Fat Mascara

The perfect serum drizzle, the fluffiest body-cream whip, the straightest arm swatches—prop stylist Kounthear Kuch has done it all. In this episode, she takes us behind the scenes of a beauty photo shoot, discusses the latest color and photo trends in beauty, and demystifies the very ASMR world of making beauty products look delicious.  Episode recap with links:  fatmascara.com/blog/koun...

Jenn & Jess welcome intern Ellie Dixon into the studio to chat about why you may want an aluminum-free deodorant and which ones are best. Plus: students hiring makeup artists for the first day of school; why facialists are focusing more on clients’ necks; organizing tricks; a new chypre scent from Hermès; vanilla perfumes; water-based scents; e.l.f. Beauty’s album; shower caddies; and lots mor...

Francisco Costa looks at beauty through a different lens. One of the biggest forces in fashion, the former women's creative director of Calvin Klein Collection speaks to Jess about his evolution from designer to beauty founder, with the launch of Costa Brazil, and shares his creative process around product development. He also gets candid about the realities of acquisition: The brand was acqu...

Let’s dig into some fall beauty trends, like bow nails, soft baddie and Igari makeup, “fox” hair color—and whether or not Jess should get bangs. Plus: lookism in the news, the couple who pioneered cosmetic Botox, bridal beauty, rediscovering Pillow Talk, and a lip gloss that tastes like Haribo peach gummies. And, in a special segment brought to you by Acast Creative and our sponsor Shiseido Ginza...

Get to know Rihanna-approved facialist Sean Garrette. He shares his story, and we talk about skin barrier repair, facial percussion, his favorite at-home skincare devices, the best treatment for keratosis pilaris, why he puts retinol on his hands, and the three things you need for a “moisture sandwich” that will make your skin plumper and more hydrated. This interview originally aired in the summe...

We took a field trip to a New York City head spa, and we’ll tell you all about it. Then, Jess asks graphic designers why we’ve been seeing so many big, round, “wavy gravy” fonts in beauty packaging. Plus, we’re talking about executive changes at Estée Lauder Companies; an Anna Sui laptop with built-in perfume pods; the hot back-to-school beauty item; a surprising trick for getting rid of bumpy ski...

What is a non-surgical facelift? Plastic surgeon Kimberly Lee, MD, explains all the cosmetic treatments it can entail: injections of fat, filler, or neuromodulators; PDO threads (aka, “thread lifts”); radiofrequency skin tightening; and lasers. Plus, she talks about the long-term effects of filler, Botox, and Micro-Coring; details her approach to facial rejuvenation and how she helps patients deci...

What ridiculous beauty treatments are celebrities promoting this week? Jenn turns that question into a game for Garrett. Before that, Wolfgang test-drives Dolce & Gabbana’s perfume for dogs; we explain what’s going on with Avon and the talc lawsuits; and we look into the ingredient story behind Dyson’s new hair line. Plus: the beauty and wellness products to buy if you’re visiting Germany and...

Ellen Atlanta, the author of Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women, explains how the digital age has amplified pressure on women, girls, and marginalized genders to meet increasingly unnatural beauty standards. We talk about the cultural phenomenon of the Kardashians, the Love Island aesthetic, whether the body-acceptance movement has stalled, and more. Plus, Ellen, Jess, and Jenn disc...

Summer nights in New York City, perfume parties, new beauty commercials, Blake Brown Beauty, plastic surgery complications, a plumping blush (and where to put it), and tweezers for your pets…Jess & Jenn have a lot to discuss. Plus, in a special segment brought to you by Shiseido Ginza Tokyo and Acast Creative, we’ll introduce you to our new favorite eye cream. Big thanks to Shiseido...

We’re getting into the not-so-glamorous details of building a beauty business with Maria Hatzistefanis, the founder & CEO of Rodial and Nip + Fab. We talk about contact manufacturing vs. white labeling, cost of goods, supply-chain issues, how to grow a brand without investors, and why there are so many celebrity lines. Plus: The surprising secret to creating a beauty product that goes viral. W...

A listener called in with questions about the new whole-body deodorants, and Jenn & Garrett are here to help. Plus, we’re discussing at-home sleep apnea testing; why more men are using prestige skincare; some highlights from Cosmoprof (including a waterless shampoo and conditioner); Auntie Anne’s new perfume; and—in Science Corner!—a study explaining why explosive visuals and language are so e...

