Naked Beauty

“For me, my flaws are what make me and I've learned through years to embrace that, and I like them now.” Issa Rae, actress, producer, and serial entrepreneur talked about all things beauty and self care on this week’s episode. Issa shared what it was like growing in L.A. and how a trip to Senegal reaffirmed her beauty when she was still in high school. We talked about her iconic looks on Insecure...

In today’s episode of Naked Beauty, I spoke to three writers from top beauty brands: Glossier, Dieux, and Sol de Janeiro for a deep dive into all things beauty copywriting. In the crowded landscape of beauty, tone, and voice are key ways for brands to break through the noise. I’ve been wanting to do an episode on this topic for so long - tune in for conversations with Laura Casciola of Dieux...

Sir John and I had a fascinating conversation with Dita Von Teese, the Queen of Burlesque. We talked about her childhood and the Hollywood starlets that inspired her to transform into the pinup girl of her dreams. Dita shared with us how her start dancing in the rave and strip club scene empowered her to always be her unique self. We also got the inside scoop on her Vegas show, a compilation of he...

Welcome to another Beauty Rant/Beauty Rave, and this time I had to dedicate an entire episode to the beauty cycle I’m currently in the grips of: lash extensions. What started as a simple birthday set of lashes has turned into a whole lash journey and I unpack it all, lash blindness included. I go over some practical advice on maintaining extensions, discuss the importance of communicating effectiv...

In our follow-up conversation Elaine and our mothers discuss the many lessons that motherhood teaches us about ourselves before and after giving birth. Elaine talked about the Birth Fund, and what spurred her to provide midwifery care to families across the U.S. She explained some of the differences between the traditional medical model and midwifery, which can provide lifesaving care that mends o...

Episode Description: In this heartfelt episode of Naked Beauty, I sat down with Elaine Welteroth, an acclaimed journalist and founder of Birthfund, along with our iconic mothers for an intimate conversation about motherhood. Elaine and I are deep into our second pregnancies, a time that sparks a lot of reflection, so we thought it’d be great to reflect with the women who influenced us the most: ou...

“I think self-love and happiness are habits” - Law Roach In this episode of the Naked Beauty podcast, Sir John and I spoke with the one and only Image Architect Law Roach. We explore his remarkable journey in transforming celebrities into fashion icons, delving into his path from the south side of Chicago to styling stars like Zendaya, Celine Dion, and Megan Thee Stallion. We also discuss his new...

Author, journalist, TV presenter, fellow podcaster and creator Candice Brathwaite-Aboderin is here on the pod and ready to talk through the evolution of her relationship with beauty. From her tomboy phase where she was completely uninterested in appearances, to her dancehall girl phase battling breakouts for the first time, to life as a mom helping her kids navigate anti-black beauty standards, Ca...

Brigette Romanek is an Architectural Digest-recognized interior designer who has furnished the homes you’ve likely drooled over on Instagram. Given my recent move and renovation journey, I’ve been dying to get her on the show, and just as I expected our conversation was spectacular. We delve into her self-taught journey, collaborations with high-profile clients like Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyoncé, an...

Sir John and I had an incredible conversation with Robert Meyer, a skincare expert, and top Shiseido training executive. Robert talked with us about what his decades-long career, at some of the most influential beauty companies, has taught him about beauty and the consumer experience. Specifically, how Shiseido successfully translates 150 years of Japanese beauty history to consumers around the gl...

I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Zambia with my husband, son, and growing baby, and I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by all the beauty I saw. In this beauty dispatch from Zambia, you'll hear about the beauty insights I gained, from marveling at the local wildlife and skincare traditions to making Mongongo oil with the Booma Women’s Cooperative and of course, shopping in the local mar...

Trigger warning: We discuss emotional and physical abuse in this episode.  In Part Two of our conversation with Jackie Aina, Sir John and I learned even more about what drives her. Jackie shared how she learned to enforce boundaries with her huge online community of supporters and how to engage with difficult topics. This led to an incredible discussion of her survival story, how her experien...

Sir John and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jackie Aina, the original YouTube It Girl turned entrepreneur and advocate. For the past 15 years Jackie has shaped conversations about Black women in beauty on every major social media platform. In part one of our conversation we talked to Jackie about what inspired her to create content initially and how having a presence online has changed ov...

