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Mark
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Jess
Hey, everybody. Welcome to Fat Mascara. It's Jess.
Jen
Hi, Jess. Hi, everyone. It's Jen here. Welcome, welcome.
Jess
What's happening? What's going on this week?
Jen
I love when you open snacks right when we start recording.
Jess
Well, this is a soft snack. It's a baby bow.
Jen
Soft snacks don't make a lot of noise on the mic. I did think of you, though, because. Do you do this? I just cracked a spindrift seltzer. But I have the. I have the. This is the good seltzer. Like, there's good beverages in my house that are like, the nicer ones, the pricier ones that I dole out at special occasions. And then there's like, the Kirkland and the SodaStream when it's like, this is a treat. And I felt like I needed a treat, but then I was like, it's a can of seltzer, Jen. You can have it more often.
Jess
Wait, so you have, like, tears. Tears of seltzer. Okay.
Jen
Yeah, but do you ever do that where you're like, I feel like. I feel like my mother. I just bought all this food. Why are you eating it? You know? Do you know?
Jess
I kind of know what you're saying. I'm not like a. I'm really kind of a one. One drink gal.
Jen
Yeah, but the baby bell, is that a treat or is that an everyday snack?
Jess
It's an everyday. It's. Well, these are more for Lake, but, like, I needed a soft snack for the pod that wouldn't make noise and.
Jen
Crunch on the mic. Yeah. I find myself though, like. Yeah. Doling out food as if it is, like, a special incentive.
Jess
No, All. All snacks are fair game. All snacks are fair game.
Jen
Like, if it's in the cupboards.
Jess
My house. Yeah. Yeah.
Jen
I don't know why I do.
Jess
I'm too old to. Yeah.
Jen
I worked even with, like, holiday candy and holiday cookies. It's like, I'm gonna reward my. I'm gonna do this little project, and then I can have the frozen peppermint patty.
Jess
I think that maybe I need more restraint in my life, but no, no, it's whenever I want. It's Augustus Gloop all the time.
Jen
Oh, my gosh. Augustus Gloop. Yes. Give that reference a little run.
Jess
I mean, I just feel like I worked too hard. If I bought it, I use.
Jen
Yes, I should.
Jess
It's my.
Jen
Have your spin drift, Jen. Why not? Yeah, it's 5% juice. They're so good.
Jess
Those were good.
Jen
They're new to me. You know how I get excited about a seltzer when I was on. Anyway, hi. Welcome to Fat Mascara.
Jess
Welcome to Fat Mascara. Let's segue into the beauty portion of the show.
Jen
Did you notice anything different about me this week?
Jess
Well, your hair's all brushed out, like. Like on both your shoulders, like, because.
Jen
I'm fanning it out for you to assess my haircut.
Jess
Yeah, it looks good. What's going on?
Jen
I went to Jennifer Aniston. Come on the show. I went to Jennifer Aniston's hairstylist, Chris McMillan.
Jess
Oh, she's quite loyal. She's quite loyal.
Jen
Yes. I popped into his hotel room downtown. He's in town. And this is. What's so funny, Jess. This is where I am in my life. We're talking. He's like, your hair's gorgeous. He's like, why do I feel like I know you? And I was like, I know.
Jess
He was on our podcast. It was our first pandemic.
Jen
It was 20 minutes into the haircut before we remembered that we did that podcast together. I didn't.
Jess
You didn't remember that he.
Jen
I did not remember.
Jess
He was our first pandemic podcast.
Jen
Not only that, it was a charity podcast. I pulled up the blog once Chris and I realized that we were like, wait, you have been on the podcast. I pulled it up. There was like, we gave, like, $2,000 to this salon nonprofit for people who were out of work during the pandemic. He and I felt like we were having a senior moment, I think, because it was maybe that time, like, that spring of 2020, maybe.
Jess
It was. Yeah, it was like springtime. And I remember I said something that, like, I said meat scissors, and he, like, freaked out that I vaguely remember.
Jen
Anyway, so I was like, you should come on the pot. He's like, I totally should, but maybe we'll have him back on now that we're not in the throes of, you know, a worldwide crisis. But he gave me a lovely haircut.
Jess
He also, I remember just. I don't know if he still has works with her, but I remember he did Miley Cyrus's, like, amazing, revolutionary, like, I'm not Miley anymore.
Jen
I feel like he's so good at.
Jess
Like, a choppy haircut. Yeah.
Jen
The woman before me had a very Miley Cyrus. Short, shaggy, but didn't look too 90s, but it was somehow perfect. That, like, that haircut that, like, I dream of getting, but it will never look that good on me kind of vibes.
Jess
You don't know, Maybe he's the guy.
Jen
I gave him pretty much free rein and he was like, you're not gonna believe this. I don't wanna cut any length. And I was surprised. Cause don't you feel like stylists always wanna take length off?
Jess
Well, I think he means whatever you've got is working for you. So.
Jen
Yeah, he chopped into a layer.
Jess
So what did he do? He just took some weight out.
Jen
I got a lot of density and weight taken out and some layers. So this is it. Practicing my air dry. But Chris is doing good. We talked a lot about how he thinks Ozempic is affecting people's hair. Like, he's seeing changes in people's hair. It's some hair thinning and, like, it's not as shiny and healthy and growing. And he thinks. He's like, I'm in Beverly Hills. He's like, probably half my clients are on Ozempic. And he thinks that might be why it is.
Jess
I really want to hear more about, like, Ozempic. Like, I really want to, like, know, like, tell me the punchline. I know there's been a million stories, but, like, I want to hear more. What people are now.
Jen
How does this end?
Jess
Yeah, no, yeah, seriously, Maybe if you guys want to write us, like, let us know. Because I'm interested in the things I hear from people anecdotally.
Jen
Yeah.
Jess
But so many people are so happy. And then some people are like, eh, you know, will it be a rebound? Like, it's not so great.
