Ep 44 Facialist to First Lady Michelle Obama, Jennifer Brodeur (a.k.a. JB Skin Guru)

Facialist to both Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Brodeur (JB Skin Guru)

Is the facialist to Michelle Obama quite possibly the most influential skin expert in the world? Heads are nodding in Breaking Beauty’s sound studio where yes, we sat down with Montreal-based Jennifer Brodeur—dubbed JB Skin Guru by the mighty Oprah Winfrey, another star client. You’re definitely not going to want to miss Jennifer’s stories about tending to the skin of the entire Obama family in the private quarters of the White House!

Jill is obsessed with Michelle Obama’s new book, Becoming. Should we buy her the t-shirt?

Plus, find out which product from Jennifer’s all-natural skincare line for sensitive skin, Peoni, the former First Lady called out on People.com’s holiday gift guide this year. (We’ve also got the scoop on a brand new line coming in hot off of the production line from JB Skin Guru called Lumi, designed to brighten dullness with all the luminance of freshly fallen snow.)

The facialist’s newest editions to her all-natural product line, Lumi, designed to brighten dull skin

You’ll hear some of Jennifer’s somewhat radical opinions, like why she never recommends exfoliating (say what?!). We also get some choice tips on how to get your skin red carpet ready for your own holiday events this season. And finally, the skin pro divulges the secrets to detoxing your complexion from the inside out post-holiday.

But wait…! Jennifer mentions which humectants to look for and which to avoid in a deep dive on good-for-you ingredients. She promised us specifics, and we promised to post the document we were sent over:

Humectants (hygroscopic) work by pulling water from the dermis to the epidermis. This process increases the level of moisture in the stratum corneum. If the humidity is over 70% humectants can even draw water vapor from the air to help moisturize the skin.

They are added to products to mimic the role of natural hydrophilic humectants in the stratum corneum. The unique structure of the stratum corneum of the skin contributes to its function as a barrier to water loss and the external harsh environment. The injury to this barrier by the environment and common irritants with the resulting loss of water from the skin is the main reason for the development of dry skin or irritant dermatitis. Moisturizers containing humectants can help to increase the hydration of the skin and possibly repair/restore the barrier through use of chemicals that are similar to the skin’s natural moisturizing factors or occlusion of the skin to prevent water loss.

Synthetic Humectants

Synthetic humectants are able to lock in moisture; however, they don’t provide any nutrients or benefits to the skin. In some cases, they can end up drying the skin over long- term use. It’s always a question of percentage and use.

• PEGs

• Silicones

• Butylene Glycol

• Urea

• Tremella extract

• Sorbitol

• Dicyanamide

• Sodium PCA

• Sodium lactate

There is a large variety of very different compounds providing moisturizing effects

including proteins, acids, polysaccharides, and various small molecules (e.g. glycerine,

sorbitol, urea, aloe vera etc.).

Natural Humectants

They serve as a dual purpose, drawing moisture to the surface of the skin while enhancing the skins own hydrating ability. (It can be confusing as glycerin and hyaluronic acid may be derived from animal sources, although most are vegan synthetic versions).

• Lecithin

• Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)

• Glycerin

• Hyaluronic acid

• Aloe Vera

• Honey

• Seaweed

• Beeswax (often used in lip balms)

Products mentioned in this episode: Peoni Le Nettoyant cleanser; Peoni L’Extrait; Peoni La Crème; Lumi Gift Box; Clarisonic; Jane Iredale; Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 43 GlamGlow Co-Founder Shannon Dellimore on Glitter Mask Logic, Cult of SuperMud and Is The Best-Selling Mask Getting Sisters?!?

Jill Dunn with GlamGlow’s Shannon Dellimore and Carlene Higgins inside Glam Land Los Angeles.

Pinch us! In this Hollywood edition of Breaking Beauty, we sat down with Shannon Dellimore, co-founder of the one and only GlamGlow. One of the fastest growing indie beauty brands around, GlamGlow launched in 2011 with just one product: a mysterious mud that had been passed around from celebrity to celebrity in unmarked jars to clear up imperfections and create a spa-style glow in 15 minutes flat. (Check out an early prototype of the packaging designed by her daughter, below, cuuute.)

An early packaging prototype courtesy of Shannon and Glenn Dellimore’s daughter

The final packaging as you see it on store shelves and Instagram posts today

But this isn’t just a studio recording y’all. We were lucky enough to be invited into Glam Land—the posh HQ housed in a 1920s mansion in the Hollywood Hills. Find out the hidden secrets behind the Tudor walls, as Shannon reveals the star-studded story behind how the original YouthMud came to be. Then we go deep on the beloved follow up—SuperMud Clearing Treatment Mask—that earned a spot as Sephora’s top selling mask for three-years straight, not to mention being awarded Allure’s Best in Beauty three years in a row thanks to its activated charcoal formula blended with six (!) acne-obliterating acids.

