Naked Beauty

Kayla Nicole began training in gymnastics at only 5 years old. What started as fun and playful sessions quickly developed into a disciplined regimen of focus. She learned all about the type of commitment it takes to become a competitive athlete by focusing on diet, exercise, and training. She used that early dedication to carry herself through Pepperdine University's prestigious broadcast journalism degree program and into a massive media career that spans genres. Her early media icons were leading ladies in everyone’s favorite romcoms, including the Toni Braxton, with whom she had a chance to perform. These moments aren’t serendipitous; they are the culmination of Kayla’s incredible use of social media to show people her personality and well of talent.  Kayla always knew that she belonged in front of the camera, helping people tell their stories. She got practice in both, working in retail and modeling in L.A. During our conversation, we talked all about her incredible discipline and how it informs everything from her daily workouts to her pursuit of media success. We also chat about what it was like growing up in a family of women, headed by a glamorous matriarch who believes in self-care. We discuss the alluring red carpet events and how support from a therapist helped her surmount a season of depression. Our conversation is candid and funny, and it mirrors the Kayla Nicole her audience has grown to love.  Tune in as we discuss:(0:00) Welcome Kayla(7:40) Kayla’s Gym Routine(11:35) Early Beauty Icons(12:55) Cosmetic Enhancements (16:20) Skincare Routine(23:50) Haircare In The Gym (25:45) On Battling Clinical Depression(31:25) Meeting & Performing With Toni Braxton(38:20) Pre-Red Carpet Beauty & Style Prep(40:30) Makeup Routine(50:10) Making Friends As An Adult(52:10) When Kayla Feels The Most BeautifulRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetThanks 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 Kayla @iamkaylanicoleProducts Mentioned:Skincare:ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing BalmKate Sommerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment ScrubRhode Glazing MilkSunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Face OilSummer Fridays Jet Leg Mask MoisturizerMakeup:Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Eyebrow PencilBorn This Way Ethereal Light Smoothing ConcealerLaura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting PowderMaybelline Master Precise All Day Liquid Eyeliner MakeupDanessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm PowderDanessa Myricks Yummy Skin Water Powder SerumDIOR Forever No-Transfer 24H Wear Matte Foundation Makeup Forever Limitless Brown Lip LinerFENTY Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat Volumizing Lip GlossJackie Aina Forvr Mood “She Was Here” Eau de Parfum

Toni Bravo is the CEO of Blush and an influencer powerhouse. Based in Los Angeles, the California native has built a loyal community well into the millions because of her impeccable taste and advocacy for inclusivity in the beauty industry. Toni joined Naked Beauty to talk about her life before a viral blush try-on video changed everything. She shared what it was like to grow up as a fraternal twin in the sunny and very diverse Long Beach. We talked about her early forays into filming and editing herself and her family at just nine years old, simply for the love of storytelling. She detailed how influential the women in her life were to shaping the way she saw the beauty in herself and the world around her. It’s precisely this love of telling intimate stories that have shaped her POV into the one beloved by so many.  Toni doesn’t hold back when it comes to the realities of being a successful and full-time content creator, especially when advocating for dark-skinned Black women’s access to high-quality beauty. I was very interested to learn how she maintains strong brand relationships without compromising the truth about product efficacy. She details the commitment and self-trust one has to have to succeed, because your point of view is everything. During our conversation, Toni talked about her interest in product development and why she isn’t limiting herself in anything. Toni also blessed us with a quick tour of her favorite products, from skincare, to haircare, and of course blush! We covered her recent Architectural Digest feature and the intentional design choices that went into making her home, hers.    Tune in as we discuss:(0:00) Welcome Toni(2:15) Growing Up A California Girl (8:01) What It Takes To Be  A Content Creator(10:30) Dealing With Being Recognized In Public(12:30) The Mental Toll Of Seeing Yourself All The Time(17:18) What Her Rare Beauty Internship Taught Her(25:22) Her Top Five Favorite Blushes(28:40) Toni’s Go-To Lip Combo Tutorial(37:50) Building Her Dream Home(39:15) Her Beauty Inspirations(40:00) Toni's Aunt is Grace Jones (43:12) Favorite Skincare, Haircare, and Beauty Products(46:42) When Toni Feels The Most BeautifulRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetThanks 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 Toni @tonibravoProducts Mentioned:Blush:Tower28 Downtown Dauqiri Tower28 Sunset ShirleyDanesssa Myrick’s PrimadonnaRhode Date CakeRhode Sun SoakNARS Exhibit AHAUS Labs Acai SkyHAUS Labs Glassy TangeloNYX Buttermelt Milani Baked Blush Lip Products:Benefit Dark Cherry Lip StainSummer Fridays Lip StainMarviano Brick MochaRHODE ToastWallace Daisy Pink Lipgloss Skincare:The Outset Gentle Micellar Antioxidant CleanserTower28 SOS Gel CleanserPrequel Facial Gleanser CleanserPanoxyl 4% CleanserRhode Caffeine Reset MaskPerfume:Balmain RougeOrabella Salted MuseOrabella Eternal Clothing:Damson Mader Striped Pajamas

