In this episode I’m joined by the fabulous Terri White, editor of Empire magazine and fellow beauty enthusiastic. 

One of my reasons for inviting Terri onto the show - other than her utter coolness - was because she wrote a feature for Red Magazine last year where she talked about her love of eyeliner. As a fellow wearer of the feline flick I know that those black lines are often less about emphasising the eyes and more about putting a don’t-f***-with-me barrier between me and the world. She said it perfectly and you can read it for yourself here.

Why should you listen to this podcast? For one thing we talk about her time in New York editing Time Out, but more to the point I get her to give me the low-down on Manhattan drugstores and the actual chemical high you can get from being surrounded by aisles of beauty products and skincare that all tot up to under $10. 

She does the decent thing and gives us her guide to what every Brit in New York should pick up from CVS and Duane Reade. Gawd bless her.

In and amongst that we chat about interviewing our heroes and how the golden rule is ‘be cool’, Primark binges and Madonna - who incidentally is responsible for my eternally futile search for Fire Engine Red lipstick...

Terri is definitely worth a social media ‘follow’ so find her on twitter @terriwhite and instagram @terrilwhite 

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If you want an honest answer about pretty much anything to do with beauty then speak to Nadine Baggott. She has an encyclopaedic beauty knowledge and I've never asked her a questions she hasn't known the answer to. You'll see what I mean when you listen to the show...

We cover a lot of ground in this episode, but Nadine references a BRILLIANT article which you can read in full here --> Generation Y. 

We talk about the cult of contouring, what beauty buys you should and shouldn't spend your money on and why being yourself is so crucial. The latter is while you'll never find her images filtered or tinkered with...

Nadine shares with me what it was like being thrust into the spotlight via a hugely popular ad campaign ten years ago - it went viral before we knew what viral was, and what it's like to be in touch with her legion of fans via her YouTube channel The Beauty Know It All. 

We also talk about what it's like interviewing celebrities and what we've learned from coming face-to-face with the A-list. Is it as exciting as one may think..?

You can follow Nadine on Twitter @NadineBaggott on Facebook at Nadine Baggott The Beauty Know It All and she's also on instagram @nadinebaggott.

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Joining me in this episode is Abi Cleeve the MD of Ultrasun UK. On the topic of sun care she is, quite simply, an oracle and if you've ever felt bamboozled by the meaning of UVA or UVB, wondered what on earth 'broad spectrum' means and whether SPF 20 means you can spend 20 minutes in the sun or not, then this is a show you need to tune in to. Oh, and if you worry about those high factor formulas on young children, then you won't want to miss her intel... She even corrected some bad SPF behaviour in this beauty journalist. My wrists were most definitely slapped...

We talk about meeting, and becoming firm friends, in the dressings room of QVC where we went from meeting to sharing concerns about chin hairs in about four and a half minutes. She's an expert in her field, and she's a great dressing room buddy. You haven't lived until you've put the world to rights with Abi Cleeve. Join us, won't you..?

You can also download The Beauty Podcast with Emma G on iTunes and Soundcloud.

Abi and Ultrasun UK can be found at: 

UltrasunUK 

Twitter UltrasunUK 

Facebook UltrasunUK

You can get in touch with me via my website Emma Gunavardhana, where you can also sign up for the show's newsletter or on social media; Twitter@EmmaG_Beauty and Instagram where I'm @emmaguns

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Helen Thorn is a Sunday Times Best-Selling author and comedian who joins me on the show to talk about her new book How to Face Big Change and Come Back Stronger. It's a brilliant and gentle guide, with the help of 50 incredible women, to navigating the crappy things that happy in life without letting you have any less of a good time.

I've always found Helen to be kind, warm and generous and this book, full of advice, wisdom and camaraderie is a book only she could have written. I highly recommend you buy a copy for yourself and for anyone in your life who you think may benefit from its kindness and comfort.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

EG xx

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This isn’t goodbye, but it is the end of a chapter. In this episode, I’m sharing why I’m pressing pause on new episodes (although there will be some surprise mid-week pop-ups) and taking a step back to rethink the podcast and what I want it to become. I’ll be revisiting and republishing past conversations while I figure out what comes next.

Please do follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack to keep up with everything I'm doing...

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This weekend was all about the Manosphere after I watched Louis Theroux's documentary Inside the Manosphere and read Jack Burke's piece in The Times on Looksmaxxing. Both of these phenomena focus on male-dominated online spaces that veer to the far right with extreme misogynistic and anti-feminist sentiments. They are two pieces of media that really made me think and I've unpicked, in part, why in my latest Substack, which you can subscribe to and read here.

I would absolutely love to know what you think - please do go to the comments section and share your thoughts.

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If you subscribe to my Substack (I love you!) then you would have seen my column about how wellness messaging on products has, in my opinion, gone too far. We are all entitled to create a spa-like experience in our own home but it's my belief that brands latching the benefits of their products onto you taking a moment to yourself is really quite disingenuous. In this episode, I explain why it got me so riled and why we should expect better of brands.

If you've been here a while then you'll know I am often vague when making a point about something contentious. I don't name names and I'm not interested in starting a fight with anyone. However, I break my own rule in this episode when it comes to the lack of reciprocity in podcasting. I was talking to a fellow OG podcaster (someone who also has 10 plus years of podcasts to their name) and we were saying how disappointing it is when you share your platform with someone and they seem indifferent and don't support you back...

Plus. there's a short but sweet update on my fitness and nutrition strategy. Short and sweet because I'm wondering whether too much focus on it is as helpful as I think it is...

Speaking of, this is the episode of Ready To Talk I mentioned in the show.

Please do chat with me and your fellow listeners over on Substack. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

EG xx

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A little white ago I stepped away from conversations about hormones, perimenopause and menopause on this podcast.

Not because women’s health stopped being important, for from it! It was because the conversation became louder, more crowded and, for many women, more confusing than helpful. Conflicting advice, competing experts and endless rules have left many of us wondering what actually matters, and what we should actually do day to day to feel better.

In this episode, I’m joined by physician and bestselling author Dr. Amy Shah to discuss her new book, Hormone Havoc. Rather than another conversation focused solely on treatment or supplements, we talk about the practical, everyday habits that support women through perimenopause, menopause and beyond.

We explore how hormones intersect with modern life, why midlife can feel uniquely overwhelming, and how small, consistent changes around nutrition, sleep, movement and recovery can make a meaningful difference.

This is a calmer, clearer conversation about a stage of life that doesn’t need to be feared, it just needs to be understood.

In This Episode

• Why women feel more confused about hormones than ever
• Perimenopause as a gradual hormonal transition rather than a sudden event
• The impact of modern stress and midlife responsibilities
• Moving from dieting culture to strength and longevity
• Dr Shah’s 30–30–3 approach:
• 30g protein in your first meal
• 30g fibre per day
• 3 servings of probiotic foods
• Gut health and hormone regulation
• Ultra-processed foods and metabolic health
• GLP-1 medications; benefits, realities and cautions
• Sleep, circadian rhythm and the importance of darkness
• Alcohol, ageing and brain health
• Why menopause can mark a powerful new phase of life

About My Guest

Dr. Amy Shah is a double board-certified physician specialising in integrative medicine and nutrition. She is the bestselling author of I’m So Effing Tired, I’m So Effing Hungry, and Hormone Havoc, which explores how modern lifestyles influence women’s hormones and how evidence-based daily habits can support healthier ageing.

If this episode resonated with you, follow the podcast so you never miss future conversations like this one. If you want to share your thoughts on this conversation with me and your fellow listeners, subscribe to my Substack.

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Sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself and, when it comes to my latest efforts regarding my diet and training, I have to accept the fact that a seven week plateau is probably a sign that I've found myself doing 'just enough' instead of 'what's required to make change'.

That doesn't mean I'm defeated, far from it. I'd rather be realistic and adjust now than keep going for another six weeks and find myself in the same position. I've given it a fair crack but the science would say, I'm not doing enough (in the episode, I explain why this is actually really valuable data).

Outside of that, I need your TV recommendations. I love my Bravo schedule and I never miss a vlog from Victoria but after enjoying The Night Manager 2 so much, I need a fix of something complicated and delicious to follow to watch.

Please do let me know your suggestions over on substack and make sure you're following me on instagram for all my updates on the podcast, beauty, health, food and fitness.

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I'm still persevering with this new nutrition and training plan but I'm not going to lie, it's not easy. Not to sound like a brat, but without any feedback (read: scale results) it's difficult to believe it's working so, six weeks in, I'm still leaning heavily into hope. I hope this works, I hope the effort will lead to reward and I hope that I am working smarter, not stupider.

There's no escaping that some really dark and frightening things are happening the world right now. Yes, we should all be aware and informed but the fact is, we need a little distraction. Don't take my 'doom scroll' away from me when my 'doom scroll' is such much less terrifying than the actual news, you hear me? What do you think? Is a little distraction just what we all need right now?

And finally, I interviewed Maxine Laceby from Absolute Collagen last week and after tapping out of interviews for a while because the podcast formula of rags-to-riches was so predictable in every chat I had, I am back! Maxine restored and renewed my faith in a format that I adore. My happiest and most rewarding work has always been via interviews and after feeling so inspired by my time with Maxine, I'm booking more guests for upcoming episodes - is there anyone you really want to hear from?

Make sure you're subscribed to my Substack and following me on Instagram to stay up-to-date with my day to day and to chat with me and with your fellow listeners.

Ems xx

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