Well with Arielle Lorre - 177: Work Ethic, Beauty Secrets & The Art of "No" with Molly Sims

Episode Date: June 8, 2022

In this episode, I chat with Molly Sims, a model, producer, and entrepreneur, about her long career as a model and what that's taught her about beauty, confidence, and the art of 'no'. Since Molly has a podcast on beauty, we dive deep into the topic; aging in the public eye, beauty secrets, skincare do's and dont's, and body dysmorphia. We also talk about having a strong work ethic; how to really get ahead in your career and her lessons for success.   Sponsors: Sakara.com/BLONDEFILES20 for 20% off your order DrinkLMNT.com/blondefiles for 8 free packs Allarahealth.com/arielle for 25% off your first month or diagnostic test Dailyharvest.com/blondefiles for up to $40 off your first box   Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Go to your rise-adviseur or sunnycars. The following podcast is a dear media production. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know by now how I am pretty much Daily Harvest's number one fan. I literally eat something from Daily Harvest probably at least once a day and it helps me stay on track with eating healthy and fueling my body with the best ingredients. I have a freezer stocked with their food at all times,

everything from smoothies to oat bowls. So you can avoid the takeout temptation and get Daily Harvest. All you have to do is go to DailyHarvest.com Blonde Files, and you can get up to $40 off your first box. Hey, welcome to the Blond Files podcast. I'm your host, Ariel Lorry, and I'm here to talk all things, wellness. From how to achieve optimal health and well-being to the best beauty tips and everything in between, no topic is off limits, and I'm bringing it to you real and unfiltered. I know there is so much information out there, so I'm here to help you navigate it all.

Thanks for listening. Let's get into it. Hi, everybody. Welcome to the show. I have such a good episode for you today. My guest is somebody who I've wanted to have on for a long time. I feel like our paths have just like not quite crossed, even though they're kind of similar. She has a podcast on Dear Media. Of course I'm talking about Molly Sims, which you guys know because you clicked on this episode. But she has a podcast lipstick on the rim on Dear Media, which I actually went on. And we live in the same neighborhood. and our husbands are in the same business, and we both have Bernadoodles. And I feel like we should have or would have met before we recorded this episode, but we just never did. And I just loved her so much. So we get into a lot in the episode. Of course, she's a model. She's a producer, entrepreneur. We talk about her career as a model and kind of how that shaped her life and what it taught her about like beauty and confidence and the art of no, which is actually really interesting.

And of course, because she has a beauty podcast, we dive really deep into the topic. Like we talk about aging in the public eye, beauty secrets, skincare, dues and don'ts, body dysmorphia. And then we also talk about her professional life and like having a strong work ethic, how to really get ahead in your career and her lessons for success. And just so much. It's just such a full episode. I felt like I could have kept talking to her for a long time. So maybe we'll do a part two if she ever wants to come back on. And I think you guys are going to love her as much as I did. So enjoy the episode with Molly Sims. Okay, welcome, Molly. I'm so excited to be here. I'm so excited to be here too. I was talking to my husband this morning. And I was like, I feel like we have a lot of things in common. And that, We have the same hair person. We do.

Her name is Liz Young. And we are obsessed with her. We could be married to her. She's incredible. She is a disciple of Tracy Cunningham. And just the two of them are so... Because it's hard to be blonde, people. Yes.

It's so hard. And she is definitely like the blonde queen. She's definitely listening to this. So hi, Liz. We love you. We love you. We also kind of live in the same area. We also have Bernie doodles.

I know. It's like a big... There's like a lot of things here. We could be sisters. Married to men in the industry. Yeah. No, I love you guys. I had two Yorkies when I was. So basically almost 19 years. And I have to say they were the best. And it was really sad. They lived to 18 and 19, if you can believe. But I will say a Bernadoodle. Her name is Ruby. What's your dog's name? Harvey. Harvey. Ruby and Harvey are in Christ. They're such good dogs. I have to say for like if any family or it doesn't matter if you have a family or not, I just mean like they're really good with kids and loving and sweet. And if you're

looking for a guard dog, probably not a Bernadoodle. It's just saying. Whenever I'm home alone and I get nervous, Chuck is like, Harvey is there. He will bark if they're, and I'm like, Harvey would not do anything. He would try to leave with the person like and play with them. Harvey would accept candy. Harvey would accept a steak. He would do anything. He would leave you. Yes, he would. Exactly. Well, you've had such an amazing career and you're doing so much now. And I really want to kind of rewind back to the beginning and just talk a little bit about like your early life, your modeling days, obviously, and how that shaped who you are today. So I guess I'll start with what did you want to be when you grew up or when you were younger? I did everything. Like I cooked with my mom. I baked with. with my mom. I did ballet, basketball, tennis. Like, I definitely, she was really good at, like, I don't know, creating the full child, you know what I mean? As opposed to just like, oh, you're just going to do this one thing. She let us kind of try everything. So in that way, you know, I didn't know. I mean, ultimately, I wanted to, I mean, my goal for a long time was

to be a waitress at Dairy Queen, but that kind of changed. Like, no joke. I'm like, I am going to be a waitress at Dairy Queen. And actually, a little known fact in Murray, Kentucky still has one of the original side of the road, little building, the little tarp, the original Dairy Queen. But, you know, I didn't really know. I mean, I think as I got into high school, I really loved, like, politics and I always wanted to, like, defend someone. And so I really thought ultimately I was going to be a lawyer and I would defend people. And, you know, I just, I loved debating. And once I got to college, I kind of wanted to do the political part of it.

