The Emma Guns Show

Ampika Pickston is probably best known as part of the cast of The Real Housewives of Cheshire on ITVBe, where she navigates the glitzy world of fast cars, designer handbags and footballers' wives...  When I found out she was launching her own range of haircare, Ampika Lox, I jumped at the chance to invite her on the show because, as a fan of Bravo TV's most successful franchise, I hadn't failed to spot Ampika's self-confidence and sense of self, so chatting beauty with one of my favourite housewives was a no-brainer. Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect from my meeting with Ampika but when she greeted me at the door of her London penthouse with a hug and offered me a glass of water in monogrammed stemware I knew we were in for a good chat. In this episode of The Beauty Podcast with Emma G Ampika tells me all about her haircare range, her passion for being a businesswoman and where she gets her entrepreneurial spirit. But rather surprisingly the first thing we talk about is meditation, which takes us on a

Daniel Sandler (@danielsandler) is the creator of the beauty icon Watercolour Blush and one of the most prominent names in the beauty industry. His career spans over 20 years and in this episode of the show we go right back to where it all began.  Daniel tells me about his freckly teen years in London and how he dove into make-up for its ability to transform. We talk about his career working on some of the most iconic faces in fashion, being in the mix during the 90s and the era of the supermodel and how he turned his passion for 'naturally glamorous' make-up into his hugely successful product line.  Daniel is incredibly wise and I could listen to him all day, not just because of his story-telling, honesty and experience, but because he has a voice as smooth as a cup of Cuban coffee.  If you enjoy the show please do head over to iTunes where you can leave me a 5-star rating and a review. Alternatively you can get in touch with the show at emmagunavardhana.com where you can email me and sign up for my regula

Anna-Marie Solowij and Millie Kendall MBE are to the beauty world what Meryl Streep is to film and BeautyMART, the website, store and concessions, combines their incredible knowledge.  They have so many credits to their name - Anna-Marie has over 25 years experience in beauty and is the former Beauty Director of British Vogue, while Millie has launched many household beauty brands and was one half of the iconic make-up range Ruby & Millie. BeautyMART is their edit of the best beauty buys around and to quote them it consists of 'all the best, none of the rest'.  In this episode I join them in their studio to talk about the current crop of beauty trends, who the real beauty influencers are, the impact of globalisation on beauty and how women are shopping their skincare and cosmetics, both online and in store. You can find BeautyMART on Facebook - Twitter - Instagram Enjoy! EG xx   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc Elrick from Tan Luxe (@tan_luxe) is my guest in this episode of The Beauty Podcast and boy do we have a giggle. It's hard not to when you have someone like Marc in the room - he's positive, energetic and extremely creative, which makes him a joy to be around.  Marc is the CEO and Founder of Tan Luxe, which has become an instant hit for its easy-to-use, no fuss approach to achieving a healthy-looking, believable tan, so I wanted to sit him down to find out about his incredibly upbeat approach to life and how this former advertising executive is now the CEO of one of the beauty world's most exciting news brands. I met Marc last summer, just after the brand launched, and instantly fell-in-love with his energy and was also fascinated by the products and the story of Tan Luxe. In this show he tells us about how it all started, what we can expect in the future and I make him tell me how he stays so upbeat and positive.  In the show Marc mentions: The Secret: @thesecret The Sedona Method. And Tan Luxe is also a

Personal trainer Anna Reich (@APT_AnnaReich/@APTAnna) joins me in this episode to talk all things fitness. We can all buy gym memberships and healthy foods with the best of intentions, but there's a lot of information out there about 'health' and it's easy to feel a confused by all the noise. Anna comes from the school of strength - we're talking weights, heavy weights, to achieve a smoking hot physique, but also a high-performance, fat-burning machine of a body. More than that, she knows that a lot of the progress we make in the gym and with our diets starts with education and the right mindset.  Her advice is simple, 'If you're unhappy about your weight or the way you look, there's actually a lot you can do about it.' Anna's physique is testament to the incredible changes you can make to your body in the weights room and though you may be a fan of cardio classes, heed Anna's advice, 'Don't be a sheep in a leotard'.  Anna's website can be found here - Anna Reich PT and she is also on Facebook at A-PT. Enjoy

