CEW (Cosmetics Executive Women) sends out newsletters to their subscribers. When I get a particularly interesting one, I share them with you guys! (I previously posted an interview with Violent Lips tattoo creator). This interview is with Editor in Chief of Beautylish – the social media site for beauty enthusiasts. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what Beautylish was until I read this. I thought it was just a blog/website. Now i'm interested in it! Let me know what you guys think, thought it was a good read! Xoxo, Makeup Majesty
Ning Chao, former senior beauty editor for Marie Claire and former beauty editor at InStyle, shifted online to become editor in chief for Beautylish. She explained recently what the indispensable beauty site is all about.
What makes Beautylish different?
“There’s no other destination, online or in print, with a community and content that caters to beauty enthusiasts and consumers. We’re all familiar with sites such as Facebook or YouTube. They include some beauty and brand information, but you must seek it out. Beautylish provides a one-stop destination that engages consumers in a 360-degree beauty experience. Whether you’re looking for news stories, how-to tips, video tutorials, product reviews or expert beauty advice, consumers will be able to find it all at their fingertips on Beautylish. Our point of difference is that we’re adamant about creating a positive environment, when so much online chatter turns negative. Our mission is to celebrate the beauty in all women, and our members are all real people. Our members are primarily 18- to 32-year-old women who are interested in learning and sharing all things beauty. Celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and brand ambassadors have joined the site, but our membership is comprised of everyday, passionate consumers. The Beautylish community embodies that sought-after breed of enthusiasts, who are not only passionate about the craft of beauty, but also eager to participate and learn about trends, tools and products.”
Beautylish is described as an interactive, multi-media community. What does that mean?
“We provide a platform for consumers to not only receive content and info, but also comprehensively engage in the world of beauty. There’s a social component that is inherent and integral in beauty marketing, and we’ve been able to bring ‘social beauty’ online in a complete and organic way. Like Facebook, Beautylish allows you to update your profile or upload photos—and our video player is more advanced than YouTube’s. Beautylish also enables members to ‘follow’ each other. We always encourage users to comment, whether it’s on an article, an image or in our chat forum. This fosters a community where everyone’s voice is important, not just the editor’s. There’s significant content sharing, and we’re building a highly engaged and informed audience who are primed to share and ‘consume’ beauty.”
Tell us about “The Beauty Social” Beautylish held recently in Santa Monica.
“We organized a two-day event to bring the website to life. The whole community came out, from beauty brands to bloggers and consumers. About a thousand people were in attendance, checking out the brand booths and listening to the expert panels. This wasn’t your traditional trade show, but was all about interacting and engaging beauty enthusiasts. We received phenomenal feedback from attendees, and we are already planning another ‘Beauty Social’ for next year.”
You went from a career as a magazine beauty editor to an all-digital environment. What has that been like?
“I must admit that I’m not the most tech-savvy person you’ll ever meet, but I do know beauty. That’s why I wanted to work at Beautylish. The founders have extensive digital experience, and we married our expertise to build a site that provides the best user experience and beauty content. Magazines are more of a one-way relationship with readers just taking in information in a static environment. Beautylish content provides a conversation starting point and takes off from there. Online also operates at a much faster pace than print. The number of stories we publish in one day is about the same as a monthly magazine’s front-of-book beauty section. Since we have such a strong following, our community is a priceless source of inspiration and information. Now it’s not just the runway or red carpet that dictates the trends we cover—street style, which rises organically within Beautylish’s community, is just as important.”
Where do you see the integration of beauty and social media in the future?
“There are so many possibilities! The way people consume information is changing so rapidly. Five years ago, Twitter didn’t even exist. There was no iPad. Now people have made careers and become celebrities through their YouTube videos. And these gurus are just as influential as any reality TV star. The integration of beauty and technology is here to stay—and we as a beauty community need to evolve our mindset to include social media and digital platforms if we want to continue to reach our audience. And Beautylish is poised to lead that charge.”
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