And so I majored in political science and communications. And then, as we all know, opportunities happen. And I ended up going on the hill in between my freshman and sophomore year, which was fun. and great, and I realized I never wanted to go into politics because I didn't really see anything getting done, which was interesting. But I still, to this day, love, you know, secretly. I'm like a little politician on Politico. I don't know. It's very strange. But, look, my parents made education extremely important. My family owned a wholesale book company, and they would sell books to the university, and then the kids would sell back to my family. And so I, I,

was, you know, we got to travel through my dad and my mom to Tulane and all the difference UK, U of L, and, you know, all really in our, you know, lower southern states. And so education was very big. I knew about Vanderbilt when I was five years old. And so getting into there was like a huge, huge thing. I was not the smartest kid on the block, but I was definitely a hard worker. And I ended up getting in, which I think was hard because I left after my sophomore year. got an opportunity to model in New York. And I just thought, oh, it's just going to be for a summer. I'm just going to go for a few weeks. And then, you know, things change. Isn't it interesting how I feel like we have so many of those kind of junctions in our life where like you could have chosen either

path and your life would be completely different. But how did your family react since they were so education focused? How did they react to your pursuing the modeling instead of your education. You know, I got to go to Europe my junior year. I was in French class, and my name was Jacqueline. And I loved my trip so much. My mom was one of the chaperones. And I just said, I'm like, Mom, we have to like come back. And, you know, we weren't, we were pretty well-traveled in America, but we weren't well-traveled at all in Europe. But she just knew, like, I loved, you know, the magazines, and I loved looking, and I loved following everything. And again, And this is at the time of the Vogue and the 17 and the YM and the mademoiselle and the,

it wasn't the time of the internet. So, you know, it was limited to what I could see. One of my favorite wellness micro habits that I incorporated into my routine, probably over the last year, maybe a little more, is adding electrolytes to my drinks throughout the day. It's something that my nutritionist years ago recommended doing at the time he recommended doing it for bloating, but it makes such a big difference in just, how I feel overall. It really helps with workout recovery and of course also with bloating. So that's

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get so dehydrated just from flying and then if you do end up getting sick or catching a bug, it's so, so helpful to replenish the electrolytes that you lose. So my favorite is the watermelon salt. I love the citrus salt and the orange. They also have other great flavors like mango chili. They have raspberry grapefruit. They also have an unflavored one. And if you guys want to try element, they are so sure you will love their product and come back for more. They're offering you a free Element sample pack. That's eight single serving packets for free. All you have to do is cover the cost of shipping, which is $5 for U.S. customers.

Get yours at drinkelement.com slash blonde files. This deal is not available on their regular website. So make sure you go to drinkelement.com slash blonde files. That's drinklm-T.com. slash blonde files and you can do it totally risk-free if you don't like it. You can give it to a salty friend and they will give you your money back. No questions asked. Again, that's drinkelement.com slash blonde files. Hi, I'm Caroline Stamberry and I am divorced, not dead. Fresh off the back of my divorce, I'm bringing real stories, real life, real talk on all things that aren't said. Why do we put so much

pressure on ourselves for the happily ever after. Does our love story really have to be one great lengthy novel? Or can we be happy with a book of short but exciting love stories? I guess we'll find out on divorce not dead. And lucky me, you'll be joining me for the journey. So buckle up. Those were the days, by the way. Those are the days when Barb would get out. And I saw like my scrapbooks with all the cutouts from YM and 17. And I remember still like the articles and the pictures, everything to this day. And, you know, there came that phone call where, you know, you're like, let's go to New York. But the more important was, what am I going to do? Because to give up, I remember I was actually telling someone the other day. I moved out of my childhood home and I saw my

letter to Vanderbilt. And it was, I'm just going to be gone for a semester. I've gotten an incredible opportunity that I think would, you know, expand. Like, it was just so sweet in like my handwriting. And then I found all these postcards ultimately, like, from that point, two years later. But she was really, they were really supportive. I think what was great is when you don't know to be scared, it's hard to be scared. Like you didn't know, New York was so different than Kentucky that I really did not want her to leave. Like when she left and I decided to go to Europe in September, she left me in New York with actually two friends of mine, who I'm very good friends with today, I slept on their couch. That was probably the hardest thing. But it's also like going off to college. She was like,

just give two days, you know, and then you're like, okay, I'm great. But, you know, it was, I think the biggest and the hardest thing was that when I went from college and I was so surrounded, whether they were main girls or not, I was surrounded with people that I grew up with or, you know, in the same way. When I went to Europe, I was alone in Germany, not speaking the language. And if, you know, Germany in the fall is very dark, you kind of basically are dark by four. So, you know, it was depressing. Like I went from eating chocolate chip cookie dough and french fries and being in a sorority to, okay, now I've been told I'm fat, I'm overweight, I'm not going to make it. I owe $780-something dollars back to get my plane ticket. And I'm living with a German woman. That was tricky.

That was terrifying. That was a little. Like that was almost more than I could. I remember my phone bill was astronomical because my parents let me call. And I remember being like, oh my God, I don't know if we're going to be able to pay the phone bill. Because it was like over a thousand And at that time, that was a lot, but I needed it. I could not have stayed without talking to them. You know, but then you meet one person and then someone else gives you an opportunity. And, you know, I had a very difficult start with my agency there. And I'd had a wonderful start with New York.

