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Breaking Beauty Podcast
Claudia Sulewski on Her Viral Self-Care Brand Cyklar, Early YouTube Fame & The Secrets of her Summer Skincare Routine
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- [00:01]
Jill Dunn
The following podcast is a dear media production. Welcome to Breaking Beauty the podcast, all about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty. We're your hosts, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins.
- [00:22]
Carlene Higgins
Hey, hey, Pod Fam. And welcome back to Breaking Beauty Podcast. I'm Jill Dunn and I'm here alongside Carlene Higgins.
- [00:29]
Jill Dunn
Hello, Jill. And hello, Pod Fam. We are two longtime magazine beauty editors turned beauty podcasters, and we're in your feeds every single Wednesday talking about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty. And this week we welcome one of the breakout beauty content creator entrepreneurs. Claudia Saluski is with us.
- [00:51]
Carlene Higgins
And Claudia is a content creator who started making videos on YouTube at 3013 years old.
- [00:58]
Jill Dunn
Wow.
- [00:58]
Carlene Higgins
I feel like this is, you know, a new generation of content creator. Like, she's, she's like a veteran content creator and she's 29.
- [01:07]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah.
- [01:08]
Carlene Higgins
You know what I'm saying? Like, it's absolutely wild. She has nearly 6 million subscribers across her social media channels that's focused on beauty and fashion and lifestyle. And she has more than 240 million total views on her YouTube channel. She has a couple of them.
- [01:25]
Jill Dunn
She's also an actress and a director, having appeared in a breakout role in the indie film I Love My dad, which premiered at the 2022 south by Southwest Film Festival. And she directed the music video for Phineas's hit single Mona Lisa. Mona Lisa, which, by the way, happens to be her longtime boyfriend.
- [01:46]
Carlene Higgins
Yes. And in late 2023, Claudia launched her own body care brand called Cyclar. And, and today's episode is the perfect time, in my opinion, to talk about this brand because all of the products have got this really sexy self care bend to them. Kind of perfect for summer when we're showing a little bit more skin from head to toe. And personally, this brand really surprised me how much I actually liked a lot of the products.
- [02:12]
Jill Dunn
Yes, totally agree. And by the way, I haven't heard sexy and self care in a sentence together before. I like it. Yeah, everything is very, like, tactile and sensory. First of all, the packaging is beautiful. It has this slight 70s feel to it, like these sleek, like, oranges and ambers and forest green bottles. And the scents are super indulgent. Naked Neroli Sacred Santal. Everybody loves that one. They've got body washes, body creams. The body washes are so unique because they have a bit of like an oil. So like an oil gel texture. So it's this perfect, like, makes everybody happy and just feels really smooth going on. My personal favorite, though are the perfume oils they are so well done. They're in these tiny amber bottles, like really discreet. They're actually pretty inexpensive. I think they're $24 US for those. And it has like a little roller ball applicator. I love the one called Sex Musk. I've been using that all summer. First of all, the name is perfect Sex Musk. Like, hi, how sexy and self.
- [03:23]
Carlene Higgins
That's what I'm saying about sexy. Yes. This is what I'm saying. She's. That she's tapping into it.
- [03:28]
Jill Dunn
So you just want to smell it when you hear that name. But yeah, it does have a little bit of that, just like rawness to it.
- [03:34]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah.
- [03:34]
Jill Dunn
And then it has ingredients like you've heard of. It's nothing over the moon. It's like rose jasmine, tonka bean, vanilla musk, amber patchouli. It's done in this way with this taste level. And you get it when you see her, when you meet her and when you understand why she has all these followers. It's just she has that like je ne sais quoi where you're like, yes, you do it well and I want it. She's curating, you know, like a creative director.
- [03:59]
Claudia Saluski
Yes.
- [04:00]
Carlene Higgins
And fun fact, a lot of people may not know, but the same kind of powers that be and a lot of the same perfumers who do a lot of the Fleur sense also do the sense for recycler. So that kind of makes perfect sense to me, as it were. One of my favorite products is the Vanilla Verve body cream. And the texture is very silky. Plus, I really like that it's in a tube. I find so many of the indulgent body creams out there are in tubs, which is just like this gloop you've got to get on. This is just easier. And it's worth noting that Claudia is kind of venturing more into body products with active ingredients. I mean, she has a vitamin C in one of her body washes, but in June, she launched a glycolic acid body spray. Spray this in this very sleek non aerosol white can. It's like so chic, it looks like a perfume, even though it's like glycolic acid.
- [04:48]
Jill Dunn
Post body spray, post gym. Perfect for that.
- [04:51]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. And they're launching a lactic acid foaming body polish just this month. So I can't wait to try that.
- [04:57]
Jill Dunn
That's what I mean. It's like, it's about creative direction, I think, at this point with these indie brands. And that's. That's what's popping off. People are just becoming addicted.
- [05:07]
Claudia Saluski
So.
- [05:07]
Jill Dunn
So in today's episode we're going to learn a bit more about Claudia's journey to creating this modern self care brand. She talks about what it was like being online from such an early age and she gets really vulnerable, actually about how her own rocky childhood moments inspired her to create a brand that she kind of describes as a safe space brought to life.
- [05:30]
Carlene Higgins
Exactly. And by the way, she happens to have the most perfect skin ever. So we ask her about her skin, her hair and her makeup routine along with what's new and next from the brand and we find out her wellness favorites. And you know, she's just that person that you want to tap into her life and kind of see what makes her tick. So we will link to every single thing that Claudia mentions over on our website@breaking beautypodcast.com and of course we are publishing this episode on YouTube. Our channel is Breaking Beauty Podcast. Please join us there.
- [05:59]
Jill Dunn
Yes. Welcome to the pod Claudia.
- [06:11]
Claudia Saluski
SA this.
- [06:15]
Jill Dunn
Episode is brought to you in part by Medicate. Now, Jill, you and I talk about a lot of brands on the show, a lot of ingredients and I get it. It's tough to cut through the clutter. That's why I appreciate Medicate so much. Medicaid is a clinically proven British skincare brand known for age defying results. Everything is dermatologist recommended and you're a fan.
- [06:36]
Carlene Higgins
There's so many products now, it's kind of incredible. And what I really appreciate about this brand is they are using tried and true ingredients like a vitamin C. But then they're pairing them with like the latest technology.
- [06:48]
Jill Dunn
Exactly. Because when it comes down to it, you and I both know that the most studies are around these tried and true ingredients, not the gimmicky ones, retinol, vitamin C. So I was excited to see that they have a new C Tetra advanced gel serum pairs 20 powerful and stabilized vitamin C with barrier supporting phyto exosomes to visibly brighten smooth skin texture and improve wrinkles in just one week. Jill, what do you think of it?
