VIP Pass to the Industry: Beauty PR

Today I'm featuring one of my closest friends in the beauty industry, Michelle who's a beauty publicist.  Michelle interned for me when I used to work in PR and then she helped me start up BeautySweetSpot.com and my whole freelance career.  So it's my pleasure to introduce her to you! What college did you go to and what did you major in?

I went to Baruch College and majored in International Marketing & Trade.

How did you land your first job in PR?

I was actually working at the front desk at The Gym (yes that’s the actual name) while I was going to school.  One day I was casually chatting with a guest about my major and how I wanted to explore different aspects of marketing.  It turned out that I was actually talking to the President of a PR firm, who suggested I should check out public relations.   She then invited me in for an interview the next day and I got the job!  Since then I’ve been hooked.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Start off the day with a green tea latte from Starbucks; start up my Twitter, Facebook, newsfeed and dive right into work.  There’s no such thing as a typical day but some of the things I do include coming up with creative pitches, meetings with clients, media, and industry leaders, research, admin work, coming up strategies, event planning, social media, create press releases and so much more.  Jack of all trades.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

Since I was 12 years old and reading my sister’s old  magazines from the 80’s (left behind in Greece when I was living there in the mid 90’s) I just knew I wanted to be a part of the beauty industry. I’m even a licensed cosmetologist and used to cut hair!  My favorite part of the job is that I get to meet some really creative and motivated people in both beauty and fashion who inspire me and teach me something new everyday.

What’s your least favorite?

Nothing to do with my job per se but when asked what I do for a living and I say I’m in Public Relations, more than likely the response is “oh advertising? How interesting!”  Now I don’t even bother explaining and just go along and have fun with it.

What’s the best advice you would give someone trying to get into the industry today?

The one thing I’ve always said and live by is to treat any job like it’s your own business/company.  When you have that mentality it will not only show in your work by achieving your goals but will also give you the drive to succeed.   When you have a strong work ethic you can do it all.

Confess! What’s your biggest beauty sin?

Eek!  I tend to forget to wash my make up brushes.  I used to clean them everyday and now it’s more like once a week or even up to two weeks.  Shame on me, one of these days my skin will break out!

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

Watching old movies!   Whether it’s a Alfred Hitchcock classic or any movie starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and even some Greek ones with Aliki Vougiouklaki I’m all for it.  I love the storylines and the fashion!  Especially the Givenchy pieces designed for Audrey Hepburn.  On the other end of the spectrum I also enjoy bad reality shows since they’re such a vacation for my brain.

VIP Pass to the Industry: Women's Health

To kick off "VIP Pass to the Industry" in 2011 allow me to introduce you to Jill Percia, the Associate Beauty Editor of Women's Health.  Jill formerly wrote for CosmoGirl and took a step into PR before landing the job at Women's Health in October.  Check out what she has to say about her job and advice she has to give for those of you who want to get in. 1. What college did you go to and what did you major in?

I went to Fordham University and majored in Communications/Media Studies.

2. How did you land your first job edit?

I got my foot in the door by having an internship at CosmoGirl during my senior year of college. I first interned in reader services and spent the second semester in the beauty department – and fell in love! After graduation, I applied for (and got!) a reader services editor position there. I also assisted the editor-in-chief before finally snagging the assistant beauty and fitness editor spot almost three years later.

3. What’s a typical day like for you?

Crazy! In no particular order, a typical day will consist of: writing my stories, attending beauty launches around the city, opening countless packages filled with new products, testing said products, meeting with publicists for desksides, interviewing the most talented hairstylists, makeup artists, and derms in the biz, and brainstorming and researching ideas for future issues. There’s never a dull moment.

4. What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love the networking. Being around smart people who are passionate about beauty can be really inspiring. And I love being a part of a publication that empowers women to be strong and confident in so many aspects of their lives. And I’ll never complain about copious amounts of fragrance and lip gloss! It’s true what they say – if you love what you do, it’s never feels like work.

5. What’s your least favorite?

Deadlines can be tough, especially during a busy event week. There are days I’m out of the office more hours than I’m in!

6. What’s the best advice you would give someone trying to get into the industry today?

Get an internship and do a great job (competition is fierce!). Doing so will give you valuable experience and help you decide if working at a magazine is your thing. And go the extra mile because people will notice. Never underestimate the power of a handwritten thank-you note! And just remember that everyone knows everyone in this industry, so make (and keep) as many connections as you can.

7. Confess! What’s your biggest beauty sin?

Sometimes, I sleep with my eye makeup still on. Even though it’s out of pure laziness and I’ll probably wake up with an eye infection one day (eek), there’s a silver lining: I wake up with sexy, smudged eyeliner! Hopefully, my ophthalmologist isn’t reading this.

8. What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

There is nothing better than sitting on the couch on Sunday afternoon (a plus if it’s raining or snowing) watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians and eating Fat-free Reddi Wip. I put it on everything from rice cakes to pretzels and even apples. I always knew this was kind of weird, but it looks super gross in writing. Oh, well!

The New Year Brings the Best for BeautySweetSpot

Happy New Year!  Just yesterday I began kicking off the year back in my NYC apartment after spending two weeks relaxing at home in Jersey.  It feels good to be back!  Time to grind!  Of course, I'm going to hit on some of my New Year's resolutions in this post, but trust me, they affect you too! How you ask?  Because I write about my interests and passions and one of them is working out... this is my year for toning the booty (and the whole lower half for that matter)!  So of course you should expect to find some tips and tricks on how to get in the best shape for your body time from some top personal trainers on BeautySweetSpot.