Nour Tayara joined us to talk about his innovative and 100% plastic-free beauty brand, AORA. Before he became a co-founder and CEO, Nour was learning about the power of beauty culture to connect and spark conversation among his community in Beirut. During our conversation, he shared how he found his place in Lebanon’s underground queer scene and shaped his life’s motto to be kind and engaging to everyone, wherever you are. We talk about how Nour supplemented his scholarship by taking guerrilla marketing jobs and how they changed his mind about his electrical engineering major. Nour explains how an incredibly high test score landed him an internship and ultimately a full-time role at L'Oréal, where he worked for 13 years. We cover how, in those 13 years, Nour learned the good, the bad, and the ugly about what it takes to run a legacy beauty brand.As Nour’s role and responsibilities evolved, he learned more about the waste and overconsumption plaguing the industry. Always prepared to innovate, he pitched a plastic-free brand to his management, which was promptly rejected. While reeling from a series of difficult events, Nour shared that a four-month break in Mexico City ultimately led him to his co-founder. The pair were aligned on building a brand that celebrates Mexican culture and is 100% plastic-free. Join us for an incredible conversation about what happens when you stay open to possibilities for your future and your principles are immovable. Nour details what it means to him to bring color to the clean beauty movement, why Mexico has always been a lifeline, and what it feels like to disrupt an industry. Tune in as we discuss:(0:00) Welcome Nour(2:10) Why Beirut Has An Incredible Beauty Culture(4:45) Middle Eastern Grooming for Men(11:27) Nour’s Accidental Start At L’Oreal(22:30) Buzzword or Buzzworthy In Clean Beauty(33:00) What It Really Means To Be Plastic Free(41:30) Exclusive News: AORA Beauty Is Launching On Sephora.com (45:13) Why We Should All Be Reaching For More Color(46:10) Top Three Must-Visit Locations in Mexico City(49:30) AORA Makeup Being Used For Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show(53:55) How Bad Bunny Upends Machismo Culture(55:35) The Future Of The Beauty Industry(01:05:30) Easy Lifestyle UpgradesRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetThanks 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 Nour @nournessProducts Mentioned:Moma design store lampSophie Pavitt Mandelic Cleansing SerumSophie Pavitt Screentime SunscreenDieux Forever Eye MaskDieux Deliverance 3-in-1 SerumDr. Idriss Major Fade Disco Block Sunscreen

