How Dianna Cohen Turned A Hair Obsession Into Crown Affair

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fat Mascara Episode – "How Dianna Cohen Turned A Hair Obsession Into Crown Affair"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Fat Mascara
• Host: Jennifer Sullivan & Jessica Matlin
• Episode Title: How Dianna Cohen Turned A Hair Obsession Into Crown Affair
• Release Date: March 7, 2025

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Introduction

At the outset of the episode, hosts Jennifer ("Jen") Sullivan and Jessica ("Jess") Matlin introduce their guest, Dianna Cohen, the founder of the burgeoning hair care brand Crown Affair. They highlight Dianna's unique position in the beauty industry, emphasizing her relatable background as someone who isn't a professional hairstylist but has successfully carved out a niche in the market.

Early Life and Influences

[03:51 – 05:46]

Dianna shares her upbringing in the small boating town of Lighthouse Point, Florida. Raised by New Yorker parents who moved to Florida in the 1980s, Dianna describes her childhood as "preppy" and filled with outdoor activities. A pivotal moment came in eighth grade when her interest shifted from sports to fashion and beauty, inspired in part by her parents' art-savvy friends, Beau and Courtney Cranji, renowned jewelry designers.

Notable Quote:

"Up until eighth grade, I was just playing sports and jumping in a swimming pool. Then I found my love for fashion and beauty." – Dianna Cohen [04:51]

Education and Early Career

[05:50 – 10:16]

Dianna attended New York University, majoring in Art History and Italian. During her freshman year, she interned with Courtney and Beau Cranji, gaining invaluable experience in the fashion industry. Her proactive approach and dedication were evident as she took on various tasks, from setting up CRM systems at Valentino to collaborating on projects with Vera Wang.

Notable Quote:

"I felt like I was in heaven, doing anything and everything they needed me to do." – Dianna Cohen [07:03]

Transition to DTC and Founding Levitate

[10:17 – 16:01]

After graduating in 2013, Dianna immersed herself in the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) landscape, working with platforms like Spring and companies like Away. Her time in these roles provided her with deep insights into product-market fit and the importance of creating desirable products. However, she observed that many DTC brands were built on a "masculine energy" model focused on rapid growth, often at the expense of employee well-being.

Feeling the need for a more balanced approach, Dianna founded her own brand agency, Levitate, where she further honed her skills in building brand ecosystems and influencer partnerships.

Notable Quote:

"Product is everything. You need to make products that people actually want." – Dianna Cohen [16:01]

Founding Crown Affair

[22:38 – 36:32]

Motivated by her passion for hair care and her desire to create a brand that offers luxurious yet accessible products, Dianna launched Crown Affair in January 2020. The brand aims to empower individuals to take care of their hair without the need for salon visits, blending premium quality with contemporary aesthetics.

Dianna emphasizes the importance of creating a "brand universe" that resonates with consumers on a deeper level. She discusses the challenges of distinguishing Crown Affair in a saturated market and the deliberate choices made to ensure product excellence without over-reliance on marketing jargon.

Notable Quotes:

"Crown Affair is an entire universe that gives people permission to take care of themselves in a beautiful and luxurious way." – Dianna Cohen [27:21]

"We're taking the time to formulate and design, ensuring every product is a hero." – Dianna Cohen [47:50]

Brand Philosophy and Influences

[36:32 – 43:32]

Dianna delves into her brand philosophy, centered around the concept of "taking your time" both in the meticulous formulation of products and in cultivating a healthy work-life balance for her team. She draws inspiration from industry leaders like Emily Weiss of Glossier and Era Katz of Seed, admiring their ability to build brands that transcend their founders while maintaining authenticity.

She also touches upon the evolving nature of brand presence in the digital age, acknowledging the necessity of embracing platforms like TikTok and Substack to connect with a broader audience while staying true to her brand’s core values.

Notable Quote:

"Time is the core brand pillar for Crown Affair. It's about taking your time back." – Dianna Cohen [36:32]

Product Development and Innovations

[47:50 – 56:35]

Dianna discusses the meticulous process behind Crown Affair's product development. From high-quality brushes and hair towels to innovative dry shampoos, each product is designed with both functionality and luxury in mind. She highlights the importance of improving existing tools and ensuring that products not only meet but exceed customer expectations.

Additionally, Dianna shares her personal favorite products, both from Crown Affair and other brands, illustrating her commitment to quality and effective hair care solutions.

Notable Quote:

"Every little thing in our clips is improving upon them in the smallest of ways." – Dianna Cohen [47:50]

Balancing Public Presence with Authenticity

[40:44 – 43:32]

Navigating the role of an external-facing founder, Dianna reflects on her experiences with public speaking, interviews, and social media. While she enjoys connecting with people in person, she acknowledges the challenges of translating her authentic self onto digital platforms. Her approach emphasizes transparency and building genuine connections without compromising her brand’s integrity.

Notable Quote:

"It's impossible to translate exactly who you are into a digital format, but you just have to make the most of it." – Dianna Cohen [41:27]

Interactive Segments and Personal Insights

[51:39 – 56:35]

Towards the end of the episode, hosts engage Dianna in a lightning round of personal favorites, including beauty products, indulgent snacks, and favorite Jim Henson films. This segment offers listeners a glimpse into Dianna’s personality beyond her professional endeavors, showcasing her playful side and personal interests.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with reflections on the importance of creating quality products, maintaining work-life balance, and staying true to one's brand philosophy. Dianna’s journey from a passionate hair enthusiast to a successful founder serves as an inspiring blueprint for aspiring entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.

Final Quote:

"Make hair care cool and elevate the ritual of taking care of yourself." – Dianna Cohen [50:38]

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Key Takeaways:

• Passion-Driven Entrepreneurship: Dianna’s love for hair care inspired the creation of Crown Affair, emphasizing the role of genuine passion in building successful brands.
• Balanced Work Culture: Moving away from the high-pressure, "build fast and break things" mentality, Dianna prioritizes work-life balance and team well-being.
• Product Excellence: A strong focus on product development ensures that Crown Affair’s offerings are both luxurious and functional, meeting high standards without overcomplicating marketing.
• Adaptability: Embracing digital platforms while maintaining authenticity allows Crown Affair to connect with a broader audience without diluting its brand essence.
• Inspiration and Mentorship: Drawing inspiration from industry leaders and valuing mentorship highlights the importance of continuous learning and growth in entrepreneurship.

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Notable Quotes:

1. Dianna Cohen [04:51]: "Up until eighth grade, I was just playing sports and jumping in a swimming pool. Then I found my love for fashion and beauty."
2. Dianna Cohen [07:03]: "I felt like I was in heaven, doing anything and everything they needed me to do."
3. Dianna Cohen [16:01]: "Product is everything. You need to make products that people actually want."
4. Dianna Cohen [27:21]: "Crown Affair is an entire universe that gives people permission to take care of themselves in a beautiful and luxurious way."
5. Dianna Cohen [36:32]: "Time is the core brand pillar for Crown Affair. It's about taking your time back."
6. Dianna Cohen [47:50]: "Every little thing in our clips is improving upon them in the smallest of ways."
7. Dianna Cohen [41:27]: "It's impossible to translate exactly who you are into a digital format, but you just have to make the most of it."
8. Dianna Cohen [50:38]: "Make hair care cool and elevate the ritual of taking care of yourself."

