Pretty Hard

Lucinda Price is a writer, comedian, and performance artist. We've crossed paths over the last ten years, and have wanted to talk to Lucinda in detail for a while. We finally got the opportunity and we loved the amount of crossover we had, being writers and working in advertising and media. We talk a lot about her upcoming book, titled, ALL I EVER WANTED WAS TO BE HOT' and her journey/relationship to beauty that inspired the content. Please note this episode contains topics including disordered eating. If you would prefer to skip this episode, we recommend doing so. If you are looking for support or further resources, the Butterfly Foundation is available by phoning 1800 33 4673.Find Lucinda @frooomeshttps://www.froomesworld.com/

@lesley__hunter came into Fluff's world for one of our campaign photoshoots and we fell in love with her curiosity, energy, and approach to beauty. In this episode we discuss her experience with beauty over time, through motherhood, work, and yoga, and the journey of connecting and discovering herself.  As a 62-year-old model we get stuck into the idea of 'acting' your age and other labels that are put on women, including terms like pro-age and anti-aging, and what these really mean for women. Finally, we chat about what we want ultimately for the industry.Please note: this conversation includes topics of abuse and rape, should you wish to skip this episode.

"You'll care less, strive further, and feel more,” Leonie Akhidenor is the host of the Parenthood Podcast, a model, and mother, who was introduced to Fluff via mutual connections. In this conversation we explore her experience as a bi-racial woman growing up in Australia, her journey through pre and post natal depression, and her learnings from hundreds of conversations with other parents, including the tension for some mothers to find their 'sexy' or to feel good in their ‘new' body after having children. She discusses with us the struggle to find time for self care and how it can result in women feeling as though beauty has taken the back seat.Whether you have children or not, this episode is a reminder to acknowledge the self you were, the self you are, and the self you want to be.Listen via the link in bio.Find Leonie via @leonie.akhidenor and @parenthoodpod

Sam Wood is a father, husband, and self-proclaimed 'fitness guy'. Having worked in the health industry for almost 2 decades, we were keen to discuss with Sam the idea of beauty under the lens of aesthetic vs mental and emotional health.This was a beautiful discussion about how Sam sees and has experienced himself as a man, his role as a father of 4 daughters, and finally his relationship with his wife and their responsibility in the public eye.Find Sam via @28bysamwood, @thewoodshed_ @thewoodlifepodcast

We spoke to Erin Deering a year ago on the podcast and since then, a lot has happened. Erin has had a melanoma removed from her face, her breast implants removed, and has launched her memoir, Hanging by a Thread."My face looks like mine again."We discuss how the last year's events have impacted how she feels about herself and her internal vs external identity, and how she's balancing her growing following with family life and business ambitions. Find Erin via @erinkdeering.

Jessica Defino is a former editor for the Kardashian-Jenner Apps and a freelance beauty journalist for The New York Times, Vogue, WWD, Allure, and more.Jessica's writing has influenced Fluff greatly, being beauty-critical content that publications can't, won't, or don't cover. In this episode we discuss the idea of beauty behaviours as coping mechanisms, the pressure consumers are under being perceived constantly, and the moral obligation of brands to deal with such."If we want to deal with sustainability, we need to address beauty standards, and why we feel compelled to consume so much, and manipulate our bodies so much. If these things are addressed, sustainability will be addressed. There are feelings driving our consumption."  Find Jessica via her Substack, The Unpublishable. 

Erika & Ellen discuss the series ahead, the current state of the industry, the current state of their personal lives, and what the future of beauty looks like, right now.

Ziggy is a yoga, philosophy and meditation teacher and guide, bridging disciplines from the East and West. Having studied extensively in India, as well as his current Psychology studies in Melbourne, he's also played semi-professional soccer for the last decade, giving him a unique insight into team success and performance.In this chat we explore identity through the lens of spirituality. We discuss the various spaces in which different versions of ourselves appear, the idea of internal vs external growth, and the role of social media in understanding ourselves.Find Ziggy via @ziggyrazuki.