Dr. Carl Truesdale joins Naked Beauty to talk about how he became the go-to plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. During our conversation Dr. Truesdale shared how his scientist and artist parents influenced his early interests, and ultimately his career. As a child he was a science nerd who attended science camp, and a gifted portrait artist. He was always interested in finding the beauty in people’s faces, an interest that would never leave him. While in medical school, Dr. Truesdale was faced with more limited perspectives on beauty and technique that prioritized Eurocentric features. Dr. Truesdale shared with us that he made it his mission to challenge these dated perspectives and provide his clients of color with high quality service that does not fundamentally change what they look like, and ultimately, who they are.Dr. Truesdale is best known for his natural-looking procedures, especially deep plane face lifts, but our conversation covers many procedures. We get the scoop on facelifts filler, buccal fat removal, fat transfers, rhinoplasty, lip lifts and more. Dr. Truesdale generously explains how many of these procedures work, and what he takes into account before agreeing to perform them on his patients. We also talk about his interest in social media, and why dispelling disinformation online about medicine and science is so important to him. We also discuss the treatments he dislikes, when he’ll reject patient requests, and the signs that tell him a patient should be recommended to therapeutic services pre-treatment. Dr.Truesdale has changed his industry and we are so excited for you to hear how he changed what was possible in his field. Tune in as we discuss:(3:45) Growing Up A Science Nerd(5:05) His Background As A Portrait Artist(6:20) How He Saw Himself Growing Up(7:25) Challenging Norms About What It Means To Be Beautiful(8:50) How Plastic Surgery Helps People(9:45) The Privilege Of This Work(10:55) How Aging Changes Our Faces(11:35) If The Collagen Hype Is Legitimate(13:15) Aging More Rapidly At Certain Periods In Our Lives(15:15) What A Deep Plane Facelift Entails(16:40) Why Lip Lifts Are So Interesting(19:50) Avoiding Overfilling and Over-Injecting(21:00) Thoughts On The Lack Of Integrity In The Plastic Surgery Industry(22:25) The Rising Popularity of Blepharoplasty(23:50) The Value Of Buccal Fat Removal(25:55) Why Fat Transfers Are The BBL of The Face (27:00) Fat Transfer Under The Eye Versus Filler(27:30) How Long Filler Can Actually Last(28:35) Lower Face Jowling(29:39) Why He Doesn’t Love KYBELLA(30:05) Why Brow Lifts Are Effective Procedures(31:17) How Rapid Weight Loss Affects The Face(36:20) Unlearning Eurocentric Teaching Models(36:45) Why He’s Vocal On Social Media(38:25) Procedures He May Get Done One Day(39:25) Thoughts On Ethnic Rhinoplasty(41:08) The Best Way To Determine How We’ll Look As We Age(42:15) Red Flags From Patients(46:10) Advice to Upcoming Plastic Surgeons(47:15) Self-Care and Gratitude Practice(50:15) When He Feels Most Beautiful Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetThanks 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 Dr.Truesdale @doctor.truesdale

Some creatives are truly in a league of their own and this guest has always stood out as someone pushing aesthetic boundaries all while being incredibly thoughtful. Artist, singer, designer, muse, creative director, and Tumblr icon KESH has never been too interested in adhering to the typical standards of beauty. She effortlessly rocks red eyeliner and gemstones on her nose, treating her face as a canvas for true self-expression. This level of “divine creativity” as KESH puts it, is what made me - along with so many others - fall in love with her. From spray painting the back of her classmates’ uniforms in Croydon, to collaborating with American Apparel, to creative directing a Good American shoot with TLC, tune in as we discuss KESH’s creative journey, inspirations, use of beauty as a form of armor and so much more. Enjoy! Links to Products/Resources Mentioned: Simi Haze Eye Gems, Lady Vengeance (2005), TLC for Good American (directed by KESH) Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topicRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :) Stay in touch with me: @brookedevardFollow KESH: @kesh

