Naked Beauty

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, and her philosophy of creating Livabl...

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 globe. We discussed how the brand mee...

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 market.

Tune in as I discuss:

• Th...

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 experiences inform her approach to helpi...

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 over time. Jackie also talked about h...

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 impressions of the Benefiance eye cr...

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 iterations of the fragrance to creative dir...

"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 topics to the larger Naked Beauty ...

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, gestational diabetes, and what cur...

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 the night away at a party hosted by N...

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 products, and how we ensure credibility...

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 contouring in the sun. Brooke talked about ...

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-Colombian, half-Brazilian girl in Miami, wo...

“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 televised performance - not to me...

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 Loveseen. We also talked about how she pre...

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 building her business. We also tal...

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 event where adults learn to care for t...

Charlotte Mensah, the first Black woman inducted into the British Hairdressing Hall of Fame, once turned her kitchen into a laboratory to develop products for her clients. Raised in her grandparent's Ghanian compound, Charlotte was exposed to her grandmother’s boundless creativity and her grandfather’s corporate acumen. Unsurprisingly, she harnessed their wisdom and built an award-winning career in beauty that spans decades. In our...

Another edition of beauty rant and beauty rave, including a hot take about luxury skincare and my recently acquired membership to LA's Erewhon and why I was so reluctant to join the cult of this hyped upscale grocer. Tune in to hear my thoughts on:

• How clinical research and development separates luxury brands from competitors 
• The question of whether or not a product is 'worth it'
• What a consistent skincare routine can do to...