All about Miss Leigh Van Den Berg

Cape Town based freelancer and copywriter Leigh Van Den Berg is currently working for Magazines and ad agencies, she mostly works from home but sometimes in-house as well. Among the many things she does, she also holds a beauty and Fashion Editor Position at a local online women’s magazine,” so I’m crazy busy but I love what I do. Writing about beauty is probably the thing I enjoy the most so I also have a beauty blog. It’s a great way to indulge that passion even further.” She started off her career by working for a small boutique ad agency, “but I can’t even remember its name right now. (Seriously! It was some random acronym and they retrenched me within six months.)”  

She has since worked for The Publishing Partnership, TBWA Hunts Lascaris, The Jupiter Drawing Room full-time “and what feels like a zillion other places in a freelance capacity ever since. “

And so here is all you need to know about Miss Leigh Van Den Berg J

• You been in the industry for some time, where did you love working the most and why?
  From my bed at home. I’ve had office gigs I’ve really enjoyed but nothing compares to working in your PJs with a face mask on.

• What was the best part of your job?
   Which one? ;-P

• Why did you get into the beauty industry?
  I was the assistant editor for Clicks ClubCard magazine for four years and found I enjoyed writing the beauty stories the most. I also loved getting to learn about new products months before they’d hit the shelves.

• Which is your favourite product and why?
  You’d have to give me a category to narrow it down. A good make-up bag is like a paint box – you need several shades to create something pretty. 

• Which product is always in your handbag?
  An el cheapo ‘mood’ lipstain I pick up at the Dis-Chem sale or Chinese stores, MAC Blot powder, Guerlain Parure powder foundation, Essence blotting powders and lipgloss. (Right now it’s MAC lipglass in Flashmode, a fuchsia colour),

• Where do you usually do your shopping and which is your favourite clothing brand?
  I tend to buy a lot from Woolies and Cotton On but get a lot of my shoes and handbags from New Look online.

• How would you describe your style?
  Bleh. I don’t know. Feminine? I like fashionable things but tend to pick out pieces that flatter as opposed to what’s trendy. I like to wear colour, especially blue, in summer but in winter my wardrobe’s pretty much black, black, black with the odd splash of animal print and lots of gold, blingy accessories.
  

• Which item of clothing do you believe is a necessity and one cannot live without?
  Flip, don’t know. Jeans ‘cos they match everything? But then you’d need a top too ‘cos your arms would get tired from covering your boobs all day.

• Which product do you believe is a necessity and one cannot live without?
  I really appreciate the existence of self-tan. But I’d struggle if that was all I could take to a desert island.

• What’s your winter beauty tip for the ladies and gents out there?
  Shop for good, proven ingredients not brands, regardless of the season.

• In your spare time, when you aren’t working, what do you love doing?
  I don’t get a lot of that so when I do I like to binge drink with my friends, eat copious amounts of sushi and watch TV series in bed.

• Which is your favourite hangout place and why?
  My flat. (I sound like a total hermit now, don’t I?)

• Which is your Favourite Fashion Magazine?
  None. I don’t really read magazines.

• What are you currently doing?
  Right now I’m mostly busy with scripting the VO (voice over) for a new TV show called Hayden Quinn South Africa. 

• What advice do you have for people wanting to get into the beauty industry?
  I’m not sure. I don’t really work in the beauty industry – I’m a media peep who writes about beauty. But if anyone wanted to become a beauty editor I’d suggest they get any mag or online job they could find to learn the ropes in general and then angle towards beauty from there.

• Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
  I’ll still be working like a dog but hopefully I’ll have a mooi hubby and possibly a toddler. I’m not sure how I’ll juggle everything but I suspect that that’s one of the things I’m here to learn.

10 Seconds with Leigh

• Favourite Lip-gloss?

That would be like choosing a favourite child.

• Favourite Perfume?

Thierry Mugler Alien eau Extraordinaire, Narciso Rodriguez for Her, Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea and Versace Signature in no particular order.

• Favourite Nail Polish?

In winter it’s anything red. In summer I always revert back to Essie’s Exotic Liras, a berry-fuchsia shade.

• Favourite Chocolate?

None, really. I’d rather have cheese.

• What do you Love about Cape Town?

My friends who live here, its beauty, the creative industry, the awesome restaurants, the shopping… there’s lots to love about Cape Town. I’m a big fan. 

 To keep up with Miss Leigh Van Den Berg  you can catch up with her on her blog @ www.lipglossismylife.com and follow her on twitter @lipglossgirl

Happy Shopping Guys
XoXo