Beauty Needs Me

In our season 3 closer, we talk about what we've learned from our season 3 guests and our current thoughts on products and innovations in the beauty industry. This is just a good ol' ki-ki session with your two favorite lazy beauty girls! See you next year!

AMP Beauty LA is a tech forward e-tailer carrying over 50 black owned and inclusive beauty brands. Montre Moore, one of AMP Beauty LA's founders joins us this week to discuss her early beauty influences growing up in L.A., how attending an HBCU helped shift her standard of beauty, her career journey from PR to beauty. Montre also discusses the role edge control plays in the birth of AMP Beauty LA, some of her favorite beauty hacks, products and tools (find out what a face smoothie making machine is), and what AMP Beauty LA has in store for 2022!

Founder of Beauty Beez, Brittney Ogike joins us this week to discuss the need for Black owned beauty stores that celebrates multicultural beauty. Brittney shares her frustrations from the past as she shopped at beauty supply stores and how that led her to creating Beauty Beez, a luxury beauty supply store in LA that not only sells beauty products, but also has space for women to get their hair done! Brittney shares her journey with beauty, what she's hoping to achieve with Beauty Beez and so much more!

Dana joins us this week to discuss the inspiration behind creating @beautyincolor_official, a blog dedicated to skincare for Black women with sensitive skin. Dana shares her journey with eczema (the second largest skin concern for Black people - acne is the first), her first experience with botox, some of her favorite beauty products and how she is currently practicing self care.

Products mentioned in this episode along with Dana's discount codes are listed below:

In this episode, we do a discuss our thoughts on an article published in The Atlantic, titled "What Makes a Black Woman Real' by Hannah Giorgis. We touch on the insecurity some Black women feel in not having curvaceous bodies, pressure to get a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) and what exactly qualifies women, mainly Black women as having a "real" body.

Eunice Cofie-Obeng, Chief Cosmetic Scientist and Founder of Nuekie, joins us in this episode to share her early relationship with beauty, her motivation for pursuing a career in beauty, the under utilization of plants in Africa as ingredients and the importance of Black representation in esthetics and much more. Eunice is also a 2021 recipient of the Glossier Grant Initiative for Black-owned Beauty Businesses and she keeps it real on whether or not Glossier is really putting their money where their mouth is.

Products mentioned in this episode are listed below:

In this episode, we have an extended discussion during Beauty News, giving our take on Trevor Noah's podcast titled "Social Media Friend or Foe" (aired Aug 31, 2021). We discuss the impact COVD-19 has had on our image of ourselves and whether or not we experience Zoom Dysmorphia, the rising occurrence of teenagers wanting to look like Snapchat filters in real life and much more. We also discuss whether or not your face will fall off (fine, too dramatic) if you use expired/denatured vitamin C in our Breaking it Down segment!

This episode was originally aired on September 3, 2020. In the spirit of NYC Fashion Week making a come back, we are running it back! 

Nana is a force to be reckoned with! The Founder & CEO of EveryStylishGirl is a journalist by trade who has built her career at places like BBC, The New York Times, ELLE, Refinery29, New York Magazine and The Cut. In this episode, we discuss how Nana's view of beauty AND working in the fashion industry has changed over the years, the inspiration behind EveryStylishGirl, her personal style & favorite designers and so much more!  

*Editorial Updates: Nana's family relocated to Ohio when she was 10. Nana was taken to Ghana at a very young age to live with her maternal grandmother to learn the culture and language.

Products mentioned in this episode are listed below: 

Skincare 

Dunni & Taleah are back from spring/summer break and ready to catch up on all things beauty! In this episode, they discuss the beauty treatments & products they've used over the summer, the health of their skin and how they're thinking of switching up their routines this fall. As usual, they dive into some random topics and share lots of laughs!

Products mentioned in this episode are mentioned below:

In our season 2 closer, we talk about what we've learned from our season 2 guests, our current thoughts on body modifications and new beauty services we tried during this season. This is just a good ol' ki-ki session with your two favorite lazy beauty girls!

