Tea with Too Faced
Our chat with a beauty editor with a soft spot for mascara (and a very good eye for trends)
Beauty editor and all-around expert Julia Guerra has tested just about every product under the sun, yet still manages to approach beauty with the kind of curiosity and perspective that makes you want to rethink your entire routine (in a good way). From her earliest memories of watching her mom swipe on lipstick before the day began to covering trends as they evolve (and inevitably come back around), Julia brings a grounded, thoughtful lens to beauty — one that’s rooted in personal style, not just what’s “in.”
We caught up with her to talk first beauty memories, the products that actually make a difference, and the one time she found herself mid-workout…silently wondering about setting spray.
TF: Let’s go back to the early days. What’s the first moment you remember beauty feeling exciting or personal to you?
JG: My earliest makeup memory is opening my first eyeshadow palette — a massive multi-pan artistry palette that my parents bought me for Christmas. I was either in middle school or very early high school. There were so many vibrant colors. I could come up with a thousand ways to play with them now, but back then, I was shy about experimenting with my appearance, so I stuck with the neutrals.
My earliest beauty memory, though, is watching my mom put on her lipstick. She always applied a coat as soon as she got out of bed. I also remember she had multiple lipsticks in her purse at all times — she probably still does (and now so do I). I would ask her for Chapstick when my lips were dry, knowing she wouldn’t have any, but that she’d let me apply a little color instead.
TF: That’s such a full-circle moment — from watching your mom to building your own routine. How did that evolve into a career, and what do you love most about it now?
I enjoy watching the evolution of beauty trends, but knowing that—at its core—beauty doesn’t ever really change. Beauty, like fashion, is cyclical. Old trends get repurposed, reimagined. It’s also all subjective. What’s “trending” might not be my vibe, and that’s okay. Personal style is personal for a reason.
TF: You’ve covered so many different spaces as an editor — is there one moment that’s really stuck with you?
I’ve been an editor under multiple verticals, so choosing just one memorable moment is so hard — there are many. But if we’re talking beauty-specific, it has to be when I had the opportunity to exercise with Carrie Underwood.
It was an event for one of her Calia collections, and I was lucky enough to be in her circuit group. We were doing crunches or something like that, and I was right next to her. She turned to me and asked how I was doing. I don’t remember what I said, but I do remember being in complete awe of her makeup — it was flawless, even though we were working up a pretty intense sweat. I was there as a fitness reporter, but I regret not asking what kind of setting spray she used.
TF: That feels like such a beauty editor moment — noticing makeup even mid-workout. With everything you’ve tested, what’s the one piece of advice you always come back to?
Curate a skincare routine that works for you — and that you actually love going through the motions of. You’ll stick to it that way. You can try all the primers you want, but when it comes down to it, your complexion is your canvas. And you don’t just want your skin to be smooth for makeup — you want it to be healthy, because you live in it.
TF: Okay, last question — what’s your Too Faced ride-or-die?
I am obsessed with the Too Faced Foreplay Mascara Primer. Mascara is my favorite makeup category — I’ve tried hundreds at this point in my career. Foreplay is one of the most innovative formulas I’ve used, bar none. I have long eyelashes naturally, but this product elongates them to the exaggeration of my dreams. I use it with mascara and without — it truly shines on its own.
A huge thanks to Julia for chatting with us today — always so fun to catch up with our editor friends! If you don’t already subscribe to her incredible Substack, Beyond My Byline, consider this your call to arms!
Thank your reading Gorgeous! xo