I'm a Beauty Editor—Here Are 10 "Rules" I Intentionally Break

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(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

I won't lie, the life of a beauty editor is extremely surreal. To be honest, very different—and far more difficult—than most people would probably assume. (Despite what it might look like on Instagram, we're not just swiping lipstick and taking selfies all day, folks!) I'd be remiss to let the amazing perks of the job go unacknowledged, and believe me when I say the never ending flow of products, the pinch-me interview moments, beautiful events, and complimentary treatments and services aren't lost on me. I'm insanely lucky, and I absolutely love my job. That said, there's a lot more to this industry than meets the eye, and it's actually something I really struggle talking and being open about because the last thing I would ever want to seem is ungrateful. (Believe me, that's so not the case.)

In all actuality, the job of a beauty editor is far more unglamorous than most people would expect. The majority of my days (and many late nights and work-riddled weekends!) are spent hunched over my laptop, chugging too much coffee, writing copy in order to meet deadlines, answering to a bottomless inbox (I receive—and NEED to reply to hundreds of emails per day), running to events and meetings, and staying on top of countless other tasks and responsibilities that can sometimes feel daunting and overwhelming, especially for someone like me, a Class A introvert. Additionally, there's a lot of pressure as far as appearance, and being immersed in a career and industry that are so beauty-focused, while fun at times, can also do a serious number on one's self-confidence and sense of self-worth. I've found that over the past few years, I've strayed from old practices and beauty habits that I swore by or that used to make me happy simply because other editors, influencers or industry experts said it wasn't the "right" way to do it or the "cool," socially accepted beauty editor thing to do. 

What's funny, is that even though I love learning from top makeup artists, hairstylists, dermatologists and aestheticians, each and every person I talk to has a different view about what's the correct or best way to do something—be it the way I apply a contour or favourite blush, the brands I should or shouldn't use, the ingredients I need or don't need in my routine, there are a lot of beauty "rules" out there. But guess what? More often than not, the quest for perfect skin, perfect hair, perfect makeup, the perfect routine and so on and so forth is an impossible battle. I wish more people would point this out.

As a beauty editor, I find myself in this weird limbo of being an unofficial beauty expert. I'm not certified or trained anything, but I do have very close access to people who are. Therefore, their thoughts and opinions easily muddle into mine—sometimes for the amazing end result, and sometimes not. Because of this, I've recently made a vow to myself to get back to the basics and to carry out my life as a beauty editor and beauty lover the way I want to—not how I think I should based on what other people expect, say, or do in their own lives. And I've formulated 10 guidelines to help me do so. 

The below rules are hardly do or die or even that important in the grand scheme of things. But, I thought it would be fun to share certain rules I hereby disagree with and ignore despite what the beauty industry tells me. Curious? Keep scrolling! 

1. I Talk About My Filler—a Lot

2. My Skincare Routine Is Stupidly Simple

3. I Don't Care What Makeup Artists Say—I Can't Skip Powder

4. I Love Makeup, But I Rarely Wear It

5. When It Comes to Highlighter, the Limit Does Not Exist

6. I Openly Wear Hair Masks in Public

7. Concealer Is My Most-Used Makeup Product

8. I Use Self-Tan to Moisturise

9. I Won't Touch Oil With a 10-Foot Pole

10. Sorry, I Don't Like Nail Salons

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.