But, you know, at the time next, who I'm with pretty much everywhere now, but at the time, they only were in New York. And so they had no representation. So they would put you with other agencies. I had a really difficult time. You know, it's just I was a college kid going into the world of modeling and, you know, what you have to remember and people always ask me about Scarlett, are you going to let her? Are you going to let her do it? She's beautiful. She's amazing. But the day you start, it's a business. And I think a lot of people don't realize that people are

making money off of you. And that comes with a lot of pressure, a lot of stress. And it's, it's not fun. That's a different conversation. But, you know, when I'm having to make the money back or I'm having to, like, realize, like, I can't go back to Vanderbill. I'm out for a semester. So, I have to figure out how to make it work. That was tricky. That was, like, that was, that was digging deep. I starved myself. I, oh, my God. I mean, I did everything. I was like, I watched how people dressed.

I, you know, again, at the time, like, got every magazine, like, dyed my hair, cut it all off black. It was the time of, like, heroin chic, which was like the very, very, very thin and corinda, Kate Moss. And, you know, it was just, it was a really hard time. Mm-hmm. It sounds very challenging. And I was never a model. I've never been in the industry. But from the outside, it seems like the industry then compared to now. Like it seems to be changing now. I think it's changing. But I mean, you would walk like two miles. You have no money. You've taken 19 tubes, metros. You know, you've changed your shoes. You're in heels or you're in whatever. And late, you know, you had a book at the time, which was basically all the photography that you could get together to try to represent yourself. And, you know, they wouldn't even look you in the eye. And you're like, okay, thanks. And you're just, you just die because you're like, I've spent like $40 to get here. I've walked three miles. And, you know, that was, after a while, that could get to you a little bit. And then you do so many and you've heard no for so long that ultimately, I didn't need them to believe in me. I believed in me. That took a little bit. but I got the confidence of just doing it. It's like when you are nervous to starting a new job

or you're nervous to leave or nervous to date a new guy or do a new job or whatever, you get over that and you start to find your rhythm. And I studied, I mean, I studied girls' makeup on go-seys. I studied how they dress, how they walked. I kind of went to school in a weird way. I was from Kentucky. My mom grew up on a farm.

like, I'm like, what are you eating and how do you eat that and you, you know, you drink this, not that? You know what I mean? So in that way, it was like my own little education. And then I went from Germany. I went to England and I stayed in London for almost two years. And that's where, like, I got my footing. I started knowing what I was doing. And, you know, the thing about modeling, I will say, you know, so many other businesses you have people helping you with your money, people helping you with your finances, people paying your bills, and modeling you have no one. You really don't. I had a very special agent.

And had it not been for her, she was like a second mother, Lee Crystal, like she would make my doctor's appointments, she would help me get to pay my taxes. She would help me. You know, I've been with the same business managers for 20, years, but you forget on all the women who weren't set up like that. All the girls who made so much money and have absolutely nothing to show for it. I do hope that has changed because, you know, I remember I didn't have a lot of money and had started doing well. But then I couldn't get the money because it took three months. So then they would take an extra 5%. So they would take 25% as

opposed to 20 of your money just so you could have the money to live. It was so fucking crooked. Like at the time, I'm like, I look back and I'm like, oh my Lord, literally, it's my money that I'm paying an extra 5% for them to give it to me 60 days early. That's insane. You know, I'm in my 20s. Like, I'm not at home anymore. So you just start to get savvy and like every place I would go in England, I would study what they would wear. I would go to the vintage doors. I would look at King's Road.

And at the time, it was very English, very punk, very rock. It was Doc Martins. It was such a, it was such actually a good time in fashion because it was Vivian Westwood. And it was just Brits like at their best and a little flamboyant and a little punky. And it was just like kind of how it is now. I was like, you know, it's all kind of coming back. It's all come back with like the chunky boots with the great skirt. And like, so it was really good. And then when I got to Paris, you know, again, that's just a different kind of dressing and different kind of attitude. And. just, you know, Italy, I had the hardest time. I didn't last very long there. I only lasted living there, I think, like two months. I don't know. The culture was so, the men were so heavy. I wasn't used to that. I wasn't used to the cat calling. I'm like, are you a K-A or an S-A?

Like, I wasn't used to like, I don't know, that confidence in men, I guess. But yeah, I think the one thing I did really well is I took every opportunity and made it a little bit of an education for me. And I know that sounds odd, but I really did study and like look at women and how, you know, no American woman would ever pull off a scarf. And I just remember, oh, you Americans, you wear like the 10-A shoes. And we did. You know what I mean? And I was like, I'm, not wearing tennis shoes. Do you know, like... Sounds like you were a sponge. Like you were a sponge and you were kind of a chameleon and you were able to shape yourself

into this commodity, maybe. And I never thought, like, because it was an American, I never thought it was better. So I was always like, oh, my God, I want to know about your culture and how you do things. And I was pretty good with French by then because I'd taken it in school and then I actually started dating someone and that really helps when you're, you know, with someone who who speaks it day in and day out. But when you're trying to, you know, go to the market and, I mean, everything's in French. It's not, you kind of learn quite quickly. Right. So how do you think that shaped who you are today, if at all? I mean, just having that kind of education and it sounds

like, and you were successful. I mean, it paid off, right? So I would imagine that that kind of, I don't know, gave you tools that you have used later in life, probably good and bad, because maybe you learned also, especially at that age, like, oh, well, if I starve myself and I dress like this and I do this, then I get rewarded. Yeah. I mean, I think, listen, I learned great things. Like I, my work ethic, huge. I mean, I always had a work ethic.

