Alix Earle’s skincare line wants to make acne “sexy and hot”

Summary

Style-ish Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Alix Earle’s skincare line wants to make acne “sexy and hot”
Podcast: Style-ish (Shameless Media)
Date: March 31, 2026
Hosts: Madison Sullivan Thorpe, Joanna Fleming, Rhiannon Joyce
Guests/Contributors: Monica, Beck Sullivan (voice note)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the highly anticipated launch of Alix Earle’s new acne-focused skincare brand, Real Activ. The hosts dissect the launch strategy, branding, team composition, and product formulas, while offering candid takes on the campaign’s intent to reframe acne as “sexy and hot.” The second half shifts to all things accessories, from jewelry sourcing (especially secondhand) to tips on spotting real gold and silver, plus favorite brands for jewelry, belts, and bags.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alix Earle’s Skincare Line: Real Activ

Launch and Marketing Strategy

• Teaser Campaign:
  • Alix Earle teased her new venture via a mystery social account (“WTF is Alix Doing?”), sending puzzle pieces to influencers and revealing a slowly-building billboard in NYC with the phrase, “We’re about to bear it all. A big secret is breaking out one puzzle piece at a time.”
    • “It encouraged fans to follow what the fuck is Alex Doing? The Instagram account so that they could be the first to solve it.” – Joanna, 08:53
  • The big reveal came March 24th. Brand named Real Activ, targeting acne-prone skin.
• Strategic Team:
  • Team includes leaders with experience at Kiehl’s, The Body Shop, Road, Rare Beauty, and NYX.
    • “We’ve got a big team of people that are very experienced in the beauty category.” – Joanna, 09:50
• Multi-Channel Execution:
  • Utilized out-of-home, PR, influencer gifting, and social media to build hype.
    • “I’m also a sucker for a multi-channel strategy. You know, leveraging social out of home and being able to make those two channels speak is one of my favorite things…” – Rhiannon, 10:14

Industry & Consumer Reaction

• Massive Internet Attention:
  • Speculation swirled across TikTok and media.
    • “I absolutely loved how much of a spin this sent the internet into... That effect is, it took over the Internet.” – Madison, 11:08
• Clever Use of Easter Eggs:
  • Subtle hints via product placement in Alix’s content leading up to launch.

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2. Is Another Skincare Line Necessary? Purpose & Authenticity

• Hosts’ Skepticism:
  • Market is crowded, but Real Activ is positioned with purpose (acne-specific).
    • “We didn’t need Rhode either. That’s kind of like my clapback…What I liked about this is it was purpose-led. It is an acne-focused skincare range.” – Madison, 14:14
• Alix’s Authenticity:
  • Her long-documented acne journey adds legitimacy, though some question her being on acne medications (Accutane/spironolactone) while launching skincare.
    • “One of the first videos that actually made Alix Earle viral...was her revealing her skin and her acne on camera with no filters on. So this is integral to her journey and her authenticity.” – Rhiannon, 15:16
• Product Purpose:
  • The line aims to stand out as “for those battling breakouts,” not just general skincare.

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3. Formulation Analysis & Skincare Expertise

(Timestamp: 24:11–31:33)

Product Lineup & Price Point

• Products:
  • Barrier boosting moisturizer, mandelic acid serum, makeup cleansing balm, exfoliating gel cleanser
• Accessible Pricing:
  • $28–$39 USD, seen as reasonable for the target market.
    • “I think they’ve done a really reasonable job with the price point...for a lot of people would be considered accessible…” – Joanna, 24:41

Joanna’s Detailed Analysis

• Cleansing Balm:
  • Endorsed for effective makeup removal, works for acne-prone skin.
• Exfoliating Cleanser:
  • Caution, as most acne sufferers already overdo exfoliation.
• Moisturizer (with shea butter):
  • Debate over “acne-causing” ingredients like shea butter; Joanna argues ingredients interact uniquely with each person.
    • “There’s just no exact formula to why something might cause acne in an individual. For some people, shea butter might be absolutely fine.” – Joanna, 27:38
• Mandelic Acid Serum:
  • Highlighted as the “point of difference,” favored for being gentle, with the inclusion of licorice root for brightening.
    • “It’s the most interesting part of the range…it’s a mandelic acid-based serum…helps increase cell turnover, balance oil production, anti-inflammatory properties as well.” – Joanna, 29:03
• Missing Hero Ingredients:
  • Notes opportunity for future expansion with products containing niacinamide, azelaic acid, or retinoids.

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4. Branding and Imagery Controversy

(Timestamp: 18:47–23:26)

• “Sexy Acne” Campaign:
  • Campaign features Alix in sultry, water-based, Sports Illustrated-esque imagery rather than classic before-and-after acne shots.
    • “It just feels very reminiscent of, like, a moment of a Naughty’s film clip. She’s in the water…You would easily think it was a body oil campaign…” – Madison, 18:53
• Industry View (Beck Sullivan Voice Note):
  • Missed opportunity not to show raw “before” and “after” images, risking confusion for uninitiated consumers.
    • “It’s such a missed opportunity to not showcase her results and have that go viral…” – Beck Sullivan, 19:26
• Hosts’ Mixed Feelings:
  • Madison and Rhiannon see the campaign as an interesting but perhaps flawed attempt to destigmatize acne, noting the disconnect between message and imagery.
    • “I don’t agree with the execution. But I understand where they were trying to hit it.” – Madison, 20:20
    • “…there was too much reliance on the assumed knowledge that people had followed this journey.” – Madison, 23:05
• Business Backing:
  • Real Activ backed by Imaginary Ventures (early investors in Skims, Glossier, Kosas); likely here to stay.

