In B e a u t y w r i t e r N a t a l i e L u k a i t i s s w a p s l i p s t i c k s

a n d p e r f u m e s f o r p r o t e i n b a r s a n d B o s u b a l l s . . .

When I agreed to work a day in the life of a guy, my first thought was, ‘Yessss, I get to wear brogues! ’ You see, I have a bit of a shoe fetish, so if brogues are in the mix, nothing else matters. Like the fact I’d be signing away

the comforts of my girl den and giving up daily giggles with my desk neighbour, Holly, to talk god-only-knows-what with a guy I’ve never met.

Sure, there are heaps of jobs where men and women work together, share an office and do the same things, but, as a Beauty Assistant on Company magazine, I’m not in that crew. Oh no. My job mainly entails searching for the best lipstick shades or working out how to style your hair without using a brush, so it’s definitely at the girly end of the spectrum – and I love it! The thought of doing anything remotely ‘manly’ just doesn’t enter my brain. That said, I also love a challenge, so, when my colleagues dare me to venture up to the 6th floor and ‘be’ Alex, Commissioning Editor of Men’s Health, for the day, I have to accept.

S T A N D I N G T O A T T E N T I O NMy first step is impressive. I am wearing killer-heeled patent courts, so it was bound to be. The Men’s Health office is surprisingly tidy and the sun actually filters through their windows (my 2nd-floor view consists of a guy in the building across from us making tea). I ’m greeted by several fit guys (er, I mean, healthy guys) and shown to my – wait for it – ‘standing desk ’. “It burns more calories,” I ’m told, as I look down at my four-inch heels, wondering why I didn’t wear those brogues...

Contemplating how uncouth it might be to go barefoot, I look around and realise there aren’t any signs of ‘nesting’ in this office – a

shock to my system. Enter Company ’s HQ and you step into a magical world of flamingo wallpaper, helium love-heart balloons and girls dusting off their shoulders to Beyoncé’s Drunk in Love. I am assigned a coffee mug scrawled with the slogan ‘I love your mum’ though, so I guess that’s something. Alex gives me the lowdown on what they do day-to-day while my computer boots – write, research, write, talk about what they’re going to write about, and write some more. Pretty similar to my days on the

beauty desk, except I surf the latest catwalk beauty looks and they research the best ways to get a six-pack.

By midday, I’ve clicked through most of my fave websites and blogs and consumed a ridiculous amount of coffee – we’re talking five or six cups (I’ve lost count) – and it’s become evident that these guys have a better attention span than me, are more health-conscious and, like, love

His Shoes

“ I S U R F T H E L A T E S T C A T W A L K B E A U T Y L O O K S ; T H E Y R E S E A R C H

H O W T O G E T A S I X - P A C K . . . ”

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the boy zone

caffeine. And so I confess to my new colleagues that I wish I could be more disciplined with my work and fitness.

F I T N E S S F R E A K - O U T“You’ve got to be kidding me!” storms out of my mouth, when I’m informed they’ll be heading to the gym during lunch. I honestly couldn’t look less impressed. It’s not like I don’t go to the gym; I do (well, I drag myself there, internally kicking and screaming). But the idea of slogging it out during my lunch hour has never crossed my mind, let alone come to fruition. Unlike guys, who simply get out of the shower post-workout and get dressed, I have to go through my whole skincare routine, reapply foundation, mascara and lipstick – oh, and blow-dry a freakin’ fringe! There’s no getting out of it, though. I accepted this challenge, and all it would bring, so when lunch rolls around, I put on my gear and jog(!!) to Fitness First with the lads.

B A C K T O M Y C O M F O R T Z O N ETypically, they bee-line for the weights and run a few miles on the treadmill – except for Alex, who goes for a splash in the pool because he recently broke his back (What the?!). Me? I waltz over to the stretching area and sit on a bosu ball for 50 minutes. Plan: avoid any sweat-inducing activity. Result? Success. We make a quick pit stop at Pret A Manger (I get a sandwich, they do a carb/protein analysis of every option) and

walk back to the office. In the elevator, Jamie and Alex ask if I want to help out with a bit of grooming product testing. Finally! My niche. I ’m given a whole bunch of hair gels, colognes and shaving creams (not the mascaras and perfumes I’m used to, but hey, they’ll do) and

questions like ‘do you think I should get a fringe? ’ and ‘should I buy these burgundy heels? ’ are replaced with… well, it’s probably a little inappropriate for this feature. Let’s just say, if sitting on a bosu ball hasn’t given me a work-out, laughing will.

The banter settles and I hit my typical 4pm lull. Once again, I ’m reminded that I’m somewhat inferior to these dudes. While I crave my regular pick-me-up of Krispy Kreme donuts (yes, that

happens in my office) and the pumping tunes of Iggy Azalea, they nibble on protein bars, while listening to an eclectic mix, courtesy of DJ Tom – aka Books Editor. I ’m told late nights are commonplace and it’s not unusual for them to be staring at their computer screens come 10pm! That means, when I’m normally tapping out to go home, they’re just having their second wave of genius.

The clock strikes six and my challenge is complete. I ’m worried I’ll look like a cop-out if I leave ‘early’ but, luckily, they’ve fallen off the wagon and invite me to the local for some beers. Phew! I’ve cracked into their gang. The thought of having a drink with my new-found mates almost gets me to the pub, but it’s a Thursday night, I ’m a girl again and I’ve got a date with regular desk mate, Holly!

HOLLYWOOD 71664 £59.99

FRANKIE 72351 £69.99

SYDNEY 71099 £74.99

STEFANO 16263 £84.99

VANS SLIP-ON 24965 £51.99

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