Alexia Hargrave (@alexiaandsuns) joins me in this episode to talk about the value of 'being' and her latest venture SPACE - a retreat designed to help you reconnect with 'the best version of you'.  Alexia's career is impressive with highlights including over a decade at Virgin working with Richard Branson as well as coordinating events with The Elders. She struck out on her own launching her business Alexia and Suns in 2009 and SPACE was born in 2015 after Alexia took her own 'time out' to figure out what to do next. Even an afternoon drinking green tea with Alexia made me want to go out and conquer the world, such is her energy and enthusiasm, and in this show we talk about how to make your dreams a reality, how to shut out negative noise and the value of being present.  Alexia mentions Coleen and Lucy Annabella available at Space - details can be found here --> Lucy Annabella. My friend's blog on Reiki, meditation and much much more can be found at Your Emmy-Lou. Show notes and links from this episode can b

Joining me in this episode are Bare Minerals International Make-Up Artist Sarah-Jane Froom (@SJ_BareUK) and International Education Director & Brand Ambassador Lee Etheridge (@Lee_BareUK)  Fans of the brand may know them from their unmissable QVC shows where they demo and showcase the wide range of skincare and colour cosmetics from the mineral-based beauty brand.  Their knowledge is endless so the chance to sit down with them to talk all things skin care and to get SJ's views on the current crop of make-up trends was such a treat.  Why should you listen to this episode?  Lee tells us how to shut out the noise of negativity, how her illustrious career in beauty brought her to her dream job at Bare Minerals and explains their latest launch, the Skinsorials Skincare line. SJ shares the story of how and where her career as a make-up started, her incredible experiences working at fashion week and the importance of having a dialogue with the Bare Minerals customer.  As a working duo who travel the world together t

If you're into skincare then there's a good chance that you're a fan of Alpha H/@alphaHQ - if you're new to Alpha H then this podcast with Michelle Doherty and Tom Ogden from the brand will explain exactly why it has a global audience that is evangelical about how good it makes their skin look and feel.  I sat down with Michelle and Tom on the eve of the brand's 21st birthday party and it was a great opportunity to reflect on where the brand started, how they constantly but not unnecessarily innovate, and what lies ahead for one of the beauty world's most exciting brands. Alpha H transformed Michelle's skin over 20 years ago and after years of suffering with cystic acne and feeling there wasn't a solution available she found it in Alpha H. It's now a solution she's made available to millions of women around the world. The chemistry between Tom and Michelle is incredible and they are a perfect tag-team - as they say in the chat 'they've never even had a cross word' and having spent time in their company in the

Michelle Heaton (@wonderwomanshel / www.michelleheatonfitness.com) is a pop princess, TV presenter, reality TV star and actress, and there's a chance you think you have the measure of her. I wouldn't be so sure... In this podcast Michelle and I talk about health, fitness, motivation and how to deal with anything and everything that life throws at you. You don't need to follow the news too closely to know that Michelle has had her fair share of ups and downs. While she may have included us all in the good times via the glossy pages of celebrity magazines, the not-so-good times have been front-page news of the tabloids. From a public divorce to 'that' upskirt shot, and most recently a health battle that rocked her world, the one thing that remains constant is Michelle's candour. Rather than dwell on the bad stuff Michelle and I talk about how to stay positive, why being organised always helps and how to set and follow your dreams. Enjoy! EG xx Permalink Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati

Lee Pycroft (@leepycroft) is a celebrity makeup artist, brand ambassador and business owner. She has been responsible for beautifying some of the world's most famous A-list talent for the red carpet, has made natural-born-supermodels look even more heavenly in front of the camera and is frequently quoted in the press for her incredible makeup skills and brand insight. Lee invited me round for a pot of Buddha Tears Tea and this podcast where we talk about working with celebrities, love, relationships, setting boundaries and how to stay grounded and find balance - and she shares her pursuit of personal betterment. Why should you listen to this podcast? If you've ever wanted to make changes, but haven't been sure how, Lee is the woman to listen to. She was perfectly placed, in the midst of Hollywood stars and personalities, to get drunk on the lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand with fame, but instead she gives back.  Books referenced in the show are: The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom. Co-Dependent N