Shontay Lundy transitioned from her career in corporate America to being an entrepreneur in 2016 when she founded Black Girl Sunscreen (BGS). BGS was created to cater exclusively to Black women 

In this episode, Shontay gives us some insight into how she grew up and the experiences that shaped her ideas of beauty, lets us in on the importance of BGS' name being authentic to who she is, and the guilt some non-Black women express when using BGS. We also get into how Shontay has been staying on top of her wellness, the Black Panther party, the aesthetic procedures we're thinking about trying and so much more!

Products mentioned during the Add to Cart segment are listed below:

Founder & CEO of Kadalys, Shirley Billot is a beauty activist, sustainability leader, skincare pioneer social visionary and entrepreneur! Shirley has built an eco-conscious luxury skincare line with bananas being the hero ingredient! In addition to this, Shirley is also changing the economy of her home country, Martinique by partnering with banana producers in Martinique, creating jobs that enable young people to stay in the country vs leaving for "better" opportunities and encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM! 

Anti-aging and anti-acne are two of the biggest sectors in the beauty industry, however, products for each of these issues often cancel each other out. Clear Stem founders, Danielle & Kayleigh created an anti-aging & anti-acne skincare line with no hormone disruptors or toxins. In this episode, Danielle & Kayleigh discuss how acne impacted their lives through adulthood, why we need to watch out for pore clogging ingredients, some of their favorite meal & drink (non-alcohol) recipes & tips to boost your overall wellness (and skin) and so much more! 

Products mentioned during in this episode:

Tisha Thompson, founder & CEO of LYS Beauty is on a mission to diversify the clean beauty industry. After working as a professional makeup artist and serving as the VP of Marketing PUR Cosmetics, Tisha started Love Yourself Beauty (LYS). In this episode, Tisha tells us how good relationships played a major role in getting her business off the ground, how she went about getting into Sephora to become the first clean makeup line at Sephora and so much more. We had such a great time chatting with Tisha & look forward to you enjoying this episode! 

We are giving flowers to some of our favorite women beauty entrepreneurs for Women's History Month! In this episode, we both share 3 of our favorite beauty entrepreneurs - how they're making their mark in history and why we admire them so much.  

You can find out more about each of the women we admire below:

In this episode, Dr. Rahi, a well known aesthetics physician with 2 clinics, in LA & NYC, joins us to shed more light on minimally invasive anti-aging procedures and how she focuses on wellness from the inside out. Dr. Rahi informs us about what aesthetics actually means, the bad reputation it has and what these procedures do to your face. We also learn how much vitamin D we should really be getting, the trickiness of buying supplements, her favorite skincare products and so much more! 

You all seem to be loving the new segments, so we are also back with this week's Beauty News, Beauty Tip and Beauty Moments.

Products mentioned during in this episode:

Welcome to our first solo episode since October 2020! In this episode, we give you updates on our lives over the past several months including re-branding of the pod, the iHeart Radio Podcast Awards, how we are managing our overall wellness and of course, beauty products we are currently trying and loving.

This episode also introduces new segments we are trying out to have a more well rounded show. 

Products mentioned in this episode are listed below:

In this episode, we are excited to have the hosts of the Long Story Short Podcast, Skye & Amanda chat join us to discuss their personal journeys with beauty. On the Long Story Short Podcast, Skye & Amanda discuss the books they read and how they apply the lessons to their lives. In this episode, they touch on various factors that shaped their idea of beauty such as their cultural identities as Black and Afro-Latina women, growing up in New York and how they see beauty depicted in novels and the parallels that exist to real life. We also discuss the audacity men have in expressing their "preferences", current wellness practices and skin routines.  

Products Skye mentioned in the episode are listed below:

We're back with Part 2 of our conversation with the PVO men. This time, they actually share some of the products they use, their beauty moments, and more insight into how men & women see beauty differently.

Founded by Chi, Dayo, Nas & Walu, PVO Global is a collective driven by their passion for uplifting Black culture and commitment to social impact. The mission of PVOGlobal is executed through national and international high-end, caused-based consumer experiences, custom video production, and on-going giveback initiatives. The movement inspired by PVOGlobal, #PositiveVibesOnly, is more than just a party, it's a consumer experience that harnesses the power of positive energy and uses it to effectively empower the culture.

