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.

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:

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...

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...

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...

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:

Enjoy xx

Perdita Nouril and I are back for a new season and we are two women on a mission. We've always delved into beauty but now we're putting on our journalistic detective hats and we are DEEP DIVING.

This all started when I was introduced to a report that showed that at least four major skincare brands were selling SPFs that when tested were shown not to contain UVA protection, even though they claimed that they did on the labels. Perdita and I are calling time on BS and are unearthing the brands, products, trends and ingredients that...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Beauty editor Perdita Nouril is back and this week she has got the most incredible recommendations for you including:

You're going to adore this episode!!

It's The Outspoken Review and I've got some truly beautiful things to tell you about this week including an addictive scent that reminds me of those ginger hot shots and a body oil that will 100% be coming to France with me this summer.

I've also had some incredible chats this week and I'll share why they've made me feel relieved and less guilty about everything.

Hope you enjoy our little weekly catch up.

xx

It's time to catch up with the one and only Bryony Blake.

Poor Bryony is always gets into trouble even though she's innocent and this week she had something very unexpected confiscated at a nightclub.

We're also talking about weird and wonderful ways we're keeping cool, why we love giving compliments, a word that gives me the major ick and the iconic beauty brand that's doing amazing innovation at the moment.

There's lots more for you to enjoy too!

I've got the most innovative self tan/skincare hybrid to tell you about this week. I'm absolutely loving it.

I'll also tell you about a really good vitamin C/antioxidant serum, a beautiful moisturiser and the affordable fragrance that might just become your scent of the summer.

There's lots more too.

Enjoy xx

If you were to take a good long look at your skincare collection, there's a chance that some of the products you've spent your good money on won't be delivering on their promises. In a world of TikTok trends, aesthetic filters and clever marketing, we’ve been conditioned to buy into skincare hype that at times has little clinical proof behind it.

Well, in today's episode, we are stripping away the marketing fluff and looking at the science of skincare with my amazing guest Lorna Bowes. Lorna started her journey as an NHS dermatology nurse, has authored ov...

The Beauty Editor is back!

The gorgeous Perdita Nouril is talking about all things SPF misinformation after doing a massive investigation for a recent piece in Women's Health.

This is such a great insight into how fear mongering can spread online and why we must listen to the experts and facts.

In this week's Outspoken Review I'm telling you about some of the things I've been thinking and doing today.

I'll be talking about:

The perfume launch that inspired a huge banana installation in Liberty

The Flo app and what it's teaching me about my anxiety

Why I love M and S fashion but the one reason it's not working brilliantly for me

The K Beauty lip gloss that I bought today and why it's so different to anything I've ever tried

The J Beauty experience I had...

In this episode makeup artist extraordinaire Bryony Blake is back and we have lots to catch up on.

We're chatting:

Kim K's blonde bob

Going rogue at all you can eat buffets

The hot sound guy who should be Prime Minister

Bryony's AMAZING makeup tips for hot weather

and lots more.

Enjoy Outspoken Beauties xx

After the success of last week's AM routine, this week I'm talking you through what I do at the other end of the day. I'll talk you through three different skincare routines, my skin non-negotiables, the fragrances I lean towards at bed time and why I always give my hands and feet a bit of attention before bed.

I

*This episode is supported by Laura Geller Beauty*

It's not often you get to chat to beauty royalty like Laura Geller, but when you do, it's a conversation that you'll never forget.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed talking to the woman who went from Broadway makeup artist to building one of the first founder led makeup brands of all time. Laura is the woman who championed primer, putting it on the map and also brought baked makeup to us. She's also someone who has always lifted women over 40, even establishing National Mature...

I haven't done an episode like this for ages. It's my current morning routine from my shower heroes to my skincare, deoderant, body care and a fragrance that I'm currently addicted to.

I really rate all these products and hope you enjoy hearing my thoughts about them.

In this episode I'm chatting to the brilliant and utterly lovely Dr Jennifer Owens.

Jennifer is one of Ireland’s most respected practitioners in aesthetic medicine and the founder of The Glow Clinic, which has locations in both Dublin and Cork.

Dr Jennifer’s career began in dentistry, including time spent working in the Australian outback and as Google’s in-house dentist. Over time, she transitioned into aesthetic medicine, training extensively in London, Amsterdam, and New York before opening The Glow Clinic in 2018.

During the episode we talk all things skin, skincare that works...

Beauty Editor Perdita is back and we've got loads to catch up on.

Perdi has been on some really interesting press trips and launches and also tells us about why Beauty Pie have been in a little bit of trouble.

I'm also telling you about the amazing Fragrance Foundation Awards and we're chatting about a weird and wonderful facial that has changed the way Perdita does her skincare (and potentially lives her life).

Enjoy!

In this week's Outspoken Review I'm chatting about:

and much more.

It's Bryony time and we've got lots to chat about including:

There's lots more but I'm writing this description late at night and my bed beckons so you'll need to listen to find out all about our misadventures this week and the products that have impressed us the most.

Enjoy xx

In this week's Outspoken Review I'm chatting about the affordable serum I keep going back to, the luxurious hand cream that smalls out of this world, why I wish I could afford to keep buying a particular spf and why I'm so sick of the Clean Girl trend.

Enjoy xx

I'm so happy to finally welcome the founder of PHENOMENAL makeup brand Hildun onto the podcast. Suzy Griffin Dunne is such a brilliant personality with a background in both beauty writing and makeup artistry.

Suzy's creation of Hildun has really inspired me. Every product is so carefully thought through and is such a pleasure to use. I know that you'll love getting to know the woman behind it and hearing her story. It's one of ambition, graft and Suzy is bound to make you laugh too - she's a true Outspoken Beauty.

I am sitting here writing up this week's Outspoken Review in my knickers. I'm sweating in places that I didn't know could sweat and I'm frequently spritzing the poor, over-heated rabbit with water.

Anyway, heat aside, I have some lovely products to tell you about this week including a brilliant SPF, the best tinted lip balm (that I've been using as a highlighter too), minty freshness from Neom, some mind-blowing fragrances and two simple but impressive recipes.

Enjoy fellow Outspoken Beauties xx

In this episode I'm chatting to cosmetic scientist and The Good Housekeeping Institute's Innovation Tester Juliet Heaton.

Juliet is in charge of rigorously testing products against their claims in the Institute's lab to make sure that they actually deliver on their claims.

During the episode we have a really interesting chat about how clever marketing can lead us to believe things about our beauty products that simply aren't true and why some of the social media personalities who recommend things to us may be aligned with brands or at a basic level, recommend products that...