A Day In The Life: The Loop's Marketing Manager

We caught up with Michelle Corbett, Retail Marketing Manager at The Loop and asked her all about her busy, beauty-filled day.

I’m the lucky lady who manages all the marketing communication for The Loop at Dublin and Cork airports, while also supporting a number of other duty free locations around the globe.

The Loop is the brand name for all the fabulous retail, food and beverage outlets available at the airport. This leads to a very diverse and interesting day job, working with some of the most luxurious perfume, cosmetics and skincare brands. And that's not forgetting about all the fabulous alcohol and confectionary brands, and the huge range of bars, restaurants and concession retailers.

We recently held our latest launch event at The Loop VIP Suite so I thought I would take you through my usual day, give you some inside deets on that launch night and tell you about some of my favourite beauty products that I picked up at The Loop!

6.45am I get woken up by one of my three human alarm clocks. I shower and use my fabulous Clarisonic cleansing brush which I find has really made a difference to my face, especially my pores. I hunt through my wardrobe for something to wear and then spend at least ten minutes doing my ‘go-to look’ for day time makeup.

I’m a sworn advocate of Mac Pro-Longwear Foundation and I use a Smashbox blemish control primer underneath. And thanks to our recent introduction of Urban Decay into Dublin Airport, I was able to get my hands on a Naked Palette and this has now become my eye-shadow palette of choice. I finish with a touch of Mac Mineralise blush, Mac Spice lip liner and a slick of Victoria’s Secret Shiney Kiss lipgloss. 

7.30am I leave the house for my 50 minute commute to work in Dublin Airport. I spend the entire drive listening to 2fm’s Breakfast Republic so I feel as if I know the presenters well, even though I’ve never actually met them. Before I hop out of the car, I spritz myself with Tom Ford Violet Blonde which is my signature scent.

8.20am I head up to my desk to start my day, checking e-mails and catching up with the rest of the team.  

9am I’m usually straight into meetings and my early meetings are normally video conferences with the duty free teams in Auckland, Montreal or Bahrain. Video conferences are a funny thing; you can have “virtually” met someone numerous times and then when you finally meet face to face, you always feel the need to re-introduce yourself. 

11am On days like the recent launch day, I have a few extra meetings. For example, to organise this event, I met the Xposé team who were shooting a Mac makeover piece live from the Loop. The lovely Aisling O'Loughlin and Mac's senior makeup artist Rebecca Butterworth discussed this season’s look (and of course I hung around to steal some tips on contouring and seamless blending!). 

And I love this part of my job because I can then head to Butlers and get us all a coffee, plus my ultimate pleasure….the complimentary choccie!

1pm If I have a lunch meeting I head to Alcock & Brown in T1 where I always order the same thing - cajun chicken and goat's cheese salad. But if it’s a special celebration, our team often heads over to Diep in T2 which does the best Massaman curry ever, and most other days I bring a sandwich in with me.

2pm I slap on some Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimosa that I keep stashed in my drawer and then head to a meeting with our creative and media agencies to discuss any upcoming campaigns (eg  highlighting our Click and Collect service). You can now shop online at the Loop.ie for your favourite brands and either collect them when you are departing, or wait and collect them when you arrive back to the airport from your trip. This is a great part of the job as it's exciting to see the new campaigns coming to life and to work closely with the media agency to ensure as many people get to see it as possible.

3.30pm I usually have an afternoon meeting and I recently caught up with Susan Boyle the Kildare-born wine blogger, broadcaster and performer. We recently partnered with Susan to create The Wine Goose Chase store in T1. This store only stocks wines with an Irish heritage from vineyards such as such as the Lynch-Bages, Kirwan and O’Dwyer. And the new wine section is perfect for those looking for a present for friends and family abroad or who just want to bring a piece of history with them. 

In the 17th century, many Irish Families left their homeland to travel far and wide and set up vineyards in France, Australia, and New Zealand. And The Loop’s Wine Goose Chase Collection celebrates their rich and storied history in wine making.

4.30pm This is the time when I actually get time to think and get some work done at my desk. I'm busy answering e-mails, returning calls and prepping for up-coming meetings.

6.30pm I arrive home and get an update from the day from my three lovely ladies.

7pm Then it’s the obligatory Peppa Pig and off to bed for the girls.

7.30pm I attempt to go for a swim three times a week. And I always have my l'Occitane Shea Butter in my kit as I find it’s the ultimate moisturiser and swimming can really dry out my skin.

8.30pm Myself and my husband sit down to dinner, and it's usually something quick like a stirfry. And as my hubby is currently on a health kick, there’s a lot of fish and salad in our house at the moment.

9pm Ideally it’s time for Game of Thrones! I am so thrilled season five has started again as I’m a diehard fan. I even went to the exhibition and climbed the virtual wall which was simply fab.

10.30pm I use my Clarins Eye makeup remover, cleanser and toner and then Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum and Night Repair Eye Cream and then fall into bed because I know tomorrow is going to be another busy day in the world of travel retail.

To find out more, check out The Loop or tweet them @TheLoopDutyFree.