Hello there 🙂
Welcome to our new podcast, Who wears what with Hillary Kerr. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and taste makers who shape the fashion and beauty world. Subscribe to something Who wear what with Hillary Kerr on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
In this week, Who wears what with Hillary Kerr brings you two icons who have made waves in the entertainment industry since we were children.
First up is Summer Roberts' real alter ego Rachel Bilson. You can recognize them from The O.C., Hard of Dixie, and The last Kiss, to name a few. She recently started the podcast Welcome to OK, Bitches! alongside her former co-star Melinda Clarke (aka Julie Cooper). In honor of her new business, we chatted with Bilson about her time on the show, what cameos to expect on her podcast, and what purchases influenced her during the pandemic.
Our next guest is equally influential in the field of beauty. Shandi Darden is a celebrity esthetician with a client list that includes Jessica Alba, Shay Mitchell, and many more. True followers will also know that her model stint in the '90s included moonlighting as a backup for music videos for artists like Destiny & # 39; s Child and LL Cool J. She has since been a registered skin care professional and has launched her own brand. She shares all of her best skin care tips (including how to fight maskne) and explains why retinol is the best weapon your vanity can have.
Hillary Kerr: They put out their own podcast this month, and the name alone gives me great pleasure because it's called Welcome to OK, Bitches! Can you tell our listeners a little bit about the show and what to expect from it?
Rachel Bilson: Yes, I am so glad you like the title! We talked about it, and no, it's a take from the show, and it's not like we're really sluts – is that okay? The fact that you laughed makes me happy.
HK: I mean it is probably the most iconic line from the show.
RB: I have a feeling if people know the show they will know what it means. Let's hope W.We make a O.C. I'm watching the podcast again, me and Melinda Clarke who played Julie Cooper, Mischa [Barton’s] Mummy. We were the OG bitches from The O.C., so it is appropriate. And it's just so great and so much fun. We're just going to go through the show and relive our youth, so to speak, which is terrifying.
HK: You will have a lot of guests on the show. Can you give us a little glimpse of who we can expect from?
RB: We definitely have a ton of cast members, which will be great fun. Some will be surprised, but a lot of people have said yes, so we're excited about it. But we will have a lot of musicians and people behind the scenes. Nicole Chavez you know your way around very well. That's where we met, and she was a costume designer on the show, and now she's a stylist. I lick this one. It'll be great fun to look at early 2000s fashion, especially with her. It will be funny.
HK: Y.Our character Summer Roberts was the height of fashion in the 2000s. There were tracksuits, spaghetti straps, and mini dresses, and looks were heavily imitated in mainstream culture. You obviously knew how big the success of the show was, but at that moment did you realize how influential the fashion from the show was?
RB: Then? No. It was a very specific time for fashion I will say. We only lived it because it was a contemporary show. It's actually a little scary that that was fashionable. But I'm telling you, all the bikini tops and bottoms that don't fly. And looking back how a lot of We were in swimsuits is pretty crazy.
HK: Right now there is a tremendous revival in fashion and style of the 2000s and 2000 and I am excited to hear your thoughts on the matter and especially if you have saved some of those days that are actually attracting you back now would.
RB: Do you know what's so funny Juicy couture suits are coming back, but everyone has been wearing matching tracksuits and overalls, whatever the pandemic has ahead of them. And they feel good, you know Let's go. I know there have been some kind of updated versions and other brands and stuff that I definitely have. I don't have any of my original Juicy things, which is kind of stupid. I think my mother does. I probably gave it to my mom and she still has it and wears it, which is great. But I don't get much from the show. The only thing I got from the show is a pair of Uggs that I wore between shots that Adam Brody and Samaire Armstrong both resorted to, and I still have them. You are somewhere. They are pretty funny. I should find her.
HK: You have obviously played a million other roles throughout your career, including one of my favorites, Dr. Zoe Hart. I think I've seen every episode of Hard of Dixie. I really enjoyed this show. If you had to choose whose closet would you prefer to raid, Summer Roberts or Zoey Hart?
RB: Zoey Hart & # 39; s, undoubtedly.
HK: Were there any pieces that you really loved from her closet?e what are you still thinking about?
RB: Yes, I have something from Zoe's wardrobe. That was more of the stuff I would wear personally. She wore a lot of short shorts. I wouldn't want to wear it now, but I have it. There was a Chanel jacket that I had to keep. That was fun. Other than that, her clothes were so contemporary and cool that I tried to take as much as possible.
HK: Y.Our personal style has always resonated with people. Certainly the Who What Wear audience has been very engaged over the years – but so has the whole world. Why does your personal style bond so powerfully with people? Why do people care about what you wear?
RB: Gosh, no pressure. I think I really like to be comfortable. I'll get that out of there. That always comes first for me. I feel that when I put something together, even if it looks like something you don't normally think of, it will always be accessible because it's always convenient. So maybe it is accessible? It's just me spitting here, but I love clothes and I love to be comfortable and I like to do things that are a little unexpected at times.