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5. Accessory Sourcing Deep Dive

(Timestamp: 31:33–43:28)

Jewelry: Styles, Sourcing, and Tips

• Personal Styles:
  • Madison prefers classic, secondhand staples; Rhiannon loves bold, vintage costume pieces; Joanna is a gold girl with eclectic Aussie brand picks.
• Secondhand Shopping:
  • “I love auction houses…First Dibs, Invaluable, Vestiaire, Depop, eBay, you name it, I’m on there looking at jewelry.” – Madison, 33:59
• Tips for Identifying Quality:
  • Sterling silver will have 925/999/stir stamp; gold may be plated, gold-filled, or solid (look for carat stamps: 375, 585, 750, 916).
• Jewelry Care Hack:
  • “If you’ve got tarnished gold plated jewelry…line a bowl with foil, fill it with hot water, a tablespoon of salt and bicarb soda, throw in your jewelry, leave for 2–5 mins, rinse and dry.” – Joanna, 37:44

Brand Recommendations

• Australian Brands:
  • YCL, Francesca, Sarah & Sebastian, Anna Rossi, Lucy Folk, Dinosaur Designs, Linden Cook (great for custom/personalised pieces)
• Etsy:
  • Rich source for custom and unique jewelry, especially if searching with targeted terms.

Other Accessories: Belts, Bags, Sunglasses

• Madison: “I’m a belt girl and a sunglass girl…putting on a great belt and a great pair of sunglasses makes me feel like I’ve elevated it.” (41:29)
• Affordable and high-style options: Witchery, Heaven Mayhem, Charles and Keith, Suzanne.
• For evening bags: look for intrigue and be patient on secondhand sites and at thrift stores; cross-check for authenticity, ask for additional photos/videos from sellers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Alix Earle’s Campaign Strategy:
  • “I was obsessed with Farah from about two years ago… I did nearly choke at the price point of the Minky liner.” – Madison (04:13)
  • “She is going to weaponize her influence and absolutely make bank on it.” – Madison (23:40)
• On skincare authenticity/medication:
  • “Having battled hormonal acne, it’s not fun… You don’t feel sexy when you have it.” – Madison (20:20)
  • “Watch this face.” – Rhiannon, anticipating further product launches (31:25)
• Accessory Hack:
  • “That’s an easy hack because you’ve just listed everything in my house…” – Rhiannon on Joanna’s DIY jewelry cleaner (38:24)
• Secondhand Shopping Wisdom:
  • “Patience is a virtue and you need it on there… even just going to local thrift stores, you’d be surprised.” – Madison, 43:20

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Swaps: 00:00–06:52
• Alix Earle Skincare Rollout: 08:08–13:09
• Is This Necessary? Medication & Authenticity: 13:09–18:47
• Brand Imagery Debate: 18:47–23:26
• Product/Formula Review & Skincare Tips: 24:11–31:33
• Accessories Deep Dive: 31:33–43:28

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Overall Tone

Fun, candid, and deeply informed. The hosts blend industry expertise with pop culture awareness and practical consumer advice, mixing analysis with personal anecdotes and friendly banter.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode unpacks the intersection of beauty branding, authentic storytelling, and smart product development, using Alix Earle's Real Activ line as a case study. It’s rounded out with hands-on advice for anyone wanting to up their accessory game, especially with a secondhand or sustainable slant.

Transcript

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Foreign.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

This episode of Stylish is brought to you by Dan Murphy's Find out what's new now and next when it comes to trending drinks.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

This is Stylish, the podcast for all things fashion, lifestyle, brand and beauty. My name is Madison Sullivan Thorpe. My co hosts this Wednesday are Joanna Fleming and Rhiannon Joyce.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Hello.

[Joanna Fleming]

Hi.

[Monica]

Hi.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Brunette brigade.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Brunette brigade. I have a few grays though, so

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I've got so many I have attacked them with tweezers. This morning I decided at 7am that's exactly what I felt like today.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Needed.

[Joanna Fleming]

I am yet to have a gray hair.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Of course.

[Joanna Fleming]

No, I. I need to just flag. It is genetic. My dad is 71 and he still has a full head of black hair and he does not dye it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Oh, I assumed he died.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

No.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Met him at the wedding.

[Joanna Fleming]

No, no, no, no, no. My dad does not dye his hair. It's fully genetic.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It is genetic because my mom had her first gray hair at 25 and I had mine. I literally turned 25. Bang. Gray hairs.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I found my first gray hair in high school. My grandmother was like fully gray. Early 20s as well. So, yeah, shout out to you, granny. Thanks for that, guys.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

We have a pretty jam packed episode today. No surprises here. We are talking about Alex debut skincare line. Very, very exciting. And we'll be analyzing the formulas, the rollout, branding. I feel like we all have a bit to add here, so I'm very excited to get into that. And then we're sharing where we source our favorite accessories from. I love accessories, so personally, I am very excited for that. We're going to be focusing on both brand new and secondhand suggestions because we've got some really good tips and tricks on how to source secondhand. But before we get into that, it's time for the swap. Who's going first?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You can't go first because you've introduced Jo. You go first. How do you. Moment in the sun.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay. Uh, mine is a TV show that I've been binging recently and I, as I have disclosed on this podcast, very interested in true crime usually, and that's normally my genre of choice. However, I have been into the medical dramas of late and I'm very into the Pit at the moment. Have you guys watched the Pit?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I've never watched it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Okay. So I haven't. But I've somehow ended up on Pitt Talk, so I'm watching like many. I feel like I know some of the characters, which is very common for me to do.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Okay, give me the pitch.

[Joanna Fleming]

It's on hbo Max. So another. Yet another streaming platform that you'll have to pay for.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Add it to the list.

