Fat Mascara

Fragrances for Harry Styles and Selena Gomez, Byredo best sellers, a signature scent for Chloë Sevigny, the iconic aroma of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream—Jérôme Epinette, a perfumer for Robertet Group, has done it all. In this revealing interview, he shares what it’s like to develop perfumes for celebrities, how his creative process works, his favorite accords and notes, and the story beh...

Our intern, Emma, takes a closer look at the Gen-Z obsession with skincare, and her on-the-ground reporting may surprise you. Before that, Jess identifies a white space in the fragrance industry; Google makes finding beauty dupes easier; and we question Pantone’s 2024 color of the year and discuss when (if ever) red lipstick isn’t appropriate. Plus, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty launches fragrance; t...

We’re turning our parasocial relationship with dermatologist Angelo Landriscina, MD, into an actual relationship! The Derm Daddy, aka @dermangelo, holds forth on the state of skincare content on social media, his favorite products of the year, acne shaming, hair loss, adjusting to retinol, dank fragrances, and skin devices that aren’t worth your money. Enjoy! Products mentioned in this episode: sh...

We recap a holiday party we attended, where Jenn encountered Jeremy Fragrance and Jess thought she walked in on a couple in flagrante delicto. After that: the top TikTok of the year involves makeup; the hottest holiday beauty gifts; hairdressers in West Africa are offering clients mental-health help; there's news on an acne vaccine; and we Raise A Wand to more “zhuz” products. Plus, we talk to bea...

Plastic-surgery shaming, the ways celebrities gaslight us, cancel culture—Mia Freedman, co-founder of the Australian media network Mamamia, is here to talk about all of it. We chat with the writer and podcaster about beauty standards; how the evolution of media has affected women; being a “skincare slut”; lip stains that actually last; the hot holiday gifts this year; and so much more.  Produ...

Tell us about the product you only pull out for holiday parties—we’re calling these special-occasion items our zhuzh (or “jeuje” or “zhoosh”?) beauty products. Before that, we chat about Guido Palau’s new hair line for Zara; Jennifer Lawrence and Kylie Jenner discussing how makeup can make it seem like you had plastic surgery; Gen-X and Boomer (and Gen Alpha!) influencers; a collection of fantasti...

When content creator Liah Yoo started a skincare brand, her goal was to fix problems she saw with the Beauty Industrial Complex™ and its traditional business models. She’s here to explain how she’s doing that with Krave Beauty. We talk about how SPF testing works, ethical ingredient sourcing, the pressure retailers and investors put on brand founders, sustainability issues, and coping with negativ...

Tis the season of beauty advent calendars, and we found out which ones give you the most value for your money. We’re also talking about the #looksmaxxing community, its sketchy roots, and its interest in skincare and mewing. Plus: Javier Milei’s wolverine hair; gendered grooming rules in elementary schools (we’re looking at you, Girard, Kansas); health concerns associated with scented candles; and...

Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys discusses her evolving relationship with self care, from her decision to go makeup-free in 2016 to the daily affirmations that are part of her skincare ritual today. We also talk about her new musical, Hell’s Kitchen; her line, Keys Soulcare; the ways she uses crystals and fragrance for inspiration; and how we can all make affirmations part of our self-care routines w...

Jess is back from her travels to tell us about her favorite beauty boutique in Amsterdam and an unbelievable spa in London’s Old War Office. Plus: Rumour Has It (LOL) Adele is starting a beauty line; 5th Avenue in New York City is getting a fragrance makeover; Harry Style’s knows how to name a perfume; e.l.f. Cosmetics makes its debut on Roblox; Sephora is locking up its fragrances; you can take a...

Digital artist Ines Alpha is pushing the boundaries of how we think about makeup—and beauty. She tells us about her creative process and explains how she brings elects of fantasy and enchantment to human faces in video post-production and augmented reality. We discuss what the future of makeup could look like (IRL, in the metaverse, and using VR glasses and headsets); the psychological effects of...

Cindy Barshop, the founder of Vspot Medi Spa—and a Real Housewives of New York alumna—is here to share important information about all the treatments and services available to improve women’s sex lives. In this intimate (and sometimes hilarious) conversation, which originally aired in 2019, we’re talking about the O-Shot, the FemiLift laser, labiaplasty, intimate skin lightening, vaginal tightenin...

