The Review of Mess

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Kim Kardashian seduces a Tesla robot to feminize the future of techno-fascism [5:20], David Beckham launches a “longevity” line to bring anti-aging to the bros [12:15], the construction of false bodies through fashion in the age of Ozempic [18:20], the return of aughties-era thinspo [22:30], beauty standards as a backlash to feminism [30:27], the rise of eye color surgery [33:20], predictions for the beauty industry as RFK Jr. takes control of the FDA [41:42], Lili Reinhart doesn’t understand skin positivity [1:08:00], Martha Stewart is an icon of Mess [1:13:15]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: Kim Kardashian’s tweet about The Substance [X], Females by Andrea Long Chu [Verso Books], All The Rage by Virginia Nicholson [Simon & Schuster], The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison [Barnes & Noble], “When I Stopped Using Fluoride” [Offline Time], “How RFK Jr.’s health secretary appointment could impact the beauty and wellness industries” [Glossy], “RFK Jr. Is Poised to Be America’s Wellness Influencer-in-Chief” [Business of Fashion], Ami R. Zota [Google Scholar], “Makeup, fragrance and hair dye use in pregnancy leads to more PFAS in breast milk” [The Guardian], “The Disturbing Truth About Hair Relaxers” [The New York Times]

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

Get full access to The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino at jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Halsey as The Great Impersonator [5:45], nepo-models (Romeo Beckham! Sunday Rose Urban!) [11:40], Miu Miu’s prepubescent aesthetic [18:30], the rise of the “ballet body” (or, more accurately, the “surgical body”) [25:15], North West trolling Kim Kardashian [35:40], the so-called “canceling” of mascara and concealer [40:38], the art of the staged paparazzi shot [45:45], the depressing deluge of Wicked beauty products [53:38], the Victoria’s Secret fashion show [59:39], the death of journalism [1:18:30], the eco-crisis of Taylor Swift’s glitter freckles [1:35:45], and the iconoclasm of Taylor Swift’s smashed guitar [1:41:30]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: “Did The Brazilian Wax Ruin Sex?” [I <3 Mess], “Red Carpet Deja Vu (w/Emily Kirkpatrick)” [The New Garde], “Fashion’s Alt-Right Flirtation” [I <3 Mess], “We Tried It: I Lived like a Kardashian for 24 Hours and Have the Selfies to Prove It” [People], “Plastic surgeons say the ‘ballet body’ is in. Here’s what that means” [The Washington Post], “How Victoria's Secret Lost Its Way” [Back Row], “Can the Media Survive?” [New York Magazine], “Taylor Swift’s Chiefs Game Appearance Wearing Fazit’s Glitter Freckles Leads To Over $1M In Sales” [Beauty Independent], “Stigmatize Glitter” [The Review of Beauty]

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

Get full access to The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino at jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: The Hole Debate (there’s still time to join the waitlist here!), Renaissance Fair Fall (Chappell Roan! Megan Thee Stallion!) [4:00], medieval fashion as a longing for pre-capitalist life [7:54], the folkloric aesthetics of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko [11:38], homage at the VMAs (Sabrina Carpenter as Madonna! Tate McRae as Britney!) [16:15], hands are the hot new body part to hate [27:20], The Substance [29:00], Moo Deng skin [36:36], why Kourtney Kardashian is selling an Ozempic dupe [44:04], the ethics of actors losing weight for movie roles [50:10], the crumbling of the Kardashian-Jenner empire (if you’re sick of this family just fast forward <3) [57:04], Kylie Cosmetics losing The Blush Wars [1:09:15], Dieux Baptism Cleanser and skincare as an organized religion [1:25:40], Doritos’ failed mascot Chippy [1:31:51]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: “What Did Medieval Peasants Know?” [The Atlantic], “How Law Roach changed the way we see celebrity” [The Washington Post], “I Don’t Want My Hands to Look Old” [Harper’s Bazaar], “Meet Habelo, The Luxury Brand Bringing High-Performance Products To Hand Care” [Beauty Independent], David Duchovny in Zoolander [YouTube], “Interview With Creepy Hand Model” [YouTube], “Why Do We Want To Look Like Glass?” [The Review of Beauty], “The Rise & Rise of Dewy Dumpling Skin” [The Times], “Moo Deng Is The Moment” [Vogue], “Do hippopotamuses actually have pink sweat?” [Scientific American], “Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme Brand At Risk Amid False Advertising Lawsuit” [MSN], “Kim Kardashian’s New Skin Care Line Is Not for Quitters” [New York Times], “Khloe Kardashian Settles Good American Lawsuit” [Sourcing Journal], “Dieux's First-Ever Cleanser Comes in Two Formulas—and We Tried Both” [Byrdie], Juno Birch playing The Sims [YouTube]

