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- [00:04]
Jess
All right, listen. If you listen to this podcast or really are just a podcast listener in general, I know that you love to learn. You love to expand your world and just get in there. I am the same way. And Masterclass has been heaven sent because it has exposed me to an entire universe of people who I would never get to meet in real life. For example, right now I'm hanging out with a bunch of CIA officers. Do you think I know them in real life? I don't. I wish I did. The Art of Intelligence. Masterclass has completely inspired me. They've taught me skills that have been kept secret until now that have been applicable in every area of my life. And like you guys know, I'm not a CIA agent.
- [00:49]
Jen Sullivan
I think we know that. That class is really cool. And Masterclass has so many options. It's the only streaming platform where you can learn and grow with more than 200 plus of the world's best instructors for just $10 a month. An annual membership with Masterclass gets you UNL access to every instructor. And you can access Masterclass on your phone, computer, smart tv, or even in audio mode. Make it like a podcast.
- [01:11]
Jess
Right now, our listeners get an additional 15% off of any membership@masterclass.com FatMascara that's 15% off@masterclass.com Fat mascara masterclass.com Fat mascara bonjour. Welcome to Fat Mascara.
- [01:36]
Jen Sullivan
Bonjour. It's a podcast about beauty culture.
- [01:41]
Jess
I'm Jess.
- [01:42]
Jen Sullivan
I'm Jen Sullivan. Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the States. Jessica.
- [01:46]
Jess
I know I came back on right before Inauguration Day.
- [01:50]
Jen Sullivan
Yes. I actually don't even think I mentioned that you were in France. I just had a great episode with Julie and I didn't even mention that that's why Julie was here, because Jess was.
- [01:59]
Jess
Well, that's fine.
- [02:00]
Jen Sullivan
En francais. Well, that's in French. Sorry.
- [02:03]
Jess
Yeah, well, I. And Paris, I don't know. I am not bilingual. I speak one language, which makes me a hit whenever I go to Paris, but really admire people who do know more than one language. But I was able to navigate myself around the antique stalls of Paris, and I could not wait to tell our listeners about this incredible fragrance. Antique stall. I should. Antique like. Like vintage. I think vintage is better.
- [02:37]
Jen Sullivan
You were at a. I call it a flea market, but you were at. Is this outdoors? Where were you? Get set the scene.
- [02:43]
Jess
I went to the. You're gonna. You guys are gonna give me a lot of grace for all my pronunciation. The famous sun O U E N flea market. So hundreds and hundreds of Stalls. You could spend days and days there. I was only there for one day. I went for a Moda or home. But of course I had to have a beauty detour. I was with my colleague and I was like, sorry, sorry, I'll be back. It was like, I just sort of like floated away. Incredible Stall the company. The woman is called Elaine Dash Parfum. I'm going to put a link on the site.
- [03:25]
Jen Sullivan
So you guys.
- [03:26]
Jess
Yeah, so you guys scroll down to.
- [03:27]
Jen Sullivan
The episode notes and we'll have a link. The link to the, like, blog. People know this.
- [03:31]
Jess
And then you have to go. You have to go. And if you're.
- [03:35]
Jen Sullivan
What is her booth? Tell us everything.
- [03:37]
Jess
Oh, my God. She didn't speak English. She had to have her husband come and talk to me because I was like, where'd you find these? When did you start collecting? What'd you do? Like, who you are? Where are you going? What you doing? Like, I had all these questions for.
- [03:47]
Jen Sullivan
Her and she was looking at me like crazy American.
- [03:49]
Jess
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, what did you. Were you a buyer? Were you like a collector? Were you journalist? I needed to know where she got everything because this woman had every fragrance.
- [03:57]
Jen Sullivan
Like, ever in boxes. Vintage bottles.
- [04:02]
Jess
Some were half used. Like, some of it was like, you know, if you went on ebay and it was like just the empty bottle or it was like, you know, half used but still smells, you know. And some of it was perfect, like new in box with tags. But she also had this amazing factise collection. So I'm going to post some of it on our Instagram stories and stuff. Incredible. She had like Anna Swee head. She had the dolly head. She had. I'm going to just like, throw out some random things, like in no order of importance. Okay. She had the Anna Sui, like a dolly head, like, huge factise. She had, like, all the likely suspects. Like the Chanel huge factises, but like, more obscure ones, not just like Chanel number five. She had the Nina Ricci green scent that, to me looks like a slug. It's like Belle something looks like a green slug with, like a pink crown on it. You guys all know what I'm talking.
- [04:53]
Jen Sullivan
About if you're like a snail.
- [04:54]
Jess
But yeah, yeah, to me it always looks like a kid's toy or something. She had. Just to tell you how random and like 2000s niche she can go. She had like the gentleman only Givenchy flankers. Like, she had. When I was in high school, for Christmas, I wanted the Andy War, one of the Andy Warhol fragrances. I completely forgot about that. She had many Andy Warhol Warhol fragrances. She had everything. This woman had everything. Cases and cases and cases. And she had big, huge Vivienne Westwood Factise, which is just like. I mean, imagine having that in your bedroom. How fabulous is that?
- [05:36]
Jen Sullivan
I don't know the Vivienne Westwood, but it just.
- [05:38]
Jess
It looks like it's just her logo. Like the crown, like, you know, kind of like a planet Y crown. She had everything. And then she had, like, tiny minis that looked like they belong, like, you know, Sylvanian family calico critters. Like, you know, it's like the long little dollhouse. Like the tiniest ones I've ever seen.
- [05:56]
Jen Sullivan
I wonder how 80s your references always are.
- [06:00]
Jess
I mean, we are who we are before. We're like four.
- [06:03]
Jen Sullivan
Right.
- [06:03]
Jess
Like, it's like psychologically imprinted Mini Factises.
- [06:06]
Jen Sullivan
Factisettes. There's probably a French name for them.
- [06:09]
Jess
I was dead. So I'm gonna put the. The stuff on the site. So if you're in France and you are a perfume person, like, go check it out. I'm sure there are. I don't know why I'm so sure, but I feel like there are probably others that are like this. And this was the first one that I saw that was like this, but it was incredible. Other highlights were. I went to Maison Objet. Maison Objet. Maison Objet, which was the big home decor show. And I've gotta say, this is just like a little analysis. There were a lot of home fragrance brands there, but I think there's still room for more exciting innovation in that space. That's no shade to the existing brands. That's just saying I'm excited to see what we're going to see besides a.
- [06:56]
Jen Sullivan
Reed diffuser candle and then, like, the techie diffusers.
- [06:59]
Jess
Yeah. There's nothing wrong. I'm very happy with those options, but I feel like in beauty, other categories, I feel.
- [07:08]
Jen Sullivan
Where's the lip oil of home fragrance?
- [07:10]
Jess
That's what I'm saying. Yes.
- [07:11]
Jen Sullivan
Like a category breaker. Like a whole new thing that everybody wants in on. Yeah.
- [07:15]
Jess
And maybe there's a reason for that, but I just feel like we are on the cusp of something in a more optimistic way of looking for it.
- [07:24]
Jen Sullivan
Pomanders, perhaps. Ornaments.
- [07:26]
Jess
What's the. Remember when L'Artisan came out with, like, the pomander? It was like, what is the next big thing? So I'm excited to see what that is, because people want it. People are home or working from home. It's still happening. Maybe not as much. I mean, everyone's like, who the hell is working from home anymore? But, like, people are still working from home. And other highlights. So I'm Marissa Meltzer. Marissa Meltzer is in Paris.
- [07:50]
Jen Sullivan
She is former fat mascara guest. Yes. Author. In your newsletter, Soft Power.
