It’s considered a dream job”, so what would make someone choose to stand-up and walk away from their role as beauty and health director at Vogue? Our guess is that it would need to be a pretty attractive alternative. And we’re not wrong. To find out what made Sigourney Cantelo pack up her desk at the magazine after six years, we sat down with the beauty expert to discover all about her Beauticate website, the appeal of digital, and whether or not she’ll miss the publishing industry.
What is Beauticate all about?
Beauticate is a website devoted to the WHOS and HOW TOS of beauty. The WHOS are editorial-style shoots and in-depth interviews with inspiring people who open their beauty cabinets and make-up bags. It combines aspirational voyeurism with genuinely useful information and professional tips and tricks. The HOW TOS communicate instructional videos, animated GIFs and written stories. I also have Sigourney’s Edit, which is a blog-style round-up of my favourite things. We put an emphasis on credible, well-researched content as online is still a bit of the wild west, so it’s important the reader feels like they can trust us.
Why did you decide to leave magazines to focus on the site?
Since launching in February, the response to Beauticate has been staggering - there’s been a lot of excitement about it and it has grown so quickly. I could see incredible opportunity in this space and see potential for it to grow even more. I also just love working on the site, having full editorial control to write about the things that interest me. I love creating beautiful videos and pictures and interviewing interesting people. In addition to that, it was incredibly appealing to have a more flexible schedule to spend more quality time with my beautiful little boy Max.
Was it a hard decision to leave Vogue and the world of magazine journalism?
It was hard to leave such a well respected title with such a wonderful team, but I’m so excited by what’s happening in the digital beauty space. The thing I've always enjoyed most about working in beauty is helping women look and feel better about themselves. The reality is that I have more opportunity to do this in immediate and direct ways through my own site. Consumer behavior is really changing now, with almost half of all new beauty purchases being influenced by digital channels, so there's just a great opportunity to be a part of this movement.
Do you think you’ll miss the world of magazines?
Of course! Magazines were my first love, but the growth and scope of digital is endless. There are so many ways to bring beauty tips and techniques to life and it’s actually refreshing not being limited to what you can print on a page and seeing all your ideas come to fruition so quickly is incredibly satisfying. I’ve always loved doing video, so it’s fun to be able to play around with that.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss only having one deadline a month (as opposed to every day!) and the tangible, tactile sensation of opening the magazine and seeing your words in black and white.
How does Beauticate differ from other beauty websites?
The site is very clean in design and easy to navigate with the clear division of the WHOS and HOW TOS. Readers get an access-all-areas pass into the bathrooms and vanities of inspiring celebrities and industry types. We get the real story on what they actually use with revealing interviews full of useful tips and tricks. The videos and GIFs are produced to a high quality and really get to the point quickly because I know that women don’t have time to sit and listen to a ten-minute-long video. We also occupy a unique space in the market. All of our readers are over the age of 18 – this is pretty rare in the digital beauty space, which has traditionally targeted a younger demographic (most YouTube stats are skewed towards 15-18 year olds). So we are able to talk to a more mature and sophisticated customer who has money to spend and wants to know where to spend it.
Will you be approaching beauty from new angles?
Women are so time poor and their browsing behaviour can be erratic, so we try to attract the reader with beauty solutions and stories that not only educate, but also entertain and amuse. People want more than the stock standard step-by-step, so in addition to the videos and animated GIFs, we write a lot of stories with a quirky, non-beauty twist by looking to popular culture, TV shows, music videos that provide inspiration with a touch of nostalgia and cult appeal.
Will the content be solely focused on beauty or will you include other lifestyle elements?
‘Beauty’ these days is much more multifaceted than simply looking at what you put on your skin and hair - it crosses into fashion, health, travel, fitness and cosmetic treatments – anything that makes you feel beautiful. I’ll be including beauty-related travel stories, treatment and spa reviews alongside fitness and health trends as well as the best recipes for glowing skin and shiny hair.
How are you turning your site into a fully-fledged business?
I’ve started working with brands to create integrated sponsored content – so they will have the opportunity to sponsor the HOW TO videos, animated GIFs and written posts. It’s all about creating native content that is attractive and useful to the reader and sits seamlessly within the site. The fact that the site is edited by an experienced journalist is also attractive to the brands as they know their message and objectives will be carefully considered.
Will you be mostly focused on Australian content or will there be international elements?
At the moment, it’s mostly Australian content but we have correspondents in New York and London who are shooting for the site. I am looking to expand our reach and audience internationally.
You have a full team of workers at Beauticate. Are you all working full-time?
I’m the only full time staff member at the moment. Our beauty editor, Madeleine Boyd, is part-time and our writers and interns all contribute remotely and from the office. The beauty of digital is you can work remotely with systems like Dropbox, our content management system, and various social and marketing tools.
What do you believe is the main strength that Beauticate brings?
For the reader, it provides a natural edit of only the products that really work and presents it in an intriguing and aspirational way. For the brands, it showcases their products beautifully and re-promotes their classic and cult products – which can be hard to do in a PR sense. Normally they need to have ‘newness’ to go to the media with. Having a product recommendation from a celebrity or industry expert is also the ultimate draw-card, so when you combine the two you have a winning formula.
Do you believe that the integrity you bring to the site is part of the reason behind its success?
As humans, we are always looking for authenticity and realness above all else, so I try to be as honest as possible when I write. I’m happy to be an open book when it comes to beauty and readers like to get to know you when you’re blogging.
What demographic is the site aimed at?
The site is aimed at a more discerning woman who doesn't always have time to read magazines, but wants a trusted source for your beauty advice. She's ranging from 18-65, with the majority of our readers aged from 25-34.
Are you involved in any other projects other than Beauticate?
I’m doing some freelance writing for a few publications as well as consulting, copywriting and social media for brands, spas and salons, but Beauticate is my main focus.
What are you hoping to achieve with Beauticate?
I want Beauticate to be the most exciting and engaging beauty website in Australia. I want it to be the first place women go when they’re seeking inspiration, trying to master a new beauty trick or searching for beauty information.
Where do you see the site heading?
We want to grow the editorial team and work with brands in more interesting ways that are relevant to the reader. We are already getting interest from overseas – it seems there is an appetite globally for credible, professionally-edited beauty content. Fashion and beauty content sites are one of the booming industries - Into The Gloss and Refinery 29 have both raised significant investment and are really growing from strength to strength. I think it’s a trend we’ll see continuing here and we're positioning ourselves to be a part of that growth.
Click here to visit the Beauticate site.
