AMA with Into The Gloss’s Emily Ferber at The Assembly
On a Saturday morning in March, The Assembly offered our members and guests coffee, croissants, and the no BS wisdom of literal Beauty (/Editorial) Queen Emily Ferber at The Assembly.
At events, we’re always half jotting down notes and trying to remember our favorite tidbits without getting out of the moment. So for those of you who, like us, are always searching for ways to squirrel away juicy nuggets from incredible women, here’s our Assembly CliffsNotes version of the event.
Emily’s thoughts…
…on her career path
“I wish someone had preached patience to me. The biggest tip I can give anyone is to work really hard and be flexible. Have patience with yourself, your manager, your company and things will evolve and work out.”
… on her 5-step everyday makeup routine
- Concealer applied with a brush (To cover imperfections without the all-over foundation look.)
- Boy brow (Emily herself focuses on the brow and has been skipping mascara entirely!)
- Signature lipstick + balm (Emily uses the pads of her fingers to pat on a bit of her favorite Chanel shade then slathers her lips in Balm Dotcom.)
- Hydration
- Reduce shine with a bit of bronzer applied big fluffy brush
…on what she looks for in a new product
- Ingredients list. Look at the order of the ingredients. They will be listed from highest concentration to lowest concentration. Look for products with the fewest ingredients.
2. Recommendations and reviews. Emily wants to see that a product is recommended by people that she trusts. “Don’t trust product with only one review. It’s like an airbnb; you want to make sure some other people have stayed there.”
3. A tactile moment. Stop into a Sephora or department store to touch and feel (and sample!) a product of interest before investing in a full size version.
…on the beauty trend she’s keeping an eye on
Natural beauty products have shifted from “luxury” items to more actionable “problem solvers.” We’re a solutions oriented culture so it’s only logical that we’d specific results from the serums and salves we pat onto our faces each day. More brands are recognizing this and focusing on skin health; treating the skin as an organ and helping customers to take care their skin with the same attention they give to rest of their body. Be wary of the supplement trend and remember that just because something is recommended to you by a friend or article, it doesn’t mean it’s what your body needs. When in doubt, consult with a medical professional.
…on finding and honing your voice as a writer
- Don’t be a Writer. “Drop the ‘writer-ness’ of it. I don’t want to know you’re a writer. I don’t care if you’re a writer. All I care about is what you write. Don’t try to be too clever; don’t write anything you wouldn’t say out loud.”
- Be Natural. “So often when I need someone to write me something, I’m like, ‘Don’t open notes, don’t open evernotes, or whatever you use. Write me an email. How would you tell me?’ Because that’s what the reader really loves. Know your audience and know who you’re writing to.”
- Let your jokes breathe. “Don’t try too hard to be funny and let your jokes live. I feel like a lot of writers will have something that they know is funny, and then they want to make sure you know it’s funny, so then there’s this second sentence — cut the second sentence. They don’t need it. Never ever write, ‘No pun intended’ or “Pun intended”. Let the pun live, the pun was funny.”
- Edit, edit, edit. “Always cut your first paragraph. Almost always rewrite your lede.”
I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Emily as much as we did!
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