- [07:55]
Jess
Soft Power. Check it out. Please subscribe. We talked about some fabu beauty treatments in Paris that she is definitely gonna be writing about in Soft Power. It seems like that is where.
- [08:03]
Jen Sullivan
Did you have time for any treatments? No, no, it was busy buying and.
- [08:09]
Jess
Meeting, and I didn't have time to, like, sleep or shop or anything. It was just.
- [08:12]
Jen Sullivan
You had an hour for that booth at the flea market.
- [08:15]
Jess
Yeah, I had to look for my team because I spent so long in there. I was like, I got left behind. And on the way home, I rewatched the Idea of youf with Hottie Hot Hotterson. Nicholas.
- [08:29]
Jen Sullivan
I was on the mic with Julie last week, and she's like, what are y'all doing to me with this text chain? Cause there was, like, 48 texts in the fat mascara family text chain. And then we come to realize it was just you and Garrett talking about him.
- [08:44]
Jess
Oh, God, he's so hot.
- [08:46]
Jen Sullivan
He's our new muse. Can he be the muse of the show for the season?
- [08:50]
Jess
I feel like only Garrett and I, or maybe just me, are, like, into. Let me know if you're into him. I don't know. I just think he's great. I just think he's great. Like, the way he did. Like, he. He dances cool.
- [09:01]
Jen Sullivan
He dances cool. I, like, always a highlight in a guy. That's funny. You like that fragrance boost? Because I wanted to say, did you see any Stella McCartney by any chance?
- [09:13]
Jess
When I say there wasn't time. She had so much stuff, and she.
- [09:19]
Jen Sullivan
Might have had a Stella McCartney.
- [09:21]
Jess
It was an archive.
- [09:23]
Jen Sullivan
Well, the reason I ask is because while you were away, we were getting a lot of response to the week before that you had asked about sparkling frag or you had predicted a trend. We need to come back to the sparkle with perfumes. If you've been DMing us their sparkly fragrances and whatever. And multiple times has come up that people are missing Stella McCartney's. I guess it was the original in that clear, tall bottle with the purplish, Right? Yeah, it was a rose.
- [09:47]
Jess
It was rose. Yeah.
- [09:49]
Jen Sullivan
But like a dewy and a fresh.
- [09:50]
Jess
It was very dewy. Very watery dewy. Yeah.
- [09:52]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. Speaking of watery dewy, we're going to actually touch on that when we get to razor on, because we have A comment from a listener, but it's on brand that you're talking about fragrance because we have a guest in the virtual studio. It's not a guest. What am I talking about? It' our intern, Lexi. She's here today.
- [10:05]
Jess
She's a special guest for the special.
- [10:07]
Jen Sullivan
Guest who's always working hard behind the scenes, but has been working on some research into the fragrance space, mood boosting fragrances. So after like a little bit of a shortened news, Lexi's going to pop in and we're going to chat about mood boosting fragrances. So we'll keep that theme going. All right, let's. Let's get to the news then. Okay. I was gonna lead up to Science Corner, but Science Corner, this is a crisis.
- [10:37]
Jess
This is an emergency.
- [10:39]
Jen Sullivan
Science Corner had homework for Jess and now we have to talk about it. So, okay, so here's the deal, guys. We're in Science Corner. Forget the music. Let's just get right in there. There's this new tech using AI to assess your skin and predict what you'll look like after trying a new product. So the makers of this tech is Haute H A U T AI, a global leader in AI powered skin intelligence tools. Their Skin GPT tool, they're going to be selling it to brands to use in their work. What it does is takes a photo of someone, analyzes their skin. We all know that. We've seen that from a million companies tell you you're too red, tell you this and that. And what they're going to do is basically say, if you were to use X serum, so a company might buy it and say, hey, if you were to use our antioxidant serum, this is the change you can expect. And they can morph your face sort of to show you, here's what you'll look like after you try this. So the newness is that aspect of it. But the more people that use it, obviously with AI, the better it's going to get with its predictive technology. So right now, the website Generative Skin is giving consumers a sample. So you can't yet see what products will do to you, but you can get one of those Vizia type analysis, if you will. So I was like, jess, can you do it? Because I want to see what you.
- [11:57]
Jess
Think, oh, here it is again.
- [11:59]
Jen Sullivan
And so she just did it. I've done it now twice. And I will say the most disconcerting part, and I don't know how I feel about this, is a perceived age number you get. So when you go on and Take your photo. Remember that Microsoft gem from the 2010s? Howold.net does anybody remember that?
- [12:16]
Jess
I don't.
- [12:17]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, my God. I spent way too many times on there, like, in different lighting with different makeup. Like, how old do I really look? So I am 46. I've gone on there twice now. The first time I went on my. With no makeup. My perceived age was 30. The second time I went on with makeup, and I was 41. I think it all. This is the problem with these things. I think it all depends on the light source and the quality of the.
- [12:41]
Jess
Photo and the makeup. If you're wearing makeup.
- [12:43]
Jen Sullivan
Clearly the makeup. Clearly the makeup. But they also give you, like, a redness score and things like that. But Jess just did it because I had her do it, and then she just, like, dropped the phone. What was. What was. What was your reaction to.
- [12:53]
Jess
Well, first of all, I don't understand, Like, I'm just, like, probably also not understanding how to work the software, which is my own issue. But they just showed me a bunch of photos. I was never in a sorority, but I always heard that one of the meanest things that could happen to you is they'll take a Sharpie and, you know.
- [13:12]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah.
- [13:12]
Jess
And, like, point out your flaws. Oh, so there's a Sharpie. There's, like, you know, a tool. You know, the drawing tool. Yeah. Right on my marionette lines. So I look like I have, like, a little mustache.
- [13:24]
Lexi McCallion
Oh, yeah.
- [13:25]
Jen Sullivan
I was like, oh, and here's where. Oh, that's an under. When it shows you how old you like lines the line. Cause there's a redness one. My big issue is redness.
- [13:32]
Jess
It's like, that's exactly my hot problem.
- [13:34]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, no. It looked like I had a rash all over my face. Cause, like, here's all your redness. And I was like, thanks for highlighting it and making it more apparent to me.
- [13:40]
Jess
It's a pigmentation. I have, like, a mark. I mean, I'm very freckly, but it's like, I have, like, one.
- [13:46]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, yeah. Don't do this when you're. If you're feeling vulnerable.
- [13:50]
Jess
Yeah.
- [13:51]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, here it is.
- [13:52]
Jess
Can they pull up the photo? Pull up the. Pull up the photos again.
- [13:55]
Jen Sullivan
What was your perceived age? I shared mine.
- [13:59]
Jess
Well, you shared, like, a bunch of incorrect numbers.
- [14:01]
Jen Sullivan
No, Well, I. I'm. I'm 46. It said I was 30 once. 41 months.
- [14:05]
Jess
Okay, so I'm 43, and it said 36, but I'm also wearing makeup.
- [14:10]
Jen Sullivan
Like, you have foundation on, so.
- [14:11]
Jess
Yeah. And I'M Yeah.
- [14:12]
Jen Sullivan
And I don't know how you're staring.
- [14:14]
Jess
Into, like, the brightest light.
