Naked Beauty

Alexis McGill Johnson is president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. A longtime champion of reproductive freedom and racial justice, Alexis leads one of the most recognizable names in healthcare and politics. Before she led health equity initiatives, combed through data to understand who needed her help, and led Planned Parenthood, she was inspired by the women she loved. Growing up, Alexis loved the hair salon because she got to share space with the grown women in her community and learn about their private lives. During our conversation, she talked about how powerful access to women she knew, and seeing women like Condoleezza Rice on television, expanded her idea of what was possible for her. She shared the story of her grandmother’s daring flight away from a future of sharecropping to New Jersey for love and freedom, which shapes her own bravery. Alexis isn’t just telling the women she serves to draw on bravery in the face of harrowing political elections; she’s doing it.

In our conversation, we explored how Alexis became interested in advocacy and organizing, and why she believes voting is the best way to protect our power. We discussed the state of reproductive health care, the consequences of abortion restrictions, and the urgent need to address Black maternal mortality. Alexis also shared that while Planned Parenthood is over a century old, its mission to provide accessible and affordable health care to whoever needs it has not changed. She also shared how listeners can get involved with their local Planned Parenthood centers. We also talked about how “movement hope” sustains her more than optimism. Beyond her incredible professional career, Alexis opened up about motherhood and how her politic of autonomy work in practice with her daughters. Alexis takes the future of our right to make decisions about our bodies seriously, and in this conversation, she offers us the tools to do the same.

Planned Parenthood Midterm Voting Guide

Los Angeles Closet Sale Tickets

Tune in as we discuss:
(1:10) Voting Is Power and Power Is Sexy
(3:00) What Inspired Her To Pursue A Career In Organizing
(6:15) The Power of the Beauty Salon
(7:15) The State of Reproductive Health
(8:30) Horrific Stories of People Denied Access to Healthcare
(9:40) Planned Parenthood’s 110-Year-Old Mission
(11:00) Black Maternal Mortality Rate & Solutions
(15:10) Why She Has Movement Hope, Not Optimism
(17:55) How Her Grandmother’s Bravery Sustains Her
(19:35) Alexis’ Self-Care Routine
(23:35) Taking Advantage of Silence
(25:05) Distinctions Between Her Public & Private Personas
(29:10) How To Get Involved With Planned Parenthood
(30:45) What Planned Parenthood Protesters Want
(32:25) How Motherhood Impacts Her Work
(35:40) When She Feels The Most Beautiful

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Nina Parker knows pop culture. The Emmy-nominated television host, podcaster, fashion designer, and reality television host has led pop culture coverage for the past two decades. Nina has built her journalism career on E!, TMZ, VH1, CBS, and now Crooked Media’s Keep It. Her work has given us a front-row seat to the biggest moments and full access to Hollywood's biggest names. Whether she’s interviewing A-listers on the Met Gala’s red carpet or mediating disagreements on Love & Hip-Hop, Nina brings her expertise and signature style to every moment. But before she commanded screens across multiple television and podcast shows, she learned what it meant to be powerful in Sacramento, California. Nina shared how her parents taught her to prioritize her brilliance by encouraging her to pursue higher education and enrolling her in competitive public speaking.
Nina learned her strengths and how to use her voice against misogyny in the newsrooms where she eventually worked. She shared which beauty and pop culture icons sparked her interest in the entertainment industry, and why. Nina’s relationship with beauty wasn’t as straightforward as her building her personal power. Nina was open about how she used her power to push back against misogyny at TMZ and, inadvertently, impress her newsroom bosses. We also discussed the heightened standards of beauty and professionalism placed on Black women, which are only further complicated for plus-sized women. Nina walked us through the behind-the-scenes of building a strong glam team that always delivers and how the business has changed with the influx of influencers. Nina also shares her favorite thing about Gen Z, her well-researched skincare journey, and her decision to get Botox at 44.
Tune in as we discuss:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:15) Why She Felt Powerful, Not Beautiful Growing Up
(10:00) Influencers On The Red Carpet
(14:10) Tips On Public Speaking
(15:35) New Pre-Date Rules Of Engagement
(19:25) Navigating Beauty Standards at TMZ
(22:00) Black Women’s High Beauty Standards
(27:30) Building The Perfect Glam Team
(30:15) How She Builds Beauty Looks
(34:07) The Golden Age of Hollywood
(35:10) Inspiring Black Women In Hollywood
(36:42) Nina’s Morning Skincare Routine
(39:30) Why She Decided To Get Botox At 44
(45:50) Morning Skincare Routine
(50:00) How A Skincare Routine Changed Her Glam Process
(51:15) Her Nighttime Skincare Routine
(01:06:25) On Setting A Goal To Enjoy Something Every Day
(01:08:45) When She Feels The Most Beautiful
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Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet
Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you're listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :)
Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic
Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf
Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard
Follow Nina @theninaparker
Products Mentioned:
Clean Skin Club Towels
Mugworts Essence Toner
Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Brightening Toner
Prequel Lucent-C Brightening Vitamin C Serum
Good Molecules Daily Brightening Serum
Hypochlorous Acid
Dr.Reju-All Advanced PDRN Blue Capsuled Copper Peptide Serum
Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50
Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water
iS Clinical Active Peel System
Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair
Eucerin Radiant Tone Dual Serum
Gold Bond Age Renew Retinol Overnight Body & Face Lotion
Saltair Vitamin C Body Serum
Prequel Multi-Acid Milk Peel
Prequel Urea Advanced Relief Moisturizing Milk
Saltair Body Lotion
Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Gel Oil
Brown Sugar Babe Body Oils
FORVR MOOD NDA Eau de Parfum
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I had the incredible opportunity to partner with Shiseido for a live conversation with everyone’s favorite triple threat, Kelly Rowland and Face Architect Joomee Song. During Shiseido’s inaugural Benefiance retreat, we talked about everything: beauty, business, travel, and motherhood. We had such a great time talking about our respective visits to Japan, our approaches to aging, and of course our first impressions of the Benefiance eye cream. We even got some great beauty tips from the live audience!

