This week on The Luminous Life, we’re hitting record in the middle of our renovation dust—literally—and sharing a raw, real conversation about something that goes beyond skin-deep: intergenerational friendships.

It’s just Erika and Marcella today, back to our roots, reflecting on how our nearly 20-year age difference shaped our friendship—from boss/employee vibes to chosen family. We’re getting honest about what makes friendships grow, the beauty of learning from each other (yes, even when it’s how to wear blush differently), and why our relationships are one of our greatest beauty secrets.

In this episode, we dive into:

What intergenerational friendship really means—and why it’s magic

Why we never drag the skincare dropper across our faces 😬

How Millennials and Gen Z have changed beauty, body image, and business

Beauty trends we love, and some (ahem, skinny brows) we’ll never bring back

How to evolve with your friendships instead of outgrowing them

The power of seeing women in every season of life...and celebrating them all

This episode is full of laughter, love, and zero judgment (okay, maybe a tiny bit—see: the dropper thing). It’s a reminder that the beauty industry can be a place of connection, not competition—and that real beauty is about how we treat each other.

✨ Mentioned in this episode

Our Ask Us Anything is live! → Go to shop.getluminous.com and click Podcast in the menu to send us your questions, thoughts, or ideas for future episodes.

Want to talk beauty IRL? Come visit us in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ—or book a complimentary skincare consultation with Erika or one of our estheticians. Learn more here →

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going:
What have you learned from a friend of a different generation? Message us on Instagram @getluminous or reply to our latest story—we love hearing from you.

🛍️ Shop the products we love, minus the BS:
From glow-giving serums to the perfect lip liner, our curated collection is full of gorgeous, pro-picked skincare and beauty that actually works. Explore it at shop.getluminous.com

🎧 Subscribe, Rate & Share:
If this episode made you laugh, think, or feel something—send it to your group chat or leave us a review. Your words help more women find The Luminous Life.

Until next time,
Stay luminous ✨
Erika & Marcella

Intergenerational Friendships, Beauty Trends & Being a Better Friend

Erika & Marcella sit down with legendary MakeUp Artist, Monica Boyd Lester, the woman who makes people feel beautiful before ever touching their faces. 
In this heartfelt, hilarious, and raw episode, we talk about menopause, makeup, motherhood, and the real secret to glowing skin (spoiler: it’s not your foundation).

✨ Highlights from this episode:

The beauty counter stories that shaped Luminous

How to glow through menopause (and yes, vaginal red light therapy is a thing)

What Monica really uses on her skin

Why women over 40 are done with the BS

The moment Erika stopped judging her face (because of Monica)

Monica’s wisdom on grief, peace, and finally arriving in your beauty

If you’ve ever judged your skin in a harsh light or wondered when self-acceptance finally clicks in... this episode is for you.

💬 Monica Says:
“Stop touching your face. Stop judging your face. Just love yourself.”

📍 Mentioned in this episode:

That serum Monica swears by (DM us to find your perfect one)

Red light intimate therapy 🚨 Now available at Luminous

Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s Book – “The New Menopause” in-store now

🛍 Visit us in person
We’re glowing-up during renovations! Come shop + book at our temporary home:
📍 156 Ramapo Valley Rd, Mahwah, NJ
📞 Text us: 201.857.2711
🌐 shop.getluminous.com

📲 Connect with us
Follow us on Instagram: @getluminous
Follow Monica on Instagram: @MonicaBoydLester
Tag this episode and share with a woman who needs Monica’s magic.

🎧 Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re ready to stop judging your reflection and start showing up softer, wiser, and more luminous... come see us. Consults are complimentary. Confidence is priceless.

Grief, Beauty, Menopause & the Wisdom of Monica Boyd Lester

Poop Panic, Spicy Books & Skincare Myths Debunked

You’ve never heard a beauty podcast episode start like this.

This week, Erika shares one of the most hilariously mortifying moments of her professional life- let’s just say it involves a store tour, a very thorough painter, and... an unflushed surprise 💩. (Yes, really.)

From there, we pivot (gratefully) into:

Erika’s night out at a book event at Dear Reader in Wyckoff, aka the indie bookstore version of Luminous

A spicy new book rec that might just rekindle your fiction era (Beach Read, anyone?)

The real skincare tea: is it better to wash your face in the shower or at the sink? And does the order matter?

Erika’s updated red light ritual thanks to a tip from Marcella that changed her mornings

We also debate the age-old question: Does listening to an audiobook count as reading? Team Listen or Team Paper?

Plus: Listener Question! Shoutout to Allison, who remembered an old-school IG Live with Erika + Monica and asked a killer skincare question we answer on the mic.

✨ Why You’ll Love This Episode:

It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s actually helpful

You’ll walk away laughing and with a better skincare routine

You’ll feel like you're right there in the store, or curled up at book club with your favorite girlfriends

Hit play if you:

Are the kind of person who has a red light mask and a favorite spicy read

Secretly love an overshare

Want beauty talk without the BS -  just fun, friendship, and facts

🎧 Subscribe, share, and follow us on your favorite podcast app — and don’t forget to leave a review if you laughed, learned, or loved it.