If you want an honest answer about pretty much anything to do with beauty then speak to Nadine Baggott. She has an encyclopaedic beauty knowledge and I've never asked her a questions she hasn't known the answer to. You'll see what I mean when you listen to the show... We cover a lot of ground in this episode, but Nadine references a BRILLIANT article which you can read in full here --> Generation Y.  We talk about the cult of contouring, what beauty buys you should and shouldn't spend your money on and why being yourself is so crucial. The latter is while you'll never find her images filtered or tinkered with... Nadine shares with me what it was like being thrust into the spotlight via a hugely popular ad campaign ten years ago - it went viral before we knew what viral was, and what it's like to be in touch with her legion of fans via her YouTube channel The Beauty Know It All.  We also talk about what it's like interviewing celebrities and what we've learned from coming face-to-face with the A-list. Is it a

Joining me in this episode is A-list facialist Abigail James who fills me in on how what started as a passion has turned into a high-profile career in the beauty business. Abigail James is a trusted name in the beauty world and has created facial protocols that you may very well have been on the receiving end of, as well as consulting for brands and retreats.  As we find out in this podcast her thirst for knowledge of her trade is insatiable and she is a sponge for information on how to keep getting better at what she does - even though she is widely known as one of the best. And she also answers a listener's skincare query that we received via Twitter. Useful links to stay up-to-date with Abigail are: Twitter @abigail_james Instagram @abigailjames1  LIz Earle Boutique Chelsea - Abigail's Treatments Permalink Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roja Dove - perfumer, fragrance historian and public speaker. He is also responsible for some of the most decadent fun I have had in my career as a beauty journalist. Now one does decadence quite like him... He is the creator of some of the world's most incredible scents, the curator of what is arguably a fragrance heaven in the Haute Parfumerie in Harrods, and hosted this podcast in his beautiful boutique in London's Burlington Arcade. To my mind, he is also one of the best story tellers you'll ever come across.  Here Roja told me the story of how he found his 'path' with fragrance, details his incredible career and had me mesmerised with tales of how he creates and designs scents.  Follow Roja on Twitter @rojadove and instagram @rojadove If you want to get in touch with the show you can find me at: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram     Permalink Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m joined by the fabulous Terri White, editor of Empire magazine and fellow beauty enthusiastic.  One of my reasons for inviting Terri onto the show - other than her utter coolness - was because she wrote a feature for Red Magazine last year where she talked about her love of eyeliner. As a fellow wearer of the feline flick I know that those black lines are often less about emphasising the eyes and more about putting a don’t-f***-with-me barrier between me and the world. She said it perfectly and you can read it for yourself here. Why should you listen to this podcast? For one thing we talk about her time in New York editing Time Out, but more to the point I get her to give me the low-down on Manhattan drugstores and the actual chemical high you can get from being surrounded by aisles of beauty products and skincare that all tot up to under $10.  She does the decent thing and gives us her guide to what every Brit in New York should pick up from CVS and Duane Reade. Gawd bless her. In and amon

In this episode we meet Margaret Dabbs, the inspiring entrepreneur who turned, in her own words, a knack for diagnosing and treating foot issues into a global beauty business. I met Margaret at QVC in the summer of 2015, on the panel of the Lunchtime Show, and it was chatting to her in our dressing rooms that made me realise how we should tend to and care for our feet in the same way we do our face and bodies. It seems so obvious when she spells it out... Margaret pioneered the 'medical pedicure' - a treatment that deals with any foot issue, and has you walking out of her clinic with not only a spring in your step, but a glossy pedi to boot. It was the treatment that would take feet from functional to beautiful. During our chat we talk about creating a business from a 'knack', her instincts, tending to the feet of the rich and famous and she tells me how running is her meditation. For more information on Margaret, her products and to book an appointment, click on these links: Margaret Dabbs & QVC.   Permali

