Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah said she was the “Ulta” of prison.
Shah, 52, opened up about macgyvering her own cosmetic products while serving time at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, in a new People interview published on Thursday, April 2.
“There weren’t a lot, but I would make my own [beauty products],” she said, explaining how she used her monthly $360 commissary allowance.
Shah, who was sentenced to over six years in prison for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly individuals, “had” to figure out how to take care of her skin while behind bars.
She used hemorrhoid pads “which had witch hazel in them” as an astringent to reduce oil, soothe inflammation and tighten her pores.
She mixed the product with “laundry soap,” which created a “winning combo for looking young” in prison.
“I had a lot of people who were after my skincare routine,” the reality TV star said. “A lot of the women adopted it.”
Shah also joked that she spent more money on products than food some weeks. “[My husband] would be like, ‘You need to buy food this week. Please do not buy any more hairspray.’ But I got so worried they were going to run out at the commissary, so I had backstock,” Shah quipped.
“I was like the Ulta at prison,” she shared. “People would be like, ‘Oh my gosh, they ran out of gel.’ ‘Go talk to Shah, she probably has four.’”
Shah also opened up about not being able to get work done in prison. “People were like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s going to come out and her whole face is going to fall off because it’s filled with Botox!’” she recalled. “I guess they found out that my face was not filled with injections and filler. I survived!”
Shah ended up serving 2 years and 9 months of her sentence and was released early in December 2025. She’s currently serving the rest of her time under home confinement.
The Bravo star pleaded guilty in July 2022. She was ordered to pay over $6.6 million in restitution to victims and forfeit $6.5 million, as well as luxury items.
Shah also told People that she “didn’t know” how she was going to get through her time in prison. The first night, she recalled laying in a top bunk and “silently crying.”
“I just thought, ‘This cannot be where I’m going to be every day,’” she said. “Everyone knew I was coming. People were yelling things at me.”
Before concluding her interview, Shah expressed remorse for her actions. “I’d like to say that I’m sorry,” she said of her victims. “I’m here and accepting responsibility, and I’ve made it my mission as part of my consequences to make sure that people are paid back.”
She also denied targeting an older demographic, adding,“I would like to clear up this false narrative … I never, ever targeted the elderly.”
Read the full article here