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This episode of Fat Mascara offers an in-depth look into Dianna Cohen’s journey, her innovative approach to hair care, and her vision for creating a brand that embodies both luxury and accessibility. Listeners gain valuable insights into building a brand rooted in passion, maintaining a balanced work culture, and navigating the complexities of the modern beauty industry.

Transcript

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[Jen]

Hello everyone. Happy Friday. Welcome to Fat Mascara Podcast about beauty culture. I'm Jen.

[Jess]

Hi, Jen. Hi. Hi everyone. Okay, you guys, this is a solo episode, all right?

[Jen]

Don't try to kick me out too soon. I have to remind you.

[Jess]

No, I'm just letting them know because I just want to set expect. Or they could probably. I don't know if they read the description. No, I'm not kicking you out. I'm. I'm bringing you in.

[Jen]

I'm here in the studio for now. That's right, it is. Jess is gonna have a great interview before we get to that. Quick reminder, if you love fat mascara, and we know you do, throw us a review over on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Helps us become more discoverable.

[Jess]

It does. And we read them.

[Jen]

Of course we do. And you can also comment on each episode, including this episode. Let us know what you think on Spotify. That's always a fun place to connect.

[Jess]

With and we might read your review. We might read your review if it's.

[Jen]

Not going to read any today, though.

[Jess]

No, no, not right now. But if it's, if it's inspiring, if it's colorful, maybe if it's funny, if it's colorful. Yeah, yeah.

[Jen]

Amuse us, everyone.

[Jess]

Okay, so let's talk about who is on the show today. I want to say by popular demand, but like I've, you know, because she gets mentioned a lot and she's very much like in the news right now, like in the ether. She's of the moment. Diana Cohen of Crown Affair. Crown Affair, quite a buzzy hair brand right now, but they're actually just celebrating their five year anniversary. Diana tapped into something that isn't drugstore. It's not super, super luxe. It is something in the middle. It's this white space that hadn't been addressed before. And because she isn't a hairstylist, I think that a lot of people relate to who she is and what she's looking for.

[Jen]

And you don't have to go to a salon to get it. That's also new or was sort of new. So, yeah, you guys are going to have a great conversation. I'll miss you both. You're the Aaron spirit. I'm the Aaron spirit. All right, let's get into it.

[Jess]

Diana, you've got a big resume. You got a big resume. We talked about it a little bit on the intro. We know that you've got a big brand. That's nice. That's very. That's well and good. But let's start small. Where are you from?

[Ryan Reynolds]

A very small place.

[Jess]

If we're starting small, let's start really. Let's go real small.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Really tiny. I'm from a very small town.

[Jess]

Where do they grow? Founders.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They grow founders in a tiny little boating town called Lighthouse Point, Florida.

[Jess]

That sounds like Dawson's Creek. This sounds like. This sounds very. This sounds very fake.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's a fake. Beautiful place. I grew up. Yeah, It's. Honestly, people who are from south Florida are like, where? Yeah, it's between Fort Lauderdale and Boca on the water.

[Jess]

Lighthouse Creek. This sounds like it was invented.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Lighthouse Point. Lighthouse Point. But Lighthouse Creek sounds pretty fabulous too.

[Jess]

Yeah. Okay. And like. So you were born there?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Born and raised. My parents are New Yorkers. They moved down to Florida in the 80s, so. And then decided to have children.

[Jess]

So they were before everyone. Before the mass exodus.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Correct.

[Jess]

During.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Correct. By about 35 years. Okay.

[Jess]

All right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And what was that like?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It was. In hindsight, it was so Beautiful. It was an amazing childhood. I mean, right now it's February, and you can just wear shorts and a T shirt and play sports all year round. It was very preppy. Not a lot going on when it came to beauty or fashion or design or art, but it was such a good childhood. I'm still best friends with my best friends from kindergarten, so I'm very grateful to have grown up in, like, a tiny town where you just get on your bike and go play outside. And it wasn't until, like, eighth grade, and probably, like, when my obsession with the Olsens transitioned, which I feel like was their inflection point of, like, going to NYU and being into fashion, I kind of followed a very similar journey. So up until eighth grade, I was just, like, playing sports, running outside, jumping in a swimming pool kind of vibe, and then kind of found my love of all the things that I'm in now around 8th, 9th grade.

[Jess]

And that's like, fashion, beauty, style.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Fashion, beauty, design, style. I mean, was. I'm sure, like many of us pulling out the. Every page of Vogue. And the Teen Vogue was my bible, basically. I feel like I know those pages back in front. And, you know, I was lucky to go to New York in the summers and visit cousins. We'd go for, like, a week or two. And I always loved New York City. But, yeah, it was very preppy. I was definitely the kid in high school that was hanging out in the art room. And it was actually my art teachers, the Kranjies, they were this very cool couple that had a very, very cool son and daughter who were about a decade.

[Jess]

The Crangies. They had. Yeah, they're. Yeah, they're jewelry designers.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes. They went to the same. They grew up in the same place as I did, and we went to the same school.

[Jen]

Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And their parents were my art teachers. Mr. And Mrs.

[Jess]

Things are getting interesting now. Okay, so what happened? Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So Beau and Courtney, the cool siblings that, you know, that are, like, jewelry designers, cfda. They lived in New York. They were, like, fabulous.

[Jess]

Yeah. This is around the time that they were. If you were in school at that point, I'm getting a sense of, like, how old you are. Yeah. Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes. Yes. So I. One summer, I was like, I really want to go to New York and do an internship. And Mr. And Mrs. Cranji were like, why don't you intern for Courtney and Beau? Philip Crangie. Yeah, Bo's a proper name. That's his nickname.

[Jess]

Yeah. Philip Cranji had, like, very cool, kind of, like, rock and Rolly designs.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The coolest had, like, a gem box of a store and meatpacking. And, I mean, Courtney was amazing too. Her and Jenna Lyons started dating around that time. So I kind of was just, like, plopped. Even before I went to college. My senior year of high school, I, like, spent a couple weeks working with Zach was the head of production there, and I just did anything and everything. You know, unpaid internship. I remember, like, dropping samples off. They did a collab with Vera Wang. To me, it was just like the studio was on 28th street in Chelsea, and Courtney and Philip Cranche just had the cool. Still have the coolest taste in style. And it was heaven to me. Like, whatever they needed me to do, whatever. And, you know, they were selling wholesale to, like, Intermix and, like, fifth floor of Bergdorf. So, like, even if I was just, like, running an errand, I was like, in heaven.

