Zoe Foster Blake

Zoë Foster Blake – Life, Career, and Memorable Insights

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Zoë Foster Blake (born July 28, 1980) is an Australian author, beauty editor, entrepreneur (founder of Go-To skincare), and cultural personality. This article explores her biography, work, philosophy, and quotes.

Introduction

Zoë Foster Blake is a multifaceted creative force in Australia: a bestselling author, former beauty editor, and the founder of a beloved skincare brand. Her work spans literature, lifestyle media, and business. With her approachable voice, humor, and entrepreneurial spirit, she has cultivated both a large readership and a devoted consumer following. Her life reflects how combining creativity, authenticity, and strategic risk can produce meaningful impact.

Early Life and Family

Zoë Foster Blake was born 28 July 1980 in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia. Bundanoon, NSW. David Foster, and her mother, Gerda Busch, works as a counsellor.

From a young age, Zoë showed an affinity for reading, words, and cultural media. Her upbringing in a semi-rural environment infused her with a sense of groundedness and curiosity about both everyday life and creative expression.

She attended the University of New South Wales, where she studied Media and Communications. That education would later underpin her work in magazines, digital media, and writing.

Career and Achievements

Magazine and Media Beginnings

Zoë Foster Blake’s professional journey began in magazines. She worked for titles such as Smash Hits, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar, eventually holding beauty and lifestyle editorial roles. fruitybeauty) and began experimenting with writing books.

These early roles allowed her to combine her passion for beauty, lifestyle, writing, and media trends—while building a public voice and platform.

Literary Work

Zoë has published both fiction and nonfiction books, across genres including romance, self-help, children’s literature, and relationship advice. Some notable works:

  • Air Kisses (novel)

  • Playing the Field (novel)

  • The Younger Man (novel)

  • The Wrong Girl (novel) — adapted into a TV series in Australia (aired for two seasons)

  • Textbook Romance (co-written with her husband, Hamish Blake)

  • Amazing Face (beauty / lifestyle guide)

  • Break-Up Boss (nonfiction, advice)

  • Love! (essays and relationship commentary)

  • Childrens’ books: No One Likes a Fart, Back to Sleep, Fart and Burp Are Superstinkers, Scaredy Bath, Battle Mum, Fart’s Favourite Smells, The Best Present Ever

Her children’s picture book No One Likes a Fart won the Australian Book Industry (ABIA) Award for Children’s Picture Book of the Year in 2018.

Her more recent novel Things Will Calm Down Soon (2024) has been optioned by the production company Made Up Stories for a U.S. TV series.

Entrepreneurial Venture: Go-To Skincare

In April 2014, Zoë launched Go-To, a skincare line born of her decade of experience as a beauty editor, combining simplicity, playful design, and effective formulations. The brand has since expanded into:

  • Gro-To, a bath & body range for kids

  • Bro-To, a men’s skincare line

In 2021, BWX Group acquired a 50.1% stake in Go-To valued at about AUD 89 million. bought back the stake for approximately AUD 21.8 million.

This entrepreneurial journey highlights her willingness to take risks and remain deeply involved in her brand’s direction.

Media & Other Engagements

  • Zoë’s novel The Wrong Girl was adapted into a TV drama, reinforcing her crossover from literature to television.

  • She also launched an app, Break-Up Boss, which donates 10% of sales to the charity Safe Steps.

  • She holds roles as an ambassador for Look Good Feel Better and for Tourism Australia.

Her presence in media, her brand, and her writing together form a multi-platform identity.

Philosophy, Voice & Style

Zoë Foster Blake’s public voice is known for being:

  • Witty, candid, conversational — she often writes in a voice that feels like a friend speaking, unafraid to include self-deprecation or humor.

  • Authentic and personal — she shares vulnerabilities, challenges, and life stories (pregnancy issues, marriage, creative process) in ways that connect with readers.

  • Empowering and pragmatic — in her nonfiction and lifestyle writing, she mixes encouragement with practical advice (beauty routines, relationships, emotional resilience).

  • Playful & intentional branding — her skincare brand embraces a no-nonsense, fun aesthetic, avoiding overcomplication or marketing fluff.

  • Resilient & adaptive — she navigated business setbacks (e.g. reacquiring her brand) and changing media landscapes, showing she is not just a content creator but a strategic thinker.

Famous Quotes of Zoë Foster Blake

Here are a selection of notable quotes that reflect her outlook and voice:

“I was writing blogs before work, then I was writing at work, and then I started writing books on the weekend because you just have that sort of energy in your 20s; it’s wonderful.”

“Life isn’t always really glamorous and fabulous. It’s about encouraging people to go back to natural beauty.”

“You’re allowed to work hard and have good things and do good things.”

“It’s important to show each other your marriage is a priority.”

“No one reads my books until they’re finished because I don’t want feedback. It confuses me, and it changes things; if I get too much feedback, I get thrown off my path.”

“We live a happy life, and we don’t take anything too seriously.”

“I had a free-range childhood. We lived in town but with a cow, chooks, bees, and multiple veggie gardens so we could live self-sufficiently.”

These lines highlight her values: authenticity, balance, humility, and a refusal to maintain pretense.

Lessons from Zoë Foster Blake

  1. Build from passion and expertise
    Zoë’s transition from beauty editor to author to brand founder was grounded in deep engagement with her interests and domain knowledge.

  2. Embrace multidimensional identity
    She refuses to be pinned to just one role (author, entrepreneur, media personality). Each facet informs the other.

  3. Be transparent about your process
    Her openness about her struggles, methods, and vulnerabilities helps her audience connect and trust her voice.

  4. Stay adaptive in business
    The buy-back of Go-To demonstrates she is willing to take control and adapt when external forces change.

  5. Write for connection, not perfection
    Her style shows that relatability often matters more than polished distance in modern media and branding.

Conclusion

Zoë Foster Blake exemplifies a modern creative entrepreneur: someone whose writing, brand, and public persona all inform one another. Her success lies in her ability to speak honestly, experiment boldly, and anchor her work in lived experience. Whether through her novels, advice books, children’s stories, or skincare line, she has built a compelling and diversified legacy.