Naked Beauty

In this very special Mother’s Day Episode, I am joined by two creative powerhouses, Lynn Whitfield and Grace Gibson. Lynn Whitfield is an award-winning and internationally recognized actress with a career spanning decades. Her incredible artistry has consistently championed the experiences of complicated and powerful women whose stories deserved to be told with the depth and care that only Lynn could provide. Grace Gibson is a Rock ’n’ Roll artist forging her own distinct path in the music industry. Grace has had the privilege of gracing stages at Paisley Park and the Apollo Theater with her incredible voice and unique approach to rock. During our conversation, we discussed what it was like for both women to grow up in a family with such strong beauty and creative aesthetic sensibilities. And how they have relied on each other in their pursuit of greatness in their respective careers.Lynn detailed how her mother and aunts provided her earliest expressions of beauty in Louisiana. We learned about how attending Howard University and being exposed to the Black art scene upended her initially conservative approach to self-expression, and how it challenged what her mother had taught her. Of course, Grace details what it was like to grow up with a mother who is well known for being glamorous, on and offscreen. The pair offered a beautiful look inside their relationship and how they have cultivated a friendship that many mothers and daughters would love to have. In fact, Lynn gushes when she explains that having Grace inspired a more ambitious approach to her personal and professional pursuits. As an ambitious working mother, Lynn talked about the women who modeled the mother-daughter relationship she could have as a successful actress. Grace credits Lynn with showing her the result of true artistic commitment and demanding that she pursue her artistic dream with complete seriousness. Grace and Lynn offer a beautiful example of what it means to lead by creative example and live a life filled with love.Tune in as we discuss:(5:35) Lynn and Grace’s Introduction To Beauty(13:45) Lynn’s Experience In A Freshly Integrated High School (33:35) Behind The Scenes of The Josephine Baker Story Filming (40:55) Why Grace Didn’t Watch The Josephine Baker Story Until College(43:55) Lynn’s Parents Weren’t Supportive of Her Creative Careers, Despite Inspiring It(55:15) Why They Are Best Friends(57:20) On Being A Busy Working Mother (58:45) How Josephine Premice and Her Daughter Susan Fales-Hill Supported Her(1:05:00) Helping Your Children Understand Their Mixed-Race Identity(1:06:20) How Lynn’s Radical Honesty and Work Ethic Inspire Grace(1:11:45) Their Favorite Beauty Products and Services(1:20:00) When They Feel The Most BeautifulRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetShop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelfStay in touch with me: @brookedevardFollow Lynn @mslynnwhitfieldFollow Grace @thegracegibson

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 withDefining feminism as one that allows women and lgbtq+ people to embrace their eroticism and powerBurlesque’s surprising American roots and eccentric historyThe beauty rules she’s learned from incredible older womenHer skincare secretsHow the history of perfume inspires her scentsRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :) Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topicShop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelfStay in touch with me: @brookedevard

Atiya Walcott is one of the most distinctive voices in fashion content, known for the cinematic quality of her videos, her mastery of silhouette and layering, and an approach to getting dressed that is equal parts intention and joy. In this episode, we get into all of it: her film school background, her relationship to beauty, what quiet luxury really signals, and why the way you dress is one of the most consequential creative decisions you make every single day.Our conversation begins with Atiya's early relationship with fashion. We talk about what it was like to grow up as a dark-skinned Black girl at predominantly white institutions, and the journey toward finally seeing herself as beautiful. Atiya shares how she builds a look from feeling first, why tailoring is the single biggest unlock for anyone who wants to dress better, and what her favorite fashion films reveal about the kind of creative she is. She also gives us her full skincare routine, her favorite lip combo, and the one piece of advice she'd give anyone who wants to develop personal style.Products Mentioned:Skincare: Sofie Pavitt Face (Mandelic Serum, SPF, face mist), Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser, Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing SerumMakeup: Haus Labs (foundation, foundation brush, contour stick), Nars (lip gloss)Fashion Films MentionedUmbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) — French musical with the most beautiful color palette you've ever seenDaughters of the Dust (1991) — Julie Dash's landmark film; required viewing for Black beauty and styleHow to Steal a Million (1966) — Audrey Hepburn at her most impeccably dressedDo the Right Thing (1989) — Spike Lee's visual masterpieceAtonement (2007) — that green dressBook Recommendation: How to Dress for Success by Edith HeadRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :) Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topicShop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelfStay in touch with me: @brookedevardFollow Atiya: @atiyawalcottfits

