionism. “My team were probably ready to kill me,” she laughs.
The launch was pushed back multiple times while she refined the design. The final product covers the full orbital area, something she felt was missing from many existing options. “So many brands only focus on the under-eye and miss the temples and wider eye contour,” she says.
Image – @thecosmeticconsult/Instagram
For her, eye masks should do more than provide a quick cooling effect. “They deliver both instant results and long-term skin benefits.”
Beauty heroes and big plans
As a self-confessed beauty obsessive, Stobart says some of her favourite podcast episodes have featured the journalists and experts she grew up reading. “I loved having Sali Hughes and Nadine Baggott on the show,” she says. “Their experience and knowledge are incredible.”
Another standout guest was comedian, and good friends of Ashley’s, Katherine Ryan. “It was such a great chat.”
And the next few months look busy. Cosmetic Consult has four launches planned for 2026 as the company continues to expand beyond its original hero products. There’s already been a significant retail milestone, with the brand launching into Selfridges in mid-May.
The takeaway
Stobart occupies an unusual place in the beauty world. She sells skincare, talks openly about cosmetic procedures and has spent years documenting both.
In conversation about either though, she returns to the same point; people should know what they’re actually looking at.
That doesn’t mean everyone should make the same beauty choices. It simply means having all the facts before making those choices.
After all, pretending it was all down to moisturiser would be far less interesting.
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