In the second part of my chat with James Read we talk about launching his global tanning brand James Read Tan, his favourite beauty buys, what we can expect next from this creative force.Apologies in advance but we also sing - and we get the words and the melody wrong...You can also download The Beauty Podcast with Emma G on iTunes and Soundcloud.James can be found on social media: Twitter: James Read Tan Facebook James Read Tan and via his website James Read TanYou can get in touch with me via my website Emma Gunavardhana, where you can also sign up for the show's newsletter or on social media; Twitter @EmmaG_Beauty and Instagram where I'm@emmaguns Permalink Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talk about a double-whammy! My chat with tanning guru James Read was so much fun I'm bringing it to you in a special two-part edition of the show. Full disclosure; James is my dear pal, but as much I adore him on a personal level he is also hugely inspiring. This is the boy from Kent who turned himself into a global beauty brand via the tanning booths of London department stores. He's the go-to 'tan man' for stars including Ellie Goulding and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.Here we chat about instagram, how he created his eponymous tanning collection, his inspirations and how he went from cheeky school boy to global entrepreneur. (Note: James references the movie The September issue, but the Anna Wintour quote he's talking about is one he read in 2000 and then saw again in the movie years later when it came out.)You can also download The Beauty Podcast with Emma G on iTunes and Soundcloud.James can be found on social media: Twitter: James Read Tan Facebook James Read Tan and via his websit

This is what The Beauty Podcast with Emma G is all about - two people sitting down, sharing information and having an absolute giggle along the way. In this episode I meet with SkinFix CEO Amy Regan during the UK launch of the range to talk beauty, being the boss and the importance of mentors. It was my first time getting to chat to Amy, but I have a feeling it won't be the last.You can also download The Beauty Podcast with Emma G on iTunes and Soundcloud.Links from this episode include:For more information and to buy SkinFix - click here.My friend Hannah's fertility blog featuring, among many other things, our awkwardness with the 'V' word and a real time account of her quest to fall pregnant via IVF.Both Amy and Gabrielle Shaw referenced the book Brainfluence as a must-read.Want to know more about Mercury in Retrograde? This article on The Huffington Post gives the low-down on what not to do during the 3-week phenomenon.You can get in touch with me via my website Emma Gunavardhana, where

Joining me in this episode is Eugene Souleiman, the trend-setting hair stylist responsible for the looks at major fashion shows including Yohji Yamamoto, DKNY, Chloe and Pucci, whose work is frequently featured in Vogue, W, i-D Magazine, Dazed & Confused and Harper's Bazaar. To say he is accomplished is an understatement...Eugene joined me for a chat during a busy day at the Wella Institute in Central London where, among other things, he was launching the new Oil Reflections range (launching in July) to press in his role as Creative Ambassador. I stole an hour with him over a sushi lunch and before a dash to Nike Town to pick up some new runners. We had a giggle, we geeked out over comic books and I want to live in his head - although truthfully I think it'd blow my mind...You can also download The Beauty Podcast with Emma G on iTunes and Soundcloud.Links from this episode include:Instagram - Eugene Souleiman Wella Creative AmbassadorEugene Souleiman Portfolio  You can get in touch with m

Joining me in this episode is Abi Cleeve the MD of Ultrasun UK. On the topic of sun care she is, quite simply, an oracle and if you've ever felt bamboozled by the meaning of UVA or UVB, wondered what on earth 'broad spectrum' means and whether SPF 20 means you can spend 20 minutes in the sun or not, then this is a show you need to tune in to. Oh, and if you worry about those high factor formulas on young children, then you won't want to miss her intel... She even corrected some bad SPF behaviour in this beauty journalist. My wrists were most definitely slapped...We talk about meeting, and becoming firm friends, in the dressings room of QVC where we went from meeting to sharing concerns about chin hairs in about four and a half minutes. She's an expert in her field, and she's a great dressing room buddy. You haven't lived until you've put the world to rights with Abi Cleeve. Join us, won't you..?You can also download The Beauty Podcast with Emma G on iTunes and Soundcloud.Abi and Ultrasun UK can be found