💻 Shop the skincare we mention: shop.getluminous.com
📍 Visit us IRL in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ or follow us on IG: @getluminous



Poop Panic, Spicy Books & Skincare Myths Debunked

What happens when your car dies after a parking lot board meeting in the sun, and AAA sends a kid with no jumper cables? Oh, and you try to play matchmaker while you wait? Just another day in the life of Erika and Marcella.

In this laugh out loud episode, we share:

The car chaos that left us stranded (twice)

A spontaneous matchmaking attempt that might just work

What "down bad" really means according to Gen Z

Why unconditional support in the workplace is a radical, luminous act

And how Luminous became a living, breathing therapy practice (but with better lighting)

If you’ve ever made a mistake at work and feared it defined you, this one's for you. We unpack how to be yourself at work, how to hold space for human moments, and how to tell someone (kindly) to turn the car off next time.

✨ Remember: You can make a mistake. You are not a mistake.

🔥 Glow Guide This Week
Make the mistake. Say sorry. Keep glowing.
Also… check that your car isn’t half-on. Whatever that means.

🎧 Listen Now + Follow Us
💛 Apple | Spotify | SoundCloud: The Luminous Life Podcast
💻 Shop + Learn: shop.getluminous.com
📍 Visit us IRL: Luminous in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
📲 Follow @getluminous on Instagram



Double Middle Fingers and Triple A: Beauty, Mistakes & Being Real at Work

We built a space so beautiful, our bodies gave out before it did. In this episode, Erika and Marcella take you inside the wild, messy, magical process of creating the new Luminous and why it’s more than a beauty boutique. From forgotten mirrors (oops) to construction-induced trauma (real), we reflect on beauty, boldness, and being grown and sexy. Also: dads, voice notes, and why the club still can’t handle us. Even if it's only open noon to five.

🛍️ Visit the New Luminous
Come experience the space that’s being called sexy, feminine, inspiring, and grown AF. We’re officially open and glowing.

📍 Visit us in Bergen County, NJ
💻 shop.getluminous.com
📸 Follow us on IG: @getluminous

Love what you heard? Rate & review us—it helps more people find our community.

Tag us on IG while listening: @getluminous #TheLuminousLife

Come visit the store! You’re not just booking an appointment—you’re stepping into a vibe.


Grown, Sexy, and Slightly Unhinged: Behind the Build of the New Luminous

Welcome back to The Luminous Life Podcast... the show where beauty meets truth. In this hilarious and heartwarming episode, Erika and Marcella get real about the emotions behind goodbyes, beauty industry blunders, and the wisdom of a 21-year-old who calls BS on faking it.

You’ll hear:

A tearful goodbye to a beloved intern (and why it hit us so hard)

Why "snatched" doesn't mean what you think it means

Marcella’s brow wax disaster (spoiler: it involves Nick Jonas and a CVS run)

The truth about plus-size fashion and why shopping can feel traumatic

Why big sisters should never do your beauty services (EVER)

Whether you're a longtime Luminous client or brand new to our world, this episode will leave you laughing, crying, and maybe texting your sister a heartfelt apology. 💌

🎧 Listen in, share with a beauty-loving friend, and don’t forget to rate & review us!

✨ Shop the glow: shop.getluminous.com
💬 DM us @getluminous with your beauty bloopers or intern memories!
🛍️ Book services or skincare consults ➡️ shop.getluminous.com


✨ Sisterhood, Savage Brows & Snatched Noses: Beauty Mishaps & Big Feelings

We’re going there: chalazion cysts, cluster lash horror stories, medical anxiety, beauty boundaries, and the etiquette of tipping your lash artist. In this unfiltered, wildly honest episode, Erika and Marcella sit down with lash artist and Luminous OG Kristen Oakley to unpack the painful lash cyst that left her seeing the beauty world in a whole new way.

From her pregnancy journey to lash regrets, awkward compliments at the bagel shop, and the emotional toll of sitting in a medical chair, Kristen shares it all...eyeball scissors and all. Plus, we dive into the emotional (and sometimes awkward) relationship between clients and service providers, why it’s okay to speak up when you’re not happy with a beauty service, and whether tipping really matters.

This episode is hilarious, heartfelt, and a must-listen for beauty lovers, clients, and pros alike.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

What a chalazion cyst actually is—and why it’s haunting TikTok

Why cluster lashes can be dangerous (even when they look good)

Medical anxiety, motherhood, and managing beauty expectations

Client/service provider communication 101: How to speak up (and why it matters)

The tipping talk: Etiquette, expectations, and why kindness is currency

🔗 CONNECT + SHOP:
Visit us IRL: shop.getluminous.com
Follow us on Instagram: @getluminous
Need lash or brow help? Book with us in NJ! we’re the friendliest pros you’ll ever meet.

🎧 Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share. The Luminous Life is best experienced with your girls and a buttered bagel.



The Lash Cyst That Changed Everything (with Kristen Oakley)

"The Luminous Life Podcast: Beauty Without The B.S." Join beauty business veterans, Erika & Marcella, as we share the real secret to looking good: feeling great. Join us as we question conventional beauty standards and reveal what it really takes to run a beauty business that puts your beauty  first. Discover the secrets our clients have trusted for years—where lashes, brows, and carefully curated skincare meet genuine self-care.

New tracks tagged #GetLuminous