Pretty Hard

A different kind of podcast episode as we head into a new year. Particularly transitioning from this year of the snake to the next year of the horse, something at Fluff we are resonating with, many of us can feel like we're shedding, questioning, reflecting. In light of such, we decided to ask four friends of Fluff: Laura Roscioli, Erin Deering, Lesley Hunter and Kayla Moon a simple question: What are 3 decisions that have dramatically developed and/or simplified your relationship to beauty? For me personally - this has included: -Doing something in the morning for me before anyone else: how I look is how I feel. -Using fewer, better products -If I’m tempted via online shopping, adding it to cart, and then I leaving it for a few days to see if I really need it. -Talking to more people about the beauty that comes with aging, not the decline. We hope this episode inspires you to reflect on your own relationship to beauty and any changes you'd like to see, or intentions you'd like to set for the new year. About our guests: Laura Roscioli is a Melbourne-based writer, sex columnist, and cultural commentator whose work unpacking love, desire, identity and modern relationships has resonated with audiences around the world. @lauraroscioli Erin Deering is Co-founder of Triangl and now her namesake fashion label, Deering. Her honesty and authenticity as a mother, businesswoman, and human engaged in the ever-evolving complex beauty narratives online is deeply refreshing. @erinkdeering Lesley Hunter is a 65-year old model, yogie, and compassionate, curious human being who never ceases to make us smile and laugh, while encouraging us to embrace every age and stage of life. @lesley__hunter Kayla Moon is the founder of the Collingwood based florist, Xflos. She’s also the cofounder of Stay Soft Studio, hosting monthly night markets, and creative co-working & events. She is deeply committed to showing up authentically and exploring her true self. @whoskaylamoon

Ross Howse is a Melbourne-based creator best known for Bangin’ Sangas, where he critiques and celebrates sandwich culture in Australia. Howse has publicly shared his journey through mental health, addiction, and self-discovery, using his platform to explore life, food, purpose, and identity. We discuss all of the above, including a refreshing perspective of his participation in beauty culture. Find Ross on Instagram at @banginsangas

Joy Ben Hur is a digital creator and storyteller whose voice bridges YouTube, film, and podcasting. She launched her Youtube channel Joyish at 14 years old, as a space to share fashion, lifestyle, art and personal reflection. As a filmmaker, Joy writes and directs, turning intimate themes of belonging and change into cinematic form, most recently for Fluff in her short film titled, Beauty is Nurture. Through her Humble Ego Podcast, Joy holds space for creatives to unpack imperfection, vulnerability, and the inner dialogue between humility and ambition. We talk about how Joy became aware of the concept of beauty from a young age, how the act of journalling since she was 9 has helped her navigate a sense of identity and belonging, and what it's meant and looks like today having had a presence on Youtube for almost a decade. Find Joy on Instagram at @joyishhhh

Chantel Horvat is an Australian basketballer who studied at UCLA over a five-year collegiate career before launching her professional journey across the U.S., Europe, and home in Australia. She’s represented the Opals at the Asia Cup and has played for top clubs in Poland, Turkey, Spain, the WNBL’s Canberra Capitals and Melbourne Tigers, and recently, Townsville Fire. When she's not on the court you can find her as an anything-goes creative sharing whatever her travelling hands can produce. We chat about life on and off the court and what role beauty plays in sport. For Chantel, it's about placing less emphasis on beauty being skin deep, and instead what her body can do for her. Find Chantel on Instagram at @chantel_horvat

Kayla Moon is a multifaceted creative across Xxflos and Stay Soft Studio in Melbourne, where she has built a reputation as a local business owner and floral artist blending nature and structural modernity. Her story has been shaped by reinvention, resilience, and the challenges of carving space in industries that demand both vulnerability and vision. We chat about growing up with strong, wild feminine archetypes as role models, the idea of appreciating beauty outside of oneself, alongside the pressures of society and traditional, western beauty standards, and we question where does vanity help us and where does it hinder us? Please note: This conversation discusses topics including body dysmorphia, disordered eating, and self harm, should you wish to skip this episode. Find Kayla on Instagram at @whoskaylamoon

The beauty industry is brutal, for consumers, brands, and founders alike. While glossy on the surface, behind the scenes is a world of numbers, stakeholders, and systems that are rarely discussed. Purpose vs Profit. Expression vs Exploitation. Generosity vs Gatekeeping. In this intimate, live podcast recording from April 2025 in NYC, founder of Fluff, Erika Geraerts speaks openly with beauty journalist and writer Jessica Defino and Bread Beauty founder Maeva Heim. Find Jessica on Substack at The Review of Beauty And Maeva on IG at @bread @maeva_helene And Erika on IG at @erikageraerts and Substack at Pretty Hard.

Eryca Judi Green is a photographer, co-owner at Opmanis & Green, and director of Smith St Bazaar. We have known each other for around a decade, having first met at her furniture store and very quickly becoming close friends. I am inspired by Eryca’s personal style, strong sense of self, and appreciation of all things beautiful - and her application of such in her daily life. Like me, Eryca believes that everything can tell a story, from the clothes you wear to the furniture in your house and the objects that surround them. We chat about her eczema experience from 17-40 years old, her recent cancer journey, and how her photography practice is a deep exploration of beauty in its most vulnerable moments. Find Eryca at @erycagreen on Instagram.