- [14:15]
Jen Sullivan
Here's why I wanted to talk about, though, what I think is going to be interesting. We know when there's a serum or a new piece of skincare comes out, they'll often tell you a claim that sounds really great in the marketing. That's like, your fine lines will be diminished by 20%. Right. And that's based on maybe a Vizier skin analysis. Like a depth photo is taken of your face before and then eight weeks after using a serum, and the wrinkle became 10% less wrinkled. Meaning, say the depth of the wrinkle was one centimeter after you. That's insane. One millimeter. Let's just do centimeters because it's easy. After you use the product, the depth of the wrinkle would be 0.9. And when you see 10% reduction in wrinkles or 20% reduction, I think people often think that means sometimes the number of lines on their face are just. It sounds more impressive than it is. And what worries me is if you were to see, okay, I used this serum and the depth of my wrinkles decreased by 10%, I don't know how obvious those benefits would be. I don't know if that would sell you on it. Like, if the serum company was like, look at what you're gonna look like after you use the serum. Would you buy it? Cause it's one thing to see the before and after of a model where they picked the absolute best model who had the absolute best results, and she's got great lighting on your own self. I do think a lot of the skincare that we're sold, it's great, it's preventative, but it's not miraculous in any way.
- [15:41]
Jess
Well, I think it's either do nothing or exert some control over your skincare routine and see an incremental benefit. Do you like the ritual? You will see some benefit with some skin.
- [15:56]
Jen Sullivan
Careful. I'm worried that they're going to take out that part of it, which is the feel good aspect, that I'm in control. You know what I'm saying?
- [16:03]
Jess
Yeah. I've had this conversation with people about before and afters, like shooting before and afters. And I feel like, yeah, I think we're saying the same thing. When you kind of hang so much on, like, but what about the bnas? Like, we need to show up before and after to really compel people. I think sometimes you're short changing the product. That's what I'm wearing don't feel that way with certain. Yeah, like, like listen, like if a big company who's super clinical wants to show strong before and afters, that's great. If you, if you could have the resource meaning like the money and it's.
- [16:35]
Jen Sullivan
Like Botox levels of difference or even.
- [16:38]
Jess
Like a vitamin C or something if you use it for like. Yeah, no, I, that's. I'm sounding really skeptical about skin care. I'm not. But I think not everything, not every product needs to move the needle in a way that is going to be so. But did it reduce my fine lines by 8% because sometimes you just want stasis. Sometimes you just want to feel good in your skincare versus like your skin comfortable.
- [17:06]
Jen Sullivan
Like the moisture moisturizer I love right now. I don't look younger using it even though I think it might have an anti aging claim on it. But I'm so comfortable cuz my skin's feeling nice and hydrated same.
- [17:16]
Jess
I'm hoping that they're not going to be. Well, you know, I'm not going to say the name. I'm using a brand that's very like natural.
- [17:23]
Jen Sullivan
Okay. Are you new to it? Is this a new product for you?
- [17:26]
Jess
It's like a brand that. It's a newer product but it's a brand that we've talked about before and loved, you know, love to death. And their ingredients are not like super active. They're very like, you know, marshmallow bliss and comfort. Yeah. Honey patuka poopoo. You know that's not a real ingredient.
- [17:44]
Jen Sullivan
So it's a beauty director. Okay.
- [17:47]
Jess
And sometimes it feels like that.
- [17:50]
Jen Sullivan
I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying.
- [17:51]
Jess
Yeah.
- [17:53]
Jen Sullivan
Marshmallow has always gotten me because it's like it is a root of an herb that does have comforting properties like chamomile but it just sounds nice. So I'm always like marshmallow.
- [18:02]
Jess
Yeah. Do I think it's doing anything to make me look 36? Definitely not. Do I think that anyone is gonna make me look 36? Probably not.
- [18:15]
Jen Sullivan
Also, what does 36 look like? Whose age if it's perceived age, come to New York or la. I think people look somewhat younger somehow than like when I'm home in Philly. I don't know why. Maybe it's more walking. I don't know the number means you're not good.
- [18:33]
Jess
Nothing 10 years younger from. You know what I was about to say? I was about to say even like. I was alluding to like even medical intervention is not going to make you look 10 years younger. We've talked about this a million times in the show. A lot of Demi Moore. Demi Moore is my, like, buzzword for the, for the year.
- [18:49]
Jen Sullivan
Okay?
- [18:49]
Jess
Demi Moore looks 10 years younger than her real age. But most people, even if you get Botox, juvenile.
- [18:56]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah, celebrities do.
- [18:58]
Jess
You're not fooling anyone. You're gonna look great for your age. And there's nothing wrong with that.
- [19:04]
Jen Sullivan
Right? Also, you gotta take into account what clothes you wear, your style, your personality. If you have your 27 year old child with you. You know what I mean? Like, clearly these things are gonna make people perceive you as a certain age. But I think this is interesting because it's the first time I've seen tech where they're like, they'll be able to do the predictive quality of a product and show that on a photo. It's almost like you were saying companies want before and afters. They're also very expensive, as we know, to conduct to do them properly. Which tool a company would be these sort of virtual before and afters that are predictive to the person buying it. Which almost in a way could be more valuable. Cause it's like, cool. The before and after looks great. What's it gonna be like on me? I think that's the value of this tool. But I'm also like, I hope that doesn't deter people from trying new things or just enjoying the ritual of skincare because, well, I don't look that different.
- [19:54]
Jess
I know, I know.
- [19:56]
Jen Sullivan
Anyway, we had to go out of order there. Cause we had to jump right into that. Cause Jess almost dropped her phone when she saw her.
- [20:01]
Jess
I was like, I know. I was like, that is so shad that they put lines on my. Around my mouth.
- [20:07]
Jen Sullivan
It.
- [20:08]
Jess
It was like a football drawing, you.
- [20:09]
Jen Sullivan
Know, but that's where lines are. Like, if you, if we put a baby up to it, they wouldn't have. What are the. What is the technical name? Marionette lines. What's that one called?
- [20:18]
Jess
Marionette lines.
- [20:19]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. No, no, that's not what the doctors say. It's glabellar. Is that the right.
- [20:24]
Jess
Yeah.
- [20:25]
Jen Sullivan
Wow. We're doing great today. Okay. So moving.
- [20:27]
Jess
I call them like the penny loafer lines. Who could like stick a penny in there?
- [20:34]
Jen Sullivan
Like the pencil test on your boobs when you're younger. Like, who's got saggy or not saggy large. Sorry, that was. You know what I mean? Could you hold a pencil? I remember one time, my friend Rachel, such an aside, we cannot.
- [20:47]
Jess
Does she want her real name.
- [20:49]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah, it's fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like our greatest claim to fame. So we all heard about the pencil test. So we were doing it, and she had the largest breasts of all of us. She was like, oh, a pencil. Like, I could probably put a basketball. She goes, wait. She got out her trash can from her room, like her little wastebasket. She lifted up her breast, she put the wastebasket under it, and we played basketball off her nipple. Just like. Like she could hold an entire trash can under her breast. And she's like, I win, I win. You know what teenagers do? Oh, my God, I haven't had that memory in forever.
- [21:22]
Jess
She's very comfortable with her body that.
- [21:23]
Jen Sullivan
She would do that, honestly. She ended up having a breast reduction, actually, because this was before. And that. I don't think it was the waistbasket test that had her. She had already been considering it. She had back issues. Oh, my God. What up, Rachel?
- [21:37]
Jess
I remember my mom told me about the pencil test when I was younger, during, like, that whole time of my life.
- [21:42]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah.
- [21:42]
Jess
And she was telling me about that and it sounded so retro to me. And she was like, that's when Twiggy was in fashion. And she's like, everyone did the pencil test because they wanted to be like Twiggy. Obviously.
- [21:53]
Jen Sullivan
This is like her who personal. Pass the pencil test. Imagine.
- [21:56]
Jess
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. Like, if you wanted to be like, oh, could you go braless like in the 60s?