I had the incredible opportunity to partner with Shiseido for a live conversation with everyone’s favorite triple threat, Kelly Rowland and Face Architect Joomee Song. During Shiseido’s inaugural Benefiance retreat, we talked everything beauty, business, travel, and motherhood. We had such a great time talking about our respective visits to Japan, our approaches to aging, and of course our first i...

The Naked Beauty fragrance is finally here! Over the course of the last 10 years, I’ve been experimenting with creating my own fragrances, mixing essential oils until I found blends that I loved. Now, many years later, my very first fragrance, Naked Beauty has finally launched, and I wanted to give you an in-depth look at what it took to make the fragrance. From smelling over 15 different iteratio...

"If you're not getting nos, you're not challenging yourself to your full potential." Last month, Sir John and I had a great live show in Beverly Hills. As a Cancer and a Leo, this time of year naturally brings reflection for both of us, and we went deep during the live show! The energy in the room was amazing, and the conversation was so incredible that Sir John and I knew we had to bring these to...

In my follow-up conversation with Amy Koberling PA, The Skinthusiast, we talked about all things pregnancy skincare. The conversation covered our experiences with pregnancy myths about products, skincare treatments, and even food. Amy shared her professional opinions about why expecting moms don’t need brand new skincare routines, dietary books she recommends for those who are trying or expecting,...

Over the course of 18 packed hours, I shadowed the ambitious and energetic Sabrina Elba for 54 Magazine. When 54 reached out and asked me to write the cover story on Sabrina and her award-winning S'ABLE Labs brand I knew I had to do it, despite having never written a cover story before. In less than 24 hours, Sabrina and I did pilates, tested lab samples, met with her woman-led team, and danced th...

When I met Amy Koberling aka The Skinthusiast, I knew I had to have her on the podcast to talk about what we should really be paying attention to when buying skincare. During our conversation, Amy dispelled some common beauty myths and misunderstandings about popular ingredients from benzoyl peroxide to vitamin C. Our conversation covered trends in skincare marketing, overhyped and underhyped prod...

In this week’s episode, Sir John and I sat down to chat about what it means to be Summertime Fine mentally and physically. Our conversation included a very special announcement from Brooke, thoughts on how we recharge after major events, and our favorite eye looks on Black women. Sir John shared some tips on elevating any look with custom grills and gave details on his innovative guide to contouri...

In this rerun of one of my favorite episodes, I sat down with TikTok queen herself, Tefi. Estefania Pessoa AKA Tefi is the best friend, cultural commentator, and skinfluencer we all needed during COVID-19, and if you have yet to come across her name on TikTok you are truly missing out. Tune in as we discuss her takes on both the toxicity and joy of Y2K beauty culture, growing up as a half-Colombia...

“At the top of the list of what you need to know about Tanner Adell is she is glam country, it's definitely a defining feature for me.” For our second episode together, Sir John and I sat down with someone we feel is truly blazing her own trail and looking incredible doing it: Tanner Adell. This year alone she's walked her first red carpet, presented an award at the CMT’s, and had her first-ever t...

Tune in for a LIVE conversation with the one and only Jenna Lyons. From her trendsetting tenure at J. Crew to her candid conversations about her relationship to beauty on Real Housewives of New York  Jenna’s authenticity is undeniable. During our conversation, we discussed her commitment to fostering diversity in the fashion industry and what she’s learned about herself since founding Lovesee...

After spending the past year developing my own fragrance, I’ve become obsessed with learning more about the process of developing fragrance. Maya Njie, an artist and self-taught perfumer, was the perfect person to dive deep on fragrance with. During our conversation Maya and I explored the scent composition of some of her top perfumes while discussing how significant her family history has been in...

While speaking with Charlotte Mensah, she shared her expertise in caring for Afro-textured hair, with products, tools, and styling recommendations. Charlotte also revealed how significant it was for her to grow up surrounded by family, having her hair done and styling it for others. Our conversation illuminated her decision to develop the Curl Power Workshop, an annual haircare and hairstyling eve...