Naked Beauty

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...

Creative freedom, the role of therapy, patience with your hair, your skin, the joys of being alone, affirming your own destiny, setting intentions...so much of this very special episode with Madison is about trusting the timing of your life. I’ve admired Madison, founder of Utendahl Creative , for years! She was the force behind some of my favorite work at Refinery29, social director for the Museu...

An encore episode with Harper’s Bazaar senior digital fashion editor, Chrissy Rutherford. Chrissy has some advice for hopefuls wanting to work in fashion: "If you don’t love it, you won’t last a week”. Chrissy tells me what it’s like being a digital editor and why her perspective as a woman of color is important right now. We discuss foundation (who is it really for?),miracle cures for cystic acne...

“To me the coolest people, the people that I'm inspired by, are people who are just 100% themselves.” - my guest, friend, and designer Recho Omondi on trying to define the intangible quality of coolness. I could speak to Recho for *hours* and this live episode, all about expression, is no exception. Listen to hear us discuss: Developing a unique personal style  How moving around growing...

“Your health is your responsibility, it’s really up to you” — Annya Santana explains this truth to me & a sold-out crowd in NYC for this live edition of Naked Beauty Annya joins me to talk about how we care for our body as part of our beauty routine. Annya is firmly #teamfitness & team #plantbased vegan & I couldn’t be more inspired. We talk about how she started her health journe...

An honest talk about mental health — from my live Naked Beauty event in NYC I’m joined by writer, DJ & childhood friend, Gillian Sagansky to talk about how she’s come out as someone who struggles with OCD. We discuss her choice to seek treatment & how life was before she realized she needed to make mental health her ‘full-time job’. She explains how important it’s been for her to live with...

From product development at Glossier to the front lines of L’Oreal — Diarrha has seen a lot and I was so eager to hear all the beauty TEA & it is *hot* – I had a jaw on the floor moment during our chat! I also learned A LOT - Diarrha talks about the science of skin, how products are formulated and women of color being excluded from clinical trials. We discuss Drunk Elephant, how Sephora uses d...

Marjon Carlos is a writer, cultural critic, speaker and editor whose work I’ve admired for years. She is the former Senior fashion writer at Vogue.com where she explored the intersection of style and culture – informed by her academic background in African-American studies at Brown and Columbia University. Marjon tells me how she came into her own personal style, shopping memories in Dallas,...

Besidone has worked across fashion, music and entertainment at some of the top global brands & has a passion for business strategy. I wanted to share our discussion on finding mentors, bullying at work and why women need to support women for this leftovers episode! --- Tickets for the #NakedBeautyPodcast LIVE experience June 22nd are on sale and going fast! Get your tickets today: https://www....

“I have a story. It’s hard, it’s gnarly but it’s not about the story, it’s what you do with it.” - Sophia Roe, my incredible guest for this special episode of Naked Beauty. Sophia’s wisdom, humor and excitement for life are all so refreshing and a joy to witness. I loved learning about how she got her start in high-end restaurants, then to catering, and how her love of food has evolved over time....

Self-care isn’t for sale. Despite the best efforts of marketing, a sheet mask won’t change your life. But sleeping more will. Going outside for a walk will. Stretching for 15 minutes a day will. #Selfcareisfree & if there’s one thing you retain from listening to this episode, it’s that you to believe & know in your core that buying products or hiring experts is not necessary to do the work...

Hannah Bronfman is one of the most inspiring, ambitious, down to earth women I know & when you meet her Mom and hear their story— it all makes sense. Loved talking to this powerful Mother-Daughter duo for this special episode of Naked Beauty 💗 Hannah talks about how watching her Mom create opportunities for herself (like writing her own fan mail!) inspires her to hustle (9:59). Sherry ‘Peache...

Some leftovers from my discussion with Ashley Weatherford (senior editor at Into the Gloss) and Utibe Mbagwu (social at Into the Gloss)! We talk about the challenge of being 'the only one' and what it's like the sole person of color on a team. Utibe and Ashley share their transition to going natural and thoughts about how the beauty conversation has changed over the years. Utibe, who manages...

Happiness-inducing morning routines, skin-perfecting color corrector, expert facials & head-turning natural hair looks –– Besidone and I get into at all in this AMAZING episode of Naked Beauty. You’re all going to fall in love with Besidone because not only is she an incredible career-woman but she’s also so spiritually grounded. Besidone shares her experience growing up in LA with N...

“I had a really unhealthy obsession with looking a certain way that just wasn’t possible 24/7” - my guest Nia Pettit, who’s only 21 but has had a following on social since she was 16. At 20 she freed herself of being preoccupied with her hair. Self-love, natural hair journeys, bacne, being mixed race, international travel, baby hairs, veganism –– Nia and I talk about it all and I’m so blown away b...

Bonus content from my interview with Negarin Sadr, listen to the full interview here (one of my faves) In this leftovers episode, we discuss the shift towards casual/comfortable clothes for women and how much we miss Pheobe Philo, the designer and innovator behind Celine. Pheobe Philo has been replaced by Heidi Silmane and the results are not great (see article for reference). ALSO we have the har...

"I love a new candle just as much as I love a new pair of socks" - my guest and friend of 16 years, Abigail Stern Abigail is not a girly-girl, she was always the cool one in sneakers when everyone else was hobbling around in heels. I've watched her blossom into an incredible entrepreneur and launch her own line of technical performance wear: Matek. We talk about what being Jewish means to her and...

“I loved beauty without knowing it” - my guest Ashley Weatherford, Senior Editor at Into The Gloss Ashley has been an authority in beauty for years and I’ve followed her career since the beginning – so I was incredibly excited to have her on and learn her story: from Ohio to Northwestern to NY. Ashley wanted to be a lawyer but started a beauty blog on the side for fun, which eventually landed her...