- [07:15]
Carlene Higgins
Yes, I love that it has 20% vitamin C. I can tolerate it. And because it has that built in barrier protection with the exosomes, it's like Chef's kiss. And I really feel like this formulation, the gel serum is targeted for people with oilier skin. I've been able to wear it under sunscreen all summer and it has that overall brightening effect and smoothing of the fine lines like on the forehead. And it's also in A pump applicator, which low key is my favorite delivery system.
- [07:44]
Jill Dunn
Yeah, keeps it stable. I just love that they have exosomes. We've always talked about that as being the healing ingredient, the recovery ingredient paired with the vitamin C. I think that's so smart if you guys want to try it for yourself. Medicate C Tetra Advanced gel face serum is available online@medicate us. That's Medik and the number eight us use code breaking 20 for 20% off your order. And now back to the show.
- [08:12]
Carlene Higgins
Hey, this is Sammy Clark.
- [08:14]
Claudia Saluski
And this is Sammy Spalter.
- [08:15]
Carlene Higgins
We are best friends, co founders of.
- [08:17]
Claudia Saluski
Our wellness platform form, and now hopefully your new favorite podcast host with our new podcast, Transform.
- [08:24]
Carlene Higgins
We started Transform because we are constantly having all of these big live chats. So we thought it was time to bring the conversations to the mic for.
- [08:32]
Claudia Saluski
You to join in.
- [08:33]
Carlene Higgins
Knowing we can all relate to the forming the best version of ourselves, we.
- [08:37]
Claudia Saluski
Will be chatting it up from everything.
- [08:39]
Carlene Higgins
From self love, health and wellness relationships, owning a business and all of the other hills and valleys that is this big beautiful life. Tune in every week wherever you listen to your podcast.
- [08:52]
Claudia Saluski
See you soon.
- [09:03]
Carlene Higgins
Welcome to Working Beauty Podcast. Claudia, it's so great to meet you.
- [09:07]
Claudia Saluski
So lovely meeting you both. I thank you so much for having me.
- [09:09]
Carlene Higgins
Oh my God, we've been hearing so much about you and your product line. We're going to get into all of that but for our. Some of our audience may not be familiar with your journey and can you share how you kind of got started chatting about beauty and getting started in the beauty world?
- [09:23]
Claudia Saluski
Of course. I'm originally from a suburb of Chicago and I came up, I guess you can say, within this sort of like initial wave of YouTubers content creators online. I was 13 when I first started making YouTube videos. And I know it is crazy to look back at it now because I, I didn't feel that young when I started it. I really, even though it was a hobby and a passion for me at the time because no one really had turned it into a career, it was so early on. This was like 2009 and I think YouTube was created in 2005. Yeah, it was, you know, it was.
- [10:03]
Jill Dunn
Kind of like a blog in a way.
- [10:04]
Claudia Saluski
Right, exactly. YouTube basically had like parody spoofs and like videos of gorillas in zoos. Random clips that people would like, post that they filmed on their phone. But then, yeah, there was sort of like this first wave of content creators in all these different spaces. And so for me personally, I was a super, just girly Girl and fell right into the beauty fashion space, which is hilarious to think and look back at now because I was so young and no one should have been taking. What advice did I have to give at 13?
- [10:38]
Jill Dunn
Right.
- [10:38]
Claudia Saluski
What was I doing? I think my first video was a makeup tutorial. I, like, stole one of my mom's eyeshadow palettes, and it was blue, and I did, like, a blue eye makeup look.
- [10:50]
Jill Dunn
That's hilarious.
- [10:51]
Claudia Saluski
You know, you learn as you go.
- [10:53]
Jill Dunn
Yeah, yeah.
- [10:53]
Carlene Higgins
Do you remember what the most prized possession was in your. Your makeup bag at 13, when. When you move beyond stealing your mom's stuff? Of course. Was it, like, dream matte mousse? Like, what was it?
- [11:03]
Claudia Saluski
Okay, that. That is. That's a deep cut. I. The what first? I mean, actually, so many come to mind. For starters, coastal scents, eyeshadow palettes. Oh, are you familiar with that?
- [11:15]
Carlene Higgins
No.
- [11:15]
Claudia Saluski
They were these eyeshadow palettes that had, like, 100 colors in them.
- [11:20]
Jill Dunn
Oh, wow.
- [11:20]
Claudia Saluski
And so you had every color of the rainbow. There was also Nyx Jumbo eyeshadow sticks iconic. I was like. I. The white one had a death grip on me because I would just put it as, like, the base on my lid, and then whatever color from the Coastal Suns palette, just pop it on. Yeah, I feel like Hoola Bronzer Benefit was certainly, like, one of my favorite brands for so long. Benetent.
- [11:45]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. So for, like, a vlog that you do now, that's, like, a whole month kind of recap, that seems to be what you're doing. How often are you shooting that?
- [11:55]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, I started this monthly format at the beginning of last year, and what I love most about it is it still feels really intimate and personal. It allows me to also give myself that boundary and not share too much, because I just spent, like, 12 years, 13 years uploading weekly, you know, and sharing so much of my life online and really felt the desire to just kind of step back just a little. And I think what's fun about how this format has, like, evolved for me, I. I look at each month and each video as its own little storyline, and, like, what is. What is the story here? So, you know, surprise. All the footage is not actually in order. I take everything. I basically, like, at the end of each week, I dump all the footage from my phone, my camera, whichever cameras. I'm always using, like, multiple different, you know, devices. I just bring it all together and kind of, like, start editing and piecing it together throughout the month. But I spend that last week just kind of looking at, again, part of it is, because how do I make this a compelling and interesting video if it's gonna be 30 minutes long and.
- [13:01]
Carlene Higgins
You'Re still doing that yourself?
- [13:02]
Claudia Saluski
I love to edit.
- [13:03]
Carlene Higgins
Really?
- [13:04]
Claudia Saluski
Editing is one of my. Yes, it's definitely, like, in terms of content creation, that was one of the things that I think interested me from the very beginning is editing. I. Yeah, I just think it's a whole nother kind of layer to the storytelling of it all and brings everything together and adding music and cutting it on tempo and all these things and.
- [13:26]
Carlene Higgins
So can we hire you? I despise the editing.
- [13:31]
Claudia Saluski
I know.
- [13:32]
Carlene Higgins
It's so hard.
