Norfolk girl and expert make-up artist Sam Chapman rose to beauty stardom as one half of Pixiwoo, the hugely successful YouTube channel she launched and then shared with her sister Nicola. The duo hit upon a formula for highly watchable make-up tutorials, gaining two million followers, a tonne of kudos and no doubt a shedload of products, before they retired from the business in 2020. 

Today Sam flies solo, posting beauty tips and tricks on her own YouTube, TikTok and Instagram platforms, and creating content for brands such as Shiseido, Space NK and Clairns. Her down-to-earth, low-fuss style has garnered the attention of Marcia Gilmore, founder of Beauty Pie, who recently asked Sam to create a collection for the subscription company (check it out here).

Sam shares her home in Norwich’s historic Shoe Quarter with her husband, film director and writer Ryan Andrews, her youngest daughter Olivia (the eldest, Lily, is at uni) and their two cute and fluffy dogs, a Brussels Griffon and a Maltipoo. Sam’s studio is housed in a converted shoe factory, a stone’s throw from Norwich University of the Arts, where Ryan is a film lecturer.

How did the Beauty Pie collaboration come about?

I received an Instagram DM from Maria, completely out of the blue, asking if I wanted to jump on a Zoom call with her. I was like: “Er, yes I do, you’re Maria!” I have been a fully paid up member of Beauty Pie for years and love the products. If I find something good, I want to talk about it, so I was organically chatting about a couple of their products and I guess they noticed. Marcia invited me to create a collection of nine must-have items. I wanted the products to all work together, but equally you can pick and choose what works for you and don’t have to buy the entire kit.

How would you describe what you do for a living?

It’s still weird to call this my work. It is a hobby that became a business. I guess what I do online is the advert for the jobs that make me money. Off the back of my Instagram and YouTube videos, I get a lot of contracts creating content for brands, if I like their products. I describe myself as a beauty expert and make-up artist, but I am sure a lot of people would consider me to be an influencer. If you have any influence, you’re an influencer, which I clearly do, but I would never call myself that as it doesn’t really sum it up. There are so many influencers who do so many things, and I specifically will only talk about make-up and beauty.

Do you follow any local influencers?

Well, there’s my sister @nicolachapman, but I don’t really look at anything she does. We worked together solidly for 12 years and it’s nice just being sisters again. Every now and then she’ll pop up on my feed and it’ll start playing and I’ll think, “Oh, that’s interesting”, but generally we don’t watch each other.

I do love watching Korinna Howie @isthistooyoungforme. She is so stylish and cool, and I really enjoy her relaxed, bubbly content. She’s got great energy and looks amazing in everything which really makes you want to buy the things.

Do you rate any local beauty brands? 

I love Louise Thomas Skin Care. Louise is great and she deserves all the success. I know how difficult it was for her to bring out her own range of products, so not only do I think her skincare range is brilliant, I also absolutely admire her determination to surmount the obstacles and get it done. I especially love the cleanser, which smells great and makes my skin feels so much softer.

Best place to start the day?

The best breakfast in Norwich has to be at Olive’s on Elm Hill. It’s just brilliant. We’ll treat ourselves once every couple of months – and we can’t eat again for the rest of the day, it’s just so much. I have the veggie breakfast and my husband has the full English. It just feels very homely in there, it’s warm, there’s alway good music playing and the staff are really nice. You have to book as it’s pretty small, but planning ahead adds to the anticipation. I’m always super-psyched about what’s for breakfast; it’s my favourite meal of the day. Another independent café that I rate is Expresso on St Georges for the perfect coffee. It just tastes better than anywhere else and is made exactly how I like it.

Where’s your favourite place for a fresh-air fix?

Houghton Hall in North Norfolk. I go at least once a year with my husband, especially if there’s a new exhibition as we both love art. We’re looking forward to visiting for Antony Gormley’s sculptures this year. The grounds are a magical place for a walk, especially in the summer when the flowers are in bloom. I’ll take my kids, who are 19 and 15, and we’ll play hide and seek even though they are definitely too old and would hate it if anyone knew, but we have a right old laugh.

Go-to place for local produce? 

