Tiffany Dodson is the Associate Market Editor at SELF. When it comes to knowing what the newest trends in fashion, beauty and e-commerce are, she leads the charge. Tiffany’s been published in Teen Vogue, Bustle and Galore Magazine to name a few. I’m excited to share a fun story about her childhood as well as some amazing beauty tips in her interview below.
The Interview
What’s the most on brand situation from your childhood that predicted your career as a writer and editor?
I used to be really into writing my own plays and short stories as a kid. One Christmas morning while I was in middle school, my aunt gifted me with a tape recorder (how fitting!), and it basically became my best friend. I took that thing everywhere and always had a pack of blank tapes at the ready. I even recorded a soap opera on it off the top of my head—and voiced all the characters myself—which became one of my favorite after school hobbies.
If you haven’t had any sleep and need to look “fresh faced to the world,” what 3 products are you using?
It’s so funny that you asked this question, because I’ve recently written a story about it! If I could only choose three products to fake a full night’s sleep, it would undoubtedly be a good moisturizer (Tidal Brightening Enzyme Cream by Sunday Riley is one of my favorites), concealer (right now I’m using Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch), and a natural looking highlighter like the Hydra Highlighter Stick by Noto Cosmetics.
What’s the most versatile beauty product in your handbag?
One of the most versatile products in my bag would probably be my Bite Beauty Multi-Stick, because I can literally use it everywhere (but I usually just stick to my lips and cheeks).
What’s your favorite organic beauty brand and why?Right now, I’m really loving all of the body washes and oils from Esker. The brand is entirely organic and plant-based, and smells and feels amazing—I use it every day.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? I’ve gotten a lot of great advice over the years, but one thing that continues to resonate with me is something my grandmother always said, “you pick your battles.” Not everything is worth fighting over or stressing out about, which still rings true today and always.
Want to keep up with Associate Market Editor Tiffany Dodson on Instagram? Click here to get the latest scoop on amazing products and trends!
Elise Roberts is an award-winning news reporter and TV producer with over a decade of experience. Tireless dedication to her craft catapulted Elise from broadcast journalism to producing segments for one of the most respected and recognized news networks, CNN/HLN. When she’s not in front of the camera, Elise enjoys hosting community events, fashion and interior design. Multi-talented and beautiful, she transitions from role to role with ease and confidence. It was my pleasure to speak with Elise and learn more about what has influenced her most. Get all the details in her interview.
What did you dream of being as a child?
Funny enough, I always wanted to be a ‘news lady’ when I grew up. Every night, my family would tune in to the local news and I always thought the women handled themselves with so much poise and grace. not to mention, they were confident in their delivery and knew what they were talking about. It didn’t take long for me to figure out, this is exactly what I want to do. I would read out loud to my Barbie’s. In fact, I would read just about anything out loud that had words on it. By middle school, my love for writing also grew. I did the school announcements, won essay projects and scholarships. I even contributed an essay for the program of my high school commencement. No one was surprised when I became a journalist.
Was there a person in your life who heavily influenced your career choices?
You know the saying: It takes a village. That is definitely the case for me. I have friends and mentors who help me along the way. And like many women on TV, Oprah laid my foundation for media. Much like myself, she heard no countless times but her perseverance made her one of the most successful women of our time. She’s never boxed herself in to just being a TV News anchor. She knew when and how to move on in a way that used all of her talents. I’ve the pleasure of meeting and interacting with her on two occasions where I thanked her for being unapologetically herself. I also gained some valuable career advice that I have kept to myself for quite sometime.
On the other hand, there are people whom I’ve never met who helped shape my career. Tamron Hall is at the top off the list. She writes her own rules and it’s nice to see a confident beautiful woman of color who can hang with the best of them and do it with sass.
What’s your favorite room to style and why?
My love of fashion easily translates to my love of decor. I’ve always said if I weren’t working in TV, I would definitely be in design. Whether fashion or home decor. Lucky for me, my friends and family always call on me to help design their spaces so I get to dabble in it quite a bit. The living space is my favorite space. I love finding great anchor pieces of furniture and then layering fantastic rugs, art and accessories. I’m currently obsessed with the designs of Monet Masters. These ladies are phenomenal!
Living Room Space Styled By Elise
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t worry. You’ve got this.
What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
There’s a lot. Despite what you see on my Instastories, I’m actually pretty private. But there are a few things: I read a passage from my bible every morning, I love to dance, I don’t drink coffee, I love old school hip-hop, I think I’m the best TeeTee on the planet, and if there were a movie about my life: my family and friends would suggest that Gabrielle Union play me. How’s that? 🙂
When it comes to luxury beauty, Dana Oliver’s expertise is second to none. As Beauty Director at Yahoo Lifestyle, she covers beauty news, features and interviews celebrities and influencers within the beauty vertical. Her video series “Full Coverage With Dana Oliver,” highlights the latest in editor-approved beauty products to make you feel and look your absolute best. Dana has also been an advocate for diversity and inclusion and recently participated in an Inclusive Beauty Talk with Barney’s New York. I’m excited to share a piece of her journey with you below.
