Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and your backgrounds before starting gloss etc?
ST: I moved from Adelaide to Sydney when I was 21 for an unpaid internship at Cosmopolitan magazine (I worked in a shoe store to pay the bills). The risk (or naivety) paid off, when that turned into a full-time gig as editorial coordinator and later, features writer. Sherine and I actually met in this era, as we shared a floor and had the same job at different titles (she was PA to the editor at Harper’s BAZAAR) so we had to schlepp to the courier dock 160 times a day together. From there I moved across to Girlfriend magazine as beauty editor, then editor, where I stayed for nine years, before returning back to the beauty director chair, this time at marie claire, where I was also reunited with Sherine on the beauty desk. I left in 2016 to go travelling and have freelanced for many titles since, as well as brand consulting and copywriting for beauty brands.
SY: I worked in magazines for a long time, in many different
What is gloss etc?
SY: It’s basically a magazine beauty news page, delivered to your inbox. It looks unlike any other beauty newsletter out there, and that’s on purpose; a beautifully designed newsletter, packed with actually useful beauty news, reviews, expert tips from dermatologists, chemists and brand founders, and interesting articles and podcasts we think you should know about. We only write about products we’ve actually tried and tested ourselves, which sounds obvious, but it’s something we’re sticklers about as we won’t just rehash a press release. And it’s delivered in a straightforward, no-BS way, like how we talk to our family and friends in real life.
ST: It’s… not a Substack! It’s our WhatsApp groups brought to life. Every question you want to know, every product you’re curious about, and weird little internet finds for all your beauty hyperfixations. We have a community, not an audience; it’s a two-way street. We put our combined 30+ years of beauty editing knowledge together to cut through the hype, the viral trends and the overconsumption, to help you navigate beauty without the overwhelm.
You launched gloss etc during Covid-19; was it a spur of the moment or had you always seen yourselves going down the entrepreneurial path?
ST: When we launched gloss etc I was 17 years (8.5 months) pregnant with my second child… So no, it was not spur of the moment! It was not ideal timing, but when is it ever? I just felt so strongly about the idea and the need for something like this in the beauty space that we couldn’t not do it. At the time everyone was launching podcasts or websites, but I never had time to listen to podcasts or browse for hours on a website. One thing I always did, though, was check my emails. So, we set about creating something that would bring a little hit of joy to your inbox and that didn’t ask anything from the reader. It just comes to your email, you read when you have time, click if you like something, and hopefully, come away with some new information. The concept of something that wasn’t fighting for your time, or against an algorithm, was exciting to me; it sat between the luxury of magazines and the constant churn of digital media. We carved out our own little space and I felt so passionately about the idea and the team (Sherine and our creative director, Acacia) that the burning desire was to do this with them more so than being an entrepreneur.
SY: Having my own business was not part of my plan at all, but covid upended everything, right? I think it was maybe six months from when Sarah and I initially discussed gloss etc to sending
out our first issue in November 2020. A lot of planning and thinking and marinating and researching, roping in our mutual friend, Acacia… So no, it definitely wasn’t a spur of the moment thing!
gloss etc has achieved remarkable success since its launch. What do you consider your biggest achievements to date?
SY: I love our beauty community and I’m so proud of our outstanding open rate— 60% and the industry average for beauty newsletters is less than 20%. So yeah, we’re seriously chuffed with that. I’m also incredibly proud that a lot of our peers, across editorial, brand and advertising, are always telling us how much they love the newsletter and look forward to Thursday afternoons for their gloss hit. There’s something about earning the respect of your peers that just hits differently.
ST:Exactly what Sherine said. When we first launched and achieved that open rate, I thoughtvmaybe it would peter off as we grew, but it remained steady despite our growth rate. That, and the genuine feedback we get weekly, confirms that we’re not just adding to the content-noise, but that we have created something special that adds value to people’s lives.
What have been some of your biggest professional challenges since launching gloss etc and how did you overcome them?
