In this episode of Beyond the Mirror, Emma Peters sits down with Nikki Loe, the self-described “Joypreneur,” for a conversation about joy, beauty, movement, stress, and the small rituals that help us feel more at home in ourselves.

As Emma creates Nikki’s makeup look, the conversation moves far beyond the mirror. Together, they explore what it means to practise joy on purpose, how beauty can become a tool for how we want to feel, and why even the smallest daily moments can become powerful anchors.

Joy as a practice

For Nikki, joy is not about pretending life is easy. It is not about ignoring stress, grief, overwhelm, or the messiness of being human.

Instead, joy is something we can gently make space for.

Nikki describes a Joypreneur as someone who is brave, heart-led, and willing to create more light in everyday moments. Someone who builds a life — and a business — with love, purpose, play, and a little rule-breaking.

The idea is not to remove every hard thing. It is to remember that joy can exist alongside them.

The beauty of feeling like yourself

One of the most powerful moments in the episode is Nikki’s reflection that beauty is, first and foremost, a feeling.

Makeup is not only about covering or correcting. It can be an expression of how we want to show up in the world. A tiny ritual. A creative moment. A nudge toward confidence, softness, brightness, or play.

For Nikki, blush has become one of those nudges.

She shares a deeply personal story about applying Aleph Cheek/Lip Tint in Ascend during a recovery period after surgery — and how that small act became associated with comfort, cheer, and coming back to herself.

Years later, after another surgery, Nikki woke to discover she had asked the nurses to help her find her little pot of blush. Without even fully realising it, she had reached for the ritual that made her feel brighter.

A small splash of colour. A little “joy cape”. A reminder that even in difficult moments, we can attach meaning to the things that help us feel more human.

From stress to hope

Emma and Nikki also talk about what happens when joy feels too far away.

Nikki explains that when we are in a state of stress or overwhelm, the first step may not be joy. It may be hope. Then peace. Then joy.

One of her simple tools is placing a hand on the heart, taking a breath, and repeating: big but blessed.

It is a way of acknowledging the reality of the moment — this is big — while also reminding the nervous system: I am safe. I am here. There is still something to hold onto.

Movement as medicine

Nikki also shares why movement is such a powerful part of her work.

Sometimes we cannot think our way out of stress, but we can move our way through it. A stretch. A walk. A wiggle. A bounce. Even the smallest contraction of a muscle can help bring us out of the mind and back into the body.

For anyone who does not have a formal movement practice, Nikki’s message is beautifully simple: it does not need to be fancy.

All movement counts. All movement can be medicine.

Tiny rituals, real joy

Throughout the episode, Emma and Nikki return to the idea that joy often lives inside the smallest moments.

A morning coffee. A quiet drive. Fresh sheets. A puppy cuddle. A hand on the heart. A moment to look up and notice the sky.

These are not grand gestures. They are tiny invitations back to ourselves.

And perhaps that is the heart of this conversation: joy does not always need to be chased. Sometimes it is already there, waiting to be noticed.

Try the Breath of Joy

To close the episode, Nikki teaches Emma the Breath of Joy, a yogic breathing technique designed to invite energy, release tension, and create a sense of coming home to yourself.

It is playful. It is physical. It is a little bit silly in the best way.

And that might be exactly the point.

Watch the full episode above and let Nikki guide you through it.