- [13:33]
Claudia Saluski
Listen, like, the simple, like, just cutting through a conversation. That's tedious. Yes. I agree that is tricky to do, and it just, you know, it gets really repetitive. But if I can bring in some sort of, like, creative spin. Like, for example, for this month's video right now, my partner and I, we've been renovating our home and taking the opportunity to create some design choices anyways. And I've. So I've been filming the process, and I got a little mic, and I'm, like, walking around the house, and I'm like, we're going to do this here, this here. And in the edit, you know, I have all of these designs and doodles that I draw on my iPad to show to our contractor to be like, okay, build this. And I discovered that you can, like, magnetic key, like, a. A body or a portion of your footage, kind of, like, green screen without having a green screen. And so. Oh, you guys. I got crazy with it.
- [14:23]
Carlene Higgins
She was nerving out.
- [14:25]
Claudia Saluski
I, like, took my designs and I warped them in the footage to, like, basically add my drawings into the room that I'm standing in, but then, like, keyed out myself so that I was, like, walking in front of it. And it just elevated that portion of my video so much that I, like, I'm gonna make a whole bit and, like, pretend to have it be, like, an hgtv.
- [14:48]
Carlene Higgins
Doing your own show.
- [14:49]
Claudia Saluski
Exactly. And so I want to film, like, me and my boyfriend on the couch being, like, babe, my favorite show's on. And then it's gonna cut, and I, like, bought, like, an intro, like, anyway.
- [14:58]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah.
- [14:58]
Claudia Saluski
So love it. For me, it's just finding a way to make it fun.
- [15:03]
Carlene Higgins
It sounds like you're having fun with it. Yeah.
- [15:04]
Jill Dunn
Yes.
- [15:05]
Carlene Higgins
That's great.
- [15:05]
Jill Dunn
You're so creative.
- [15:06]
Claudia Saluski
That's.
- [15:07]
Jill Dunn
That's apparent. And at some point, you were tapped by Teen Vogue. This was back in 2015. What's your greatest memory of that time.
- [15:15]
Claudia Saluski
Oh, my gosh. Okay. So that happened around the same time I moved out to Los Angeles. So that period of my life, it. That was everything to me. I mean, for starters, of course, I. I grew up reading Teen Vogue and just have idolized. Yeah, Teen Vogue, Vogue. And I was 18, and can't preface this enough, I was so young, and they apparently approached me and asked if I could become their, like, YouTube kind of, like, Internet personality host. Okay. And so under that umbrella, I would represent them on a red carpet. So they'd ask me to go to, like, a young Hollywood party and memorize certain questions for certain celebrities, and they would basically just, like, send out a cameraman with a camera and a microphone that says Teen Vogue on it. And I would just stand on that carpet and like, represent Teen Vogue without having any experience. And that was such an incredible honor for me at the time and opportunity because it just taught me so much about just diving, you know, headfirst into a whole new category of content. And it taught me just how to trust myself and that I can work under pressure. And I think also when I moved out to Los Angeles, I didn't know where it was going, but I was curious and wanted to take it as far as I could.
- [16:37]
Carlene Higgins
And was there any interview moment that stood out to you, for better or for worse?
- [16:41]
Claudia Saluski
Oh, my gosh. Trying to think. I'm pretty sure I talked to Zendaya, which is so crazy. Cause now, oh, my gosh, she's just.
- [16:51]
Carlene Higgins
Like, in her Disney Channel era, kind of.
- [16:54]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, a lot of, like, the Disney, Nickelodeon worlds. But also another portion of, like, that partnership was also, if they had any sort of photo shoot happening with an actor, singer, celebrity, I would come on and help with, like, the behind the scenes of it all. So Victoria justice did something for Teen Vogue, and I had my own cameraman and kind of was able to create my own content behind the scenes on that set. So I would just have, like, days with different. Yeah. Celebrities that I like, idolized growing up.
- [17:27]
Carlene Higgins
So iconic.
- [17:36]
Jill Dunn
Today's episode is brought to you in part by Nutrafol. I know that it's a struggle for people who have thinning hair, because I've been there. When I started going through perimenopause, I definitely noticed more gappiness at the front, especially when I try putting my hair in one of those cute, you know, summer buns at the top, and it's just not fun. So that's when I started taking neutral. The number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand that's trusted by over one and a half million people. It's been recommended so many times on our show and you can feel great about what you're putting into your body. Since Neutra Fall hair growth supplements are backed by peer reviewed studies and NSF content certified, that's the gold standard in third party certification for supplements. And what I appreciate is that a lot of supplements rely solely on ingredient studies. So, you know, maybe they're purchasing these ingredients from manufacturers and they're relying on those studies, but neutral clinically tests the final formulations to make sure that there's efficacy. They're using a variety of hair measurement tools like hair counts and pull tests to assess the growth, the, the quality, the shedding, the texture. So I appreciate that they really know the final formula really works. You can see thicker, stronger, faster growing hair with less shedding in three to six months with neutrfol. For a limited time, Neutr Fall is offering our listeners $10 off your first month subscription and free shipping. When you go to neutrfol.com and enter the promo code breaking, find out why Neutr Fall is the best selling hair growth supplement brand@neutrfol.com spelled n u t r a f.com promo code breaking. That's neutr fall.com promo code breaking. So how did all of this lead to Cycler? Like, when did this brand come along? We have it in front of us. If you're watching this on YouTube, you can see if not, we have the beautiful packaging. Like, honestly, the creative direction is just so good. So how did this come to be?
- [19:44]
Claudia Saluski
Yes. So I first launched cycler in late 2023 with one product which was the body cream. It's in a glass jar. It's still available online today. And when I created my first product, I knew that I wanted to make something that delivered on performance and experience, which is sort of where the concept of like multi sensory and sensorial came about. I really wanted to check off all of these different buckets. Right, okay. So for performance, what sort of skincare ingredients can I throw into this body product? Because, you know, we emphasize a ton on like, what can we do for the skin on our face, but the skin on our bodies also deserves, you know, tender love and care and just sort of going through that checklist. Okay, what is it? What does the, you know, formula feel like? How does it transform on your skin? What does it smell like? What's the experience? Experience of like opening the jar or pumping out, you know, the good stuff and that's sort of where kind of like the sensorial world of it all kind of came about. And you know, in thinking about like, why Cycler and what the name stands for in all of this, anyone who's been following me for a decade plus now and has been watching my videos, know sort of like my journey with self care and taking care of myself. You know, if you're reading the founder story on the about page on Cycler, I briefly kind of mention about kind of falling into this pattern in my early adulthood of being a people pleaser. And you know, so much of that has to do with sort of like, I think we're all definitely a product of our environment when we were children and when I, when I was younger, it's, it's funny, I feel like oftentimes the habits you pick up or the characteristics or the way that you engage with those around you or walk into a room, oftentimes, like what, whatever you take on that kind of like, protects you when you're young, oftentimes like ends up being the thing that holds you back later in life. And that certainly was the case for me, like when I was very young. Like I always, I love my parents and I don't talk about too much like the darker parts of my childhood and going into the details of it, but like I really, for me, when I was younger, I kind of acted as this like, tiny adult that like never wanted to really cause any sort of conflict or upset anyone. And like that certainly kind of manifested into being overly cautious of taking care of others, making sure that no one around me is unhappy or unsatisfied or upset. And it kind of manifested into codependency. And I've, I've, it's, it's been interesting like documenting my life and like starting to go through therapy and discovering like what the word codependency means because I didn't think that I was like a codependent person. But it basically just means like having the desire to like, control your environment as a way to protect yourself from getting hurt or feeling unloved or abandoned, you know, all these different things. And so I just, I reached a point where I realized, oh my gosh, I am spreading myself so thin. And I just fell into this trap of like really always kind of taking care of others in a way that sacrificed my energy and reaching, you know, to the point where I'm starting to like, disappoint those in my life. And you know, it all kind of like when I first started thinking about Cycler, and the idea of, like, body care. So this will all. I know this is kind of a long. No, no, we're getting into it. We're gonna. We're gonna full circle this whole moment.