[Jess]

So this is very pre Internet. Like, I mean, the Internet existed obviously at this point, but this was pre the sort of ecosystem that Crown Affair lives in right now.

[Ryan Reynolds]

A thousand percent.

[Jess]

Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Tumblr. Tumblr was huge.

[Jess]

Yeah. This is like pre2010.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes. I graduated high school in 2009. So this was 08.

[Jess]

Yeah. Okay, so you graduate high school, you know that this is like, where you want to be. You want to be in fashion, you want to be in New York, you want to be with. You are a creative type, but you want to be with other creative types, doing things, getting your hands in the mix, collaborating with other creative people and in fashion. Then you go to nyu. You're living the Mary Kate Ashley Olsen dream, right?

[Jen]

Yes.

[Jess]

And what do you study?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Art history. And Italian.

[Jess]

And Italian. Okay, so not marketing is what then what happens? The reason why I'm going through, like, your. Your cv, as they say, is because I'm amazed at how quickly, like, I don't know your age, but, like, you've built this incredible brand that is now celebrating five years and you're not old.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Thank you. Sometimes when I go on the Internet, I do feel like I am. I always. I was joking, actually with Sarah Brown, that I feel like I'm like, the last of a generation. I'm like the last generation.

[Jess]

What do you mean? And you mean Sarah Brown, formerly a Viola Gray, former beauty director of Vogue for, like, eons? Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So I'll take through nyu, but I remember transcribing her interview when I in turned it into the gloss, and she was just like, goddess to me. So I studied these people. I studied the credits, like, I. It was still not a digital world when I was falling in love with all of these things. But yeah, I went to nyu. I interned my freshman year with Courtney and Beau again. So I like, I don't. It's kind of unhinged. I look back, like most kids go to freshman year, college and they're just like ready to go to orientation. And I was like, put me to work. Like I was there three days a week in the office and to, to.

[Jess]

Put a, put a pin in that. We're going to. Okay, we're going to talk about like freshman year. But where do you get like this crazy work ethic?

[Ryan Reynolds]

My dad. I love doing cool things with people. Like, for me, this is play and fun. I don't know how to explain it if they're lazy.

[Jess]

Sorry.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No.

[Jess]

The way I said, people are probably like asking, thinking more about me than you. They're like, what's wrong with Jess? Like, no, but like, I'm like, why do you want to work so hard? No, because there's a lot of questions right now. I think the reason why it's on my mind, Ayanna, is I get into a lot of questions lately. It's like in the ether right now about what's asked of people, what it takes to like get it done. And you've clearly been born with Take it to the wall. You know what I mean?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. By the way, that is what it takes. I think that I had no delusions about what it takes to do this.

[Jess]

What was your dad saying to you? What's he like? And let's get him on the show.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, no, let's get him on the show. He's amazing. He. I mean, I feel like everyone likes their parents, so obviously I'm biased. But my parents were 20 years apart, first marriage for both. My dad's an entrepreneur. He has taken eight companies public, by the way. Neither of my parents went to college and my dad didn't even finish high school. He's from south Brooklyn. He's from near Coney island originally. He's a Brooklyn boy, grew up in poverty essentially. And it's just, he's just so smart. I know everyone says that about their dad, so I don't mean to be like lame, but he's very John Nashy with like numbers and creative and is entirely self made and ultimately for better, sometimes at worse. He always just like friends would come over growing up and he was just like so sarcastic. There's like a little bit of Larry David in him. He's just like A goofy guy from Brooklyn, but really smart. And my parents never pushed me. Like, I was always kind of a B student, if I'm being honest with you. Like, if there was one thing I feel like a lot of people's parents are like, be a great athlete, Be an amazing student. And I was working hard to do those things. But there was always a value in my household, especially with my dad around, like, creative thinking and asking questions and being curious. So if I didn't leave Florida and I did, like, whatever with my life, my parents would be happy too. Like, they didn't come from this world. My dad was more in like, biotech and technology. And there wasn't like, expectations of me in terms of you gotta do all this stuff. But I don't know, it is from him. And just honestly, for him it was survival. And for me, I obviously have a lot of privilege compared to his experience, but I'm definitely like his child.

[Jess]

All right, let's fast forward. Let's go. I took you off course. Okay, so there you are. It's orientation. You're like, I don't care where the dining hall is. Tell me about Philip Crangie's next collection or whatever. Okay, you're ready to work.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ready to work. Worked. Did a ton of internships. Also did, like, it was definitely like the heyday of cfda. It was the first year of Fashion Night out. Tbt rip. Feel like everyone has a fashion sign out story. It was. It was just a really exciting time in New York. The early 2010s, you know, I'm sure it was even better before then too. So not to feel like everything kind of went downhill in New York in like 2016, which is perfectly aligned with social media. But those years were just so fun and anything when I entered it to Kuhn, I did two semesters at Valentino. It was amazing. Those were the. I mean, the Oscar seasons. It was like Rooney Mara and like Michelle Williams. So, like, I was the intern. I always. Anywhere I interned, I kind of just soder. I swear. I don't mean I just became the super intern. Like, I remember being at Valentino and setting up a whole CRM system for them for like the stylist. Because it was just so archaic. And I think that was kind of a light bulb moment of how do we move these things a little bit forward. It was also a good awakening for me. I'm like, this is so fun, but, like, I don't think I want to work in fashion. And timing wise, right. I came into NYU 09 I graduated 2013. The Internet was happening in the way that you were noting it. So, like, at that point, Emily Weiss, who's a few years older than me, went into the traditional industry. Right. She was at Conde. She was at Vogue, and W. And then she started this little thing called into the Gloss that was like, literally Bible. And I remember having friends who went to go work at art galleries or Christie's or Sotheby's, or friends who went to go work at Vogue in different places. And I was just like, all I want to do is I just love the Internet. So I kind of took that first step. I sent her and Nick a cold email with a Tumblr called itgassignment.tumblr.com to just, like, I know I'm, like, still young, but I am dating myself, and I was ready to go.

[Jess]

So you started working. You started interning there. And from there, I know that you did a lot of other work with, like, into the Gloss is not a. At that point, it was not like a DTC company that wasn't a glossier moment. But. But then you started working with companies like Away, right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Jess]

You founded your own company. Right. Levitate.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. So I worked with Spring, which was a mobile shopping app back in the day, which had over 300 DTC brands on the platform. But that was where I really started working with engineers, and that became my culture in terms of how to build a business. And. Yeah. Worked with Tamar Mellon Away.

[Jess]

Right. So did you walk away? Like, that was really the height of the. I shouldn't say the height, but the beginning. Like the kind of the foundation of DTC culture, especially for millennial brands, consumer brands, beauty brands. What did you take from that time? You know, everyone walked away from that time saying, everyone, but everyone in, like, a beauty culture, you know, can take something from that time, whether it's packaging design or something about culture, work culture or finance. There's something to be gleaned from every aspect of that time. I mean, books are written about DTC culture. There was a TV show about it, you know, with Anne Hathaway.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Jess]

There's so much from that time. What did you take away from it that informs your work today?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. By the way, David from DS and Durga was like, you're kind of the Forrest Gump of D2C. Like, you weren't the prominent figure, but you were just, like, in the background.