Independent department store Jarrolds’ Food Hall is brilliant – I love it a lot and I go there quite a lot. They manage to keep it feeling local but have everything you could want in there. I’ll meet my friend Lauren on a Friday at the wine bar for a catch up over a glass of wine. Out of the city, it would be the excellent Church Farm Shop in Hethersett.

Where do you go for retail therapy?

I love that I can take the dogs into Jarrolds and John Lewis in Norwich, which is another of my favourite places to shop partly because it is such a nostalgic building for me, and whilst it may not be independent, they treat their staff well. If I’m buying for me, it would be Catfish on Exchange Street. I feel it’s had a little bit of a resurgence of late – they’ve got such nice brands in there right now. I’ve known Nick and Robin, who run Sevenwolves, Dogfish and Catfish, for a really long time, since I was about 17. That’s one of the things about the independent stores in Norwich, you often know a lot of the people, and I’d rather put money in their pockets than anyone else’s, frankly.

Favourite place for a special meal?

So many places in Norwich to mention! I really love The Kimchi because it’s Norwich’s first and only Korean restaurant and the food is incredible. Also I am a big fan of Yard in Pottergate for the pasta and the vibe. It feels special and intimate there. It’s always the right temperature, the music is always the right volume and it’s always bustling, but the right kind of bustling.

We went to The Weavers Arms in Muspole Street for our Valentine’s dinner. It’s also owned by the people that run Yard, and they’ve done such a good job of it. In the evening it feels very romantic and atmospheric. It’s darkly painted and very dimly lit in there, with a flickering fire and candles. The food is delicious, the service is great and there’s nothing not to love.

The food at XO Kitchen, on St George’s, is excellent too. The watermelon salad is one of my favourite meals of all time. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s magic. It’s probably the best thing they do and they do a lot of amazing things.

And then, for a very special occasion, I would go to Benedicts. I took my husband there for his 40th and that taster menu! It’s great that you can have a vegetarian or pescatarian option. We were there for hours!

Which spot should be on everyone’s Norfolk bucket list? 

You have to do a beach. Holkham and Wells are very special. I love the walk between them which has to include a stroll through the pinewoods – one of the few places in Norfolk with hills. It’s sort of undulating a bit. 

Where do you go for time to yourself?

I don’t have a lot of time to myself, but I am on my own when I go to my studio which is my thinking time. I lock the door behind me, make a coffee, sit down and think: “Right, what’s on my list for today”.

How do you plan your content or is it spontaneous?

I really should have a plan, but I don’t because I’m a very disorganised person who isn’t really able to stick to a routine. As I’ve got older, I have learnt that drawing up a schedule is a fruitless task for me that just wastes more time. I do write a list but I work through it in any old order. Often, if I don’t feel like talking, I’ll just put on my camera, film a make-up, then do a voiceover at a later date.

Where do you get your cultural fix from locally?

The Sainsbury Centre. It is the most amazing place and it’s surprising how many people don’t know about it. Not only is it a stunning building set in a beautiful surroundings, but the artefacts and art collections inside are world class.

If you were to stay somewhere locally where would it be?

The Gunton in North Norfolk. It’s a great place to go to eat but if you aren’t staying overnight you’re going to have to have a dry dinner. You can’t even have just the one drink and drive those roads. I certainly wouldn’t. The food is amazing – yes, it is known for its meaty dishes, but there’s lots of fish on the à la carte menu as well as a separate vegan and vegetarian menu.

Best local night spot?

I am not a big one for going out late, but if I was it would probably be Gonzos on London Street in Norwich. I tend to get as far as The Garnet by Norwich Market. It is a really creative crowd. They do an amazing wine tasting every now and then, where there’s always one person who knows their stuff and then there’s me and a bunch of friends who are completely useless. It’s hilarious! They have an off-licence in there too, so you can buy any of the wine to drink on the premise or take home.

Great place for a day out?

Norwich Castle has some great photography and art exhibitions on from time to time. They aren’t necessarily shouted about so you have to seek them out. There’s always so much historic art to see there and a lot of it is absolutely stunning. It’s also home to the world’s largest collection of works from the Norwich School of Painters. Beyond that, they have a hilarious collection of stuffed animals. So if you’re into a taxidermy then you’d love it, but it does also feel very quaint, like you’ve gone back in time, which I really appreciate.

Follow Sam Chapman on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.