[Joanna Fleming]

But it's a medical drama set in a Pittsburgh emergency department. But the difference is the structure of it. So it's very reminiscent of, like, a Grey's Anatomy er if you were around at that time. I feel like ER was the 90s. My mum used to really love ER, but it's set in, like, one shift, so it goes hour by hour. So the stuff that you're seeing unfold is, like, within an hour. And it's a whole episode, so it's just. Yeah. And so the whole series is one day.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Oh, cool.

[Monica]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

So it's like heaps and heaps of detail, and you get to know the characters really, really well.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I don't know.

[Joanna Fleming]

I just really, like. Obviously, I don't come from medical backgrounds. There could be a lot of things that I'm watching, and I don't know that it's wrong. And there might be people that are doctors or nurses watching that going, oh, this is so inaccurate.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

But that's part of the theatre.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, that's showbiz, baby.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I find those shows a little bit anxiety inducing, which is why I avoid them.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, okay. I find it the opposite.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

I think. Cause I'm like, oh, there's a lot more serious things going on. Okay.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

So it grounds you. Gives you perspective.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes, exactly. Yeah.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Love.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

What's your thought?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Probably why you have an affinity for true crime.

[Joanna Fleming]

I think so. Yes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So mine is a product. I've come back to the product table. It is Farah Hamidi, which just launched at Mecca. And I have to say, because I worked in the makeup category for a while, it's been a while since I've been super excited by a makeup brand because you do kind of become desensitized to some of it. I was obsessed with Farah from about two years ago when I saw it. I've been wanting to get my hot little hands on it. So I went into store and bought the lip liner. I think it launched last week or end of last week. I bought the shade Minky. I did nearly choke at the price point of the Minky liner.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, not cheap, dog.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Not cheap.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

What are we talking, like 76?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It was $62 for the lip liner. It was very expensive. It did come with a sharpener. That felt good. Okay, you know What? They're like 12 bucks. So I was like, girl math. It's $50 lip liner, which is still the most expensive lip liner I've Ever bought. I put it on today. I love it so much.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I didn't want to. It's just a really nice color.

[Joanna Fleming]

I really like the name Minky.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I like Minky too, guys.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

The names are great. I actually thought that I bought Fawn because that was the one I'd gone in to buy. And then I've obviously just disassociated. Probably because I was anxious about the price point and bought Minky, but thrilled with my mishap. Hmm.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Okay, I'm interested. I don't know if I would pull the trigger on purchasing a lip liner.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I feel like I always sit in, like the mid tier category of lip liners. A lot of her products look great.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Rae, what have you got for us?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I'm back on the silk eye mask. I am addicted to the slip one. I actually bought this ages ago, before Christmas. My husband has an addiction to his iPad.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

IPad kit.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Driving me insane. It's driving me insane. That's quite niche.

[Joanna Fleming]

Sorry.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It is, but I have a very different bedtime. I like to go to bed early, but we always like to have good conversations in bed. The iPad is making that really hard. But I digress.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

The iPad got brought up at the wedding quite a few times.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Oh.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It always gets brought up.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

But when he is allowed iPad time, I just pop my silk eye mask on. I'm straight to bed. I'm also loving it because I feel like all of my skin products stay on my face now. Like my under eye area instead of just like being soaked into my pillow.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. I'm really enjoying the barrier between the pillow and my face.

[Joanna Fleming]

Do you have a silk pillowcase as well?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I do, but it's only silk on one side. And I'm a bit of a flipper in the night. Like, does anyone else do that?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You flip the pillow? Yeah. Yeah, I do that too.

[Joanna Fleming]

Only if it's really hot.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Okay. I think my body temperature must be off because I've noticed I've been flipping a lot, so it's also been great in that sense.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

What brand is your eye mask?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It's the slip eye mask, which I feel like they're the og.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I've never tried another brand, but the one I bought is a Mecca exclusive online and it's a Sagittarius style one, so it's.

[Joanna Fleming]

Right, Adrian, where's my Aquarius one?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

They're so good.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

So it's a really fun pattern. Leans into, like the whole Sagittarius vibe. It's really cool.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Do you know what? I love that your inherited episode. You're like, I don't like labels. And you're like, I bought a Sagittarius sleep silk eye mask.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It was a nice little point of difference, though.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I like the pattern.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It's really pretty.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I think they are the OJs. I think they've done a great job.

[Joanna Fleming]

Now, we don't have a remote swap for Monica this week, but she will be back with more swaps later in the month. So keep an eye out for that. Next, we're going to be discussing the Dave of Alex Earl's skincare line. But that will be right after a word from today's sponsor.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Isn't it funny how some occasions call for a very specific drink? An autumn dinner party. That's a red wine moment. A Saturday afternoon with your girls, cocktail hour. A spontaneous weekend barbecue with your extended friendship group with different personalities that looks like beers, seltzers and fancy sodas. So there's something for everyone. When we're hosting a get together, we usually have a general idea of what to buy, but there's a lot of pressure to get it right. These days. There are so many options to choose from and everyone is into something different. But our friends at Dan Murphy say it doesn't have to be hard. All you need to do is chat to one of the team members in store, jump on their website or browse the app for some inspiration. Not only do they have the biggest range, but they're also the experts in what's new and what's trending in the world of drinks. They've done all the taste tests and all the research to find out which drinks you and your friends will love. For starters, the new Stone and Wood Radler peach cans and the Brookvale Union red pop soda are super popular right now. When it comes to trying something new and trending, Dan Murphy's is the place to go. Remember to choose to drink wise. And thank you so much to Dan Murphy's for making this episode of Stylish possible.

[Joanna Fleming]

Now I feel like you guys are waiting for me to come back from holidays to have this discussion.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

We absolutely were. No one is better placed than Joe to be having this conversation. I'm so excited to be hearing it. First in the room right now. Let's go.