Two very popular features from the past that will be reappearing in 2011 are "Man of the Week" and "VIP Pass to the Industry."  For those of you who aren't familiar, I used to feature a different man each week and give you a peek into their medicine cabinets and fantasies.  This year, I'm going to be featuring a "Man of the Moment" and featuring them one or two times per month instead.  Know a man who may be good for the site?  Write in and nominate one!  These are regular guys off the street.  There are two qualifications:  they have to be sexy and successful.

"VIP Pass to the Industry" gives you a sneak peek behind the scenes of what it's really like to be a blogger, editor at a magazine or publicist in beauty or fashion.  I feel like there are so many movies made and books written on the industry that don't really give a fair glimpse.  Here, you can hear from the girls who are doing the jobs every day on what their days are like, perks and advice on how to get in.

Also on the site I'll be doing a lot more YouTube product reviews and such.  Of course, everything else you love will stay the same or just keep getting better with the opportunities I'm given.  I wish you all a happy, healthy and successful year.  Cheers!

VIP Pass Inside the Industry: Lucky Magazine

Allow me to introduce you to Maura Lynch, the Senior Beauty Editor at one of your favorite shopping magazines, Lucky.  Maura's been writing in the beauty industry since she graduated college when she landed a coveted position – working with Eva Chen at Teen Vogue.  "It’s amazing how a lip gloss or perfume can lift someone’s mood. It’s more than just an aesthetic pleasure," she comments. Check out her interview for advice on how to get a job in editorial and to get a sneak peak of what life at Lucky is really like.

1. What college did you go to and what did you major in?

I went to Muhlenberg College—an amazing, tiny liberal arts school in Allentown Pennsylvania—and double-majored in English and Spanish. Originally, I wanted to do something more in the international studies realm (I love to travel, learn about different cultures, and study different languages), but after my freshman seminar with an extremely eccentric professor who specialized in Irish Literature, I knew I had to be an English major. Shout out to Dr. Rosenwasser!

2. How did you get into the industry and how many years have you been involved?

It’s sort of a happy accident. My junior year, I was thinking about getting into magazine journalism, and I was introduced to a very important beauty director at a very important magazine. When I heard that her job entailed testing out products, visiting spas, and writing about high-tech skincare, I knew I had found my calling, so I started interning and doing anything I could to get clips and experience. When I graduated, she tipped me off to a beauty assistant opening at Teen Vogue. I got the job, thankfully, and worked for Eva Chen for two years (sidebar, I could write a book about how fantastic that woman is), and then I went to work at ELLE for almost two years. I feel extremely lucky and blessed to have worked where I’ve worked, for the people I’ve worked for—and because I don’t want to end this sentence in a preposition, I would just like to…say that.

3. What’s your favorite part about working at Lucky?

The voice. We treat the reader like a best friend. Every new life-changing product I discover is a secret I can let them in on! When I’m writing, I try to envision saying the words out loud—would my friends totally make fun of me for using the word tresses? Probably. Plus, I think Lucky has some of the coolest readers. I think I actually would be friends with them. Some of the responses I’ve gotten on blogs are hilarious and super-informative.

4. What’s the worst?

I should probably say there is no worst part, but have you seen the magazine? The temptation! The pages are filled with things I want so badly, I can’t stand it. Every day, I pass by something new on a rack that I add to my mental shopping list. I seriously need to put my credit cards in the freezer.

5. Being that Lucky is one of my favorite shopping magazines, dish on where you shop and why.

I tend to avoid Manhattan on the weekends, so I’ve found boutiques in Brooklyn that I absolutely adore. Hands down, I always find something at Dear Fieldbinder in Cobble Hill—they have an amazing but not overwhelming selection of some of my favorite lines like Parker, Myne, and Corey Lynn Calter. I recently bought a Grey Antics dress there, and a few weeks later I saw an Arcade Fire show and the violinist had on the same dress! That means I made a good purchase, right? Matching dresses are totally acceptable when it’s a rock star. For jewelry, I can’t stay away from the Clay Pot—I stalk their supply of Jane Hollinger necklaces. And of course, Sephora and SpaceNK in case I’ve been away from the office for too long.

6. What are your career goals?

I honestly just love what I’m doing right now. If I can stay involved in the beauty world for the rest of my life, I’d be happy. I think one of the reasons I’ve continued to be so happy in this career is that beauty products bring so much joy to people. It’s amazing how a lip gloss or perfume can lift someone’s mood. It’s more than just an aesthetic pleasure.

7. What advice do you have for people trying to get into editorial today?

Intern and network to build your circle. Most likely, you won’t get your job from a listing on a site, but from a tip from someone you’ve met along the way. That’s why it’s so important to be gracious and enthusiastic for the smallest tasks as an intern. And don’t discount informational interviews—most editors remember what it was like at the start and will give you a few minutes of their time and advice.

8. Confess! What’s your biggest beauty sin?

I’m so bad about putting on eye cream, which is a horrible sin because your eyes show wrinkles before anywhere else. I’m not as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning as I used to be so I try to stick to an eye cream routine, but I rush too much before bed and in the morning.

9. What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

Mexican food! There are so many great Taquerias in Brooklyn. I could eat chips and guac every night if my waistline didn’t have a problem with it (but it does, unfortunately).