Naked Beauty

Since Cyndi Ramirez Fulton opened Chill House on New York's Lower East Side in 2017, the brand has grown from a cult downtown spa into a nationwide product line, culminating in a 2025 acquisition by Kiss Beauty Group, with Cyndi still at the helm. On today's episode, Cyndi takes us back to growing up in Queens as the daughter of a Colombian esthetician and how that environment shaped her relationship with beauty and her entrepreneurial instincts. She opens up about her years in New York nightlife, the scrappy blog that helped her find her voice, and how she landed on the idea for Chill House after not being able to find a spa that was right for her.

Cyndi is refreshingly honest about the parts that don't make it onto the glossy Instagram grid: the economics of the spa business that were "always a little broken," the fundraising struggles that led to the Kiss deal, and the very real guilt and joy of building a business alongside a family. We also get into the pivot to Chill Tips press-on nails, why press-ons have genuinely changed her life, and her favorite beauty products for navigating two very different climates.

Cyndi’s Favorites:
Haus Labs Foundation
Olaplex Shampoo and Conditioner
Olaplex Leave In
Crown Affair Mousse
Westman Atelier Brow Pencil
Chill House bestsellers: Sea Siren, Bougie Butter, and Acid Wash

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Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet

Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :)

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Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf

Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard

Follow Cyndi @cyndiramirez
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This is THE fragrance episode you’ve been waiting for. If you’re ready to talk top notes vs. base notes, Eau de Toilette vs. Eau de Parfum, get ready for this fascinating discussion with Asia Grant, the co-founder of fragrance brand Redoux. We dive into her relationship with fragrance growing up, why gendering fragrance is a waste of everyone’s time, the story behind her new bar soap products, launching a Black-owned brand during the pandemic, and more.

Links to Products/Resources Mentioned: Redoux, Mountain Rose Herbs, Tom Ford (Black Orchid, Tuscan Leather, Neroli Portofino, Soleil Blanc), Byredo (Gypsy Water, Bal d’Afrique, Eleventh Hour, 1996), Frederic Malle (Portrait of a Lady, Baccarat Rouge 540), D.S. & Durga

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This episode is sponsored by smartwater®

During the Essence Black Women in Hollywood event, I spoke with the indomitable Bozoma Saint John live. Bozoma grew up between Ghana, Kenya, Washington DC, and Colorado Springs, a childhood of constant reinvention that taught her to read rooms fast and never apologize for taking up space. At 14, she wasn't crying because she didn't feel beautiful. She was crying because her classmates didn't recognize her beauty. That clarity and fierce, unshakable self-knowing have followed her everywhere. Her confidence carried her into boardrooms where she was the only Black woman, onto the cover of the New York Times with her cornrows, and through the grief of losing her husband, Peter. Later, it carried her into the unexpected joy of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which led directly to On Brand with Jimmy Fallon. And, eventually, into the decision to sell her corporate stock from every company she'd ever worked for to self-fund her brand, Eve by Boz — on her own terms, by her own rules.

Bozoma has no peers. And she will tell you that herself, in this special episode of Naked Beauty.

Tune in as we discuss:
(2:34) Growing Up Across Ghana, Kenya, DC & Colorado
(5:43) Why She Never Doubted She Was Beautiful — Even at 14
(10:05) Immigrant Parents, Pre-Med Dreams & Landing at Spike Lee's Ad Agency By Accident
(13:36) The Emotional Cost of Being the First and Only Black Woman in Every C-Suite
(16:24) Why Personal Brand Building Means Saying "I" Out Loud
(21:40) The Hollywood Pivot: What Made RHOBH a Yes
(23:57) Moving to LA Four Months After Her Husband's Death
(29:01) What Season 14 of RHOBH Taught Her Going Into Season 15
(30:30) Showing Fibroid Surgery & Her Fertility Journey On Camera
(33:46) Her Go-To Glam Routine & The African Sapo Net Gospel
(37:18) Self-Funding Eve by Boz With Her Own Corporate Stock
(40:24) What Raising Her Daughter Lil Has Taught Her That The Boardroom Never Could
(43:20) Engagement With Keeley Watson: Love After Loss & True Partnership
(46:52) How To Know When It's Time To Walk Away
(51:41) Bozoma's Advice For Anyone Who Feels Stuck

Today’s episode was made possible by smartwater

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Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet

Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf

Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard

Follow Bozoma @bozomastjohn

Products Mentioned:
Lancôme Foundation
MAC Blush
Oil of Olay Moisturizer
Eucerin Lotion & Heavy Cream
African Sapo Net (exfoliating sponge)
Eve by Boz Haircare
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Erica Chidi is an author, founder, culinary school graduate, and one of the most genuinely knowledgeable people in the wellness space — and today, she's sitting down with me for an honest, friend-to-friend conversation about one of the most relatable struggles out there: how to actually feed yourself well when your calendar is back-to-back all week. I open up about my own journey navigating nutrition since being diagnosed with Graves' Disease, sharing the shifts I’ve already made, like cutting out sugar and processed foods, adding protein powder, and keeping a rotisserie chicken on hand.

Erica brings her signature clarity and warmth to the conversation, introducing a concept she calls "nutritional redundancy," the liberating idea that being comfortable eating the same nourishing meals on repeat is a feature, not a bug. She breaks down exactly why protein is non-negotiable for women's health, how to build a breakfast that stabilizes your blood sugar and changes the entire trajectory of your day, and why women should stop taking nutritional cues from gym bros on the internet. We get into the tinned fish renaissance, the right way to think about supplementing, the nuances of GLP-1 medications, and why getting regular bloodwork is one of the most powerful things you can do to shift your relationship with your body from superficial to substantive. This episode is packed with practical, actionable wisdom.

Tune in as we discuss
( 00:00) Intro & Brooke's Graves' Disease diagnosis
(02:00) Dietary changes that reduced inflammation
(08:00) Guest intro: Erica Chidi on eating well while busy
(09:00) "Nutritional redundancy" — the habit that makes healthy eating easier
(11:00) How morning protein stabilizes blood sugar & reduces cravings
(13:30) Erica's high-protein breakfast rotation
(17:00) What to eat if you're not hungry in the morning
(20:00) Easy high-protein lunch ideas for busy women
(21:30) Why tinned fish is the ultimate quick meal (+ the SMASH acronym)
(25:30) Why women's nutrition needs are different from men's
(27:00) The plate rule: protein + fat + fiber every meal
(29:00) Function Health app: how to track your labs & biological age
(32:30) GLP-1 medications: benefits beyond weight loss
(37:00) Lightning round: Erica's top pantry & fridge staples

Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple

Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet

Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you're listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :)

Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic

Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf

Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard

Follow Erica: @ericachidi

Products Mentioned
Brodo Bone Broth
JEM Organics Cashew Cardamom Almond Butter
MALK Unsweetened Almond Milk
Fishwife Tinned Fish
Shuk Shuka Ready-to-Eat Shakshuka
Eden Foods Organic Pumpkin Seeds
Bari California Olive Oil
Function Health
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Grammy-award-winning artist and beauty entrepreneur Alicia Keys has arrived at Naked Beauty, and we couldn’t be more excited. With braids and makeup choices that have influenced beauty culture for decades (most recently the Super Bowl halftime show), we sit down with Alicia to talk about where her relationship with beauty all started.

Tune in as we dive deep into:
*Growing up biracial in Hell’s Kitchen and the musical that is inspired by her upbringing
*How Alicia’s mother and grandmother’s lack of self-care inspired her to choose differently
*Her love for solo travel
*The birth of Keys Soulcare and the power of its affirmations
*Learning to embrace what serves you best

Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple

Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet

Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always, love to hear your thoughts

Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic

Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf

Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard

Follow Alicia: @aliciakeys
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.