[Joanna Fleming]

So this headline obviously is Alex Earl's skincare line is here and it's dividing the Internet. If you've been online over the last week or so, you've probably seen that influencer and media personality Alex Earl has a new business venture. This Rollout started on 18 March, Alex created a new social media account called WTF is Alex doing? Or what the Fuck is Alex Doing Better? And started dropping teasers and alluding to a very big secret that she's been keeping. Then on March 21, a puzzle piece billboard appeared in New York City with the words we're about to bear it all. A big secret is breaking out one puzzle piece at a time. Which I think that slogan in itself, you know, tells writing was on the

[Rhiannon Joyce]

wall quite literally with that one totally.

[Joanna Fleming]

It encouraged fans to follow what the fuck is Alex Doing? The Instagram account so that they could be the first to solve it. Over the following days, pieces were slowly added to the billboard and Alex sent out puzzle pieces to influencers and friends while speculation online mounted. The skincare brand Real Activ revealed on the 24th of March and we discovered that it was a skincare range specifically designed to target acne prone skin. The four product range is the brainchild of Alex and her longtime dermatologist Dr. Kiran mean, and it became available to buy earlier this week on March 31st. But it's not just Alex and her dermatologist behind this brand. Ashrasso posted a TikTok highlighting the impressive team that Alex has brought on, including CEO Andrea Bleeden, formerly at Kiehl's, the Body Shop and Lime Crime, Prince brand marketing leader Brianna Alice Mitchell, who was most recently at Road, and director of Social Logan Reynolds, most recently at Rare Beauty, previously at Benefit and nyx. So we've got a big team of people that are very experienced in the beauty category, which is really promising to see actually now that we know who the team are behind this whole launch. Obviously Alex had a lot to do with that, but there is a very experienced team behind her as well. What do we think about this rollout?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I loved it. I know there's a lot of discourse online and people saying a lot, really, but I loved it. I thought it was really clever. I was really happy to see Ash's video because it was one of the first videos that actually popped up on my TikTok and see her go into detail about who else was behind the team because I thought with the rollout you knew that there were other creatives and other people in the room who knew what they were doing and it was super engaging. I'm also a sucker for a multi channel strategy. You know, leveraging social out of home and being able to make those two channels speak is one of my favorite things that I see in campaigns. What did you think, Mads?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I adored it. It kind of felt like when a song comes together, it was like, you know, you've got the bridge, you've got the chorus, you have the melodies. Like, I'm so with you, Ray. It was traditional and like forward press and media all coming together and we were kind of seeing all of the wheels spin as one. I absolutely loved how much of a spin this sent the Internet into. And I think that Alex Earle gets a lot of flak and doesn't get a lot of credit for how strategic her and her team are. The fact that she was just on Dancing with the Stars, like she's totally just opened herself up to this new demographic who are not a traditional TikTok audience. I would imagine she's now had this rollout. Influencers receiving the puzzle pieces, being told to work it out together. There were people on TikTok speculating what it was, searching up trademarks that were registered under her name. Like that effect is, it took over the Internet. There were articles about it. There were. I felt like my TikTok algorithm for four days in the lead up was just Alex Earl and people speculating.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, there wasn't a lot about it I didn't like, to be honest. I really like that there was. You know, it's not a new formula. This is definitely something a lot of brands use, which is a cross channel strategy. So what I mean by that is they use a mix of different mediums, but they all are kind of connected together. So the use of out of home, the pr, unboxing, the socials, all three of those are speaking to each other in a way where they need each other to work. I really loved that execution. I think it was the evolution of the teaser campaign. You know, gone are the days of the Instagram wipe. I really felt like this was a fresh take on that teaser campaign. But also what I really liked was it felt like to me, strategically, they did have to allow 20% of room to be reactive or to, you know, to respond to things in real time. That was really different to what I see in historically with campaigns is like everything is planned to the T. Even thinking about Mads, that TikTok that you

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

sent me, it was a TikTok where she uploaded all of the Easter eggs that she'd had along the way. And I kind of loved that she kind of closed the loop on it because we had been seeing her with, you know, little unmarked sample, you know, canisters and tubs and tubes. So that. Hence why a lot of people thought that this was a Skincare brand. But she was sort of going, these are all the Easter eggs you mix things from. Like Ashton, her sister having things in, you know, on her bathroom vanity. And they'd turn the labels away. So the distinctive, like sort of mint color that a lot of the packaging has was kind of turned. But there were little Easter eggs that we had along the way and I love that she kind of was like, here's all the ones you might have missed.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Where I saw Discourse and where I saw people being like, oh, was the fact that it was another skincare brand. What did you guys think about that?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'll say two things about this. One, I kind of sniffed from the start that it was going to be that that was my finger. Like, I mean, hello. She has been talking about her AC since the first time I even knew the name Alex Earl. I knew that she was battling acne. I did see one TikTok though, and I'll have to go back and try and find it because it was so deep in my algorithm of many, many videos where someone had said they thought that it was going to be like a sleep safe makeup brand because she always like uploads those videos at like I got home from the club at 5am and like I slept in my glam. So I kind of liked that theory. I didn't believe that it was going to be that, but I liked that that was like an angle someone went with. I was like, oh yeah, I kind of see how you're coming to there. What I would say is we didn't need Rhode either. That's kind of like my clapback. And yet road got bought for what it got bought for by elf. We can sit in these rooms and constantly say we don't need another celebrity skincare brand. What I liked about this is it was purpose led. It is an acne focused skincare range. It's not just like, this is general and effective and efficient. It's like, no, this is made specifically for people battling breakouts. What did you make, Jo, as our skincare expert?