[Jess]

Forrest Gumpatto areas. No, but you were there. So, like, what's sort of your takeaway?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Your takeaway 1 product market, fit, product is everything and creating desirable product. I think there were so many brands that we still joke about this. Like it was just so easy and cheap to acquire customers online. Then it's like they were like force growing this desirability where it's like at the end of the day, you need to make products that people actually want. You can't just like market, okay, you.

[Jess]

Don'T have to name names, you don't have to name names. But like, what is like a type of product that you're like, okay, we don't need blah, blah, blah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay, this, I did not work there and this is savage. But I'm like, do people really want their toes showing through their wool sneakers? Is that what's happening?

[Jess]

Their what? Their wool sneakers.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Wool sneakers.

[Jess]

I actually don't even know what product. No, I don't. And that's.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's all right. I probably shouldn't say, but there's like a very a sneaker brand that came out of the like Harry's and Warby guys. It's like trying to make fetch happen. I think a lot of this time was like trying to make fetch happen. But also so many learnings. I mean, like, operationally. I remember when I joined away, I was the eighth employee there. I remember joining away and people had kind of warned me about the leadership, but I was like really excited about the vision and the opportunity for my specific role. There were two other brands in the marketplace at the time. One was Raiden. They had that big store where Sea Wonder used to be and is now the glossier on like Crosby right there. I remember like Raiden was around and then also a luggage company called Blue Smart and they had so much inventory. When the regulations around not being able to have lithium batteries in your carry ons happen. I mean, I think everyone has a story of like, how do I get my battery out? And they were not prepared and they just died overnight because they had too much cash in their inventory. So like so much stuff like that or like partnership strategy. That's the thing. It's like people are like, how do you do this? How do you build a community strategy? How do you build? I'm like, I just did it for 10 years before starting Crown Affairs. So like all the partnerships the first year of away or building out influencer ambassador for outdoor voices, like setting up affiliate links, like building out slack channels. Like, you can't just hire an agency. I'm like not a believer in like hiring an agency to like farm this stuff out. It's like early days of building out the core pillars of marketing and storytelling, it's really important that you have a little bit of a handle on it. As a founder.

[Jen]

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[Jess]

We go through a ton.

[Jen]

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[Jess]

I love them for my child. And you know why? Because I love a spray. Easy to get her but they dry, clear and none of that nasty white pasty stuff. It dries nice and clear. And also I know that this should be obvious, guys, they're free from potentially irritating fragrances, parabens and phthalates. Go to bluelizardsunscreen.com to find out more information and find out which sunscreens are right for your family and where you can buy in store or visit the Blue Lizard Australian sunscreen store on Amazon.

[Jen]

Be fearless in the sun.

[Jess]

Okay? You had the education, you were well trained in every single area of, you know, you had a master's degree in and how to build a DTC brand. How did Crown Affair spring to mind before?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I. I think it's important to talk about what I was doing between away and Crown Affair to kind of lead into what I was doing with Crown Affair. So I had left away because I was really Seeking a different kind of culture and a different type of work style. I think the biggest learning from that decade of D2C is that they were rooted in masculine energy, which is build fast and break things.

[Jess]

But the problem, even if it was a woman at the top.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Correct.

[Jess]

Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Sometimes even more so.

[Jess]

Okay. I don't know why I'm saying it like, I'm surprised. Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a different. It's a different thing. But the problem is you're moving fast and breaking things. But those things are people, and I was one of those people, and I was broken.

[Jess]

Okay. Do you think that the move fast, break things, masculine energy thing, do you think it had to actually do with gender, or do you think it was just an attitude?

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, no, I think. I think men and women all have masculine and feminine.

[Jess]

So you're not saying it was like.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, no, no, no, no, no. It wasn't specifically men. It's just like there are two types of energy that we all have, masculine and feminine. And the world is structured in, like, a masculine energy where I think I'm aligned. Yes. Yeah. And I think coming from a place of feminine energy requires extraordinary work in this culture, especially like a capitalist society. So when I left away.

[Jess]

They don't like that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, they don't like that. I was looking to, like, create my own schedule. I was tired of being in an office five days a week, but in chair 9am, leaving at 8, going to drinks, going to dinner, going to an event. Like, I was exhausted at this was all pre Covid, by the way. So I was just ready to have more work, life balance. And I also wanted to choose who I was working with. So I started my brand agency, Levitate, had a couple clients. It was still the same thing, though. But the truth is this was like 2017, 2018. The writing was on the wall. Being in the trenches, building out influencer. Like something's change, changing the culture, seeing it change. Like the whole influencer thing was shifting. And also it was getting expensive. Like, more and more brands were launching so totally separately. I'm obsessed with hair care and I'm obsessed with beauty products. That's probably why I loved into the Gloss so much. And I've always been like a violet gray shopper, a goop shopper, a moda shopper. Now, like, what as these?

[Jess]

Like, like motor launch D. No, no, no, I know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, I was a. I've been a violet gray shopper since they opened, you know, and I was honestly just tired of these D2C millennial brand. I just thought that they weren't, like, luxurious or cool. And then at the same time, I had tried a lot of new hair care brands or, like, clean hair care, like Rawa and like, Playa. It was a little bit of a performance issue. I would always go back to Orbe and Christophe Robin. And I just had this light bulb moment. I sent out a Google Doc. This is when I had levitate of, like, here's the brush. You have to get, like, Mason Pearson. And the fact that I could look around at my friends and half of them didn't know what a Mason Pearson brush was or, like, why they should be brushing hair. Or if they did, they're like, why am I spending 200 ish more dollars on a hairbrush? And I'm like, oh, wow. There's such a disconnect between this thing that I love. Like, I genuinely love it. Like, whether I had Crown Affair or not, have Crown Fair or not, like, I'm obsessed with taking care of my hair. I'm working on all these brands and building out all these ecosystems. And I also learned so much to your question earlier of, like, what not to do. I'm so grateful for that. To, like, have been alongside a lot of founders. And the way that I describe it when you're an early employee is like, it's kind of the same feeling as, like, you think you speak a language. You're like, no, no, I speak Spanish. I can speak Spanish. And then you get to the country and you're like, oh, I do not speak. I know how to kind of get around. And once you actually become a founder, you're literally. It's not the same. Like, it's just. It's not fluency. So, yeah, I was working nights and weekends on Crown Affair when I was consulting, and I think my art history background, like, people ask me, like, when I started Crown Affair, like, I can go back to my camera roll and I have screenshots from 2014 of, like, visuals and references that now live in the brand. So it's been this thing that's been growing for a while, and I couldn't keep giving my special to other people. Which, by the way, I only had that special because I worked for other people. So I always say, like, work for people. Young girls in their 20s are like, I'm gonna do this thing. I'm like, dude, get work for people. It's, I think, super helpful. And I kind of just knew. I'm like, I'm ready to try this.