Have you always been into beauty? At what age did it become evident?
My earliest beauty memory is watching my mother apply Fashion Fair foundation — everything from the powder pink compact to the creamy brown texture of the makeup is imprinted on my mind. I also fondly recall my grandmother’s favorite perfume, Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds. Seeing how the women I love most incorporated beauty into their daily routine definitely intrigued me. But it wasn’t until I was a preteen and started experimenting with my own hair, rocking braided hairstyles inspired by Brandy that my love for beauty really blossomed. I love how my attitude changed and confidence grew with every box braids, micro braids appointment.
If you could only use 3 skincare products, which ones would you recommend?
I swear by sunscreen and strongly recommend applying a facial sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30. One of my current favorite is by Black Girl Sunscreen — I love how it doesn’t leave a white cast on my dark complexion.
I am also a HUGE fan of SK-II Facial Essence Treatment. The texture of my skin is much smoother and overall clearer since making this a part of my skincare regimen.
Now that I am a mom, I get way less sleep than I’d like to. So I keep dark under-eye circles at bay by smoothing on OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème. This product also makes for a moisturizing prep before applying any eye makeup.
What’s the best beauty hack you’ve come across?
After painting my nails, I like to give them a quick ice water bath to help set the polish and get them to dry quicker.
What’s your favorite quote and why?
My favorite quote is actually a Bible verse that my late grandmother would always reference to uplift me:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
Tell us something about you that most people don’t know.
Most people don’t know that I actually live in Philadelphia. Even though I work in New York City, my home (for now) is Philly. As a child, I spent my summers there with my nana and then I attended undergrad at Temple University. While living in NYC was an experience I’ll never forget, I returned to Philadelphia because it’s where I fell in love and started my family.
Angela Belt is a force within the design community. Her ability to integrate various styles within a design project allows limitless versatility in her approach. As an accomplished interior designer with over 10 years of experience, Angela has styled shoots for publications such as ElleDecor, Elle South Africa, LONNY Magazine, HGTV and AproChic. At Homepolish, she serves as Senior Interior Designer, where she provides commercial and residential interior design services for customers and businesses across the United States. It was a pleasure to interview Angela and see the driving force behind her success and gain some insight on how she’s navigated through the interior design industry. Check out her candid interview below.
At what age did you know that you wanted to be an interior designer? Were there clues before then?
I didn’t discover my passion for interior design until I was twenty-two, and I found a Craigslist ad for a design associate position at Room & Board in Soho. Before this time I had studied Political Science and Fine Arts at Howard University, and I was convinced this was just a job for the time being as I pursued my career as an artist in Brooklyn. But I was SO wrong, I fell in love with interior design through my experiences and mentors. What I thought was a job became a life changing career choice for me.
It was there I learned to floor plan by hand, install and re-wire overhead lighting, use a power drill like a pro, and design over 40 rooms with a team in a few months. I did this job for ten years so I can definitely design a room now. I think the clues were in my childhood, and the way I grew up. My mom really was into having a nice home. I grew up with a formal living room with a piano, white rug, and blue and white stripe furniture that you could only sit on for photos. My parents also did a lot of entertaining so I grew up being a part of party preparations and cleaning everything just right for an upcoming event. Everything had a place in my home, and my mom did not believe in the whole house being kids’ land.
What are the key elements that create a beautiful space?
I think the most beautiful rooms need to have a soul, a personality. I know that sounds a little cooky but even when I was merchandising rooms in the past I tried to imagine who lived in that space, where would they hang their coat, what pictures would be in their frames? Some of my favorite interiors are spaces that are layered, bold, and you can tell the space has developed overtime through the person’s travels, gifts for friends, and little objects that they found on a random trip somewhere.
If you could only decorate a living room with 4 items, what would they be? Why?
Oh this is a tough one but here it is: sofa, curtains, lighting, and an accent table (I’m sorry Moroccan pouf I could only list four). First, there is no way I am going to be in a living room without a comfortable place to sit, so the sofa is a must! Curtains are next because for the longest time I tried to act like they don’t matter in a space, and I recently made some for my house and it just blew my mind how different a space can feel with a little drapery on the wall. So, I’m window treatment convert now. Lighting you have to have it, and it can really add some personality to an otherwise nice room, and elevate it to a va-va-voom space. Lastly, I have to have a table or where would my tea go?!?