[Joanna Fleming]

I mean, I don't think there needs to be any more skincare brands in my personal opinion, regardless of whether it's a celebrity brand or not, it's a very oversaturated market. I think that the acne category is quite difficult to go into because acne can be caused by a variety of different factors. And so creating a line, especially with only one serum, I was like, oh, I don't know that that's going to be appropriate for absolutely everybody that has acne. And I don't know that it's going to get the best reviews as a result of that because there will be people with very problematic skin cystic acne that try this and think it's going to resolve all of their problems. And the reality is it is very unlikely to. So I think that's a risk that they've taken. Creating a line that is very much this is for acne prone skin because I don't think it's a one size fits all situation, in my expert opinion.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

What do you make of it already?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I will say when I first saw the announcement that she was launching into skincare, I wasn't surprised, nor was I offended by it. The first question I did ask in the Slack channel, hey, isn't she also on Accutane? Yeah, and that did come top of mind for me, having followed her for a really long time, having known that acne has been part of her journey and she shared that quite openly. One of the first videos that actually made Alexel viral and jumped from150,000 to 1 million followers was her revealing her skin and her acne on camera with no filters on. So this is integral to her journey and her the authenticity of how she shows up online. I was a bit confused. So, Joe, I'm really keen for you to kind of explain because I know that she's done a video that's kind of combated that and said, yes, I am on this, so what? And I think she's within her right to do that, but I also think I'm in my right as a consumer to see that firsthand and say, this is kind of confusing.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, There was an element of, of like my mind that was also like, huh. I actually didn't see skincare brand coming because she's spoken so much about the fact that she's chosen like medication options for her skin, which obviously she's spoken about at length with her dermatologist that she's then gone to create the brand with. But she did create that video in response to everyone. There was so many comments being like, weren't you on Racutane? Isn't that what solved your acne? She has been on Racutane three different times, which she did say in that video. I believe to date she is still also on a medication called spironolactone which is an anti androgenic medication that is often used for the treatment of female hormonal acne. So that is obviously an element here. But she said when she stopped using the skincare that she was using, which is the real actives brand, that she started to get a few more breakouts. So she took a break from the mandelic serum, and then she started getting more breakouts, and so she reintroduced it, and then that her skin kind of went back to good condition. So using skincare alongside medications is kind of critical in getting the best outcome. Yes. With Raicotane, you can't really use a lot of Actives, so you really are bound by very gentle, soothing, hydrating products because it can be a little bit drying on the skin. But you still do need to use skincare to some degree to support your skin while you're on medication.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I'm really glad you spoke about that, Jo. Cause I've been on Accutane, I've done two courses of it, and it wasn't the one drug for me. Like, I still battle breakouts. I think that people assume that you go on Accutane and you never get a breakout again, and you're, like, lazy with your skin care. I had to be so diligent. Like, I was carrying. I mean, I'm always carrying spf. I'm looking at Tory, like, ready to give me daggers. You know, you have to be so diligent. You can't be using all of the Actives that you're used to using. And the skincare regime that you choose with your dermatologist, a lot of the time is still really important. So I understood it as pushback because it's like, okay, well, obviously the way that you got to your before and your after are not just through real Actives.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

They are through a combination of medication and these. But I did also kind of give some grace that I was like, well, you still have to use effective skin care. Like, you can't just use water and soap.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, totally. I did think it was really interesting from a marketing point of view that they dropped that video after everyone was being like, aren't you on Accutane? Aren't you taking this? I think that was very deliberate.

[Joanna Fleming]

Agree.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I think they knew that conversation was going to flow, and it's a really, really smart way to keep the conversation going about the brand. Yeah, she definitely filmed that well and truly before. Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Which we spoke about on slide.

[Monica]

We did.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I completely agree. Because I think what's the alternative that people wanted that she come out day one of the launch and go, hey, I was on Accutane. I'm on Spironolactone. Thank you so much. Say that 10 times over as fast again. Like, that's not going to be a day one launch video. Sorry.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Let's move on to the branding and the imagery. A lot of people are criticizing this campaign launch as being a little bit too sexy.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. And for those who have missed it, the way that I would describe it is it just feels very reminiscent of like a moment of a, you know, Naughty's film clip. She's in the water. It's giving Britney Spears, it's giving Tate McRae, it's giving sports Illustrated. You know, she's naked in the water. And, you know, you would easily think that it was like, I don't know, a body oil campaign or like, that she'd have, like, a string bikini on rather than it being an acne skin care brand.

[Joanna Fleming]

We actually did ask an expert for their thoughts on the branding. We have a voice note from Beck Sullivan, a beauty brand and PR consultant,

[Beck Sullivan]

