
BeautyMe with Charisse Kenion
Charisse Kenion is a beauty journalist who's never stopped being obsessed with beauty.
Each week Charisse looks at beauty standards, interviews your faves, looks at the things that make us different and of course, shares her opinion on the latest makeup, skincare and hair products.
She breaks down trends and history and you can think of her as your personal shopper when it comes to all things beauty.
Find Charisse on Instagram or Threads @charisse_kenion and check out her TikTok @charissekenion for video content. Please rate and review the show if you enjoy it.
Latest episodes

Apr 28, 2023 • 56min
Ep. 193: Play, perception and the intersection of fashion and technology with Chinese-American fashion creator Karina Chan
This week’s guest is Karina Chan, a Chinese American Project Manager who grew up in the Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In this episode we discuss how perception and presentation shows up differently for people of colour and Karina shares some
beautiful insights from former US Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley’s book The Chiffon Trenches. Karina also shares early memories of watching her mum, a real estate agent, getting ready to go to work and her hopes for the future of fashion as technology becomes more sophisticated.
If you love fashion you’re going to love this episode. And if you don’t know fashion, it’s still worth a listen and visiting Google when you get curious!
I really hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. Feel free to get in touch with feedback over in the DMs on Twitter or Instagram @beautymepodcast or email me beautymepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget, you’ll also find some video clips of our chat on Instagram or you can see it on TikTok @charissekenion.
Did you know that you can now listen to BeautyMe on Amazon Music? Wherever you listen, I would really love if you could hit that subscribe or like button. Feel free to leave a 5-star rating over on Spotify, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget there’s also my newsletter beautymenotes.substack.com where I often share imagery from each episode. See you next time!
Links/Content mentioned
Karina on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@karinajchan
My video on Jenny Shimizu: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJm3mWSo/
Andre Leon Talley’s The Chiffon Trenches: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chiffon-Trenches-Andre-Leon-Talley/dp/0008342342
Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink; The Power of Thinking without Thinking: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blink-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316057908
Karina’s video on Dior: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJm3buw5/
Karina’s video on Emanuel Ungaro: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJm39Y8r/
Asim Abdullah buying fashion house Emanuel Ungaro: https://www.sfgate.com/magazine/article/The-Fixer-Can-Silicon-Valley-venture-capitalist-2573018.php
Chani episode on BeautyMe: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3PfViYwjaonfjryZmE8Ybc?si=71fcb1bdb31245d8
Liah Yoo on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiahYoo
The Cutting Room Floor on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecuttingroomfloor/posts
The Cutting Room Floor on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tcrfff
Law Roach on High Low with EmRata: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZrwYv6j0T7uqMVYMcifHC?si=0a5b38487f754f79
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcastBeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.comBeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenionBeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme

Apr 14, 2023 • 29min
Ep. 192: Can a facial be life-changing? My buccal massage experience with London-based facialist Katie England
This is an episode that I felt compelled to make, because I wanted to let you know about the amazing facial I had recently with Katie England. Based at my favourite London hotel, the NoMad in Covent Garden, Katie is a facialist with over a decade of experience and during that time she has truly honed her craft and her way of looking at skin.
For me, this was an experience that still hasn't left me. Katie has made me take more interest in my body, not just my face, and she almost made me cry too. But that's only because she is simply a lovely human being that makes you feel seen. What made this even more special, was that the facial was a gift from my bestie, Natalie. So this is me passing on that gift to you.
In this episode I share my experience and also discuss Katie's buccal massage techniques which are absolutely different and definitely a must!
Do please share this episode with anyone you think needs it, and if you enjoyed listening, I’d really appreciate if you could review the show on Spotify or Apple or anywhere you listen. And don’t forget, if you hit subscribe or follow, you’ll never miss another episode of BeautyMe.
If you need more insights and general musings on beauty, be sure to sign up for my newsletter at beautymenotes.substack.com. Thanks so much for listening. See you next time.
Find Katie at katie-england.com
Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieenglandskin/
Buy The Book of Lymph by Lisa Levitt Gainsley: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Lymph-Self-care-Practices-Immunity/dp/1529354439
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcastBeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.comBeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenionBeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme

Mar 31, 2023 • 21min
Ep. 191: Yearbooks and magazines – the era-defining ‘90s beauty and fashion in new Teyana Taylor movie A Thousand and One
This episode is all about the hair and makeup we see in new AV Rockwell movie A Thousand and One, because since seeing the trailer I've been so impressed with the ‘90s and 2000s looks.
The movie, starring singer and choreographer Teyana Taylor as ex-convict Inez, is set in Harlem, New York and focuses on her heart-rending story that begins with her deciding to kidnap her 6-year-old son from the foster care system. Suffice to say, it's set to be a tearjerker! It's out today in the US and should reach the UK April 21st. Be sure to check out the visuals I created for this episode over on TikTok @charissekenion and let me know if you love this kind of episode!
My DMs are always open over on Twitter and Instagram @beautymepodcast, or feel free to email me beautymepodcast@gmail.com.
BIG thank you to Focus Features, head of makeup Marsha Page and illustrator Desi Moore.
Don’t forget there’s also the beautyme newsletter at beautymenotes.substack.com – you can subscribe for free! See you next time and let me know if you go to see A Thousand and One. Bye!
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcastBeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.comBeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenionBeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme
Links
Desi Moore: https://www.instagram.com/desidoeswork/
Marsha Page: https://instagram.com/marshapagemua
A Thousand and One trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBM0_6JJw1s
Hair Story by Ayana D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hair-Story-Revised-Ayana-Byrd/dp/1250046572

Mar 23, 2023 • 33min
Ep. 190: The importance of Guido Palau: the creator of ‘non-hair’ and one of the most in-demand hairstylists ever
This Guido Palau special was a long time coming and I'm so glad my friend and hair architect Joy Matashi told me it was a must! In this episode I talk about Guido's start in hair - he was told he would never make it by the way - as well as his influence on grunge, his longterm collars with photographer David Sims and designer Alexander McQueen and why he's still going strong today.
I definitely don't think you need to be 'into' hair to appreciate this episode and I hope everyone who listens either enjoys it or learns something. Below are links to the two articles I referenced and do please let me know what you thought of this episode over at @beautymepodcast on Instagram or Twitter or say hi at TikTok @charissekenion. Don’t forget there’s also the beautyme newsletter which you can subscribe to for free at beautymenotes.substack.com. If you like what you hear, feel free to leave the show a review wherever you like to listen! Thanks for listening and I’ll see you next time.
My Guido Palau TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYQ3uUQ3/
Fashionista.com article: https://fashionista.com/2017/12/guido-palau-hair-stylist-career
Guido Palau; A life in Hair: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/guido-palau-hair-book-and-biography-interview
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcastBeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.comBeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenionBeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme

Mar 17, 2023 • 11min
Ep. 189: The makeup I’d buy if I LOST IT ALL
This episode is all about the makeup I would buy if suddenly one day, I woke up and all of my existing collection had disappeared, or been burnt down to the ground. Obviously, it’s never that deep, but there are some products I would have to buy immediately.
The idea came to me after seeing Sophie Floyd’s YouTube about the products she would immediately replace - you can check that out here: https://youtu.be/9rpiXRWBY88
I’d love to know what YOU would buy instantly if you lost all your makeup faves. Let me know over in the DMs @beautymepodcast on Twitter or Instagram or say hey over on TikTok @charissekenion
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcast
BeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/
BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.com
BeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenion
BeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/charissekenion

