Glow Journal

In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by beauty industry stalwart and General Manager of Aesthetics RX, Nicola Kropach. Nicola has 20 years of senior management experience within some of Australia, and the world’s, biggest beauty brands. I personally started trialling the Aesthetics RX product portfolio in December of last year and have been really, really impressed by the range (...

In episode sixty two (an Australian Exclusive) of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the Founder & Creative Director of AERIN and Style & Image Director of Estée Lauder. Aerin Lauder needs no introduction and no words can really do this woman justice- but I’ll try my best.  Aerin Lauder is, of course, the granddaughter of the late Estée Lauder. She is the Founder and...

In episode sixty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Indie Lee, Indie Lee. Indie Lee grew up with a clear vision, a literal checklist, of how she wanted her life to look- two children, two yellow labradors, a beautiful home and fast-paced corporate job. She had ticked every one of those boxes before realising that she was, in her own words, “a passenge...

Is it possible to fade visible capillaries with topical skincare? Why do spider veins appear so much worse during pregnancy? Are they hereditary? Is there a way to erase broken and burst capillaries- and do either of these things even exist?! In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Deshan Sebaratnam. A Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, Dr Deshan holds an ac...

In episode sixty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Moon Juice, Amanda Chantal Bacon.  Amanda Chantal Bacon has known she had purpose since she was a child- it just took her some time to really hone in on what, exactly, that purpose was.  She’s lived a few different lives. She grew up around fashion, something she felt disillusioned by, and was...

In episode fifty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Ciaté London, Charlotte Knight.  At 21, Charlotte Knight moved from London to Dublin and, with little experience in nails and no experience in business ownership, opened Dublin’s first ever nail bar- she went into a hair salon for a blow dry, mentioned her idea to the owner, and came out with a...

In episode fifty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Bread Beauty Supply, Maeva Heim.  “Visibility” is a word that came up a few times during this particular conversation with Maeva. Maeva explains that her relationship with her own hair was largely influenced by visibility. Maeva had spent the bulk of 20 years using a chemical hair relaxer to s...

In episode fifty seven of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to Ere Perez, founder of her namesake brand. Ere was born in Mexico and grew up watching her mother and grandparents mix lotions and potions in their kitchen. Ere is passionate about healing, and after studying nutrition she fell in love and moved to Australia in 1999 to be with her now husband. Ere had always loved mascara...

What IS laser hair removal and how does it work? Does it hurt? Are there any side effects? Is it safe for blondes and people with dark skin? Is it really permanent?  In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Kirsten Cachia, Clinical Educator at Candela Medical. Laser hair removal has been one of our most highly requested subjects this year so, for our final Bonus episode this...

In episode fifty six of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Vilhelm Parfumerie, Jan Ahlgren.  Born just outside of Stockholm, Jan shirked very early ambitions to play either tennis or gold professionally in favour of more artistic pursuits, moving Paris to model- during which time he secured a contract with Chanel. From there, Jan became an interior designer, fa...

In episode fifty five of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Biogeo, Nancy Twine.  Nancy, a former vice president at Goldman Sachs, tells me her very earliest memories of beauty all take place in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother, mixing their own beauty products using a KitchenAid. Nancy tells me that, even as a child, she was aware that there...

What actually IS cellulite? Can creams, scrubs or dry body brushing change its appearance? Is it possible to tighten skin after a C-section? And can laser or microcurrent actually work to firm, lift and tighten the body? In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by dermatologist Dr Andreas Fox. Qualified from Oxford University, Dr Fox worked as a consultant plastic and aesthetic surge...

In episode fifty four of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Emma Lewisham skincare, Emma Lewisham. Emma Lewisham skincare was, in a sense, born from grief. Following the passing of her mother, Emma tells me that she realised that, in her words, “no one is invincible,” which prompted her to examine her own health which, after a visit to her doctor, led to her...

If our skin is sensitive and flaring up- how do we know what’s causing it? Is there a difference between sensitive and allergy-prone skin? What’s the link between rosacea and sensitive skin? Is mask-ne a real thing- and how do we get rid of it?! In this Bonus Episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts is joined by dermatologist Dr Leona Yip.  So many listeners and glowjournal.com r...

In episode fifty three of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Floral Street, Michelle Feeney. Michelle Feeney has been described as one of the most powerful women in global beauty- and rightly so.  In 1993, Michelle was headhunted by the team at Estée Lauder and, after 10 interviews (including one with Leonard Lauder himself), was given a senior role with the co...

In episode fifty two of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of BeautyBio, Jamie O’Banion.  I sincerely believe BeautyBio to be one of the most exciting beauty brands in the world right now, and one I watched closely for years ahead of their highly anticipated launch into Australia this week. Jamie is the daughter of a dermatologist, something she calls an “...

What’s better- chemical or physical sunscreen? Do we really need to wear SPF every day? Should we apply sunscreen before or after our skincare? How do we reapply sunscreen over our makeup? Does SPF50+ foundation provide the same protection as SPF50+ sunscreen? In this Bonus Episode of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts is joined by dermatologist Dr Cara McDonald. We recorded an episode cov...

In episode fifty one of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founder of Nudestix, Taylor Frankel.  When Taylor Frankel was 17, the year was 2014 and she was launching Nudestix with her then 14 year old sister Ally and mother Jenny, a now multi million dollar beauty brand boasting Hilary Duff and Chelsea Handler amongst its celebrity investors.  Taylor tells me that,...

Is it ever too late to fade a scar? Can C-section and endometriosis scars be healed topically? Do hypertrophic and keloid scars need to be treated differently? Is there ACTUALLY a way to erase stretch marks? In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by dermatologist Dr Liz Dawes-Higgs. A recipient of the Schering-Plough Award for her laboratory-based research, Dr Dawes-Higgs is the Ne...

In episode fifty of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the Global Artistic Director of Makeup for Shiseido, James Boehmer. Shiseido are, undisputedly, one of the largest and most influential heritage brands of all time. Founded in Japan in 1872, Shiseido has cultivated a reputation for innovation in beauty, celebrating the synergy between art and science. It was that very reputati...

How can you cover greys at home? Is there a way to touch up regrowth in lockdown? How can we tone our hair between salon visits? In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode, beauty writer Gemma Watts is joined by award winning hairdresser Yoshi Su. Given that salons are currently closed in Victoria and, based on the influx of hair-related messages I’ve been receiving of late, it seems those in oth...

In episode forty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills, Anastasia Soare. Anastasia Soare is a self-made billionaire in the truest sense- but her story is not just for beauty lovers, nor is it just for business lovers. It’s for everyone.  I was granted this interview as an Australian podcast exclusive, an opportunity I’m so g...

The last time we spoke to specialist dermatologist Dr Ryan De Cruz, he shared his knowledge on all things isolation skin- skin that is irritated, stressed and acting out. We took Dr Ryan’s advice and we healed our isolation skin - and then winter hit, and with it came a whole new list of skin woes. So many listeners and glowjournal.com readers have reached out to me in recent weeks looking for win...

In episode forty eight of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder and CEO of lilah b., Cheryl Yannotti Foland.  Having grown up on the East Coast of the United States, once self described “high strung, type A, fast talking New Yorker” Cheryl Yannotti Foland spent the first 20 years of her working life in private equity. Cheryl describes her attitude towards work, life...

In this special bonus Ask An Expert episode I’m joined by Dr Firas Al-Niaimi. One of the most prolific and well-published dermatologists in the UK, if not the world, Dr Firas has written and contributed to over 160 publications, has delivered lectures in over 50 countries and is on the editorial board of multiple dermatology journals. A globally respected opinion leader, Dr Firas was who I felt wa...