Beauty Full Lives

Ayda Williams didn't stick to her plan in life. She wanted the reliable, to have a job that was dependable. She was fixed on that course, studying to become a tax attorney, and was, in her words, 'super square - I was a super student.'

The death of her beloved grandmother changed that: 'I always wanted to be an actor, but I was too afraid. Everyone [in LA] was an actor slash model slash singer and I thought "I can do better than that, I'm good at school, I can do something with myself, by golly."

'When I was studying abroad in Paris, my grandma has just passed away and it was very weird being in her city without her. I remember walking the streets of Paris, and there was this weird thing that happened where I thought 'wow, she'd be so sad that I was so afraid of my dreams that before I even begun, I stopped. She'd be the one person in my corner really pushing me to go for my dreams and here I was so afraid of them that I wasn't even going to try. And I felt this overwhelming sense of regret and disappointment, and at that moment, I just decided I was going to try.'

After landing a job fairly quickly in Days of Our Lives and then going on to work steadily as an actress in LA, Ayda met British singer Robbie Williams and decamped to the UK to be with him.

Today, Ayda primarily lives in the UK with Robbie and their three children, a family set up she talks about in today's episode as being her biggest triumph: 'I never thought I was going to have this amazing life where I got to be in love and be a mummy. There were definitely times and horrid relationships where I thought I'd be alone.'

We discuss all the above, including the products Ayda loves, how she looks after her physical and mental health, and how the passage of time - and having those children - has affected her perspective.

Ayda Mentions:

YSL Paree Scent, Kevyn Aucoin Face Forward book, Stila Lip Glaze, Lancome Juicy Tubes, MAC Lip Glass, MAC Spice lip liner, Omorovicza Blue Diamond Super Cream, Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, B683 Marc Antoine Barrois Cologne, Le Labo Santal 33, Rose 31, and AnOther 13, Dr Sebagh Rose Serum, Charlotte Tilbury nude lipstick, John Masters Organics, STRIIIKE in LA, Cowshed massages, Sarah Chapman's facial, Josh Wood for hair colour, Perfect 10 for waxes and tan by Fake Bake or Sienna X

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katie's first big beauty memory is unsurprisingly related to her mum. But rather than it being simply a memory of her mum's face or beauty rituals, Katie rememberers her singer mum's microphone, coated in lipstick. That symbol of glamour remained with her, and after a stint working as a manicurist, both in salons and latterly on shoots, Katie pivoted her career to work as a make-up artist.

Today, her skills are in demand, working on shoots with hugely famous models (think Ashley Graham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), and sharing tips with her following on instagram. She also works with brands, helping to show how versatile their products are, which is how she went on to become ELEMIS' resident glow expert - and how this episode came about as Katie flew to London for some masterclasses and events with ELEMIS and found an hour to sit down and record with me.

ELEMIS have kindly offered a discount to my listeners: just use the code BFL15 for 15% off your order on ELEMIS.com.*

Also, it would be remiss of me not to thank this episode's sponsors Hairstory. Their hero product, New Wash, is pretty innovative because rather than grab all oils from your hair to be washed away with the water, it leaves your natural barrier intact, so that you can skip conditioner altogether. 

I’ve been trialling a bottle for the past month and am hugely impressed as I highlight my hair regularly and it usually needs a fair amount of conditioner plus oils pulled through the ends to stop it from looking parched but I noticed it was smoother and less frizzy from the off and after a month is definitely in better condition than before, so I’d encourage you to give it a whirl if you find your hair seems brittle and you’d like to try something new. 

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee.

*Terms & conditions: Offer not valid on gift vouchers, travel sizes, collections or reduced items. One use per customer only. Offer ends 31.12.19

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beauty industry insider, facialist, and brand expert Caroline Hirons commands a huge audience across her various platforms thanks to her reputation as a forthright, honest, and reliable skincare expert.

To give you an idea of scale, at the time of the episode going live, Caroline has 270 thousand instagram followers, 180 thousand youtube subscribers, and 76 thousand twitter followers.

In this episode, we talk about Caroline’s childhood, her work ethic and experiences in the beauty industry, the mindsets that have steered her safely through internet fame, and, of course, we talk skincare.

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jillian Lavender's work came to my attention around five years ago after a few friends learned Vedic meditation at the London branch of the Meditation Centre she co-founded. After the course, they were more focussed, calmer, happier - and all from twenty minutes of meditation morning and noon.

Keen to learn more, I went to interview Jillian a few years ago for a feature and found her approach to be extremely sound. After leaving, I was quite astonished while researching by how many studies there were that suggested that meditation has a hugely positive impact on those who practise it. 

In this episode of the podcast, Jillian explains how she came to find out about meditation in the first place, who might benefit from it, how Vedic meditation charms the mind, and some of the effects you might be able to expect should you choose to learn it.

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning journalist and author Poorna Bell's family features heavily in her new book, In Search of Silence, in which she muses on and explores the new landscape of her life following her husband Rob's death by suicide. 

They are also a big part of her beauty identity, with Poorna talking in this episode about her grandma who always looked pristine despite her messy bedroom, and how her mum's dressing table held allure.

We also discuss how appearance and beauty have had an impact on Poorna's life as an adult, and topics we cover include her tattoos, colorism, intuitive eating, and the appeal of power lifting (which, as Poorna explains, extends beyond just being able to lift your own furniture).

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After being in a car crash, Katie Brindle went from expert to expert trying to find relief from pain to no avail. Finally, Chinese Medicine provided it, and so convinced was she that its principles were founded in good sense, that she went on to train as a practitioner. 

That was in 2002, and Katie's since become something of a go-to for those in the know for both treatments and advice.

Katie is now at the helm of several projects, including having founded the Ha'you Method range of Beauty Restorer Gua Sha products (aka tools designed to help increase circulation and release tension - I am a firm fan of the original jade restorer as well as the comb), as well as having written a book, Yang Sheng: The Art Of Chinese Self Healing, in which she distils some of her abundant knowledge and offers guidance on how to safeguard health and wellbeing through the practises.

In this episode, Katie explains some of the ways in which Chinese Medicine principles can be incorporated into every day life, and explains why it's more important now than ever to safeguard health.

Link to the breath ritual mentioned: https://hayoumethod.com/the-rituals/rescue-breath-ritual/

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blogger Natalie Lee was incentivised to discuss things that really mattered to her after she returned to blogging following a break to raise her children. Since then, Natalie's efforts - particularly on instagram and through her Warrior Women campaign - have propelled her into the limelight, and her account is now a hub of her own thoughts and experiences as well as a place for others to share their stories and frank images in order to empower others.

In this episode, she tells her story of going from teen who wasn't overly ambitious, to midwife, to passionate about various causes. We also talk about some of the issues she's highlighted from body positivity for all sizes, championing masturbation for women, too, and the joys of ditching one's bra.

Natalie mentions:

- Body Positive Power: How to stop dieting, make peace with your body and live, by Megan Jayne Crabbe

- Cantu Beauty hair range

- Radox Feel Relaxed Bath

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the erstwhile Beauty Director of Glamour turned freelance beauty journalist and influencer, Alessandra Steinherr's knowledge of beauty products is encyclopaedic.

Her Alex Steinherr x Primark skincare collaboration was unsurprisingly therefore hugely successful, with the affordable products selling out repeatedly nationwide, while over on her instagram, her #SundayFacial and #AskAlex hashtags are hubs for skincare conversations.

In this episode, Alex talks about her top products, how she came to have such a diverse career, and the lifestyle measures and philosophies that have set her in good stead.

Here are the products and places Alessandra mentions:

- Clinique 3-Step

- Beautiful by Estee Lauder

- L’Oreal Elnett

- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex and Eye Serum

-La Mer The Moisturizing Cream

- Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Le Teint Foundation

- Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat High Cover Radiance Concealer

- Talika Lipocils Eyelash Conditioning Gel

- Color WOW Root Cover Up

- Amy at Larry King

- Yves Saint LaurentBlack Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara

- Vita Liberata pHenomenal Mousse

- Tax Luxe Sleep Oil

- Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

- MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy

- Nars Eyeliner Pencil in Mambo

- Elizabeth Arden High Drama Eyeliner in Espresso

- Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in 02

- Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer

- Alex Steinherr x Primark range

- The Light Salon

- VivaMayr

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a cosmetic dentist and Clinical Director of London Smiling, Dr Uchenna Okoye has overhauled hundreds of smiles - mine included. 

What struck me as remarkable about Uchenna's work is not only that she's conservative, only making changes where necessary, but also that she's got an excellent eye for what looks 'right,' making her taste as important a part of her renown as her technical ability. 

In this Expert Slot episode, we talk about ideal home care for teeth, and Uchenna breaks down the elements of a better smile, explaining best practise for whitening, straightening, and tidying up teeth.

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist and author Bryony Gordon has made it her mission to help remove the stigma surrounding talking about mental illness, and to promote having a positive body image. 

Both are the result of Bryony's struggles, and in this episode she explains how she has challenged mental illness, addiction, and self-loathing, and which tools and habits have been helpful to her, as well as talking about how she protects her health (both mental and physical) now, and which beauty products she enjoys using. 

Link to Mental Health Mates: https://www.mentalhealthmates.co.uk

Link to Bryony Gordon Mad World podcast: https://bryonysmadworld.telegraph.co.uk

Link to Bryony Gordon's books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Bryony-Gordon

Here are the products and places Bryony mentions:

- Epsom salts

- Daniel Galvin Jr for hair

- Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum

- Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil

- 111Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Cream

- 111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Retinol Serum

- Pixi x Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse

- Kevyn Aucoin The Curling Mascara

- Erborian CC Cream

- Becca Undereye Concealer

- Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

- Nars Orgasm Blush

Beauty Full Lives is hosted by Madeleine Spencer, produced by Charlie Jones, and with artwork by Sung Lee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.