About Us

About Us

Who We Are Editorial Guidelines Community Guidelines Diversity Pledge Our Editorial Team Our Commerce Team In the Press About Dotdash Meredith Contact Us

Who We Are

We started Byrdie back in 2013 because, like you, we’re pretty obsessed with beauty and style, whether it’s testing a new serum for hyperpigmentation, tracking down the best size-inclusive workleisure, or dissecting the real history of cornrows. Our team of award-winning writers and editors have worked for the biggest publishing houses and beauty companies in the business, including Hearst, Condé Nast, and L’Oréal, and are committed to creating an inclusive space that lifts up diverse voices and celebrates the unique beauty found in each of us. Over the years, we’ve become one of the largest beauty sites on the internet, reaching over nine million readers a month, according to ComScore, with our library of more than 10,000 pieces of content—and it’s not all lipstick testing and brow grooming.

At Byrdie, our mission is simple: to celebrate individuality and empower our readers to find confidence, community, and joy through beauty and style. Our hair, our facial features, our bodies: They can reflect culture, sexuality, race, even politics. We believe when it comes to our beauty coverage—from how beauty products are chosen for review to why we write the things we do—the more transparency, the better. That’s why we feel it’s important to share exactly how we go about doing what we do: from how we create our content to who’s behind it and more.

So click around. Stay awhile. We hope to make you feel inspired, joyful, comfortable, and confident.

Editorial Guidelines

Click here for our full editorial guidelines and standards. 

Click here to learn more about our Beauty & Wellness Review Board. 

Click here for our policies and processes surrounding product recommendations.

Click here for legal information, like our terms of use, privacy policy, and advertiser guidelines.

Community Guidelines

Our comments section is intended to be a place where readers can engage in discussions about our stories. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks and/or defamatory statements are not allowed. Advertising or spammy content is also prohibited. Comments are not always available on all stories.

Comments are moderated and may be deleted without notice. Repeat offenders may be banned without notice. We reserve the right to delete comments and ban offenders at our discretion. Our decisions are final.

Diversity Pledge

Diversity and inclusivity are at the heart of everything we do. We promise to be upfront and transparent with the actionable steps we’re taking to make diversity, inclusivity, and representation our number-one priority. Click here to see our Diversity Pledge in its entirety.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us by emailing contact@byrdie.com.

The Byrdie Editorial Team

The Byrdie editorial team has one goal—to help you live your most beautiful life. We’ve spent years meeting with the biggest brand founders, top trend analysts, and countless board-certified physicians to help you sift through the excess and discover the products and advice that actually work. You can always count on us to deliver industry news with depth, de-bunk the latest wellness fads, and keep the beauty dialogue open and engaging.

Hallie Gould Hallie Gould

Hallie has worked in beauty editorial for over 10 years and has been with Byrdie since 2016.

Before that, she ran Marie Clarie's social media and helped launch Time Inc.'s digital-only beauty brand, MIMI. After college, she contributed to Time Out New York's Shopping & Style section before landing her first beauty editor gig at Hearst's Real Beauty. Her writing has appeared in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle. She graduated with a BA in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and lives in Brooklyn.

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Hallie Gould

Editor in Chief byrdie associate editorial director holly rhue head shot byrdie associate editorial director holly rhue head shot

Holly joined the Byrdie team in 2019. Previously, she covered the beauty space as a writer for the digital arms of ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, and BuzzFeed. She’s passionate about sunscreen, tubing mascara, and exploring the intersections of beauty and identity. Holly graduated from George Mason University with a B.A. in Creative Writing and now lives in New York City.

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Holly Rhue

Editorial Director Star Donaldson senior social media editor Star Donaldson senior social media editor

Star has been with Byrdie since 2019.

Before joining the Byrdie team, Star was a social media strategist for beauty and personal care brands Nivea and Aquaphor. She is passionate about all things beauty, but has a special relationship with natural hair care and anything that promises to help achieve clear and glowing skin. Star holds a Journalism and Technical Communications degree from Colorado State University, and now calls Brooklyn home.