Your co-hosts enjoying some natural filters and palm tree photo ops courtesy of GlamGlow

GlamGlow broke onto the scene with its laser focus on instant, transformative results—a ‘masking’ brand before K-Beauty sheet masks were even a glint in any self-care enthusiast’s eye. It broke the internet, too, with a mind-blowing Sonic the Hedgehog collaboration that would lead to many more glittery… greats or gimmicks? Shannon answers that precise question, and lets us in on GlamGlow’s next move, including a hint that a certain cult-product may soon have some little sisters in store.

Leave us a review in iTunes to let us know what you think!

Products mentioned in this episode: GlamGlow YouthMud Tinglexfoliant Treatment; GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment; GlamGlow GlowPowder

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Win The Ultimate Beauty Blender Gift Set!

BreakingBeautyPodcast🎙💋💅🏻 on Instagram: "Contest time!! 🙌🏻 It's #thanksgiving week 🇺🇸 and since we're grateful to each & every one of you-no matter where you live!-we're giving one..."

428 Likes, 504 Comments - BreakingBeautyPodcast🎙💋💅🏻 (@breakingbeautypodcast) on Instagram: "Contest time!! 🙌🏻 It's #thanksgiving week 🇺🇸 and since we're grateful to each & every one of you-no..."

Contest time!! we’re giving one lucky listener 🎧 this epic @beautyblender prize pack valued at $267!! #Giveaway includes the holiday sets shown here, a Bounce Foundation in your choice of shade, the brand new Pocket Puff for loose powder application and our new fave: the BlenderDefender which lets you tote your makeup sponge everywhere.💞 For the damn good story behind the cult fave @beautyblender hit our archives with founder @reaannsilva in episode 32! Contest closes November 30. 
To enter:
1️⃣. Like this photo on instagram:
2️⃣. Follow @breakingbeautypodcast on instagram
3️⃣. Tag 🏷 that friend in the Instagram comments whose makeup brushes have got. to. go. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Ep 42 - Real Talk about Boob Jobs, Jaw Surgery & Face Shaving with The Skinny Confidential's Lauryn Evarts Bosstick

Lauryn Evarts Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast with your host Jill Dunn

Welcome back Beauties! Today we’re chatting with Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, the creator of beauty, wellness, and lifestyle blog The Skinny Confidential and co-host of TSC Him & Her Podcast. Lauryn’s a hugely successful influencer who’s earned mentions in Shape, Self and Women’s Health magazines. Her podcast has featured everyone from skin guru Kate Somerville to marketing whiz Gary Vaynerchuk and comedian Heather McMahan. And what we love about Lauryn is her no filter-style talk about taboo topics like boob jobs, face shaving and her complete openness about how jaw surgery completely changed her life (see before and after pics here.) We love us an over-sharer!

Glossier’s dreamy permanent store in New York City

But first, we breakdown some news of the week with details on Glossier’s multi-level New York City store. We send kudos to Drybar founder Alli Webb, who announced her next venture: massage bars called Squeeze. Finally, get all the scoop on Cover Girl’s alliance with Leaping Bunny via Cruelty Free International, and hear our take on why the news is a HUGE deal to the beauty industry at large. Lastly, does anyone know why everything is going wrong for Carlene this week? Somebody knows something.

Hooray! Cover Girl is now Leaping Bunny certified

Products mentioned in this episode: Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift; Woo More Play; Face Gym; Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Moisturizer; Kate Somerville Exfolikate; Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder; It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50; Ardell #113 Lashes; Maybelline Great Lash Mascara; Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara; Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 41 - Jennifer Harper, Founder of Cheekbone Beauty – The Indigenous Makeup Brand Taking Over Instagram

Cheekbone Beauty Founder Jennifer Harper

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Cheekbone Beauty, founded by Ojibwe entrepreneur Jennifer Harper in 2016, is bringing indigenous women across North America together through lipstick. The Canadian-made cosmetics brand supports First Nations education through the sale of every lipstick, and in its Instagram feed you’ll see hundreds of indigenous and non-indigenous women alike wearing knock-out shades that can rival Nars, M.A.C and Kat Von D. (Just ask Carlene, who kept getting asked what hot pink and coral lipsticks she was wearing the whole time she was in L.A.!)

Find out the inspiring stories behind the shade names, each named after a strong, indigenous woman. Then, hear all about Jenn’s incredible journey in overcoming alcoholism, surviving her brother’s suicide, reconciling her identity and eventually, how she would come to start a socially conscious beauty business as rich in heart as its fashion-forward pigments.