Tune in as we discuss:
How we use our nighttime skincare routines to practice self-care
What it’s like aging in the public eye
How our under-eye area changes as we age
Generational examples of beauty and self-care
What every good eye cream must have

Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple

Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :)

Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic

Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf

Stay in touch with us: @brookedevard x @kellyrowland x @joomee_song x @shiseido
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You may not know her name, but you've seen Zerina Akers' work. The Emmy Award-winning costume designer and celebrity stylist is best known for her work on Beyoncé's Black Is King. In this conversation, Zerina takes us back to her roots. She remembers growing up between her aunt's strict professionalism and her Panamanian grandmother's early beauty lessons. She shares what interning in the fashion closet taught her about hierarchy, hustle, and never looking idle. She also gives an honest breakdown of how stylists get paid. Brand deals, the emotional labor, and the weeks of unpaid prep behind a single red carpet look may surprise you.

Zerina is also candid about her own style evolution at 40, including a closet that suddenly feels outdated, a changing body, and the search for a silhouette that feels powerful. She shares her wardrobe organizing system, her ruthless twice-a-year purge, and why she believes in investing in designer pieces with resale value over fast fashion. She also gets personal about her wellness routine, her skincare staples, her ancestral prayer practice, and how she protects her energy.

Shop Zerina's Favorite Products: here

Tune in as we discuss:

(0:00) Meet Zerina Akers and The Show Must Go On
(2:52) The red dress that started it all
(4:13) Beauty lessons from her aunt and Panamanian grandmother
(7:09) Self care when your job is serving others
(8:50) Interning in the W Magazine fashion closet
(14:12) How a celebrity stylist organizes her closet
(17:43) June Ambrose, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion's "Hiss"
(21:09) Styling Chaka Khan
(22:40) LA style vs New York style
(26:07) How to find your signature style
(28:37) Closet purge and buying designer to resell
(35:02) Tailoring and the details that elevate a look
(38:55) Style at 40 and an outdated closet
(43:38) Behind the looks of Beyoncé's Black Is King
(48:36) Why music videos outlast the red carpet
(51:37) How celebrity stylists get paid
(56:53) The emotional labor of styling
(1:01:03) Wellness, fitness and meal prep
(1:05:27) Zerina's skincare routine
(1:11:28) Prayer, protecting your energy and "I never say no"
(1:15:04) When Zerina feels most beautiful

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Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet

Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you're listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :)

Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic

Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf

Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard

Follow Zerina: @zerinaakers
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Blakely Thornton is an original. A self-described Pop Culture Anthropologist and Out 100 Honoree, Blakely has built a digital career that uniquely spans comedy, entertainment, and style. On social media, fans flock to him for his honest, no-holds-barred commentary on their favorite topics. Others tune into Yestergays to hear him and his podcast co-host critique fashion and celebrity culture with his signature wit. Celebrities are smitten with him, often tickled by their engagements at red carpet events like the Met Gala and ultra-exclusive gyms. This very public, creative life wasn't what Blakely imagined for himself as an athletic kid growing up in Dallas, Texas. Blakely was a closeted football player at UPenn, majoring in finance and hoping to follow in his parents' footsteps into a respectable, stable career. Headed towards a traditionally corporate career, Blakely worked at Ralph Lauren and pursued the corporate finance life until he didn’t.
Eventually, Blakely decided that he wouldn’t spend another twenty years as anything other than his full self, and it has paid off. Instead of trying to find ways to inject creativity into a 9-5, Blakely leverages his taste and honesty into a living. During our conversation, we cover everything pop culture, from GLP1s to what makes an It Girl to how much attention Zendaya is actually generating for films and fashion houses. We cover the other side of being very popular online, like the mean comments on Reddit, being seen only as a product, and being expected to carry the emotional weight of a fanbase. Blakely is open about the mental and emotional safeguards he needs to manage the opinions of hundreds of thousands of fans, and why he turns to working out to maintain his peace of mind. We also chat about misogynistic beauty standards, how he makes friends with so many celebrities, and why Heated Rivalry was so impactful.

Tune in as we discuss:
(0:00) Welcome Blakely
(3:30) The Met Gala Experience
(5:45) Growing Up in Dallas
(7:40) The Trauma of Predominantly White Prep Schools
(16:25) Coming Out As An Adult
(17:15) Heated Rivalry’s Impact
(21:30) America’s Obsession With Beauty Standards
(32:55) Gay Beauty Standards
(43:15) What Makes Someone an It Girl or It Boy
(51:00) The Beauty of Tactile References
(53:20) Pop Culture Lightning Round
(1:02:50) When He Feels The Most Beautiful

Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple

Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet

Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you're listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :)

Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic

Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf

Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard

Follow Blakely @blakelythornton
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