GRITTYpretty founder and editor Eleanor Pendleton has not stopped for a second in 2014. The past seven months has seen the beauty expert working hard behind the scenes to completely relaunch the GRITTYpretty site and put together a digital magazine dedicated to beauty. With the relaunch going live today and GRITTYpretty magazine available on December 8, BD thought it was the perfect time to chat to Pendleton about her latest ventures.
Can you tell me a bit about the site relaunch?
GRITTYpretty is almost five years old and with digital growing at such a rapid pace, the website was due for a makeover. I believe in evolving and moving with technology, so while the aesthetic and brand of GRITTYpretty certainly remains the same, the functionality of the website has been modernised and noticeably improved.
Why did you decide to change it?
Since relaunching the site (when I left InStyle as beauty editor last year), I’ve been making subtle tweaks here and there. About seven months ago, I was taking time out at a spa retreat and I used that opportunity to carefully decide what direction to steer GRITTYpretty to next. When I originally launched the site in early 2010, there was nothing of its kind in the Australian market – I’m proud to say it was the cleanest, most sophisticated, aesthetically pleasing beauty blog out there. It was ahead of its time, which is why I think the site’s original design was able to last as long as it did. Fast-forward almost five years, and I decided a complete re-skin was necessary. It’s been a very lengthy process but I’m really happy with how the site now looks and operates.
What are the main changes?
The functionality of the website has been improved dramatically. The content is tablet- and smartphone-friendly. The images and fonts are bigger and there’s an overall theme of fluidity to the website, thanks to floating imagery and sliding panels. The site still focuses very much on white space and clean lines. The biggest change is the full-bleed landing image – it allows readers to be immediately drawn into the plethora of beauty content, articles and how-tos listed both underneath and within the site. It also introduces readers to the GRITTYpretty brand with a bang!
Will the content be similar to what it was like before the relaunch?
Yes, absolutely – quality content will continue to be produced. My readers, who are 80 per cent Australian, are extremely loyal so I will continue to give them the weekly dose of beauty that they’re constantly telling me they want.
You're also launching a digital magazine dedicated to beauty this year. What prompted you to do that?
I think I had a moment of insanity because I must be crazy for doing this on my own, right?! Seriously though, when I was working on the site’s redesign and deciding what phase I would lead GRITTYpretty into next, I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before. I wanted to do something that was different. There are so many great beauty blogs and women’s lifestyle magazines out there but in Australia, there was no online destination offering the content of an international glossy magazine and edited by an experienced beauty writer. I saw a gap in the market and I decided to fill it. I’ve spent the last six months, seven days a week, working on it. I have personally invested finances and resources (and a lot of sleepless nights!) into creating a premium digital beauty publication that utilises video and animation to give the reader a complete online experience.
Can you describe the magazine?
GRITTYpretty magazine is a 40-plus page quarterly digital publication, and an extension of the GRITTYpretty beauty blog. GRITTYpretty’s mission is to investigate and celebrate beauty with objectivity and candour. While the majority of GRITTYpretty’s readers are based here in Australia, we do have a substantial following in the US, UK and Asian markets - and we aim to place appearance in a global cultural context. With a journalistic approach and high standards, GRITTYpretty delivers content with credentials, yielding unwavering reader trust - which is core to the brand. As part of a premium online beauty platform, GRITTYpretty magazine offers readers’ exclusive content, captivating beauty shoots, educational and informative articles, engaging videos, whimsical animations and more.
What content will be found in GRITTYpretty magazine?
The e-magazine will offer readers informative, well-researched and well-written beauty articles. In terms of pagination, it will run like that of a print title: at the front of book, you’ll find more of your bitsy, news pages; this is then followed by a lengthy cover feature profiling a well-known personality; followed by a secondary beauty feature on a high-profile blogger as well as an in-depth skincare story and a hair how-to guide – just to name a few! Towards the back of the book, GRITTYpretty’s Life & Style section will peek into the home of an industry insider as well as offer health and wellbeing by way of a lengthy and indulgent spa feature. All content found in the magazine has been shot exclusively for GRITTYpretty, including product stills by Edward Urrutia (who shoots for Vogue, Harper’s BAZAAR and marie claire) as well as a cover story shot by highly acclaimed photographer, Daniella Rech. Everything within the magazine is created by GRITTYpretty, for the GRITTYpretty woman.
Will the look and feel of the magazine be similar to the GRITTYpretty site?
Aesthetically, yes, there will be a lot of similarities because it’s an extension of the brand. The pages are very clean, polished and refined. There is a strong focus on fonts. And, there is a sense of sophistication and luxury that comes with the GRITTYpretty brand that isn’t at all intimidating or alienating towards readers. In saying that, the magazine will feel “special” and will be something the readers can enjoy with a cup of tea on their desktop computer, tablet or smartphone, wherever they are in the world.
How will the magazine differ to the site?
Unlike the blog, which is personal and highlights my own brand image, the magazine will not feature any content on me, per se. Instead, I’m taking more of a backseat role as editor and utilising the talent and skill of some of the best freelance writers, photographers, videographers and graphic designers in the industry. And, because digital is such a huge factor affecting the consumer’s path to purchase, every product featured on the pages of GRITTYpretty magazine will be available to buy via a clearly recognisable ‘shop’ icon. Recent Nielsen research reveals that tablet usage in 2013 increased 141 per cent since 2010, highlighting the impact online is having on consumer behaviour. Being able to buy straight off the screen and have a product added to cart and en route within minutes was a critical feature.
What is your involvement in the publication? Will most of the content be in your voice?
I’m excited to be taking on more of an editor role with the magazine and employing the talent of reputable beauty journalists such as Tracey Withers, Rachael Mannell and Michelle Bateman. Every page is written in the GRITTYpretty tone – not my personal voice.
Will the magazine be available for free?
Yes. I want it to be accessible for women worldwide.
What do you expect the pick-up of the magazine to be?
My management team (Chic Management) and I have developed a strong PR strategy. We have some big names supporting the magazine online, in print and via social media. GRITTYpretty’s numbers have spiked considerably in the last three months and I expect that to continue at an even faster rate once the magazine is live. We’ll also be running an online focus group of sorts and finding out what readers do and don’t like about the magazine. I believe any body of work can always be improved.
I also believe that when you’re genuinely as passionate and dedicated to beauty media as I am, that shows through work – whether it’s on an iPhone screen, paper stock or not. I’ve been running on adrenaline for the past six months and stopping to look at it now, I’m extremely confident that new and existing readers will embrace GRITTYpretty magazine. Even before launching, the feedback from beauty brands has been overwhelmingly positive because they agree there isn’t anything out there like it.
It’s very exciting and also nerve-racking, but I’m extremely proud! I can’t quite believe I did it, to be honest.
Click here to visit the GRITTYpretty magazine and site.
Pendleton is the brand ambassador for SK-II.