#cleantok star Vanesa Amaro explains exactly how to organize your beauty products and keep them clean. What’s the best way to remove lint and dust from a hairbrush? How do you get the inside of your makeup bag clean? Which cleaning products should you use if you’re sensitive to fragrance? Vanesa—a pro housekeeper and the Queen of Clean on TikTok—has all the answers. Plus, she shares her hair-growt...

Jess & Jenn discuss how to respond when people comment on your appearance. Plus: the “underconsumption” trend; a growing body of research that shows neurotoxin injections (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, etc.) may limit your ability to empathize; beauty marketers using Reddit to sell their products; Borghese spa mud; and the science of lip-softening balms (like the new one from Eadem). Episode recap w...

Learn how the U.S. military was involved in the development of hairspray, why redheads are so prevalent in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and the surprising way women in Renaissance Italy used to dye their hair in this fascinating interview with hair historian Rachael Gibson. We also talk about hair as a symbol of resistance, the evolution of the modern salon business, how technological advancemen...

It’s a very sporty episode with Jenn & Julee: We’re talking about Olympian Suni Lee’s nails, how exercise affects the longevity of neurotoxin injections, the best sports bra for runners (Julee knows— she used to be a track star!), and more. Plus: Elizabeth Banks’s new movie, Skincare , and its real life inspiration; a detailed explanation of fragrance concentrations; beauty products that are b...

…and vice versa. In this collaborative episode, Jess & Jenn get vulnerable with Jonathan Van Ness, the Queer Eye star, host of the podcasts Getting Curious and Pretty Curious, and founder of JVN Hair. We swap beauty stories and discuss what first drew us to the industry. Plus, Jonathan opens up his struggles with social media and the bankruptcy of his brand’s parent company, and we chat about...

First, can we talk about the Devil Wears Prada sequel? After that, Jenn & Jess discuss strawberry perfumes; share tips for entrepreneurs from the Estée Lauder Companies' New Incubation Ventures Symposium; and chat about the Miss AI beauty pageant, Troye Sivan's gig as the makeup ambassador for Rabanne, heavy metals in tampons, and why the young people in old television shows look so…not young....

Futurist, tech CEO, and makeup artist Alex Box, DDes, is working to make sure that as technology continues to evolve, our humanity and creativity isn’t lost. If you feel like social media, AI, and the metaverse are negatively affecting beauty standards, our self-esteem, and artist creativity, Alex offers an alternative: What if we all work together to change the systems? In this interview, she dis...

In this confessional and juicy interview, hairstylist Sally Hershberger takes us back to SoCal in the late 1970s, and shares how she parlayed her rock-star-adjacent life into a full-on creative career, working in salons and then on set as one of the fashion world’s favorite hairstylists. She talks about giving Meg Ryan her famous shag haircut, creating products for John Frieda, launching several o...

Kilian Hennessy, founder of Kilian Paris, talks about his famous last name, the history and semantics of fragrance, and the "potential consequences of making perfumed panties," in this interview, which originally aired in 2019. Plus, he explains why tuberose is better than Cheetos and what it’s like to be part of a big beauty conglomerate like Estée Lauder Companies. Products mentioned in this epi...

Jenn and Garrett discuss their recent travels, including Garrett's spa experience at a Dubai wellness hotel. Then they ask Chat GPT for skincare advice in real time (things do not go well). Plus: Trends from the new American Society of Plastic Surgeons survey; iRoma’s technology that could make movies (and emojis!) smellable in the near future; an in-shower facial; a sunscreen that...

Is blue light bad for your eyes—or your skin? Which lash-growth serums work without harming your eyes? Is it okay to tightline? How do redness-relieving eye drops work, and can you get addicted to them? What’s the best way to remove eye makeup? Ophthalmologist Nicky Shah, MD, cofounder of You & Eye by Dr. Nicky, is going to answer all those questions and talk about lash extensions, permanent m...

Jess & Jenn share highlights from two beauty conferences, and then discuss the copywriting over at Vacation Inc.; the challenges of building a lasting fragrance brand; changes at Space NK; the beauty brands with Olympics tie-ins; new flanker products for Clinique Black Honey; the woman with hyperosmia (a super-sensitive olfactive ability) who can smell Parkinson’s disease; and more. Plus, let’...

Ami Colé founder & CEO Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye went from social media manager (Temptu, L’Oréal) to product developer (Glossier) to starting a beauty brand for melanin-rich skin—and she’s refreshingly honest about what it took to get where she is. We discuss how her personal story is part of (but not the same thing as!) her brand; what it’s like to work with investors; the challenges BIPOC-owned...