Written for Fashion & Beauty Monitor
Previously Head of Brand (Digital) at Vogue Australia, Danielle Gay joined Australia’s premiere beauty website and digital magazine, Gritty Pretty, as Beauty Director & Executive Editor in April. In her new role, she oversees the editorial, commercial, social, visual and audio content for the brand and writes content. With seven years’ experience in digital and print publishing, Dani worked her way up through the ranks at Vogue from an intern position.
We caught up with the woman herself this week to discuss key beauty trends down under, makeup bag essentials and working with PRs…
What will be your new roles and responsibilities at the magazine?
I have a dual role of Beauty Director and Executive Editor. I’ll be overseeing the editorial and commercial content for both Gritty Pretty Magazine and online, as well as crafting the overall strategy for audience growth and retention.
What is your vision for Gritty Pretty?
I’d really love to grow the brand. We’re Australia’s premiere beauty website and digital magazine and we speak directly to a highly-engaged niche audience of beauty-obsessed women. I’d like to expand that to reach more beauty devotees across the globe.
Who are your readers?
Largely women aged 25-34 residing in Australia. They’re beauty obsessed: 70% of our audience spend between $100 and $500 a month on beauty products.
Do you think being digital only gives you an advantage over print outlets in the same space?
Absolutely! The fact that Gritty Pretty Magazine is digital only allows us to include animations, embed videos and include click-to-buy components in our content—these are things a print outlet simply can’t offer. That’s why Gritty Pretty continues to be the beauty publisher industry leader.
What are the key trends in beauty in Australia at the moment?
Like all countries, Covid-19 has led to a new work-from-home lifestyle as well as, of course, lockdowns (I’m writing from Sydney’s lockdown right now). In Australia, where we’re already known for natural beauty, there’s been an overall trend of pared-back n0-makeup-makeup as well as a real appreciation for skin health.
What’s in your makeup bag?
SPF! My number one piece of beauty advice is to find a good sunscreen—and for Australians, that means a minimum SPF50+. I like a dewy finish, so my favourite is Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF 50+ Luminising Serum Sunscreen. I wear that every day, even if I’m not going outside. My other favourite makeup products include Rationale Beautiful Skin Superfluid which in itself is 50+ and offers a beautiful tinted glow on the skin. I love a good brow gel, this Ere Perez Argan Brow Hero is a favourite. Lastly, a good bronzer like Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream and a touch of illuminator—I like Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter.
What kinds of pitches are you looking for from PRs?
Anything in the areas of beauty or wellness! We also profile incredible beauty leaders and brand founders in our Women With Gritt series, so I’m also happy to accept any pitches of cool, creative and hard-working women you think our audience would like to hear from.
What did you learn from your time with Vogue?
Gosh, it’s hard to distil close to a decade into a couple of lessons! I started at Vogue straight out of university and worked my way up to head of digital, so I basically learnt everything I know during my time there! I think if I had to choose one thing it would be learning to listen to your audience and pivoting when they do—what’s performing well one month may not perform the next, so it’s important to listen to the analytics and adjust your content accordingly.
If you could receive a letter from anyone right now, who would it be?
My time at Vogue fostered a deep love of royal style and I particularly loved covering Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex throughout my career at Vogue. So, I’d have to name the Duchess, who I’d still love to interview one day!
What issues affect your audience the most?
Our audience is comprised of highly-engaged beauty lovers but they’re also incredibly savvy about the industry. They want to know exactly what’s in a beauty product and whether or not it will work. They’re also passionate about the environment and value beauty brands that are kind to the planet. We’re seeing diversity becoming more important to our audience than ever before and so we’re always focused on sharing the perspectives of a wide range of diverse voices and making sure our content speaks to everyone.
How do you maintain healthy relationships with PRs?
I make a conscious effort to reply to every email I receive, either sharing if it is or isn’t quite right for Gritty Pretty or even simply to thank them and confirm I’ve received the email. I’ve had feedback from PRs that this is helpful since it cuts out wasted time (and even more emails!) following up to see if I’ve read their pitch. I also love to meet up with PRs in person—can’t go past a breakfast at Bills—to put a face to the name, which further fosters the relationship.
What would be your death row meal choice?
French fries and a glass of red wine.
What was your proudest career achievement to date?
Making the leap over to beauty and joining the Gritty Pretty team. I’ve always loved beauty so I’m really proud that I followed my passion and found this role because being a beauty editor really is the best job in the world.
Any advice for aspiring journalists?
If you love writing and talking about beauty, start doing that. Follow other beauty editors on Instagram and see how they do it. Most importantly, read! You can’t become a better writer without reading widely.
What do you think is the future of beauty content?
I guess that’s up to our audience. We are always asking ourselves, “How can we deliver better content to our readers?” and we’ll continue to do that in the future.
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