Outspoken Beauty

In this episode I get to know the exceptionally talented makeup artist Lan Nguyen-Grealis aka Lans London.Lan is a world renownded artist and is the woman behind many of the most famous faces around including Raye and Paloma Faith.During the episode we chat about Lan's incredible journey and how this self taught artist went from doing makeovers for women who were having professional photos taken to becoming one of the most coveted makeup artists in the world.

This week's minipod is a bit of a catch up. I chat about my (really positive) experience of micro-blading, why I'm taking progesterone pessaries and what my hormones are doing and where I'm at with my skincare.

The lovely and super talented makeup artist Bryony Blake is back and this week we're chatting about my interview with a real life witch and the quesitonable experience I had with a psychic.Bryony has had an amazing makeup experience and we're chatting about relationships where we felt inferior to our other halves.There's also Bryony's experience of ear seeds and lots more thrown in for good measure.xx

In today's Mini Mini Pod I talk about the amazing benefits of The Nue Co's fragrance Forest Lungs and how I use it when I'm feeling below par.

Laura Dowling is the person that every woman needs in her life and I'm so happy to have her as my guest in this incredibly informative episode.Laura, who is a highly experienced pharmacist, wants women to learn how to take control of their health and spends a lot of her time demystifying and debunking myths about medication and medical conditions. She also has toured Ireland encouraging women to learn and be open about sex, vulvas, menopause and so much more.As well as all of this amazing work, Laura is the founder of a brilliant supplement brand called Fabuwellness, where her wide medical and scientific knowledge have helped ensure that her supplements really do what they say they will and are packed with great quality ingredients.During the episode we talk about our frustration at how the pharmaceutical industry for so long made medication that had only been tested on men because womens' hormones made us too "complex". We also talk about protecting our health, the peri/menopause and why vaginal oestrogen can be a total gamechager for many many women. There is a lot of humour too (Laura has a giant, cuddly vulva which she takes along to her events nd shows me during the episode and that's just for starters).Enjoy getting to know and learning from this truly remarkable and really lovely woman.

In this week's minipod I'm answering some of questions that you asked me on Instagram.Amongst other things I cover "pheremone scents" that smell irresistibly sensual when worn alone but also layer perfectly. I'm also talking about my favourite sex toy, how my anxiety is and I chat through my favourite mascaras. Loved recording this. Feel free to send your questions over any time to @outspokenbeautynicola.

In this episode I'm listing some of my favourite summer holiday products. (It's like one big rain fest in the UK at the moment so I'm indulging in a bit of escapism).I can absolutely vouch for all of the products I talk about. They do what they say they will and many of them are an utter pleasure to use and fill me with instant holiday joy.From fragrance to spf to a super light but hydrating body oil to the product that will keep your skin in check, I've got you covered. 

In this week's mini mini pod I'm talking about a product that really helps to calm me down. I also mention how you can cleverly use scent to make positive associations that will help you when things are more challenging.

My guest this week is the perfect woman to listen to if you're already getting stressed at the thought of wearing a bikini this summer.Katie Sturino is a body acceptance advocate, founder of the amazing brand Megababe (they do the best anti-chafe stick in the business) and author of the brilliant book "Body Talk".During the episode we talk about the moment that Katie realised that it wasn't just her who was unhappy about her body but also a lot of the women who had the bodies that she dreamt. In short, women had been taught to feel unfulfilled with their bodies and THAT was the problem. Cue a shift in mentality and the beginning of Katie's journey as a body acceptance ambassador who has been so influential that Oprah invited her on her show to relay her message to the nation.Katie also talks about how to stop people commenting on your weight, how to feel good about yourself and we also talk about how she has made the most amazing business (and the ups and downs of that).Katie is funny, outspoken, irreverent and will make you feel good about yourself. I adore her and am so excited about this episode.

This week I had the honour of interviewing Lans Nguyen-Grealis, one of the world's truly great makeup artists. Every time you see Raye or Paloma Faith looking fabulous, you can bet your bottom dollar that Lans was the woman who made them up. Anyway, following our amazing interview (coming soon), Lans let me have a good old look at her (huge) makeup kit and also made some excellent recommendations which I'm sharing with you on this week's minipod.I'll also be talking about the affordable cabinet that I use for fragrance storage, a really affordable and beautiful high street scent and more.Enjoy xx