Is This the End of the Manicure? A rebuttal to that NY Times piece from the nail industry

EPISODE 55

If you’re a regular listener to the BeautyMe podcast then you’ll know that in the past few weeks I’ve put out two episodes featuring beauty writer Jessica DeFino. Also, if you know me at all, you’ll know that I’ve been a major fan and sharer of her work. I fully appreciate the effort and time that Jessica puts into her articles, which have been seen in the likes of Harper’s Bazaar, The Zoe Report, Allure, and most recently, the New York Times…

Jessica has written some amazing pieces when it comes to skincare, the skin microbiome, even glitter – but I think it’s the New York Times article that’s going to be her most talked about piece, and for all the wrong reasons.

Entitled Is This the End of the Manicure? the ensuing response from the nail industry in the States but also here in the UK, has set the internet ablaze. In this episode, I want to look at what Jessica wrote, and also provide a rebuttal that I think the nail industry wants and needs.

The reason I felt compelled to create an episode focused solely on the article was because it just felt weird not to address it. I’m not a writer or podcaster that’s supported by brands to keep food on the table, and I’m really glad about that. At the heart of it, I am someone who is fascinated by people and their stories, particularly when they pertain to the beauty industry. It didn’t feel right to one day be promoting a podcast all about Jessica’s skincare routine and not address what’s really going on with her most recent work. Thank you to everyone who either sent me voice notes or allowed me to use existing audio.

You can listen to my two interviews with Jessica below.

Disrupting and dismantling the beauty industry
Microbiome-friendly skincare favourites