Breaking Beauty Podcast

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Ep. 49 Remembering Brandon Truaxe, Founder of Deciem and The Ordinary Jan 24, 2019

Show notes

We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Brandon Truaxe, founder of Deciem and The Ordinary. We sat down with Brandon in January of 2018 - when he was at the top of his game, making headlines and mystifying the competition- and we are re-releasing this episode as a tribute to his creative genius within the beauty industry and beyond. As evidenced in this episode, Brandon was funny, brilliant and sensitive, and he will be missed. We thank you for listening. Brandon’s genius was that he was radically transparent and it earned him a lot of respect and trust with beauty consumers. When The Ordinary launched in 2016, never before had such incredible formulations, centred around hero ingredients like vitamin C and retinol, been delivered in chic, no-frills packaging at rock-bottom prices. When we asked him about this blockbuster, budget-friendly creation de-throning prestige skincare 10 times its price, he said: “There’s nothing luxurious about being taken for an idiot.” The products clearly resonated - some launches had 25,000 + people on the waitlist

In a word, Brandon was an innovator. He had a passion for the beauty industry that was truly one of a kind. I mean, even the tagline for Deciem is “The Abnormal Beauty Company” - evidence that he never took himself too seriously. This mix of innovation and cheeky sense of humour that informed everything he did endeared him to legions of beauty fans. Rest in Peace, Brandon.

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn

Theme song, used with permission: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out: www.breakingbeautypodcast.com/blog

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Ep. 48 Tata Harper Skincare Founder Tata Harper Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

She’s the fresh-faced entrepreneur who’s been bottling her eponymous, all-natural skincare since 2010. Today we’re chatting with eco beauty pioneer Tata Harper! With her unmistakable green glass packaging and sophisticated, earth-friendly formulas, the Columbian skincare founder succeeded in elevating the whole green beauty game at a time when organic formulas couldn’t shake their crunchy granola rep.

Marrying all-natural and luxury for the very first time in beauty history, Tata Harper is still sourcing sustainably grown ingredients from all over the world, producing award-winning formulas in small batches at her Vermont farm. In today’s episode, you’ll find out exactly why the best-selling Resurfacing Mask—rich in pink clay, willow bark and beet extract— is worthy of its luxury price tag. (And why industry insiders like makeup artist Gucci Westman are forever fans.)

Carlene reveals her personal fave, along with Jill’s impression of her glamourous Tata Harper facial courtesy of Tata’s personal aesthetician, based at Le Bristol Hotel in Paris. You won’t want to miss Tata’s incredible origin story, having graduated from industrial engineering before one fateful event would change her life forever. Tune in to hear glimpses into Tata’s fashion-filled childhood, the mother-of-three’s thoughts on what she’s calling a “Clean-washing” sham happening in the beauty industry right now, and not to be missed, Tata reveals for the first time a top-secret new range she’s been working on, set to thrill long-time Tata Harper fans.

*Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are gratis media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn

Theme song, used with permission: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out: www.breakingbeautypodcast.com/blog

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!  www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast 

www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod  

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Ep. 47 #TheGlowDown How to Make it Big in Beauty with Ukonwa Ojo and Why Are Celebrities Obsessed With This $23 Cream? Jan 16, 2019

Show notes

There’s lots to catch up on during this first #GlowDown of 2019! Find out why @donte.colley is our fave person on instagram right now, Carlene shares a cautionary tale from her New Year’s Eve while Jill’s mission is to get hella organized this year. Plus we have two incredible guests - one who shook up an iconic makeup brand and another who’s giving us the inside scoop on the reinvention of a nearly 100-year old cult favourite skincare product that celebrities hoard.

And we have some really special guests. Ever wondered who’s behind alllll the CoverGirl changes you’ve been hearing about over the past year? In today’s episode, we get up close and personal with Coty’s former Chief Marketing Officer, Ukonwa Ojo, the mastermind behind CoverGirl’s woke-generation re-brand - Hot news- watch this space for news on her next career move. We had the privilege of sitting down with her to learn some of her seriously mentoring ways, plus learn what’s on her personal #topshelf.

But first, we have our #DamnGoods segment, in partnership with Weleda, where we go deep on a serious cult favourite: Weleda Skin Food. Carlene visits Weleda’s HQ to find out why this iconic skin balm, invented in 1926, is still hoarded by Rihanna, Victoria Beckham, Julia Roberts, Pat McGrath—and us. And we get scoop about the brand’s first major innovation in nearly a century: three new Skin Food line extensions launching this month, quite possibly as bomb as the O.G.

*Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are gratis media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn

Theme song, used with permission: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out: www.breakingbeautypodcast.com/blog

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!  www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast 

www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod  

Join our private Facebook group  

Please rate and review us in Apple Podcasts

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Ep. 46 Anastasia Beverly Hills founder Anastasia Soare Jan 09, 2019

Show notes

We’re kicking off 2019 with a huge guest of honour and that is the one and only Anastasia Soare, founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills. It’s her first podcast interview ever and we couldn’t be more excited to share with you her incredible story.