But, I mean, I mean, Marshall, our producer. Yeah, I have, like, fucking nine lives. Like, I work hard. I've always worked hard. But I also remember, like, the people who really helps me, who really change. my life. And I worked. I mean, but then I was nice. And I think that combination, I always tell women, it's not how tall you are. It's not how pretty you are. It's someone going to help you when, because that's how it happens. Like I didn't, I showed up at work. I was happy for the most part.

And I worked very long hours. I didn't complain. I, you know, I held my own. I wasn't being taken advantage of, but I, you know, some girls just wouldn't show up or they would just leave. Like, I'm like, how do they leave? So I think, you know, not saying being a good girl, but I was good. I was good to my clients. And in turn, they were good for me. They were good to me. They would always book me again. So that's how I knew I was doing something right. But I think work ethic, being able to change is probably the biggest lesson I learned and being able to pivot. I think a lot of times people get so in their head and they just can't quite, it's like they don't know what they want to do, they just can't quite get out of it because it's ebbs and flows. Some things work

and some things don't work. And it's when sometimes that they don't work that you've got to pivot. You've got to, you've got to see their writing on the wall. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do modeling for the rest of my life. As much as I liked it and got to travel, I knew, Ultimately, I could not just stand there. But I made the most of every opportunity. And I learned to say yes more than no. And, you know, people will help you if you help them. And I learned to not be afraid. I learned to jump. And that jump is really hard. And as you get older, as we know, 20, 22, it's pretty easy. 24, 28. Still easy. 30. Then you start creeping up, you know? Like, at this point, it's like, you've got to be okay with moving and changing and not the best thing modeling gave me because I had to pivot. I had to pivot all the time. If I was blonde, I had to go dark.

If I was dark, I had to go red. If I was, I remember, I was, I'm naturally dark. And I remember in the early 2000, I'm like, I'm going to go dark. I'm going to go blonde. And they were like, you're crazy. you're going to win your career. And I was on the cover of French Vogue and I just started like Ombris tips. They're like, you're never going to work and I go, well, you know, maybe not. But I got to, we got to switch things up. And that's, I was good at doing. I was good at, I'm still good at that.

I'm still good at seeing trends, seeing people. Like, I love my producing now and that way of like working with different people. I'm like, you're a star. You don't know you're a star, but you're a star. Like I can, I'm good like that. I can spot that. Yeah. Do you want to talk about the downside now? Yeah. Yes. Yes. I was going to ask you a follow-up, but let's do that first. You know, the downside is that there's one other good side, which is flipped to a downside. I, when you have so much criticism and when you get picked apart to the point where like, I never knew my nose was broken. I mean, I sort of figured maybe like, I don't know how many times it got broken or whatever, but like I never knew until it was like, 23, 22 years old, my nose was basically crooked until every photographer would go, just made her face to the left a little bit, just meet your face to the right a little bit. Finally, I was like, it's my face on symmetrical. Not at all.

I was like, oh, okay. I'm so glad I've spent 22 years not knowing that. But in a really good way, like I'm happy I didn't. Because modeling, they pick out everything. Your shoulders are too big. Your calves are too big. I really, I went to see a plastic surgeon at my lowest because I'm like, is there any way I could take, you could help me take down my calves. That's how crazy you get, you know? And at the time, plastic surgery wasn't what it is now.

I was going to say, I feel like that's so common now because we're like just bombarded with it on social media. And you realize how easy it is to change things, which I've done everything. By the way, more power to you. I always, we talk a lot on the podcast about that. Like when someone wants to change thing, why are we to judge? If someone wants to do, because they hate their nose, they're going to spend their whole life hating their nose. Get a nose job. Do whatever it takes to do it. Yeah. And now there's so much. Like one and done, like, and then move on with your life. And it's funny, I learned a lot in Paris because they're like, Prince is probably, it's like two to five years ahead of America. Just because of our testing is very different than over there. But they were really on the forefront. I mean, I did mesotherapy. I used to get injections in my ass with caffeine. And now, the 20 years later, the word is called microneedling. But back then it was called mesotherapy. And they would do it in your ass to try to get like, you know, a little bit of caffeine for your metabolism. And then they would do the vitamins in your face, which is now the microneadling. But yeah, that was, they were at that point, almost 20 years ahead of that. It came to New York. Like, I would say like 10 years ago. Someone said, I'm like, oh my God, you do.

mezzo therapy. But that was great about living in Paris because, you know, you learned about all the different, the pharmacies were amazing and just like the doctors were incredible. And, you know, at that point, when you start to do well, you have access. The downside is that you're always criticized. But with that comes a huge shield and barrier. Like anything you really say to me, it doesn't really affect me. Like I remember when I first started axing, they were like, sometimes it's going to be no. I'm like, you're like, I've been hearing no for the past. I've been hearing no for the past 10 years. We're good. And then I also don't put much weight on it anymore. Like I really don't, you know, of course I still care, but even like with friendships or

arguments, I'm like, that's what you're going to live and die on a cross. I don't get mixed up. Unless something really means something to me, then I can be a Gemini and really hold it for a long time. like if it's something that you believe about yourself, right? Then it's like, oh, something that I believe or like when I've, you know, worked with people and I'm like, oh my God, I have given you my, and that, like, bothers me deeply. But I think, look, I'll always have body dysmorphia. There's no way that you can transition like that being a business where every single thing depends on what you look like and start when there wasn't someone with an iPad or a computer who could just like wipe it away. I mean, if I had, I had cystic acne as a model and, you know, there were weeks I couldn't work until I could get the injection.

