Gloss Angeles Podcast Summary
Episode: Our Holy Grail Makeup Products, Our Fave Gadgets, & Our Dream Collab
Hosts: Kirbie Johnson & Sara Tan
Date: September 23, 2025
Episode Overview
In this candid and engaging AMA episode, co-hosts Kirbie and Sara, seasoned beauty journalists, answer listeners' burning questions about their holy grail makeup products, favorite beauty gadgets, what they’d pack for a night out, and their dream podcast collaborations. Their expertise, relatable banter, and product knowledge offer both practical recommendations and behind-the-scenes insights. This summary covers their “top five” makeup staples, go-to minis, brutally honest device reviews, and some wishful thinking about future collaborations.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Holy Grail Makeup Products (01:00 – 24:13)
Criteria for Selection
- Kirbie: Products either used for years or consistently for the past 3 months.
- Sara: Products she “continuously reaches for” currently.
Sara & Kirbie’s Top Picks
1. Mary Phillips’s MPH Underpainting Palette
- Both are “hitting pan” on the same contour shade.
- “If you are, like, even just getting into contouring… This is a really good starter because it’s very forgiving. It’s very blendable.” – Sara (03:13)
- The brush is essential for application; both wish they had multiples.
2. Mascara: MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash (Kirbie)
- Her “holy grail”: “…the best mascara on the market. Please do not ever change the formula...I will riot.” – Kirbie (06:44)
- Tubing formula, smudge-proof, long-wearing (“16 hours”), separates and fans lashes. Doja Cat is now its face. Usually $28, currently discounted.
3. Highlighter: Chanel Baume Essentiel in Moonlight Kiss (Sara)
- “My last step in my routine before I go on camera… Pop on my cheekbones and a little on my nose, and I feel I just look healthier.” – Sara (09:16)
4. Brow Gel: L’Oréal Infallible 24H Brow Lamination (Kirbie)
- Mix of wax and gel for a natural, long-lasting hold, “without goop, without flakes, without remnants.” (11:13)
- Drugstore price ($16), likened as “total holy grail.”
5. Eyeliner: Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner & Long Stay Sharp Gel Liner (Sara)
- Favorite for precise, long-wearing brown/black lines – “the tip is very, very, very, very tiny. And I like it tiny.” (13:35)
- Hard to get; available at Asian/japanese beauty stores.
6. Under Eye Powder: Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Blurring Under-Eye Powder (Kirbie)
- “Does not make me look decrepit… If you want your eye to look brighter, you do need a powder.” (14:06)
- She notes the range of shades and brightening effects.
7. Foundation:
- Sara: Dior Forever Skin Perfect 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick
“It’s like your skin, but better. It lasts all day…feels hydrating. The color is perfect on me.” (18:17) - Kirbie: Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
“I always go back to this, and I’m talking 15 years…I love the coverage. I really am just…I always go back to it.” (20:17)
8. Lip: Violette_FR Bisou Balm in Mon Cherie (Sara, with Kirbie in agreement)
- “It is truly a lipstick, but feels like a balm…but it’s not dewy, it’s like a blurred lip.” – Sara (23:48)
2. What’s in Your Mini? 3 Night-Out Essentials (24:16 – 30:36)
Sara and Kirbie exchange their must-have beauty minis for a night out, advocating for a “Los Angeles approved” minis section at Ulta or Sephora.
Sara’s Mini Picks:
- Fenty “Invisimatte” Blotting Powder: “It’s so cute. We talk about this all the time…hard to find a small enough [powder] for your purse.” (25:22)
- Entropy Lip Tint (492C): “Korea...is just living in the future…It’s just a beautiful lip.” (27:52)
- Lor Disfruta Travel Perfume & Capsule for Advil: “I always bring Advil because you never know when pain’s going to hit.” (29:48)
Kirbie’s Mini Picks:
- Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder: “Almost picked this for Holy Grail.” (25:45)
- Beautyblender Power Pocket Puff: “One side…typical sponge…other side you can scoop up your powder and go under your eye.” (26:24)
- Prada Paradox Travel-Size Perfume: “With me at all times in my purse … I need to buy a refill because you can do that with Prada fragrances.” (28:29)
3. Beauty Gadgets: What Do They Actually Use? (30:50 – 38:49)
Droplet (31:28)
- Once a cult favorite device, now demoted due to chronic breakage: “We were evangelists for this product…if it’s constantly breaking on us, we can’t recommend it anymore.” – Kirbie (32:15)
- Acknowledged excellent customer service, but too many replacements required.
