Naked Beauty

Shani Darden just might be your favorite celebrity’s esthetician. From her Beverly Hills Studio, she cares for a roster of A-List celebrities and creates products for many more through Sephora. Before she began working with stars like Jessica Alba and Kelly Rowland, Shani was a mixed-race teenager in upstate New York who didn’t fit neatly into any community. Her family ensured that she had connections to Black hairstylists and introduced her to Mary Kay Beauty and DIY face masks. So, while she grew up feeling beautiful, she didn’t always fit in. During our chat, she explained that she always had plans to move to a big city and build her dream life, even when she didn’t know exactly what her path would be.

Shani’s life is a testament to taking opportunities to move and grow, especially when you feel uncomfortable. When a modeling opportunity in LA arose, she jumped at the chance and moved across the country. When she became disillusioned with the industry, she pivoted and sought out a new dream. Upon discovering esthetician school, Shani’s childhood interest in beauty and her professional experience in spas aligned. With Jessica Alba’s encouragement, she leapt into her own home-based studio and welcomed in a swell of new clients. Shani gives us an insider’s look at her skincare philosophy and what she recommends for any beauty enthusiast over 25. She also gets real about the limits of skincare and non-surgical treatment, offering us refreshingly realistic expectations for our beauty treatments.

Tune in as we discuss:

(2:30) Growing Up With Mary Kay Beauty

(6:25) Growing Up Feeling Out of Place

(8:20) Her First Sew-In and Emulating Lisa Bonet

(13:30) Jessica Alba’s Encouragement To Open Her Own Space 

(17:45) Shani’s Skincare Philosophy

(22:50) Her Take On Lymphatic Drainage Massages

(26:45) Filler, Botox, and The Limits of Skincare

(28:45) PRFM Takes Multiple Rounds

(30:10) Why Lasers Give Her Anxiety

(32:53) Why She Formulated Over-The-Counter Retinol

(41:57) Her Daily Skincare Routine

(44:18) Skincare Rules She Despises

(55:05) Advice On Launching A Brand Right Now 

Content warning: this episode contains discussions of disordered eating and body image issues 

Jayme Cyk is no stranger to vulnerability. On today’s episode of Naked Beauty, the former beauty director at Violet Gray and co-founder of the brand And Repeat shares her extensive background in the beauty industry, her experiences with ADHD medication, and the creation of her focus supplement, And Focus. Our discussion covers the emotional complexities of motherhood as it relates to body image, the interplay between beauty rituals and mental health, and Jamie’s favorite beauty and fashion products. Jamie also opens up about her ongoing challenges with self-acceptance and body dysmorphia, highlighting the importance of grounding practices and vulnerability in personal growth.

Tune in as we discuss:

(01:52) Guest Introduction: Jamie Syke

(02:20) Jamie's Career Journey

(04:11) Mental Health and Openness

(05:29) Early Beauty Experiences

(15:00) Body Image and Pregnancy

(40:32) Personal Experiences with Medication

(44:08) Impact of Parental Influence on Body Image

(48:34) Beauty and Skincare Favorites

(54:37) Balancing Beauty and Mental Health

(58:04) Hair Care and Fashion Finds

(01:02:56) Finding Grounding Practices

Kim Baker has lived an iconic life. From her first photoshoot at 13 years old to being managed by Bethann Hardisson, she divided her time between breaking down barriers and partying with fashion legends. In this episode, Kim walks us through the beginning of her fashion career and how her mother instilled unshakeable confidence in her by detailing the beauty of Black history. Kim offers us a peek into the highs and lows of the modeling industry in the 1980s, namely, early sexual harassment and stringent expectations about her body and weight. Kim doesn’t hold back when it comes to sharing her experiences with other iconic cultural figures, including meeting Jean Michel Basquiat and going into labor at Grace Jones’ birthday party at Studio 54. 

Kim doesn’t hold back when it comes to other difficult experiences, like how a whirlwind romance led to her facing a 65-year prison sentence. But Kim is no stranger to reinvention. She pioneered plus-size modeling in the 1990s, stepped behind the camera and became a makeup artist, and worked with Bobbi Brown for 14 years as one of her earliest employees. Kim’s career leveled up again when she accepted an opportunity to do glam for Tom Cruise and Laurence Fishburne. She realized a prediction she made at the age of nine and launched her own makeup line, Glamazon Beauty, in 2016. Kim’s transparency about her career, motherhood, and her faith illuminates why she has remained a staple in the beauty and fashion scene.

Tune in as we discuss:

(1:44)  Kim’s Beauty and Fashion Background

(2:55)  Learning About Beauty From Her Mother

(5:55)  Being Managed By Bethann Hardisson

(7:45)  Working With Legendary Photographers Bill King Arthur Elgort

(9:05) Meeting Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol at Studio 54

(10:25) Going Into Labor at Grace Jones’ Party

(21:20) Pioneering The Plus-Size Modeling Industry

(26:26) Joining Bobbi Brown And Staying For 14 Years

(30:45) Working with Tom Cruise and Laurence Fishburne 

(40:25) Her Simple and Effective Skincare Routine 

(48:23) Kim’s Daughter Natasha Talks About Growing Up With Kim

(52:13) When She Feels The Most Beautiful 

[Originally run in 2022]

Strategic Advisor Zara Rahim knows that whether it’s one's career or relationship to beauty, giving yourself grace can ultimately become your greatest strength. Tune in as we discuss her career working at The White House, Vogue, and for THE Mariah Carey, as well as her journey to falling in love with her features as a South Asian woman, the best SPF for melanin-rich skin tones, and so much more.

Sharing an episode from IMO’s limited series The Look. In the series, Michelle Obama opens up for the first time about her journey as a defining force in style—both within and beyond the White House. Through candid, intimate conversations with the creative minds behind her hair, makeup, and wardrobe, she reveals how she and her team transformed the scrutiny of her public image into a celebration of self-expression, inclusion, and impact. For many Black women, caring about their hair isn’t a choice – it’s a cultural inheritance, a political statement, and a lifelong journey. In this episode, Julee Wilson, Beauty Editor-at-Large of Cosmopolitan, leads a candid discussion between Michelle, her hairstylist Yene Damtew, and Blackish actress Marsai Martin about their personal hair journeys, and how Michelle’s hair evolution both mirrored and, for some, even inspired their own.