As I, Andrea, shift aside into my new “helicopter” role as Editor At Large, I am excited to say my shoes will be beautifully filled with an amazing young woman who has accepted the role as Editor – esprit Magazine Australia.
I’ve known Michelle Ruzzene for years – she lights up a room with her smile and she also walks the walk and talks the talk. She has played with the trends, spun her own adaptations, got up-close-and-personal with beauty industry icons and leaders while always giving thought to her story angle.
Absolutely aligned with esprit’s approach of ‘what does it really MEAN?’ her content creation is researched and thoughtful. She’s come from an early career in local newspapers and is highly experienced in digital, having worked in the newsrooms at ninemsn and Yahoo! And beauty has filled her professional life from that time and throughout her journalism career on Professional Beauty and INSTYLE hair magazines.
Over to Michelle…
Feelings for the role
“Andrea is an industry icon who founded, nurtured and steered esprit magazine into the thriving publication and business that it is today. To have the opportunity to take over the reins under her guidance is such a blessing and an honour. Anyone who has met Andrea knows she is an intelligent, business-minded woman with a wicked sense of humour who also has the most beautiful soul.
As the bible of the pharmacy and department store retail beauty industry, esprit is the go-to publication for all beauty advisors looking to stay up to date with the latest news, launches and happenings on the shop floor and in business. The retailers, the brands, the indie founders are all tapping in to esprit’s content – it’s a flourishing readership I am so keen to get to know personally. The beauty industry has seen explosive development over the past few years and it’s exciting to be at the forefront of this.”
Interest in beauty
“I’m a self-confessed absolute beauty junkie. As the former beauty editor of Professional Beauty and INSTYLE, I was able to immerse myself in the latest launches, tech and news in the professional beauty space. I also used to have my own beauty blog, Beauty Hacks, because I was so obsessed with all things beauty related. And I’m clearly not alone – the beauty industry was recently valued at around $US532 billion* and that figure is rapidly climbing.
It’s exciting to see so many beauty brands focussing on the consumer experience in the beauty space and to witness the impact of technology on the industry with the introduction of smart mirrors, at-home devices, apps etc. It’s also refreshing to see so many beauty companies taking a vested interest in sustainability and the growth of the green beauty sphere.”
Early inspirations in beauty
“When I was younger I loved flicking though the beauty pages of Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and the like. But since starting in the B2B space I’ve discovered so many inspirational people in the beauty industry. Whether they are managing a team of people on the shop floor, have started their own business, have been a part of one of the beauty giants or are an educator or trainer, so many people have fantastic, inspirational stories to share. Some of them I’ve met personally include Mecca founder Jo Horgan, makeup maestro Rae Morris, former editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly and Priceline ambassador Ita Buttrose and many more. It’s humbling and inspiring to see so many women making a change in the beauty industry.”
Career highlights and experience
“I started my journalism career at the Port Macquarie News and loved reporting on everything from the prices of prawns at Christmas to accidental murders and sieges at McDonald’s. From there I worked at what was then ninemsn as a digital news producer, covering such events as the 2010–11 Queensland floods, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the Pike River Mine disaster. I then worked at Yahoo! Australia (formerly Yahoo7 between 2006 until 2018) as an online producer covering the holy trinity of food, fashion, and of course, beauty.
It was after that I went back to print at The Intermedia Group (TIG) working as a beauty editor on Professional Beauty and INSTYLE. Now I’m on another TIG title: Editor at esprit – it’s been publishing for 32 years!** Andrea is a legend in the industry and I can’t wait to take her legacy on its new journey.”
Michelle can be contacted at michelle@esprit-magazine.com.au or +61 402 277 286
*Edited.com
** Publishing as a monthly print in the UK, to a quarterly ‘industry bible’ in Australia and now with the lively website and weekly newsletter!