Everything you want to know about Leigh Campbell’s career

Leigh Campbell moved her lipsticks and bronzers over to Cosmopolitan’s headquarters seven years ago, and she hasn’t looked back. And while she’s dabbling in the online world with her personal blog, The Daily Coverage, she’s still very much committed to the Cosmo masthead. Here, she tells BD about the allure of working at Cosmopolitan, why she decided to launch a blog, and her biggest influencers.

How did you get your break into media?
I was helping out in the CLEO fashion cupboard and happened to be in the right place in the right time. SHOP Til You Drop had just launched, so Paula Joye offered me a job. I’ve been at Bauer (nee ACP) ever since - over 11 years.

Can you talk us through your career progression?
I was PA to SHOP’s editor at the time, Kerrie McCallum, as well as production editor. From there I moved onto pictures editor, then lifestyle editor (I have a tertiary education in interiors). From SHOP I moved to Cosmopolitan to head up the beauty desk after Zoe Foster left, and I’m still here!

You've been at Cosmopolitan for seven years - you must really love it! What’s the best thing about being beauty director at the title?
I really do love it; there is so much to love! Working on the biggest selling magazine in the world is pretty cool - you’d be hard pressed to find many people who haven’t heard of Cosmopolitan. I work with about 20 really dynamic young women who I professionally respect and personally gel with. I get to play with make-up and call it work. I could go on!

I'm sure you've been approached by other titles over the course of your career. What has made you stay loyal and committed to Cosmopolitan?
There have been some pretty tempting offers over the years. Truthfully, I’ve stayed because of my editor, Bronwyn. I still learn from her both from an editorial standpoint and a business perspective every week, even after seven years of working together. Plus, she won’t let me leave!

What do you think are the key qualities to being a successful beauty editor?
I think they’re the same regardless of the avenue a person wants to take in publishing: be diligent with your work, and determined (but patient) in your approach when you’re starting out. Operate with no ego, and try to reply to every email.

Is there any one person that has been most influential in your career?
It’ll turn into the Bronwyn fan club if I mention her again, but she’s definitely up there. Katrina Lawrence encouraged me to write my very first piece of copy, so I can undoubtedly state that I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. Peter Holder was a wonderful publisher and cheerleader for editorial staff and he is sorely missed.

What are the biggest changes the industry has gone through since you started out?
When I first started, the internet was for email and not much else. Now, there are websites and blogs to contend with traditional print media. We’ve also seen a huge focus on natural and organic skincare and cosmetics, which personally makes me very happy.  

With magazines facing tough times this year, does that affect how you feel towards the industry?
The Cosmopolitan masthead makes me feel pretty secure, so it doesn’t faze me. Change is the only true constant, so as a brand - and a person - you have to evolve or get left behind. In addition to our print title, we have a killer website with incredible numbers (averaging 7.5 million page views per month). All Cosmopolitan editorial staff contribute to the website, so personally I think it’s more like a masthead than a magazine.

You've recently launched a blog. Can you tell us a bit about it?
It’s called thedailycoverage.com and it’s a blog for all the things I am into outside of work (namely food, fitness, animals and fashion).

Why did you decide to launch a blog?
Much like a chef might go home and cook for pleasure, or a pro surfer will catch some waves for fun outside of competitions, I think it’s natural for a writer to have a blog as a hobby.

Where do you see your blog heading?
I really don’t think about it, and that’s the joy in it for me. I can post three times a week, or not for a fortnight. I have no deadlines, no guidelines and no limitations. I blog about everything except beauty, because that’s what I do for Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan and my career always come first, and the blog is purely a hobby. I have no plans to commercialise or monetise the site – it very deliberately looks and feels like a personal blog. I think there are far too many sites and blogs out there than contain mostly only sponsored content. That’s not what TDC.com is about.

How do you split your time between writing for Cosmopolitan and The Daily Coverage?
Monday to Friday is all about Cosmopolitan. On the weekends and on some week nights I write for TDC.com, but I honestly don’t spend that much time on it – I don’t have the time right now! It’ll ebb and flow naturally. I’m floored by the impressive numbers I see in my fancy Google analytics for TDC.com, considering how little time I spend on it. It’s nice when people like what you’re doing.

Print or online - do you have a favourite medium?
Both, for very different reasons. I like online for quick and easy referencing, but you can’t beat print for beautiful glossy images, industry profiles, and to curl up with - just add a glass of rosé.

How has your attitude towards beauty changed over the years?
I’m not sure my attitude has changed. If anything, I love it more than when I started. I never dreamt of working in magazines or in beauty - it sort of just happened. And I am so glad it did.

What advice would you offer young journalists in the media industry today?
I’m contacted all the time by budding beauty editors and writers and I try to reply to all of them as I know I’d have loved some advice at career forks in my life. I put it all down here: http://www.thedailycoverage.com/2014/10/02/my-career-footnotes/