Tia Williams

Clutch sat down with author and beauty/fashion enthusiast, Tia Williams to ask her ten questions that we knew you wanted to know. At one time Tia Williams was the beauty director of Teen People magazine and has been a beauty writer and editor at YM, Elle, Glamour and Lucky. She appears regularly on MTV, CNN, Fox News, and other networks to discuss beauty trends.

Clutch: Your resume reads like a who’s who of magazine publishing. How did you break into the fashion/beauty biz?
When I was working as an editorial assistant at Doubleday, my boss was editing a short story collection written by the editor-in-chief of YM. I heard through the grapevine that they were looking for a beauty assistant—and I’d always been obsessed with beauty—so I interviewed for the position. The rest is history!

Clutch: Why did you decide to branch out and start writing books?
Growing up, I had two major passions—beauty and books. I’ve always written fiction, ever since I was seven years old. But I realized, once I graduated from college, that I didn’t really have enough experiences yet to write a full novel. It wasn’t until I was working at my third magazine, and had been kicking around New York for a couple of years, that I felt that I had the juice to write an interesting story. So, I left my job at Glamour, moved to Seville, Spain, and wrote The Accidental Diva.

Clutch: You’ve accomplished so much at such a young age. What advice would you give to women who want to be on the fast track in their careers?
My advice would be to keep it moving! In the publishing industry, if you stay in one place too long, it’s very hard to get a promotion or a raise. And it’s best to always interview, even if you’re happy at your current job—you make fantastic contacts, and you never know where your career might take you.

Clutch: How do you stay inspired/motivated?
When you write for a living, it can be hard to stay focused, especially when it’s so easy to procrastinate. It’s corny, but when I feel lazy I think about me at seven years old, writing in my journal that I wanted to be a famous author one day. For some reason, it makes me so motivated to push myself even harder.

Clutch: What can readers expect from your second novel, “It Chicks”?
It Chicks is a new series centered around a group of girls that go to a prestigious Manhattan performing arts high school. There’s a dancer, a singer, an actress, a rapper–and they’re all from different socio-economic backgrounds. And there’s something in It Chicks for everyone…there’s a fabulous love story, lots of intrigue, competitive drama and hot boys. I even wrote a coming-out story for one of the main characters. This series is really the first of it’s kind. There’s never been a sort of upscale, chick-lit “lite” teen series for multicultural girls.

Clutch: What are your current “must have” beauty products?
I love, love, love Philosophy Supernatural Airbrush Color Concealer in Dark…it comes with three shades you can blend to create the perfect shade for your complexion. It’s fabulous for brown skin, from the fairest to the deepest.

Clutch: How would you describe your personal style?
I’m a very casual, slightly bohemian dresser…lots of skinny jeans, flats and floaty, romantic tops.

Clutch: Who are your favorite designers and why?
I love Tracy Reese, Catherine Malandrino and Cynthia Steffe…they’re pieces are so soft and feminine, and they always do interesting things with color and embroidery.

Clutch: What’s one fashion and/or beauty item that every woman should have?
A great trench!

1. Zipper Detail Trench, $1,800, Marc Jacobs, Net-A-Porter 2. Cotton and Silk Trench, $2200, Celine, Celine 3. Asymmetrical Trench Coat, Rick Owens
$1,295 Net-A-Porter

Clutch: What are the most common mistakes that you see women making when it comes to fashion and beauty?
My three biggest beauty pet peeves are frosted lipstick with dark lip liner (I call it the “Kim Mathers Mouth”), jagged eyeliner application (so that you can see skin between the lashes and the liner), and nail art (especially on mile-long acrylics). Yuck.

To purchase It Chicks please log-on now www.amazon.com
To learn more about Tia Williams please visit her website and blog (we’re addicted!) at www.tiawilliams.net