- [23:43]
Carlene Higgins
No, you actually have a story, so I appreciate you sharing it, but.
- [23:47]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, and so I think specifically with body care, it's. It's been self care, body care, all these things. Like, I think for many people, it is very intimate, and it's very emotional to give yourself the. The time and. And also understanding, like, the importance and the value in taking care of yourself. Like, oftentimes, that's the last thing we're thinking about. And it's the thing that you can brush off and brush off and brush off. Right. This is like such a. Maybe, like, small example, but, like, showering, the way that, like, getting into water cleanses you, like, emotionally, physically, all these things, you know, and just. I think that's. I mean, that's certainly kind of like why I want to get into the body space. Because getting in touch with your body, it's just like, there's something so intimate and luxurious about, like, treating your body and not just your face, because, you know, we envy. Emphasize a ton. We got to wear sunscreen. We got to do this. We got to do this. But it really just, like, when I. When I'm putting on lotion, like, I'm doing that for me, and I. And I can feel that. And I know that, you know, and understanding that, like, that has value.
- [25:02]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah.
- [25:02]
Claudia Saluski
And so, yeah, building out these products, like, I really just want to create formulas that, like, for starters, are worth those extra minutes that. That time that you're giving to yourself. And also products that get you excited. I think, like, the. The most exciting feedback I've ever gotten is, like, specifically with the body wash, the amount of people that have commented or come up to me in person, or even my friends that are like, this body wash has changed the way that I think about showers, you know, and this is something that we're, like, doing every day. But to get anyone excited to treat themselves, that's what I want to do with these products. And of course, also pack them with skincare ingredients so that they do perform. But, yeah, it's.
- [25:48]
Jill Dunn
I'm diving in, guys.
- [25:50]
Claudia Saluski
They're in front of us.
- [25:51]
Jill Dunn
And I immediately reached for the brown one that Liv Perez recommended. That's the sacred Santal that you said that was her favorite. That's the best seller.
- [25:59]
Claudia Saluski
Yes.
- [26:00]
Jill Dunn
It smells incredible.
- [26:02]
Carlene Higgins
I do need to ask you, Claudia, because a lot of people may not Realize that you launched the brand with the body cream. Cream. Yes, I was gonna say butter. It's not a butter. In 2023. And then about a year later you did a brand refresh. So can you give us the real talk behind the scenes of how that all played? You know, I'm sure you probably work for, I am assuming years on getting the body cream sorted, getting it right, making it very personal to you and then to kind of like pivot and that's entrepreneurship, that's being working for yourself.
- [26:35]
Claudia Saluski
Oh my gosh.
- [26:35]
Carlene Higgins
And a lot of people can relate to that. So talk, talk us through that.
- [26:39]
Claudia Saluski
Of course. Feel free to smell them. Yes.
- [26:42]
Carlene Higgins
I didn't want to make noise while you were talking, but I'm doing it now.
- [26:46]
Claudia Saluski
So when I, when I first launched Cycler, yes, I created a body cream and if you smell the gray one crescent, that's the original, that's the original fragrance. And you know, I have learned so, so much about starting small, launching with one sku. I think if anyone listening here today is looking is thinking about starting any sort of company, any sort of brand, there is no shame in starting small. With my first launch, I self funded it. That's also part of it. I could only afford formulate one product and see how it went, you know. And I think what's also really great about launching with one product is you get that immediate feedback girl, not only from, you know, anyone that's trying out the product. And for me, I had a community that I could immediately, you know, share from and share it with, which is such a blessing just in terms of like making YouTube videos and having that platform, but not only getting their feedback but also getting to experience what running a business is like, you know. So at the time I self funded that first launch and brought on, you know, different teams, design team, an incubator company that helped to build out that beautiful formula with me and but so much of it I was doing myself like cycler was one of one. I was the one employee doing all of the social media, the DMs, the customer support, emails. I was processing returns at home. And I'm so grateful for that first launch and that time to really understand like, okay, this is what it takes.
- [28:25]
Carlene Higgins
What it takes.
- [28:26]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, you know, and it's. And that, yeah, it was a very stressful time.
- [28:32]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah, you're getting your MBA all of a sudden.
- [28:35]
Claudia Saluski
It was a masterclass in like learning just so much about every single aspect and also understanding like what worked and what didn't work. When I first launched with the glass jar, I also launched these like, compostable refill pouches, which I wanted to make work so badly. But I learned firsthand why we don't really see that in terms of like compostable materials. With water based formulas, they interact so, so quickly. The shipping was expensive. There was like a five day window for the customer to decant the formula out of the pouch and if they, if it's sat on the like, counter for too long, it would start interacting and the moisture would leave. So that was just, that did not, that was not sustainable for, for the company and it was too expensive for the customer and it was too expensive for me. And so, so yeah, around like a little over like a year ago now, I was introduced to my partner, Ben Bennett, and we just kind of, we sat down and we were like, okay, this cycler really is still just such a ball of clay. Let's pick out. What do people love most? What do we love most about what's happening here and allowing ourselves to look at this as a refresh and a pivot and take in all of the different feedback. And part of that was lowering the price of the body cream and sort of like the price point of the brand and the story that we want to tell with it and all of that. And so I think it's, think it's so important as a founder and as an entrepreneur to understand that when you need to pivot, it's, it can make or break, you know, your, your brand. I just, I think about that first product and I just spent so much time trying to perfect something that ultimately had its own flaws. Of course it did, you know, and.
- [30:30]
Carlene Higgins
You had to let it go a bit.
- [30:32]
Claudia Saluski
Exactly. And that's such important, such an important part of learning just how to own a business. You can't be precious about or you just can't. Yeah, you have to, you have to.