SY: For the first year and a bit, it was educating brands about what we were trying to do. Newsletters were starting to gain traction overseas but hadn’t really been discussed here in Australia. We had to explain that yes, we were just a newsletter (and Instagram!), and no, we didn’t have a podcast or website. Of course, now everyone has a Substack, which is great, because we don’t have to explain ourselves, and even despite the surge of Substack, there is nothing like gloss etc in the market.
ST:Having a small team is incredible for agility, but the downside is that you wear many hats, so we’re negotiating collaborations and chasing invoices one minute, then switching to creative mode the next. The creative comes far more easily to me, so the rest is a work in progress. Also, I think managing my own expectations is always a challenge, I’m a Capricorn, and it’s in my DNA to be an overachiever.
gloss etc founder, Sarah Tarca
What do you think has been the key factor in gloss etc’s rapid rise to success?
ST: We have a clear vision, a genuine curiosity and a passion for knowledge, we’re transparent so our community trusts us, and we listen to them so they always feel heard. gloss etc was never about us, but rather how we can best share our knowledge with the world, which is why it is so community focussed and accessible. Being invited into your inbox is personal and we treat it like that.
SY:I think we bring a lot of experience to the table. We’re beauty journalists first, and we have the magazine ethic of researching, interviewing and fact-checking before publishing anything. If we feature something in the newsletter or on Instagram, you know that we or one of our trusted “etc” members (family and friends) have personally tried and tested the product—we never cover products off a press release or image, so you’re getting genuine and honest reviews.
gloss etc founder, Sherine Youssef
What are some myths about beauty journalism? Why do you think they exist?
ST: A curious one I often get is people asking if I studied beauty therapy, or if I can do their makeup. We’re journalists who specialise in beauty and whilst we have learnt from the very best over the years and know a lot because of them, we’re writers, not dermatologists or makeup artists. There’s also an assumption that every beauty editor has great skin, and we do indeed have access to incredible products and treatments, but we also volunteer our own face as a tribute for everything – and I have the regularly impaired skin barrier to prove it.
SY: That we love everything, and every single product ever launched is amazing (we don’t and they’re not, we just generally don’t cover things we don’t love), that it’s easy (finding new and interesting ways to write about lipstick or cleanser, or glowing skin or shiny hair, is not easy!), or that it’s fun – actually that’s true, it is fun.
What does it take for a beauty, skincare or fragrance brand to make it to the gloss etc newsletter?
ST: Innovation and interesting ingredients always get me, or if a product genuinely fills a gap in the market (because these gaps are pinholes at this point). I also have a penchant for really quirky items; Sherine will attest that if it’s got a weird hook, I’m the one with my hand up for trial.
SY: We would have had to actually try the product IRL. Sounds simple, but I can’t tell you how many emails I get along the lines of, “We’ve just launched XYZ, and would love it if you could cover it, here are some images.” That’s rehashing your press release, which is not what we do.
Women are often conditioned to believe we can’t have it all, contentment, marriage, children and professional success. What’s your response to this?
SY: I subscribe to the Oprah Winfrey theory: You can have it all, just not all at once.
ST: Sherine stole my line! But it’s true. Balance is a myth, but I think happiness is found in accepting that there are ebbs and flows in every part of your life and they can coexist in some sort of harmony. You can always find moments of calm in the chaos, even with a new business, a newborn and a two-year-old.
What’s next in 2024 for gloss etc?
ST: I did have world domination on the list, but my kids still don’t sleep through the night so that may have to wait until next year. Honestly though, we love what we do, and the fact we get to do it (and call it work!) is a privilege that is not lost on us. If we get to do this, grow our community, work with people we admire and have creative freedom, I mean, I’d be outright greedy to ask for more because that’s pretty near perfect.
SY: More of the same would be amazing: continue to create content we’re proud of, work with brands we love, and interact with our incredible community.
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