The Beauty Vanguard

Director, producer, author, and entrepreneur Tonya Lewis Lee is a storyteller at heart. Whether through film, advocating for maternal health or building a baseline of wellness and nutrition specifically for women, she weaves a thoughtful and accessible narrative into everything she creates.

Produced by Dear Media

Sitting down with influencer and entrepreneur, Susan Yara, to gain insight on how she's evolved her influence into a successful business and created a skincare brand that has gained a strong cult following.

Produced by Dear Media

With a hard to get on waitlist and some of the coolest collaborations out there, famed tattoo artist Dr. Woo has broken barriers in the art and tattoo world. We chat about his entry into beauty and his POV on skincare for those with highly sensitive skin.

Produced by Dear Media

The clean beauty expert and entrepreneur talks about refusing to be put in a box and building a life and career her kids are inspired by.

Produced by Dear Media

The investor and creator shares her top tips for budding beauty entrepreneurs.

Produced by Dear Media

Produced by Dear Media

It’s the SEASON FINALE of The Beauty Vanguard and we’re chatting with friend and inspiring beauty founder, Alli Webb. Anyone who hadn’t heard of a blowout pre 2010 definitely learned quickly after Alli Webb opened her game changing business Dry Bar that year. The entrepreneur has continued to innovate in the beauty industry and beyond, building inclusive and exciting new brands that reimagine self care and mental health to be more personalized and accessible. Tune in as Melissa and Nyakio talk to Alli about her beauty journey beginning with Dry Bar and now as the president of humidifier brand, Canopy.

Influencer, entrepreneur and now beauty guru Chriselle Lim has created what can easily be referred to as the most sought after scent this year. With her company Phlur, the longtime blogger and fashion mainstay created Missing Person, a perfume that permeated social media and sold out immediately, plus created a 100k waiting list. Chriselle gets into each note and why this scent seemed to touch people on a deeper level, eliciting tears and a sense of longing for many people who spritzed it.

In this special series called “Beauty in America” Melissa and Nyakio talk to inspiring women and explore a more diverse definition of beauty. Monica Corcoran is a celebrated journalist and author who has penned some of the most insightful and entertaining articles for major publications like In Style, New York Times and Cosmopolitan. Her media platform, Pretty Ripe, focuses on women above 40 and addresses everything from peri-menopause to favorite beauty products. She sheds light on an often overlooked demographic, digging deep into aging, relationships and parenting.

Melissa and Nyakio sit down with Oscar nominated hairstylist Frederic Aspiras about his historic nomination, longtime collaboration with Lady Gaga and how his rich Vietnamese-Filipino heritage has paved the way for his dynamic career.