to me, if you're launching an Acne brand in 2026, your focused on results and conversion, you want as many consumers with acne as possible to look at those assets and think, wow, those results are amazing. I need those products asap. And what I don't understand is they have the results. Alex is like the walking billboard to me. It's such a missed opportunity to not showcase her results and have that go viral, have the before and after imagery. I know she's been showcasing it on TikTok, but you're reaching such a broader audience with the campaign. You're reaching beyond her fan base, beyond her followers. Have the before image or even, you know, a nice video of her skin beforehand and then her skin after, showcasing how good it looks. I mean, she is the walking ambassador. I just feel this whole Sports Illustrated situation was just such a wasted opportunity to not showcase the results and have that go viral.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I really agree with where Beck's coming from and I can really see her side. And to be honest, that was my first initial visceral reaction. I was like, this is so disjointed. And then I really challenged my own thinking of, like, why it made me so uncomfortable seeing that image for skin care. And I do think that acne is traditionally a really daggy, unsexy thing. You don't feel sexy when you have it. And I say that from extreme experience. Having battled hormonal acne, it's not fun. You know, like, the ads we're used to seeing are, like, proactive or people on TikTok with, like, really raw red and it is really jarring. And so I don't agree with the Execution. But I understand where I think Alex and her team were trying to push the envelope to be like, we're ripping up the playbook of what you're used to seeing with acne. I don't think the execution has landed. That is my personal opinion. I understand where they were trying to hit it.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I think for me, it was a really loose tie. In Earl's initial post announcing the brand launch, he said, hot and acne can be used in the same sentence. I agree with everything that you said, Mads. I just didn't feel that the campaign imagery actually reflected those two things. I think Alex and her team were working off a lot of assumed knowledge here and assuming that every single person knows Alex's journey with acne. If you didn't know who she was and you saw this campaign imagery, you would not associate that with a skincare brand targeting acne concerns. So, bringing it back to Beck's point, I do think there is a missed opportunity here where she should have actually led with that. Maybe not within the execution of the main billboard, but I didn't really see that follow through after, and yet it just felt a little bit disjointed for me.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I do empathize with brands that are targeting acne because it is a really fine line. Like, people want to see themselves in a campaign, but then they also want to see the effect of it. So it's like this juxtaposition of you want to see someone whose acne has been healed, but you also want to see the journey. I think the only brand that I think has nailed it today is Star Face Pimple patches, because it's covering the acne, but you're still showing that lived in skin and the product being used in real time. Jo, I'm so keen for your thoughts because, I mean, you have worked for a beauty retailer, you deal in the skincare space.

[Joanna Fleming]

I really would have liked to see some imagery of her with the acne to like, showcase it. Much to Beck's point, I think we needed to be able to see the results of the line based on her whole journey with acne. And if you do know Alex Earl, you know the journey, you know she's been on medication and all of these different factors. And so that's probably going to be your first impression, which is exactly what it was for a lot of people. A lot of people were quick to jump and be like, this can't be a skincare brand that got you these results. So I think it would have been nice to be able to reflect what people with acne are experiencing and have them recognise themselves in someone else who is maybe otherwise considered very aspirational.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And maybe to kind of summarise it, Ray, maybe it is your point exactly that there was too much reliance on the assumed knowledge that people had followed this journey and so they didn't need to show that because they felt like they'd done that on a medium spanning over two and a half years. That got her from 150,000 to a million followers, you know, that they kind of just assumed that they could have a billboard where her skin looked flawless.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Also, I'm not sure if you guys knew this. This isn't going to be like a flash in the pan. This brand, Real Actives, is definitely sticking around for a while because it's backed by Imaginary Ventures. So this is actually the firm behind early investments in Skims, Glossier and Cosis.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, guys. So they know what they're doing. Like Alex Earle, converts. That has openly been said by many brand founders. There is a reason that Alix Earle has put herself, I would imagine, as an investor on a lot of brands that she's done deals with as opposed to taking cash because she knows the power of her influence. And to your point, Jo, yes, the beauty industry is very overcrowded and there is no shortage of choice, but she is going to weaponize her influence and absolutely make bank on it.

[Joanna Fleming]

I wouldn't be surprised if the brand does really well. But let's go back to the actual offering, if I may. Yes, you may, Jo, which is the actual products themselves. Now, the range has a barrier boosting moisturizer, a mandelic acid serum, a makeup cleansing balm and an exfoliating gel cleanser. Now, I want to just acknowledge the price point because I think they've done a really reasonable job with the price point. I think think they're very much lent into the road kind of category there being very much, I would say that's mid range. It's not your kind of pharmacy brands, but it's brands that are at a price point that for a lot of people would be considered accessible and not in that high range, which would be looking at, you know, upwards of $100 per serum. It's not sitting in that range. We're looking at 28 to 39 USD, which I think is very reasonable, especially for a skincare range that's targeting acne. These people spend hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars trying to resolve their acne, which, you know, a lot of the time doesn't work. And it just ends up being money down the drain. And so if they're able to access a brand that you know, might help with their concerns, then great. If that's at a more accessible price point, they could have priced that so much higher if they wanted to and they've chosen to remain in that pricing band.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'd say that's quite deliberate based on the average age of her audience.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Also, I think it says a lot about what potential retailers she will look to go into because that will definitely form part of the strategy.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Ulta and so forth.

[Joanna Fleming]

Very good point. Now, the range itself, I think we probably would just want to get to the answer of like, is this good for acne prone skin? So I want to go through each of these products.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Sorry, Joe.

[Joanna Fleming]

To the bottom of it. So the cleansing balm. I've seen quite a few estheticians say I don't like cleansing balms for acne prone skin. I do like a cleansing balm and I like a cleansing oil for any skin because it promotes the effective removal of makeup and other oil based impurities. So I am all for a cleansing balm. I use one myself. I recommend them to a lot of clients. The reviews that I've seen, apparently the texture is really nice of this particular product and I have seen people using it and it seems like it is a very effective cleansing balm. So I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't really like the inclusion of an exfoliating cleanser because in my experience acne prone people tend to overdo it already with the exfoliation and the actives. And so I prefer with all of my clients to keep cleansing, just about cleansing the skin. No actives, just gentle cleanses. Something that is mild and relatively bland. That's not going to impair barrier function. It's not going to interact poorly with other actives that we've included in a routine. So I don't particularly love the inclusion of that. I understand why it's been included and from the reviews that I've seen people have actually said it doesn't feel very stripping and it feels quite nice on the skin, no stinging, et cetera. And I've seen various reviews from different people, even people with perioral dermatitis. So I'm like, okay, it must be relatively gentle. Everyone is very much rushing to claim that the moisturizer is going to cause acne. I've seen so many videos about this because of the inclusion of shea butter, which is on a lot of acne causing ingredient lists and I do not subscribe to these acne causing ingredient lists that go around online.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Can I stop you there? Because I do this, I often look at ingredient lists on products and if I see shea butter, coconut, anything that kind of comes up in that botanic natural category, I immediately freak out. Can you tell us why you don't buy into this?

