Naked Beauty

In the last episode of the year, I was the Naked Beauty interviewee. Our incredibly talented producer, Mbiye Kasonga, and I sat down to reflect on the previous two years we’ve spent working together. She asked me about my interest in storytelling and my experiences after a full year of working for myself and taking creative risks. It gave me a chance to talk about my early interests in audio storytelling and the inspiration I drew listening to Wendy Williams after school every day. We also talked about our professional partnership and how committing to decisiveness and rejecting perfectionism helps us get our work into the world. Of course, none of this hard work would be possible without great support, and we dove deep into how respect and support in our romantic lives make it easier to chase our dreams. Thank you so much for an incredible year of Naked Beauty, I’m excited to welcome my baby into the world and take a break, but I’m even more excited about the great beauty stories we’ll get to tell in 2025. 

Tune in as we discuss:

• How to build and lead a strong team
• Why consistency and transparency are the most vital tools for early podcasters
• How the podcast industry has changed over the past eight years
• Our predictions for the future of 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 and she underscored how exciting it was to have collaborated with the talented crew who built the worlds so many of us love. Talking about her successful projects led us to an interesting discussion about why she has avoided most cosmetic procedures and embraced what others in the industry might perceive as flaws. When we talked about her many businesses, including her stake in a sailing team, she reiterated that her collaboration with other brilliant people is what has made these ventures so successful. 

Tune in as we discuss:

• How she navigated not feeling beautiful as a child
• Her Stanford days, including unique campus traditions 
• The hairstyle and role that transformed her life 
• What informs the unique visual aesthetic fans know and love
• Her latest project ‘One Of Them Days’ - a buddy comedy featuring SZA and Keke Palmer 
• How she manages boundaries and privacy in her personal life

Products Mentioned:

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 Skin, Hardeep Gill, formerly a copywriter for Glossier, and Janell Hickman of Sol de Janeiro for an in-depth discussion of what it takes to translate brand personality into copy that sells. We discussed the collaborative efforts it takes to write copy, the importance of intentional messaging, and how to customize copy for social media. We also got to dive into what it takes to become a copywriter and how artificial intelligence might change the field. 

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 her life's work that includes original and iconic Bob Mackie costumes and of course her incredible beauty and skincare routine. Our chat illuminates Dita Von Teese’s lasting ability to give people permission to be their full and eccentric selves.

Tune in as we discuss:

• Why what you build is more important than what you’re born with
• Defining feminism as one that allows women and lgbtq+ people to embrace their eroticism and power
• Burlesque’s surprising American roots and eccentric history
• The beauty rules she’s learned from incredible older women
• Her skincare secrets
• How the history of perfume inspires her scents

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 effectively with lash techs, and suggest alternatives like lash serums and my favorite strip lashes.

Shop all of the products mentioned in today's episode here: https://shopmy.us/collections/927424