On this episode of the Authors of History Podcast I am joined by the author and historian Lucy Jane Santos

Lucy Jane Santos is a freelance historian and consultant, specialising in the late 19th and early 20th century uncovering the hidden stories of how science and technology have transformed daily life, especially when it comes to innovations in beauty practices.

Lucy has been a judge for the Historical Writers’ Association Non-Fiction Crown, the recipient of the Stephen Joseph Research Award and was the Non-Fiction Writer In Residence for the Stay-at-Home! International Literature Festival. She is a founder of the Art Deco Society UK and co-founder of the Cosmetic History and Makeup Studies Network. She also writes about our enduring fascination for Art Deco at The Deco Echo.

Lucy has appeared as a contributor on TV and radio, and her historical research has been featured by History Today, BBC History Revealed, Jezebel, LitHub, New York Post, Vogue, and on the BBC2 documentary, Makeup: A Glamorous History. Her most recent consultancy project was as historian for the Value of Beauty campaign, which aimed to raise awareness of the importance of the beauty and personal care value chain in Europe, organised by an alliance which includes L’Oréal and Beiersdorf.

Her debut, Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium was shortlisted for the 2021 BSHS Hughes Prize which recognises books that communicate the history of science in an engaging and accessible way to non-specialists. Her latest book, Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium was shortlisted for the 2025 National Centre for Writing’s Book of the Year (History) Awards.

Lucy is currently working on Nobody’s Perfect: On the Set of Some Like It Hot, which will be released in 2026.

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