- [22:02]
Jen Sullivan
Okay. Like, small, petite breasts.
- [22:03]
Jess
Okay, yeah. She was like, and if you didn't pass the pencil test, you needed a bra. But people wanted to not wear bras to look like Twiggy and be very free and easy and kind of chic and like a little gamine kind of.
- [22:15]
Jen Sullivan
I didn't know that's how it started. It was like, whether or not you need a bra is how is what it was for.
- [22:19]
Jess
I'm saying that's her. That was her personal experience. That makes sense.
- [22:22]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [22:24]
Jess
And it's just funny that I remember thinking that was old fashioned. But every generation has their own. Like, we're still talking about this 50 years later.
- [22:33]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, I gotta check in with my friends that are teens. Like, not my friends, but my friends, kids and stuff. Like, there's teens in my life. I'm gonna ask them. There's one girl, I always. I text her and I'm like, what's the thing? Is this the thing? I'm gonna ask her if the pencil test is still a thing.
- [22:48]
Jess
Ask her if. Yeah. It sounds so antiquated.
- [22:50]
Jen Sullivan
Right. It really does. Why did we start talking about the pencil test?
- [22:54]
Jess
I don't recall.
- [22:56]
Jen Sullivan
Okay, well, moving on. I'll put a link to that tool in case you too want to have the facial version of the pencil test and feel great about yourself. Maybe that was the connection.
- [23:04]
Jess
Awful.
- [23:05]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [23:05]
Jess
And the penny loafers. That's why.
- [23:06]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, penny loafers. Thank you very much. Penny loafer lines. Okay, moving on. Just in skincare, this is kind of all skincare focused, but I've been seeing more of the term dermarexia floating around, I believe subsection author Jessica Defino, a beauty writer who does some great work. I think she might have started the term but just in January. Now I've seen two different think pieces about people coining the movement that we've been clocking here at Fat Mascara of like really getting into skincare and some might say almost obsessing over which products to use and plastic surgery and seeing what the celebrities are doing. And do I need to be keeping up and calling it dermarexia, meaning, of course, like an unhealthy. Not of course. Why should I say of course? It's a made up word. What I believe it's been defined as by the media is an unhealthy obsession with your own skin and face and what you can do to change it. I'll link to some of the stories so you can see what I'm talking about. I don't think there's anything new in the stories. To me, what is new is this word for it. And I'm not sure I love it because I think we've talked about dysmorphia here on the podcast, which is when you look at yourself and you see something that's not actually there and you're fixated. But to me, to make it to the level of anorexia feels like inflammatory.
- [24:20]
Jess
Do you feel like anorexia is so serious that.
- [24:24]
Jen Sullivan
Yes.
- [24:25]
Jess
It's almost like trivializing anorexia?
- [24:28]
Jen Sullivan
Yes, because I don't think they're talking about an obsession with skincare in your face that moves into the realm of a mental health issue, which is what dysmorphia is. And there are people that suffer from that. And that's what I don't want to diminish because I think what we're seeing is like. Remember when people would say blondeorexia, like when Platinum blonde was in. I mean, it's still. It's in like it's never gonna stay. But people who wanna be blonder and blonder and blonder I always hated the, like, co opting of that term. Cause I feel like it really does a disservice to the disease. And it's not a disease. What we're talking. We're talking about a cultural movement and people getting obsessed with skincare by doing. No, I think.
- [25:03]
Jess
I think you're right. I think.
- [25:04]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah, I just wanna be careful that everybody realizes that there's. Yeah, there's an un. Not unhealthy. There's a fixation and maybe like a cultural obsession, but that's very different from a mental health issue.
- [25:18]
Jess
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Agree. But don't you think that it is a mental health issue? That's a little bit of a leading question. I think it is a mental health issue. Not putting on the same plane as anorexia where you can be hospitalized and you can die, but when somebody can't even see themselves anymore, that they're like, I need more this. Or I need to go back. You and I know these people personally who are like, my Botox is wearing off after three weeks. Or they're like, my nose is really big and it's really small. Or they think they're 26 years old. I feel like there's the same theme over and over again. Sorry, guys, but, like, this is literally where the culture is going.
- [26:03]
Jen Sullivan
I don't mean to make this funny, but Jessa from Girls. I forget the real actress's name, but Jemima Kirk. Yeah. There was a meme going around a couple years ago where she was basically like. Like, you're thinking about yourselves too much.
- [26:14]
Jess
Yeah, I think you guys were thinking about yourselves too much. There is a true mental health issue.
- [26:21]
Jen Sullivan
When you have people whether fixated on a mirror, on.
- [26:25]
Jess
Yes. I'm not saying they're on death's door, but I'm saying.
- [26:29]
Jen Sullivan
And you know what? We should probably have an expert on to help us distinguish. Where is that line? I think we've talked about this, you and I, offline, like, off the podcast. Because every time I've interviewed an expert about this, they're like, it's so individual to the person. But there are tests to take. Like, do you spend more than X minutes a day? Blah, blah, blah. And maybe we do need to dig into that. Like, yes, Jess is raising her hand. Go ahead.
- [26:49]
Jess
I was also kind of stretching. But then it also was convenient that I had a question.
- [26:54]
Jen Sullivan
What if this is how we did the podcast from now on?
- [26:57]
Jess
So no Jesse in the front row.
- [26:59]
Jen Sullivan
Go ahead.
- [27:00]
Jess
But then, seriously, though, then you're gonna have people who Say. Cause I've had these conversations.
- [27:06]
Jen Sullivan
I know you have, and I have, too, with people. People talk to us. Cause they know what we do for a living. Go on.
- [27:10]
Jess
Yeah. They'll be like, it's their prerogative. They look great. It makes them feel good. Who cares? Mind your business. I am minding my business. We're just talking about this right now. If somebody wants to get 17 surgeries this year, and it's because it makes them feel amazing, is it a disorder? Is it, like, orexia? Or is it just, you go, girl? You know what I mean?
- [27:35]
Jen Sullivan
I think that's not. It's not my place to say. It's you and your doctors and your mental health. I might have an inkling that you have an unhealthy fixation, but I'm not gonna say no.
- [27:46]
Jess
No, you can. You can.
- [27:47]
Jen Sullivan
But the more that these things become available, I think people need the tools to understand if they are going into that unhealthy place.
- [27:55]
Jess
Look, okay, but, Jen, if it was your best friend, that's different.
- [27:58]
Jen Sullivan
Right?
- [27:59]
Jess
If it was your family member, I don't think you could be like, it's not my place to say. Right. You can't sit on the mic and say, this person, this celebrity, this. You can't diagnose on the mic. But I think it's tough when it's somebody close to you.
- [28:16]
Jen Sullivan
But I would be reaching out because I would see them kind of suffering and I'd want to help them. But there's also. I'm sure you've been here with friends and family when someone's suffering and they don't want your help, and it's like, at what point do you stop trying to help someone help themselves? You can just be there for them. I think that comes down to the relationship you have with the person.
- [28:35]
Jess
Yeah, but. And maybe it's like, not the worst thing if they're not doing, like, drugs and, like, they're just getting tweak.
- [28:42]
Jen Sullivan
Men.
- [28:43]
Jess
Yeah.
- [28:43]
Jen Sullivan
Anytime you're not enjoying life because you're so fixated on something that's not related to enjoying life, I think, yeah, I want you to not be like that.
- [28:51]
Jess
Yeah.
- [28:52]
Jen Sullivan
It's good that we're all talking about this. And clearly the way the culture has changed and all the tools and the freaking phones with their cameras has made us think more about it. But I just wanted to clock that that term and be like, is that the right term for that? All right, last one. Just ending on a lighter note here. You know, we've fallen for this before. Where a beauty company comes out with like a fake product. I can't remember the last one we fell for, but there was like Taco Bell perfume. And then we realized it was an April Fool's joke. But it's not April. So I'm, I think this is real. It's related to the super bowl, which is coming up on February 9th. Like what is that? Next week when this airs, Coors Light tells me that they have made a face roller where you can put an ice cold can of Coors Light beer into the contraption and it will roll along your face for like Monday post game cooling or depuffing. Picture your little face roller that maybe you leave in the freezer and de puff and chill, but make it the size of a Coors Light can. I will be honest, a chili can of beer. It feels really nice pressed to your face on a hot day. Or when you're like overreacting because the Eagles are doing good or bad, I don't know at the time of recording, I do not know if they are in the super bowl. But Coors Light, so what we're gonna find out, I think by the time that this airs whether this was real or not. But I'm gonna put the link anyway. You can actually buy your own. On their merch website, they say if this is all a lie and this press release lied to me, I'm never ever just, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Anytime there's one of these, I'm just not gonna talk about it on the news. How about that?
- [30:21]
Jess
I, I, I think the, the NFL really knows women. They, they wi, they know women like.
- [30:28]
Jen Sullivan
Football and we like non puffy faces and I frankly like a nice ice cold Coors Light. Coors Light has to be like ice cold for me to like it. But isn't that its whole thing?
- [30:39]
Jess
So.
- [30:39]
Jen Sullivan
All right, Lexi, we're going to let her in the studio. Let's talk about fragrance. Let's, let's lighten up a bit here.
- [30:55]
Jess
In New York City. It is cold out there right now. And with dropping temperatures and lower humidity, your skin can have a really tough time retaining moisture. Even if you're doing your full skincare routine. I mean, I'm doing all the serums, the moisturizers, but I still take Rituals Hiacera Skin Supplement. It's a clinically proven way to support skin hydration with science backed benefits like reducing wrinkles and improving skin smoothness.
- [31:18]
Jen Sullivan
The hydration alone would be enough for me. But all those other benefits, why not take it every day. I have it sitting right next to my computer. Makes my life easy. Love my Ritual Hayacera. In fact, in a clinical study, Hayacera led to a 2.9 times increase in skin smoothness within 90 days as compared to placebo. And subjects reported an improvement in skin elasticity, glow and radiance in 90 days. So ritual works with world class certification bodies to validate their products, which we love. They're also female founded and a bio core, meaning they're holding themselves accountable to not just their company's financial health, but the health of the people and our planet. That's why I love supporting this company and I love that they support Fat mascara.
- [31:53]
Jess
Start Hyacra to support your glow without compromising on clean science. Hyac from Ritual is a clinically proven skin supplement that you can actually trust. Get 25 off of your first month for a limited time@ritual.com mascara that's ritual.com mascara for 25 off off your first month.
- [32:17]
Jen Sullivan
Jess I know we've talked about Olive and June nail polish on the podcast, but the brand doesn't just do polish. They make the whole act of getting a manicure easier with their systems.
- [32:26]
Jess
The Olive and June Mani system has completely changed the way things are rolling at my house. Game changer. When I have the mani system, they look fresh, they look clean, they look. They look polished. No pun intended. And actually some people have thought that I actually went to the salon and got them done, which was high praise.
- [32:43]
Jen Sullivan
Oh my God. Same. The polish itself is great and the color lasts really long without chipping. But the system has it all. They have tools. The remover, the cleanup brush, the file, the cuticle serum, the top coat, your choice of six polished colors. Best thing in the box though is the poppy. That's the thing you call the doohickey, but it's called the poppy and you pop it on the brush's top and it makes it easier to hold and balance so you can do both hands perfectly even if you're not like ambidextrous. I'm also obsessed with their Valentine's Day mini polish set they have right now. You get bottles of four Sequin heart polishes. You can wear them on their own or as top coats. The Cupid who shade is so cute. It has tiny black hearts and like little sequins. It looks like fishnets over your nails. It's great if that sounds good to you. They also do press ons. They have quick dry polishes. Just go check out their site, visit oliveandjune.com mascara for 20 off your first system. That's Olive and June. O L I V E A N D J-U-N-E.comMascara M A S C-A R A OliveAndJune.comMascara for 20 off your first manicure system. Lexi's here. Lexi, welcome. Hi.
- [33:55]
Jess
Welcome, Lexi.
- [33:56]
Lexi McCallion
Thank you for having me. So excited to be here.
- [33:59]
Jen Sullivan
I realized as you were coming on, I feel like you're always here, but the listeners don't actually know you and your voice yet. You've been working with us since August, I think, right?
- [34:08]
Lexi McCallion
It was a little bit later.
- [34:09]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [34:09]
Lexi McCallion
Like, beginning of October. Ish.
- [34:11]
Jen Sullivan
So tell us who you are, where you go to school, what you're studying so the fat mascara fam gets to know you like I do.
- [34:17]
Lexi McCallion
Sure. So, hi, everyone. My name is Lexi McCallion. I'm a senior marketing major at Seton Hall University. I do aspire to work in the beauty industry, so this has been a super educational and phenomenal experience.
- [34:32]
Jen Sullivan
Stop. Not phenomenal. Come on now.
- [34:36]
Lexi McCallion
Yes. You guys have introduced me to so many different beauty brands, creators, founders.
- [34:42]
Jen Sullivan
Lexi knows Jess. Lexi knows her stuff. She's got her marketing down. But you've been working for us on a special segment about fragrance. Tell me why you wanted to look into mood boosting fragrances.
- [34:56]
Lexi McCallion
I wanted to explore mood boosting fragrances because I've been wearing the same fragrance ever since I first discovered perfume when I was a teen.
- [35:05]
Jess
And what's that?
- [35:06]
Lexi McCallion
Viva la Juicy.
- [35:08]
Jess
Okay. Oh, that's a good. That's so good.
- [35:10]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [35:12]
Jess
We were talking about that the other day. Go on.
- [35:14]
Lexi McCallion
My grandmother used to work at Macy's, so every year on Christmas, we would get new fragrance. So every year at about the end of November, she'll text like, hey, same fragrance. Same fragrance. So I've never explored any other fragrances, so I wanted to branch out. So I went online, and I've been researching different fragrances, kind of like similar to the Juicy one that I love. And I've been seeing recently all of these brands that are creating fragrances that are scientifically proven to boost your mood. So this kind of reminded me of that. Like, what can perfume do? And as someone who's now kind of starting to understand how the marketing of all this works, I'm starting to realize, oh, does this actually work? Or is this just a new way to talk about fragrance?
- [36:03]
Jen Sullivan
Ooh, spoken like a fat mascara lesson.
- [36:07]
Jess
I love the skepticism.
- [36:10]
Jen Sullivan
So you ended up ordering and trying a bunch of these fragrances that are at Least marketed to change or improve your mood or do give you something? Right.
- [36:22]
Lexi McCallion
Yes.
- [36:23]
Jen Sullivan
So how did it go? Did you land on any that you feel like either you just like the perfume or are doing something? Tell us about them.
- [36:29]
Lexi McCallion
So there's actually three fragrances I wanted to talk about, and I feel. I mean, there's one of them where I. It was, like, very evident that this. The mood boosting aspect works. But I think, just in general, I felt like they don't necessarily make you feel different, but they have a vibe to them. So, for example, the Charlotte Tilbury More Sex fragrance has this sort of sexy vibe to it, and I wasn't the only one who felt that way.
