Naked Beauty

A creative career felt pretty inevitable for Satchel. As the daughter of producer Tonya Lewis Lee and director Spike Lee, Satchel has always had a great appreciation for storytelling but she's already carving out a distinct voice of her own. And growing up in New York, there were always plenty of stories to tell. In high school, Satchel first found her creative community in an affinity group for q...

Mandii B, co-host of the Whorible Decisions podcast, is anything but predictable. Growing up, she was the girl who could shoot hoops, dress up, and kill it in her AP classes. By the time she was 18, she had entered the world of urban modelling, which began a long and ongoing journey to not just accepting her body but truly celebrating it. Mandii and I talk about how she’s coping with all of her re...

My guest Diarrha and I are looking back at our personal highlights from the past year. If you've ever been curious about building your own brand and fundraising, you'll love hearing the BTS as Diarrha breaks down the process of developing her line Ami Cole. We discuss the unexpected PR response from our first episode together (wow), meeting Pat McGrath (*DREAM GUEST, pray for me*), my iHeart Podca...

I don’t know if you all are ready for this episode because we went in! Beauty Highs, Beauty Lows: a year in review with Diarrha N’Diaye. Diarrha (formerly at Glossier, L’Oreal & now developing her own line) came back to Naked Beauty to reflect on 2019’s beauty moments with me. We review the most iconic new products, best moments for the beauty culture and the SMH product launches that didn’t d...

“Cosmetics should be a choice not a necessity.” - my guest Dr. Chaneve Jeanniton, a firm believer in putting your skin first. For Dr. Chaneve Jeanniton, taking care of people’s skin and face is a passion - one that’s manifested in the creation of her skincare line: Epi. Logic and her career as a board certified oculofacial plastic surgeon. She quickly fell in love with the idea of “working with cl...

For the 100th episode of Naked Beauty, I decided to look back and share a compilation of answers to my favorite question: When do you feel most beautiful? . From glamming it up to sweating it out, from meditating to having a good, long cry, my guests have taught me one thing: beauty is deeply personal. As we head into a new decade, I would love if you Naked Beauty listeners, could take the time to...

This week’s solo minisode is all about making your beauty routine more natural! After beginning my natural hair journey years ago, I realized that natural, non-toxic beauty from plant-based sources was completely slept on. Now, after years of blending ingredients in my kitchen, I can confidently say that I’ve got a handle on DIY beauty and want to share some easy tips with you all. So please- tune...

On this week’s episode of Naked Beauty, BET’s Style Director Danielle Prescod is back for a deeply personal and honest conversation about body image, IVF treatment, mental health, and finding what makes you happy. With a career in fashion and beauty editorial, Prescod’s life has often been filled with black tie events and fabulous launch parties. However, over the past year or so, Prescod has made...

With Black Friday & Cyber Monday fast approaching, a Naked Beauty shopping guide is in order! On this episode, I will be discussing both the do’s and the don’ts of holiday beauty shopping. Whether you’re looking for hand cream or a hair mask, whether you’re shopping for loved ones or for yourself, I’ve got you covered with a list of the best beauty buys under $100. So sit back, listen, and lux...

Over the past 7 years, writer and curator Kimberly Drew has unabashedly made a name for herself within the world of art and fashion. She’s already interviewed icons like Lupita Nyong'o, and Tina Lawson. She’s served bold looks on the runways of Chromat, and Collina Strada. Looking back on her career, Drew notes that “if I had come in with less love [for art], I wouldn’t have been as successful.”&n...

Femmes, tops, bottoms & gender presentation — learned so much from this few minutes of convo with the ever-fascinating artist & thinker, Mandy Harris Williams. We also get into the preoccupation with body & weight & wonder what it’s like to be freed from the thought. You absolutely must listen to our full interview 'Deconstructing the Ideal Black Female' if you haven’t. And if you...

This episode was surreal for me because I’ve listened to Angela Yee on the radio for over a decade. When it comes to representing hip hop and the culture, Yee has been, and continues to be one of the best radio hosts in the game. Growing up, Yee was a self-proclaimed “terror” who loved to be “out with her girls” but talking to people and giving advice was something that came naturally to her. Afte...

If there’s one thing that PR queen Savannah Engel has mastered, it’s the art of conversation. “Throw me into a room with 300 people I don’t know,” Engel says, “give me two hours, and I will know every single person there, and be their best friend.”  You might argue that the key to such confidence lies in Savannah’s undeniable Southern charm.  Her roots in the Mississippi Delta, combined...

If you’re wondering what the new guard of beauty editorial looks like, look no further than Akili King. The 23-year old Chicago native and NYU Gallatin graduate has published a book of her own poems (titled AWAKENING), and worked for brands like The FADER, Milk Makeup, and Fashion Fair. All that being said, her current position as the Beauty Editorial Assistant at Vogue is “still pretty surreal” b...

“What I was cleaning my house with was cleaner than what I was putting on my face. I had my head in the sand like a lot of people.” — my guest, April Gargiulo, on the genesis of her natural, performance-driven skincare line: Vintner’s Daughter // April and I discuss how her background in Napa Valley’s wine making process, allowed her to see this gap in the skincare market – she took this knowledge...

“Try colors you wouldn’t normally wear. It’s not permanent, it’s not a tattoo. And you might realize that actually, that green or that yellow goes with your clothes so much better than the red or nude does.” - Sylvie Macmillan on how to step out of comfort zones & try new colors for your nails.  I had to share some extras from my conversation in London with super-talented nail technician...

"I'm a size 16 black woman with natural hair who's big and broad and takes up a lot of space. And I'm unapologetic about it. I'm dope." - my guest, Julee Wilson, Global Beauty Director of Essence When it comes to beauty, Julee Wilson is all about showing up with authenticity and confidence. Her unique childhood within the Mormon community at home, and within the Quaker community at boarding school...

Dr. Jones treats newborns to 100 year olds, celebrities (like Pharell *gag*) & regulars like yours truly – in fact I’ve been seeing Dr. Jones at her UES practice for over 15 years. I couldn’t be more excited to her skincare wisdom with all of you! We talk about everything from how to find a great dermatologist (& more specifically a black dermatologist), haircare, cosmetic surgery and how...

“Every great brand has something in it that’s very unique and distinctive and belongs on this planet, and the best brands are the ones that know how to take that and constantly evolve it. Those brands stand the test of time.” - my guest, Amanda Baldwin Over the past three years, UV protection brand Supergoop! (est. 2007) has rapidly become a household name, and it’s no surprise that President...

Harlem-born, LA-based artist Mandy Harris Williams is thinking about beauty on a *much deeper* level. This was the intellectual beauty I conversation I've been chasing all 2019. Mandy’s ultimate aesthetic: summering on Martha’s Vineyard with a strong no-makeup skin flex. Listen to hear Mandy & I discuss the mythology behind the ‘ideal’ black woman, being ‘uglied’, fitting into cultural no...

“Nails can be just as important as jewelry” - my guest Sylvie Macmillan. Sylvie's journey to becoming a talented nail technician was anything but direct. After receiving a degree in technical arts and special effects, and working as a graphic designer and model maker, the Bath local could have done anything. Yet her lifelong love for nails was an affection that couldn't be ignored. With clients li...

We all need to be reminded to have a sense of humor when it comes to beauty. Mandi & I talk skincare obsession, how the team at the Baalm crafts brilliant beauty memes, the joy of your boyfriend adopting a skincare routine & more on this leftovers episode of Naked Beauty. And stay tuned if you want to hear a snippet of my stand up comedy routine from Caroline's on Broadway [can't believe I...

“I work backstage and it teaches you so much. The models are getting so many photos taken of them, so you have to be perfect.” - my guest makeup artists & model, Raisa Flowers Raisa is an icon in the beauty game and I’ve been wanting to interview her for so long! She’s done everything from hit the runway as a model for Rihanna’s most recent Savage x Fenty show to working with musicians to work...

With degrees in Regenerative Biology & Nutrition from Harvard, Mandi Nyambi truly has skincare down to a science. Which is why the skincare consultation network she co-founded, the baalm (formerly Le Culture Club) is set to become such a trust-worthy name among beauty enthusiasts. I loved talking with Mandi and getting all my burning skincare questions answered, hearing about her Cameroonian b...

Vic Styles is highly driven by aesthetics but she’s far from superficial – she's come into her own & creates from a place of intention. After starting her journey in L.A. as an assistant wardrobe stylist, Vic quickly became a stylist in her own right & as of today, has been featured in several publications (R29, Essence, Teen Vogue),living her best life as a freelance writer & influenc...