Outspoken Beauty

In this week's Outspoken Review I'm telling you about: The most stunning liquid eye-shadow from MAC and why it beats all the others I've tried A GP's tip for living longer and helping just about every aspect of our health Autumn fashion Why I've fallen back in love with Laura Mercier and lots more.... The third letter in the big beauty competition will be revealed on Sunday xx

Bryony Blake is back for our fortnightly catch up and we've got lots to discuss including September resets and Bryony's amazing experience at the Practical Magic Premiere. We're got some lovely makeup recommendations too. If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning £1000 worth of makeup goodies make sure you listen out for this episode's letter. Once you have all four, work out the word and leave a comment on @outspokenbeautynicola or DM me. The winner will be picked at random and announced on 30th September 2026.

In this week's Outspoken Review I'm giving you the first of four letters that you'll need to collect in order to be in with a chance of winning £1000 worth of beauty goodies. This is all in celebration of 8 years of the podcast!!* I'll also be talking about the new Trinny London Fearless Skin Drops and a beautiful illuminating base from the brand Votary. Plus I'll be telling you why The Body Shop are doing some incredible things at the moment and why notepads are so important to me! Download wherever you get your podcasts. *Competition t's and c's: Listen to this and the next three episodes of Outspoken Beauty to collect four letters that make up a word linked to the podcast Either DM me the word or leave a comment under a post about the competition over on my Insta @outspokenbeautynicola Tag a friend who you'd like to share the prize with and make sure they're following me The winner will be picked at random on 30th September 2026.

In this episode I'm chatting to the brilliant editor Editor-In-Chief of Diva Magazine, beauty lover and author of the amazing book What A Girl Wants , Roxy Bourdillon. During the episode we chat about: The incredible lipstick that Roxy swears by How it took Roxy ten years to come out, having lived the "straight dream" with her then boyfriend Her amazing relationship with her grandma Society's ideas around whatr a lesbian "should and shoudn't be" M & S knickers in unexpected places The joys of lesbian s*x The freedom of making up your own rules in a relationship The inspiration behind her book. Roxy is the most brilliant woman and I loved every second of our chat.

This week's edition of Outspoken Beauty Editor is an episode of two halves. On the one hand we're celebrating Sarah Creal's new makeup brand (which Perdita will delve into for us) but on the other we're lamenting Elizabeth Arden's decision to go big with anti-ageing messaging. The beauty industry can do so much good and bring so much joy but at times it really baffles us!

Outspoken Beauties! I am so excited to publish the first episode of OUTSPOKEN HEALTH, a brand new series with the utterly brilliant NHS GP (with an expertise in women's health), author and Media Dr, Dr Anisha Patel (@doctorsgetcancertoo). I met Dr Anisha via The Eve Appeal and was so impressed by her knowledge and passion when it comes to women's health. I was as also in awe of the way that she was using her own experience of bowel cancer to help so many people. Anyway, after a lot of chatting and planning, we are finally starting a series that I think is the most important that I have ever done on this platform. Outspoken Health is your place for BS and misinformation free health advice. This is the polar opposite of the overload of noise you are being fed on social media. It's evidence based, solid and trustworthy advice that you can confidently follow. In this episode we start with the 10 things that you can do right now to invest in your health for the present and future. We'd love any questions, comments and ideas for future episodes. We're here to help you!! Don't hesitate to DM us @outspokenbeautynicola or @doctorsgetcancertoo or email nicola@outspokenbeauty.co.uk

I was looking through my interview file the other day and my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I realised that I had somehow forgotten to publish this interview with Cally Beaton which we recorded last year. I mean I LOVED this interview. It inspired me so much and as we did it I was thinking about how much she was going to inspire you as well. Anyway, I'm so very glad that I did find it and that you're getting the chance to listen to this brilliant comedian and author. When we recorded she was promoting her truly brilliant book Namaste Motherf**kers which is now celebrating its 1st birthday. If you haven't read it you simply must. During the episode Cally talks about how she made the life changing decision to become a comedian at 45 (Joan Rivers told her that she should be one!!) and how she radically reinvented herself in midlife. This is exactly what SO many of us need to hear and I just know that Cally will show you that we're only just getting started, whatever our age!!

Beauty Editor Perdita Nouril is back and this week we're doing a deep dive into some of the misconceptions around K Beauty. We're talking about what Korean beauty experts REALLY think about topical PDRN, how many steps are really in a typical Korean skincare routine and why the trending Korean beauty product that you use in the UK may not have quite the same formula as the original. Any topics you'd like us to get to the bottom of? Let us know with a DM or email nicola@outspokenbeauty.co.uk

I was so sad to hear about the passing of Dolly Parton and really wanted to pay tribute to her. In this episode I'm talking about why if there was ever an example of an Outspoken Beauty it's Dolly. I discuss the person who inspired her style, her refusal to please anyone but herself with her appearance, her beauty habits, why she loved Vaseline, her scent, her love of wigs and so much more. I truly think that we all need to be a bit more Dolly and show up in the world in a way that makes us happy. Dolly never wanted to be fashionable. She created her own style and it made her an icon.

Bryony and I are having a long overdue catch up. The last time we saw each other was when we found ourselves on the same Eurostar to Paris...what are the chances! This week we're chatting about: My very strict and feisty therapist Siblings Paris adventures What happens when you get friends from different parts of your life together Brilliant, affordable makeup Lots more Enjoy xx

In this week's minipod I'm chatting about the suprising amount of people who feel anxious when they go on holiday and can't settle for the first few days, often not feeling fully right for a week. I'm also talking about the chaos of coming home after being away and the brilliant, affordable makeup that I bought this week.

