Sigourney Cantelo is the Founder & Editor of Beauticate.com.au, and former Vogue Magazine Beauty and Health Director. With over 14 years experience in the industry, she has worked with celebrities and won numerous awards for her expertise.
We sat down with Sigourney to get a glimpse into her world right before she visits Canberra to lend some of her tips and tricks at her Beauty Workshop with Benefit Cosmetics this month.
Tell us about your career in the beauty industry?
I’ve been working in media for fifteen years – most of that time was spent in magazines and the last six years was at Vogue. I recently made the cross into digital to launch Beauticate and it’s been an incredible ride. There’s so much to learn and so much innovation and it lends itself so well to beauty – which, by nature, is demonstrative. It was always so frustrating being limited by what you could put on a page! Now we get to make a video when we want to explain something. And we can make pictures move with animated GIFS or report direct from fashion shows as it happens. We can go inside celebrity homes – as we do with our Who Profiles – and put a sneak peek up on social, like, right now. I love the immediacy!
What was the inspiration behind creating Beauticate? How did it come about?
Over the years as a beauty journalist I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some incredible beauty professionals, brand founders, celebrities, models and media personalities who, once you asked them about their beauty routine, you couldn’t shut up! I realized women love to talk about this stuff – and hear about it, too. I wanted to create a platform where we could see inside other people’s homes (and beauty cabinets, wardrobes and pantries) and find out what products they love and how they use them. I set about begging these people to let me inside their homes and shoot them, and even to make videos showing us how they attack different beauty techniques. This became the Who’s – which are our interviews with people like Kym Ellery and Michelle Bridges, Natalie Imbruglia and Lara Bingle – and the How-Tos – which are our instructional videos and stories.
Why is beauty important to you?
Women have always adorned themselves and been interested in grooming rituals – it’s part of our innate need to express ourselves and also care for ourselves. It’s also fun and accessible – a Chanel lipstick is much more affordable than a bag! I think of these little indulgences ‘cosmetic confections’ and they can seriously lift your mood. It’s no wonder lipstick sales go up in times of recession. But really, beauty to me is about self-respect and confidence. It’s about allowing yourself the time to indulge in a little ritualistic bliss, and to enjoy that act of transformation when you feel ready to face the world. Whatever it may throw at you.
Why is it important to women who visit the website?
For the same reasons. Even if you don’t identify yourself as being “into beauty” there’s always a product that you’re passionate about, something you’ve found that works for you or that your mum taught you. On Beauticate, I think we make beauty accessible and enjoyable. And an escape. Readers tell me they get lost for hours browsing through the photo shoots and videos. There’s a lot of fascinating stuff in there!
What will people learn from your beauty workshop in Canberra?
I’ll give you an overview of the beauty tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years from the best makeup artists and dermatologists, I’ll reveal the secret to a glowing complexion, the skincare that actually works and we’re doing some live makeup demonstration, too.
Is the event just for women or can men be ‘Beauticated’ as well?
Men are always welcome in the world of Beauticate – we frequently profile them on the site. As for our event – we’ll have to see! If we have some men in the audience I’ll definitely weave in some tips for them, too.
What live demonstrations will be on show at the event?
One of the biggest trends that have come to our attention in recent years (care of Kim Kardashian and about a thousand copycats after her) is, of course, contouring. We’ll show you how you can do it at home, the different tricks you can create using light and shadow with your makeup brush and how to give the illusion of everything from a slimmer nose to higher cheekbones.
Can you give our readers any teaser tips?
If you’re going to contour, choose a matte bronzing powder or cream. To create the illusion of shadow you want the light to absorb, rather than bounce off the area. On the other hand, your highlighter should have a little sheen in it as you’re trying to make the light reflect and bounce.
Can we expect to see more of you in Canberra in the future?
Of course, I hope you ask me back! I love to connect with audiences all over Australia and the world and the more women I can reach with Beauticate, the better.
Thanks Sigourney!
Join Sigourney as she presents the latest beauty trends from the international runways at Canberra Centre on Saturday 17 October. She will be teaming up with Benefit Cosmetics to show you how to contour like a pro during live demonstrations and more!
When: Saturday 17 October, 2:00pm – 3.30am
Where: Level 1, near Country Road, Canberra Centre
How: www.canberracentre.com.au
