In Conversation with Julia Casella From beautyblender
[Originally published on the Dash Hudson blog.]
If you’re a member of the DH family, then you know firsthand that we work with really amazing companies that have absolute killer social marketing teams. Our good deed to the world is putting the spotlight on them to share their wealth of radness.
This week we spoke with the lovely Julia Casella from cult favorite cosmetics tool beautyblender. Keep reading to learn what college major lead to her social media career path, what beautyblender considers to be a top notch social post, and what she does to unwind on Friday nights. 🦄
To all the ladies out there, tell me: what is your number one favorite beauty tool? My crystal ball tells me you answered beautyblender. The little egg-shaped spongy makeup applicator has been a longtime cult favorite amongst regular women and professional artists alike. And with good reason: it’s been often imitated but never duplicated.
While the brand was born long before companies were using Instagram for business, it certainly feels like it was made for it. The tool’s appearance alone is a social manager’s dream, as the creative possibilities with pretty squishy foam are endless. Cute designs with joie de vivre values at its core jump out when first glancing over beautyblender’s Insta gallery. The social media expert behind this skillfully curated feed is Julia Casella.
Marketing through Instagram is a far from obvious endeavor, yet Julia makes it look incredibly fun and effortless. The numbers speak for themselves: beautyblender boasts an impressive 1.4 million followers and shows no signs of slowing down, as the brand’s content is evidently resonating with its millions of fans. New product launches always generate a ton of hype in industry circles as well as with makeup enthusiasts, and their video tutorials are nothing short of addictive (I speak from experience). Julia’s expertly concocted social media plan is clearly working!
No surprise there when you learn the kind of cool stuff she did in school and where she hangs out on Friday nights. 🌹
Name and occupation:
Julia Casella, Social Media Manager at beautyblender
1. What was your college major, and why did you choose it?
I studied Media, Culture and Communication (MCC) at NYU. I was originally a philosophy major but ended up switching because I wanted something a little more, ahem, practical. I liked that my MCC classes were a good mix of theory (think: Walter Benjamin, Marshall McLuhan) and contemporary discussions around media and technology.
For one of my classes I wrote a paper on how Netflix developed House of Cards using big data; for another class I looked into the laws around giving companies like Apple biometric data such as your fingerprint.
2. Favorite part of the job?
I love working for such a beloved brand. Our blender is the best, and even though countless companies have tried to duplicate us, nothing compares to the original. And customers know that! I get messages all the time from people on social telling us how much they love their beautyblender. I have so much confidence in the product, which is incredibly important when you work in marketing.
I also love that while the brand is so big, the company still feels small. I am so enamored with our founder Rea Ann — she is super involved in the day-to-day of the business — and I feel really lucky to get as much face time with her as I do.
3. Favorite social media platform and why?
Instagram. It’s how I discover new places — from restaurants, to art exhibits — and it’s the inspiration behind so many of my purchases. The reason I’m such a big advocate for influencer marketing is because I convert on influencer posts all the time!
4. What makes a great Instagram post for beautyblender?
Lots of blenders! Or a great tutorial where you see an awesome before and after. Cleansing videos also do so well for us. There’s something so satisfying about watching someone clean beautyblenders — the makeup melts away and they look new again!
5. What is your personal Instagram guilty pleasure?
@evan_ breen_ is hilarious. I’m also obsessed with Spencer Pratt, but he’s even better on Snapchat/Twitter.
6. Three things you can’t live without?
- Calling my mom: I talk to her on the phone at least twice a day, and lately she’s been obsessed with bitmoji so she sends them to me all day long.
- Blowouts: I have super long hair and I’m a pro at making them last forever.
- Books: I love to read and I take every chance I can to disconnect and pick up a real, physical, not-on-a-screen book.
7. What’s on your travel bucket list?
Morocco and Australia are two places I can’t stop thinking about.
8. Who’s your style or beauty icon?
This is a tough one, but I really like Kelsey (played by Hillary Duff) on the show Younger — she’s always wearing her hair in cute ways and her makeup is simple but pretty.
9. Biggest vice? (be honest)
I can be really impatient. Living in NYC makes you spoiled sometimes and I have to remind myself that not everything is going to happen right when I want it to. I’ve also been known to follow up with “HELLO?!?!?” when my friends don’t text me back fast enough…
10. Where can we find you on a Friday night?
A museum (the Whitney is open until 10 on Fridays and Saturdays!), dinner/ drinks with friends or at home with a face mask.
You know what to do next: go give BeautyBlender a follow to make your daily Instagram scrolls a little better!
Want to become a member of the DH family? Hit us up today.
