Up until last year, I was not a fan of podcasts. I walked through life with garbage music blasting through my headphones, letting the mind-numbing vocals of J. Biebs lull me into a catatonic rage during my 9 a.m. commute.
It was like being enveloped in a warm hug, during which I was also able to figure out the liquid lipsticks that were actually the best, the hair and skin hacks that really worked, and all of the no-bullshit product reviews and opinions on the world at large. Just trust me; it's awesome. So to get you on my excited level, I present to you the best beauty podcasts to download right now. Careful, though—you'll never want to take your headphones off again.
If You Want a Ridiculously Funny Best Friend…
Listen to: The Emma Guns Show
I mean, the insanely glowing comments on this podcast would win anyone over ("I feel with every [episode] that I wish my friends and I were talking about this topic instead of whining about our lives," and "I'm inspired to be more positive and in control").
But even without the five-star reviews, you'll fall in love with the fact that the host is Emma Gunavardhana, a truth-speaking London journalist with an obsession for grilling beauty royalty (think Dr. Dennis Gross and James Read) on personal regrets, business setbacks, and crazy behind-the-scenes stories.
If You Want to Know the Life of a Makeup Artist…
Listen to: This Week in Makeup
…Or, you know, if you actually are a makeup artist, then meet your new vice. This bi-weekly show is the most insider-y of insider podcasts for the makeup obsessed, diving into the nitty gritty of product techniques with Oscar-nominated artists from Suicide Squad and Star Trek, while discussing the process of getting makeup onto the shelves of Sephora with the founders of Stellar cosmetics.
If You're a Self-Proclaimed Nerd and Want to Nerd Out…
Listen to: The Beauty Brains
All hail beauty nerds! If you, too, love to spend your free time Googling skincare labels, reading beauty reports from the FDA, wondering why and how certain ingredients interact with your skin and hair, and how beauty products are created, then please immediately download this podcast.
Hosted by cosmetic chemists Perry Romanowski and Randy Schueller, this monthly show tackles both marketing myths, like the deal with "pore-cleaning" strips, and viral questions, like "how does color-changing makeup work?" and "is micellar water really that good?" with logical, science-backed answers that are as equally fascinating as they are funny.
If You Want to Feel Like The Cool Kid at School…
Listen to: Fat Mascara
Okay, yes, I'm a little biased, because this podcast is the brainchild of Marie Claire's executive beauty and health editor, Jenn Goldstein, and Teen Vogue's beauty and health director, Jessica Matlin, but this was also the first beauty podcast I listened to and fell in love with, thanks to its biting criticism of insane beauty practices, legit (and funny) reviews of new products, and truly fascinating interviews with gurus like Deborah Lippmann, Linda Rodin, and, of course, Molly Ringwald, because why not?
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