We’ve got the foils (like being rejected during a Dragon’s Den audition) and the fist pump moments (like being invited to a round table on female entrepreneurship by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau), including a new ambassador program set to give dozens of women new skills and financial rewards as they help Cheekbone Beauty rise to the top.

Products mentioned in this episode: Cheekbone Beauty Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Sarain, Waneek, Shannen, Bethany and Devery

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 40 Bonus Episode (Part 2)! Jen Atkin, Celebrity Hairstylist, On Dyson's New AirWrap, Her Fave Hair RN & Her Contraband Bath & Body scrub

In Part 2 of this week’s bonus episodes, we have celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin in the house!! She’s the founder of Ouai haircare, she created the hugely popular educational website, Mane Addicts by and for hair professionals, she’s a Dyson ambassador and she works with Hollywood’s elite, from the Kardashians to the Jenners to Chrissy Teigen and Bella Hadid. And while we may have missed out on Jen Atkin’s sold-out Sephoria session where she demonstrated how-to-use Dyson’s new multi-purpose hair tool, the AirWrap, we got a one-on-one preview just days before the event!

Jen Atkin live demos Dyson’s AirWrap at Sephoria

The trend-setting hairstylist regaled us with tips and tricks on how to use the $600 wand—six years and 642 prototypes in the making—that uses air instead of strand-frying heat to create a multitude of styles. Said to basically replace your curling iron, your straightening iron and even your blowdryer, the smart innovation is available at sephora.com/sephora.ca and dyson.com/dysoncanada.ca, as well as in Dyson Demo Stores.

The complete Dyson AirWrap kit

Original design drawings for the AirWrap

After that, listen in for the scoop on Jen’s favourite hair look right now, what else she will be launching in the next several weeks (and a contraband bath & body scrub that’s for friends only, shhh). We discussed what Halloween costume she’ll be wearing this year (guesses, anyone??)

Squad goals: Jen Atkin with star client Kim Kardashian and makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic

Products mentioned in this episode: Dyson AirWrap; Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask; Verso Intense Facial Mask No. 8; KNC Star Eye Mask; Gorilla Snot Hair Gel

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 39 Bonus Episode (Part 1)! Sephoria Highlights: Makeup by Mario, Daniel Martin & All The Fairy Bombs

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In this late breaking bonus episode, we’re bringing you all the highlights from Sephoria’s first ever House of Beauty event in Los Angeles. Between the mad product reveals, customization stations and masterclasses from mega headliners, we had to drop two extra shows this week. In Part 1, we’re celebrating 20 years of Sephora in the U.S., bringing you behind-the-scenes on who we saw, what we experienced, and which products were worth the spend. In Part 2, we get up-close-and-personal with one of the event’s top speakers, celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin! (Stay tuned tomorrow as she gives us her top tips for using Dyson’s new, sold-out AirWrap innovation; what hair looks the trend-setter is loving now; and the plethora of products she has up her sleeve in the months to come.)

Mario Dedivanovic (aka @MakeupbyMario) with Toronto fan Tharshikak Arasan (@glammwitht)

Jill and Carlene in Fenty Beauty’s glitter pool

Meghan Markle’s makeup artist Daniel Martin on the Dior stage

But first, in Part 1 of our Sephoria report, you’ll hear all about the larger-than-life installations, from a King Kong-sized jar of La Mer we encountered in the garden area of the House of Beauty, to Fenty Beauty’s glitter pool that left mass sparkle in areas Jill couldn’t even mention on air. Plus, find out which product reveals guests were privy to before anyone else in the world, like Fenty’s new Fairy Bomb, Chrissy Teigen’s cinnamon bun-scented holiday Glow Kitchen Kit in collaboration with Becca, and Atelier Cologne’s upcoming Pacific Lime fragrance.

Becca x Chrissy Teigen’s scented holiday glow kit

10-year-old fan Paityn Hart @Paitynhart

Pat McGrath Labs Lust: Mini Matte Trance Trio

Then, hear from Kim Kardashian’s personal makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic (aka @MakeupbyMario), who demo’d his “set up/set down” technique using Laura Mercier’s new translucent loose powder glow. And, find out which dollar store and drug store products Meghan Markle’s makeup artist Daniel Martin has stashed in his kit at all times.

Your dainty podcast hosts inside Gucci’s bloom room

Finally, get the glow down on all of the exclusive swag—with pricing—that could be in store should Sephoria return for a second season. Custom eyeshadow quads that blend four different brands, lipstick cases that can be customized with one of your favourite selfies, and makeup sponges that match your foundation. We’re spilling the tea on what really put the euphoria in Sephoria.

Products mentioned in this episode: Marc Jacobs Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter; La Mer Crème de la Mer; Pat McGrath Labs Lust: Mini Matte Trance Trio; Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Kitchen Kit; Beauty Blender Bounce Liquid Whip Long Wear Foundation; Fenty Beauty Fairy Bomb; Atelier Cologne Pacific Lime Fragrance; Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream; Milk Makeup Blur Stick Mini; Sephora Collection #Lipstories Lipstick; Ardell Lashes; Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 38 Glow Down: We Tested 9 Buzziest Fall Beauty Launches + Colour Correcting 101

We’re takin’ you to school with fall’s buzziest beauty products, put to the test

Shiseido’s new & improved makeup collection

Teami Blends is offering Breaking Beauty listeners a coupon code: use BREAKINGBEAUTY to get 20% off at teamiblends.com 
Bling, bling— school is in! In this special edition of the #Glow Down, we tested all of the buzziest fall launches, and squeezed our favourites into an entire episode dedicated to the Damn Goods. That Dyson curling iron that’s hitting your feed right about now? We got the sneak peek. Whoosh! That 3-D mascara? We took it for a spin, with a live demo from Chanel’s national makeup artist Julie Cusson. And Shiseido’s re-vamp of their cosmetics line? We hand-picked the standouts, while makeup artist to the stars Patrick Ta gives us his top tip for finding your best nude lip shade (because Carlene so often gets it wrong, boo….)

Nanoblur Colour Correctors by Indeed Labs

AND THEN….! Are you so curious about the colour correcting trend? We invited our makeup artist friend Simone Otis (who’s recently worked with Agyness Deyn and Amandla Stenberg, no less) on the mic to explain the do’s and don’ts of playing with green, yellow and purple colour correctors, in a sponsored segment with Indeed Labs. Remember the original Nanoblur—the very first blurring product to ever hit the market way back in 2011? It was like face tune before iPhones, and a single unit sold every 9 seconds. Well, it’s back, with a 2.0 version that combines that superstar blurring effect with you guessed it, a sheer, colour-correcting skincare cosmetic. Simone tests the innovation on yours truly, with her pro tricks for landing an insanely even no makeup makeup look with (surprise), no makeup!

And lastly, breaking news! We’re going to Sephoria, bitches! Will we ever meet Chrissy Teigen? Will Charlotte Tilbury tink our glasses at the cocktail? Keep one eye to our Instagram stories while we podcast our way through the House of Beauty in L.A., and stay tuned for all the highlights in a future episode.

* Products reviewed are media samples submitted for professional editorial consideration.

Products mentioned in this episode: Indeed Labs Nanoblur Colour Correctors; Le Volume Révolution de Chanel Mascara; Pantene Charcoal Purifying Root Wash & Renewing Cream Rinse; Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick; Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paints; Fenty Beauty Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette; Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer; Dyson Airwrap Styler; Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer; Céla Black Gold Supreme Coffee Scrub; Céla Crème de la Crème The Very Best Cream; Céla Seed to Skin Scrub; Hourglass Cosmetics Caution Extreme Lash Mascara; Shiseido Imperial Lash MascaraInk; Nars Climax Mascara

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Episode 37 Bobbi Brown On Leaving Her Own Makeup Brand, Her New Beauty Supplement Line + Whether She’ll Ever Do Cosmetics Again

Carlene sat down with Bobbi Brown at Founder Made in New York

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Bobbi Brown has hit legendary status. First, there was her come up as a celebrity makeup artist, working with everyone from Whitney Houston to Naomi Campbell. In this episode, hear some of her little known stories about the struggles and successes, building a name for herself as the makeup artist that photographers like Arthur Elgort would come to have on speed dial when they wanted their subjects to look au natural and ah-may-zing all at once.

Brown went on to create the OG no makeup-makeup line at a time when every other cosmetic brand was still about selling sex in a lipstick. Just try to figure out Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ best-seller—is it the foundation stick, the gel eyeliner, the shimmer brick, the Beach fragrance, or the nude eye palettes so many of us had on regular rotation? (The debate is on!) Find out the real reason why Brown chose to leave her namesake company, and she pulls no punches explaining what it felt like to walk away.

Bobbi Brown’s first Vogue cover featured Naomi Campbell

Plus, listen in as Brown explains her second life developing a new range of beauty supplements, Evolution 18, not to mention her chic as hell hotel, The George. We also get real about Brown’s approach to interviewing some really big players herself, like Gary Vaynerchuk and Mickey Drexler for her lifestyle site, JustBobbi.com—with breaking news that Bobbi Brown is launching her own podcast! And finally, you do not want to miss Brown’s answer to the question we are all dying to know: will she ever start a makeup line again?

Products mentioned in this episode: Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eye Palette, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, Bobbi Brown Lip Color, Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick, Bobbi Brown Beach Eau de Parfum, Evolution_18 Afternoon Chocolate, Evolution_18 Probiotic Stick Packets; Chanel Cristalle Eau de Parfum Spray

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Bobbi Brown back in the day

Ep 36 Bonus Episode!! TIFF Re-Cap & Amber Heard Talks Women in Hollywood, Her Pageant Past and New L'Oréal Mascara Reveal

We sat down with Amber Heard at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival

It’s TIFF time again! And that means Carlene and Jill have breaking beauty news on all the top red carpet looks at the Toronto International Film Festival, and they sit down with newest L’Oréal ambassador Amber Heard. She’s made crew with Justice League in the upcoming blockbuster, Aquaman, as the flame-haired Mera; she’s a real-life activist; and she’s a former pageant girl. Listen in as the Texan actress dishes on her latest film, Her Smell, starring Elizabeth Moss as part of a kick-ass, all-female ensemble. We find out what secret mascara she’s wearing that boasts a clever innovation we are *dying* to try before its North American release later this year. And finally, hear what Amber has to say about the kind of scripts that make her cringe these days, and what it’s like to be inside the Women in Film movement.

Products mentioned in this episode: L’Oréal Unlimited Mascara

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 35 Girlboss Founder Sophia Amoruso & The Top 5 Most Pressing Questions About Retinol, Answered

Girl Boss Founder Sophia Amoruso with Breaking Beauty’s Carlene Higgins

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Sophia co-hosts Girl Boss Radio

We’ve officially joined #GirlBoss Nation. It’s what happens when you sit down with Girl Boss founder Sophia Amoruso, the poster woman for females killing it at work and in life. First there was the fashion label she started, Nasty Gal, then there was that Netflix show, and of course Girl Boss, her best-selling book and Girl Boss Radio. And don’t even get us started on her killer Instagram style! Which is why we had to sit down with the queen of entrepreneurs when she dropped into town with Shoppers Drug Mart’s Beauty Boutique event, Be Bold With Beauty.

Stay tuned for the full #glowdown on all the makeup currently on the fashion influencer’s #topshelf; why she ditched her hair extensions, and what his-and-her tattoos Sophia recently had inked with her boyfriend. Plus, we get the backstory on which of her famously fearless Instagram posts (The Shiggy Challenge, that Ivanka Trump manifesto…) are currently going viral.

Rolling out onto store shelves now, Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Serum, $106 CN ($84 US)/ 60 capsules

But before allll of that, Jill and Carlene laser in on the topic of retinol, revealing answers to your top five most pressing questions about the gold standard skincare ingredient. In partnership with our friends at Elizabeth Arden, we chat with Manhattan-based consulting dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman, to find out who’s best suited to retinol; how to work it into your routine; and what not to do if you want to avoid any dreaded peeling effect. In this breaking episode of The Damn Goods, we review Elizabeth Arden’s new Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Night Serum, a single-dose innovation that locks retinol’s potency inside a precious little pink pouch.

Products mentioned in this episode: RMS Beauty Living Luminizer; Dior Lip Glow Hydrating Colour Reviver Lip Balm; Shiseido Aura Dew Eyes, Lip, Face; Urban Decay Naked Palette; Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Night Serum

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 34 - CND Co-Founder Jan Arnold On Cracking Shellac & Our Review of Shellac Luxe

Jill and Carlene with CND Co-Founder Jan Arnold

It's not often that a true beauty invention comes along, setting a new standard and spawning legions of knock-offs. But that's exactly what happened when the awesome Jan Arnold, co-founder of CND, shook the beauty industry with the first-ever hybrid gel polish, Shellac, back in 2010. Suddenly, women could walk out of nail salons in seconds, grabbing their keys without a worry in the world about damaging their perfect, gel-look manicure—that could last up to an astonishing four weeks.

Jan Arnold's nail art by Montreal artist @tamaradilullo

Fast-forward to summer 2018 and CND—short for Creative Nail Design—has introduced Shellac Luxe, a new alternative promising faster removal (the O.G. takes ten minutes of in-salon acetone removal). Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear Jill and Carlene's candid review on how this edition does—or straight doesn't—measure up... Plus, get an earful about the Insta-bait outfit, designed by The Blonds, that Jan Arnold wore to introduce Luxe to nail pros!

