In our Ask a Stylist series, we’re tapping a new expert each month to weigh in with all of their style insights. Return for a professional’s perspective on what to know in fashion.
As a beauty editor, there’s something about a skincare sale that really ignites something inside of me. It’s like the best kind of adrenaline rush. Not only am I instantly determined to score the best discounts, but I’m also determined to sort through every on-sale product and curate an edit of must-have, can’t-miss, and don’t-want-to-live-without products. It’s a good thing, too, because that’s literally my job…
I admit that I’ve always loved being in the sun. Growing up, I felt as though I needed to have some kind of tan because I never felt like myself when I was pale. But I can pinpoint when my mole changed. Last year, I went on a few sunbeds before going on vacation to get a ‘base tan‘, which I thought would help me tan better and faster in the sun. [Editor’s note: Dermatologists say that a ‘base tan’ provides negligible protection from the sun. It is equivalent to about SPF 4, which is far from the minimum SPF 30 that experts recommend.] Thinking I’d be totally fine, I booked in for 10 sunbed sessions before I went away, starting with six minutes, upping this to eight minutes and then 10 minutes each time. When I was on vacation, I was out in the sun and tanning every day. Though I used a high-factor sunscreen on my face, I used a tanning oil containing just SPF 8 on my body. Basically, the SPF was nonexistent.
Most Wanted is a weekly series in which one editor, staffer, or influencer shares their top 30 must-haves or current wish-list items.
Summer is easily the only season that simultaneously excites and disappoints me. The promise is always there: The fun clothes! The easy makeup! The warm weather! But more often than not, I’m reminded that I’m not, in fact, in high school anymore and won’t be on a two-month-long vacation, and I really shouldn’t have taken my glory days for granted.
Biggest negotiation regret: Although not strictly salary, my biggest regret is not negotiating my time and going part-time (80% of full-time would be an average of 40 hours a week rather than 48). I am a believer that time is money, that money can buy you time and that time is one of your most precious resources. At one point in my career, I really hoped to work 60 or 80% of full-time, which would have meant a reduction in salary accordingly. I contacted the department about this and did not receive a reply. I tried again and again and still nothing. I then worked out that 80% meant working two or three less shifts a month but for a lot less pay. I felt awkward about my request, knowing that attitudes towards less than full-time working are not always positive, so I emailed to rescind my request. Within 10 minutes I got a response saying: “Perfect.” That summed up the attitude of some (but not all) of my colleagues, in my opinion. I regret not pushing to work less than full-time as I became burnt out and exhausted, and childcare costs increased as I had to have my child in full-time childcare just in case I had to work certain days. Most disappointingly and importantly, time with my child and for myself was exchanged for a couple of extra thousand pounds a year (if that) after childcare, which to me is not worth it.
