Outspoken Beauty

In this week's Minipod I'm giving you all the gossip about a stunning event held by the Fragrance Shop on Thursday and why I very nearly got caught doing something inappropriate to a perfume bottle.I'm also chatting through the products used at the most incredible makeover I had done at the Charlotte Tilbury counter at John Lewis Oxford Street. (I highly recommend this if you have an event to go to).There's also the period app that is totally revolutionising the ups and downs of my cycle, the nail polish that dries in 60 seconds and the minestrone soup recipe that I can't get enough of. (Here's the link)xx

This is another very short but important episode.I love the beauty industry for all the amazing things that it does but there are sides of it that still need to change and I'm incredibly irked by brands that engage in the behaviours that I mention in today's outspoken episode.How do you feel? Let me know on Instagram @outspokenbeautynicola or on our brilliant private Facebook Community.

In this special Outspoken Women Episode I welcome Emma Sayle, founder of the members only sex club Killing Kittens.Emma founded Killing Kittens in 2005 with the ambition of making a female-oriented and empowering sex club. To this day, men are invitation only and the women are firmly in charge. Emma has also created a huge online offering which includes sexual empowerment workshops and even a safe dating app. To put it bluntly, Emma is the Queen of women's pleasure and has created a space where we can explore our fantasies safely and with abandon.During the episode we chat about the sex parties that Emma holds and what actually happens at them. You may be surprised to know that many women go there to have their first sexual experiences with other women or even just to dance in their underwear with a group of friends.We also chat about relationships, keeping the flame alive and how to become more sexually empowered as women.This is such a fascinating episode and I found it totally inspiring and liberating.

Happy Monday Outspoken Beauties.This is probably the shortest podcast you'll ever hear but I thought it might be a nice little thing to do as a boost for you at the start of the week.Hope you like my recommendation.Nicola x

In this episode I welcome the brilliant journalist, author, founder of charity Mental Health Mates and mental health campaigner Bryony Gordon.Bryony has written a phenomenal book called "Mad Woman". It comes 10 years after her bestseller Mad Girl and explores a huge range of topics including binge eating, burnout, menopause, the pandemic and the very nature of mental illness. It is a book of self discovery and is ultimately hugely honest and leaves you feeling uplifted and with a whole new mindset about mental illness and life.During the episode Bryony is so open about many of the topics she explores in the book. She tells me about how the pandemic, a health scare, the effects of the perimenopause on her mental health and so much more have affected her and helped her become a wiser person who is finally more at peace with who she is. We also talk about fighting the patriachy, kitchen discos and what the world would be like if men experienced the menopause.Bryony has been so incredibly brave in the way that she has consistently opened up about her mental health to help others and it was such an honour to finally get to speak to her on Outspoken Beauty.

In this week's minipod I'm talking about the current personalised skincare offerings in the UK. I'll be talking through Skin and Me, And Begin, Klira, Get Harley, what they offer and how they differ.I'll also be chatting through what they have in common and how to make them work for you and your skin.I'll also tell you about the fragrance that everyone should own, a brilliant strengthening nail treatment, a scented patch to help you sleep, the perfect under eye shadow concealer and the makeup brushes that never fail me.Enjoy xx

Bryony's here for another roller coaster ride of an episode.Highlights this week include:An eyeshadow palette that has blown Bryony's mindThe Gaga lip gloss that stays shiny all dayThe TV that tells you offNicola's week of sofa surfing Breastfeeding strips The ups and downs of being a spermrelationships and lots more.Hope you have a good giggle and enjoy the beauty recommendations. xx

In this episode I'm chatting to entrepreneur and all round lovely woman Helen Snook.Last year I had a coffee with Helen's husband Chris and we ended up chatting for ages about how many of us eat a diet that leads to bad health but how difficult it is to actually get nutrition right....life is busy and it's so much easier to grab something quick and easy. Chris explained how he and his wife Helen were on a mission to make getting great nutrition and namely fibre easy and accessible and told me all about their brand Indi. I was fascinated and wanted to learn more. (I was also really excited because the brilliant Dr Federica Amati was one of the scientists working on the brand).A few months later I was lucky enough to also get to know Indi's co-founder and Chris' wife Helen. We instantly clicked and I knew I had to get her on the podcast. Like me she hates BS and definitely has issues with the current state of affairs in the world of supplements and nutrition.During the episode we chat about how we eat, how we can help our future health, why we need to be wary of certain supplements and how they are sold to us and how Helen and Chris have worked to make something truly extraordinary with trust at the forefront of what they do.If you're confused about supplements I hope this helps you to feel more informed.

It's time for my Minipod and this week I'm talking about :Memories of the Body Shop (this week we found out that it's going into administration).Scamp and Dude and what might happen when I go to their sample saleThe budget makeup brand that I adore and some products that I recommendThe beautiful smelling, comforting new range from Selena GomezAn affordable and stunning illuminating productand lots more.Let me know what you're loving. I'd love to hear from you on Instagram @outspokenbeautynicola.

I'm so excited about this, my second episode of Outspoken Women. In it I'm joined by the incredibly inspiring and kind entrepreneur, businesswoman, Dragon and TV personality, Sara Davies MBE.I first met Sara when she was giving the most uplifting and motivating talk to a room of 700 Avon representatives. She covered so many topics from how to make your business a success to how to juggle all the demands that life makes on us as women. As I scribbled copious notes I KNEW I had to get her on the podcast. Well the rest is history and she's here to I hope motivate you in the same way as she has done me. During the episode we chat about Sara's love for beauty and how her Mum started her skincare journey. Sara also tells us about how she navigates Mum guilt, how she built her hugely successful business Crafter's Companion from scratch and made it a success when she was a student, why we need to fake it til we make it and how we need to own the decisions that we make and never look back.What a woman and I feel SO lucky that I can share her wisdom with you here.Enjoy this Outspoken Beauties x