[Jess]

What was the vision For Crown Affair, I feel like we were bearing the lead a little bit. Like, yeah, you love taking care of your hair. You had this Google Doc with all of your favorite things that your good friends didn't know about. But, like, what was in a nutshell, what is Crown Affair?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Crown Affair is an entire universe that gives women or whoever permission to take care of themselves and do it in a way that's beautiful and luxurious. And it is, I think, this new entry point of offering what I loved about, like, Mason Pearson and Bully and like, all these luxury brands and presenting it in a much more contemporary way. And, yeah, and contemporary can mean a lot of things. It could mean, like, a more accessible price point and way to get it. It could be, like, a more contemporary way to talk about hair. Right. Like, I'm not a professional stylist, and I'm obsessed with that world. And we can talk about, like, because, you know, the credits, like, studying the credits. I've been going to my stylist for 13 years. She was Guido Palau's first assistant. Like, I have extraordinary respect for stylists, but I'm not a stylist, and I don't want to blow my hair out, and I don't want to put, like, a root spray in and then have to blow it out. Like, I have been obsessed with no makeup. Makeup hairs. I mean, it's what I call it. And. And it's like that Olsen effortlessness. And by the way, like, Mark Townsend, brilliant, genius. Like, he's obviously doing something to the Olsen's hair. But, like, for me, it's been about creating products and formulas that my visual literacy, I've always joked, is like, Star wars meets Chanel. And I feel like that's kind of where Crown Affair sits. And, you know, all my weird references and things that I like, like, Jim Henson. And I just didn't want another salon brand. It was like, I wanted to create something that made our lives easier. And hair care is something you're excited about, and the way that you get excited about, like, makeup or fragrance or, like, skincare, like, hair has always either felt, like, really disempowered and, like, oh, that's something that the professionals do. And my hair gets done, or if I'm gonna be really candid, it's just not exciting, like, kind of lame.

[Jess]

Yeah. I find sometimes hair care can be like, I see it on the shelf, and, like, if there was a sound effect or, like, a visual effect, it would be like the camera would shoot at the bottle, and then it would cut to me, Bottle me, bottle me. And it's like, am I going to figure out how to use it? You know what I mean? It's like, I don't know how to. Jen, like. And I have left because it's like, I'm not good at hair. I'm bad at hair. And I have been in beauty for two decades. We had a shoot once, five years ago at least, and they were like, bring your hot tools because there's no hair. And Jen was like, so good with she's got the wand. And I was like, yeah, you know, it's hair is hair. I think hair is harder to fake than makeup. That's my personal opinion.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It is the Cinderella of the beauty industry and it is my life mission to make hair a thing and make hair care cool.

[Jess]

Now, how has it been? I think of the different launches in the last five, six years that have been really big or brands have gotten really big. Orbe is longer than five, six years ago. I'm gonna. What's it called? 10 years. Made a huge splash. Way Made a huge splash. Virtue huge splash. All of these are Orbe Gen Atkin Adir. Right? You are from. Where's that little town? Lighthouse.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Port Lighthouse Creek, let's call it.

[Jess]

I was gonna call it Port Washington, but that's in New York. Okay, okay. Sunlight Creek. I don't know. I'm joking around. Listen, I'm from a small town in New Jersey. I'm joking around. But you are not a hairstylist. So how has that been when you are in this world? Like, you know, how have you been embraced or how have you been speaking about hair in this world? Or has it not come up at all?

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, I got eyeballs. I remember when I first went. This was. I launched the brand January 28th of 2020 and I started doing like editor desk sides that December of 2019, right before the pandemic. And I think it was confusing. People were like, you're not gonna blow out my hair today. I'm like, no, I'm here to, like, take it back to the beginning.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm like, no, no, no. We're going back to step one, the basics of hair care, like brushing your hair. But I have always seen it as an advantage. And I've never pretended to be a hairstylist, obviously. And I also am like, I'm just obsessed with product. And I've always been someone who wants something really nice. So for me and my friend who helped me launch this brand, who's a bioengineer and chemist and got his undergrad through Ph.D. at Cornell and worked in supply chain at McKinsey. So, like, we were reverse. To me, it's perspective is actually what makes you critical. And, like, if you come from this industry or you just go straight to a contract manufacturer and you say, I want a dry shampoo, they're going to be an aerosol dry shampoo. I want a hair gel, they're going to give you a gel, alcohol in it. And it's like, because I'm from the outside and so extraordinarily critical, I'm like, how do we actually innovate and work with chemists before we go to a CM and treat each product like a hero product? Because, like, I actually don't have a reason to launch this. Like, I'm not a celebrity and I don't have a following and I'm not an influencer. So for me, it's like building out the combination of, like, building out a really strong, timeless brand system with extraordinary product that I almost want to, like, bury the lead that we're a hair care company, which is like, a tricky thing. I think it's worked, but it was confused. I think people were confused at first. And I'm like, it's really about taking care of your hair. And, like, we'll get into the other stuff.

[Jess]

It's hair care. It's not like, I know you have now hairspray, you have gel, but you're starting with hair care. I like to quote. You had. It's like an arrow. I don't know if this resonates with everyone, but you're like, it's an Erewhon Smoothie.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Jess]

You're looking at me funny. Do you remember?

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, no. I'm obsessed with. Yes.

[Jen]

Yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, no. I. I think that most of beauty in general, not just hair care, most of beauty is giving you Jamba Juice, and we are giving you the Erewhon Smoothie.

[Jess]

I'm go. Don't. You don't have to knock. I left out the Jamba Juice part because I love Jamba Juice. There is. There they are dwindling in New York City. You know that, right? They're dwindling.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And for the record, Razzmatazz is a favorite, and that's why I'm saying it. No, no, no. This is like. This is why I actually think it's a good analogy, because it's like, it's still a great smoothie, by the way. Like, I don't always want the Erewhon thing. Like, sometimes I want the Jamba Juice thing. And I know I'm, I really do love that. And like I've been a fan of other products. I think the beauty of beauty is like you use so many products. I still, there's Oribe products I will never even try to touch. You know what I mean?

[Jess]

Because they're, because they do them so well. You mean?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes, yes. And by the way, a lot of this stuff is hard to make. Clean is the other thing, like from a efficacy standpoint. And I don't lead with clean but to me it's like as a brand it's kind of doesn't mean anything. But like I do believe in finding ingredients that are really high quality and working with vendors that source them in a really good way. But that's obviously a whole can of worms. But yeah, like Oribe has amazing products.