Aumi  is a fashion designer and brand mentor. She made the leap from the finance world after finding her community at Burning Man and a home in NY in 2012. We discuss the importance of finding your people and your place - and the freedom it allows. Aumi opens up about her own limiting beliefs and exploring new ways of seeing herself. We look at her own creative process and the various influences over time.

Zac Waters has been a touring musician for the last 11 years. In 2019 he started Adult Art Club which blends music and art in immersive exhibitions. Zac opens up about the role of ego in identity and creativity, and the importance of appreciating the small moments. Zac turns the questioning on us about Fluff's origins, our growth over time, and our evolving, personal relationships to beauty.Find Zac via @zac.waters & @adult.art.club

Robyn Morrison (Bobby Clark) is an artist, creative director, interior stylist and creative consultant. She speaks openly about her experience growing up in Scotland, how her art has been the truest expression of her identity, how becoming a mother has influenced her perception of self, and the positive and negative impacts of social media in her life. There is a beautiful moment where we discuss recognising beauty in oneself, for the first time. We hope you enjoy this honest conversation.Find Robyn via @bobbyclark____

In season 3 we're discussing beauty under the lens of career and community: everything from societal expectations to how your work can be the truest expression of your identity. (For some, not everyone).As a tangent, we discuss the evolving (and debated) definition of self-care and how the beauty industry continues to exploit it; and the responsibility of having a platform (in this case podcast) and following.Ellen and Erika reflect on the season ahead, what they learned from each guest, as well as what they're focussing their attention on and away from, including their explore feed hacks.

Avigon Paphitis is a Beauty industry marketing consultant, and founder of Paphitis Advisory. She previously worked at Beautycounter and Youth To The People, and has a wealth of knowledge across global makeup and skincare brands, and the changing consumer landscape over the last 10-15 years. We discuss the expectations of beauty brands vs the reality, and the ugly side of the beauty industry as she turns the questions on us as to why we started, and how things are going.

Soumeya Beeow is a professional runner and model who recently featured in Fluff's Lip Oil campaign. We were drawn to her willingness and openness to discuss the cultural differences surrounding beauty, growing up as a West African women in Australia, the growing number of people using skin bleaching creams, and the expectations, crossovers, and contradictions of the professional sporting and modelling space.

Caroline Moreau-Hammond is many things - relevant to this conversation, she is host of The Philosophy of Sex podcast and founder of Becuming, the online sex toy retailer. She has an incredible knowledge across different and often esoteric modalities, histories, and individuals within the sex space, and we discuss the evolving and nuanced world of such, including a sense of spirituality around beauty, the influence of two supportive parents growing up, sexuality not as a spectrum, but rather a constellation, and the idea that sex doesn't have to involve wellness.

Marc is a Creative Director and founder of Happie Holl, a modern wellness brand, centred around promoting better butt care. We discuss his relationship to beauty under the lens of sexuality and identity, and his experiences as a new founder within our industry.Find Marc via @marky_makes_ and @happieholl happieholl.com.au

Yoko is an author and the founder of organic raw food and living food cafe, Shoku Iku. In this episode we discuss Yoko's cultural background and influence on beauty and identity, as well as her work in the world of raw and living foods. Find Yoko via @inoue.yoko and @shokuikuA quick note on content - this conversation covers a range of topics including disordered eating and experiences of racism.

Zoe is a Nike yoga teacher and integrative psychotherapist. She is the founder of Loop Wellbeing, which aims to bridge the gap between between the current system and the demand for a new approach to mental health care. We discuss her own journey through therapy and understanding her internal family system, and how it has impacted her perception of self and definition of beauty.Find Zoe via @zoekleinyoga and @loopwellbeingA quick note on content - this conversation covers a range of topics including disordered eating, mental health, and family of origin.

Mon is founder of Sabi the label. She's also a writer, model, and casual advocate for all things sexual wellbeing, which we get stuck into - no filter. Find Mon via @mons.monday @sabi_thelabel @nakedhungryA quick note on content - this conversation covers a range of topics including sexual assault, rape, pornography, and issues relating to body image. If you find these topics triggering we recommend skipping to the next episode.

