Naked Beauty

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
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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

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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 Blakely @blakelythornton
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Ashley Zsaton, DNP, ACNP-AG, learned about hair politics early. Growing up biracial in Milwaukee, she wasn’t always accepted for wearing her natural curls. Her search to understand what people meant by "good" and "bad" hair led her to become a board-certified nurse practitioner and hair loss specialist. As co-founder of the Hollywood Hair Institute, California’s preeminent hair transplant & aesthetic treatment center, Dr. Zsaton established herself as a leading hair restoration specialist and trichologist. Her medical background also includes supporting patients in critical conditions in the ICU and in ophthalmology, where her research led to the national publication of a school-based vision screening program. But before she began her medical career, she was trying to develop a healthy relationship with her own hair. A move to the Dominican Republic opened her eyes to the incredible beauty and versatility of naturally curly hair.
In the Dominican Republic, Dr. Zsaton was exposed to a country filled with curly hair styled and cared for in all manner of styles. She brought this newfound passion for hair back to the States, and when she decided to pursue a career in medicine, her husband encouraged her to follow her interest in scalp care towards medical aesthetics. Fast forward to now, and Dr. Zsaton is changing lives by helping people access the hair restoration treatments that are best for them. During our conversation, we discussed every hair restoration treatment from PRP to Follicular Unit Extraction to Minoxidil. Dr. Zsaton walked us through what a good surgical candidate profile looks like, and which alternatives may be a better fit for her patients. In fact, Brooke walked us through the exact routine Dr. Zsaton prepared for her and detailed how effective each product has been in growing her hair. Dr. Zsaton doesn’t hold back when it comes to telling us which hairstyles may be causing the most damage, for men and women, and which products aren’t doing anything helpful at all. She gives us a peek into the aesthetic innovations she’s explored in Turkey and Korea that she’d like to offer her patients here in the States. Dr. Zsaton offered an unfiltered, honest look at the limits and possibilities of hair restoration.

Tune in as we discuss:
(0:00) Welcome Ashley Zsaton, DNP, ACNP-AG
(1:45) Scalp Care's Rising Popularity
(3:00) How Good Hair vs. Bad Hair Conversations Impacted Her
(3:30) Her Hair Health Journey
(3:45) How the Dominican Republic Inspired Her Natural Hair Journey
(4:00) What Inspired Her Medical Career
(5:40) Defining Hair Terminology
(8:30) Which Hairstyles May Cause Hair Loss
(9:00) What To Do When Your Braids Are Too Tight
(11:40) Differences In Types of Hair Transplants
(15:00) Determining Hair Transplant Candidacy
(17:10) How Iron Impacts Hair Thickness
(19:25) Determining PRP Candidacy
(22:25) Why Minoxidil Is Underrated
(24:00) Why Ashley Hates Biotin
(25:25) Hair Loss Starts Earlier Than We Think
(27:24) Which Hair Conditions Cannot Be Fixed
(30:20) Tips For Men With Hairline Concerns
(32:00) Brooke's Full Hair Restoration Protocol
(39:30) Why Keratin Treatments Can Be A Good Solution
(43:43) Aesthetic Innovations in Turkey & Korea
(47:15) Ashley's Haircare Regimen
(49:40) Caring For Healthy Bleached Hair
(52:00) When Ashley 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 Ashley @ashleyzsatondnp

Products Mentioned:
Cécred Hair Reconstructing Treatment Mask
Cécred Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.