Beauty journalist and influencer, Alessandra Steinherr, was the Beauty Director of GLAMOUR Magazine for over a decade, before she launched her own beauty consultancy business. Her knowledge and expertise in all things beauty and skincare has led her to become a respected authority in the sector. Now with her own skincare line available in Primark, Alessandra has built up a dedicated following of over 230K on social media, by creating popular interactive features and helpful content such as #AskAlex and #SundayFacial. Profiled in Sheer luxe, Into The Gloss, Refinery29 and The Cut, Alex has endorsed brands including Kerastase, CHANEL and Garnier. We caught up with Alex to shoot the breeze about fashion influences, reading two books at once and beauty myths…
What has been your career highlight to date?
I think the highlight was actually just getting my foot in the door in my first job in magazines. It wasn’t certain that I wasn’t going to get there back in the day it was hard to get in. There was no social media, I didn’t have any connections. I think just being able to get that first break is the highlight because everything after that has just been a bonus.
What was your first ever job and the biggest lesson you learned there?
I wrote letters to all the big magazines and got an internship at Marie Claire. It wasn’t easy from the start. I was meant to be in the beauty department but there was a mix up, so they put me on reception. There’s nothing wrong with being on reception but it’s not where I wanted to be. So the option was either you go or you take that role so I thought, well I’m here, so I took it and from there worked my way up. I did whatever was asked of me and tried to always help people out and offer my services. I think the lesson is sometimes the road to getting what you want isn’t always the easiest or straightest. When you begin, you don’t always end up where you want right away, but just take every opportunity and run with it. If I had given up at that moment when I was disappointed, I possibly wouldn’t be where I am now.
Which other industry authorities do you admire and why?
There are so many people I admire. To have longevity in this business is what I admire, mostly. Anyone can be a one hit wonder. But to have longevity and to hone your craft…I admire so many makeup artists for example – Nikki Wolff, she’s really worked her way up, and people like Hung Vanngo and Benjamin Puckey and these king of artists are those who come through the ranks and their creativity is inspiring. It’s wonderful to see them thriving.
How do you keep your social media authentic and drive engagement?
I stick to what I’m good at. My Instagram is specific in the sense that I don’t really share much about my private life. I’m there to give people advice and answer questions and help them out with their beauty dilemmas. I feel like my Instagram is kind of like my magazine, my media. I don’t think my audience is interested in where I go on a Sunday afternoon or my visit to B&Q. It’s not about what I have for dinner. I keep it professional. I’m so lucky that from the beginning it all started with #AskAlex and then I started doing the Sunday Facial and I get so many questions. I love doing Q&As on my Stories because I get so many questions. I can react directly and give personal advice. It’s my favourite thing. I do some IGTV – sticking to that drives engagement. There are so many products nowadays that its increasingly confusing for consumers and there’s so much noise. I take that very seriously. I approach everything like a journalist. It’s not just my opinion. It’s an informed opinion and that’s the difference. I genuinely feel like I have a relationship with my audience, I’m so fortunate. They inform my content. I can only do my job because of my audience so the questions they ask informs my subjects.
Do you think there is certain pressure attached to the label of ‘expert’, and have you experienced any backlash to advice given?
I don’t really ever get any backlash to advice I’ve given. I approach everything in a professional manner so I will always give options. I’m never saying to people ‘oh my god this product works for me, so it’s going to work for you!’ I describe products, decode them and try to empower my audience to make the right choices for themselves. I don’t do hauls. But I’m not there just advertising whatever. I go into the details so they can make their own decisions. I feel the more I explain about a product, that knowledge is power. I don’t believe in a miracle product, we’re all individuals. Skincare is much more individualised which is why I don’t just present them, I really try and explain them in detail – how to use them, who they are targeted at, what shouldn’t be used together etc.
How would you describe your signature style?
[Laughs] It’s definitely a signature style. I am not someone who buys throwaway fashion in the sense that even if I buy something from the high street, I will look for those pieces that are forever pieces and repeat them I’ve been wearing the same style forever. I wear lots of jeans, shirts, blazers and suits. I definitely wear them over and over again because I’m a slow fashion kind of person. I don’t buy into the latest trend. I know what I like and do I like to shop, but I buy stuff that is timeless. Then I have my investment purchases. I might splurge on the bag or the coat because I know I’ll wear it season after season.
