Recently, The Beauty Edit opened the doors to something personal and long in the making: UN/CONVENTION/AL, a new series of intentional gatherings meant to make space for honest conversations across the beauty community. This special series was created because in an industry that thrives on speed, we longed for a space to slow down and talk about the things that don’t always trend. We longed for a space to reconnect with the people behind the bylines, the screens, the stories, not to change the industry overnight, but to reflect on why we’re in it in the first place.
The first edition, Bylines & Beyond: The Editors Forum, brought together editors and writers for a day that felt more like a reunion than a conference. The room was filled with people who know the grind of storytelling—who’ve spent years balancing tight deadlines with thoughtful craft. And because of that, we wanted each session to provide more than just advice but an opportunity to reconnect with why we write, why we edit, and why we create.
We opened with Senator Risa Hontiveros, whose powerful keynote speech reminded us why beauty writing matters. A former journalist herself, she honored the ways lifestyle media can shape cultural norms, support mental health, and push for greater inclusion. She drew powerful parallels between media and public life, reminding us that what we choose to write can shape what people believe about themselves and the world. Her deep respect for media work, her praise for the beauty industry’s steps toward inclusion, and her belief in a well-informed, compassionate public moved many of us and reminded us that beauty journalism isn’t trivial, but an important part of cultural conversations.
Chonx Tibajia, a seasoned lifestyle journalist, writer, and editor with over 20 years of experience in publishing, marketing, and digital content creation, first took the audience on a nostalgic yet sharp-eyed journey through the evolution of writing, beginning from the traditional, rigorous industry of print to the fast-paced, SEO-driven demands of digital. She contrasted the nature of print journalism with the algorithm-aware and real-time agility digital writers now need. Her key message was that today’s writers must be “multilingual,” fluent in both human connection and algorithmic logic to be able to create with craft, adapt with speed, and always respect the work, no matter the platform.
From there, Sasha Lim Uy Mariposa, digital journalism expert with a strong background in web content, data analysis, and SEO, challenged us to think more deeply about the audiences we serve. She built on the conversation by unpacking what it means to be truly audience-first in today’s content landscape. A seasoned editor with firsthand experience in both print and digital, Mariposa emphasized that data doesn’t kill creativity but should instead sharpen it. “Data is the body language of journalism,” she said, urging writers to read and respond to it without fear. She acknowledged the old-school resistance to metrics but stressed that understanding what audiences care about doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing integrity for clicks, but it means staying relevant. She highlighted that today’s content must strike a balance between instinct and insight, authority and agility to truly resonate.
Then came Monique Buensalido, who brought a necessary conversation to the table: how we collaborate across editorial and public relations (PR) without losing sight of our values. In PR & Editorial: Striking the Right Balance, she spoke as someone who’s sat on both sides—and that gave her perspective much weight. Buensalido explained how PR professionals carefully plan events not only as promotional opportunities, but as strategic efforts meant to create meaningful engagement between brands and media. She shared how invitations are thoughtfully extended to a wide range of journalists to build relationships, maximize reach, and provide them access to timely stories—all within the constraints of limited space, timing, and budget. Through unpacking these realities, she helped members of the media see why some decisions might feel impersonal or puzzling, and why not every invite or pitch can be tailored individually. This transparency fostered empathy and emphasized that both editorial and PR ultimately share the same goal: to support meaningful storytelling.
Pola del Monte, also known as Miss Chief Editor, gave us one of the day’s most quietly powerful reflections. In Beyond Clicks: Crafting Stories that Matter, she challenged the idea that stories must shout to leave a mark. Her framework—mercy, continuity, and effect—was a call to write with compassion, to honor the long arc of a story, and to aim for impact that lasts beyond the news cycle. Del Monte’s reflections also highlighted a crucial shift in journalism today. In an era dominated by clicks and shares, she reminded us that true storytelling shouldn’t just be about chasing numbers but about moving people and creating connection. With bylines in respected publications such as CNN, Vogue, and The New York Times, she drew on her vast experience to emphasize that the craft of writing with care remains vital, perhaps now more than ever. Her perspective served as a call to journalists and content creators alike to prioritize depth, empathy, and sustained relevance over fleeting viral moments.
To bring a future-forward lens, Leilani Ramirez Layug, Executive Director at Isla Lipana & Co./PwC Philippines, gave us a much-needed look into the role of AI in beauty and lifestyle journalism. Her session didn’t shy away from the excitement AI brings, like faster research, smarter workflows, better insights. She even shared practical tips on how to work more effectively with AI tools, encouraging journalists to use them as collaborators that can enhance creativity and efficiency, rather than replacements. But it was her caution that stayed with us. The reminder that tools are merely that: tools. And that the human judgment, context, and ethics behind our work cannot—and should not—be automated. Her talk grounded us in thoughtful optimism, urging us to embrace AI’s possibilities while holding fast to the values that define meaningful journalism.
We closed with Vernise Tantuco, former journalist and now brand copywriter at Canva Philippines, who led Creating Visuals that Work: A Guide to Editorial Design Using Canva. Her talk went beyond aesthetics and showed us how good visuals, when done right, serve and support the story. Beyond theory, Tantuco provided a practical walkthrough of Canva’s advanced features—such as video editing, dynamic presentation templates, photo enhancement tools, and Canva Sheets for creating visual spreadsheets. Many of these tools were new to the audience, and her step-by-step approach showed just how much easier and more efficient visual storytelling can be with the right resources. It was a fitting close to the forum that emphasized how effective storytelling today is as much about how we present as it is about what we say.
After a full day of thoughtful conversations, practical insights, and a renewed appreciation for the craft, the forum concluded with heartfelt closing remarks from The Beauty Edit Founder Nicole Morales. “There’s something special about being in a room full of people who understand what it means to create, to care, to write with intention,” she shared. The forum wrapped on a high note with a quick raffle—an energizing close that brought the room together once more and sent everyone off with a sense of joy and community.
More than a learning event, Bylines & Beyond: The Editors Forum hoped to serve as a thoughtful reminder that impactful stories still matter, with media professionals playing a part in telling them well.
Future editions of UN/CONVENTION/AL are already underway, each one designed to serve a different segment of The Beauty Edit’s growing community of creators, beauty users, industry professionals, editors, and more.
Photographs by Angelou Luque
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELOU LUQUE.
