Hi guys! Today is an exciting one, because we’re doing our first Think Piece of the year! And hopefully there are a significant amount more to come. I like taking a break from the product and talking about the more controversial, serious, out of the box aspects of the industry. And today we’re talking about how beauty is more than makeup, and particularly how beauty blogging is more than the makeup, as well as answering the question: What does a beauty blogger do?
Sometimes I feel like people think an interest in makeup and beauty equates to a disinterest in anything deemed more “serious” or respectable. I feel like my interest in makeup and skincare and beautiful things conveys I’m self-centered, vapid, and stupid. Of course, I don’t think that way about myself, or anyone else within the beauty sphere. But I do think others do. And I don’t just say this blindly. I’ve experienced it.
And to that, I take offense.
I struggled in college, not with my studies or work, but with defending myself to others outside of my major. My bachelor’s degree (my B.S.) is in fashion merchandising. And I always found myself defending my program, my industry, and myself and the importance of all three. The general consensus surrounding fashion is that it’s frivolous, materialistic, non inclusive, and unimportant. And I found the consensus around those of us studying fashion was that we were vapid, frivolous, materialistic, and most frustrating, unintelligent.
But the reality of the fashion industry is that it operates cross-functionally with nearly every other industry. In school, I studied world history, art history, science and chemistry, interior design, architecture, business, marketing, public relations, psychology, sociology, economics, gender studies, among other subjects. And while I watched a lot of fashion shows and played with fabrics, I also was assigned to keep up with current events, political climates, international economies, social movements, technological advances. Because they all matter. Because fashion is more than the clothes.
Now, as a graduated adult in the workforce, I again find myself defending my industry and myself. But this time it’s the beauty industry. Because the beauty industry has been deemed uncomplicated, easy, unimportant, a woman’s industry. And, therefore, those working within it have been deemed those things as well. And, again, I resent that opinion. Because the beauty industry is more than the makeup. And beauty blogging, in particular, is a lot more than beauty.
A few things I love about the beauty industry
Like I said, I’m currently living in the beauty landscape. But my background and training is in fashion. And there are really key differences between the two and my feelings about both of them. I think the fashion industry is just as important and necessary as say healthcare and economics. It’s an industry that has a purpose that spans far beyond the consumer of the industry. While I enjoy the beauty industry in many ways, I don’t find the same necessity as I do from the fashion industry. However, I do find joy working within the beauty industry, for a multitude of different reasons. Here a few of those.
no. 1 | It’s a big business.
The cosmetics industry in the United States is valued at $49.2 billion as of 2019 and the global cosmetics industry was valued at $380.2 billion in 2019. It’s projected to reach $463.5 billion by 2027. And that’s just cosmetics; there are other facets of the beauty industry that expand past those figures. (Cosmetics Industry Statistics) It’s also an industry that employs roughly 670,000 people in the United States alone.
no. 2 | It’s pretty recession proof.
Historically, the beauty industry has been resilient. During WWII, sales for red lipstick spiked because women were wearing it as an act of defiance. Lipstick sales spiked again shortly after 9/11. Why? Basically it comes down to people wanting to retain small luxuries to help maintain some sense of self and normalcy, especially in times of turmoil. The same idea comes into play with prestige fashion houses creating beauty lines. It’s easily attainable for the masses.
no. 3 | It employs a lot of women.
We know of the gender inequality in any workplace, but the beauty industry, for the most part, is pretty good about employing women. In fact, in a 2016 report from LedBetter (a research group that measures gender disparity among big name brands), the beauty industry beat out every other profession in terms of highest percentage of women employed. Apparel & Retail came in second. And on top of employing the most women, it also is an industry with the most women in leadership/CEO roles. Unfortunately that percentage is only about 29%, so there is still plenty of room to grow and a lot of glass ceilings to shatter.
no. 4 | It welcomes innovation.
Innovations in technology, social justice, etc. will inevitably impact any industry. That’s just how it works. We all have to adapt and keep up. And it’s always working to innovate within itself with new ingredients, AI applications, and solutions for their customers.
no. 5 | It serves as a creative outlet.
Beauty artistry is just that, artistry. Like a writer or painter or photographer, beauty and cosmetics can serve as a creative outlet for many people. Whether you’re a professional or an enthusiast, it can be calming to sit down and play with makeup or work on hair or nails.
no. 6 | Research of the beauty industry can paint all kinds of pictures.
My emphasis in school was always the “Why?” questions. Why are these colors effective? Why will people reach for that? I like the research. I like the behavioral psychology behind consumerism and marketing. The beauty industry can help paint a picture of socioeconomic landscapes and offer clues about sociology, consumer psych, among other areas that can help economists analyze groups of people.
How Beauty Blogging is More Than the Makeup | What Does A Beauty Blogger Do?
Yeah, beauty blogging has been a lot of behind the scenes makeup playtime. Swatching, creating looks, documenting them, and posting them to social is certainly in the job description. There’s lots of window shopping, lots of actual shopping, and a lot of magazine reading. But I do a lot as a beauty blogger, as well, that doesn’t cater exclusively to beauty. So what are some of the ways beauty blogging is more than the makeup?
Editorial
- Copywriting
- Copyediting
- Content Research
- Competitor Research
- Manage an editorial calendar
- Product Testing
Creative
- Solely lead creative direction and execution
- Graphic Design
- Photography
- Photo/Video Editing
- CSS & HTML
- Web Design
Digital Marketing
- Branding
- SEO/SEM
- Keyword Research
- Competition Analysis
- Traffic Conversion & Analyzing Analytics
- Strategy Planning
- Social Media Management & Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing
- Conduct A/B Testing
- Website, Hosting, and Domain Upkeep and Maintenance
Social & Outreach
- Create and maintain relationships with brands, audiences, and industry members
- Network with other industry members
- Lots and lots of social media engagement
While this isn’t a comprehensive list of the attributes of the beauty industry or beauty blogging, or even a comprehensive list of what I do in a day, it’s a pretty good example. I think it starts to paint the picture that while beauty blogging is a lot of makeup, I spend most of my time doing tasks that don’t involve beauty products at all. I’m a digital marketer. In every job interview I have had since starting The Lipstick Narratives, the top questions from employers have been about the blog. They’ve been most interested in that experience more than any other experience, because it has given me relevant skills to those digital marketing, content, and editorial roles I’ve been in or applied to.
I love the industry. And I love being able to be here, on the back end, discrediting myths about a seemingly vapid, materialistic, *insert negative adjective here* industry. Because beauty and beauty blogging is more than the makeup.
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