- [30:42]
Jill Dunn
Be nimble in this day and age.
- [30:45]
Claudia Saluski
Totally.
- [30:45]
Jill Dunn
We know that the scents are divine and that's probably what people, you know, initially are attracted to, what makes them kind of addicted to it. Like, the sacred Santal is so gorgeous. Talk to us about the feel because we can't tell just by looking at it or just like the, the benefits. What are some of the, like, the point of difference in the formula that you would say is different because honestly, a ton of body care launches have happened in the past five years. This category specifically has exploded. So you have a lot of competition.
- [31:17]
Claudia Saluski
Yes. Oh, I'm so excited that you asked this question. We are getting into it so I'll start actually with the body wash. So this formula, I am so, so proud of this formula. And I geek out anytime I get to talk about it because we love a geek out. We love to get nerdy with it. So this, this body wash, it's infused with a multi oil complex. And it also has glycerin in it. In it and it. Using it in the shower, like, it transforms. It has a very kind of like, almost like serumy kind of like if you were to put it between your fingers, like, it would kind of stretch. So it's got this like, silky cushion to it that lathers beautifully. And once you rinse it off in the shower, like, you will feel that layer of moisture on your skin. I remember the first time my boyfriend Finneas started using samples. Cause obviously I just have like, little samples in every single crack and crevice of our home back then and right now. And so he's sort of like my guinea pig. And I try everything on him as well as myself, obviously. But I remember the first time he used this, he was like, yeah, this feels great, but I feel like I really have to wash it off. And I'm like, no.
- [32:35]
Carlene Higgins
That'S such a dude.
- [32:38]
Claudia Saluski
The moisture that's left on your skin. Yeah, it's because we're moisture. Exactly.
- [32:45]
Jill Dunn
Shocking.
- [32:46]
Claudia Saluski
Like, no, no, no. That is the oil, that is the glycerin, that is the product doing its job. And so you'll. I'm excited for you guys to try this in the shower because you will feel that and you step out just. Just feeling moisturized, which I think is unique for a body wash because I think first and foremost, like, it needs to get the dirt and the grime off. But I really wanted to create a product that also you could feel on your skin. Stepping out.
- [33:12]
Jill Dunn
Is that his favorite then the, the sacred Santal or what does he.
- [33:17]
Claudia Saluski
He goes back and forth. I'm trying to think what his favorite. He's a naked neroli lover. Yes.
- [33:21]
Carlene Higgins
Naked neroli.
- [33:22]
Jill Dunn
He also like the red one.
- [33:24]
Claudia Saluski
He likes, like, it's like an orange. His favorite color is orange.
- [33:26]
Jill Dunn
Okay.
- [33:27]
Claudia Saluski
And we're categorizing this like an orange.
- [33:29]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. Beautiful.
- [33:29]
Claudia Saluski
It's an orangey red. I'm like, yes. I'm like, is it placebo? Like, is it your favorite? Because it's also orange. But you know, he really loves the.
- [33:37]
Carlene Higgins
It's.
- [33:37]
Jill Dunn
Yeah, it's like a citrusy, like, brighter sound.
- [33:41]
Claudia Saluski
Yes. So it's a. It's a neroli. So this is, this is our first floral, like proper floral. And it, and it's sort of like, I like to describe it as like, like blissful and sun soaked and juicy. And it's not like a grandma floral, you know, orange.
- [33:58]
Carlene Higgins
Gorgeous. Right. Like it's a gnarly orange blossom.
- [34:00]
Claudia Saluski
So lovely.
- [34:01]
Carlene Higgins
And any other hints about maybe like what, what else has been inspiring you? Maybe what else you're working on?
- [34:08]
Claudia Saluski
Yes, yes. I, you know, I think with Cycler, it's tapping into the fragrance space has been so, so much fun and such a big part of the brand and I think also continuing to tell the story of skincare body. So this year I'll be launching a lot of like skin care kind of driven products that focus on certain skin concerns, certain parts of the body. So I'm excited to kind of get into that fragrance free versions of those products and yeah, awesome. Love it.
- [34:40]
Carlene Higgins
I'm so curious too. Did you ever consider yourself a quote, unquote, nose, like they call it in the business? Like, how did you take to that process? Because you're going to get a ton of samples of different fragrances.
- [34:52]
Claudia Saluski
Yes.
- [34:53]
Jill Dunn
Or do you work with it?
- [34:54]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. Like, are you able to discern. This has too much sweetness. This is a little too, like, that is a whole language.
- [35:01]
Claudia Saluski
It is an entire language.
- [35:02]
Carlene Higgins
Tell me your experience.
- [35:03]
Claudia Saluski
I am in the depths of learning that language. You know, I think before starting Cycler, I knew what I gravitated to towards most. I knew what I liked, what I didn't liked. And in creating these fragrances, we work with wonderful fragrance houses that will sort of will give them an idea of like we, you know, we want a bergamot that feels warm. And because bergamot is mostly like a citrusy kind of refreshing fragrance traditionally, and we wanted it to still feel grounded and musky. So we'll describe sort of like what we're looking for and then just start sort of the process of getting a sample being like, okay, it's missing this or it's missing that and just kind of comparing different mods and it is, yeah, yes, it is an entire language. And so there are fragrance days where I'm in the office and we are smelling just 50 plus versions of like, you know, virtually. Very, just very subtle. Yes. Subtle differences. And one of the things that I learned, you know the, you know how people say to like, smell coffee beans in between to like. So that's a myth. You shouldn't be smelling coffee beans. You should be smelling something neutral. So if you're not wearing perfume, let's like for example Just your skin. So, like, I'll often smell like my elbow.
- [36:20]
Carlene Higgins
The crook of your elbow or something.
- [36:22]
Claudia Saluski
Exactly.
- [36:22]
Carlene Higgins
Okay.
- [36:23]
Claudia Saluski
So to reset your nose, if you're. If you're perfume shopping, you're, you know, at a retailer, you're smelling different things. Instead of, like, reaching for the little bowl of coffee beans that they have, just smell like. Yeah, something neutral, which is usually your smell. Interesting.
- [36:36]
Carlene Higgins
Any dream perfumers you want to work with? Like, I. I'm just gonna say I just wrote about Billy's new fragrance called your turn, because it's. She worked with Frank Vocal, everybody. And if you're a beauty nerd like me, he created Santal33, and he created glossier you. So I was, like, very into that. Oh, my God. It looks like that. It's very cool. But do you have anybody on your roster?
- [36:56]
Claudia Saluski
I mean, humors that right there.
- [37:00]
Carlene Higgins
Aging Frank.
- [37:04]
Jill Dunn
Were you a tester for that one? Were you a tester for that one?