What’s your biggest accomplishment?
Hands down starting my own business over the past year, and working with Homepolish to make it grow. I had thought about starting my own business for awhile before I took the leap. Now that I’ve done it and I have the independence to raise my daughter and do what I love to do I just work harder everyday to keep making this dream a reality.
What advice do you have for people wanting to start a career in interior design?
I think my advice to anyone interested in pursuing interior design is to take the job seriously and absorb, digest, and learn from as many talented entrepreneurs as you can. So many people think interior design is sort of this hobby or playful type of job. But to be a professional you need to be understand the size and scale of furniture, learn the ins and outs of installations. Plus you need to be a project manager, a social media and PR person, and be organized and creative enough to overcome obstacles throughout the design process because they ALWAYS happen. However you don’t have to know all of this your first day, all you need to do is start, and reach out to others in your industry for help and advice as you grow. AND lastly, never compare yourself to others who are at different milestones in their careers. You should celebrate them, learn from them, and stay focused on where you are today and where you need to go tomorrow (sorry, I got all serious at the end there!).
Angela’s Home For Apartment Therapy Shot By Chinasa Cooper
Angela has an amazing series called 28 Black Tastemakers, which highlights African American creatives around the world. You should also visit Angela’s website to see more of her gorgeous design projects and connect on social media!
Amber has a myriad of creative strengths from writing to graphic design and most recently, interiors. I first learned of Amber through her digital magazine, The Core. The gorgeous imagery coupled with wisdom-filled words that told stories of self acceptance, healing, wellness and comprehensive self care resonated with me. Interior design is an organic extension of this talented and beautiful woman. Learn more about her newest venture, Amber Janae Interiors and get inspired by her interview below.
What led you to start Amber Janae Interiors?
I believe I was divinely led. I had spent so many years not pursuing the things that made me happiest, interior design was one of those things.
Since a young girl, I’ve always had a deep love for interior design. Growing up my mom had a lot of passion projects which often consisted of decorating our home(s) with DIY projects. So, in a sense, it was embedded in me as a child. When I was about 15 or
16 my parents began investing heavily into residential properties. During this time, I was front and center of the staging process of homes for renting and selling purposes. It was fascinating. I was able to pick up on a lot. In 2014 I got a job at a commercial
furniture dealer working as a marketing coordinator. It didn’t take me very long to realize that I desired to be on the other side of things. I worked closely with a lot of the designers and was so intrigued by what it is that they did. In a one on one meeting
with my boss one day, she asked me why I was working with the company. She wanted to know why I hadn’t pursued interior design because I was so good with visual concepts. That conversation planted a seed and I quietly worked toward Amber Janae Interiors since
then. Essentially, it was my parents who had given me my first real opportunity by giving me a job staging their properties. I’ve been a roll since!
What’s your favorite interior design style?
Honestly, that’s so hard for me to answer, I hate to choose. I am a mixture of a few styles. Industrial is at the top of my list. Growing up I was always fascinated by warehouses and lofts. I love the raw feel of an industrial design style. High ceilings, metals, brick, I get excited thinking of it all. (laughter) I made a vow to myself that I would never purchase a property if it was a traditional style home. I will only ever buy a loft. I am still on the hunt for the perfect one in the Bay Area. I think a lot of people who follow me on social media have figured out my deep love for rustic and farmhouse design styles as well.
If you had to style a room with only 5 items, what would they be and why?
I’ve actually done this before. My 5 items would have to be a nice comfortable sofa, a coffee table, lounge chair, a floor plant and a great piece of art. If I only have 5 items to style my living room, incorporating a sofa and lounge chair is important in an area that I know will most likely be a high traffic or high conversational area. It you’re going to gather in a space, you’ll need to do it comfortably. Plants are also another significant factor for any space in your home because they serve so many valuable purposes. Plants are known to improve your health by purifying the air in a space helping you to breathe easier. Plants also are known to reduce stress, anxiety and help strengthen your focus. In a common area, such as a living room, plants are necessary in my opinion. Art is imperative because any space without it feels dull or incomplete to me. Lastly, a coffee table to me is equivalent to a dining table’s centerpiece, it just adds character to a room.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
A few years back I was a part of the media team for Oprah’s “Life You Want” tour. Oprah closed out a night telling us that “Life is always speaking to you. Every moment in your life represents a thread that is connecting the dots of each experience you encounter.” I took that advice to heart. From that day forward, I always looked at each experience trusting that regardless of the outcome, there was an opportunity for me to learn, grow, or to simply love more. Now that I have adapted that perspective. I look back on everything I’ve ever been through in life and see how it all led me here. I now see how the threads and dots connected, why I needed it all. It all served a purpose, it is why I am who I am today.