HK: Do you feel pressured because you are established as someone whose personal style people are very interested in? Have you felt the pressure, historically or currently, of, "Oh, if I want to be outside, I have to look a certain way, or something is expected of me, or I have to be a little composite." ?
RB: I I'll say, especially now that you get to a point where you just say, "I don't care." I've always been like that. There was probably a point when I was younger, maybe there were more paparazzi moments and on Instagram you could say, "Oh, I'm going out here?" But that didn't affect me either. I thought, "Whatever, you are," and I've always been really true to that. You don't have to wear anything or be in a certain way. It is what it is. And I think that's a healthier mentality, at least for me. I look at people who are always put together and I just think how? How you do that? And especially now, as a mother, forget it. I mean, you're lucky to come out the door with your underwear on.
HK: I'm curious about a recently purchased fashion or beauty product that you really liked.
RB: I was just saying, "Okay, I'm going to try some Goop beauty products because if Gwyneth is behind them I'll try." So I got a cream that I really like. In terms of accessories, I decorated my ears with these earrings from Gjenmi. [Jennifer Sung] has this little shop in Highland Park. She's great, Jenny herself. I have a necklace. It's a happy face with black diamond eyes that I'm obsessed with. This was my present for the new year.
HK: One more thing?
RB: I mean, you know, the tracksuits and my fuzzy crocs, which are also my slippers that I never take off.
Hillary Kerr: T.The last year has been very stressful to say the least. How do you see this in your skin and what can you do to combat this stress?
Shani Darden: I would say a lot of outbursts. It's a difficult thing what we've just been through. I mean, we just went through it. But I will say that I recently saw some people for facials, and even people who didn't have bad skin, I felt like the facial took two hours. People just really, really broke out. I could tell you a million things to do. Go for a walk, exercise, all of these things. But take care of your skin as best you can and make sure you are using the right products.
HK: L.We're talking about Maskne. What are your recommendations for all of those pesky little pimples that keep popping up in these covered areas? And do you think it's mostly surface level comedone material, or is it like deeper cystic material? Or is it both?
SD: I've seen both, and I'd say the most important thing is, if you can't wear makeup under your mask – I'd say no makeup – keep it clean. And when you take your mask off, use whatever micellar water you can to wipe that area down. It makes a big difference.
HK: Y.They have made some really incredible products for a wide variety of different skin problems over the years. I want to talk about your retinol products as there are many retinol myths out there. Your products – folks, it doesn't get paid; This is just my personal opinion – are literally the best out there. Can you explain who should be using a retinol and what to look for depending on your skin type?
SD: I am obsessed with retinol and that's why I created my first product, Retinol Reform. I think everyone should be using a retinol. There are people who cannot be pregnant, breastfeeding, or someone with hypersensitive skin or who has eczema on their skin. But it strengthens the collagen in the skin, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, helps with pigmentation and acne. It's like an all-round powerhouse ingredient that everyone should be using. I think the biggest myths and fear about retinol is that when we started using retinol we were using prescription drugs like Retin-A. It was for people with acne, and you know you peel, you're red, you're irritable, and nobody wants to go through this. So people assume that this is also the case with an over-the-counter retinol, which it isn't at all. And the other thing is, I think a lot of people who are prescribed retinols, even prescription ones, say to use this every day. Then you freak out for going through the redness. But always start slowly with a retinol. Start with once a week and see how your skin behaves and slowly build up. And then you know how many times to use it. You will see how often your skin can take it. Retinols aren't scary. It's what keeps you young – I promise you. There is nothing to fear about a retinol other than being young forever. That's what I do, so you gotta use one.
HK: They have a new home tool that came out in December but it was launched at Sephora yesterday, the Sculpting Wand. I've got a lot of questions from people for using them in my social circle, but I'd rather hear the answer from you, the expert. How do you use it and what are the benefits?
SD: It is vibration therapy and uses acoustic sound waves that you can see and hear. It penetrates deep into the skin, 2.4 inches below the surface of the skin, so it goes really deep down to work on the deep wrinkles. It's pretty amazing. It's not new to me. I used vibration therapy. I was made aware of this 16 years ago. I used it in my facials forever. It's something I really wanted to do for everyone and the reason is because there are a lot of them that can be harder to use and I'm lazy. I want to be able to use something while I'm on the phone. I want to use it right here as I speak to you, and not think about every move I've made. So it's great. It's easy. It comes with my Hydra Prep Gel that I made specifically for this because you need to have something that does it so you don't pull on your skin, and it's non-comedogenic. However, you can use your own product with it. There is no conductive gel or anything like that, so anyone can use it. And all of the benefits are the shaping and tightening, and fine lines and wrinkles, all the things we need. I am really proud of it.
These interviews have been edited and condensed for reasons of clarity. Next, check out our second episode with Meredith Koop and Who What Wear & # 39; s own Katherine Power.