But, you know, they would go in with a beautiful, amazing artist pencil and they would do it by hand. Everything was by hand. It made me have a great appreciation for the arts and fashion and where fashion comes from and how creative directors are so important. important. But yeah, the downside is that I'll always probably have body dysmorphia. I'll always worry, you know, what does it look like in the back? You know, I'm like, oh my God, I can't wear. I can't wear that. You know, even though like, they're like, you're fucking crazy. I'm like, I know. But it's just something that I can, I mean, I can lie and say I don't have it, but. No, I think it's, I think it's. I'll always watch my way. I'll always, you know what I mean? I'll always get a little jittery at the

dinner table, you know, when you're like, everybody's on there like 19th burger. I'm like, I just don't know that I can stand there anyway, you know. Most of you probably know that I have PCOS polycystic ovarian syndrome. It's something that I have had for a long time and I've been pretty open about it. But it was a long road to getting diagnosed with PCOS. I don't have the typical presenting symptoms. And once I was diagnosed, there was really no clear path to forward and there was really no solution offered up. And it's actually very common. PCHOS affects up to one in five women, but most women aren't getting the care that they need. So Alara is here to change that. It's the first virtual care platform for PCOS and it's something that I really wish that

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Hallelujah. They have plant-based cassidias. poppy seed muffins and so, so much more. And I love that with Sakara, you can really create your own program from just one week at a time, or you can do it weekly, you can do it for two or three or five days. And there are also so many other great products that you can add on. So right now, Sakara is offering my listeners 20% off your first order if you go to sakara.com slash blondefiles 20 or enter the code blonde files 20 at checkout. That's S-A-A-R-A-R-A-com slash blonde files-20 to get 20% off your first order. Again, saccarra.com slash blondefiles 20. How did you move from what I would imagine was like a really

restrictive kind of rigid approach to your lifestyle because you had to look a certain way. And like you said, they didn't have the technology that they have today where they can just tweak your waist in or whatever. How did you kind of transition out of that? Because you want to be a lot of went from modeling to acting, where you're still in front of a camera and then producing in what you... Yeah, but there's a difference. With modeling so much of what you had to fit into with like a sample, like a sample size two, a sample zero. With acting, I remember I ended up being on a pilot for Las Vegas. I'd never done a pilot. It's when you shoot to see if it's going to get picked up for network. Well, your husband is. And they were like, oh,

I was doing the fitting for Delinda, and there was a seamstress there. And I was like, she was like, oh, honey, if it doesn't fit, she was like, I'll just take it out a little. I'll run and get you two more sizes. I literally started sweating. I almost, like, I almost started crying because I was like, and at that time I could fit into anything. It didn't matter. But just the fact that someone was like, oh, my God, don't worry, you need a two or a four. I can even go up a six, so make it a little longer.

And again, I had always had people tweak it, but tweak it in, not tweak it out. And so that was like, this is amazing. She's going to like get a different size or, and I don't know, like that. It's just, it's just a difference. And I think, you know, then slowly when you get a little bit away from modeling and you get away, I mean, there's still shoots I do today. I'm like, Sonia, that's way too fucking small. People ask me. One of the most common questions that I get asked because I've been very open about my own past with disordered eating and then like not technically an eating disorder, but like tracking everything and being very obsessed with like everything that's going in my body. And I got to like a very intuitive place with it. But people always ask me how. And I'm like there wasn't just one thing. I wish that there was just one thing, but it's such a personal process, I feel like. Yeah, I mean, some people can weigh themselves. I cannot weigh themselves. I have to, I mean, looking at a scale, I can get, because I did it for so long, looking at a scale can, like, make me break out into a sweat. Even like, sometimes I'm too long in the makeup chair. I'm too long. It's just like I almost get anxiety, like, from, you know, just the amount of time and stress of, like, even I just got the opportunity, hadn't been to the Metball in a few years. And you looked amazing. Thank you. But I literally am like, my God, I feel like I'm back in it. Like I'm waiting, I'm dying. I'm like, don't sneeze. Like whatever you do, you're so corseted in. But you forget, you know, I think, again, like you, look, some months are good, some months are bad.

I think everyone tracks it in their own way. I can't do a scale. Honestly, I use my jeans. I know that sounds so weird. I think that's a great barometer. I use my jeans. I know. If they're a little tight, I'll cut back.

You know, but it's a little bit different now. I mean, you know, I don't, it's not about calories. It's more about, it's not about being skinny. It's about being healthy. And I think, you know, with kids and a family and you, it just, it's a different time as well. I know when I have to fucking bowl it together, it kills me, but I'm like, but what's weird is that you realize that what you could do before in a week, I can't do that. If I'm like prepping for something, It can, like, take me, like, a few months now to, like, get it all together. But listen, my girlfriend does lose it. She counts her calories. That's what it is. Like, and she feels really good about it. I think sometimes it is helpful to feel like you have control, you know? And it's like, but I always say don't get so caught up in that because you're going to have a bad day.