In this little episode I talk about the chaos of coming back from my holiday and how a couple of days in Paris helped me reconnect with a side of myself that I haven't acknowledged in a long long time. I also chat about things to do with the kids in Paris and the things I liked (and didn't like so much) about the now infamous Citypharma.

In this little episode recorded from France I'm reflecting on what I've learning about confidence, especially having really observed the amazing women here. I also compare becoming more self-confident to overcoming anxiety. It's a gradual process, you need to take yourself out of your comfort zone but eventually it gets easier. Hope you find this inspiring xx

I'm on my hols so am re-releasing one an oldie but a real goodie! It's with the amazing Anna Newton aka The Anna Edit and Lily Pebbles. Enjoy!! In this episode I'm joined by Lily Pebbles and The Anna Edit to talk about how to pick and choose the very best beauty products and let go of the rest. You've heard about a Capsule Wardrobe, but how do you get a Capsule Beauty Collection? Anna and Lily give advice about letting go of what you no longer need and also a list of the beauty products that have made their own personal edits. They also talk about true friendship, being honest with their followers and changing your beauty habits to be more environmentally friendly. I also review the most INCREDIBLE new brand. It's called Wild and Precious and has impressed Nicola so much that it is going to be taking permanent residence in her (newly edited) collection. Remember to subscribe, spread the word and rate us (it all really helps) and give us a follow on Instagram @outspokenbeautypodcast. For product links and more info check out outspokenbeauty.co.uk.

Due to popular demand, in this holiday minipod, I'm telling to about many of the beauty products that I packed for my holiday to France. I'm including a miraculous device that has totally (well 97%) taken the itch out of my many mozzie bites, an SPF that has absolutely blown my mind (the science and ingredients are out of this world) and the easiest and most fantastic body product ever. There's so much more packed into this little episode. Enjoy mes cheries xx

It's Bryony time and in this episode she's got loads of fabulous makeup tips. We're also chatting about some unexpected occurances at Centre Parks, what happens when your younger sister is a little bit over protective, our views on dupes and so so much more!

Happy International Lipstick Day Outspoken Beauties! I have got the most brilliant and perfect guest for such an auspicious occasion! Eileen G'Sell is poet, culture critic, university teacher and author of Lipstick, which joined Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series earlier this year. I love the description of this utterly brilliant book: "From Revlon to Glossier, from Marilyn to Gaga, lipstick is as shape-shifting and unwieldy as femininity itself. Who wears lipstick today – as a matter of routine? And for those who do, is it out of obligation to a strict feminine standard, or some other reason entirely? Lipstick reconsiders the beauty world's most conspicuous – and contentious – tool of artifice. Tossing expired ideas about femininity like so many tubes of melting wax, Lipstick explores how self-adornment can be a source of play, pleasure, and transformation, as well as how lipstick can knock gender norms off balance." My chat with Eileen got me so over-excited. She is so intelligent and has such brilliant views about beauty, self-expression, femininity and feminism. This is the perfect episode for a day that celebrates something that can feel so powerful and meaningful.

Oh how I love this woman! Makeup artist, comedian and content creator extraordinaire Genevieve Turley is back. It's been a good few years since she was last on the podcast and it 's SO good to catch up with her. Before I get into my chat with Gen I spend 10 minutes or so telling you in some depth about my experience with the Ziip Halo. This all came about when my most trusted aesthetician Pam Marshall recommended it to me. I've been obsessed ever since. This is a paid for section as Ziip were keen to support me but as ever it is totally unbiased and I hope you'll find it really informative. If you do decide that you would like to purchase one then follow this link and it will give you 10% off. If the link doesn't work then just head to ziipbeauty.co.uk and use the code OUTSPOKEN. Back to Genevieve. We're talking about: How her career has gone stratospheric Her journey to becing a comedian Her recent big show in the West End Life and home changes Lots of empowering insights about women Beauty And lots lots more. You're going to love this one Outspoken Beauties xx

It's Wednesday and that means I'm talking you through some of my top products of the week. This week I have: A fabulous blusher/lip hybrid A Balm that will melt your makeup away My body oil picks A great SPF for dry, sensitive skin The serum I keep going back to and more....

In this episode I'm joined by two icons of the beauty industry. Lesley Blair is CEO and Chair of BABTAC (British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) and Candice Gardner is the Education Manager of Learning and Content at Dermalogica, where she develops and oversees educational content and training for skincare professionals across the UK. Earlier this year I was incredibly inspired when I joined them at the Houses of Parliament for the launch of Sharp Standards, a UK-wide good practice guide and toolkit for micro-needling that is available to beauty practitioners across the UK. This industry shifting guide was authored by Candice on behalf of Dermalogica, in partnership with BABTAC. During the episode we talk about: The lack of legislation in the beauty industry and why they've been fighting for tighter laws in parliament for a long time Why they realised that they had to take matters into their own hands The questions we should all be asking when we have an aesthetic treatment The risks of micro-needling and what we need to look out for How to tell if a beauty practitioner has the right qualifications Why Sharp Standards will help both beauty practitioners and customers to feel more confident Why we should all be more aware of what can go wrong when we have beauty treatments This is such a great listen. More than anything it helps empower us as consumers to know what we should asking and also helps beauty professionals to become fully confident in their business practice.