Wellness Junkies | Beauty & Wellness Tips, Hacks, Recs & Reviews for Women 40+

Some products live up to the hype. Most don't. This episode sorts out which is which.

Host Amy Sherman sits down with Katie Georges, a lifestyle and beauty content creator known for her honest beauty and wellness product roundups on Instagram and TikTok. Katie built her audience by testing things herself and telling people the truth about what actually works, which makes her beauty and wellness product recommendations feel more like a recommendation from a friend than an ad.

They trade favorites across skincare, makeup, hair, and self-care. First up is a sleep tool Amy already owns thanks to Katie's influence. From there they get into a cult toothpaste that Katie says has kept her from reaching for extra whitening treatments and strips and a Pilates weight set that solves a problem neither of them had seen solved before.

Katie is just as candid about what doesn’t work, including a viral body-care product she kept seeing online and could not stand. The result is a useful mix of beauty and wellness product reviews, with clear favorites worth spending on and a few hyped-up picks you can happily skip.

Press play for the full list of holy grails, splurges, and one honest miss.

Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Welcome To A Product Junkies Episode
01:49 Katie's Path From Day Job To Creator
04:08 Products That Work And "Not Sponsored, Just Obsessed"
08:39 Expensive But Worth It Beauty And Wellness Products
14:16 Inexpensive Picks That Outperform Their Price Tag
17:40 Skincare And Makeup Holy Grails
28:34 Hair Favorites And Wellness Must-Haves
34:39 One Viral Product Katie Regrets Buying
37:29 Overrated Brands Underrated Gems And Biggest Splurge
41:18 Rapid Fire Beauty Hacks And Daily Rituals

Connect with Katie Georges:
Follow Katie on TikTok
Follow Katie on Instagram

Shop this episode:
You know we love to give you the best of the best in wellness products and resources to help you learn
more about our podcast topics. In this week’s episode, here are the products and brands that we talked about:

This Week’s Episode and Shop My Shop

Sleep Crown Classic
Sleep Crown Traveler
Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask 2.5 oz
MZ Wallace Black Zoey Large Zip Pouch
Threshold Spa Plush Bath Towel – Light Gray
Electric Picks Jewelry
BaubleBar Luxury Jewelry & Personalized Accessories
ARM & HAMMER Advance White Extreme Whitening Toothpaste – 6 oz/2 ct
Murad Clarifying Gel Cleanser with Dual Salicylic Acid
Sofie Pavitt Face Skin Jelly Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer
SkinCeuticals P-TIOX Anti-Wrinkle Serum
U Beauty The Sculpt Neck & Décolleté Concentrate
U Beauty The SCULPT Arm Compound
COOLA Classic Face Sunscreen SPF 50 – Fragrance-Free
Sofie Pavitt Face Screentime Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 30
EltaMD UV Restore Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 40
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Foundation Drops with TFC8
Haus Labs Color Fuse Talc-Free Powder Blush
Haus Labs Color Fuse Glassy Blush Balm Stick
Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Tubing Mascara
KJH.Brand Prism Lite Lip Crayon
Rhode Pocket Bronzer
Rhode Pocket Blush
Saie SuperSuede Radiant Baked Bronzer
Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil
Lawless Forget The Filler Lip Plumper Line Smoothing Gloss
Dyson Airwrap™ Large Round Brush Attachment
Davines SOLU Clarifying Shampoo
Crown Affair The Dry Shampoo
K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo
Olaplex Nº.7 Bonding Oil
Lemme Grow Capsules
Maelove Full Follicle Advanced Scalp Serum
Salt & Stone Bergamot & Hinoki Candle
Stakt Weights
Stakt Mat
Hanni Splash Salve In-Shower Moisturizing Body Balm
Hanni Water Balm Hydrating Body Moisturizer Mist
Saltair Exotic Pulp Body Oil
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Bronzing Drops with Peptides
Shiseido Eyelash Curler
The Ordinary Lash Curl Finisher
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick
LESET The Margo Top
Free People Movement New Activewear Arrivals
Uncommon James Muse Initial Layered Necklace
Uncommon James Passion Square Huggie Earrings
Uncommon James Limoncello Creme Candle
Shop more of my favorite products here

⁠⁠⁠⁠For More on this Episode: Read the full show notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
👉🏻 Join the Wellness Junkies community:
• Follow us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@wellnessjunkiesofficial ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Shop this episode + our faves on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ShopMyShop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• NEW! Follow us @wellnessjunkies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok
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• Say hi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠press@wellnessjunkiesofficial.com ⁠⁠

Please subscribe, rate, review + share to help us grow the community 🙏🏻✌🏻

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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Your cholesterol climbs. Your bone density drops. And you may not hear how much changing hormones can affect both. Jennifer Gularson, a board-certified physician assistant and functional medicine practitioner, joins Amy Sherman on Wellness Junkies to break down HRT and clear up some of the questions women have about hormones in midlife.

Jennifer breaks down the difference between bioidentical and synthetic HRT and explains why she tells patients that birth control pills can involve about ten times the estrogen dose she uses for HRT. She tackles common concerns about HRT and breast cancer and shares her perspective on what newer research says about risk.

The conversation turns to perimenopause and why symptoms can start up to a decade before menopause. Jennifer explains how she uses testosterone in her practice, where peptides may fit for concerns such as gut health, inflammation, and weight management, and where bone health and heart health fit into the bigger picture of women's longevity.

There's a lot packed into this hour. Press play to hear Jennifer's practical guidance and figure out what your next conversation with your doctor should sound like.

Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Meet Jennifer Gularson And Her Approach to Women's Midlife Health
01:21 Why Perimenopause Symptoms Get Dismissed As Normal Aging
08:23 When Estrogen Decline Actually Begins And Why Timing Varies
09:40 Breaking Down HRT, Bioidentical Hormones, And Dosing Options
15:41 Testing Methods And Debunking Common Hormone Myths
22:56 Exploring Peptides For Gut Health And Weight Loss
30:52 Cholesterol, LDL, And Heart Health In Midlife
39:43 Bone Health, DEXA Scans, And Preventing Osteoporosis
49:33 Working With Doctors Plus Jennifer's Wellness And Beauty Hacks

Connect with Jennifer Gularson:
Visit Jennifer's website
Follow Jennifer on Instagram


⁠⁠⁠⁠For More on this Episode: Read the full show notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
👉🏻 Join the Wellness Junkies community:
• Follow us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@wellnessjunkiesofficial ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Shop this episode + our faves on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ShopMyShop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• NEW! Follow us @wellnessjunkies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok
• Follow Amy @amynicolle on TikTok
• Visit ⁠www.wellnessjunkiesofficial.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Say hi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠press@wellnessjunkiesofficial.com ⁠⁠

Please subscribe, rate, review + share to help us grow the community 🙏🏻✌🏻

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

REPLAY! We're bringing this one back because college admissions season rolls around every year, and the questions parents ask never really change. Your kid's grades are fine. Their activities are fine. So why does the college process still feel like it's swallowing your whole house?

That's the question Amy Sherman digs into with Alexis White, nationally recognized college admissions expert and founder of A-List Admissions and Tutoring, in this episode of Wellness Junkies. If you are looking for college admissions advice for parents that calms the noise, this conversation is the reset button.

Alexis has worked with students for more than 20 years, with her tutoring business eventually expanding into college admissions. She opens with a mindset shift most parents never hear, then explains why tenth grade is such an important year for narrowing priorities and starting to think more seriously about the college process.

She also breaks down a piece of high school college prep most people skip. Alexis shares her honest take on touring safety schools before junior year, and why the reaction almost always surprises parents.

Later, Amy and Alexis get into staying sane during college applications when the comparison spiral hits, why parents need to tune out everyone else's opinions, and a specific college essay mistake Alexis sees English teachers make again and again.

The conversation also gets into the anti-college movement gaining traction online, plus a few under-the-radar schools Alexis is loving right now.

Press play if you want to walk away from this one feeling steadier than when you hit start.

Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Amy Introduces Alexis White and Why This Episode Matters
07:45 Staying Sane During the College Process
14:30 The Importance of Passion Over Grades
21:06 Personal Statements and Supplemental Essay Strategy
24:14 Staying on Top of Deadlines and Application Scheduling
26:53 How Test Optional Rules for the SAT and ACT Keep Shifting
33:44 Leadership Advice for Quieter and Introverted Kids
39:22 The Anti College Movement and Why Alexis Pushes Back
45:12 Underrated Schools, Scholarships, and Alexis's Beauty Hack

Connect with Alexis White:
Follow Alexis on Tiktok
Follow Alexis on Instagram
Visit the Alexis College Expert website

⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠For More on this Episode: Read the full show notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
👉🏻 Join the Wellness Junkies community:
• Follow us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@wellnessjunkiesofficial ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Shop this episode + our faves on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ShopMyShop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• NEW! Follow us @wellnessjunkies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok
• Follow Amy @amynicolle on TikTok
• Visit ⁠www.wellnessjunkiesofficial.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Say hi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠press@wellnessjunkiesofficial.com ⁠⁠

Please subscribe, rate, review + share to help us grow the community 🙏🏻✌🏻

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REPLAY! This is a replay of one of our favorite conversations, back in your feed because Bethany's take on styling is worth hearing twice.

Getting dressed shouldn't feel like a decision that drains you before 8 a.m. Bethany Gursky, the NYC-based wardrobe stylist behind @bethanyannstyles, sits down with Amy Sherman on Wellness Junkies for a styling conversation that treats getting dressed as an act of self-care. Bethany works with women to build wardrobes that support how they actually live, and she explains why she believes fashion is wellness.

Bethany built her viral Sunday outfit formulas because she got tired of making the same decision every morning. She shares how she plans a full week of looks in fifteen minutes, why a strong personal style comes from repetition rather than more shopping, and how to elevate a basic outfit with one small styling shift.

They also get into the emotional side of a closet. Bethany explains why so many women dress for other people instead of themselves, gives her test for catching an impulse buy before it happens, and walks through her 21-day wardrobe refresh for anyone who feels stuck staring at a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear.

This is a relatable wellness conversation for anyone who wants their closet to work harder for their actual life, with practical tips on denim brands, white tees, and building a capsule wardrobe you will reach for on repeat. Press play and get dressed with a little more ease this week.

Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Welcome and Bethany Gursky's Styling Background
01:22 Why Fashion Is Wellness Not Vanity
03:04 Why Getting Dressed Feels Emotionally Loaded
06:27 The Story Behind Sunday Outfit Formulas
08:55 Bethany's Everyday Styling Formula and Layering
13:13 Breaking the Habit of Impulse Buying
17:06 Inside the 21 Day Wardrobe Refresh
19:24 Balancing Trends With Personal Style
24:53 Investment Pieces Worth the Splurge
39:12 Rapid Fire Beauty and Wellness Hacks

Connect with Bethany Gursky:
Follow Bethany Ann Styles on Instagram
Follow Bethany Ann Styles on Tiktok
Visit the Bethany Ann Styles website
Subscribe to Bethany Ann Styles on Substack

Shop this episode:
You know we love to give you the best of the best in wellness products and resources to help you learn
more about our podcast topics. In this week’s episode, here are the products and brands that we talked about:

Shop everything mentioned here

AYR | The Secret Sauce Jeans
AYR | The Legend Jeans - Skyscraper
AYR | The Bud Jeans - Yada Yada
AYR | The High Hopes Pants - Black
Levi's
Reformation
BUCK MASON | Pima Slim Crew Top
Negative Lounge Sets
SET Sweats
QUINCE | Mongolian Cashmere Fisherman Quarter Zip Sweater
Veronica Beard
Veronica Beard | Fenix Shearling Mule
Frame Tops & Blouses
Salomon Shoes
New Balance Shoes
Asics Shoes
Loafers
GUCCI | Ankle Boot with Horsebit
Margaux Shoes
The Blue Cocoon
OSEA | Salts Of The Earth Body Scrub
Oura Ring
EIGHT SLEEP | Pod Cover

Shop more of my favorite products here

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For More on this Episode: Read the full show notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
👉🏻 Join the Wellness Junkies community:
• Follow us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@wellnessjunkiesofficial ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Shop this episode + our faves on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ShopMyShop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• NEW! Follow us @wellnessjunkies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok
• Follow Amy @amynicolle on TikTok
• Visit ⁠www.wellnessjunkiesofficial.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Say hi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠press@wellnessjunkiesofficial.com ⁠⁠

Please subscribe, rate, review + share to help us grow the community 🙏🏻✌🏻

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

REPLAY! We're bringing this one back because Wendy Valentine's midlife reinvention story is the one you keep asking us to replay.

Wendy Valentine was 45, in the middle of her second divorce, deep in debt, and dealing with black mold toxicity and chronic Lyme disease, on top of menopause, when her dog, her cat, and her brother all died within six weeks of each other. She hit her breaking point crying on a cold bathroom floor. That is where her midlife reinvention began. On Wellness Junkies, host Amy Sherman sits down with Wendy to talk through how she rebuilt her entire life from there.

Wendy is an internationally published author of Women Waking Up, founder of Midlifology™, and host of The Midlife Makeover Show. She has appeared on Good Day New York and CBS News Los Angeles. She walks Amy through the vision that pulled her off that bathroom floor, and the plan she built from it that led to a job offer within four weeks.

The two dig into self-care for women over 40 during midlife reinvention, from the exact words Wendy tells herself when her inner critic gets loud to the ACE method she uses for grief and anxiety. She also connects boundary setting for women to how you talk to yourself first, especially on the hard days.

Press play to hear how Wendy went from a U-Haul and a new job in Chicago to an RV crossing the country, and why she says giving yourself permission to pivot matters more than having a plan.

Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Welcome and Wendy Valentine's Impressive Bio
01:35 Weekly High That Started With Surgery and Grief
05:08 Wendy's Meltdown and the Start of Midlife Reinvention
11:02 How Her Podcast Led to Writing Her Book
15:29 Knowing When Midlife Reinvention Beats Pushing Harder
19:53 Be Your Own Best Friend and the B3 Method
26:15 The ACE Method for Emotional Overload
30:47 Boundary Setting for Women and Learning to Say No
41:45 Curly Hair Routine for Women Over 40
46:52 Favorite Self Care Hack and Where to Find Wendy

Connect with Wendy Valentine:
Visit Wendy's website
Follow Wendy on Instagram
Read Women Waking Up by Wendy Valentine

Shop this episode:
You know we love to give you the best of the best in wellness products and resources to help you learn
more about our podcast topics. In this week’s episode, here are the products and brands that we talked about:

Shop everything mentioned: https://shopmy.us/collections/4531450
ELEMIS | Superfood Glow Priming Moisturizer
IT COSMETICS | Celebration Foundation Illumination
LANCÔME | Cils Booster XL Enhancing Lash & Mascara Primer
LANCÔME | Hypnôse Drama Waterproof Mascara
GRANDE COSMETICS | GrandeBROW 2-In-1 Tinted Brow Gel + Brow Enhancing Serum - Medium
CLINIQUE | Almost Lipstick Bundle: Black Honey + Pink Honey + Nude Honey
MOROCCANOIL | Curl Defining Cream
MOROCCANOIL | Restorative Hair Mask
MOROCCANOIL | Hydrating Conditioner
DEVACURL | No-Poo Decadence Zero Lather Cleanser For Ultra-Rich Moisture
DEVACURL | One Condition Original Rich Cream Conditioner
BUMBLE AND BUMBLE. | Curl 3-In-1 Conditioner
BUMBLE AND BUMBLE. | Curl Moisturizing Shampoo

Shop more of my favorite products here: https://shopmy.us/amynsherman

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For More on this Episode: Read the full show notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
👉🏻 Join the Wellness Junkies community:
• Follow us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@wellnessjunkiesofficial ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Shop this episode + our faves on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ShopMyShop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• NEW! Follow us @wellnessjunkies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok
• Follow Amy @amynicolle on TikTok
• Visit ⁠www.wellnessjunkiesofficial.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Say hi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠press@wellnessjunkiesofficial.com ⁠⁠

Please subscribe, rate, review + share to help us grow the community 🙏🏻✌🏻

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.