[Jess]

You know who is a founder that you really admire because you've obviously worked in so many founder driven brands so you've seen quite a bit.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's a great question. I have two founders I deeply admire. I will say I do feel like there aren't great examples of work, life, balance, feminine energy. You know, I think I just want everyone to like have a life too. Like, I love work and the expert. I love building things right. And it's like I want to build a team that loves building things. I also want a team that's like, I'm going to spend this, I need this Tuesday to like spend with my mom or like I'm going to take a trip for a week right now to go. Like I'm all about transparency because I didn't grow up with that. So I am trying to create that now. So I don't really have a lot of north stars of like I also do a lot of coaching. I don't know, I'm trying to be the best that I can. But my two, I mean, Emily Weiss to me is still deeply inspiring in terms of what she's built as a brand because she's not even really the glossier girl, you know what I mean? Like she built something that transcends what she did.

[Jess]

You mean that she is not the client, but she is like what you like what she's built.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think she's been able to build a brand universe that is totally for her but also transcends her, which I think is really hard to do. And I think that I've just always admired her ambition.

[Jess]

Do you think it's fair, the flack that she's gotten?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think it's tough. I think that she came up in a time where she had to become a tech company. And if there's anything we learned from that, it's like, product is the king. And it's like she got surrounded by a lot of people who are tech innovators. And if there's anything I learned from working at Spring, which was the mobile shopping app in 2013, it's impossible to get people to download an app. And, like, you can't force the culture onto a platform. Like, we see this with all of the. You know, and I think they try to do that, and it's like, wait, let's actually get back to the core of what this is.

[Jess]

I didn't fully understand when. Until I read the book, which I know it was not an authorized biography, but I didn't understand how much the company, according to the book, was pressured to become a tech company. And that's. That is a little crazy to me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And I think, you know, you just get so big so quickly. And the truth is, is it takes time. This. You can't. That's what I learned. It's like, don't. Whether it was away or glossier or. Or anyone, it's like, don't take hundreds of millions of dollars, because even if you have all the resources, the one thing you cannot fake is time. It's. It's funny because time is probably my favorite thing to talk about and think about.

[Jess]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. And like, Crown Affair is actually anchored around time as the core brand pillar.

[Jess]

That's. I was gonna say that's your brand mantra. Take your time. You were mentioning another founder who you respected or that you really admire.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The one that is like, my soul is Era Katz, who's the co founder of Seed, the Probiotic. She is just one of the most intentional people I've ever met in my entire life. And what she's built with Seed, I think is really impressive in a category that can be, like, kind of tricky in terms of. Of supplements. And she's just a remarkable leader and so dialed. And she was my first boss at Spring, and she's now one of my really close friends. But she. She taught me everything I know is the truth. Like, as much as I talk about all these other people I worked for, like, ERA Cats is the reason that I think the way that I do in terms of building out teams, how I communicate, everything comes from the grassroots place. You know.

[Jen]

Winter hibernation is almost over. We're almost there, and it's time for some of that spring cleaning. Jess and I are going into the season with a completely refreshed laundry routine. I'm talking about laundry sauce, the premium scented laundry pods that don't just clean your clothes, they elevate them. I just washed the cotton throw that's on my couch with the Italian bergamot pods. Those are the ones in the orange box.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Box.

[Jen]

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[Jess]

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[Jess]

You're both involved in, very heavily involved in the business, but you're also a founder. Like, you have an outward person. Like you're, you're forward facing, you're the face of the brand. You're on Instagram. Is that a comfortable place for you or is this sort of like a price of doing business?

[Ryan Reynolds]

The first time I ever spoke to camera was once Covid happened. So, you know, when I launched the brand, I always planned to be an external facing founder in the context of podcasts and interviews and articles and panels and I love that. And honestly, my favorite thing to do is like, speak at colleges because I really do love mentoring young people and getting them excited and finding that work ethic and finding out how because it can feel overwhelming. But, you know, I had no plans to be an influencer. Like, I liked the inside of it. Like, I liked having budgets to pay influencers to do stuff, and seeing how things performed. I never thought that I would enjoy.

[Jess]

Both sides just as much. It doesn't seem like this is my. Yeah, like you, you thrive in both areas.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think it is a reality now, you know, like all the women I'm talking about and all of the people that I look up to, even someone, people I haven't mentioned. But like founders that I really admire, like Carissa from Hourglass and Vicky from Tatcha, those are, I mean, hourglass is 20 years old. Tatcha's got to be 15. Something like that. Like, they didn't have to do this. You know what I mean? Like, this just wasn't part of the deal. And if they started brands five years ago, then it's just part of it. I do enjoy it because I like connecting with people. I much prefer this. I much prefer connecting with people in person. Like, I'd rather go to coffee with people and like get into it. I think, I think like the special stuff is like it. I think it is actually impossible to translate exactly who you are into a digital format. And it's not in my second nature to capture it. So I've had to learn and I'm grateful for it. Especially with TikTok. I at first was like, oh, I'm Not. I have rules. I'm not singing, I'm not lip syncing, I'm not dancing. Like, I can't do this. But you just try and figure out what works for you. And it's definitely forced me to be less precious. And I have met so many amazing people through these platforms that live somewhere that isn't New York and didn't have a decade of being in the city and doing that. So I don't know, you just. My thing is, like, you can't be nostalgic, you just have to try stuff. And I'm excited for the day where I don't have to do it, but I. When I transcend all of this. But I like, just to be totally honest, like, if I wanted to be an influencer, I would have done it 10 years ago, you know, but it's. It's part of the gig now and you just gotta like, make the most of it. Do you like doing it? Do you. What's your vibe on it?

[Jess]

I'm not an influencer. Like, I'm not. I feel like I do the show and like, occasionally I'm on Social, but I'm by no means like outfit of the day.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The work is still the work, the work is the work. And then I just think this is all Halo. I will say I love substack. Like, that has been a newer. I know, it's been around for a while. That's been beautiful and I love spending time on that. The truth is, I wrote a substack about this. There's a show called English Teacher on.

[Jess]

Oh, everyone loves it. My friend keeps in trying to get me to watch. I know, I know, I know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, it's actually really good. It's really good. My husband's like a big FX guy. Like, he listens to. And he listens to Grantland. So we watched it the day it came out and like, when I say no one watched it whenever we watched it, like a year ago, like, I had no one to talk to about it. It's an amazing show. Six months ago, the lead of the show started lip syncing and dancing to a song on TikTok that had nothing to do with the show. It was like Kirk from Gilmore Girls. It was like, what's that supposed to. It was like this meme. He basically made a meme and he memeified himself. And then all of a sudden, like, the show is one of the highest, most watched shows and it was this light bulb moment for me as like a holier than thou founder. That's like, it's all about the work. But it's like the reality of today is like, you do need to figure out the Internet because it shines a light on the work. I'm sure that the creator of that show would be very upset if the work was just the meme. You know what I mean? So it's like, I think the balance right now, if there's any founders listening, it's like you gotta dip a toe if you can and you're open to it. Know that the work is still the work and it is just a top of funnel way to show light on the tv.