- [37:00]
Jess
Okay, go on. Should we just leave it there?
- [37:05]
Lexi McCallion
Okay, so the Charlotte Tilbury More Sex fragrance, which is from their Fragrance of Emotions collection on their. I picked this one because 84% of people agree that this fragrance enhances feelings of seduction. And that's taken from their website.
- [37:23]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [37:24]
Jess
Is this, like, not something we should be wearing to work?
- [37:26]
Lexi McCallion
I wouldn't.
- [37:29]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, okay. So who's these other people that think it also is sexy?
- [37:33]
Jess
Maybe she wants to keep it private.
- [37:35]
Jen Sullivan
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
- [37:37]
Lexi McCallion
I remember my roommate and I both tried it, and we were like, like, wow, this. This one. I could see this making you. You feel kind of sexy, you know?
- [37:45]
Jess
Okay.
- [37:46]
Lexi McCallion
This. This perfume could definitely set the mood for the night. It's totally something you would wear on a date. It's a bold fragrance. I wouldn't necessarily wear it as an everyday fragrance.
- [37:57]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [37:58]
Jess
But, yeah, my signature scent is More Sex.
- [38:02]
Lexi McCallion
Yeah. So, yeah, it can be maybe seductive. It can be bold, but.
- [38:08]
Jen Sullivan
So this isn't gonna be your new Viva la Juicy.
- [38:10]
Lexi McCallion
Definitely not.
- [38:11]
Jess
Not asking grandma for this, but we'll.
- [38:13]
Jen Sullivan
Whip it out if needed in certain times. What if you're, like, texting Grandma? Grandma, yes. There's a new fragrance I want. It's called More Sex.
- [38:21]
Jess
Oh, my God.
- [38:22]
Lexi McCallion
Right?
- [38:22]
Jess
No, thank you.
- [38:23]
Jen Sullivan
Okay. But you do agree, so you think you're one of those 84% of people who says, this is a mood, It's a vibe. All right, so that's the way they're saying it's mood boosting. They found other people agree that one is sexual sexy. What else did you try?
- [38:36]
Lexi McCallion
I tried the Varreo sunray fragrance.
- [38:39]
Jess
Oh, I like that one a lot.
- [38:41]
Lexi McCallion
I love that one. So I'm not sure, Jen, if you. If or any of the listeners if they know about Varro fragrances, but their fragrance bottles are created With Herkimer crystals inside the bottle.
- [38:55]
Jen Sullivan
There's crystals.
- [38:56]
Jess
Yeah.
- [38:56]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [38:57]
Jess
Crystal that's dropped inside.
- [38:58]
Lexi McCallion
Yeah. So they're charged crystals, which are thought to infuse the fragrance with. With high frequency energy positivity.
- [39:07]
Jen Sullivan
Love how you phrase that thought too. Love that. Love that. You said that. Go on.
- [39:12]
Lexi McCallion
The crystals symbolize purity, clarity, empowerment.
- [39:16]
Jen Sullivan
Are you a crystally woo woo person? Just to give us background, like, are you into crystals?
- [39:20]
Lexi McCallion
I'm not, but I definitely did have an open mind to love that. Okay, exploring this. So the Sunray fragrance is a fragrance designed to evoke feelings of joy and happiness. And to me, it really did evoke this happy feeling. It felt like to me like something I would wear either in the spring or the summertime. Definitely not like a fall or winter fragrance. But when I was wearing this fragrance, I was like, I could picture myself wearing this either poolside or maybe when I go for a walk or a picnic in the park. And it made me think of that song, Pocket full of Sunshine, like skipping in the park.
- [40:04]
Jen Sullivan
And that's mood boosting.
- [40:06]
Lexi McCallion
Yeah. So this one, I think definitely. It definitely is a mood boosting scent. And it has this kind of citrusy.
- [40:17]
Jen Sullivan
Oh, that makes sense.
- [40:18]
Lexi McCallion
Lemon oil.
- [40:19]
Jen Sullivan
Citrusy to it. To it. To get so happy.
- [40:22]
Lexi McCallion
Yeah.
- [40:22]
Jen Sullivan
So.
- [40:22]
Lexi McCallion
And I've never, like I said, I've never tried a fragrance that was like a super mood boosting, if you will, fragrance, but it worked fine. Do you have ever made me feel that way?
- [40:34]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. I want a bottle without the Herkimer crystals, and I want to do a little experiment. Spray with and without the. I just like saying Herkimer too, and see if that's. It's the crystals or the scent itself. And Jess, do you.
- [40:47]
Jess
I've also heard them called Herkimer diamond elevated. Wait, what's the last thing you said?
- [40:52]
Jen Sullivan
Why do you like the scent, Jess? Because you.
- [40:54]
Jess
Same reason she said. Yeah, it's very kind. Bright, and it's a little. I know we talking about sparkly fragrances recently. As a little sparkle to it, it's really bright. It has a lot of, like, it feels a little layers to it. You can smell the layers. Vireo has a lot of fragrances that I feel have a lot of, like, patchouli and like, moodiness to them. And this one feels so different than the rest of them. It's very, it's. It's very commercial. And I mean that in the nicest way. Like, everyone likes this, like a clinique.
- [41:24]
Jen Sullivan
Happy kind of vibes.
- [41:25]
Jess
Yeah. Like, I've never Met somebody. We carry it at Moda and everyone, every time we spray it, people love it. It's just like, it's like, oh, my God, that's so nice. It's like there's.
- [41:34]
Jen Sullivan
I love that there's one scent that universally people are just in a good mood when they smell it. Like, that's powerful. Don't you think?
- [41:39]
Jess
It's really nice.
- [41:41]
Jen Sullivan
That's what you put on when you're going to ask for like an extension on a paper. Lexi, you go into the professor wearing that and they're just like feeling great. Sure. Take a couple extra days.
- [41:51]
Lexi McCallion
I might need them.
- [41:52]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. You said there were, there were three, right? What was the last one?
- [41:55]
Lexi McCallion
Eden East.
- [41:56]
Jen Sullivan
Okay, tell us about Eden East. What's the story there? I don't know this brand.
- [41:59]
Lexi McCallion
So they're a luxury perfume brand. They conducted biosensor tests to study how scent molecules affect the brain's emotional center, the limbic system.
- [42:12]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [42:12]
Lexi McCallion
And then they use this research to create the perfumes that can positively influence and the mood and the state of mind. So they have nine perfumes from their fine fragrance line, their active line, and then they have seven of their life boosting fragrances. And they want you to layer these perfumes as kind of a two step wellness experience, which was interesting. So step one is choosing the foundation perfume. So one of the perfumes from their active line, and that's supposed to be to enhance the expression of your outer self. And then step two is a mood boosting fragrance. So layering it with one of their life boosting fragrances to enhance your inner self, which is enhancing your mood, positive emotions, being mindful. So they have this kind of wellness experience.
- [43:13]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. It's a ritual, if you will.
- [43:15]
Lexi McCallion
Yes.
- [43:16]
Jen Sullivan
What'd you think?
- [43:17]
Lexi McCallion
I tried their love fragrance, which I really liked. I felt it was kind of a strong enough perfume where I didn't necessarily feel the need to have to layer.
- [43:29]
Jen Sullivan
It was Love. Your inner or outer. Which line is the love one from?
- [43:33]
Lexi McCallion
The inner. The life boost.
- [43:35]
Jen Sullivan
Okay. This was one of the boosters. Okay, so love on its own was doing it for you.