We’re revisiting our chat with model Linda Evangelista—something we’ve wanted to do since Apple TV’s The Super Models documentary came out earlier this fall. In this interview (originally recorded in 2017), she tells us about the power of the shabath (that’s a shower-bath for the uninitiated) and shares stories of her work with Gianni Versace, George Michael, and hairstylists Julien d’Ys and...

Jenn welcomes multi-hyphenate beauty guru Pamela Edwards Christiani, a journalist (formerly Essence & People), astrologer, and aspiring voice actor, as her guest co-host while Jess has the week off. On deck for discussion: pre-teen skincare routines; Bath & Body Works' ridiculous lineup of holiday scents; the FBI warning that hackers are targeting plastic surgeon’s offices (Pamela says Plu...

“Every culture in history has used natural scented materials for the most important things in life—eating, praying, making love, being buried,” says psychotherapist turned natural perfumer Mandy Aftel, in this fascinating interview. The founder of the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents, in Berkley, California, is here to celebrate the release of her latest book, T he Museum of Scent , by sharing a fe...

Jenn is looking for lip balms that actually last more than an hour, so call the hotline to share your favorites: 646-481-8182 ! Then, we have lots to cover this week: a moisturizing side benefit of lip filler; trouble for spa brands like Decléor; how social media stars go viral by applying lip gloss while talking; Beyonce’s new perfume, Cé Noir; a closer look at G Spot drinks; California’s banning...

Jónsi Birgisson and Lilja Birgisdóttir are taking Jess (and you!) on a journey to Iceland—through their perfume and their art. Listen in as they talk about Fischersund, their family-run perfumery and art collective, their artistic influences, and how music and Iceland’s natural wonders inspire everything they do. Products mentioned in this episode: shopmy.us/collections/284968 Episode recap with l...

Has beauty culture come to a stand still? A recent New York Times article lamenting the current lack of cultural innovation got us thinking. We’re also chatting about the Goop line for Target; why red is trending (and Poppy King’s new lipstick); the genius of the Tampon Tax Back Coalition; how excited we are for Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla (and the adjacent Half Magic makeup set); and the potential...

What’s the difference between lasers and LED (light emitting diodes), IPL (intense pulsed light), RF (radiofrequency), and all the other professional therapies and devices out there? In this interview (previously aired), dermatologist Robert Anolik, MD, explains it all: Which lasers (Q-Switched, Vbeam, Excel V, Fraxel, Clear + Brilliant) help with which skin concerns? What’s the differen...

Maybe we’re getting into Halloween early, but this week has some ghoulish delights! Listen in to help us solve a crime at a hair salon in Ontario, Canada, and then explore your shadow self with a perfume designed to … Repel? Protect? Confuse? You decide! Plus: Jess has an interesting encounter with Victoria Beckham, “over-producting” your concealer, surprising news about skin cancer, and sustainab...

Rihanna’s go-to makeup artist, Priscilla Ono, is here to talk about her famous clients, her love of clean skin (and a clean kit!), the makeup courses she teaches, her work with Cetaphil, and how her career started with music videos. Plus: The global makeup artist for Fenty Beauty explains how to use blush to detract from under-eye circles, an easier way to clean your makeup brushes, how to get the...

Why did Pamela Anderson’s no-makeup look get so much attention? We have thoughts on that and lots more: The Super Models documentary on Apple TV+; nepomodels; Beckham-inspired fragrances; the death of magazine scent strips (and new research on how people shop for perfume); and Flyte.70’s indie beauty boutique near Boston. Plus, we have new homework for the Fam! We want to know about your favorite...

Listen in to our live-recorded podcast with Marisa Meltzer, the author of Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier . We treated this interview as a book club of sorts, and asked Marisa all of your (and our!) pressing questions. She discusses her interviews with Emily Weiss, the rise (and plateau?) of Glossier, her reporting process for the book, why the #GirlBoss er...

Love is not blind, according to a contestant on the new season of Love is Blind who had an issue with his (now ex-) fiancée’s makeup. His comments got us thinking about research that shows how makeup affects a person’s trustworthiness. We also chat about Jess’s vegan keratin treatment, under-eye patches as accessories, a new fragrance atelier in Paris, and grooming standards in the military. Plus,...

Celebrity aesthetician Iván Pol, founder of The Beauty Sandwich, is here to share his story—and his secrets. He and Jess discuss how he started out as a makeup artist and discovered the key to beauty was in the skin. He’ll explain why he loves radiofrequency treatments; how to prevent transepidermal water loss so your skin looks dewier; the at-home laser device he uses all the time; and the backst...