And then you just get back on. Like, it's fine to eat the burger. Like, it's fine to drink the drinks. Like it's just you can't do it every single day, you know. Well, and I would imagine, too, you're married. You have young kids. You have multiple businesses. And I feel like when you have so many, like, passions and purposes, too, that stuff gets a little more important.

Even if it is still kind of part of the job, it can't be your entire focus at this point. No. I mean, it stopped me my entire focus once I stopped full-time modeling. just because, like, you know, it would just, at that point, you would just, I would just be consumed, you know. And there's other things that are more fulfilling. Like, you know, I'm sitting there eating chicken tenders and fries. I don't really want the chicken, I don't even like chicken tenders. But then, you know, he's, like, feeding me and, like, I'm feeding him. And you're like, okay, now we've had five pieces of chicken that are fried. But they're happy. You know what I mean? Like, I made a cake this weekend. And they're like, Mom, it's the best cake.

Ever. Like, you have to have someone. So, like, I end up eating with them. I'm like, I've already tasted the whole way while making this cake. There's so many, like, career questions that I want to ask you. But I also have a lot of listener questions. And I have a few follow-ups just from things that you were telling me. So I'm sitting here across from you. Not to make this all about looks, but you're stunning. Your skin is like bananas. I'm a skincare, like, junkie. And you said that you had cystic acne. So I got to ask you. I know people are wondering. what's your routine now? What have you done for your skin over the years? I am like you. I'm a skincare. I had cystic acne from about early 20s to like early 30s, mid 30s. I did tetracycline, dicyclin, spirolactone. I ultimately did acutane. Again, I'm, this is, we're not doctors. We're not telling anyone, any listener here, we're not telling you what to do. I'm just trying to be honest. It did help me. I would have basically not all over my face, but like volcanoes that were deep, that were so painful, off and on for a long time. And then I did a little mini thing in my early 30s. And it really helped me. Like it cleared everything up. And then once I got pregnant, I, and you kind of realized it was hormonal like the whole time. But then once I got pregnant and I had babies, it just instead of cystic acne, I ended up getting hyperpigmentation and melasma. So.

you know, and I do think I was a little bit too much in the sun in my early 20s, even though I know you're upstairs mom, but I, yeah, she always told me, she's like, you're going to, you can't, do not get tan. My mom was like so, like, and you listened? I did. She passed away a few years ago, but still, I'm like, every day, I'm like, I put my SPF on because of her, but she was like light blue eyes, jet black hair, white, white skin, like so different. So then I ended up getting hyperpigmentation and malasma and the long and short of it, it's basically uneven skin tone. So I would be like dark and patchy. It lessens after you give birth for me. It did. But ultimately in 2019, it got so out of control after the birth of my third child that I don't

know if it was a mix of like the sun and the babies and just my face was dirty. It was really dirty. And it looked like patchy. And so, you know, I tried to go down the medical route again. and I tried to use hydroquinone, which is really great for about three months. And the moment you step out in the sun, it's like you just get even darker. Or the moment you do like an IPL or a laser, you just get even darker. So January 1, 2019, I was like, I'm not going to do anything for almost a year. So I put together a little bit of a system. I think the number one thing, SPF, vitamin C, a lot of vitamin C.

I don't care how you use it. It must be in your skincare, whether night or day, I prefer day, some type of an exfoliating, exfoliating pad. Just remember, every time you strip, you have to hydrate. If not, you kind of get the, you look kind of red and inflamed and dry. And that's really not the purpose, even though you don't have any uneven skin tone. You kind of look bad. You always have like a little bit of rosacea.

So, again, that's the key. If you strip, you hydrate. And so there's a product called Biologique Research P50, 1970, that I recommend to a lot of people. It really takes off the dead skin, that layer. Again, people can use it. I recommend Biologic Research P50, 1970. It's a great exfoliant. And I do think, like, constantly sloughing that off.

I'm against. Retinal? I do not use. I use a little bit of retinal. You have to really be careful. I think it's more about consistency than it is something really strong. Again, I love a peel. I love a laser.

But you cannot do that every three months. you will be in. And I have a problem with people doing so much microdermabrasion. Micronedling is fine. Microdermabrasion is not. You're taking layers and layers off your skin. But a good exfoliant is really, really good. And then vitamin C, and I will say, you know, keeping your skin hydrated and moisturized and retinol. Retinal, vitamin C, and how you put it together is for me has been a game. change. There's a great cleanser called Say So. It's a foam, S-E-I-S-O. And it's like a foaming cleanser. It leaves you super soft, super hydrated. And they're only like four or five products. And based on the seramide, which is really good for pumping and hydrating. I think people who

constantly strip, I'm like, you look my neighbor. I'm like, you look really dry. She's like, I know, I've stripped everything off. I'm like, I can tell. I just had a plastic surgeon on my podcast and he was talking about like what contributes most to aging and it's like your face shape and it's your skin and he was talking about um his wife who I think she's like 50 now but she started on a skincare routine 15 years ago where it was pretty simple it was like cleanser vitamin C retinal some kind of moisturizer I can't remember what and he's like 15 years later she looks younger than she did back then because you get that like plump bouncy and you know people you know we talk about a lot like this,

you know, people are so afraid to cut, but they'll plump so much that you're like, you're just better off cutting, like, or... Thank you. I, like, you don't even look like... I dare say Madonna, because I'm obsessed Madonna. Like, I love her, but I'm like, what happened? Yeah, she cut too.