Hope Giselle joins us to talk about her incredible journey to becoming a sought-after activist and speaker. Hope began her advocacy work fighting for inclusion and access for herself as an undergraduate at Alabama A&M University. Hope founded the university’s first LGBTQ+ organization and later became the first openly trans woman to earn a Master of Fine Arts from the university. She has since built a decade-long career as an activist, author, speaker, and nonprofit founder (AllowMe). Hope has proven that nothing is off limits to her, and she has committed her life’s work to ensuring the same for all others. During our conversation, we talked about the incredible life she’s built fighting against marginalization, and how she manages to look so good doing it.During our conversation, Hope told us what it was like growing up in Miami and having others project their beliefs about her gender and sexuality onto her at five years old. We talked about how growing up surrounded by her stylish Caribbean family of Cuban and  Haitian descent shaped her ideas about femininity and womanhood. She shared that her journey of defining and redefining herself was difficult, but at 19, a video of Janet Mock opened up new possibilities for her life. Hope talked about the most eye-opening aspects of her transition, especially at an HBCU that skews conservative about gender and sexuality. We have an incredible conversation about why there is sometimes a struggle among cis women, with being in community with our trans sisters, and how we might overcome those barriers. Hope brilliantly outlines the dangers trans people face each day, and the tangible ways we can all fight transphobia and transmisia. Of course, there was beauty talk, about the ways that the LGBTQ+ community has shaped the beauty industry across time. She also gave us her entire skincare, body care, and makeup routines.Tune in as we discuss:(00:00) Welcome Hope Giselle(4:35) What Being Caribbean Taught Hope About Gender Presentation(8:15) Early Introduction To Definitions of Queerness and Gender Identity(10:45) How Janet Mock Introduced Her To Transness(17:45) The Struggles Of Being In Community With Cis Women(26:10) Facing Violence After Being Outed(30:40) What Keeps Her In The Professional Activism Space(36:58) Why Hope Wants Accomplices, Not Allies(40:55) How To Support Trans People In Your Everyday Life(47:20) How Queer and Trans People Have Shaped The Beauty Industry(47:35) Trans Icons Across Time(55:35) Her Skincare Routine(58:39) Her Bodycare Routine(1:00:43) Favorite Makeup Products(1:04:04) Her MAC Classics (1:05:49) Hair Journey(1:12:15) When She Feels The Most BeautifulRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetThanks 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 Hope @hopegiselleProducts:Face:The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% EmulsionSalt Water Vanilla Body ButterTIRTIR Ceramic Milk AmpouleDrunk Elephant B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic AcidGood Molecule Daily Moisturizer Olay Super SerumInnisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic SerumBody:Sol de Janeiro Limited Edition Cheirosa 71 *out of stockLush Golden Egg Glitter Mist SprayMakeup:TIRTIR FoundationAbout Face The Performer FoundationYSL LipstickONE/SIZE Oil Sucker SprayONE/SIZE Powder Melt Glass Setting SprayMAC Lip Pencil ChesnutMAC Time Check Lotion

Sami Miro is the founder of Sami Miro Vintage, a Creative Director, and CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalist whose innovative approach to fashion merges circular design, emerging AI, and ethical production. During our conversation, Sami discusses how her sense of self was shaped early, growing up mixed-race (Black, French, and Russian) in San Francisco, raised solely by her father who reminded her of her inherent beauty. Sami’s style is incredibly unique, and in our conversation we talk about style differences between New York and LA, the beauty of individual style, and how vintage helped Sami find her voice, her style, and ultimately her career.Today, her zero-waste collaborations with brands like Levi's and Nike, her dressing of Beyoncé and her 29 dancers on the Cowboy Carter Tour, and her work with the 2024 US Olympic gymnastics team prove that fashion and sustainability are not at odds, they are inextricably linked. (00:00) Introducing Sami Miro(00:02) Sami's Personal Style(00:04) LA Style vs. Personal Expression(00:09) Discovering Vintage Shopping(00:10) Sami's Dad & His Wild Career(00:17) From Tech to Fashion(00:21) Building Sami Miro Vintage & Circular Fashion(00:24) Vintage Denim Deep Dive(00:26) Fast Fashion & Environmental Impact(00:38) AI and Sustainability(00:40) Beauty Treatments & Skincare Routine(00:47) LA Beauty Standards(00:48) When Do You Feel Most Beautiful?Products Mentioned:Saie Cream Blush Compact (coral)Saie Setting SprayIlia Beauty Cream Blush StickKosas Dream Beam Mineral SunscreenQuince Organic Bamboo/Eucalyptus Throws & BeddingRate, 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 Sami: @samimiro