- [43:39]
Lexi McCallion
Yes. And I really, I. I liked that fragrance. It was a little bit sweet. It smelled like rose, a little bit florally. But yeah, I do want to try the whole wellness experience. Like I would want to try.
- [43:53]
Jen Sullivan
Wait, what happens if you put Charlotte Tilbury more sex and then you put the love topper on it?
- [43:58]
Jess
Oh, I don't, I don't, I don't.
- [44:00]
Jen Sullivan
We're going overboard. Yeah, it's too much.
- [44:01]
Jess
I don't recommend. Yeah, okay, maybe I don't recommend.
- [44:06]
Jen Sullivan
Well, you know, we were talking about pheromones just, what, like, a couple weeks ago? This is an extension of that conversation in a way. Like, if the pheromones aren't doing it, let's be reaching for the love boost in the seduction. I don't know. Have you ever tried any pheromone fragrances?
- [44:22]
Lexi McCallion
No, I haven't.
- [44:23]
Jen Sullivan
Okay. She went all in on the. On the science of the Eden east and Varro is how you say it.
- [44:30]
Lexi McCallion
Yes. But there. There still is something unique about buying into the mood boosting experience.
- [44:36]
Jess
Like, you're putting a little bit of your own belief in it, and it kind of like you're saying, like, it snowballs.
- [44:41]
Lexi McCallion
Yes.
- [44:42]
Jen Sullivan
Placebo. I mean, absolutely. I feel like that about. I don't even need the brand to tell me. I feel like just a perfume in general affects whatever vibe I'm putting out that day, depending on what I wear. It sounds like you were a signature scent girl with Viva la Juicy for so long. Where are we now in the Lexi world? Like, are you gonn wearing more fragrances? What does this taught you?
- [45:02]
Lexi McCallion
Definitely want to explore. I tried the Ariana Grande, the cloud, and I've actually smelled. I love all of her fragrances. So that was actually the first fragrance that I bought on my own. And that one's really good too. I feel like I've just been trapped in this bubble for so long, because whenever I wear the Juicy, I get.
- [45:28]
Jess
Compliments all the time because it's really good.
- [45:30]
Lexi McCallion
I love it. It's my staple. And people tell me, like, that's your scent. When my cousin, she also wore it, she got it for Christmas one year, and she would walk around and my family would be like, wow, you smell like Lexi. So, like, that's. That was my scent. So I feel like I've been trapped in this bubble for so long, and I'm really excited to explore new fragrances.
- [45:55]
Jen Sullivan
I think that happens to a lot of people because other people recognize it on them, and then they. They feel like they can't change because they're known for it kind of. There's been times in my life where there's a scent like that and people said, oh, you smell like Jen. And then I'm like, you love that. It's so nice. It's such a nice compliment.
- [46:09]
Lexi McCallion
Right?
- [46:10]
Jen Sullivan
Well, tell them they're just gonna have to deal. Cause you're doing some experimenting and learning, so that's how it's gonna go. Thank you for your research. We're gonna put links to the three lines you talked about. I'm especially interested in this Edenist. I gotta check this out with the ritual, like you said, doing the two. And is that just a new way of layering? I think that's really cool too.
- [46:29]
Jess
I like, like the Charlotte Tilbury one is very interesting.
- [46:31]
Jen Sullivan
Zex. Yes. Lexi's going to be here all through the spring, so we might be hearing from her again. But I think let's all. Lexi, come with us. We're stay in the studio. We're going to raise a wand.
- [46:42]
Jess
Okay, let's do it. All right, listen, if you listen to this podcast or really are just a podcast listener in general, I know that you love to learn, you love to expand your world and just get in there. I am the same way. And Masterclass has been heaven sent because it has exposed me to an entire universe of people who I would never get to meet in real life. For example, right now I'm hanging out with a bunch of CIA officers. Do you think I know them in real life? I don't. I wish I did. The art of intelligence. Masterclass has completely inspired me. They've taught me skills that have been kept secret until now that have been applicable in every area of my life. And like you guys know I'm not a CIA agent.
- [47:37]
Jen Sullivan
I think we know that. That class is really cool. And Masterclass has so many options. It's the only streaming platform where you can learn and grow with more than 200 plus of the world's best instructors for just $10 a month. Month. An annual membership with Masterclass gets you unlimited access to every instructor. And you can access Masterclass on your phone, computer, smart TV or even in audio mode. Make it like a podcast.
- [48:00]
Jess
Right now, our listeners get an additional 15% off of any membership@masterclass.com fat mascara that's 15% off@masterclass.com fatmascara masterclass.com fat mascara.
- [48:17]
Ryan Reynolds
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- [48:40]
Jen Sullivan
$45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only taxes and fees, extra Speed slower above 40 gigabytes. CDT. Hi. It's time to raise a wand. Lexi's still here. Jess is here, I'm here. We actually got this as a text. You know, you can text us 646-4818182. So we're going to read this one, and then we're going to play one as well. But this is a response. When Jess and I did the predictions a couple weeks ago for 2025, and I came through with Forest Floor, Fragrances Are Going to Be, and Jess started the sparkling conversation, and what we were both finding was we wanted more fresh dewyness and water. We got a text from one of our listeners, and this is what they said. The first thing that popped into my head, hearing the common thread between the scents you and Jess were predicting, was moisture. And it made me wonder if that's a subconscious answer to the dearth of water many of us, especially on either coast, both LA and New York City in drought mode, physically feel in our lives. I am not at all a fragrance historian, but it'd be interesting to see how past scent trends overlap with environment, literal or otherwise.
- [49:53]
Jess
So that would be interesting. I'd love for someone to get on the case there. But, like, I think the more interesting thing here is just how freaking astute this person is and how just intuitive. That is so right and so real. And. And for me, I was like, oh, sparkling's just, like, not been a trend. It's not been in perfumery for a while, what's going on? But I think the deeper thing is exactly what she's saying this morning. It's even like, children are very intuitive. Lake said this to me. She goes, it never rains anymore. Oh, if she just said it out of nowhere now, she's also got eyes. It's not like she's predicting an alien invasion or anything. It's not like, oh, animals know. And it's, you know, tsunami's coming or something. But it was just so, like. Yeah. And then she just, like, went back to what she was doing. And I was so haunted by that.
- [50:54]
Jen Sullivan
That she's. Yeah. That she pays attention. It's not like she's on CNN and hearing the anchor talk about drought conditions in New York City. No, she just was like, yeah, it hasn't rained in, like, 60 days.
- [51:03]
Jess
She said it never rains anymore.
- [51:05]
Jen Sullivan
Interesting.
- [51:06]
Jess
And it was, like, so upsetting, but it's just, like, chilling. And it's true. I think it's like, we want moisture, freshness, optimism. And with the forest thing, do you Want to speak to that? Because that was yours.
- [51:20]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. No, there was a dewiness factor to it, for sure. When you look at a parched landscape. And instead, I wanted mushrooms. What did I say? Mushrooms and moss. Both of those things need rain to grow, and it's interesting that we all landed on that. So, yeah, I don't have the name from this listener because they just texted us, but genius.
- [51:39]
Jess
What else does she know?
- [51:40]
Jen Sullivan
I know. I'm gonna. I'm gonna text her back and be like, what's your name? What else?
- [51:44]
Jess
Yeah, like oracle. Yeah, she's our oracle.
- [51:47]
Jen Sullivan
What if I never find out her name and we just, like, text her when we need to. I'm gonna give you her number two. She's just gonna be like. Like our fairy godmother of fat mascara.
- [51:54]
Jess
What's the vibe today? What's the vibe today? Like, political landscape.
- [51:59]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. Should I buy a lottery ticket?