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Star Donaldson

Social Media Director Olivia Hancock editor for Byrdie Olivia Hancock editor for Byrdie

Olivia has been with Byrdie since 2021.

Before that, Olivia worked as an editorial intern for Byrdie—which confirmed her passion for beauty journalism. As a writer, her mission is to amplify diversity and representation in beauty. Her writing has appeared in Hello Giggles, Atlanta Magazine, xoNecole, and 21Ninety, Her Campus, and other publications. Olivia graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from Georgia State University with a minor in African-American Studies. 

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Olivia Hancock

Editor Bella Cacciatore Bella Cacciatore

Bella has been in editorial for four years, and has been with Byrdie since June 2022. Most recently, she was at Glamour magazine for nearly four years, where she covered all things beauty. She started as a Beauty Assistant, working her way up to Associate Beauty Editor—honing her eye for trends and fostering her deep love of blush along the way.

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Bella Cacciatore

News Editor Eden Stuart Eden Stuart

Eden has been with Byrdie since 2020.

Beginning her career as an assistant editor at a regional lifestyle magazine in her native Virginia, Eden joined a trade media company, Allured Business Media, after moving to New York City. There, she wrote and edited news items and features for the cosmetics, skincare, flavor, and fragrance industries. She is a graduate of The College of William & Mary, and currently resides in her beloved Brooklyn.

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Eden Stuart

Editor Adelaide Giesey Adelaide Giesey

After graduating from Ithaca College, Adi worked at InStyle Magazine for two years as a Beauty Assistant. Now, she is currently a beauty editor at Byrdie and works across verticals to cover everything beauty, wellness and beyond.

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Adelaide Giesey

Editor Jasmine Phillips Jasmine Phillips

Jasmine has worked in social media for seven years and has been at Byrdie since 2021.

Jasmine has been working in social media since she graduated college in 2014. Her first internship after graduating was on the social team at Ebony Magazine. Then, she became an online contributor for Hype Hair Magazine before joining the social team at Shape Magazine in 2015. She was the social media writer at Shape Magazine for over five years.

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Jasmine Phillips

Social Media Editor Ali Webb Ali Webb

Ali has worked in beauty and style editorial for over five years and has been with Byrdie since 2021. Previously, she worked on fashion, beauty, and culture content for L'Officiel USA's digital and social platforms, and has prior experience at CR Fashion Book, Fashion Unfiltered, and Washington Square News. Her writing has also appeared in Elle UK and Cosmopolitan.

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Ali Webb

Associate Editor, Style Derek Deng headshot wearing blue headscarf in park Derek Deng headshot wearing blue headscarf in park

Derek first joined the Byrdie team in 2023 as a content creator, testing out TikTok makeup hacks and buzzy beauty launches for Byrdie’s social channels. Now, he’s an associate content editor for the brand. A chronically online person, he has written about TikTok beauty trends, the influencer economy, and Internet culture for publications like Cosmopolitan, NYLON, Popsugar, and the LA Times.

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Derek Deng

Associate Content Editor Byrdie associate editor Abby Dupes Byrdie associate editor Abby Dupes

Abby Dupes has been with Byrdie since 2023. Previously, she covered beauty and wellness as Seventeen's editorial assistant. Abby's words have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Elle, StyleCaster, and Harper's Bazaar. Abby graduated from Drexel University in 2022 with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Creative Writing.

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Abby Dupes

Associate Editor Ian Goldstein smiling Ian Goldstein smiling

Ian has been a writer, editor, and producer for over eight years, starting at Byrdie in 2021 as a digital producer. Prior to joining the Byrdie team, Ian wrote for publications including The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and Nylon. He has produced and edited various podcasts for brands including CBS Interactive, Lincoln Center, and TV Guide and produced various comedy shows around New York City.

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Ian Goldstein

Editorial Project Manager, Beauty & Style Tomoko Takahashi Tomoko Takahashi

Tomoko has been a designer for over 15 years and has been with Dotdash Meredith since 2017.

Before joining Dotdash Meredith, she worked on design and product solutions for a range of organizations in the arts, fashion, hospitality, finance, technology and non-profit. Now, Tomoko strives to create meaningful interactions through thoughtful design as the leader on product design and user experience for Byrdie. Tomoko graduated with a BA in Architecture from Barnard College, Columbia University and lives in New York City.

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Tomoko Takahashi

Director, Design

The Byrdie Commerce Team

The Byrdie commerce team is composed of experienced writers and editors who obsessively scour the retail landscape (both online and off) to find the best products for your life. Besides being experts in the beauty and wellness space, we’re consumers too—and we personally have a passion for products and services that make your life easier.

Tory Brangham Byrdie Tory Brangham Byrdie

Tory Brangham is Chief Commerce Officer at Dotdash Meredith and has led the team since May 2017.

Tory initially joined Dotdash Meredith as General Manager of The Spruce, overseeing the development and launch of the site, now one of the largest home and food sites on the Internet.

She received her B.A. from Colgate University with a degree in International Relations.

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Tory Brangham

Chief Commerce Officer Bronwyn Barnes Bronwyn Barnes

Bronwyn joined the Byrdie team in 2021. She is a professional storyteller and digital pioneer with 20 years of experience in print, digital and social media. She has experience in writing and editing for various publications, including People, Travel + Leisure, CNN Underscored, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly.

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Bronwyn Barnes

VP of Commerce Jessica Mahgereftah Jessica Mahgereftah

Jessica joined the Byrdie team in May 2019. She is a seasoned writer and editor, with a career in digital media that spans over seven years. The bulk of her experience lies in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content.

Before joining Dotdash Meredith, she was the senior editor of L’Oréal’s Skincare.com where she covered all things beauty. Prior to that, she worked on the digital team at DuJour writing beauty, fashion, culture, and lifestyle content. 

Jessica received her B.A. in Journalism and Sociology from New York University.

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Jessica Mahgerefteh

Director of Commerce Shannon Bauer Shannon Bauer

Shannon Bauer joined Byrdie commerce team in April 2022. She has previously been on the print magazine teams at Shape, Parents, and Parents Latina.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Creative Apparel Design and minors in Journalism and Business from Iowa State University. She also completed her Professional Makeup Artist Certification from Chic Studios in New York City.

She has tested hundreds of beauty, fashion, and wellness products and is passionate about being your in-the-know product resource.

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Shannon Bauer

Associate Editorial Director Ally Hirschlag Ally Hirschlag

Ally is an associate editorial director for beauty commerce at Dotdash Meredith. She has considerable experience testing and writing about skincare, haircare, and health-related products and services.

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Ally Hirschlag

Associate Editorial Director, Beauty Commerce Dominique Hodby Dominique Hodby

Dominique joined the Byrdie team in 2022.

Before joining Dotdash Meredith, Dominique worked as a fashion editor for ESSENCE magazine, a producer for WWD, and a senior commerce editor for both ESSENCE and PureWow. She also runs a website dedicated to Black-owned brands called SACRD.

Dominique received a B.A. in Print/Online Journalism from Howard University. You can find her on Instagram @d_hobdy.

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Dominique Hobdy

Senior Commerce Editor lauren pardee headshot lauren pardee headshot

Lauren joined the Byrdie team in 2023. She has written for brands like PopSugar, Martha Stewart Weddings, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Nylon, Parents, Apartment Therapy, and more. She received a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in English from Hofstra University.

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Lauren Pardee

Senior Commerce Editor Jordan Julian Jordan Julian

Jordan Julian is a writer and editor with five years of experience covering beauty, fashion, and pop culture for various digital publications. Her passion for all things style and beauty started in childhood, and she has been lucky enough to translate a lifelong love of shopping into a dream job. Jordan holds a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Most recently, she was a beauty editor at Vox Media covering makeup, haircare, fragrance, skincare, and more. She has covered live events including beauty and fashion launches, NYFW, and premieres.

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Jordan Julian

News & Deals Editor Shannon Stubbs Headshot Shannon Stubbs Headshot

Shannon is a commerce writer at Byrdie, where she covers skincare, haircare, makeup, and more. She joined the team in 2022. In her role, she conducts research on beauty products and trends—consulting with expert sources to find and recommend the best beauty products on the market. She also contributes to testing for articles in all categories, trying out multiple products in order to provide accurate first-person insight to readers. Shannon has a B.S. in Magazine Journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.

