Naked Beauty

“If you’re scared, now your hairstyle looks scared” — my guest the one and only Nikki Nelms dropping hair gems on this episode!  If you don’t know celebrity “Hair MacGyver” Nikki Nelms by now, you are in for a treat! Praised for styling the famous locks of Solange, Zoe Kravitz, and Janelle Monae, Nelms has established some of the most popular hair trends over the past decade. With features in...

Creator Kellie Brown is aspirational - in fact she claims the term ‘Fat Icon’ boldly. With years of experience in the NY PR game, and passion for plus-sized representation, Kellie is helping the world to redefine its relationship with the word “fat”. We talk about how all of the brands are reaching out to work with black creators right now, how she takes care of herself, what she learned working w...

As the Senior Research & Education Manager at Paula’s Choice, Desiree Stordahl believes that skincare is nothing without the ingredients that define it. After growing up with a harsh-is-better approach to acne, Storedahl decided to abandon the SeaBreeze pads and take on a more thoughtful approach to beauty. She picked up a copy of Paula Begoun’s Beauty Bible , and the rest is history! Today, S...

While the past few weeks have been exhausting for many of us in the black community, inequality has always been a part of the narrative. And yet still, we create, innovate and continue to push boundaries. This is our magic, and on Naked Beauty, it is something that I have tried to highlight through a number of black women. With that, I decided to use this episode to revisit their experiences, and...

A special announcement with guest appearance from my husband <3 Thank you all for the love & support! Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet   Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple  Tg me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear you...

“Inflammation is all around us, it affects our health, our skin, and it’s something we need to pay attention to.” I had the pleasure of sitting down with THE Dr. Barbara Sturm to discuss her life-long love of science, her journey as an entrepreneur, and of course, her iconic line of skin care products. To my long-time listeners you know that beauty editors live for this brand, and are particularly...

Aala Marra is a very special person who's been able to self-heal and overcome a lot! Only 26, she's deeply aware of her purpose and it's so inspiring - I got a little emotional during this one. Revisiting this episode from 2018, tune in to hear a timely discussion on the importance of self-care. She's Sudanese-American and grew up in between cultures. We talk about how Sudanese women approach beau...

“Approach everything in life with compassion, and before you know it you will feel the shift”    When you meet Trinity Mouzon, it immediately becomes clear that she not only understands wellness, but truly lives and breathes the concept. After growing up in Saratoga, New York, and watching her mother’s health drastically transform through the use of holistic treatments, Trinity became en...

This leftovers episode is all about adventure! While I know that we are stuck at home with not a travel plan in sight, looking back at my interview with Nana Agyemang has definitely given me some post-quarantine vacation inspiration. Tune in for a great conversation on Nana’s trip to Accra this past December for the Year of Return, and tips on how to replicate your favorite adventures at home. Sit...

One of my favorite dermatologists, Dr. Shereene Idriss, M.D. is here Naked Beauty Planet! With a medical background from George Washington University, Tufts, and Harvard, trust and believe she knows exactly what she’s talking about! Through her IG series #PillowTalkDerm Dr. Idriss gives no-nonsense skincare advice shared from the comfort of her own bed. Get ready for an honest conversation on clea...

“None of us are coming out of this the way we went in”  While COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all of us, its impact on New York creatives has been particularly difficult. With that, I wanted to use this time to check back in with some of your favorite Naked Beauty guests who are finding new ways to define their craft and themselves. Featuring Raisa Flowers, Illeisha Lussiano, and Vic...

While most of us are finding quarantine anything but ideal, I hope that you, Naked Beauty Planet, are taking this time to incorporate some serious self-care! On this episode, I am breaking down my favorite clean, simple, and affordable beauty recipes. From DIY hair masks to body scrubs, I’ve got you covered! So please sit back, relax, and enjoy.  Links to Products/Resources Mentioned:  S...

Tune in for a very special episode with Doree Shafrir and Kate Spencer, hosts of the infamous Forever35 ! I had the pleasure of meeting these two at the iHeart Podcast Awards, where they won “Best Beauty and Fashion Podcast”. After lots of fan-girling, I decided to bring them on, and discuss what their beauty routines have looked like during this very turbulent time. From the best face mists to th...