She cut and plumped, for sure. But I, you know, it's, the plumping has gotten crazy. Plumping doesn't lift. filling doesn't lift. And I think so many people... But people think it does. Yes. And people feel like if they have... Like if you have laxity, just cut. Don't fill. Don't do threads. Don't do lasers. Because you're just going to make it worse and you're going to spend so much money and waste it. Just, I mean, not that people are like,

oh, you're promoting plastic surgery. And I'm like, well, kind of. Like, if you're going to spend all the money on all that other show. And we always get that too. We're not, and we don't promote plastic surgery. We promote happiness and whatever you want to do in the best way to do. do it. We had an awesome woman on. She's called the beauty broker official. Yeah, I love her. Melinda. Phenomenal. You guys have to listen. Have you had her on? Yeah. Oh, my God. I did a two-parter like two years ago. She's so good. Have her back on. She's got a wealth of new information. Like, she's really like a consultant and to help women, you know, be educated in their decisions of what they do, when they do it, who they do it with for the amount of money. And

she was fantastic. Mm-hmm. Yes. But yeah, be happy. Do, you. you know, if someone's going to judge you because they're doing it, like, who cares? Mm-hmm. Amen. I guess kind of to that point about like skincare and beauty and all of that, what has your experience been like being in the public eye, being in the industry and getting older? Well, it's not easy. Yeah. I mean, you know, you can say it is, but it's not. I mean, you're, you're constantly like, I think what's been crazy is that the, I do think, though, 30's the new 40, 40's the new 50. I do think we have a different outlook and I'm really happy that beauty just isn't a size two, blonde, skinny, white. Like I am really proud of where we're going. I think we have a lot

of work to do. It's hard, you know, it's not easy. I, you know, I think I try not to compare myself to anyone else because I'm not anyone else and every one of us are all different. But the industry standards are always hard. You know, you look at yourself. You're like, it's like when you listen to like a tape recorder of like your voice, you're like, I don't sound like that. You know, and then you see yourself. I do. I've always though had a hard time. I was on Las Vegas on NBC for five or six years and I think I saw myself twice. I would imagine that would be very hard. Yeah, I don't love watching myself. Like, when we're editing, I don't like to hear myself. I was going to ask, can you listen to your podcast?

No. I mean a little bit, but I, I, it's weird. I just, I don't know. It's symptoms like Instagram, like sometimes I just don't go on it because I don't know. I'm the same, like stories. I just sometimes like recording a story like face to camera will ruin my fucking day. If I'm like not in a good place. I know.

So I'm just like, I don't, I'm just not going to. Yeah. I don't have a lot of time anymore. but people think, I'm like, why didn't you like heart me? Or I'm like, girl, my algorithm. I don't even know where you are in the world in terms of Instagram. But I honestly don't sit there and scroll, not because it makes me feel bad about myself. But sometimes it does kind of be like, wow, it's like, you know, I don't know.

It does get you a little bit in your head. Yeah, for sure. I think people maybe forget how much control we do have over our inputs. like you can, I know it's hard and it's such a part of our daily life and, you know, we have these images everywhere, but you can really like control what you see. I'm the same as you. I don't scroll. And even people that I follow, even like my peers in the industry who I really like and I'm friends with, I mute them because I don't even want to see what they're doing. Like, I just don't want that in my head at all. Yeah. And also sometimes, you know, especially when you

have like podcasts, like I don't follow like we don't, I don't know. I just, I also want to make sure I'm like not copying anything or like do any like so it's like if I don't know what you're doing it's great. Yeah. But yeah, I think the one thing I do think we have really great, you know, women in our business. And I think that's always, that has been great support. Like when I'm trying to start something or do something like I feel really supported in that way. But I also give back to them in that way. But yeah, it's hard, you know, I think the constant scrolling. I don't really think it's healthy for anyone to be honest. What was it like having Brittany's Spears post your podcast. What was it like having Britney Spears comment on lipstick on the rim?

I honestly, I literally almost had a heart attack. I love Brittany. I was there in the beginning at MTV when I was starting my career. Oh, yeah. She's just so sweet and nice and just everything she has gone through. Like, I just, I can't imagine. I can't imagine the amount of pressure and stress, but it was a really good moment, Ariel. I would imagine. really good moment. Okay. What is a daily non-negotiable for you? In what way? Let's go wellness or lifestyle. Well, I always have to have my coffee and people make fun of me because I can take a cold coffee all day and really only have like four sips, but I've had my coffee. I'm the same way. I make my macho the night before and I put it in a bottle and I'm like a baby with my bottle, like walking around on it. Yeah. I'm surprised I've drank like a...