Jen
Insurance will be covering it now. Is in the news this past week.
Jess
So it's like there are two sides to every story.
Jen
I hope it brings down diabetes levels and all these other chronic diseases that are associated with diabetes and obesity. But of course, from the beauty angle.
Jess
Yeah. I'm not talking about the people who actually, like, need it. Yeah.
Jen
But even those people now, anytime there's, like, a new drug, it's like you gotta wait years sometimes to see all the effects. And I'm curious if everybody's gonna be skinny, but they're gonna have bad hair or.
Jess
I'm not just talking about the superficial bit, but, like, you know, are we gonna be like slurring our speech in like four years, you know, like, what's the end game?
Jen
What's the end game? I know. Like what's the cabal that created this, that put it into our lives? I don't wanna be doomsday controversy. We, we trade in facts here at Fat Mascara. Factual based reporting only for us.
Jess
But I hope it works out. I don't. I say that like, I feel like I sound very cynical when I'm saying this. I hope that it's only a positive force for people because I know it's been a really positive force for many, many people. So anyway. Okay, so what else is going on? So you got a great haircut.
Jen
I got a haircut.
Jess
We had Thanksgiving behind us.
Jen
Yes. Did you see Nest Scented? The whole parade route of the New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade. I thought of you because Nest has.
Jess
The scent of New York City on lock. The scent of the city.
Jen
I didn't know it was the quote unquote holiday scent. Julie was telling me it's like the number one.
Jess
Well, remember they did Fifth Avenue last year?
Jen
I remember the smell, but I didn't know that that was also. I thought that was special to Fifth Avenue. But now they did the parade. Part of me was like, I want one of the balloons to be filled up with the scented air and then it pops and that's when you get the whole whiff of the scent. But I don't think that's the vibe they were going for.
Jess
I'm curious what else they have up their sleeve. I mean, let's. I understand why. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You know, let's just keep going with Holiday. But what else? Like, what's the next thing?
Jen
Like a Broadway show with a scent experience woven into it. There's an idea for you. You can take that one for free. Nest. I like that idea anyway. And you? How's life?
Jess
It's good, it's good. Let's, let's.
Jen
Oh, we've got means to discuss. Discuss. Let's get into it. Jess, you ever notice how your skin sort of changes in the winter?
Jess
Sure.
Jen
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Jess
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Jen
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Mark
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Jess
Okay, I'm excited to get to the news. I don't know, I feel like I haven't done it a little bit. So Jen and I are going to split this up today. We each brought some topics, some hot topics.
Jen
I have a hot topic for you.
Jess
All right, what's the hot topic?
Jen
The hot topic for me was a Wall Street Journal article I read about young daters using pheromones to attract partners and putting on pheromone perfumes in heavy, heavy air quotes. Or what does Gina say from Polyester Pod? I forget what she calls air quotes. It's even better. Bunny ears. Bunny ears.
Jess
Oh oh oh.
Jen
Heavy bunny ears. Because the scientists have told all of them and me because I've written about this that pheromone perfumes actually don't work. Like there is no proof to them. But over the past two years on social media, pheromone perfumes have seen a 300% increase in interest according to social media analytics company Sprout Social 300%.
Jess
Okay, but like, does it say, and you might not have the answer to this, are they marketed as pheromone perfumes or is it like a hashtag? But it would be like baccarat, you know, and then it says hashtag pheromone perfumes. Like is it in some kind of sub data or is it like pheromone perfume by whatever.
Jen
I think what you're getting at is.
Jess
I've never seen like something since like the back of an Archie comic book of like pheromones.
Jen
Oh, on TikTok, they're everywhere. There are so many of these small companies. They might not be in your purview because they're not like classic beauty lines that you and I would talk about on the pod and that kind of thing. But pheromones, I think what you're getting at is like one of those terms that you can just use it and throw it around because it doesn't matter.
Jess
It's not like a real thing. It's not.
Jen
I mean, well, they are in the scientific world, of course, they're chemical signals the animals will send out. But yeah, so the way that the perfume companies say they're doing it is they're using like there's these two chemical classes, androstenes and estrines, thought to inspire sexual behavior and attraction. So they've been studied. But the thing is the organ that would see those or smell those or react to those in an animal, the. It's called the vomeronasal organ. Humans don't have one of those. So if you put this in your perfume, like we don't react to it. That's like a random either synthetic or animal derived pheromone that's just not doing anything to we the humans.
Jess
If only these sort of things work, you wouldn't need apps, you wouldn't need to like have to talk to people. You could just like spritz them on. Like this would be like these companies. I would have heard of them then.
Jen
I know.
Jess
Like, don't you think Chanel would have been like all over this and packaged it in a more like elevated way?
Jen
Obviously, but I think it speaks to just placebo effect. Like people want to believe. But isn't that what perfume kind of is anyway? Perfume's always been tied up with sex and glamour. Like I have always put on a perfume before a date. It makes me feel sexier. That's what I think's going on here.
Jess
I'm not totally surprised. I think yes, Perfume has always been tangled up with that. But as our big talk that we did with Givaudin fragrance is about like, less about that. Or at least like a big part of it is less about that. It's more about feeling good about yourself and less about, like big heart, eyes and like, I hope he likes this. Like, come a little closer.
Jen
I put this on and find partner for life.
Jess
Yeah. It's just not like, look at the fragrance ads today. Like, they're not that sort of man, woman, like, rolling around a beach, you know, or like chasing me through Paris, like, kind of vibe that feels very corny now.
Jen
Yeah.
Jess
So I'm a little surprised about this. But at the same time, I'm talking about what's in style, not what is like a baseline of.
Jen
But maybe that's it. Because the pheromone thing feels very much like I'm enhancing my own attractive qualities. People think of it as like a personalized way to attract others.
Jess
I understand that.
Jen
And there's people quoted in this article that are convinced. Like one woman said she went, she was having a date with someone, she went to the bathroom and applied it and then came back and like her date was all over her all of a sudden. And I was like, that's the same as if you go to put on lip gloss or something. Or you put it on, you're feeling yourself. Like, she came back. Whether she realized it or not, she was probably more receptive. There was probably something going on just from the act of using.
Jess
Do you know what fragrance it was?
Jen
Of course you're going to ask that. It was pure instinct.
Jess
Okay.
Jen
Pheromone perfume. It's a roll on.
Jess
All right. The people want to know.
Jen
Well, clearly, because she's raving about it. I actually remember Valentine's Day last year. I wrote about this for the cut. I ordered that exact perfume. And it doesn't smell good.
Jess
Well, maybe, maybe it didn't bring out your best pheromones. Maybe on somebody else, their pheromones.
Jen
What does that say about me?
Jess
Be popping.
Jen
No, this is what happens. People get into this and they think there's real science there and there isn't any. But the pure instinct is not expensive either. It's like you can get on Amazon for like under 20 bucks. It's a little roll on.
Jess
All right, well, I might check it out.
Jen
Really? You gonna bring it to date night?
Jess
Date?
Jen
Should we do a very non scientific study?
Jess
I'll bring it to date night and I'll let you know how it goes.
Jen
How's that gonna work with your husband, who has a PhD in chemistry? You know what? I wanna do this. I want Jeff to weigh in, and he knows good fragrance, too. Okay. I still have my pure instinct. I'm gonna give it to you. Next time I see you, I wanna. You need to report back. We need to do our own.
Jess
Okay. I'll let you know how it goes.
Jen
All right. Okay, moving on. So L'Oreal wants to take you on a tour of the Louvre they have.
Jess
Okay, so you're right.
Jen
I'll go. I'll bite. L'Oreal Group, they've partnered with the Louvre to do a bespoke tour of the museum tailored to the evolution of beauty through a variety of works. So basically, you can go through the museum and they have a guided theme. So if you go to one of the pieces of artwork that's on the theme, they will talk to you about how beauty plays into that.
Jess
Imagine if Isabella Rossellini was, like, taking you through the tour. I would just die right there.
Jen
That's kind of the voice I want to hear, right?
Jess
I know.
Jen
Have you been to the Louvre?
Jess
Yes. I don't know. I answered. So I was like, yes, yes, I have.
Jen
I mean, you're an art history. That's like, you're. I would have imagined so.
Jess
But every time I've gone, it's been for, like, spurts of. I'm saying every time. I've only been there twice. I've only been there twice. God's so freaking obnoxious. I've only been there twice. It's been for, like, very short spurts because it's enormous and there are so many tourists.
Jen
This reminds me. Sorry, sidebar real quick. So when I was in the Spanish Club in high school, there was a special trip to the Europe trip, right? So she saved up and we did all these fundraisers so you could go on the Europe trip.
Jess
So I.
Jen
This is the first time I had left the country. We go on the Europe trip, I'm with my friends, and it hits London, Paris, and then I think it was Madrid. However, in Paris, we had, like, a bus tour, right? So you get to the Louvre, and I was, like, so excited because it is photo storied. I'm like, this is amazing. We had a little lady with one of those flags. You see those groups. So she's very French, and she gets to the front of the Louvre and there's like, 20 unruly teenagers. Fine. But I was like, this is amazing. We're going to go discover the Lou she's like, okay, we are at the Lou. Everybody, you have 15 minutes in the Louvre. Go.
Jess
Are you cr. She's pro. No. Yeah. No.
Jen
15 minutes. It's still a joke amongst me and my girlfriends that went on this trip with me. 15 minutes in LA Louvre. Go. Like, what?
Jess
Oh, my gosh.
Jen
I literally stood there and I was like, I guess I'm just gonna book it to mona Lisa.
Jess
Cause 15 minutes. 15 minutes, like, stand on the line to figure out what the next line is.
Jen
All I did was literally run to see if I could see the Mona Lisa and run back. And we were already late. But, like, imagine now getting to go back as an adult with a leisurely amount of time and getting an historians to walk you through where. What are the most beautiful pieces? One of the people that worked on this, her name was Blanca Judy. She's L'Oreal's chief corporate affairs engagement officer. Okay, cool job. This quote, though, got to me. She said, many people think beauty is superficial. There's always beauty, though, from Homo erectus to the metaverse. And I was like, yeah. Have you listened to our podcast? It just was odd to me that she was like, this is deep, guys. You know, like, these are different ways of looking at beauty throughout the ages. And I was like, I feel like a lot of the guests we've had on have spoken to that.
Jess
No, I think a lot of people don't know that. I think our listeners do, but I think a lot of people.
Jen
I think our listeners do.
Jess
Yeah, our listeners do, but I think she's stating that for the wider audience. But what a cool program.
Jen
Yeah. And there's also. And it's not just like, Mona Lisa, one of the pieces. I thought this was interesting with the hermaphroditis. I don't know this piece. It's a statue of an ancient Greek God and sort of plays with gender stereotypes, like the masculine, feminine body of it all. And her quote about that was like, he could have been in an Armani advert. Just, like, pointing out.
Jess
I was like, okay, Bianco, I love it.
Jen
Yeah. So if you are going to be in Paris and happen to have more than 15 minutes in the loop.
Jess
That's so cool.
Jen
Definitely check that out. I think it's going to be really interesting.
Jess
All right, let's slide on over to the business desk. Okay. So a couple weeks ago, we had Christina Nunez from True Beauty Ventures come on the show.
Jen
Yes.
Jess
And she talked about. Thank you. She talked about Crown Affair being like, a perfect example of a True Beauty Ventures brand. And she explained why. And basically, this brand is hot on the up and up. Well, Crown affair just closed $9 million in Series B funding, which, of course, True Beauty Ventures had led. So Crown Affair, they're young, they're only four years old. And with this new round of funding, really, it's like they described it. Diana Cohen, the founder of Crown Affair, described it themselves as being on, like, a real inflection point. This is a significant inflection point in our journey. She's the founder and the CEO. She said, from the very beginning, we've been focused on building a brand that is meaningful and thoughtful, and if they couldn't ask for better partner than True Beauty Ventures, basically, she says, with this new funding, they're going to be able to push the boundaries of what clean hair care can achieve. And this is the important part, accelerate our strong momentum at Sephora and beyond. So when I think of Sephora, I think of them as, like, very strong in color. I think hair, this is my perspective. I think hair is a very difficult category. And what they've done that I think is very interesting is they're very strong in hair. But Diana is not a hairstylist. She's a girl who loves hair. She's a girl who likes hair. She thinks it's, like, fun. She thinks it's relaxing. She's like a hair enthusiast and she just likes taking care of her hair. And I think that's what's so different about her line. And I think that is what is so unusual about this brand.
Jen
Actually, some of the other brands in prestige hair we've seen be popping off are less hairstylist brands lately. Whereas with the facialists, I feel like a lot of the facialists had brands, but then you see, like, things like Amica and Living Proof, like, they're not always just one hairstylist tied to it. Even Ouai doesn't feel like Jen Atkins brand.
Jess
No, but she was an expert, you know, like, she was like a cool. But she was. She. She was a hairstylist, like, right. Diana is like a hair enthusiast and she's just like a stylish girl who was like, this is my ritual. I have four products, I think, you know, obviously she keeps on coming out with more products, but with Sephora, I think we're going to see big acceleration.
Jen
She's, you know, what's cool? You were talking to Christina and then this was like, probably in the back of her mind. Cause of course she knew.
Jess
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jen
And I'm sure she wanted to be like, we did this thing that's happening in a week, and here we are two weeks later. So congrats to them.
Jess
Big, big, big congrats. I'm excited to see what else we see coming from Crown Affair. Okay. And then next, it's going to be a very happy holiday season for Sarah Gibson Tuttle. She was on our show, like, five years ago. It feels like a long time ago. And obviously her brand has grown in leaps and bounds because Olive and June, her nail care brand, she also has a salon, too. It's acquired by Helen of Troy for $240 million.
Jen
Now we're still in business desk. Whoo la la.
Jess
Look at that headline still there.
Jen
Yeah, we're still on the desk.
Jess
So 240 million. Okay. So Sarah Gibson Tuttle, she came on.
Jen
The show sgt, we like to call her.
Jess
Yeah, she's very passionate. Really. She. She had a finance background. She left her day job of, like, selling, trading stocks, whatever. She was super into nails. And, like, she was getting her nails done. I remember she said she had this aha moment, like, how come somebody can't improve the whole painting your own nails business? And she came up with that little poppy doohickey. You remember the poppy doohickey?
Jen
Yeah.
Jess
And then she.
Jen
What's up with this painting your nails business? They need a doohickey.
Jess
They need a doohickey. I remember being like, what is this? It was like this. I forgot what she called it, but it's like poppy. Yeah, yeah, the poppy. And you put it on the cap, and it really does make painting your own nails easier and, like, much faster. And if you're bad at painting your.
Jen
Own nails, like me.
Jess
Yeah. It just makes it much more easier. But then she came up with other products like cuticle serum, nail clippers, and if you go into, like, a Target, a Walgreens, Walmart, she has so many more products now. This is massive.
Jen
So this does not surprise me. This is the brand that friends ask me for all the time. You know how, like, when you work in beauty, I. More than a few of my friends, like, you know, Olive and June lying around like, those polishes are hot. Like, if we still had a big beauty closet.
Jess
Yeah.
Jen
There wouldn't be Olive and June in there.
Jess
My mom asked me for it, which is, like, if it's reaching my mom and, like, sorority girls and, like, even.
Jen
This is a household brand.
Jess
Yeah, exactly. So congratulations to Sarah. Okay. And finally. Wow. I mean, the wellness industry is coming for my people. Migraineurs. What is a migraineur? It's a fancy Word for people who get migraines. Yeah, it's a real word. Look it up.
Jen
Isn't there a flaneur? I've seen that word and never known what it. Like, what is that?
Jess
That's like the impressionist. Oh, my God. We're going back to.
Jen
I'm bringing it artist.
Jess
The Louvre.
Jen
Yeah, yeah, let's go back to the Louvre. It's like, if I had more time in the Louvre, I would know what this is.
Jess
Yeah, exactly. They should give you half an hour. I think flaneurs was like, they were like, people who, like a man who, like, walked the street and looked around and sort of observed society kind of like with an indifferent. Kind of a cold eye.
Jen
Yes.
Jess
Let me look that up, though. Hold on. Now I'm like.
Jen
I feel like the flaneurs are my people, and the migraineurs can be your people.
Jess
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The flaneur is a person who wanders throughout. Through a city, observing, experiencing at their own pace. Oh, you nailed it. Yeah, perfectly.
Jen
So what's a migraineur?
Jess
Yeah, it's a type of urban male. A stroller, a lounger, a saunterer, a loafer. Think of, like, impressionists. So, yeah, a migraineur is not necessarily a pleaneur. Migraineurs probably existed in the 19th century in Paris, but. So a migraineur is like what you saw at my Bachelorette, where I could not join in the festivities for, like, three months, three hours. So sad. So if you have a migraine. A migraine is not a headache. Okay. A migraine is a type of headache.
Jen
Do you find you still have to explain this to people?
Jess
Oh, yeah.
Jen
Yes.
Jess
And that totally connects to this story. Okay, so Women's Wear Daily. I should, like, get to, like, the point. Women's Wear Daily reported on how the wellness industry is really trying to address the one in four households that have somebody who gets migraines. And migraines. This is me editorializing now. Are so misunderstood. Sometimes I will say, I have a migraine and maybe like, oh, my God, I get those too. But, like, they will describe something, and it's like a headache. Because if they had a migraine, they wouldn't be, like, running to an exercise class, or they wouldn't be, like, tapping away on their phone and be like, oh, my God, I have the worst migraine. No, that's not a migraine. To me, a migraine knocks you out. You cannot function. It's like a throbbing, severe headache. And maybe if you can go to an exercise class or, like, tap on Your phone or like power through work, like God bless you. But. But it's a very severe headache and often they're very chronic. So back to this Women's Aware article. The wellness industry is really addressing this community with the community with more products. Okay. There's a tremendous amount of like this.
Jen
We're not talking about prescription drugs like Lady Gaga, we're talking about applass love Neurotech.
Jess
Yeah, there's like, yeah, there's triptans, there's over the counter things like Excedrin.
Jen
To your point, like, is that gonna help people like you?
Jess
Well, I mean every person's different. Like I was thinking, how do I wanna talk about this? What I don't wanna talk about is what I think will help me. That was tempted but I was like, no, this is not like Jessica Matlin's like headache hour. What I think is hard Spin off podcast. Yeah. So I'm sure there's like one listener like me. There's zero actually. I was gonna. There's. There's so much money to be made because if you go on TikTok, they said there's 21 million views with migraines and it's growing. There's so many people who are looking at things like Sleepy Girl Mocktail, which has if you remember, like cherry and magnesium. Magnesium. If you have migraines, you know, sometimes people think it's like a magnesium deficiency. And also eye massagers, according to Spate, are one of the fastest growing trends on TikTok. So if you have migraines you might know that like your eyebrows can really hurt, like the muscles underneath there. So there are connections there, but there's a ton of money to be made. Made in the space. What makes me a little concerned is, as I said at the top, migraines are really misunderstood. So I feel like well meaning people and this is like a vulnerable audience. Like when you're thinking like anything for my migraine will be throwing money at this problem. And I do think some well meaning creators and brands will be creating product for this audience. But am I optimistic that it's going to truly be the answer to. I think a very. Well not. I think I know a problem that is not truly understood by the medical.
Jen
Community and now even less understood because is it a vocabulary issue? Is it like they're co opting the word migraine when this is really just migraine adjacent content and products?
Jess
That's a great. I love the way you said that. Like when I have a migraine, do I like a cooling thing on My eye. Yeah. Does that. Does that knock the migraine out? Absolutely not. I would like a cooling thing with my. I take a medicine called Zomig. I need the Zomig. Yeah, put the cooling thing on too.
Jen
And get me some blackout shades. I'm like, what else are they gonna be me? But yeah, like the things that. Yeah.
Jess
So I think it's not a bad thing that these things exist, but I do worry about it causing more confusion or like, maybe if you're a parent of a kid who has migraines or 17 year old, whatever, and it's like, oh, we'll just get this. You said you have a headache, you have migraines.
Jen
Yeah.
Jess
Take the T. I'm not taking you to a neurologist. Fancy neurologist. Or. You know what I mean? Or you don't need the Lady Gaga drug.
Jen
I feel like we've seen this with some other health conditions that now that there's social media, is it more people think they have these health conditions? That's also part of it too. Or is it because more people know about it? Or is it, like you said, just causing a misunderstanding? Especially with, like, psychological diagnoses. Like, everybody thinks they have, like a bunch of acronyms in front of their name because one time they couldn't concentrate or whatever it is. And so, yeah, I worry that, like, if you truly have a migraine, you said one in four households, somebody in that household will have suffered.
Jess
That's that.
Jen
I mean, that's a lot of people.
Jess
Like, if I have. If migraine is bad enough, I'm not doing anything. I'm not. Not working. I'm not. I mean, I'm lucky enough that I have a husband that can, like, Chuck, chip his.
Jen
I think I've escorted you, like, home once from work with one I've only had twice in my life, what I think it is. And I literally could not leave the room. I was like, don't let a crack of light in here. Fetal position with my feet.
Jess
I'm not laughing on you. I'm just like an ice pack. It's like, it's dramatic.
Jen
Yeah. I mean, people also love making money. It's like this wellness. There's a lot of this arowana fication of the beauty, space. And sure, I like a nice ice pack, but yeah, we gotta be careful as we tiptoe into this world.
Jess
Yeah. But I do like the awareness it's bringing and the empathy it's bringing to people.
Jen
So a migraineur, a migraine walks around the city educating people as to, you know what? A migraine, that's not really a migraine. This is a migraine.
Jess
Oh, my God.
Jen
You know what, though? I do like that it takes away the sufferers. Cause I always feel like whenever there's a health condition and sufferers gets attached to it, it's just like, it makes such a woe as me. Like a migraine sufferer. Is that a group you want to be a part of? No. Like, you want to be in charge of your life and not feel like that thing has control of you.
Jess
Yeah.
Jen
So I get the migraine. Meanwhile, I'm not gonna be able to say it without making it fake.
Jess
Like, I need a top hat and a cane. Like walking and like, migrant to you.
Jen
So stop. Funny, but all right, we gotta watch. Watch the spaces. Jesse.
Mark
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Jen
Okay, it is time to raise a wand. So the homework Julie and I gave everybody, well, it was really me. I wanted a holiday candle that wasn't too tree forward and also wasn't gourmand. However, Jess and I were recording this before anybody called in because literally the other episode just dropped. So instead, I was looking through the the voicemails I get because I do not pick up the phone. And we had an interesting one. I think this listener's from Michigan. Because of their area code. I'll let them take it away.
