One of the best parts about being a beauty editor at a magazine is all of the free beauty products that you get. One of the even better parts about it is that you also get to test out thousands of products and write about the best ones for all of the world to read. I know, I know it may sound super trivial and not much like hard work, but trust me, Glamazons it is! I remember when I first started working at WWD as a beauty intern and being completely overwhelmed by the amount of product that would come in. However, I quickly became used to it and, as long as you have a serious system in place, testing out and writing about beauty products can be an actually quite enjoyable experience.
Just ask Amy Keller-Laird! She’s a Deputy Editor/Beauty Director at Allure magazine and each year she (and the rest of the crew there) work feverishly for months on end to weed out the best beauty products for hair, face and body. Alright, so maybe saying “work feverishly” is kind of an overstatement, but they definitely do put in tons of work. Each product that comes in must be tested thoroughly by an editor there in order to weed out the best of the best.
Of course, you’re all familiar with this huge feature they publish yearly called “The Best of Beauty” and I’m sure that you all scour each page in the section just like me. According to Keller-Laird, there is a 6 month testing period for each product submitted and there are over 180 categories of entrance. WHEW!
I was given the unique opportunity by the good folks over at P&G (Side note: Olay, Pantene, Secret and Gillette/Venus have received more awards in the past decade than any other!) to chat with Keller-Laird all about the process. Check it out below:
Ferocia: So, do you really actually like testing out all of the products and what are some of your faves to test?
Keller-Laird: I do love testing the products! I’m so excited when I find something new that’s actually better than what I already use. Mascara is my favorite to test out. It’s like instant gratification. You can test one on each eye. I’ll also test 5 different nail polishes on one finger. I love finding that new cool thing that everyone doesn’t know about.
Ferocia: What are some of your favorite products that you’ve tested that have won?
Keller-Laird: There was a highlighter from Jemma Kidd that has won for several years. It’s like the most amazing champagne highlighter! We legitimately couldn’t find anything better. Then, there are those big brands that keep winning over and over again. For facial moisturizer, Olay comes up. For hair, Pantene has stood the test of time. I like to educate people on things othen than prestige brands.
Ferocia: I know that you’ve totally read the news stories coming out right now about all of the new data from the U.S. Census that saying that America isn’t just “one shade” anymore. We’ve got tons of people of a mixed race background as well as several other minorities. Sometimes I notice that a lot of the makeup shades or hair products are predominantly caucasian and won’t necessarily work for all types of hair. Like, my hair is curly, but my curls are different from the curl of a white woman so those products you have listed won’t necessarily work for me. Do you guys take all of this into account when coming up with new products to test out and categories to include?
Keller-Laird: We have definitely noticed the U.S. Census data! There’s no one standard of beauty anymore. We are thinking about it all of the time. 20 years ago, it used to be Christie Brinkley. Now, it’s different. We are adding a category for African American women. We are adding a “Best Ranges of Foundation.” Last year, we added a “Best Defrizzer.” When we do our blush category, we definitely give various shade ranges. We really try to make sure that everything works and we’ve found that pink and nude lipstick winners are usually the hardest to choose because of all the different shade ranges out there. We definitely do our due dilligence!
Ferocia: What are some of the new trends for Spring/Summer 2011 that you’re most excited about?
Keller-Laird: I’m obsessed with nail polish. Dior has this really pretty teal nail polish shade that’s coming out for summer and it’s just amazing. It has such universal appeal. It’s not super bright or pale. It’s a good alternative for summer. I’m also loving the color green on eyes. YSL has this eye pencil called Emerald that’s like a foresty color that I love! For lips, I’m definitely a bright lips girl. MAC has this lipstick shade I love called “Yum, Yum” that’s out right now. It’s like an insanely hot pink but OMG amazing. There’s also this niche brand called Lime Crime that has this fuschia-hot-pink-crazy colored lipstick that I love! For cheeks, I like a little bit of rose blush and for eyes, tons of mascara.
Ferocia: We know that you obviously test out hundreds of products so what are some of the craziest things that have ever happened to you while you were testing?
Keller-Laird: Oh, there have been a number of mishaps. Once I was carrying this miracle treatment pimple product from Sonya Dakar and I tripped while holding it. It went into my eye and I thought I was burning my eyeballs out! Another time I went blonde for a story and I spent the next year trying to get my hair back to what it was. It took me 8 hours to get blonde because we wanted to do it all in one day. It felt like my scalp was burning off! That was the worst.
Ferocia: Where are some of your favorite places to visit in the city for haircuts?
Keller-Laird: I’ve been seeing Nunzio [Saviano] at the Oscar Blandi salon now for the past 20 years for my haircuts. He gives the best haircuts and they just grow out so well into a new shape. Even Sally Hershberger said when she saw me once,” Wow! That’s a great cut!”
Ferocia: Any parting words or anything else that you want our Glamazons to know?
Keller-Laird: Just that our Best of Beauty Awards are definitely getting better. We also have a new website that features better navigation and it really reflects how women look for products. There’s a product tool finder on the site and we also have a list up of products that we’ve tested. Everything is tailored just for you!
And there you have it, Glamazons! Oh, and just a little FYI: Keller-Laird is also obsessed with unicorns and Dr. Pepper. Super random, I know, but KIND of amazing.
xo
Ferocia
Loved your article. Keller-Laird has an amazing job to do, with testing all those products, most women would think that was a dream come true, but I could only imagine it would be pretty daunting trying all these different products, and trying to find the "best" one.
That is a big compliment for Nunzio [Saviano] at the Oscar Blandi salon to be going to there for 20 years and being happy with the haircut. When you find a good hairdresser, stick with it.
I will be sure to go and check out their website.