Mar 10, 2023 • 25min
Ep. 188: #BeautyNews: TikTok's Bold Glamour filter, the future of American Vogue and messed up motivational posters at girls’ school
This week’s episode is a #beautybuzz episode focused on some of the most recent news stories linked to the world of beauty and how we view it; I’m looking at the growing commentary on the future of American Vogue, some condescending motivational posters aimed at girls at a school in Worcester, UK and the varied responses to the TikTok Bold Glamour filter. Also, did you know that I appeared on Breaking Beauty this week? It was so amazing to hang out with hosts Carlene and Jill of this iconic beauty podcast, and alongside fellow UK beauty journalist Anita Bhagwandas, we discuss the latest beauty headlines. You can listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2WibniC1k7bhi17aAZSi7n?si=90daeff7c5174b2b
As always, I’m interested to know what you think on these or any other subjects within beauty! Feel free to get in touch in the DMs at @beautymepodcast on Instagram or Twitter or say hey over on TikTok @charissekenion. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to hit subscribe or follow and leave a review! And don’t forget there’s also the newsletter at beautymenotes.substack.com. See you next time.
Rhona Christie on TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYakomEh/
Zhangsta on TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYaBDVBx/
Amy Odell on TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYaB2sWV/
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcast
BeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/
BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.com
BeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenion
BeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme

Mar 3, 2023 • 30min
Ep. 187: The curious case of former US Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington's collection of Mammy jars and why Isamaya Ffrench is being called 'cringe'
This episode is a journey inside my mind as I try to juxtapose five decades of incredible work with one (as far as we know) racist image. I'm talking about Grace Coddington; former Creative Director at US Vogue for almost three decades, known for her imagination and brilliant attention to detail and for creating memorable imagery that has inspired many around the world and impacted every single advert and billboard.
But it's that attention to detail that raised alarm bells back in 2019, when Grace was photographed at home, and in one of the images, she's standing in front of a collection of mammy jars. Many wondered why she had the jars - racist propaganda created to paint African Americans as ugly caricatures - while others wondered why they were on display.
Unfortunately I didn't know about the jars when I made this TikTok all about Grace's impact on the fashion industry.
So in this episode I have a lot of questions - can you be not racist but make a racist mistake; what is 'little old white lady' racism? Plus many others... I also throw makeup artist and brand founder Isamaya Ffrench into the mix, because she's been sailing very close to the wind lately, and her recent trip to Malawi has had some in the beauty community referring to her as 'cringe'.
I'd love to know your thoughts as always, so feel free to get in touch over @beautymepodcast on Twitter or Instagram, or find me on TikTok @charissekenion. Don't forget I also have a newsletter and you can read it for free at beautymenotes.substack.com. Finally, if you could take a moment to review the show and follow or subscribe, it would really help the podcast be seen more by people who might like it.
Links
Elisha Brown article in New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/arts/mammy-jars-black-history-month.html
Genna Rivieccio in Culled Culture on 'old white lady racism': https://www.culledculture.com/grace-coddington-mammy-jars/
Kackie Does Beauty; We Need To Talk About Isamaya Ffrench: https://youtu.be/COIVWDo5IKs
Do Mo Draper 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' on TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYUNtB1s/
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcast
BeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/
BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.com
BeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenion
BeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme

Feb 24, 2023 • 1h 5min
Ep. 186: TikTok etiquette and why Black and brown alt girls rule with nail tech and fashion creator Chani Ra AKA @thefashionnap
Chani Ra can’t remember a time when she wasn’t in love with fashion.
She’s a writer and nail tech - who learned how to do French tips at the age of 7 by the way - who not only has an amazing fashion TikTok account @thefashionnap but has also just started sharing vlogs on YouTube this week.
This episode was so much fun to record! I’ve been following Chani for a few months, ever since I decided to get serious about creating content for TikTok and I assumed she’d been on the app for a long time, because her content is so good, so well-thought out and she makes it look so easy. However, she’s only been on TikTok since the birth of her 7-month son Shiloh and basically plans and records her content when he’s taking a nap.
By the way, this is baby Shiloh’s first podcast and you’re going to hear him throughout our chat.
We cover so much in this episode – we talk a lot about TikTok etiquette; why being well-referenced counts, when you have to admit you’ve made a mistake and when it’s time to remove a video. Chani also shares her inspirations in the form of two women who made a major impact on her love of fashion and beauty, her godmother Eve who would take her out of school to go shopping at MAC (!) and her grandmother Ruth, a former model.
I really hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. Feel free to get in touch with feedback over in the DMs on Twitter or Instagram @beautymepodcast or email me beautymepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget, you’ll also find some video clips of our chat on Instagram or you can see it on TikTok @charissekenion.
Did you know that you can now listen to BeautyMe on Amazon Music? Wherever you listen, I would really love if you could hit that subscribe or like button. Feel free to leave a 5-star rating over on Spotify, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget there’s also my newsletter beautymenotes.substack.com where I often share imagery from each episode. See you next time!
Links
Check out Chani’s new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thefashionnap
Chani on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefashionnap
Raoul Alejandre on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raoulalejandre/
Isamaya Ffrench on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isamayaffrench/
Aoife on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aoifeartist/
Aoife episode on BeautyMe: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4t1Oaod4yLkYIlvBZrjPmT?si=3f0275311a1241d1
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcast
BeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/
BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.com
BeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenion
BeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme

Feb 17, 2023 • 21min
Ep. 185: How AI vanity software is helping your favourite actors de-age right before your eyes
This week I’m talking about the use of AI technology on film with particular regard to aging, or rather, de-aging. I've been noticing music videos are leaning more into retouching - from erasing cellulite to softening necklines - but I didn't realise it was also really prevalent in film and TV.
This definitely isn't a deep dive, and it's something I will likely come back to, but after hearing an episode of The Town, a podcast all about the business of Hollywood, hosted by Matthew Belloni, I thought I'd share some insights and ask some questions about how 'vanity' software might affect the future of film. Be sure to check out that episode in the links below!
Let me know your thoughts and definitely let me know if you come across any interesting articles or podcasts on the subject of AI at the movies or in beauty. You can always find me over in the DMs on Twitter or Instagram @beautymepodcast or email me beautymepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget, you’ll also find some video related to the episode on my Instagram or on TikTok @charissekenion.
Did you know that you can now listen to BeautyMe on Amazon Music? Wherever you listen, I would really love if you could hit that subscribe or like button. Feel free to leave a 5-star rating over on Spotify, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget there’s also my newsletter beautymenotes.substack.com where I often share imagery from each episode. See you next time!
Links:
Making movie stars younger with AI: https://open.spotify.com/episode/63Gy4BDhZ6azcZdRVRDGO0?si=00239912e51a49f6
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcast
BeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/
BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.com
BeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenion
BeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme

Feb 10, 2023 • 1h 5min
Ep. 184: The death and rebirth of beauty YouTube, and why Instagram is dead with beauty marketing journalist Lily Twelftree of Barefaced Media
For this episode I’ve invited Sydney-based beauty marketing journalist Lily Twelftree of Barefaced Media back onto the show because her recent video Why did beauty YouTube die? really got me thinking.
So in this episode we discuss a LOT; from what made beauty YouTube so popular at its peak; why many of us have fallen out of love with beauty YouTube – but at the same time, we’re seeing more beauty creators moving to the platform after becoming disheartened with their content performance on Instagram. We also discuss authenticity and whether brands can have political or personal opinions particularly when you look at the issue of Uoma Beauty founder Sharon Chuter using her brand page to pay tribute to the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September.
If you’re someone who’s a huge beauty YouTube lover or you’re even thinking of joining the platform yourself, feel free to get in touch over in the DMs on Twitter or Instagram @beautymepodcast or email me beautymepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget, you’ll also find some video clips of my chat with Lily on my Instagram or you can see it on TikTok @charissekenion.
Did you know that you can now listen to BeautyMe on Amazon Music? Wherever you listen, I would really love if you could hit that subscribe or like button. Feel free to leave a 5-star rating over on Spotify, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget there’s also my newsletter beautymenotes.substack.com where I often share imagery from each episode. See you next time!
Links
Why did beauty YouTube die? https://www.tiktok.com/@barefacedmedia/video/7166439180455890182
Lily on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@barefacedmedia
Why blocking people on social media is good for your health, with Lily Twelftree: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2c0uzY84rG0V4VtrgFqIoL?si=3a1bbe1fbad54733
BeautyMe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautymepodcast
BeautyMe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautymepodcast/
BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.com
BeautyMe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenion
BeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme