Outspoken Beauty

In this episode of My Beauty Habits I get to know New York Times and International best-selling author Jennifer Nivens. Jen is perhaps best known for her book "All The Bright Places" which was turned into a movie for Netflix and during the podcast we chat about that as well as her newest (and equally brilliant). novel Breathless.

Jen also gives us an insight into her relationship and how her books mirror many aspects of her personal life. She also chats about her glamorous mother and we delve into what beauty means to her and the part that it plays in her life. If that wasn't enough, we somehow get onto the subject of losing our virginity and vibrators. Perhaps one to save for when the kids are tucked up in bed ;0)

Jen is incredibly funny and honest and I felt like I'd known her for years even though this was our first time chatting. I thoroughly recommend Jen's books and Instagram page @Jenniferniven.

Get ready fragrance lovers! This episode is going to blow your sense of smell.
Suzy Nightingale is one of the UK's leading fragrance journalists and experts and she joins me for a true journey of scent discovery.
Whether you want to find a perfume to give you confidence/uplift you/make you feel cosy or sensual, there's something for you in this episode and the way that Suzy describes fragrance is pure poetry.
Welcome to the first episode of "On The Scent "- it's simply scensational! xx

Perfumes mentioned:

Carine Roitfeld Kar-wai
Jeroboam UNUE
Juliette Has a Gun Lipstick Fever
4711 Cologne
Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine
Ruth Mastenbroek Dagian
Le Lion de Chanel
Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady
Paul Schutze Tears of Eros
Tom Daxon Iridium 71%
Le Couvent Maison de Parfum Cologne of the Missions
Chopard Casmir
Sarah Baker Bascule

In this episode of My Beauty Habits I catch up with lovely Lisa Snowdon. Lisa and I used to work for the same radio company and bonded over our early starts and mutual love of beauty! (I remember constantly being in awe of how effortlessly glamorous she was at 6am.)

These days we've both put our radio days behind us and Lisa is busy doing all sorts of brilliant projects including a regular fashion slot on This Morning and producing excellent beauty and wellbeing content via her own channels.

During the episode Lisa shares so many of her tips, tricks, rituals and habits. We cover everything from skincare to showers to the daily routines that keep Lisa feeling happy and grounded. What I love about Lisa is that she's has always had a real passion for sharing beauty and wellbeing tips and she talks about them with an energy that is catching. If you're feeling a bit lacklustre at the moment you're going to love this. Lisa will put a spring in your step :0)

In this episode I have the honour of getting to know the iconic makeup artist Barbara Daly.
Barbara was the first makeup artist to become a star in her own right and her story is one of tenacity and never taking no for an answer.
Barbara takes us with her on her journey from dreaming of doing Hollywood movie makeup to working with the BBC, creating the makeup for Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" and how it felt to do Princess Diana's wedding makeup.
Barbara's story had me gripped and I loved every second of this interview. Get ready to meet one of the greats!

*I know that this would usually be an episode of "My Beauty Habits" but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible as I think it's really relevant at the moment.*

In this episode I get to know Immunologist Dr Jenna Macciochi. Jenna has been studying the immune system for over 20 years and specialises in understanding how lifestyle and nutrition interact with the immune system in health and disease. She has made it her mission to demystify the science behind our health and share her knowledge of how we can maintain good health.

During the episode we chat about Jenna's views on supplements and what we should and shouldn't be taking. Jenna also has loads of advice about the types of things we should be eating, our microbiomes, things we can do on an every day basis to protect our immune systems and also tips for how we can help ourselves if we get ill. We also chat about the role that exercise can play and the effect of stress on our health and how to deal with it plus so much more!

Dr Jenna really inspired me to take more care of my everyday health both in the short and long term and I can't wait for you to hear her words of wisdom. If you find this episode of interest and you want to explore Dr Jenna's research further then I recommend her brilliant book Immunity: The Science Of Staying Well (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Immunity-Science-Dr-Jenna-Macciochi-ebook/dp/B07XZ7W8FK). You can find more tips from Dr Jenna on her Instagram Page @dr_jenna_macciochi.

In this episode I get to know the award-winning beauty, health and lifestyle journalist Ingeborg Van Lotringen. Ingeborg, who was Cosmpolitan UK's Beauty Director for 14 years, is loved for her no BS journalism. She's an inquisitive writer who isn't afraid to ask difficult questions and tell things as they are. No-where is this more obvious than in her brilliant book ‘Great skin – Secrets The Beauty Industry Doesn’t Tell You’ which was recommended to me by Sherna Malone. The minute I read it, I knew I had to interview Ingeborg. She was a woman after my own heart.
In this episode we talk about the good and bad things about the beauty industry, brands and products that Ingeborg loves, why PHAs are great for our skin and why brands need to be more transparent about products. We also discuss natural and synthetic beauty and why both can go hand in hand.
I loved chatting to Ingeborg...she's a well informed journalist with unquestionable integrity and she's not afraid to ask hard questions to fight the consumer's cause.

In this episode of My Beauty Habits I get to know the amazing Dame Maureen Lipman.

We chat about so much including how she is getting through lockdown, how she feels about her appearance, what ageing means to her, the things that she does on a daily basis that make her feel good and why she prides herself on being really low maintenance.

Maureen and I also have a great catch up about her performance of Michael Sherman's "Rose" which is being released on SKY Arts on 27th January to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day. Maureen chats about what it was like to do this one woman production in the midst of a pandemic and how much it has meant to her.

It was an honour and such a pleasure to chat to Dame Maureen and I can't wait for you to hear this intimate and honest chat.

* This episode is in partnership with Curate Beauty. Together we're aiming to help put small, independent brands on the map*

In this episode I meet entrepreneur and mother of 4 Joy Isaacs. Joy has been fascinated by the power of colloidal silver since she was a child and after suffering with an infected wound that was treated with the help of dressings containing silver, she decided it was time to create a skincare brand that harnessed its power. (It not only has great healing properties but is also antimicrobial so can be very helpful in the treatment of acne.)

After a great deal of work and research Joy founded Argentum, a luxury skincare brand that is unlike any I have ever come across. It's part really great science, part unexpected quirkiness (which I love) and part pure luxury.

During the episode we hear Joy's fascinating story and get to know what it takes to build a luxury skincare brand that stands out from the rest. We also hear from the Outspoken Beauty Panellists who have been trying the Argentum Potion Infinie for more than a month. They give their honest thoughts on the product and brand itself. (To be a part of the panel please DM me on Insta @Outspokenbeautynicola).

I hope you enjoy getting to know Joy and Argentum as much as I have xx

In this episode I chat to Nutritional Therapist, author and all round inspiring lady Madeleine Shaw. Madeleine doesn't only share her beauty habits but also her wellbeing, feelgood and health habits. Her advice has definitely helped me since doing the interview and I hope it does the same for you.

From slotting in time for yoga and movement to great food and drink habits to supplements to her favourite beauty products, Madeleine's approach to life is a real inspiration. She also has some great words of wisdom regarding taking care of our mental wellbeing as well as physical.

So if you're feeling a bit fed up at the moment and you need some down to earth and totally achievable ideas to get you out of your funk, I have a feeling that this episode is going to really help you.

Madeleine also has a podcast which is brimming with great expert advice particularly for mums. Here's the link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/get-your-glow-back/id1450163491