Red Light Masks
- Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite (Kirbie): “Fits my face shape nicely…I can like run around and do whatever I need to.” (34:38)
- Omnilux, CurrentBody: Also good, but preference based on comfort.
- Shark Beauty Mask (Sara): “It’s cooling plus LED and…it’s definitely the one that I use consistently the most. I probably use it like once a week. It’s like a Friday night thing.” (35:38)
Other Devices
- NuFace, Theraface, Nira, SolaWave, Medicube, Zip:
Both admit to inconsistent use: “It’s kind of like training…It totally is working out your face… I use my gua sha and I literally massage my face with my hands.” – Sara (37:47) - Main lesson: Consistency is key, but few use them daily.
Takeaways
- Only recommend investing in a device you’ll use regularly.
- The most effective results come with consistent use, but most users (including Kirbie and Sara) don't sustain this.
4. Dream Podcast Collabs (39:06 – 42:45)
Aspirational Projects:
- Gloss Angeles mini section at Ulta/Sephora.
- Hosting/beauty commentary at red carpet events, focusing on makeup, hair, nails (the “attainable parts of the outfit”).
- Beauty TV channel: “We want to be on Pluto TV…Sarah and I oversee the content…and we have a show where we go and try different beauty treatments.” – Kirbie (42:12)
Dream Podcast Guests:
- Hailey Bieber (Round 2), Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson.
- “Dreams would be Rihanna, Lady Gaga. I would die to interview Dolly Parton.” – Kirbie (41:55)
Notable Quote:
- “You can’t pick up that Prada gown, but you can pick up that Prada astral lip balm.” – Kirbie (40:27)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On MAC Mascara:
“This is my dream. MAC does some kind of reinvention campaign with Gigablack, and I’m in it. Please. I have the naturally long lashes to prove how beautiful it is. Please, MAC, please, please, please, please.” – Kirbie (07:49) - On Product Addiction:
“If I walk into a store and I see [it], I buy one every single time.” – Kirbie (06:58) - On Irresistible Minis:
“Anything mini I love, I will without fail buy something.” – Kirbie (24:59) - On Gadgets:
“We were evangelists for this product…if it’s constantly breaking on us, we can’t recommend it anymore.” – Kirbie on Droplet (32:15) - On Consistency:
“Pick one [device] you think you will use regularly.” – Sara (38:22)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 01:00 — Start of AMA / Top 5 Holy Grail Makeup Products
- 03:13 — Underpainting Palette as a contouring starter
- 06:44 — Kirbie's paean to MAC mascara
- 09:16 — Sara on Chanel Baume Essentiel
- 14:06 — Pat McGrath Undereye Powder
- 18:17 — Sara on Dior Foundation Stick
- 20:17 — Kirbie on Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
- 23:48 — Violette_FR Lip Balm
- 24:16 — "Pack your mini" question
- 25:22 — Sara’s Fenty Invisimatte
- 27:52 — Entropy Lip Tint discussion
- 28:29 — Perfume picks
- 30:50 — Beauty gadget question begins
- 32:15 — Droplet candid review
- 34:38 — Red light mask recommendations
- 37:47 — “It’s like working out your face” – Sara on device use
- 39:06 — Dream collabs and big ideas (minis section, red carpet, TV)
- 41:55 — Dream guests: Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton
Tone & Style
- Conversational and friendly: Engaging and often humorous, with plenty of personal anecdotes.
- Expert, yet approachable: Recommendations grounded in journalistic experience and personal use.
- Candid: Willing to give hard truths about products or devices, even if they once endorsed them.
Conclusion
This episode is a must-listen for beauty enthusiasts who want hands-on recommendations for makeup mainstays, honest gadget reviews, and fun, aspirational conversations about what beauty coverage could be. Kirbie and Sara’s rapport and deep knowledge shine through, offering both actionable tips and plenty of laughs.