Listener
Hey, fat mascara. Just calling in. So I just listened to your episode from November 13th about how injectors after more than five pricks have their needles dull and have more bruising effects. Just wanted to add a little fun fact from my background. I'm a sterile preparation technician in a hospital, and that's policy. You can't use the needle more than five times no matter what you're doing in between your sterile prep. So we make IV bags, injections and stuff. All needs to be super sterile, super clean, and to decrease chances of infection and needles breaking off and cross contamination, you only use that needle five times max. So kind of wanted to just give a little fun fact for another Real World application on beauty. Have a great day. Bye.
Jen
I mean, how much do you love our listeners?
Jess
I mean, I just Learned something.
Jen
I learned something too. Also. I did not even know a sterile prep technician. Like, of course that's a job at a hospital.
Jess
I mean, thank God. Thank God for our nurses and our doctors and our technicians and our healthcare professionals. Yeah. Seriously, I'm like, sometimes I feel so unskilled and then I feel silly for.
Jen
Like, I know stuff about stuff. I know stuff in a very small space of knowledge. And I just love that our listeners are from all different industries and all over the country and all over the world and that they teach us and we. I just feel like it's a nice two way thing. I don't feel like we're just screaming to the void, you know, I want to thank this person personally because I don't know their name, but I think you're from Michigan.
Jess
Thank you for calling Michigan.
Jen
So now, though, now we're going to get into the candles of it all because it is holiday time and the homework. Please call us. 646-4818182. We want to know or I want to know, is it er. Ur candle of the season? Like the. I'm putting a German prefix on it.
Jess
Oh, okay. I was like, what are you talking.
Jen
If there were a candle that could be the holiday candle for all, it would be this candle. What candle is that for you? Please call and tell us. But Jess, if you, if you want to weigh in, go right in.
Jess
Yeah, I definitely want to weigh in.
Jen
Let's hear it.
Jess
So I feel like the timing's funny, but like, I gotta say, the nest holiday candle. So Julie said it's really good. Like they nailed it. They nailed it. I don't know. It's like spruce, pine, like holly bush. I don't know.
Jen
But she said it wasn't too tree forwarded. It's not like too on the nose.
Jess
That you feel like, I mean, I don't know. I don't know, Julie. I don't know, Julie. It's pretty tree. It's not like I got my head in a tree farm, but like, it's. I think it's great. I don't know. Find out what their return policy is. It's good.
Jen
All right, well, call us. I want to hear what else people are. Because maybe you have a cookie candle or maybe you're like, you know what I'm doing. Apples, apples make me think of X. What is making your home a holiday haven? Did I just write an Oprah headline from 2013?
Jess
Oh, my God. I loved. I loved Oprah. I liked it when it was like a Little bit. Not trashy. But when her topics were a little tackier. But then I loved it when she did the rebrand, and she was like, I'm not gonna sing. Cause I'm not gonna sing on the air. But like, when she had that theme song in the beginning, and it was all about like, oh, oh, Oprah.
Jen
Where's our Oprah?
Jess
Zach, you don't think she would squash that in, like, two seconds and.
Jen
Or control the narrative herself and do it herself?
Jess
I'm like, oprah. Zack, I got scared as soon as you said it. I was like, I had nothing to do with it.
Jen
We've talked about the Brooke Shields documentary and the Martha Stewart documentary and how they are.
Jess
She might be working on one herself.
Jen
Cause a lot of the themes of her career tie to the media and women and beauty and the things that we often talk about on this podcast.
Jess
The fat with the wagon.
Jen
Yeah, yeah. And body image. Anyway, Havens for the holidays, home. Havens for the holidays. Tell us about your candles. Let's raise wands while people are busy pausing the podcast.
Jess
Wait, did you say yours?
Jen
No. Cause the whole homework is. I want to hear. Because I think the one. What did I just switch to? Yeah, it's not holiday at all. It was just a random one I had around.
Jess
Wait, I got to show you. I have another candle thing. Sorry. I mean, to tell you guys about this.
Jen
Tell me, tell me, tell me. Maybe I'll give you two wands. This could be a mini wand.
Jess
Go. I went to my cousin's last year, and she is an interior designer. She has the most amazing taste. When I go to her house, I come home and it's like, that's it. Everything out. Back up the truck. We're starting from scratch. Everything. Like, beep, beep, beep.
Jen
Is it the same house you always go to that you come back thinking this. Because this has come up a couple of times.
Jess
No, that bathroom that I've talked about, I'm not mentioning who that bathroom was when I came home, and I'm Was like, no, but her place is like that, too. But her place. Okay. She lives in Amsterdam. She's a very private person. So I don't want to, like, talk too much about her, but she has the most amazing style. She has the most amazing home decor. She loves vintage. She's like, friends with the vintage dealers. Her freaking bathroom. Like, claw foot tub. Like, vintage mirrors, like, paintings in the bathroom. Like, I go there and I come home and I'm like, what is this? Who the fuck bought this?
Jen
Yeah. Oh, me.
Jess
And I bought seven of them, thinking they were cute. She just throws me into this state where I'm like, I just want everything that she does. I just love her style. So fast forward. I go to her house. She's got fake candles.
Jen
Okay.
Jess
Fake candle. Like fake plastic.
Jen
Feels very un. European.
Jess
So on. Fake. So not. Not European. But they create this mood in her apartment of just.
Jen
Oh. Cause she's probably one of those no overhead lighting types.
Jess
Cause all the interior, she doesn't. Are you. Are you crazy? No overhead lights.
Jen
Everything turn on the overhead lights.
Jess
No. I feel like I'm walking. It's like an indie BBC. It's like a BBC movie. And I'm like going through the hallways and everything is softly lit. Okay.
Jen
Yeah.
Jess
And she's got these candles going on. So what she's trying to teach me is like just to keep things soft and like cozy. I was like, I have a three year old. I can't have like candles like lighting the way. Like Ebony's her screws.
Jen
You can't have open flames all over the house.
Jess
Yeah, no.
Jen
And there's a cat. Come on, lady.
Jess
Yeah, exactly. She's got these candles, these fake LED candles from like Amazon. I was like, are you kidding? She was like, no, they're fantastic. She reads by book light with them, you know, And I bought them. I have them all over now and I'm like dead.
Jen
Is that what I see behind you right now?
Jess
Yes. And I've got like 15 more in a box.
Jen
Those aren't fake. Those are faux.
Jess
Faux.
Jen
And there's a difference.
Jess
They come with a little battery, an LED, like a 10 key remote that I haven't figured out how to use. So if somebody can figure that out for me, that'd be amazing. But they're 20 bucks. It's called Vincore Flameless Candles. Battery operated real wax pillar, blah, blah, blah. Just type in vincore Flameless.
Jen
Is that so I see them. They're pillars, but then the top is the glow. But that's actually made of wax.
Jess
It's wax. Yeah.
Jen
That's kind of smart.
Jess
Yeah.
Jen
They love the oil and the light filtering through the wax has that not perfectly plastic. Like it has that mottled quality that I think is the key to the good. Yeah. Look at me getting all scientific. The refraction of the light from the flame through wax versus plastic. No, they look really good.
Jess
Thank you. So I'm gonna put some on like the top of like.
Jen
Do you buy one at a time or do they. Are they.
Jess
No, I got a box of 15 or 20.
Jen
Oh.
Jess
And it was like, 20 bucks.
Jen
Different heights.
Jess
Like, we use different heights. Yeah, Like a.
Jen
Like a candlescape.
Jess
Yeah. So I created a candlescape, and because I'm trying to make my home cozy for the holidays, I think it's working. And it's not like a bunch of, you know, random, like, crap around and.
Jen
They don't read, like, tacky fake light.
Jess
Yeah. Let's be real. I'm never gonna achieve the vibe she has going on. It's just not happening in 20, 24, or 5.
Jen
To our credit, you and I both live in new construction apartments which have notoriously no architectural detail. You got a baseboard.
Jess
That's it.
Jen
Like, here's your baseboard. And she probably lives in one of those houses where, like, the crown molding and the door frames.
Jess
It's beautiful. And it's beautiful.
Jen
Yeah. So I do think that does a lot.
Jess
She's also very talented in a way that I'm not.
Jen
I don't mean to belittle her talents, but I think when I go to the homes that I'm especially drawn to, they have all those kind of details in the home that, like, you just don't get in a newer home. Yeah, you can fake it with the fake candles.
Jess
I'm trying to fake. I'm trying to steal all of her tricks, but I'm starting small. 20 bucks small.
Jen
Wait, I want to get these. So what's the name of the brand again? Did you tell me?
Jess
It's. I mean, they have. You can just search this kind of style online.
Jen
No, I want the ones you have.
Jess
Vincore V I N K O R Flameless candles. Battery operated.
Jen
Okay.
Jess
Yeah.
Jen
Oh, I've got an Amazon gift card right now. Guess what? It's going to the video. We'll put this in the. You know what? We'll do it in the episode details. You know, where we do the little linkies. I'm gonna put a link for Jess's flameless candles by way of a Danish decorator.
Jess
And she's actually, like, American and German. She just lives there now. But, yeah, go for it. And you know what? If you could figure out that battery, that remote, you know, good for you.
Jen
DM us atmascara. Let Jess know how to use her remote. So, I mean, that's a razor wand in itself, but is there anything else that you wanted to talk about this week?
Jess
I think that's. I think that's a pretty good razor wand. I think I'm gonna end. There.
Jen
It is. I am gonna razor Wand to a hair product, which I have not done in a minute.
Jess
Did Chris tell you about it?
Jen
No, he didn't. But I got fresh color done, and the day before we hosted cew. You were a fabulous hair look by then.
Jess
Thank you. We had fun. I thought it was a really fun time.
Jen
Stylist Pooja Shashis at Whiterose Collective gave me a blowout. It was gorgeous. And she used on me the. The color. Wow. Dream coat Supernatural spray treatment. And I think I needed education on this product because I had tried it before. And I was like, okay, fine. She said to me, you cannot not use. You have to use this with heat and like, a roller brush. So if you're somebody who gets blowouts, guys. My blowout lasted it. It was the one day it rained in New York City. It was pouring the day of the awards, and my blowout lasted through that rainy day and then until Sunday. So I got my hair done on Wednesday. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Five days. A lot for a blowout. That's a lot, right?
Jess
That's a lot. Like a good.
Jen
Like, it stayed.
Jess
That's a lot.
Jen
It gives the hair this a dream coat. You know what she freaking named it, right? It's a coat. It's like a little. But you. She told me you have to heat activate it. It just like, it doesn't work otherwise, and your hair will feel gloopy. So you spray it evenly throughout. And then the blow dryer hits it and makes this sort of like. It's like a little protective shield.
Jess
Nice.
Jen
It's like every strand got its own hair condom. I don't know how they do it. Truly. I just made it.
Jess
Not lovely.
Jen
It's a fabulous product. I like it. And so I don't do blowouts often, but when I'm gonna do one for like, the holidays or we're traveling and things like that, like, your hair will last.
Jess
I have to say, if your hair survived that. Thursday, Friday. That was, like, nasty.
Jen
Yeah, it was pouring and I wasn't frizzy. Cause I saw our step and repeat photos and we looked great.
Jess
It was good. Yeah, so we did look good.
Jen
Raise a wand to us. Raise a wand to our listeners. Get your beauty sleep and we'll see you next week. No, we'll see you on Friday.
Jess
See you Friday. We hope you enjoyed the show.
Jen
It's your reviews and feedback that help us make the podcast even better. Head over to itunes to rate and review us or email your thoughts to infoatmascara.com we also want to answer your.
Jess
Beauty questions and hear what products you love. To share a razor, one product review, or to ask a beauty question, email us at infoatmascara.
