Beauty editor Justine Dunton-Rose has announced she is escaping the harbour city for the bustle of the Big Apple. Due to depart in October, POPSUGAR’s longtime beauty curator spoke to BD about her upcoming move to NYC.
You're leaving Sydney for New York City. What was the reason behind this decision?
It was both personal and professional – I think I was ready for a new challenge in both aspects. I’ve had such an incredible time in the Australian beauty industry; the time has seriously flown. I felt like suddenly I turned around, and it had been ten years already! I’m usually quite resistant to change, but I had got a little comfortable and I felt it was time to scare myself a little. It sounds clichéd, but I really do believe the magic happens outside your comfort zone.
What will you be doing career-wise in New York?
At the moment, I’m still reaching out and speaking to people, but I definitely see myself somewhere in the beauty space. I’m lucky enough that I was born in the US so I have a passport in my back pocket, which makes things a little easier on the visa front! I’ll be filling my time with some freelance and contract opportunities while I navigate my next full-time move. I think at the stage of my career that I’m in, it’s worth taking a little extra time to work out the direction I want to go in, and finding the right opportunity to lead me down that path.
When do you finish up at POPSUGAR?
After almost two and half incredible years at POPSUGAR (about five years in digital time!), my last day will be Friday September 30. My replacement has been hired, and she starts on October 10. Alison and the team will do a formal announcement when she’s on board.
Are you sad to be leaving the POPSUGAR family?
It truly is a family. The girls in the POP team are in constant contact. We’re on 24/7, and the job was made so much easier since we’re all such great friends and consistently looking out for, and supporting, each other. On top of these amazing women I work with every day, I will miss Allure Media as a whole. It really is an incredible place to work. It’s full of some of the most inspiring, intriguing and talented humans you’ll ever meet in the media landscape – our office also publishes award-winning sites Business Insider, Kotaku, Lifehacker, Gizmodo and the Who What Wear suite. Every day is different. As they say, you truly are only as good as the people you are surrounded with, and the Allure family – with special mention of our women’s group publisher Alison Rice and CEO Jason Scott in particular – have encouraged, inspired, pushed and helped me to grow in every way. I’m incredibly sad, but know that I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime.
Will you still be looking to work with Australian media and brands while living abroad?
I’m hoping to still write a little for POPSUGAR Australia in a contributor capacity, and will also be flying the freelance flag over in NYC, so I’m very open to Australian opportunities that fall into that basket.
Where can we expect to see you in five years' time?
That’s a tough one. If you’d asked me only three months ago where I saw myself in a year, I wouldn’t have said NYC! I love that life can be unexpected and take you places you never dreamed. I guess I hope to see myself doing something I’m truly happy and passionate about… But that’s still a little scary and outside my comfort zone.