- [52:00]
Jess
Fairy godmother, are you seeing?
- [52:05]
Jen Sullivan
All right. On a more traditional raise. A wand. We have a wand raise from Brett. And this has to do with washing your brushes. Hi, Jess.
- [52:13]
Brett Jackson
Hi, Jen. My name is Brett Jackson. I'm a makeup artist here in the city. And I was just finishing up episode 560, the Pantene episode, and you were questioning a good makeup brush cleaner. And I will tell you the one that I've been using for 20 years. It's on Amazon. It's $5. I was previously on Diane Kendall's makeup team for many, many. Her first assistant told me about it, and it's actually an artist cake of soap. I'll try to keep this fast on Amazon. You're going to Google the Masters soap. It's a cake of soap. A regular bar soap. It's dark, dark, dark green. So just like a regular bar of soap. And you don't get the feral part of the brush wet at all. You can just do it with the brushes. And the concept is, is that it would take oil paints out of artist brushes, so it works really well for me. I've been using it for prob. And I rarely throw out brushes. I have some very old makeup brushes, and it's got a conditioner in it. So back in the day when we would use dawn dishwashing soap or shampoo, all those things were so drying to some of the fibers. If you had natural fibers, there's a lot of good synthetic fibers out there now. But the reason the foundation isn't coming out of the makeup brushes now is, yes, there's a lot more synthetic brushes. Foundation comes out better on natural Bristle brushes, but the makeup is just got different ingredients in it now too. Anyway. All right, this is a long message. Enjoy the podcast. I've been listening from the get go. All right, take care. Thanks.
- [53:51]
Jess
Bye, Brett.
- [53:52]
Jen Sullivan
First of all, you're a makeup artist, so clearly we're going to trust you. Second of all, I did do what you said. I went to Amazon. I put in the master suit soap. Here's what I love. Two things. One, the dark green color. Fine. Three things. The label. It looks like it's from the 1800s. It's so cool. And then it's like six bucks. So thank you for the validation that the brushes have indeed changed and the makeup formulas have changed and for the idea that cleaning them like we're cleaning oil paints might work. So I'm gonna try that to be decided if I do it in the shower or not. So I'm combining the fat mascara rays once. Chad. Yes. What are you raising onto this week?
- [54:28]
Jess
So the weather a little bit more like weather talked for a second, but it gets to. We'll get to the point. So weather is making my hands dry, but also, like, it's a gross feeling. Like, my nails dry. You know, when you're like, nail, like, everything just feels super dry. I found a great cuticle oil, and I'm using it right now, and I'm just putting it on really liberally.
- [54:50]
Jen Sullivan
Do you have polish on or not? Are you putting on?
- [54:53]
Jess
No, I've not even wearing polish lately.
- [54:55]
Jen Sullivan
You just moisture, moisture, moisture.
- [54:56]
Jess
It's, like, rugged over here right now. It really is. It's like January.
- [55:03]
Jen Sullivan
Is it still January? It's still January.
- [55:05]
Jess
It's January. When we're recording this, I will say I'm heavily moisturized, though. I've been doing four layers of moisture.
- [55:12]
Jen Sullivan
It's not a sandwich. That's like a moisture sub. It's a moisture hoagie.
- [55:16]
Jess
Oh, my God. I see your beauty sandwich, Yvonne Pol, and I raise you the moisture sub. The moisture. Maybe that'll be the next product. So I'm using the manicurist Paris nail and cuticle oil. And I'm just. With complete imprecision, I just do like a run it over all four finger. All four, all five, Four here. And then I get to grab the thumb. I do the thumby, and then I just massage it in. And then I get the other ones. Get the other. I'm like an otter. I'm, like, rubbing it on my legs.
- [55:51]
Jen Sullivan
You do look like a little otter.
- [55:52]
Jess
I'm like a little otter.
- [55:53]
Jen Sullivan
Okay.
- [55:54]
Jess
And then that's it. That's the nail care for January.
- [55:57]
Jen Sullivan
That's what we're doing. I like manicurist Paris. I did spell it wrong once in the cut, and I feel so bad about it.
- [56:04]
Jess
It's a different spelling.
- [56:05]
Jen Sullivan
It has two U's instead of an I. Manure cureist, a green nail polish brand. That's a good one. I think we're on the same page here because I'm in hydration mode. I have been wanting to try, and I finally bought it. The CeraVe's new hairline. Because everybody loves Cerave Skincare. So I did the gentle hydrating shampoo and conditioner.
- [56:25]
Jess
How was it?
- [56:26]
Jen Sullivan
Amazing. Okay. Year of drugstore shampoo. Maybe Alex Earl started this off, but, like, yeah, I'm vibing on the drugstore shampoos and conditioners. I'll go with the positives first. The amount of, like, you know, when it, like, really suds up and it's a creamy lather, and you just feel like you're at a salon because it's really, really good lather. It's that without it all being drying. And I had, like, a dry scalp this summer, this winter, so I was like, thinking, this is gonna be drying, but it left it super moisturized. And then the conditioner, dude, kerastase levels of moisture. It's like one of those buttery. It's not a pump. It's like a squeeze tube that looks like toothpaste kind of tube. And I was like, this is rich. For 10 bucks, it's, like, so rich. Those are all the positives. I love it. If you have a sensitive scalp, if you need extra moisture, it's great. Great downside. Sold.
- [57:15]
Jess
Add to cart.
- [57:16]
Jen Sullivan
Let me just put the downside out there just so we can all have the whole thing. It's unfragranced, so it's fragrance free. Now, this might be a positive for some people, which is why I wanted to raise a wand to it. Because, like, say you have an allergy or, I don't know, you don't want it to compete with your shower gel or your perfume or you're just sensitive to fragrance. I'm not going to lie. It's very odd to me to wash my hair without that bloom of scent you usually get in the shower. Look at Lexi nodding. Do you agree, Lexi?
- [57:42]
Lexi McCallion
I do.
- [57:42]
Jen Sullivan
It's like the best part about washing your hair right for me. So I'm torn. The results are great. The product is great, But I also know I'm sharing. I'm raising wand because I think that there will be listeners of ours that will think of that as very much a positive thing.
- [57:57]
Jess
So, yeah, there will be listeners who very much, you know what? You know, who's this gonna be hit with?
- [58:03]
Jen Sullivan
Who?
- [58:04]
Jess
Parents of young children, kids with eczema allergies, people with, like, very allergy prone skin derm conditions. Yeah.
- [58:12]
Jen Sullivan
Which I think is why Cerave did this. Obviously, they're like a skincare brand. It makes sense.
- [58:17]
Jess
I feel like Aveeno was so good. Well, even I don't know. Do they have any fragrance? Maybe some of them. It's like everything is like, know anything and that's what's, like, the positive. So maybe this is like another kind of option in that world.
- [58:29]
Jen Sullivan
What I do love, though, so you're gonna get the decadence in the formula and the results just without the fragrance. So if that sounds good to you, I raise my wine mind very high to it. Lexi, thank you for contributing. Thanks for coming on the show.
- [58:41]
Lexi McCallion
Thanks so much for having me.
- [58:43]
Jen Sullivan
Yeah. All right, everybody, go get your beauty sleep and we'll see you next week.
- [58:48]
Jess
We hope you enjoyed the show.
- [58:50]
Jen Sullivan
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.
- [59:00]
Jess
Beauty questions and hear what products you love to share a raise, a wand product review, or to ask a beauty question. Email us at infoatmascara.
- [59:08]
Jen Sullivan
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.
- [59:20]
Jess
Thanks so much for listening.