Meet the Media: Neha Tandon, Lifestyle Editor

For this week’s Meet the Media series, we’re pleased to introduce Neha Tandon, lifestyle editor who focuses on inclusivity and diversity in beauty media. Neha’s work has been published in POPSUGAR and Business Insider, and she graduated with a Master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University. Her work and writings are precise and well-crafted, and we are so excited to share her story.

Please welcome Neha to BLND!

Introduce yourself.

Hi! My name is Neha Tandon, and I am a Lifestyle Editor with a focus on inclusivity and diversity in beauty media.

How did you get into journalism? Was this always where you saw yourself?

I got in to journalism after getting my Master’s degree in it. I always knew I wanted to be a journalist because of the extreme lack of diversity and inclusivity in media—and because I just love having an excuse to constantly be researching the best beauty products 🙂

From your experience, what makes a great story?

The best stories tell something new and interesting. You could be writing about the same product everyone else has, but what is the unique take on it? What makes your experience with it different than anyone else’s? With beauty specifically, I think it’s important to be mindful of the many different skin types and shades out there when you write.

What’s an accomplishment you consider to be the most significant in your career so far?

My biggest accomplishment in my career thus far is the charity I manage—we provide children in Kenya and India with funding for an education, clothes, and shoes.

What is one thing you wish the public knew about your job?

What I wish people knew about my job is that I take testing products really seriously. I have to know that a brand is acting with social responsibility more than just creating really good, effective products.

Morning routine?

I *try* not to look at my phone before I do my morning meditation and journaling. Then I splash my face with cold water and change up the products I put on my face daily depending on how my skin is behaving.

What’s one piece of career advice you’d give a young person looking to follow in your footsteps?

I’ve seen girls who had too much pride to ask for help/advice miss out on their dream job, so be shameless! Also, get everything in writing. Far too many times, people get promised that if they come in to an entry-level role that they’ll be promoted, but that rarely happens.

When you’re not writing, what can we find you doing?

Running slower than most people walk, doing yoga, reading old classic literature, watching a black and white movie, eating veggie nuggets, cooking Thai food or on the phone with my sister.