Romanian-born beauty entrepreneur Anastasia Soare fled communism in the late 1980s and moved to Los Angeles—not knowing a word of English—where she launched a beauty empire. She was the first aesthetician to patent the Golden Ratio Eyebrow Shaping Method, which quickly caught the attention of Hollywood elite (Cindy Crawford was her first client ever.) Anastasia was propelled into the spotlight on The Oprah Winfrey Show and later launched her namesake brand with a Beverly Hills flagship salon in 1997, going on to to create the company’s first product line in 2000. Her cult classics never fail to cause a complete frenzy: Brow Wiz, Contour Kit, Liquid Lipstick, and Eye Shadow Palettes. Don’t miss Carlene’s review of the latest eyeshadow palette, Sultry, while Jill takes the O.G. DipBrow Pomade for a spin.

*Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are gratis media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn

Theme song, used with permission: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out: www.breakingbeautypodcast.com/blog

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!  www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast 

www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod  

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Please rate and review us in Apple Podcasts

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Ep. 45 Bonus! We Recap All of the Top Beauty Moments in 2018 (the highs, the lows and everything in between) Dec 19, 2018

Show notes

In today’s show, we are looking back at the Year in Beauty because what a year it’s been! We spill alll the tea on the highs, the lows and everything in between. 

Joining us are two very special guests: Grace Lee, Lead Makeup Artist for Maybelline New York who is the key makeup artist for their shows at New York Fashion Week and works with celebs like Adriana Lima and Gigi Hadid. We also have Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Kathleen is the former TV producer at The Social on CTV, contributor at www.LaineyGossip.com and the newly-minted staff writer at Refinery29 Canada.

  Tune in to see what made the cut: we go deep on the meaning behind Meghan Markle’s wedding day makeup plus we shine a light on September issues finally representing in this record-breaking year (Rihanna on British Vogue, Beyonce on Vogue, Tracee Ellis Ross on ELLE Canada, Lupita N’yongo on Porter Magazine). Plus, of course we cover the Deciem drama, the hidden gems on our top shelf from this year (including a liquid lipstick that literally will stay on for days if you want it to) and wtf is a lash lift anyway (and why is everyone googling it?). We also explore the latest social beauty movements like how South Korean women are binning their beauty products to give the middle finger to the patriarchy, rallying around the #escapethecorset hashtag.

*Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are gratis media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Special thanks to episode sponsor Giovanni Cosmetics, who’s offering Breaking Beauty listeners an exclusive 'buy one get one free' offer! To redeem the coupon, simply click this link, insert your email, and download the coupon! Bring it in to any retailer that carries Giovanni products.

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn
Audio production: Olivia Nashmi  
Theme song: Cherry Bomb by Saya 
For any products mentioned in this episode, check out: www.breakingbeautypodcast.com/blog

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!  www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod  

Join our private Facebook group  

Please rate and review us in Apple Podcasts

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 44 #TheGlowDown: Find Out Why JB Skin Guru is *the* go-to facialist for Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey Dec 12, 2018

Show notes

Is the facialist to Michelle Obama quite possibly the most influential skin expert in the world? Heads are nodding in Breaking Beauty’s sound studio where yes, we sat down with Montreal-based Jennifer Brodeur — dubbed JB Skin Guru by the mighty Oprah Winfrey, another star client. You’re definitely not going to want to miss Jennifer’s stories about tending to the skin of the entire Obama family in the private quarters of the White House!

Jill is obsessed with Michelle Obama’s new book, Becoming. Plus, find out which product from Jennifer’s all-natural skincare line for sensitive skin, Peoni, the former First Lady called out on People.com’s holiday gift guide this year. (We’ve also got the scoop on a brand new line coming in hot off of the production line from JB Skin Guru called Lumi, designed to brighten dullness with all the luminance of freshly fallen snow.)

The facialist’s newest editions to her all-natural product line, Lumi, designed to brighten dull skin

You’ll hear some of Jennifer’s somewhat rebellious opinions, like why she never recommends exfoliating (say what?!). We also get some choice tips on how to get your skin red carpet ready for your own holiday events this season. And finally, the skin pro divulges the secrets to detoxing your complexion from the inside out post-holiday.

*Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn

Audio production: Olivia Nashmi 

Theme song: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out our blog here:

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!

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Ep. 43 GlamGlow Skincare Co-Founder Shannon Dellimore Nov 28, 2018

Show notes

Pinch us! In this Hollywood edition of Breaking Beauty, we sat down with Shannon Dellimore, co-founder of the one and only GlamGlow. One of the fastest growing indie beauty brands around, GlamGlow launched in 2011 with just one product: a mysterious mud that had been passed around from celebrity to celebrity in unmarked jars to clear up imperfections and create a spa-style glow in 15 minutes flat.