Who influences your fashion choices?
I love looking at women with different styles to me because it might inspire me to take something from it and make it my own. There’s a jewellery designer called Roxanne Assoulin that I’m obsessed with. She looks amazing at all times. There’s an American instagrammer called Sincerely Jules and she has a completely different style to mine, but there’s elements of her that I think ‘oh I like how she’s put that together’. This is what I like about Instagram, it might inspire someone to wear something they already own in a different way and maybe combine items differently.
What is the last book you read?
I’m a massive reader. I read every day because it gets me away from social media. It’s my me time, my therapy. I usually read more than one book at once. I’ve just re-read a book by an Austrian author called Stefan Zweig. In English I think the book is called The World of Yesterday. It’s a seminal book that was his memoir. It was written at the time when the Austro-Hungarian empire was coming to an end. I re-read it because there are quite a lot of parallels to Brexit. The other book I’m reading is Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. He’s a retired navy seal and it’s a self-development book about overcoming adversity. It’s a tough read, but very interesting. I love that question!
What are the beauty products you can’t live without right now?
How many am I allowed to say? Oh god. That’s probably the hardest question to ask a Beauty Editor. I’m gonna have to be logical and say a cleanser. I’m really liking this new brand called Holifrog. They are SO GOOD. I’m obsessed with it. I’ve got it here. It’s called Superior Omega Nutritive Gel Wash. It’s super gentle. The next one is going to be Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair but I use that every day of my life. At the moment because we’re kind of transitioning into Winter, would be The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane, which is an oil, but it’s a non-oily face oil.
What are some of the common skincare misconceptions or myths that need debunking?
More recently, I think the biggest thing is that you don’t need to use a gazillion products. Some people use so many products that the skin can’t cope with it. More is not better. It’s about being targeted and finding a routine that is tailored to you. It’s not about chucking everything that you read about on your face, in the wrong way, in the wrong order, because that creates a lot of skin problems. Too much retinol and acid and vitamin C and an ASA and a glycolic. If you don’t read the labels you might have glycolic in three of the products you use and then you’re just adding too many actives at once.
Which brands, creatives or content creators do you consider disruptive or pioneering?
Some people just want to be disruptive for the sake of being disruptive, which I don’t find particularly helpful. Beauty and skincare isn’t about that it’s about creating really great products for people. The last person that I admired, who I thought was genuine and passionate about his work, was Brandon Truaxe (Founder of NIOD and The Ordinary). What he did was truly pioneering. He had a belief and he had knowledge. A lot of what I’m seeing now I’m not sure is genuine. There are a lot of people doing great things of course, but I hate fearmongering. I don’t like it when people try to scare people into buying things. Messages like: ‘Don’t use these ingredients because they’re toxic’ It’s not true. You can sell beauty products in an honest way.
What are the key things you’d like to see change in the industry?
We’re definitely better when it comes to diversity. When it comes to colour cosmetics, brands are understanding now that when you bring out foundations and concealers, you need to cater for more skin tones and be more inclusive. I can see positive strides. What I would like to see change is that you don’t need to take other brands down in order to make yours better. But the main thing is I still feel there is a lot of ageism in the industry. I would like to see mainstream huge beauty brands using women of all ages in advertising. And not just because it’s a menopausal cream. I would love to see a massive mascara launch with a woman over fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, without it being tokenism. That is becomes normal that every age is beautiful. It’s not just about youth culture for me, I do think there is beauty at every age.
What are your golden rules of beauty?
To be consistent. If you spend loads of money on products, but you’re not consistent with them, you’re not going to get results. It’s like buying a gym membership and never going to the gym. Build a routine that works for you. Don’t buy products because they work for your best friend or for a celebrity. Do your research to see if it works for you. I 100% believe that skincare works. It can give you your best possible skin. You can improve your skin with a good regimen. You might have to supplement it depending on what you have, with visits to a dermatologist but it does work. Find what works for you, be consistent and you’ll see results. Also hedge your expectations. No cream can get rid of wrinkles. That’s not the function of a cream - so be clear about what you want from it.
You can follow Alex on Instagram @alexsteinherr
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