In this episode of Naked Beauty, I'm sharing the philosophy that has shaped the way I get dressed for years, and it's probably not what you think.When I'm getting ready for a big meeting, a wedding, a gallery opening, a red carpet, or even just a night out, I don't start with the outfit. I start with the character. I start with the story. I start by asking myself one question: What category am I walking?Inspired by the ballroom culture featured in Paris Is Burning, I break down how thinking in categories, not trends, style archetypes, or shopping lists, has completely changed the way I build a look. From corporate executive realness at L'Oréal headquarters to intellectual art girl at a Chelsea gallery opening, I'm sharing the framework that helps me make every styling decision feel intentional, cohesive, and uniquely me.We'll talk about why most people aren't struggling with clothes; they're struggling with narrative. I'll share how I create a "styling suite" before major events, why the room matters as much as the outfit, how to edit like a stylist, and why the most memorable looks always begin with a strong point of view. Plus, in honor of Pride Month, we discuss how ballroom culture, drag, and queer creativity influence the way we think about beauty, fashion, identity, and self-expression today.Whether you're getting dressed for a destination wedding, a job interview, a first date, or just trying to feel more like yourself, this episode will give you an entirely new way to think about personal style, because the outfit isn't the point. The character is.Watch Paris is burning on tubi, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video Watch Naked Beauty on TubiRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetThanks 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 Ruth @madison.utendahl

Madison Utendahl returns to the show on the heels of an incredible career pivot and with her burnout in check. Madison has appeared as a guest on the show in her capacity as the Webby-Award-winning and Forbes 30 Under 30 director of the Utendahl Creative Branding Studio, and founding member of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Refinery29’s 29Rooms, and Museum of Ice Cream. Today she arrives as the Founder of Utendahl Consulting, the magnetic voice behind BURNT on Substack, and a fractional CMO. Madison has proven that she can do it all, and her nervous system tells the story of what happens when she does. During our conversation, we talked all about what having massive ambition and a work ethic in overdrive costs and how she’s healing in public.   During our chat, Madison walks us through her earliest experiences with ambition, success, and burnout in school and work. She shared that she always knew she wanted more from life than others, and that she was willing to do whatever it took to achieve it. And while she has achieved incredible success, Madison has also learned difficult lessons about burnout and how it manifests itself in her body and mind. We talked about how she came to understand when she needs to take a step back and sometimes away from her professional pursuits and pivot to something new. Madison explained that this can mean a career change, shuttering a successful business, or trying non-Western therapies to find peace and healing. In this incredibly transparent conversation, Madison opens up about the highs and lows of building a fulfilling career and defining success on her own terms and with her mental health intact.Tune in as we discuss:(00:00) Welcome Madison(8:55) How Being Raised In New York Shaped Her Work Ethic(16:00) Her Burnout Triggers(17:50) Taking A Sequential Approach To Life(26:55) How Burnout Shows Up In Her Body(33:33) Experiencing Burnout As An Entrepreneur(40:20) Why She Turned Down A Multi-Million Dollar Opportunity(43:03) How She Ethically Closed Utendahl Creative(49:08) How She Became An Artist and CMO(50:45) Why She Turned To Non-Western Therapy(54:45) Dealing With Intergenerational Trauma & Anxiety(59:00) The Hoffman Process and Ketamine Therapy(01:08:14) How She Navigates Estrangement With Her Mother(01:10:25) Designing Her Day(01:24:01) When She Feels The Most BeautifulRate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on AppleJoin the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanetThanks 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 Ruth @madison.utendahl