- [37:09]
Claudia Saluski
For that one? No. I. It's. You know what's funny is, like, any time I smell a new fragrance of Billy's, I'm like, oh, oh. I've been smelling that for eight months, which is really sweet. So there's a nostalgia already, like, built in for me. I'm like, oh, my gosh. That's what she's been smelling. Smelling, like, for the last six months.
- [37:27]
Carlene Higgins
Oh, my gosh.
- [37:28]
Claudia Saluski
So that happened.
- [37:29]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. Yeah, she's actually wearing it. That's so cool. So we are a beauty podcast, after all. So we have to get all of your best beauty hacks and tricks and skin, hair makeup. Your skin is insane, by the way. So what are some of your favorite products for skincare from the neck up when you're not using Cycler?
- [37:46]
Claudia Saluski
So I. My skin is pretty forgiving in terms of. In breakouts. For me, the focus really is retinol. I'm now getting on to using retinol every day and starting to build up my skin's tolerance. But like a. Like a. Not like a prescribed, like something crazy. Tretinoin, like, just like, kind of like. Yeah, just a gentle retinol, really focusing on skin barrier. So, for example, right now, I've been really loving this, like, rice water from Beauty of Joseon. So that's, like, the first thing that I'll pat on my face. It's like an. Water. Yeah. And it's to start your skincare with, like, a wet skin. It allows the product to sink in better, so I'll use that. And then I love using either the road, like milk on My face or prequel also has like this half and half that's like a little bit thicker that also has this like beautiful milky texture. And then using like a cream and then using a thicker cream. So I love just like I'm very hydration focused with my skin. And then sunscreen, of course. Wait, did you guys. Wait, you guys. This is a timely. This is a sensitive. So did you see that, like a new law passed where like UV filters that are not FDA approved, like cannot be sold or shipped to America?
- [39:05]
Carlene Higgins
Yes. I've seen this.
- [39:06]
Claudia Saluski
I love the beauty of Joseon. Like aqua sunscreen. I have like, like three sitting in my cabinet and you can't buy them anymore. And I don't know what to do once I run out.
- [39:16]
Carlene Higgins
They're.
- [39:17]
Jill Dunn
They're probably. I'm going to guess that they'll do some reformulating for the North American market. For good or for bad?
- [39:23]
Claudia Saluski
Because they do have one. They have like a middle one. I haven't tried it.
- [39:27]
Jill Dunn
Okay.
- [39:27]
Carlene Higgins
Just different. Just different. Sorry. Yeah, different.
- [39:30]
Jill Dunn
What's the retinol?
- [39:31]
Claudia Saluski
The retinol. Right now I'm using Iop. It's.
- [39:34]
Jill Dunn
How do you spell it?
- [39:35]
Claudia Saluski
I believe it's K Beauty. I, O, P, E. Okay. Yeah.
- [39:39]
Jill Dunn
All right.
- [39:39]
Carlene Higgins
We will link to everything it's on. So go glam. They have that and it's a K beauty brand.
- [39:44]
Jill Dunn
Yeah, we're gonna link to that on our website.
- [39:46]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, I mean, I. So for me personally, like, I try out so many different products which maybe is not great. You should really be more.
- [39:56]
Jill Dunn
You're speaking to the choir here, you know.
- [39:58]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, I know there's. There's so much to try and it's just so fun. Exactly. Exactly.
- [40:03]
Carlene Higgins
For sure.
- [40:03]
Claudia Saluski
Consistency is key, but I like to think about the texture of whatever I'm putting on and just making sure it's in the right order. And if I'm using a vitamin C, knowing that I'm using that underneath my moisturizer, of course, sunscreen on top. Doing that in the morning, just kind of so having those pillars and then just allowing whatever you're trying out to fall under those. So I try to keep the order of operations consistent, but the products themselves.
- [40:32]
Jill Dunn
Yeah.
- [40:33]
Carlene Higgins
So who's your go to person in LA for like facials?
- [40:36]
Claudia Saluski
Okay, so here's the thing. I am so bad at getting facials. Okay. If you were to tell me today where am I going in? I'm going to Biba. Finneas has had his own skin care journey and she has like truly saved his skin. He was struggling with Acne for most of his life. And she. She's, like, transformed his skin. It's been amazing. And her products are wonderful. And I also love Les Lee at Skin Worship. I had a facial from her last year, and she was wonderful. And I keep meaning to go back in, but, you guys, this is. This. I think this is, like, the part where I still am, like, not giving myself the time or the justification to do it. But I've. I've, like, maybe I've had, like, maybe five facials in my life. I think it's part of it because I'm. Yeah. Since I don't have. I mean, I have blackheads under the concealer you can't see right now. So I should probably be getting those extracted way more than I am. But, you know, you really can do so much at home with physical and chemical exfoliants.
- [41:41]
Carlene Higgins
It's only. You have your skincare routine on lock, which is half the battle, right?
- [41:44]
Claudia Saluski
Yes, totally.
- [41:45]
Carlene Higgins
But I'm guessing. And I think I read this. Is that your background or your mom is Polish?
- [41:50]
Claudia Saluski
Yes, both my parents are.
- [41:51]
Carlene Higgins
Okay, you. If you ever need to see anyone in la. Joanna. Czech. She's Polish.
- [41:56]
Claudia Saluski
Oh, my gosh.
- [41:58]
Carlene Higgins
I had one of the best facials in my life at her studio. It's at one of the hotels here. And she's just. She's a character and she's fantastic. And I just feel like, you know, the Eastern Euro girlies get it with skincare. I feel like there's.
- [42:12]
Claudia Saluski
I bet you just went to town on anything.
- [42:16]
Carlene Higgins
She has so many modalities. These wands and lift. You're lifted, you're hydrated, you're. There's red light. She's touching your hands like it's just like a car wash, but for your face in the best way possible. So if you're ever looking.
- [42:29]
Claudia Saluski
Okay. Thank you for that recommendation. I rarely meet anyone Polish out here. I'm fluent in Polish, and I. The older I'm getting, like, I can understand everything, but I start to forget certain words, and it takes a second. So I try to talk to my mom in Polish, like, on the phone as much as I can, but I'm just imagining, like, me in the chair with her and just gabbing in Polish.
- [42:53]
Carlene Higgins
Oh, my gosh.
- [42:54]
Claudia Saluski
Which would also be great.
- [42:57]
Carlene Higgins
She's incredible. She also has a great skincare line as well. And what about your makeup routine? Because I'm noticing I like your lip, like, combo. I feel like, what do you have going on today?