[Joanna Fleming]

Because there's just no exact formula to why something might cause acne in an individual. And so for some people shea butter might be absolutely fine, they might not have any issues whatsoever with this moisturiser and they might have acne prone skin. Another person full on breakout central. And I just don't think that you can blanket the approach that easily without considering the concentration of that ingredient and what else is in the formula alongside inside it that might be counteracting any, you know, potential comedogenic effects. So I just don't have anything to do with those lists at all. I don't think that that's necessarily the case that this moisturiser is going to cause breakouts. It contains ceramides and other beneficial ingredients to support barrier function, which is often something that is lacking in the routines of people with acne because they just want to dry the shit out of their skin because they find that they produce excess oil and as a result they experience acne. And so they will not use a moisturiser or they'll use very, very lightweight moisturisers and as a result their skin's dehyd. They might experience delayed healing, et cetera. So there are a lot of reasons why you should use a barrier supportive moisturizer. So I can understand why that's been included in the range. The serum I am interested by, I'm not against it.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Oh, this feels like the product that they're talking a lot about.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes, I mean it's the most interesting part of the range. Like the serum is going to be the most efficacious, I would say, out of the whole range. It is specifically targeting the concerns. Now this is a mandelic acid based serum which is a type of.

[Sam]

Aha.

[Joanna Fleming]

That's a gentle chemical exfoliant that helps to increase cell turnover. That can also help to balance oil production and it does have anti inflammatory properties as well. But mandelic acid normally wouldn't be the first choice for acne. It would normally be salicylic acid which is an oil soluble beta hydroxy acid. Now I do think that mandelic acid can be very beneficial for acne prone skin and so I can understand why they've Gone with this. And it's nice to see something different in this category to be honest, because it would have been really typical for them to just do an aha and BHA serum and call it a day.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Which is why I feel it's the word that keeps coming up in all the videos. It's this point of difference. Mandelic acid. I had never heard of it before until this campaign or this product launch.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I quite like a mandelic acid. And honestly given that Jo is like semi just given a tick of approval on it or said she's interested by it, I shouldn't give the Joe Fleming tick of approval without. Without her prior consent. I'm kind of like do we need to do like a stylish tries and I bring some back?

[Joanna Fleming]

Maybe.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Maybe can. Oh yeah, you can bring it back from the States.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I'm not smuggling anything. Put it in my suitcase.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I've got a sneaky PO box dolls.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Oh, do you?

[Joanna Fleming]

I should also mention this serum does contain hexylrasorcinol and licorice root extract. And that may also help with post inflammatory hyperpigmentation which is another major concern that often comes hand in hand with acne is those red or brown marks that hang around after a blemish is gone. So the inclusion of those ingredients is really positive. Will this resolve acne in a majority of people? Maybe, maybe not. We'll have to see what the reviews come back with. I do think there's a lot of room for this range to be built out. Further, I am intrigued that they haven't included a serum that has like niacinamide or azelaic acid and they haven't done a retinoid. So I do think that there is a lot of room here to build this out. But I'm interested in what they've started with.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

So what's your prediction if you were to say the next product they should

[Joanna Fleming]

launch is I would like to see a niacinamide with an azelaic acid. What I will say is that acne often requires a very tailored and individual approach in its management and resolution. So we've acknowledged the fact that Alex has also been on medications and for some people that may be required or a more well rounded routine with, you know, cherry picking. A couple of these products may be more beneficial, but time will tell. We'll see how this brand rollout happens and you know, how people try it and what their results are.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Watch this face.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I'd say a very deliberately tight lineup to allow for a very Strong

[Rhiannon Joyce]

long Runway, which is what road did.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yep.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

That is similar sort of strategy. So I wonder she's looking outwards. All right, guys. Next we'll be discussing where we source our favorite accessories. But that will be right after a word from today's sponsor. When you're grabbing drinks for your weekend or for an event, chances are you wander into Dan Murphy's and wait for something to jump out at you. But the Dan's team tell us there's a better way to choose drinks you're guaranteed to love. Before you head out, jump on their app to find what the team is drinking, what's new, and what their customers can't get enough of. Remember to choose to drink wise. And thank you so much to Dan Murphy's for making this episode of Stylish possible. I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't see accessories as an opportunity to really elevate an outfit. Whether you're an earrings girl belt, it feels like the thing that you gravitate to to be like, this is how I can really show off my personal style. For me, the reason why I love accessories, they elevate, they add interest, dimension, texture. The list of why goes on. So because we all love accessories, we did want to compile a guide to where we source our favorites. We want to share our go to labels tips for sourcing secondhand accessories because some of them are pre loved and that's where you find a really good get or something that feels particularly unique. We're going to start by talking about jewelry first because it feels the most obvious place to start. What are you guys loving at the moment?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm so boring with jewelry. Like, my jewelry is the kind of jewelry that's like stapled to me. Every time I try and put on a fun earring, I just feel like I'm like cosplaying as someone else. So for me, like, wearing like an earring, I'm like, I just live in my studs. I just live in a studio. It is who I am. I feel silly when I wear an earring that's anything different. So I am the worst person to answer this.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

That's really interesting because I would say I lean heavily into costume jewelry, particularly in earrings, because I love that they add more character or they feel very antique. Like I feel like I'm being transported into another world, which is why I buy a lot of my earrings secondhand at vintage stores or when I'm overseas. I will always try and find little bespoke stores that you know I can buy something that's really different. So I feel like I'm the opposite to you.