[Jess]

You know, this is a really old example. I'm saying really old. It's like five years ago. I'm like, it's the oldest example. But I always think about that Ocean Spray guy and Fleetwood Mac.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Jess]

Or like, this is. Okay, this is like not on the skateboard. Yeah. And like they're. I don't even know how much more money they made from that, but, like, they don't need any more money. I mean, I guess that's. That's a philosophical, like, question, but like, that generate a whole new generation of people. Yes, right. But there's so many things like that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So many things like that. And here's the thing. I still want to make excellent things that speaks to a very specific type of woman and person. I don't. I don't have a brand that's made for that type of person. You know what I mean? There's like a million different ways to do this. And I'm very much about the work, but, like, you can have fun and you can play and you can be whimsical. And to me, I'm always like, it's what's between the ears that really matters. And I think we're finding people who like Crown Affair who are down for like the fun, playful thing that doesn't have to do with hair. But I don't know, it's. It's something I'm not. We're all navigating in real time.

[Jess]

I love Iran. I know we need to talk. I feel like we need to talk a little bit more about products because we're talking big ideas. Big, big ideas. TikTok and English. English teacher.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right?

[Jess]

You want to keep on calling the English patient. Okay, The English teacher. Okay, can I just shout out a couple things that I love? And then I want to hear just other products that you love. You can include some of your own, too. And then we have to do Fat Mascara 5. Because we could be gabbing all day. Okay. I know this isn't your formula, but your clips, your hair clips. The best. Yes, the best hair clips. Okay, I need 15 more, because they're all around my house. They have the best grip. You know, I think you guys may have known that I was really into the J. Crew hair clips for, like, that because I did a razor wand to them, like, years ago. Okay. The J. Crew hair clips have. Now they're stepping aside to make way in the collection for the crown affair hair clips. The quality is great. The tension. It's the perfect amount of tension. And the gloss, the finish, they're so luxurious. And what's the price point on this, Diana?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's for two. I think it's. Let me. Don't quote me.

[Jess]

I think they're each, like, 20. I'm like, she doesn't even know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I should. Let's see. They're 50. I think they're 4. 54. In all fairness, I have dyscalcula, so don't ever quote me on any price.

[Jess]

That I ever booth anymore.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Like, is it 45 or 54? I don't know. I'm so dyslexic. No, they're handmade, and they're. I. First of all, I love you for saying this. And by the way, the J. Crew hair clip was an iconic hair clip.

[Jess]

It was such a good haircut. But it's. You know, we. We can. We can share space in the 4. Share space and then the hair towels. I know you work so hard on the formulas, but I'm talking about, by the way, I.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We really started with tools. We had one formula when we launched, and my entire mission with the tools was to take the tools that I loved, the brush or the towel, and make them better. The truth is, is, like, every little thing in these clips just improving upon them in the smallest of ways. And it goes back to what I was saying. It's like, I think that we all deserve to be presented with the most elegant solution.

[Jess]

Very elegant. Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And that's where the time comes. It's like, I'm saving. We're taking the time to, like, formulate or design. Even with the hair towel. It's like, we have a patent on that. Like, that's crazy. That was, like. The first thing I worked on was filing a patent on that hair towel.

[Jess]

So they're so good. And then also, the shampoo is great. And then the dry shampoo is our. I don't like to give stats out because I don't like other brands to freak out and get upset at Moda, but it is one of our, I'll just say one of our top five SKUs hair SKUs at Moda. And it is one of our top 10 SKUs at Moda. It's awesome. Love it. All the Moda girlies love it. All the fashion girlies love it. You know, they're hard to please.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They are. Because it is truly a top shelf dry shampoo. It's not something that you, like, hide away under your cabinet. But it's so that formula I'm so proud of. And it's funny, I went to a workout class the other day and I ran into a girl. I ran into a girl I knew and she was with a friend and she was like, oh, my God, your dry shampoo. And I'm always like, how did you find out about it? She found out about it through Moda.

[Jess]

Oh, awesome.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So she bought it on Moda.

[Jess]

Thanks. Give us your some of the products you're loving right now, like in your kit, in your bag. And then we're gonna hit the Fat Mascara 5. Because I've been talking so long.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, no, I'm obsessed with it. I mean, on the crown affair side, I'm obsessed with our leave in conditioner because it's so lightweight and so moisturizing. And I also love our air dry mousse, our texturizing air dry.

[Jess]

I put the leave in on my daughter, by the way.

[Ryan Reynolds]

People use Carina fiery on their kids. That's the whole thing too. It's like it's actually not going to hurt. It's like that's where the clean piece comes in. It's like the quality is so good that, like, use it on your kids. Use it on whoever. It's like, it's not this harsh thing. We use the gel. I mean, the gel is unbelievable to me. It's like all of these things are a daily touch point. It is take your time and have it be a beautiful ritual. But the subtext is take your time back. Because probably a lot of the reason that the fashion girlies love it is because they're like, I have this blowout when I say you can actually go a whole week, like if you use another. I always say with dry shampoo, it's like, imagine spraying aerosol dry shampoo on your face and not washing it for like four days. Like, you're doing that to your scalp. And the way that we formulated this, it's so finely mild. I went on the hunt. I have a Whole story of like formulating this product. But like, that's the whole thing too. I want it to feel like a magic trick. Like, I was really intentional about not being a brand that leads with hashtag science. It's like, of course there's so much science in this. Like, these are, you know, like, we work with unbelievable chemists and we're so intentional and critical. But I didn't want to be like, it's a molecule that like will trans. I'm just like, not into that. And by the way, no shade. I love their great brands with great or they're great products and product orient solution oriented products, I should say. But it just. I had such a vision around creating this brand universe with my creative director and I want everything to feel like, oh, it is better. But I don't know why. You know, that's the. When you reveal how a magic trick is done, you lose the sense of awe. And I want people to have the awe with this experience.

[Jess]

Can you give us just one product you love? Like. Like something in your bag that you're loving?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, I like Oribe Dry texturizing spray is like my favorite non crown affair product of all time. And I have like multiples in multiple bags and. But outside of hair care.

[Jess]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I feel like the Patrick TA blushes are amazing. I should have put more on as I'm looking, but I. That's one that I love. And then like the Westman brushes, like all the brushes from Westman Atelier are so good. I know I sound like a weirdo, but I'm a big believer in tools. I also really like, say glossy bounce. This is probably my favorite lip that is a color. Otherwise it's you beauty. But my real. It's so funny. I love beauty. But can I tell you something funny? The awards ceremony that you hosted for cew, which you did an amazing job by the way. I was seated next to. Yeah. With Jen. I was seated next to the aquaphor table and I literally pulled out like four of these.

[Jess]

That's funny.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Very excited. So this is. This is also amazing.

[Jess]

I don't know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That was a lot of answers. I love it.

[Jess]

No, no, that's good. No, that's really good. We love a lot of product. Okay. Lightning round fat mascara 5. Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yep, yep.

[Jess]

All right. First beauty product you fell in love with.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Honestly, like, the biolage hair mask was.

