One of my all time favorite follows on Instagram with her hilarious recaps of her Trader Joe's monologues, her quips about finance bro's in vest season and her amazing behind the scenes of her highly covetable job is, the one and only, Andrea Lavinthal, the illustrious Style and Beauty Director at People magazine. A witty and intelligent professional with nearly two decades of experience, Andrea is a beauty and pop culture maven, an accomplished writer, editor, and content creator who has left an indelible mark on the biggest print and digital beauty and entertainment media brands, including PEOPLE, Us Weekly, and Cosmo.
Andrea's influence extends beyond the pages of PEOPLE and the feeds of Instagram. She has graced the screens of numerous national television shows, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Access, seamlessly transitioning between the written and visual realms of media. Andrea's witty observations and self deprecating humor has also found a home in the auditory landscape, where she has been a co-host and a guest on numerous podcasts like PEOPLE in the 90's, Berner Phone and Not Skinny But Not Fat to name a few.
In a career marked by an unwavering dedication to the ever-evolving landscape of beauty and pop culture, Andrea stands as a vibrant and influential force. Join us as we delve into the captivating world of Andrea, where her extensive experience, keen eye for style, and passion for beauty and pop culture converge to shape a narrative that is as funny as it is informative.
Since you are a newlywed, what was your favorite wedding gift?
Someone sent us a picture of all four of us in full Viking attire. It’s totally bonkers and we love it but we had no idea who it came from. It took us two weeks to figure out it was from my cousin Brad. We have it displayed on the mantle in the living room.
What advice would you give to aspiring fashion and beauty journalists or editors looking to enter the industry?
Don’t ask someone (me) if you can meet for coffee and talk about their career. As much as I love to talk about myself, meeting for coffee is a time commitment and puts it on me to do the work for you. I prefer someone to reach out with a specific question that I can answer briefly via email or DM. That interaction could lead to more conversations and eventually a job.
What are some of the best perks of your job?
Free Botox.
Best celebrity interview?
Julia Roberts. I interviewed her on camera and asked her a kind of dumb question and we both burst out laughing. She was intimidating and down to earth at the same time. She also said she loved my sweater dress which was from Club Monaco. I told her that they let me borrow it for the interview but I had to send it back. A week later she sent me a very generous gift card to Club Monaco. I fell over.
Go to weeknight dinners?
Trader Joe’s turkey burgers because they’re hard to mess up. I buy like six boxes at a time.
What are your must-have self care essentials?
A 10-minute back massage at my nail salon once a month and my secret stash of Halloween candy in the pantry.
Favorite stores/sites to shop?
Veronica Beard, ALC, Zara, Shopbop and The Real Real (even though it kills me that they charge for shipping).
Favorite mom hack?
I always have the babysitter come at least an hour before I have to be out the door so I can have some towel time. (Towel time is laying on your bed after you shower in a towel. Bonus points if 27 Dresses is on TV.)
Favorite purchase?
Sparkly nude Mango flats that I call my “bubbe” shoes because they remind me of the shoes Jewish grandmothers wear to bat mitzvahs and weddings when they want to look fancy.
Favorite gift you've ever given?
I surprised my mom with a pair of diamond studs that I had made from her mother and grandmother's engagement rings. I’m pretty sure I knocked my brother out of the will with that gift.
Go to baby gift?
I just sent our friends a totally impractical but insanely cute mini denim jacket with the baby’s initials on it. The baby will probably wear it once, but it would look cool framed on a wall, which means I also gave them the gift of art!
Favorite NYC restaurant?
I love going to BondSt and reminiscing about how I used to be young and cool over tuna crispy rice.
You moved out of the city during covid, what do you miss most and least about city living?
I miss walking everywhere and crying in public on a street corner and having people ignore you. I do not miss the piles of trash everywhere (my suburbanness is showing).
Favorite trend of the moment?
Smart women with Substacks. My favorites: Amber Katz’s Things I Buy as a Civilian, Lindy Segal’s Gatekeeping, Hillary Kerr’s Hi Everyone With Hillary Kerr and Rachel Baker and Maggie Bullock’s The Spread.
Must have beauty products?
My job requires me to constantly try new products so I’m always switching it up. Right now I’m loving VirginSkin Daily Glow Active Hydrator which is a lightweight yet incredibly hydrating face cream. I’ve noticed that my skin looks better since I started using it. I’m also hooked on Gee Beauty Prime Skin which has a bit more coverage than a tinted moisturizer but not as much as a foundation. It gives you a nice glow and just evens everything out. I put that on everyday then I top it with my DIBS Beauty Desert Island Duo in shade 3. It has a bronzer on one side and a blush on the other. I apply both with the DIBS brush and I look like I know my way around a contour (I don’t). I never leave home (or my bedroom for that matter) without curling my lases and I’m a big mascara person. My current favorites are Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara and L’oreal Paris Panorama Washable Mascara.
Favorite podcast?
Bitch Sesh. I even paid to be a VIP member of the new Bitch Sesh Garbage Sesh, which felt like I was publicly proclaiming, slash outing myself, with the name garbage. Like, their accounting team now knows that I dabble in the lowest echelon of pop culture. But I always say that my favorite genre is smart people talking about dumb things, and they do it better than anybody.
Favorite Worthy Threads piece?
My Puff Sleeve Denim Jacket. I get so many compliments every time I wear it and it’s the perfect light jacket for traveling because it goes with everything. My almost five-year-old daughter has one too. I’m not usually into mother-daughter matching but this jacket is the exception because it’s just so cute.
