Mess World

Latest Episodes:

The Death of Personal Style with Liz Goldwyn Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jessicadefino.substack.com

We’re back with another very special paid subscriber only episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). For this installment, we invited Hollywood royalty Liz Goldwyn, writer of the newsletter STARF*CKER, to join us in conversation.

ALSO! To listen to th…

Adult Babies Incoming Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: The New York Times Styles section seems suspiciously inspired by Emily (Medieval fashion is in?Fur is back? You don’t say!) [2:15], some anonymous gossip about the mainstream media site that almost published Jessica’s facial harmonization story but didn’t [15:20], tighty-whitie fashion and the adult baby boom [28:00], geometric dress shapes in the build-a-body era [37:45], a theory against “Republican makeup” [49:45], the shopping sea change and economic boycotts [1:00:55], Fashion Week beauty trends (Pagliacci-core! exhausted beauty! mouth tape lipstick! feather brows! infantilization! latex lips!) [1:21:50], Emily’s continuing feud with Deux Moi [1:33:45], and Jessica’s maybe-controversial Love Is Blind take [1:42:28]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: “Cheers! We Drank The White Lotus Grunch” [Who? Weekly], “The Cruel Kids’ Table” [New York Magazine], Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions[Edwin A. Abbott], Intact [Clare Chambers], “Forget ‘they go low, we go high’: This influencer wants Democrats to get mean” [The Washington Post], Meat Market: Female Flesh Under Capitalism [Laurie Penny], “Boyhood Is Trending” [The Review of Beauty], runway shows: Anna Sui, Ashish, Marc Jacobs, Fforme, Luar, Meruert Tolegen, Sandy Liang, Simone Rocha, Thom Browne

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I , a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

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About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

Sloped Walls At The Prada Store With Mackenzie Thomas Feb 17, 2025

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jessicadefino.substack.com

We’re back with another very special paid subscriber only episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). For this installment, we invited the iconic Mackenzie Thomas, writer of the newsletter ★ I WILL DO WHATEVER I WANT ★, to join us in conversation.

Today we’re talking about: …

Inauguration Fashion — A Feast Of Fascist Undertones! Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Our 2025 trend predictions already coming true [1:30], the future is ephemeral foam couture [8:30], a faux-scandalous pubic hair care campaign from Kiehl’s [15:50], the various horrors of Mr. Beast [22:00], why Coors — yes, the beer company — is entering the cosmetics space [33:40], a historical deep-dive into fascist fashion at the Trump inauguration [39:00], the right-wing obsession with cosmetic surgery [56:15], the upsetting politics of Substack executives [1:15:45], and The Ordinary’s flashy new “science” site marketing ploy [1:28:25]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: Bryan Johnson on “Project Babyface” [YouTube], “Fluids On Film” [The Cut], “A Cultural History of Slime” [LitHub], “Khloe Kardashian Goes Into WAY Too Much Detail About Her — and Her Sisters’! — Pubic Hair” [Us Weekly], Richard Avedon’s portrait of Coco Chanel, “Ivanka Trump channels Audrey Hepburn in custom Givenchy gown for 2025 Liberty Ball” [ABC News], Fashion, Desire and Anxiety: Image and Morality in the Twentieth Century by Rebecca Arnold, “What We See In Lauren Sanchez’s Cleavage” [The New Yorker], “A housekeeping note about Substack and Nazis” [Read Max], “The painful lessons I learned after The Ordinary gave me chemical burns” [Dazed Beauty]

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

The Illusion of 'Mar-A-Lago Face' Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: President Trump’s perfume empire [1:15], fur is in fashion [7:20], meat is chic [13:07], dairy propaganda [14:30], the skincare industry is being weird about beef tallow [19:40], the return of Victorian-era nightgowns and bloomers [30:00], why Ulta is selling children’s toys [37:20], our 2025 fashion and beauty predictions [48:55] — Homage Psychosis! [54:20] Stepford Skin! [1:02:30] Feelings For Sale! [1:05:00] Anti-Cleavage! [1:14:52] WASP BBLs! [1:18:54] Furries! [1:19:25] — Mar-A-Lago Face [1:30:00], orcas and caterpillars accessorizing [1:32:40]. Plus more!

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

RFK Jr: America's Beauty Czar Nov 29, 2024

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Kim Kardashian seduces a Tesla robot to feminize the future of techno-fascism [5:20], David Beckham launches a “longevity” line to bring anti-aging to the bros [12:15], the construction of false bodies through fashion in the age of Ozempic [18:20], the return of aughties-era thinspo [22:30], beauty standards as a backlash to feminism [30:27], the rise of eye color surgery [33:20], predictions for the beauty industry as RFK Jr. takes control of the FDA [41:42], Lili Reinhart doesn’t understand skin positivity [1:08:00], Martha Stewart is an icon of Mess [1:13:15]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: Kim Kardashian’s tweet about The Substance [X], Females by Andrea Long Chu [Verso Books], All The Rage by Virginia Nicholson [Simon & Schuster], The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison [Barnes & Noble], “When I Stopped Using Fluoride” [Offline Time], “How RFK Jr.’s health secretary appointment could impact the beauty and wellness industries” [Glossy], “RFK Jr. Is Poised to Be America’s Wellness Influencer-in-Chief” [Business of Fashion], Ami R. Zota [Google Scholar], “Makeup, fragrance and hair dye use in pregnancy leads to more PFAS in breast milk” [The Guardian], “The Disturbing Truth About Hair Relaxers” [The New York Times]

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

Glitter Freckles Are Canceled Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Halsey as The Great Impersonator [5:45], nepo-models (Romeo Beckham! Sunday Rose Urban!) [11:40], Miu Miu’s prepubescent aesthetic [18:30], the rise of the “ballet body” (or, more accurately, the “surgical body”) [25:15], North West trolling Kim Kardashian [35:40], the so-called “canceling” of mascara and concealer [40:38], the art of the staged paparazzi shot [45:45], the depressing deluge of Wicked beauty products [53:38], the Victoria’s Secret fashion show [59:39], the death of journalism [1:18:30], the eco-crisis of Taylor Swift’s glitter freckles [1:35:45], and the iconoclasm of Taylor Swift’s smashed guitar [1:41:30]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: “Did The Brazilian Wax Ruin Sex?” [I “Red Carpet Deja Vu (w/Emily Kirkpatrick)” [The New Garde], “Fashion’s Alt-Right Flirtation” [I “We Tried It: I Lived like a Kardashian for 24 Hours and Have the Selfies to Prove It” [People], “Plastic surgeons say the ‘ballet body’ is in. Here’s what that means” [The Washington Post], “How Victoria's Secret Lost Its Way” [Back Row], “Can the Media Survive?” [New York Magazine], “Taylor Swift’s Chiefs Game Appearance Wearing Fazit’s Glitter Freckles Leads To Over $1M In Sales”[Beauty Independent], “Stigmatize Glitter” [The Review of Beauty]

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

Stop Trying To Make 'Moo Deng Skin' Happen Sep 30, 2024

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: The Hole Debate (there’s still time to join the waitlist here!), Renaissance Fair Fall (Chappell Roan! Megan Thee Stallion!) [4:00], medieval fashion as a longing for pre-capitalist life [7:54], the folkloric aesthetics of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko [11:38], homage at the VMAs (Sabrina Carpenter as Madonna! Tate McRae as Britney!) [16:15], hands are the hot new body part to hate [27:20], The Substance [29:00], Moo Deng skin [36:36], why Kourtney Kardashian is selling an Ozempic dupe [44:04], the ethics of actors losing weight for movie roles [50:10], the crumbling of the Kardashian-Jenner empire (if you’re sick of this family just fast forward Chippy [1:31:51]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: “What Did Medieval Peasants Know?” [The Atlantic], “How Law Roach changed the way we see celebrity” [The Washington Post], “I Don’t Want My Hands to Look Old” [Harper’s Bazaar], “Meet Habelo, The Luxury Brand Bringing High-Performance Products To Hand Care” [Beauty Independent], David Duchovny in Zoolander [YouTube], “Interview With Creepy Hand Model” [YouTube], “Why Do We Want To Look Like Glass?” [The Review of Beauty], “The Rise & Rise of Dewy Dumpling Skin” [The Times], “Moo Deng Is The Moment” [Vogue], “Do hippopotamuses actually have pink sweat?” [Scientific American], “Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme Brand At Risk Amid False Advertising Lawsuit” [MSN], “Kim Kardashian’s New Skin Care Line Is Not for Quitters” [New York Times], “Khloe Kardashian Settles Good American Lawsuit” [Sourcing Journal], “Dieux's First-Ever Cleanser Comes in Two Formulas—and We Tried Both” [Byrdie], Juno Birch playing The Sims [YouTube]

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

Blake Lively Is Not Very Demure Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Fetish porn as a PR strategy, the “sploogification” of skincare [3:07], Emily’s journalistic debacle with The Face and the aesthetics of fascism [5:33], the sadness of the morning shed [20:20], the emergence of the “self-shelfie” [28:40], Jools Debron and the ballroom origins of “demure” [30:35], Dolly Parton Beauty [40:44], a deep-dive into the Blake Lively Blake-lash [48:30], a cosmetic chemist’s take on swapping conditioner for hair masks [1:14:30], Jessica’s personal experience with Blake Brown Beauty (Lively’s new haircare line) [1:15:09], a niche debate about Substack and the figure of the Literary It Girl [1:20:05], Tom Cruise’s new PR strategy [1:41:56], and why Auntie Anne’s and Hellman’s Mayo both launched perfumes [1:49:12]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: Addison Rae - Diet Pepsi (Official Video) [YouTube], “Leave TikTok’s ‘Morning Shed’ Trend Alone” [Glamour], “Very Demure, Very Mindful: Who Owns An Internet Buzzword?” [Dazed], “'Very demure, very mindful' trademark issue is 'handled,' TikTok influencer says” [NPR], DollyBeauty.com, “Blake Lively's 'It Ends With Us' promotion called 'disrespectful' by some survivors of domestic abuse” [NBC News], “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job” [YouTube], “Half-Blaked” [Puck], “The Machine In The Garden” [Feed Me]

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

WikiFeet Goes A-List Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Emily’s feud with Deuxmoi, Deuxmoi’s perfume collab with Violet Grey, Style Not Com’s spon-con loophole [15:30], Demi Lovato’s (very catchy) song for haircare brand OGX [23:00], Lil Mama’s lipgloss line [30:50], Sabrina Carpenter’s in-video product placements [33:00], Lily Allen’s foot fetish content [34:50], Namilia’s much-critiqued “I tank top [43:45], Bryan Johnson’s impact on the anti-aging market [54:30], the “longevity” industry’s ideological flaw, Derek Blasberg’s famed #GoopPoop [1:19], and the Scentbird CEO’s slide into spiritual guru-ism (from Business of Fashion: “She noted, ‘I’d be surprised if my investors knew,’ and that they ‘know my character’”) [1:31]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: Consumer Trends: 2024 Mid-Year Report [The New Consumer], “This Blood-Infused Moisturizer Is Hailey Baldwin's Favorite” [SELF], Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady by Derek Blasberg, “The Beauty Brands Backing Abortion Bans” [The Review of Beauty], “How Essential Oils Became The Cure For Our Age Of Anxiety” [The New Yorker], Elixir: A Parisian Perfume House and the Quest for the Secret of Life by Theresa Levitt

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

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