[Jess]

The first one that is fancy. That is fancier than I expected. Okay. Because I think of like a young person.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You know, I didn't put on makeup till college, if that gives you the type of person I was. Except for prom, I literally didn't wear makeup till college. I was a hair. Hair and, like, body person. Yeah.

[Jess]

Okay. Favorite indulgent snack.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I really like farmer's market radishes with a little bit of butter and salt.

[Jess]

That. That's a new one. All right, this one. This one's for us. What's your favorite Jim Henson movie?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I love you so much. I mean, it's. It's gotta be the Dark Crystal. It's good, but I just love anything like Kermit and Piggy and Frank Oz. I just. I love Miss Piggy. I'm sure you've seen her roasting Martha Stewart. Like, I just am obsessed with anything Miss Piggy as a kid. Yeah. The Dark Crystal, 1982. Iconic.

[Jess]

I thought of you because I went to the Muppets. I was at Disney a couple weeks ago, and there's a big, like, Muppets not ride, but a Muppets live action show with 3D glasses.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's the old one, right?

[Jess]

I mean, it's first for me. It looks like it's been there for a while. I don't know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay. They're, like, petitioning to take it down, and there's actually, like, petition that I signed with Muppets. There's like, oh, yeah, yeah.

[Jess]

They're taking a bunch of things down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it doesn't look.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But it's a. It's disrespectful to Jim Henson. If anyone out there, if the Venn diagram between people who work at Disney and listen to this podcast, please keep this.

[Jess]

I'll probably have, like, Kermit's tux. Yeah. I'll send you a picture. Yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The best. Yeah.

[Jess]

We were so happy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What?

[Jen]

What?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I know this is, like, going against the rules, but can you share your favorite Jim Henson film?

[Jess]

I mean, I love Muppets Take Manhattan. Dark Crystal. It's something that my brother and I share. When I was younger. It was a little spooky, but I love it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I feel like you're a Labyrinth girl.

[Jess]

But I was about to say, but I feel like I don't look at that as a true Jim Henson film. It feels like it's in a class of its own. But Labyrinth, it is. Labyrinth's also very personal, but I don't really think of. It's not like a Muppets film.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Totally. It's a different world.

[Jess]

It's like, in its own universe, but yet Labyrinth. I feel Very passionate about Sarah. Yeah. So anyway, moving along.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Amused. I feel passionate about Kira.

[Jess]

Yeah. I feel like Sarah is my muse. Okay. Anyway, I took. I was like. I was like, quick answers only. Meanwhile, I'm like. I was like, make it snappy.

[Jen]

All right.

[Jess]

It's 12 noon on a Saturday. What are you doing?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Pilates in farmer's market and hanging with my husband. If that could be all happening at the same time. He doesn't go to Pilates, but you know what I mean.

[Jess]

That's sweet.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What are you doing?

[Jess]

What am I doing?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm at, like, at 12 noon on a Saturday.

[Jess]

My daughter's at art class, and I'm waiting outside, and we're getting ready for our third activity after that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So.

[Jess]

Yeah, there's no. There's no Pilates or farmer's markets. I don't know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm living a pre child life. By the way, as you listen to this podcast, I realize it's like, it changes. Like having morning rituals, like doing this stuff. I'm very aware.

[Jess]

So there's no ritual. Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's why I'm like, if you have. You don't have time to wash your hair, use the dry shampoo.

[Jess]

Take your time. I'm like, that's cute, but we're gonna take it back. Yeah, take it back. And then last. Okay, your notes app. What is the last note in your notes app? And you can't lie.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay, I won't lie. So I have three saved at the top, which is my daily meditations, my daily self care check in, and my tracking health every month. I kind of just. So those look at the top and grocery list. But that's not an exciting one. No, it's notes. Well, there's. Okay, this one is less exciting. But I was just watch. I take notes when I watch films. Like, I always have notes. So I was watching the SNL documentary and they were talking about microscopic breaks. I just take. I take notes. It's a ton of different notes. And then Artist way. I'm doing an artist way chat right now.

[Jess]

Oh, yeah, I saw that on your Instagram.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. So Artist Way learnings. I have chapter by chapter in quotes, and then I drop them into the substack chat. So I. I use notes notes all the time.

[Jess]

It's so dense. Do you voice text it? Like, do you voice text or do you use your thumbs? Because that's a lot to write on your phone.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I use the notes app on my laptop, so I'm constantly doing notes on my computer. And then I go between my phone my computer and then I do do voice to text. I voice to text for Instagram captions because I'm such like a I word vomit. Like, it's the second that it's like blinking cursor and it's my thumbs, I'm like, ugh. Where Then instead I just voice to text and I'm like, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then I edit.

[Jess]

Wow.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What do you do?

[Jess]

I voice text a lot, but then I see people looking and laughing. Crazy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Voice to text is a huge unlock. It's a pretty magical thing. By the way, I'm a chaotic, not organized person. So like, my desktop is filled with screenshots. Like my notes app. It's literally like a kugel recipe. Next to like supplement notes. Next to like. I know. Next to like. I know it's a mix. I have no organization and I have high ambitions to like go back and clean it.

[Jess]

But she never does in the next life. Yes, Very cool. Thank you so much. Oh my gosh, Diana, great chat, great chat, Great chat. Send me the Muppets petition. That's the one thing I can accomplish today.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Thank you for having me.

[Jess]

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 Razoon 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.

[Jen]

We go through a lot of sunscreen here in the fat mascara families, don't we, Jess?

[Jess]

We go through a ton.

[Jen]

One of our favorites is of course, Blue Lizard. Pediatrician, trusted dermatologist, just tested. Also, they have these little smart caps that turn blue in UV light. How good is that? Then you know the sun is out. It is time to get protected. Plus, they have a whole sensitive family of products that's personally my favorite. Helps keep my sensitive skin safe from the sun's harmful rays. All the formulas are free from potentially irritating parabens, salads, fragrances. I just love them. To which, what do you use?

[Jess]

I love them for my child. And you know why? Because I love a spray. Easy to get her, but they dry clear. None of that nasty white pasty stuff. It dries nice and clear. And also I know that this should be obvious guys. They're free from potentially irritating fragrances, parabens and phthalates. Go to bluelizardsunscreen.com to find out more information and find out which sunscreens are right for your family and where you can buy in store. Or visit the Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen store on Amazon.

[Jen]

Be Fearless in the Sun Foreign.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Powers the World's Best Podcasts Here's a show that we recommend. Hi, I'm Kara Berry, host of Everyone's Business But Mine. Think of me as your new friend and fellow busybody as I talk about everything under the pop culture sun, from the best way to detect celebrity breakup or pregnancy to recapping your favorite reality TV shows from the Housewives cinematic universe. Welcome to Plattesville, Kardashians, and so much more. So check out Everyone's Business But Mine. Airing multiple times a week everywhere you listen to podcasts, Acast helps creators launch, launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast. Com.