And I bring, we're here shooting a deal with me. She's like, do you want oatmeal? I'm like, I've never had oh milk, but sure. I'll have it. Oh, I was sitting there last night, Googling, can I bring macadamia milk to Italy? Like, what are the rules here? You know what? There's a great powder or superfood powder from Laird Hamilton. You should bring that with you. I do that because you can't really bring like your. I don't. It's too late for me, but that's a really good idea. By the way, I probably have a pack. You live next door. You can go by my house. I can get it for you. like the modern cup of sugar. Do you have any tips for managing at all? Because you have such a busy life with, excuse me, your kids, your career, your husband, I would imagine, social life, all of that. So how do you balance it and not lose your mind? You know, pre-COVID, it was starting to be, they were really little. And it was everyone going to everywhere. And so I would try to like go to like one, like go to like three things in one night. But like, like, make it span for like five nights once COVID happened. And I would, I'd already started learning the

art of no, because if I say yes to you, it means no to something else. And so saying no is really big. Like I would love to be there. Like even last night, Emisha had all her girlfriends. Like, it was like New Jersey visiting L.A. I'm like, I have to work. I have to think, like, I know what I can do and what I can do. So I left like 45 minutes early. I still went. I showed up. Calendar. I live and die. by calendar. I also do my kids' schedules, so then I'm very aware of where they are and how I can feed different spots into it. So if I want to be at horsey or I want to do soccer or lacrosse, like I can figure out how to be there. From the hours of 830 until 250, it's really important that I'm productive and I'm on it. And that's a little bit of a different thing that I've had to get

used to. Look, COVID helped a lot. I'm not going to lie. I'm in the same spot in my house. I wasn't constantly traveling or, you know, being in West Hollywood or Beverly Hills or New York. So you could get a lot more done in a short amount of time. But I think what do you really have to do? Making lists. Like I always tell all the girls who work with me, keep lists, make lists. Like go back, double check it. You know, if you have to be at work the next day, like, you know, yesterday I'm like, okay, did we tell this? Did we do this?

Like, I'm constantly trying to figure out what my day is going to be. Because once I wake up, that's kind of the day. Everything I've done is kind of in the prep before. And I will say this. When you travel, prep all your outfits before, wake up, don't think about it, put it on. You have it sorted. Everything is in the prep. And I need this advice today.

I know. She's going to Italy. So excited. I'm very jealous. But I will say like the prep of it. And also delegating, having people help you. You know, one of my girlfriends, she lives in Texas. And she loves to make everything hard on herself.

I'm like, you're a fucking martyr. Like all you do, I'm like, why can you not get some awesome person to help you? It doesn't make you a lesser mom. It doesn't make you a lesser being. It just means that you're really good at delegate. and you can make shit happen. And my mom was really good at that. She was a very hard worker, but she was like, okay, this is what we've got to do, and this is how we're going to do it.

And so, but I do get tired. You know, I realize I'm like, sometimes on the weekends, I'm like, why does my body feel like I've been beaten? I can't imagine. Okay, wait, I have one more question. Rapid Fire. Best advice you ever got. Best advice I ever got, be okay with change. amazing. Be okay with change. Be okay with doing something different and be okay with pivoting.

You know, it doesn't mean you failed. It doesn't mean like you just might have to do it a different way. I think we all get stuck. I mean, I have this conversations, you know, both of our husbands are in the entertainment business and sometimes shit works. Sometimes it doesn't. It's really hard because you spend months and years developing and, you know, but you can't get stuck in the know. You've got to get, you've got to somehow come out of that. And I think the most successful people do that well. I think the second piece of advice is hire smarter people than you and listen to them and surround yourself with rock stars, whether it be friends or family or business. If someone's toxic in your life, whether it's at work or a girlfriend or a boyfriend, like it affects you more than you think. And that is where you have to take onus. And, you know,

I gave this advice to a little girl the other day. She's 16. She's like, but she's my best friend. I go, she's your best friend now, you know, and she might be your best friend again when you're 40. But sometimes you take a break and you come back and you, and that's okay. People serve a place in your life at a certain time and for a certain reason. I think it's really important that sometimes we get bogged down in the toxicity and women being made to women and not supportive. and I think you really have to be careful of getting in those type of relationships because they can really affect you in all levels of your life, you know, especially when you have children and you're trying to advocate for them. And, you know, it's really, really, really important.

It's an important piece of advice. I love it. Well, where can everybody find you and listen to your podcast and go to your website and watch your shows? We do a lot. You can, well, you can follow me at Molly B Sims, SIMS, and then we have a great website, molysins.com. It's tips and tricks. It's beautiful. We have an incredible group of writers and Schaefer who runs it.

It's just, she's just amazing, and it's just, I love it so much. We redid it a couple of years ago, and it's really been amazing to see, like, what great content we've been able to produce and write. And then we have lipstick on the REM, which is, we're so excited. We get to interview Ariel. It's a podcast. Favorite podcast. It's all about beauty and wellness. And we drink and talk about beauty. It's really fun. It's my best friend of almost 20 years. She lives in New Jersey. She has three kids. And yeah, I mean, I guess TikTok. I mean, I'll be doing something. I don't know what. God help me. You're great at short form video content, I have to say. I mean, honestly. I did one yesterday that. was pretty funny. I have to say. They're really funny. My kids, you know, they're so good at helping. They're just amazing. Well, thank you so much for coming on. It was so good to finally talk to you. I know. I can keep talking. We could do a part too. I know. For sure. All right. Thanks,

thanks, you guys. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed that episode. If you liked it, and if you like the show in general, please take a second to rate, review, and subscribe. It goes a long way, and it's actually the best way to support the show. Also, if you want to see more about each episode, you can head over to The Blond Files podcast on Instagram. I'm always posting about each episode there or over on my personal page at Ariel Laurie.