Jen
If you send it as a voice memo file, we can even share your voice on the podcast. You can also do that by leaving us a voice message. Our phone number in the United States is 646-481-8182.
Jess
Thanks so much for listening.
E
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Fat Mascara Podcast Episode Summary: Ep. 558 – Dating with Pheromones, Migraine Marketing & The Week’s Beauty News
Hosts: Jennifer G. Sullivan & Jessica Matlin
Release Date: December 4, 2024
Duration: Approximately 46 minutes
The episode begins with the hosts, Jess and Jen, engaging in their typical candid and humorous banter. They discuss their choice of snacks during the recording to avoid microphone noise, reflecting on their different preferences. Jen shares her indulgence in a premium seltzer, contrasting it with more everyday beverages, while Jess humorously compares her snack habits to the character Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Notable Quote:
Jen recounts her recent visit to Chris McMillan, Jennifer Aniston’s hairstylist, detailing the unexpected encounter and the conversation about hair health. Chris shares his observations on the impact of Ozempic, a medication increasingly popular for weight loss, on his clients' hair, noting signs of thinning and reduced shine.
The hosts delve into the broader implications of Ozempic's effects on beauty and health, contemplating the balance between its benefits in managing diabetes and obesity versus potential side effects on appearance. They express hope that the medication positively influences chronic disease levels while questioning the long-term aesthetic consequences.
Notable Quotes:
Jen introduces a segment on Nest Scented's collaboration with the Louvre, offering a bespoke museum tour focused on the evolution of beauty in art. She shares a personal anecdote from a high school trip to Paris, humorously describing the unrealistic brevity of their Louvre visit.
The hosts discuss the thematic integration of beauty into art exhibits, highlighting Blanca Judy from L'Oreal’s quote on beauty's timeless presence. They appreciate the initiative's deep exploration of beauty beyond superficiality, aligning it with their podcast's ethos of thoughtful beauty discourse.
Notable Quotes:
Crown Affair's Series B Funding: Jen and Jess discuss Crown Affair, a clean hair care brand that recently secured $9 million in Series B funding led by True Beauty Ventures. Founder Diana Cohen emphasizes the brand's focus on meaningful and thoughtful products, aiming to accelerate growth at Sephora and beyond. The hosts commend Diana's approach as a hair enthusiast rather than a professional stylist, distinguishing Crown Affair in the competitive hair care market.
Olive & June's Acquisition: The conversation shifts to the acquisition of Sarah Gibson Tuttle's nail care brand, Olive & June, by Helen of Troy for $240 million. Jen reminisces about Sarah's earlier appearance on the podcast and highlights Olive & June's evolution from innovative nail tools to a household name available in major retail stores.
Notable Quotes:
The hosts address a Women's Wear Daily report on the wellness industry's efforts to cater to migraine sufferers, who represent one in four households. Jess clarifies the severity of migraines compared to regular headaches, emphasizing that many marketed solutions may not address the underlying medical needs.
They critically assess the surge in migraine-related products on platforms like TikTok, such as supplements, eye massagers, and other gadgets, expressing concern over potential misinformation and the exploitation of a vulnerable audience. While acknowledging the positive intent behind increased awareness, they stress the importance of genuine medical solutions over superficial remedies.
Notable Quotes:
Listener Call: A listener from Michigan shares insights from her role as a sterile preparation technician, relating hospital policies on needle reuse to beauty practices discussed in a previous episode. The hosts express appreciation for the listener's contribution, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of their audience.
Holiday Candles: Transitioning to holiday-themed content, Jen and Jess discuss their quest for the perfect holiday candle. Jess introduces Vincore Flameless Candles, praising their realistic wax appearance and functionality. Jen discusses their own preferences and encourages listeners to share their favorite holiday scents, seeking to create a cozy and aesthetically pleasing home ambiance.
Notable Quotes:
Vincore Flameless Candles: Jess provides a detailed recommendation for Vincore Flameless Candles, highlighting their aesthetic appeal and practical benefits. The hosts discuss the ease of integrating these candles into home decor to enhance the holiday spirit without the hazards of open flames.
Ritual Skin Supplements: Earlier in the episode, Jen promotes Ritual's Hyacra skin supplements, emphasizing their clinical benefits in supporting skin hydration and reducing wrinkles. She provides a promotional code for listeners to receive a discount on their first month.
Hair Care Routine: Jen shares her experience with a blowout using Pooja Shashis at Whiterose Collective, praising the Dream Coat Supernatural spray treatment that ensured her hairstyle lasted through inclement weather. The product's effectiveness in maintaining hair smoothness and protection against frizz is highlighted.
Notable Quotes:
The hosts conclude the episode by encouraging listeners to rate and review the podcast on iTunes, share their beauty questions, product reviews, and participate in the ongoing conversation through email or voice messages. They express gratitude towards their listeners for their support and engagement, reiterating the importance of community interaction in enhancing the podcast experience.
Notable Quote:
Pheromone Perfumes: The hosts critically examine the rise of pheromone-infused fragrances, questioning their scientific validity and attributing their popularity to the placebo effect and societal associations between perfume and allure.
Beauty and Health Intersection: Discussions around Ozempic and its impact on hair health highlight the delicate balance between medicinal benefits and aesthetic side effects, emphasizing the importance of informed beauty choices.
Business Insights: Updates on Crown Affair’s funding and Olive & June’s acquisition illustrate the dynamic nature of the beauty industry, showcasing how innovative brands can achieve significant growth and market presence.
Wellness Industry Cautions: The surge in migraine-related products is met with skepticism regarding their efficacy, urging a focus on credible medical treatments over potentially misleading wellness trends.
Listener Engagement: The episode underscores the value of listener contributions and diverse perspectives, fostering a sense of community and shared knowledge among the audience.
For more detailed discussions and insights, tune into Fat Mascara on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast platform.