Since Cyndi Ramirez Fulton opened Chill House on New York's Lower East Side in 2017, the brand has grown from a cult downtown spa into a nationwide product line, culminating in a 2025 acquisition by Kiss Beauty Group, with Cyndi still at the helm. On today's episode, Cyndi takes us back to growing up in Queens as the daughter of a Colombian esthetician and how that environment shaped her relationship with beauty and her entrepreneurial instincts. She opens up about her years in New York nightlife, the scrappy blog that helped her find her voice, and how she landed on the idea for Chill House after not being able to find a spa that was right for her. Cyndi is refreshingly honest about the parts that don't make it onto the glossy Instagram grid: the economics of the spa business that were "always a little broken," the fundraising struggles that led to the Kiss deal, and the very real guilt and joy of building a business alongside a family. We also get into the pivot to Chill Tips press-on nails, why press-ons have genuinely changed her life, and her favorite beauty products for navigating two very different climates. Cyndi’s Favorites: Haus Labs Foundation Olaplex Shampoo and ConditionerOlaplex Leave InCrown Affair Mousse Westman Atelier Brow PencilChill House bestsellers: Sea Siren, Bougie Butter, and Acid WashRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :) Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topicShop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelfStay in touch with me: @brookedevardFollow Cyndi @cyndiramirez

This is THE fragrance episode you’ve been waiting for. If you’re ready to talk top notes vs. base notes, Eau de Toilette vs. Eau de Parfum, get ready for this fascinating discussion with Asia Grant, the co-founder of fragrance brand Redoux. We dive into her relationship with fragrance growing up, why gendering fragrance is a waste of everyone’s time, the story behind her new bar soap products, launching a Black-owned brand during the pandemic, and more. Links to Products/Resources Mentioned: Redoux, Mountain Rose Herbs, Tom Ford (Black Orchid, Tuscan Leather, Neroli Portofino, Soleil Blanc), Byredo (Gypsy Water, Bal d’Afrique, Eleventh Hour, 1996), Frederic Malle (Portrait of a Lady, Baccarat Rouge 540), D.S. & DurgaJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet Check out nakedbeautypodcast.comFollow Asia: @asia_grant

This episode is sponsored by smartwater®During the Essence Black Women in Hollywood event, I spoke with the indomitable Bozoma Saint John live. Bozoma grew up between Ghana, Kenya, Washington DC, and Colorado Springs, a childhood of constant reinvention that taught her to read rooms fast and never apologize for taking up space. At 14, she wasn't crying because she didn't feel beautiful. She was crying because her classmates didn't recognize her beauty. That clarity and fierce, unshakable self-knowing have followed her everywhere. Her confidence carried her into boardrooms where she was the only Black woman, onto the cover of the New York Times with her cornrows, and through the grief of losing her husband, Peter. Later, it carried her into the unexpected joy of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which led directly to On Brand with Jimmy Fallon. And, eventually, into the decision to sell her corporate stock from every company she'd ever worked for to self-fund her brand, Eve by Boz — on her own terms, by her own rules.Bozoma has no peers. And she will tell you that herself, in this special episode of Naked Beauty. Tune in as we discuss:(2:34) Growing Up Across Ghana, Kenya, DC & Colorado(5:43) Why She Never Doubted She Was Beautiful — Even at 14(10:05) Immigrant Parents, Pre-Med Dreams & Landing at Spike Lee's Ad Agency By Accident(13:36) The Emotional Cost of Being the First and Only Black Woman in Every C-Suite(16:24) Why Personal Brand Building Means Saying "I" Out Loud(21:40) The Hollywood Pivot: What Made RHOBH a Yes(23:57) Moving to LA Four Months After Her Husband's Death(29:01) What Season 14 of RHOBH Taught Her Going Into Season 15(30:30) Showing Fibroid Surgery & Her Fertility Journey On Camera(33:46) Her Go-To Glam Routine & The African Sapo Net Gospel(37:18) Self-Funding Eve by Boz With Her Own Corporate Stock(40:24) What Raising Her Daughter Lil Has Taught Her That The Boardroom Never Could(43:20) Engagement With Keeley Watson: Love After Loss & True Partnership(46:52) How To Know When It's Time To Walk Away(51:41) Bozoma's Advice For Anyone Who Feels StuckToday’s episode was made possible by smartwater Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetShop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelfStay in touch with me: @brookedevardFollow Bozoma @bozomastjohnProducts Mentioned:Lancôme FoundationMAC BlushOil of Olay MoisturizerEucerin Lotion & Heavy CreamAfrican Sapo Net (exfoliating sponge)Eve by Boz Haircare