A corset by New York designers The Blonds, made of hundreds of faux Shellac nails

Family Business: CND Co-Founder Jan Arnold's Father and Mother

But the mind-blowing doesn't stop there. Find out how innovation has been baked into CND's DNA from its very first invention, born out of her father's dentist's office forty years ago. More beauty trivia: CND pretty much invented the concept of nail trends backstage at Fashion Week. Don't miss the ballsy moment responsible for changing the way designers like Oscar de la Renta, Alexander Wang—and let's face it, the world—would come to embrace high-fashion nails, ultimately leading to what we now know as nail art today.

Products mentioned in this episode: CND Shellac Gel Polish; CND Shellac Luxe Gel Polish; CND Vinylux Long Wear Polish; CND Solar Oil Nail & Cuticle Conditioner

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Enter for a chance to win more than $700 of Biossance skincare!

See our brand new contest on Instagram! 

Contest time! In episode #31 we talked all about #squalane in skincare & now here’s your chance to score the motherlode: all 12 of these squalane-based @biossance products worth more than $700!!! This ultimate haul includes the brand, brand new Glycolic Renewal Peel & the best-selling Vitamin C & Rose Oil (that’s constantly sold out @sephora). Contest closes August 31. Good luck! To enter: 1. Follow @breakingbeautypodcast on Insta (or already be following us) 2. Like this pic 3. Repost this image in Instagram stories, tag @breakingbeautypodcast & @biossance and tell us what product you’re the most curious to try.

A post shared by BreakingBeautyPodcast🎙💋💅🏻 (@breakingbeautypodcast) on Aug 21, 2018 at 11:42am PDT

Ep 33 Glow Down: Inclusivity, Body Positivity and Marketing Misses With YouTuber Aysha Harun, Model Bree Ahmed and Writer/Podcaster Anne T. Donahue

Left to right: Aysha Harun; Bree Ahmed; Anne T. Donahue

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Welcome to my dining room! That's right, it's a round table talk with your hosts Carlene and Jill, along with YouTube beauty creator Aysha Harun (a.k.a Aysha Abdul); the gorgeous Bree Ahmed, who self-identifies as a plus-sized model and recently starred in an Every Woman campaign in support of CAMH (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) aaand podcast host of Nobody Cares (Except for Me), Anne T. Donahue, who's written for Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, The Guardian and more!  Sit in on our rousing beauty chat about inclusivity (who's winning); representation (sniffing out tokenism); and body positivity (why can't we accept ourselves like we do others?)

Every Woman campaign produced by Jessica Lewis, in support of CAMH (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)

After we get all cerebral, we get to the bottom of what's behind Aysha's glow, the secret spot in Toronto where Bree sources the best makeup finds for women of colour, and learn about which key products are behind Anne's signature, Mad Men beauty aesthetic. 

Plus, don't miss the details on Anne's upcoming book of essays, Nobody Cares, which launches in September--that's already been blurbbed by actress and author Gabourey Sidibe and Dolly Alderton of the High Low Podcast. And big news, we've done another pod swap! That's right, Carlene and Jill will be on Nobody Cares (Except for Me) podcast later this fall, where we'll share our damn good #bottomshelf beauty favourites that may look ugly on the outside, but make you look damn pretty anyway.

Products mentioned in this episode: Knixwear; Kylie Lip Kits; Caudalie Vino Perfect Serum; Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion SPF 50; Super Goop; Beauty Blender; Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil; Fenty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter; M.A.C Lipstick in Lady Danger; Essie Gel Couture Polish; Fenty Gloss Bomb;

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Keeva Organics Promo Code (U.S. listeners only): BREAKINGBEAUTY20 available at keevaorganics.com

Ep 32 Inventor of Beauty Blender Rea Ann Silva

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We’re all about breakthrough beauty products, and it doesn’t get any more ICONIC than the pink, tear drop-shaped sponge that revolutionized the way we apply foundation 💗 💗💗. In 2002, Hollywood makeup artist Rea Ann Silva created an entirely new category with her reusable, water-activated Beauty Blender that delivers seriously seamless foundation results. Now used by everyone from Makeup by Mario to Kylie Jenner to your very own Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts Jill and Carlene, 17 units are sold every single minute 😮.

Listen in as the genius inventor recalls what it was like hitting the road with New Kids On the Block and working with the Notorious B.I.G. before the Eureka moment working on the very first HD television show when her smash-hit applicator came to be. Then, we fast forward 15 years and ask Rea Ann about all those LOL #YouTube hacks 🍆. (Plus, get an ear-full about a never-before-heard customer service call from an adult film star 🙈.)

And finally, you're not going to want to miss the #glowdown on Beauty Blender's first foray into makeup with #BounceFoundation, which has been making headlines since its debut @sephora this week. We got all the scoop on its KILLAH finish and yes, we go deep on the contraversial shade selection.

Products mentioned in this episode: The Original Beauty Blender; Beauty Blender Bounce Foundation; Dior Lip Glow; Sulwhasoo; La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 31 - Why Squalane May be the Missing Hero Ingredient in your Skincare Routine

On today’s episode (listen here) we’ve partnered with Biossance, a sustainable skincare line that has a big, big story behind it (it's not often that a beauty brand has Bill Gates' blessing). And it’s raison d’etre is all centred around a little skincare ingredient called squalane.

Squalane is a huge trend in the skincare world right now because it's a weightless moisturizing molecule that has a hyper hydrating effect. Not unlike hyaluronic acid, we're actually born with a version of it, known as squalene (stick with us here) that depletes with age (bummer, we know).   

In the past, squalane was obtained from shark liver but that practice has come to an end in many parts of the world, thankfully. And plant-based versions, from olive oil, were not as pure. Enter Biossance who has found a way to engineer the purest form of sustainable squalane from sugarcane and make it a skincare star - when it's  in your serum, moisturizer or face oil - skin looks plump, younger, dewier and smoother. 

There are a lot of squalane-based products out there, but very few are making headlines for *constantly* selling out at Sephora. If you’ve been listening to Breaking Beauty for awhile, you know we love a best-seller, so we needed to know why everyone loves this sleeper hit of a brand, including Queer Eye's Johnathan Van Ness who has been spotted with it in his bag of grooming tricks.

We've even polled our listeners in the Breaking Beauty Podcast Chat Room  who sent us some voice memos with squalane q's of their own so tune in! 

Products mentioned on the episode:

Biossance’s Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil (Carlene's fave)
Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel 
Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum (Jill's fave and it contains a plant-based alternative to retinol called Bakuchiol )
Biossance Squalane + Bamboo Deodorant (brand new launch)

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.
 

Enter for a chance to win more than $260 of MAC Cosmetics makeup!

📣 📣📣 Attention makeup lovers! In honour of  episode 30 with @maccosmetics co-founder Frank Toskan (episode 30; click here to listen 🎧) we’re hosting this epic giveaway worth $262 💄of all the bestselling products seen above💯 

To enter, follow the rules below: (contest closes July 19)
1. Like this photo on instagram
2. Follow @breakingbeautypodcast on insta
3. Comment on instagram what your first gateway @maccosmetics product that you ever got was!!

Ep 30 Legendary M.A.C Cosmetics Co-Founder Frank Toskan on Building the Ultimate Beauty Icon and Starting Over

In honour of Canada Day, we went straight to the icon of all beauty brands, M.A.C Cosmetics! We sat down with legendary co-founder Frank Toskan, to hear every detail about how the mother of all beauty companies came to be. In fact, we chatted for so long, we couldn't squeeze it into one episode! Stay tuned for both Part 1 and Part 2 to hear all the deets dedicated to the trailblazing brand that paved the way to so many modern, inclusive beauty lines today.  With its unforgettable, original tagline: "All Ages, All Races, All Sexes", M.A.C was waaay ahead of its time, tapping into a culture completely foreign to the stalwart beauty brands lining store shelves when it launched in 1984.

M.A.C Limited Edition Lipstick in Proud To Be Canadian

Madonna in M.A.C Russian Red Lipstick circa Blonde Ambition tour

In Part 1 of this two-part special, Jill and Carlene recall the M.A.C beauty products that helped form their youths (hands up if you wore Twig Lipstick!). Plus, we remind you of the brand's ultimate best-sellers like Ruby Woo Lipstick (2,900 of their made-in-Canada lipsticks are sold everyday around the world) and their epic Studio Fix Foundations (still #1 in prestige in Canada), which offered nearly 40 shades decades before Fenty Beauty came along. Then, Frank takes us way back, on coming to North America as a young immigrant, with little more than a children's suitcase and a few small trinkets inside. Beauty history buffs will want to hear the story of "Frank & Frank" as the two founders would become known, partners in life and business until Frank Angelo's passing in the 1990's. And finally, the origin story on how Frank Toskan came to compose early M.A.C prototypes using nothing more than craft store supplies in his Toronto kitchen.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we hit you with all the juicy celebrity moments that helped catapult M.A.C to household name status (a young Lady Gaga, Madonna and Linda Evangelista were all involved.) Don't miss the rebellious acts that had department stores up in arms, like hiring crossdressing beauty consultants, and giving out condoms at beauty counters (mon dieu!) We also go deep on VIVA Glam, the unparalleled giving-back program that's earned a whopping $480M for M.A.C's AIDS Fund, including a sneak peek on an academic book on the topic (launching just in time for VIVA Glam's 25th anniversary next year). So, what's Frank Toskan up to now? We've got the scoop on his next indie startup, called Impact Kitchen, that tastes as good as it is for you. 

Products mentioned in this episode: M.A.C Satin Lipstick in Twig; M.A.C Lipliner in Spice; M.A.C Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo; M.A.C Lipglass Clear; M.A.C Strobe Cream; M.A.C Proud to Be Canadian Lipstick; M.A.C Matte Lipstick in Russian Red; M.A.C Studio Fix Perfecting Powder

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 29 Bonus Episode! Glass Skin Masks and Whitehead-Dissolving Patches, It's Allll the Highlights from FounderMade's Consumer Discovery Show

Co-Host Carlene Higgins (right) with sound tech Olivia Nashmi on location at the Hero Cosmetics booth during FounderMade's Consumer Discovery Show in New York

Field trip!! Breaking Beauty Podcast packed up our mics, put on our logo tees and flew to the big apple for FounderMade's Consumer Discovery Show, a highly curated event that connects rising star beauty, food and wellness brands with retailers, investors, influencers and consumers in one room. In this breaking, bonus episode, we bring you our favourite bits from the show's live panelists like Huda Kattan, Leandra Cohen and Jay Manuel, as they discuss the challenges and responsibilities of being a mega-influencer today.

Huda Kattan (left) and Leandra Cohen of Manrepeller

Tune in as we deliver all the highlights straight from the showroom floor where we discovered glass skin masks from buzzy, sensitive skincare line, Snow Fox; whitehead-dissolving, hydrocolloid micro patches from Hero Cosmetics; Knours. skincare that cycles with your period schedule; and the Cryo Facial inflammation-cooling treatment beloved by Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel that's making its way to a city near you!

Knours. skincare

Oh, but there's so much more.  We sat down with  the BOBBI BROWN—formerly of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and now head of wellness indie start-up Evolution 18the beauty guru herself for a full-length interview all about her own evolution from cosmetics to beauty supplements to her boutique hotel, and her entire story will roll out on Breaking Beauty Podcast in the months to come!

Since we talked a little fast in this nimblest of episodes, here's a handy dandy list of every product mentioned. Enjoy! And do let us know what you think on our Instagram or in Breaking Beauty Podcast's Closed Facebook Chatroom page (join already!) or heck, even leave us a review in iTunes.

Cle Cosmetics

Products mentioned in this episode:

Cle Cosmetics Melting Lip Powder in Hot Choco; Cle Cosmetics Oxygen Foam Cleanser

IVitamin Hydration Therapy

Knours. Double Duty Mist; Knours. Know Your Skin Period. pH 5.6 Body + V Zone Soap

Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil

Cannuka CBD Healing Skin Balm

Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch

Snow Fox Skincare Japanese Cherry Blossom & White Tea Smoothing Mask; Snow Fox Cucumber Recovery Range (coming soon!)

Muskaan Makeup

 Quick Cryo Cryo Facial

Hello Tushy Tushy Classic

Thinx Period Proof Underwear

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Ep 28 Beauty Journo Legend Jane Larkworthy on Cult of Skincare, What's on her #TopShelf, B.S. Beauty Trends, Intermittent Fasting and more

Listen Here:

As beauty editor of W Magazine for over a decade, Jane Larkworthy's column, Jane's Addiction, was the stuff of beauty journo legends. Her smart and stylish, yet slightly self-deprecating voice made us hoard with abandon, while her hilarious beauty parody videos had us spitting up our morning coffee. Now, Ms. Larkworthy is back with her own beauty column on The Cut, a new title as beauty-editor-at-large at L'Officiel U.S., and a potential audible enterprise (which may or may not put her improv skills to good use!)

The newly refurbished spa lobby at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto

But before we find out which beauty products are on Ms. Larkworthy's #topshelf, and glean all the life lessons of a New York super-doer, Jill and Carlene swap stories about the summer spa services they're obsessed with this minute (hands up if you've ever had a  body scrub that didn't involve a mid-treatment shower). And, your humble hosts break on down what's #DamnGood this week, including two drug-store foundations worth adding to your IRL shopping cart.

And finally, in this month's instalment of The Glow Down, find out the late breaking news that *might* change the life of your mani forever...

 

Products mentioned in this episode: Supergoop! Everyday Sunscreen; CoverGirl TruBlend Matte Made Foundation; Revlon Youth FX Fill & Blur Foundation; Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum; Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream; Drunk Elephant La La Retro Whipped Cream; Vertly Hemp Infused Lip Balm; Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

Every product is independently selected by Breaking Beauty Podcast hosts and/or guests. Products you purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

The newly launched CoverGirl TruBlend Matte Made Foundation with 40 shades

This is not Jill, but it is Victoria delivering a facial in her swanky studio