For Zoë Foster Blake, beauty should never be taken too seriously. Growing up in Australia, skincare and makeup equated to great conversation and community-building. But after years working as a beauty editor at Cosmopolitan and Harper’s BAZAAR, she found herself feeling bogged down by the complicated messaging that the industry had to offer. So in 2014, Blake decided to break out and establish her...

What does beauty mean when you are alone? How does our relation to self-presentation change when we have no one to see? These are just a few of the questions that I have been asking myself as COVID-19 has begun to drastically change everyone’s lives and daily routines. In this time of self-quarantine, I decided to check in with my family and you , Naked Beauty listeners. Tune in to hear how corona...

“I love subverting an eccentric English style because I’m a black Jamaican girl, so it contrasts. I’m obsessed with the contrast” - my guest Sharmadean Reid on this amazing episode of Naked Beauty When it comes to London’s beauty scene, Sharmadean Reid is THE ONE to watch. After having founded the iconic WAH Nails back in 2009, Reid has continuously found ways to combine Black British culture with...

This solo episode is all about the foods to eat for your skin to be at its best! While we all love a good mud mask or retinol serum, products are never the final answer to achieving healthy, supple skin. Tune in to hear about the dietary dos and don’ts that will keep your skin looking its best for years to come!  Links to Products/Resources Mentioned:  STUDIES: Acne-Free Population , Wes...

I got to sit down with the queen of K-Beauty herself, Charlotte Cho! Growing up in LA, sunscreen and toner seemed to be completely trivial to Cho. But after moving to South Korea post-grad, she was exposed to her own culture through an entirely new lens: skincare. And so upon returning to the States, she decided to start Soko Glam: an online retail shop completely dedicated to K-Beauty. Today, aft...

On this leftovers episode, Maya Allen and I dive into one of her favorite beauty topics: lip color. With her own digital column at Marie Claire titled “Big Lipstick Energy”, I could not miss out on the opportunity to discuss what shades, formulas, and techniques she uses to maintain the perfect pout. Tune in for a fabulous chat on sugar scrubs, bold red pigments, and the power of liquid lipstick....

After eight years of working in beauty editorial, Maya Allen has become one of THE coolest girls in the industry. But that hasn’t been without tons of hard work. On this episode of Naked Beauty, Marie Claire ’s Digital Beauty Editor not only broke down her extensive skincare routine, but her continuous journey to dominating the beauty sphere as well. Tune in for an incredible discussion on travel,...

Looking for a new holy grail skincare product? Rio Viera-Newton has got your back. After years of looking for a solution to her dry skin and cystic acne, Viera-Newton was able to craft what many of us beauty junkies now just call “the Google doc”. Filled with affordable and effective products, Viera-Newton’s guide to great skin, and her continuous beauty editorial work at The Strategist is truly c...

Hannah Bronfman is back for her THIRD Naked Beauty interview and this time around, she and her husband Brendan Fallis stopped by to share their love story with me. Get ready for all the feels because they are truly #relationshipgoals. They discuss their experience as DJs, influencers, and entrepreneurs. But we didn’t stop there. For the love of all things beauty, we dove into the couple’s fav...

If you haven’t heard of Nana Agyemang yet, prepare to be blessed. Over the past four years, this powerhouse has taken on the world of beauty and fashion editorial like no other! She’s reported for publications like the NYTimes , BBC , Elle & Refinery29. Today, Nana not only works as a social media editor for NY Mag's The Cut, but also runs her own media platform called EveryStylishGirl , speci...

“I thought I was a feminist before. You can’t tell me sh*t about women now. We bring whole entire lives into this world” my guest Julee Wilson on the experience of childbirth.  Join Julee, Global Beauty Director of Essence, and I on this leftover’s edition of Naked Beauty as we talk about her experience of being a Mother. It’s something I feel we don’t talk about enough so I had so many quest...

Lesley Thornton’s dedication to beauty is truly next level. As a young girl, she was obsessed with making mud masks in her grandmother’s garden, checking out beauty products in LA’s Koreatown, and doing her girlfriends’ makeup for prom. For Thornton, beauty has always been, and continues to be about being both mindful and creative. And so, after working as a beauty director at Estée Lauder, and an...