- [43:07]
Claudia Saluski
So I. Right now, I think the way that I'M doing my makeup now, and I think it definitely follows, like, sort of what's in the zeitgeist and what's trending right now, which I really love is, like, an emphasis on skin and not feeling the need to, like, do a full face of foundation. You know, I think, like, when I. I feel like, when I really around, like, 2014 or just early on in, like, my YouTube years, the trend was definitely, like, beating the face, you know, caking, like, baking under your eyes, doing, like, super. I mean, my eyebrows, I was a part of all of those trends, of course, you know, and I'm just loving kind of, like, where we've landed, because it sort of feels like, again, it feels like this, like, pendulum or something. But, like, I, for me, personally, like, what my makeup routine right now is, I'll do all my skincare, and then I'll do, like, a cream bronzer and kind of use that to, like, add warmth in my face, but also contour just a little bit. I'll do a cream blush, and then I'll take a concealer on the back of my hand with a little face brush or, like, a concealer brush and just start kind of buffing where I need it. And. And that being, like, my only coverage, like, letting the bronzer and blush be your coverage in those areas. Can't believe I discover that sooner.
- [44:32]
Carlene Higgins
That's very French girl as well.
- [44:34]
Claudia Saluski
And I think also, like, you know, I'm starting to develop, you know, little, like, creases around my mouth here. And, you know, because we're. We're moving our faces, we're smiling, all these things. And I find that, like. Like, the less product you have in those areas, the less it, like, clumps up and creates a crease. And so keeping those areas, like, pretty clear of products, too, has been fun to experiment with. And then the rest of it, I mean, it's pretty simple. I always just do, like. I'll do, like, just some sort of, like, taupey or bronzy color to, like, contour the eyes in the crease. Do a tiny little wing with eyeshadow, kind of buff it out. I have allergies right now, so my eyes have been, like. I've been crying, actually, throughout this entire interview, if you're watching this. So I don't know if the wing has already disappeared at this point.
- [45:20]
Jill Dunn
No, you look at it halfway through.
- [45:20]
Claudia Saluski
The day, I'm like. And it's gone on the right eye, and then natural brows, you know, I think. And it's. I was thinking about this in the car today, but I. I feel like I've also, like, it's. I've been thinking about, like, my kind of, like, beauty influences growing up, and I'm realizing, like, oh, my gosh, this is how my mom has always done her makeup. She normally doesn't wear too much makeup, but when she. She does, like, I don't think I've ever seen her with foundation on her face. Yeah, she would always just do a little bit of blush, a little bit of highlight, some mascara, maybe like a fun, like, green eyeliner. But then that was, like, kind of it, you know, like, she wasn't. And it's. It's been like, really sweet to kind of come back and be like, oh, my gosh. I'm, like, doing the same thing.
- [46:02]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. What are your faves? What's your favorite concealer?
- [46:06]
Claudia Saluski
Okay. Right now I'm using the. The make beauty skin mimetic of that one.
- [46:10]
Jill Dunn
You mentioned this to us recently, I think.
- [46:12]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah.
- [46:13]
Claudia Saluski
It's having a moment right now, but it's been out for a. And it's so good.
- [46:16]
Jill Dunn
Okay.
- [46:17]
Claudia Saluski
I love Armani beauty, like, in terms of foundation, because often I'll just use, like, a foundation, like a concealer. The luminous silk. I mean, I just love it.
- [46:27]
Carlene Higgins
I'm wearing it right now.
- [46:28]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah. And I'm trying to think what other.
- [46:30]
Carlene Higgins
What other your blush and your bronzer go to, because there is a lot of blush choice right now.
- [46:36]
Claudia Saluski
Okay. I splurged recently, and I got the, like, Chanel cream bronzer.
- [46:41]
Carlene Higgins
I knew you were going to say that. Did you? I did.
- [46:43]
Jill Dunn
It's on my face right now.
- [46:44]
Carlene Higgins
I didn't interrupt you, but I knew.
- [46:46]
Claudia Saluski
Oh, my God. And it's. I've only had it for, like, a week. Like, it is brand new. The swirl is still in the. The product shape.
- [46:54]
Carlene Higgins
Like, it's still amazing, like, in the tub, everyone. And it's like, it looks like you're dipping into a dessert.
- [47:01]
Jill Dunn
Yes. When you.
- [47:02]
Carlene Higgins
It's amazing. Okay, cool.
- [47:03]
Claudia Saluski
It's so nice. I need to try this and, like, fill in my eyebrows most days.
- [47:07]
Jill Dunn
That's it.
- [47:07]
Carlene Higgins
And what do you do for brows?
- [47:08]
Claudia Saluski
For brows, I use the Kosas pencil. It's, like, in a bright purpley pink packaging. And with brows specifically, I just keep getting lighter and more natural as the years go by. But I draw out individual strokes on the inside. And then I, like, my eyebrows are quite arched, and I kind of fake like a more kind of flatter, Straight. Yes, exactly. Straighter shape. And then I love the benefit browsings gel. It's so good. The one in, like, the silver bottle, still a benefit.
- [47:41]
Carlene Higgins
They still do brows.
- [47:42]
Jill Dunn
Well, what about the eyeshadow? Because you just have, like, a very subtle flick, but it's like a taupe, so it's kind of unique.
- [47:48]
Claudia Saluski
What I'm using. I'm forgetting the name of it, but there's a YSL eyeshadow quad that's, like, black leather on the outside, and it just has, like, a dark brown, which is chevron.
- [48:00]
Jill Dunn
Yes, I think I've seen that. Yes. Okay.
- [48:02]
Claudia Saluski
So I'm using the lighter brown in there just on the eyes and the lower lash line, and there's a dark brown in there that I use with, like, a little angled brush. And I just flick out a little Wing Ilia's mascara. I'm wearing the black one, but they just came out the brown.
- [48:17]
Jill Dunn
I want to try that.
- [48:18]
Claudia Saluski
That's what I have in my eyes, too.
- [48:19]
Carlene Higgins
That's. So ask you, because you're a Midwest girly.
- [48:23]
Claudia Saluski
Yes.
- [48:23]
Carlene Higgins
And you moved to LA, like, a decade ago. What's the most LA thing about you now in terms of, like, what you do for wellness?
- [48:30]
Claudia Saluski
Every. Everything, really. So LA coded. It's disgusting. Absolutely. Every. Like, you name it. Like, literally.
- [48:36]
Jill Dunn
Have you had an avocado today?
- [48:38]
Claudia Saluski
Yes. Like, yes. The cold, plunging and sauna you have at your house.
- [48:46]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. Yes.
- [48:47]
Claudia Saluski
That's something that Phineas is so good at, taking care of himself and carving out that time. And so it's really, like, when he's doing it, I'm tagging along. I rarely think to do it myself, but he's like, I'm gonna go sauna plunge. I'm like, yep, I'm gonna go do something. But you know what? I'm gonna do it. Cause otherwise, I'm never gonna do it.
- [49:07]
Carlene Higgins
You have to, like, psych yourself up.
- [49:09]
Jill Dunn
Yes.
- [49:10]
Claudia Saluski
But I get super chilly when it's, like, you know, 50 degrees, 60 degrees out here. I'm going on hikes with my dogs. Yep. I'm eating avocado toast. I'm a matcha girly. I am. Yes. I am doing the most.
- [49:26]
Carlene Higgins
Do you have your own tarot card reader?
- [49:28]
Claudia Saluski
Okay, that. Actually. That. Here. Okay. Zodiac signs, tarot cards. I'm not. I don't. I like to dabble in it with my friends. Cause I have friends that are super passionate about it, but I'm not, like, reading my horoscope. I see.
- [49:42]
Carlene Higgins
Okay.
- [49:43]
Claudia Saluski
I don't know. That's something that, like. Like, I don't feel you have to.
- [49:46]
Carlene Higgins
Live here for, like, at least 15 years before you do that.
- [49:48]
Claudia Saluski
I think maybe that's like the next R. Exactly.
- [49:50]
Jill Dunn
You know how it's like one week living in la, then it's like. Then.
- [49:55]
Carlene Higgins
Then it's like air. One smoothie is the top goal.
- [49:57]
Jill Dunn
Yeah, yeah. You'll eventually be wearing probably.
- [50:00]
Claudia Saluski
I will say this is. And here's where. Here's where maybe it. I was led astray to. To. To all of this. But, like, I remember it was either like my first or second date with Phineas. I'm. I'm Ubering. And the Uber was like, so where you going? And I was like, I'm going on a date. And she was like, oh, my God, what's his sign? What's your sign? I was like, he's, I think a Leo and I'm a Pisces. And she goes, not gonna work. It's not gonna happen.
- [50:25]
Jill Dunn
Oh, my God.
- [50:27]
Claudia Saluski
So.
- [50:27]
Carlene Higgins
So is the most la coated thing I've ever heard. That's amazing. Okay, just before you go, we need to talk a little bit about your acting, because acting career, because you've been dipping your toes into more and more acting roles like you were on Apple tv shrinking. And I know you have a few indie films and projects. Anything you can share about anything coming up this summer or.
- [50:50]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, I am in midst of shooting something right now. I probably. I don't know what can and can't change Tuned. But acting has certainly always been such a dream and passion of mine and that. That side of my career, it's. It's definitely taken the longest to foster because I think I've just like, wanted to go about it with grace and. And hire coaches and doing, like, scene partner work and, you know, all that stuff. And also, there's so much that's out of your control with acting. Yeah. So the amount of, you know, the amount of projects that everyone auditions for, it's just. It's a whole lot of nos, you know, and so. So it's something that will always be such a huge passion of mine. And if I get to do it into my late stages of life, I will be so happy and so grateful. But yeah, it's something that you just don't have a lot of control in.
- [51:46]
Carlene Higgins
Source.
- [51:48]
Claudia Saluski
So I've been really lucky to book what I have and shot what I have, and I'm just so excited to see kind of where all of that goes. And I also certainly, I think my YouTube roots keep calling to me to direct, and that is also something that I am working towards at the moment.
- [52:05]
Carlene Higgins
Very cool. What were all these looks you were sharing on your Instagram? It looked like a character.
- [52:10]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, that was a short film. Okay.
- [52:12]
Carlene Higgins
Yeah. What was that?
- [52:13]
Claudia Saluski
We shot that two years ago. It was a while, but it had a whole festival run and it finally found its home. So I've been sort of like. I've been just. I had all these behind the scenes photos that I wasn't able to post until it was out. So I've been posting them. And what's funny is mod, like the looks.
- [52:30]
Carlene Higgins
Very.
- [52:31]
Claudia Saluski
So good. Right? Yeah. The director, Caroline, I just love her brain. And she just created this whole world. And the sets were beautiful and the war. Just every. She paid attention to every single detail, which was just. Yeah, beautiful. You know what's funny about that is I've been blonde for a while now and I was brown in that brown hair in that short film. And my hair colorist texted me this morning and he was like, girl, please tell me that this is a wig. This is not. This is not your hair. I was like, I would never. I would. You know, I'm gonna come to you. Yeah.
- [53:02]
Carlene Higgins
That would be so sacrilegious. Wait, who's your hair? Who's the go to for hair color?
- [53:05]
Claudia Saluski
Matt Rez.
- [53:06]
Jill Dunn
Oh, he's amazing.
- [53:08]
Claudia Saluski
Love Matt.
- [53:08]
Jill Dunn
He's been on our show. He's so great.
- [53:10]
Claudia Saluski
Yeah, I came to him like a little over a year, maybe two years ago now. Time. I don't know. Whenever I first started going blonde, I went to him because he knows, like.
- [53:21]
Jill Dunn
Yeah, he did my hair once.
- [53:22]
Claudia Saluski
An artist.
- [53:23]
Jill Dunn
He did my hair once and I was like, if I lived in la, he would for sure. He actually invited me and I was like, I can't maintain. But he's like, he's truly the best.
- [53:33]
Claudia Saluski
He's incredible. Yeah. Yeah. An expert in his field. He's so good with like highlights and understanding what hair looks like. And it's, it's, you know, it's like a sculpture. It's 3D.
- [53:44]
Jill Dunn
Absolutely. We'll link to that episode. Everyone, you can hear from him. Thank you so much for being on our show. We loved hearing your story and being introduced to your product. So thank you.
- [53:54]
Claudia Saluski
I'm so excited for you guys to get into it and thank you so much for having me. This was so fun.
- [53:59]
Carlene Higgins
This was great. My everything shower is about. About to be elevated. I can tell. Thank you, Claudia.
- [54:07]
Jill Dunn
Thanks for listening. You can find details on every product mentioned in today's episode, along with our exclusive promo codes on our blog@breaking beautypodcast.com.
- [54:16]
Carlene Higgins
While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Every episode will be delivered directly to your inbox so you won't miss a.
- [54:22]
Jill Dunn
Single thing and get social with us. Let us know what you think of the episode you can make. Follow us on Instagram at Breaking Beauty.
- [54:29]
Carlene Higgins
Podcast and did you know we also have a private Facebook group? Just search Breaking Beauty Podcast chat room.
- [54:34]
Jill Dunn
You can even leave us a voicemail at any time with questions or feedback at 1-844-227-0302.
- [54:42]
Carlene Higgins
And don't forget to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast fix Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts where you can show us some love by writing a review.
- [54:53]
Jill Dunn
See you next Wednesday.
- [55:10]
Claudia Saluski
Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.