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Shannon Stubbs

Commerce Writer Alyssa Kaplan headshot Alyssa Kaplan headshot

Alyssa is an associate commerce editor covering makeup, skincare, fragrance, haircare, and more. She consistently surveys the market and spends hours testing products to find tailored recommendations for Byrdie readers. Though she loves all things beauty-related, she has a particular affinity for makeup and finds immense joy in discovering high-performing, confidence-boosting products.

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Alyssa Kaplan

Associate Commerce Editor image of person taking a selfie outdoors image of person taking a selfie outdoors

Caitlyn joined the Byrdie team in 2022. She writes and edits product reviews and shares recommendations based on personal experience, rigorous research, and Byrdie's Lab testing. She has years of experience covering beauty, fashion, and lifestyle topics. Before joining the Byrdie team, Caitlyn worked for Vox Media as an associate beauty editor. Caitlyn earned a B.A. in Journalism from Lehigh University. 

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Caitlyn Martyn

Associate Commerce Editor Headshot of Emily Cieslak, Associate Commerce Editor Headshot of Emily Cieslak, Associate Commerce Editor

Emily has produced content for Dotdash since November 2020

Her work has been published in publications such as InStyle, Brides, Real Simple, The Knot, Treehugger, and New York Moves Magazine

Emily has a bachelor degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania

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Emily Cieslak

Associate Commerce Editor

In the Press

Find our editors on…

  • People: Kehlani Says It ‘Feels Really Affirming’ When People Use ‘They’ Pronouns: ‘You Really See Me’
  • PageSix.com: Halsey Says She Feels The Most Confident When She’s Bald
  • DailyMail: ‘I’m So Excited To Be A Wife’: Lily Collins Discusses Her Engagement To Fiance Charlie McDowell as She Poses In Breathtaking Photoshoot for Byrdie
  • Fashionista: Beauty Editors Share Their Favorite Product Launches of 2021, featuring Hallie Gould, Aimee Simeon, Star Donaldson
  • Beauty Independent: What Beauty Editors Want Brands To Send—And What They Absolutely Don’t Want Them To Send, featuring Hallie Gould
  • The Zoe Report: 5 Beauty Editors Share Their Wedding Day Scent, featuring Lindsey Metrus
  • Coveteur: 7 Beauty Editors on How They Get Rid of Acne, Fast, featuring Hallie Gould
  • KTLA: Add Dazzle to Your Holiday Glam with Beauty Tips from Byrdie, featuring Hallie Gould

About Dotdash Meredith

Byrdie is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

Dotdash Meredith is the largest digital and print publisher in America. From mobile to magazines, nearly 200 million people trust us to help them make decisions, take action, and find inspiration. Dotdash Meredith's over 50 iconic brands include PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Verywell, FOOD & WINE, The Spruce, Allrecipes, Byrdie, REAL SIMPLE, Investopedia, Southern Living and more.

Dotdash Meredith Press

Read about Dotdash Meredith and our family of brands in the news.

Meet Our Senior Management Team

Learn more about the team behind Dotdash Meredith here.

Contact Us

Do you have something you’d like to let us know? Whether you have a comment or an idea to share, we look forward to hearing from you: contact@byrdie.com.

For press inquiries, email us at press@byrdie.com.

If you would rather call us or send us a letter, you can reach us at 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 | 212-204-4000.

Work With Us

Join our crew of top-notch editors, designers, programmers, and others as we continue to make a difference every day in the lives of Byrdie readers.

View job openings

Write for Us

We’re always looking for experienced, qualified beauty writers who share in our mission of honest, inclusive, expert-backed advice that leaves readers feeling educated, empowered, and understood. Interested? If that’s you, send a few examples of your published work to this email address: write@byrdie.com

Please note that we do not accept unsolicited guest-authored articles, blogs, or posts.

Advertise With Us

Byrdie offers the highest value to advertisers through a combination of scale, credibility, and intent. Interested in advertising with us? Email us at sales@byrdie.com or check out our media kit to learn more.

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