But this isn’t just a studio recording y’all. We were lucky enough to be invited into Glam Land—the posh HQ housed in a 1920s mansion in the Hollywood Hills. Find out the hidden secrets behind the Tudor walls, as Shannon reveals the star-studded story behind how the original YouthMud came to be. Then we go deep on the beloved follow up—SuperMud Clearing Treatment Mask—that earned a spot as Sephora’s top selling mask for three-years straight, not to mention being awarded Allure’s Best in Beauty three years in a row thanks to its activated charcoal formula blended with six (!) acne-obliterating acids.

GlamGlow broke onto the scene with its laser focus on instant, transformative results—a ‘masking’ brand before K-Beauty sheet masks were even a glint in any self-care enthusiast’s eye. It broke the internet, too, with a mind-blowing Sonic the Hedgehog collaboration that would lead to many more glittery… greats or gimmicks? Shannon answers that precise question, and lets us in on GlamGlow’s next move, including a hint that a certain cult-product may soon have some little sisters in store.

*Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn
 Audio production: Olivia Nashmi 
Theme song: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out our blog here:

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!

www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod 

Join our private Facebook group 

Please rate and review us in Apple Podcasts

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 42 #The Glow Down: Beauty Real Talk with Influencer Lauryn Evarts Bosstick from The Skinny Confidential Nov 14, 2018

Show notes

Today we’re chatting with mega influencer Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, the creator of beauty, wellness, and lifestyle blog The Skinny Confidential and co-host of TSC Him & Her Podcast. What you're going to love about Lauryn is her no-filter real talk about everything from boob jobs to face shaving and even her must have product for between the sheets (plus the jaw surgery completely changed her life). She's a skincare junkie too and we go deeeeeep on her top shelf. Want to know more about the products Lauryn mentions? We rounded them all up here.

But first, we breakdown some news of the week with details on Glossier’s multi-level New York City store. We send kudos to Drybar founder Alli Webb, who announced her next venture: massage bars called Squeeze. Finally, get all the scoop on Cover Girl’s alliance with Leaping Bunny via Cruelty Free International, and hear our take on why the news is a HUGE deal to the beauty industry at large.

*Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn
 Audio production: Olivia Nashmi 
Theme song: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out our blog here:

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!

www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod 

Join our private Facebook group 

Please rate and review us in Apple Podcasts

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 41 Cheekbone Beauty Founder Jennifer Harper Oct 31, 2018

Show notes

Cheekbone Beauty, founded by Ojibwe entrepreneur Jennifer Harper in 2016, is bringing indigenous women across North America together through lipstick. The Canadian-made cosmetics brand supports First Nations education through the sale of every lipstick, and in its Instagram feed you’ll see hundreds of indigenous and non-indigenous women alike wearing knock-out shades that can rival Nars, M.A.C and Kat Von D. (Just ask Carlene, who kept getting asked what hot pink and coral lipsticks she was wearing the whole time she was in L.A.!)

Find out the inspiring stories behind the shade names, each named after a strong, indigenous woman. Then, hear all about Jenn’s incredible journey in overcoming alcoholism, surviving her brother’s suicide, reconciling her identity and eventually, how she would come to start a socially conscious beauty business as rich in heart as its fashion-forward pigments.

We’ve got the foils (like being rejected during a Dragon’s Den audition) and the fist pump moments (like being invited to a round table on female entrepreneurship by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau), including a new ambassador program (learn more here) set to give dozens of women new skills and financial rewards as they help Cheekbone Beauty rise to the top.

*Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*
Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn
 Audio production: Olivia Nashmi 
Theme song: Cherry Bomb by Saya  

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!
www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod 

Join our private Facebook group 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out our blog here:

 Please rate and review us in Apple Podcasts

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 40 Celebrity Hairstylist Jen Atkin Tells us Everything About the New Dyson AirWrap Innovation Oct 25, 2018

Show notes

Coming in hot, we have celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin on the mic! It's part 2 of our Bonus #Sephoria episodes (Jen held her very own masterclass on the glitter stage). She’s the founder of Ouai haircare, she created the hugely popular educational website, Mane Addicts, by and for hair professionals, she’s a Dyson ambassador and she works with Hollywood’s elite, from the Kardashians to the Jenners to Chrissy Teigen and Bella Hadid. And while we may have missed out on Jen Atkin’s sold-out Sephoria session where she demonstrated how-to-use Dyson’s new multi-purpose hair tool, the AirWrap, we got a one-on-one preview just days before the event!
After that, listen in for the scoop on Jen’s favourite hair look right now, what else she will be launching in the next several weeks (and a contraband bath & body scrub that’s for friends only, shhh). We discussed what Halloween costume she’ll be wearing this year (guesses, anyone??)
*Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*
Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn
 Audio production: Olivia Nashmi 
Theme song: Cherry Bomb by Saya  

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode!
www.Instagram.com/breakingbeautypodcast www.Twitter.com/BreakingBtyPod 

Join our private Facebook group 

For any products mentioned in this episode, check out our blog here:

 Please rate and review us in Apple Podcasts

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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