Chantelle is a Psycho-Sexologist whose work is centred around empowering people to feel good about their sexual health, self-esteem, communication and education. We discuss the impact of having one's private life so public, the expectations of a professional within the sexology space, and the issues that come up in a session for many clients - spoiler, it's so much more than sex.A quick note on content - this conversation covers a range of topics including disordered eating, sexuality, and identity.

Ellen and Erika discuss how the last five months have been, and our theme for season 2: beauty under the lens of sexuality and identity. It's everything mating, monogamy, masculinity, matriarchy, and meaning, as well as talking to the highs and lows of running a business in the ever-evolving sex space. As a tangent, we discuss current influencer pricing models and whether it's possible to calculate ROI.

We discuss how growing up in Australia in the 90's and attending an all girls school drove a certain kind of defiance against convention. We look at the differences between teens now and 15 years ago, going grey at 30, seeing ourselves the way other people see us, and the conflict of feeling comfortable internally but not in front of a camera. We talk to her role as designer of Jewellery brand Cleopatra's Bling, about beauty as an action or a manifestation in what we do - our careers - as opposed to external validation. We look at concepts of feminism in different countries and cultures, the aspirational qualities of French women who enhance rather than alter their appearance, and misconceptions around anti-feminism. And finally, we talk about the importance of being curious about beauty and fashion references and origins, and how living overseas cultivates an insatiable desire to learn through experience, so as to develop your own sense of style, be it minimalist or maximalist.

We discuss growing up in Germany without access to a shade range, the pros and cons of having an internet persona, the stereotypes and systems at play for women and queer individuals in comedy, and the joys of a simple makeup and skincare routine.

We discuss the influence of an anti-beauty mother, the physical and emotional journey of experiencing cystic acne and using makeup as a crutch, how dating in your 30s impacts your sense of self, interrogating why we consider anti-wrinkle products in our 20s, and the exciting but exhausting role of being a fashion editor and writer. 

We talk about the importance of personal values and being stubborn in the beauty industry. How no product is a must-have, Gemma's reputation for being difficult, and accepting you can't make everyone happy.

We discuss the concept of choosing when to blend in or stand out, the pressures of conventional beauty vs natural skincare (is it all just a lie?), whether trends becoming mainstream are in fact a good thing, and the impact of a mother's projection of beauty.

We talk about the magic of our industry, or lack thereof at present. Does meaning matter anymore? How the business of beauty is as interesting as the expression of identity, and the often exhausting expectations of being a founder.

We discuss the influence of growing up in a Christian family, how beauty can feel artificial especially when comparing yourself to everyone else, why we ultimately have the choice to choose our own unique expression of self, and the internal debate of whether or not to start an only fans account.

We discuss the journey of exploring, finding, losing, and reconnecting with your highest, evolving self. How relational support and being your own healer requires being brutally honest with yourself, and why sometimes you need to look in the mirror and be your own therapist.

We talk with Jenna Holmes, Founder of Plant Mama, Pasta Club, and P Mami, about her casual approach to beauty: her mother's influence, her experience with getting older, her challenges with being in the public eye, how her ADHD diagnosis has helped her understand herself,  and finally, accepting the evolving parts of herself with and without makeup.

We chat openly with Erin Deering, Co-founder of Triangl, about her relationship to beauty: her exploration of injectables and the process of altering and undoing it all; as well as her experience and learnings across business and motherhood.

Ellen and Erika discuss the year that's been: one of experimenting, learning, growing, tiring, and ultimately feeling energised for what's next. What exactly is that for Fluff? Listen and find out. 

We're talking to Ellen, Fluff's Head of Brand, about her relationship to beauty: her confusion around identity, the influence of location and circumstance, and how she has accepted its evolving nature. And finally, the role that Fluff has played.

We're talking about Erika's relationship to beauty: how she thinks it's changed over time and specific influences including work and relationships, why she started Fluff, and how the business influences her personal choices around makeup and consumption.