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

Get full access to The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino at jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Fetish porn as a PR strategy, the “sploogification” of skincare [3:07], Emily’s journalistic debacle with The Face and the aesthetics of fascism [5:33], the sadness of the morning shed [20:20], the emergence of the “self-shelfie” [28:40], Jools Debron and the ballroom origins of “demure” [30:35], Dolly Parton Beauty [40:44], a deep-dive into the Blake Lively Blake-lash [48:30], a cosmetic chemist’s take on swapping conditioner for hair masks [1:14:30], Jessica’s personal experience with Blake Brown Beauty (Lively’s new haircare line) [1:15:09], a niche debate about Substack and the figure of the Literary It Girl [1:20:05], Tom Cruise’s new PR strategy [1:41:56], and why Auntie Anne’s and Hellman’s Mayo both launched perfumes [1:49:12]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: Addison Rae - Diet Pepsi (Official Video) [YouTube], “Leave TikTok’s ‘Morning Shed’ Trend Alone” [Glamour], “Very Demure, Very Mindful: Who Owns An Internet Buzzword?” [Dazed], “'Very demure, very mindful' trademark issue is 'handled,' TikTok influencer says” [NPR], DollyBeauty.com, “Blake Lively's 'It Ends With Us' promotion called 'disrespectful' by some survivors of domestic abuse” [NBC News], “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job” [YouTube], “Half-Blaked” [Puck], “The Machine In The Garden” [Feed Me]

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

Get full access to The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino at jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick).

Today we’re talking about: Emily’s feud with Deuxmoi, Deuxmoi’s perfume collab with Violet Grey, Style Not Com’s spon-con loophole [15:30], Demi Lovato’s (very catchy) song for haircare brand OGX [23:00], Lil Mama’s lipgloss line [30:50], Sabrina Carpenter’s in-video product placements [33:00], Lily Allen’s foot fetish content [34:50], Namilia’s much-critiqued “I <3 Ozempic” tank top [43:45], Bryan Johnson’s impact on the anti-aging market [54:30], the “longevity” industry’s ideological flaw, Derek Blasberg’s famed #GoopPoop [1:19], and the Scentbird CEO’s slide into spiritual guru-ism (from Business of Fashion: “She noted, ‘I’d be surprised if my investors knew,’ and that they ‘know my character’”) [1:31]. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: Consumer Trends: 2024 Mid-Year Report [The New Consumer], “This Blood-Infused Moisturizer Is Hailey Baldwin's Favorite” [SELF], Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady by Derek Blasberg, “The Beauty Brands Backing Abortion Bans” [The Review of Beauty], “How Essential Oils Became The Cure For Our Age Of Anxiety” [The New Yorker], Elixir: A Parisian Perfume House and the Quest for the Secret of Life by Theresa Levitt

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

Get full access to The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino at jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back and serving up another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). 

Don’t worry, we heard you last month — even if you couldn’t hear us!! — and fixed our audio issues.

Today we’re talking about: Cirque du Soleil’s perfume, Rihanna’s deal with Dior, Alexander Wang’s simulacrum marketing, Kylie Jenner’s relationship to replication, Kim Kardashian’s fashion horcruxes, Katy Perry’s cyborg legs, JLo’s downfall, Chanel’s new designer, Love Island’s beauty standards, Jada Pinkett Smith’s mom’s abs (we mistakenly thought this was Halle Berry’s mom, whoops!), and Lady Gaga’s love of Big Pharma. Plus more!

Media we mentioned: “It’s Going To Be A Hairy Summer” [The Cut], “The state of the bush – how should I be styling my pubic hair?” [The Guardian], fragrance labeling requirements, Alexander Wang’s Ricco campaign, Kim Kardashian & Chloë Sevigny’s Actors on Actors, Katy Perry’s “Woman’s World” promo image and clip, Julia Fox’s centaur pants, Michael Kors on Project Runway, “J. Lo's Brand Has Been Damaged for Years” [Back Row], the viral Love Island tweet, plastic surgeon guessing the Love Island contestants’ ages, Immediacy, Or The Style of Too Late Capitalism by Anna Kornbluh, Lady Gaga’s bumper shawl by SELVA

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

Get full access to The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino at jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

We started a podcast! Please enjoy the first episode of The Review of Mess: an audio collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Once a month, Emily and I will be sweeping up the messiest moments in celebrity beauty and fashion.

Today we’re talking about Mariah Carey riding a rollercoaster with her hairdresser (for instant touch-ups), Brooke Shields launching a haircare line (named COMMENCE), Taylor Swift’s rumored fragrance (intel via Feed Me), Doja Cat (and her work with Dilara Findikoglu), Cardi B’s alternate Met Gala makeup, Camila Cabello, Jojo Siwa, BBL Drizzy, Ava Louise, the return of pubic hair, and what is maybe the most terrifying TikTok trend of our lifetime: matching your manicure to the tip of your boyfriend’s penis (should we call this “the nail gaze”?). Plus more!

This was our first time recording together and I learned a lot; mainly, that I laugh too hard into the mic, make too many “listening” noises, and need to stop saying “100 percent”. It’ll only get better from here.

Books we mentioned: Masscult and Midcult: Essays Against the American Grain by Dwight Macdonald, Aspiration: The Agency of Becoming by Agnes Callard, Heroines by Kate Zambreno

About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

Subscribe to receive future podcast posts:

About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here.

Get full access to The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino at jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe