I hope you’re basking in some sunshine wherever you are today, friend. There’s a lot of extra good stuff to share today, including an interview with a longtime editor pal at one of America’s biggest women’s magazines.
You probably know this person (or at least recognize the name), so I’ll do my best to keep their identity concealed for job preservation’s sake. If you recognize their tone or specific thoughts, be kind and keep it between us so I can keep getting interesting details to serve you in newsletter form :)
Before we start: a palate cleanser. My neighbor’s new puppy.
Onto the goodies!
Smile-inducing:
Airlines are now required to refund passengers for delayed, canceled flights. Can I get a hallelujah?!
4-year-old receives life-saving heart transplant after waiting over 1,000 days. BEST NEWS!
No more non-compete BS from employers in the US. Winky-winky, former employer.
Germany has installed thousands of “solar balconies.” These make renewable energy access easier and cheaper for those living in apartments.
Eye-opening:
A Canadian grandma just broke the world record for the longest-ever plank. She-ro! 4.5 hours! Someone get this woman a leggings sponsorship.
Tesla continues to cut prices across the US, Chinese and German markets. Competition is brewin’.
Common nasal spray may help fight respiratory viral infections including COVID-19 and influenza. Seems positive!
Birds dream. And when they do, they sing. This is fascinating.
What I’m loving right now:
These 1-gallon glass drink dispensers with little chalkboards. Also, I have no idea how they’re $7.99 with free shipping, but they are.
This stain-removing spray. Holy sh*t it’s the best one I’ve ever used. It gets everything out—EVERYTHING. Expect me to write an in-depth review soon. It’s that good. Chocolate ice cream, ketchup, blood, grass—you name it. Not a PR sample, just genuine love that I’ve ordered and re-ordered many times.
Extra-large bottle of pure rosemary oil. I bought this a while back because it’s great for the scalp (we all know this by now), but the scent also repels bugs like whoa. And now I’m in my mosquito-hating era because it’s nearly May. A little bit goes a long way and works for hours.
These produce storage containers. Strawberries, blackberries, lettuce, etc all stay fresh for several days longer. Brilliant and super extra good.
Sales I’m shopping right now:
My fave organic cotton midi dress is on sale for $49. It has a built-in bra and I wear it basically everywhere. I have it in two colors, including this blush tone that’s slightly darker in real life.
ELF multi-sticks are $5 right now. Free shipping, loads of shades. Rivals the brand that rhymes with schmudeshtix, if you ask me.
A chat with a Senior Editor at an unnamed Conde Nast publication
Last week, we had the good fortune of hearing from Margot Grant Witz. After reading that interview, a friend at CN messaged me saying they had lots of tea to spill about what it’s like as a Senior Commerce Editor at one of Conde’s biggest titles.
And, it was eye-opening.
Will you publish the editor’s name?
No, because they asked me not to. I’m going as far as to refer to this person as they/them to protect any traces of identity. You’ll see why in a minute.
Extra Good: What’s the best part of your job?
Editor: Playing with products for a good chunk of my week is definitely cool. I wish it was the entire week. When you’re in journalism school nobody even tells you that reviewing silk sheets is a career option.
Extra Good: What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about being a high-ranking commerce editor at Conde Nast?
Editor: Well, it’s weird. I think everyone expects shopping and commerce editors to live these glammed-up lives in marble palaces, but in reality, our salaries are pretty abysmal and we work insanely long hours getting into the finer points of SEO.
Like anything else in corporate America, we sit in tons of useless meetings. By the time you boil all the red tape down, we’re only getting to talk about and try products about five to six hours per week.
And if you think about how much we say we tested products, that’s weird, because how can you really “thoroughly vet” a hair dryer or LED facial device if you’ve only used it a couple of times in the seven days you were given to write about it?
So I guess I’d say to take it all with a grain of salt. Believe a nail polish review or a roundup of waterproof mascaras because those are easy to deliver with accuracy.
Check a few reviews around the internet if it’s expensive stuff like medical-grade treatments.
I love what you’re doing, Bryce. You’re not caving to every SEO trend, you’re only talking about stuff you like… I guess having a newsletter is a good outlet for your most genuine thoughts.
*this made me blush!*
Extra Good: Any hot skincare-world gossip beauty enthusiasts should know about?
(We asked last week’s interview subject the same thing, so we’ll continue with this tradition)
Editor: Oh! Yes! There’s a lot of emphasis on no makeup right now and lots of behind-closed-doors meetings about how women’s titles will push beauty content without talking about makeup and color cosmetics quite as much.
The start of my career was around 2015 when makeup was everything and everyone was very overdone. Big eyebrows. Bold lips. Lots of graphic liner—endless contouring. The works!
But now there’s a push away from makeup—that it can and should be used sparingly— and even multi-step skincare systems are getting pared down to basics.
It’s really wild to see how dramatic the shift is, and we’re all trying to find our footing in a world with less emphasis on makeup and more emphasis on confidence. It’s just starting. I think 2025 or 2026 will be the height.
Then, because we’re all yin-yanging with trends, I expect we’ll be fully face-beat again by 2027 or 2028.
I’ve seen internal reports circulating about how this may change ad revenues and bottom lines. But for the average American woman, get ready to feel like your bare face is enough except for some random glitter or frosty nighttime glow—because that truly is the coming trend.
Extra Good: Anything else you want to share?
Well, I know you have a lot of media world subscribers. I would share that there’s going to be a crazy amount of turnover at my publisher in the next few months. Whole teams will leave and new ones will come in. Or maybe not.
Probably just cheaper freelancers who don’t know they’re entitled to full-time benefits by law.
I wouldn’t cross picket lines for a quick placement though. All the writers will go on to other things and other places, and I’d give those contacts the friendly treatment they deserve if you’ve had good working relationships.
And if you love a particular writer, follow them on social media so you can stay up to date with their work even if they move or get “eliminated.”
Extra Good: What do you wish the higher-ups knew about those on the picket line?
There’s some infighting between us and a bit of bullying on in-office days, so there’s room to win most of us over with fair contracts and things like added work-from-home and flexible PTO.
I know my best friend at work is a bit older than me with two kids and she wants the ability to show up for school plays and pediatrician appointments and all that stuff without having to take all her vacation time.
I want to know if my job is secure for at least six months so I can confidently sign an apartment lease.
For those just hearing about the Conde Nast issues, you can read about the Conde Union here.
Musings:
I’ll be sending Extra Good newsletters from South Florida next month, so don’t be shy if there’s a specific local topic you’d like me to delve into!
Have a popular thought leader or celeb who’d love to be interviewed in the next Extra Good? Or just one you’d love to see featured? Comment below or send me an email.
For my PR friends, if you have ground-breaking products and sales Extra Good readers need to know about, holler. Will do my best to get ‘em in if they’re truly can’t-miss.
Do me a favor? Tell a friend or colleague about the Extra Good newsletter. Means a lot to me.
Talk soon, bubbeleh. <3
Wow so sad about what's happening at Conde Nast - how unsettling that there's not enough job security to feel like you can sign a lease for somewhere to live :( Hopefully the higher-ups hear these stories and get a conscience! Thank you for the uplifting puppy content - that face!! Have a great time on vacay Bryce!