Alice Edgeley is a fashion & costume designer, stylist, and a self proclaimed fashion history/ beauty nerd. If you live in Collingwood or Fitzroy, you will definitely know her work. Alice is all about questioning established notions of ‘good taste’ and challenging conventional aesthetics - and this has meant an exploration of bold glamour and following her instincts rather than the dictates of current fashion trends. We spoke about the positive influence of Alice’s mother over her life, her daily makeup ritual, and her intuitive approach to fashion and self-exploration. Find Alice at @ms_edgeley on Instagram.

Carol Green is a dancer, model, and teacher, who at 67, is still dancing en pointe - having been a professional ballerina with the Australian Ballet School and having danced since the age of 5. We chat about many things including the most poetic definition of beauty, how her style has changed (and been reclaimed) over time, why she believes dance is an art form for people of all ages, and the legacy she wants to leave in terms of beauty, style, and identity. She refuses to become invisible and I left our chat feeling inspired in more ways than one. Find Carol at @carol_green_dancer_model on Instagram

Diana Mishka is a NY based model, marketing manager, and friend of Fluff. We recently collaborated on a PH colour-changing Lip Oil, after getting to know Diana and her love of makeup. We thought, why pick another colour when we can work with the people that love and inspire our brand each day? What do they want to see? In this episode we caught up across different timezones, to discuss Diana's experience growing up in Russia, being bullied at school for not fitting in to the ideal beauty aesthetic, moving to Los Angeles at the age of 18, and changing locations to New York - and the differences between the two cities. We talk about beauty as a feeling seperate to external aesthetics, how this comes as a result of focusing on oneself and three important things: community, career, and hobbies. This conversation is for anyone who has felt lost at times, struggled to fit in to those around them, or is wondering where to start in reconnecting with themselves, or connecting to new people in a new environment. Find Diana at @mishka_dii

Stacey Burt is the founder of Little Company, a holistic skin studio that offers a focused approach to the body’s largest organ, that being the skin. We love Little Company's approach to facials - it is truly a meditative ritual that we believe everyone should experience if they can, and their approach to simple, supportive routines just makes sense. Stacey is also working on a Training School for beauty therapists - a term that's polarising for Stacey and of which we go into detail. She's also a mother of 3, she's been with her partner for over 17 years, and she's about to turn 40. This was a beautiful, honest chat about the layers surrounding beauty and its connection to identity. Follow @_littlecompany

An interruption to our usual podcast schedule, to (re)introduce Fluff to new listeners, customers, and followers, on behalf of Shopify Masters and host Shuang Esther Shan. ​​Fluff was created in 2018 as an antidote to the current beauty industry narrative, for anyone who thinks that the world doesn't need more products, just better products, and responsible, transparent messaging. ​​Founded in Melbourne, Australia, we ship our refillable Cloud Compacts around the world, for anyone who wants natural, vegan ingredients and refillable, plastic-free packaging without animal testing. We operate on a quarterly drop model, meaning that our website is only open for a week, four times a year, to purchase the iconic Cloud Compact - designed to last a lifetime, as a heirloom piece that can be passed on. Existing customers can log in with a password at any time to purchase refills. This allows us to manage supply and demand, and ultimately, determine the pace at which we do business, and the content we deliver to our audience. We believe it's a better outcome for our customers, our industry, our brand and our team. Fluff was founded by Erika Geraerts who has spent 10 years in the beauty industry, previously co-founding international beauty brand Frank Body, and thinks that makeup is great, but not essential, and that the idea of skincare and makeup as a form of self expression, and taking care of oneself is a beautiful thing that should be celebrated, never exploited. We believe that it's ok to feel more with makeup, so long as you don't feel less without it. Our products are all about keeping it simple: good for your skin, your thoughts, and the planet. Find Erika on IG @erikageraerts Listen to Shopify Masters here: https://open.spotify.com/show/77uc0yX736H3nBx8r9GdUG

Lydia O'Donnell is a Marathon Athlete, Nike Pacific Run Coach, and the Co-Founder of Femmi, a dedicated running app for women, focused around learning about one's cycle and it's impact on movement and exercise, as well as a weekly run community across Australia and NZ. We met a few years ago and eventually joined the Femmi run club, which has been a chance to meet new people, get outside, add a few kms to the week and explore community. In this episode we discuss Lydia's relationship to beauty and how it's connected to her journey and relationship to running - a huge part of her identity and one that provides a vehicle to challenge the health and fitness industry in relation to the personal nature of women's running. Find Lydia at @lydiaodo and @femmi.co 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.

Sam Guggenheimer is the co-host of Just For Girls, a podcast discussing everything that plays out in the day to life of just that, being a girl. We loved talking to Sam because she had a very balanced perspective on the work she's doing in her industry and within the social media space. We get stuck into topics including growing up around a camera, online bullying and trolling, privacy and control, structure vs going with the flow, and being as candid as she can online. 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 Sam at @s4mguggenheimer and @justforgirrls's on IG, and @shortgirltalldreams on TT.

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 @frooomes https://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

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.

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

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.