A lot of time is spent discussing beauty as it pertains to women, but where do men fit into this conversation? In this episode, the founders of The Positive Vibes Only (PVO) Podcast give us their take on referring to men as beautiful, insecurities they've experienced related to their appearance & how beauty plays a role in their romantic relationships. 

Founded by Chi, Dayo, Nas & Walu, PVO Global is a collective driven by their passion for uplifting Black culture and commitment to social impact. The mission of PVOGlobal is executed through national and international high-end, caused-based consumer experiences, custom video production, and on-going giveback initiatives. The movement inspired by PVOGlobal, #PositiveVibesOnly, is more than just a party, it's a consumer experience that harnesses the power of positive energy and uses it to effectively empower the culture.

This is just part 1 of a hilarious 2.5 hour conversation. Part 2 will be available next week so be sure to digest this first!

Welcome to Episode 17 of the pod! Wow! We are 17 consistent episodes in and couldn't be happier to be on this journey with everyone. This episode marks the beginning of our fall break (don't worry, we'll be back)! With the change in season & the shift that comes with it, we get real about how we are feeling and what we're doing to sustain our wellness - mentally, emotionally, physically & spiritually. It's also a known fact that changes in season & circumstances are often triggers for stress, depression and anxiety. We share 1) our personal experiences with these things and 2) how we try to manage through these situations. 

This episode was recorded on September 27, 2020 ahead of Mental Health Awareness Day on October 10, 2020. It's always a good time to discuss mental health. If you are struggling with mental health issues, please check out the resources below:

Jessica Nichols works at one of the most coveted places in fashion as the Special Events Director at Vogue.  In this episode, we discuss how Jessica got her serendipitous start in the fashion industry as Anna Wintour's Executive Assistant, her transition to the Director of Special Events role and what that looks like in this era where events aren't really happening. We also discuss what it felt like as a Black woman working at Vogue during the civil unrest caused by police killing unarmed Black people. 

Jessica lets us in on who some of her favorite Black designers are, her views on sustainable fashion, whether or not the fashion industry is ready for it to become more accessible and much more. We also get into how Jessica takes care of her skin, hair and wellness.

The products Jessica mentioned in this episode are listed below:

Dr. Casey Means practices Functional Medicine - a mix of traditional and holistic medicine. She is the co-founder of a health company called Levels Health. Levels manufactures devices to monitor glucose levels in order to inform people of how food impacts their glucose levels.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of glucose monitoring, the connection between glucose irregularities and wrinkles and steps people can take to better their health. Tune in to understand how food impacts our bodies and why we should ALL be monitoring our glucose levels!

Nexus Cook is the definition of a #GirlBoss. She is the founder & owner of nail polish line, 25th & June and has a full time job as a content strategist at Facebook. In this episode, Nexus discusses how being Black & Irish played a role in how she saw herself growing up and the evolution of coming into her own beauty. We also discuss how she started 25th & June, how she works a full time job while also running her business and of course her favorite beauty products & indulgences. 

The products & services mentioned in this episode are listed below: 

Skincare

Despite being around for years, sunscreen seems to be having a huge moment right now. It is constantly being discussed and every beauty guru is stressing its importance as part of a daily routine. 

In this episode, we discuss the differences between physical & chemical sunscreens, their ingredients, and of course - whether or not Black people need it. We also review the latest sunscreen products we've been using and let you in on what we like and don't like.  

Products Taleah tried:

In this episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with the founder of Nubian Skin, Ade Hassan.

Ade shares her inspiration behind creating Nubian Skin, a lingerie line specializing in creating nude underwear & hosiery for women (and men) of color, how she almost passed on the opportunity to provide Beyonce & her dancers with lingerie during the 2016 Formation Tour, Black Lives Matter and the hair, skin & beauty products she swears by.

The products Ade mentioned during the interview are listed below: