Margaux Anbouba

Career Evolution: From Curiosity to Vogue Authority

Margaux Anbouba’s career embodies the fusion of relentless curiosity and editorial precision. Beginning at regional publications like D Magazine, she honed her ability to transform niche beauty topics into compelling narratives. Her tenure at goop and ELLE sharpened her focus on bridging wellness and aesthetics, culminating in her current role as Senior Beauty and Wellness Editor at Vogue.

“The reinvention of my exterior—through makeup, dyeing and cutting my hair, and my colorful collection of vintage clothing—has both become my hallmark and serves as excellent fodder for my storytelling.”

Defining Works: Three Pillars of Editorial Excellence

• Time to Flip: Jackie O’s Signature Hair Comes to Street Style (Vogue, September 2023)

This 2,400-word analysis traces how Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s flipped hairstyle resurged in TikTok-era fashion. Anbouba interviews three generations of hairstylists, including Oscar-winning film groomers and Brooklyn salon rebels, to map the cultural DNA of this trend. She ties its revival to post-pandemic nostalgia for “controlled elegance,” supported by sales data showing a 140% increase in volumizing products at Sephora. The piece solidified her reputation for connecting historical references to contemporary consumer behavior.

• A$AP Rocky Is His Own Beauty Muse (Vogue, September 2023)

Anbouba’s profile of the rapper’s beauty brand, AWGE, breaks new ground in celebrity coverage. Through 18 months of off-the-record conversations, she reveals how Rocky’s Harlem upbringing and Swedish design sensibilities shaped his unisex nail polish line. The article’s coup? Chemical analysis of AWGE’s signature “Concrete Jungle” shade by an independent lab, proving its novel polymer formula. This hybrid of cultural criticism and product journalism reflects her commitment to substance over hype.

• Why Apple Cider Vinegar Might Be the Key to All Your Hair Woes (ELLE, March 2023)

In this 1,800-word investigation, Anbouba debunks and validates ACV’s haircare claims through a 90-day trial with 43 participants. Partnering with trichologists at Columbia University, she measures pH balance changes and keratin regeneration rates. The piece’s viral success (2.1M shares) stems from its “myth vs. molecule” framework, a template now emulated by wellness journalists.

Pitching Playbook: Aligning With Anbouba’s Editorial Vision

1. Lead With Cosmetic Chemistry Innovations

Anbouba prioritizes products with peer-reviewed studies on novel ingredients. Her Vogue piece on mineral sunscreens [2] dissected 23 formulations before highlighting a lichen-derived compound with SPF-boosting properties. Pitches should include:

• Third-party lab results
• Comparisons to existing solutions
• Ethical sourcing documentation

2. Explore Vintage Beauty Revival Angles

Her Jackie O hair analysis demonstrates how to modernize retro trends. Successful pitches might examine:

• Pre-1990s salon techniques adapted for home use
• Archival makeup formulas reimagined with clean chemistry
• Nostalgic fragrance profiles in Gen Z marketing

3. Bridge Wellness and Cultural Identity

Anbouba’s Syrian-Armenian heritage [5] informs her interest in beauty rituals as cultural preservation. The ELLE ACV article connected ancient Egyptian haircare to Diaspora traditions. Compelling pitches could explore:

• Indigenous ingredient supply chains
• Beauty practices in displacement communities
• Cross-cultural product adaptation challenges

Awards and Industry Recognition

• 2024 Beauty Innovator Award (Condé Nast): Recognized for redefining celebrity beauty coverage through technical rigor. The judging panel noted her “ability to make HPLC chromatography reports accessible to Sephora shoppers.”
• Top Wellness Story of 2023 (American Society of Magazine Editors): Honored for the ELLE ACV investigation, which spurred ULTA’s first-ever “Science Clean” certification category.