[Joanna Fleming]

Mads, don't you reckon an earring can really throw off an entire outfit?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Oh, yeah, big time.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. Like an earring has a lot of power.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

It can make or break.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Do you know what I think it actually comes down to? I was bullied quite a bit for my ears in primary school, so maybe it's me just not wanting to draw any attention to my ears.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay, so there's like a deep rooted thing here.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, good, good, good.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

There always is always a deep, rooty thing. So what jewelry are you turning to if it's not earrings?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I do love a cuff or a bracelet. Like, I think that's probably where I've had the most fun and experiment with jewellery. But I definitely. Even the jewellery that, as I mentioned, sort of is stapled to me at all times, I've bought 90% of it secondhand. I love auction houses. I think I've started at length on this podcast. But, you know, first dibs, invaluable, Vestier Depop, ebay, you name it, I'm on there. Looking at jewelry.

[Joanna Fleming]

I think we've got a good lot of great Australian jewellery labels. Like, I have a lot of YCL stuff, I have a lot of Francesca stuff. Sarah and Sebastian, we've got a lot here about.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

She does some bloody great stuff.

[Joanna Fleming]

Lyndon Cook. Like, there are so many Aussie brands that do both, you know, costume jewelry and gold plated jewelry as well as, you know, your real golds and your stones and all those kinds of things. Obviously very different, wildly different price points. We've got a lot of variety here, I think.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Good Segway joke. We went above and beyond for this and went and got all the fun facts for us.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, bear with me here, guys, because whilst we were talking about jewelry and in the prep for this episode, so often you can buy jewelry and you think you're going to get longevity out of it or you think you've invested in a piece and then it just tarnishes so quickly. Have you ever experienced that?

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, Green finger.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

So we thought it'd be really helpful for you guys to actually know, know the spots and dots and how to be able to spot different details in jewelry to make sure that you're buying something that is worth the investment. So bear with me, there's a lot of numbers in this and there's a lot of breakdown, but I'm telling you it's going to be beneficial. So let's Start with silver. Real sterling silver will have a code imprinted on it. Either 925 or 999 or stir, which is short for sterling. Obviously, silver is considered to be one of the more affordable options, but it's also softer than gold, so it can scratch or dent easily compared to other materials. So this is the material that usually tarnishes over time. Do you guys wear a lot of silver or not really?

[Joanna Fleming]

No. I'm a gold girl.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm a bit of a mixed metal girl.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, me too. I feel since that trend's coming in the last 12 months, I've definitely learned in more. But I would say by design, I am a gold girl. However, you're gonna love this, Joe. I don't think it's in my, like, color wheel color palette.

[Joanna Fleming]

I don't think gold is.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

No. Oh, I don't think it is.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Really?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah. I think I'm forcing it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's your engagement and winning, so everything is okay.

[Joanna Fleming]

Well, we're gonna need to get you a color analysis.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

No, I don't want to.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, I don't want to do that anyway. I don't want to do it because I. I just. Deep down, I feel like something is off.

[Joanna Fleming]

Something is off.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I think I'm a silver girl. But anyway, so for more expensive metals being gold, gold often comes in a few different types. You have gold plated, which is the cheapest but also tarnishes the quickest. And that will give you the old green finger, as Maddie likes to call it, gold for mail, which is affordable and high quality. But it is also pro polishing gold filled, which is similarly affordable and high quality. But it also is tarnish resistant, so that's a plus. And finally, solid gold. I mean, no surprises here. It's the most expensive type of gold. It is also the highest quality, longest lasting, and is tarnish resistance. So if you are playing in that gold space and you're wanting to buy something that you're going to get, you know, that ticks a lot of boxes. I'm sorry, guys. Unfortunately, I feel like it's going to be the more expensive option. That is the best one in the long term.

[Joanna Fleming]

Well, I'm going to stop you there, Reid, because you can actually get more longevity out of things that have tarnished because I have a cleaning hack for you.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Here we go. Of course she does.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yep, I'm coming through. You don't have to throw it in the bin. I have a lot of gold plated jewelry because I like a bit of costume jewelry. I Like to have an earring, I like to have a necklace, you know, a little bracelet. I'm not investing a ton of money in my jewelry that I'm kind of like, oh, it's a bit trend led, you know, I might not invest as much.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

So.

[Joanna Fleming]

So my cleaning hack for you, if you've got tarnished gold plated jewelry sitting there that you were going to throw in the bin or that's just like sitting in your jewelry box and doesn't get worn, you are going to line a bowl with foil. So like a microwave safe like heat proof bowl, you're going to line it with foil, you're going to fill it with hot water. So throw the kettle on then fill it with hot water. You're going to put a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of bicarb soda in there. You're going to mix them together, you're going to throw that jewelry in and you're going to leave it for about two to five minutes and you're going to watch that tarnish basically melt off and then you're going to get the jewelry out, you're going to rinse it under water and you're going to dry it and you're good to go.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Good as new.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I love that hack.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

That's an easy hack because you've just listed everything that is already in my house. I don't even need to go out and buy anything. That's ideal.

[Joanna Fleming]

I've done a video on it before.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Throw that in the show notes for sure. Just rounding out the solid gold. There are little indicators and stamps that you can keep an eye out for to know that okay, this is 100% worth investing in stamps like 375 which is 9 carat, 58514 karat, 75018 carat or 916 which is 22 karat. So pretty much all solid gold will have one of these.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. And the price of gold has increased a lot. So what I would say to people is you might be going, oh, this feels like over info. But if you are secondhand shopping and there's photos of the product, definitely look out for what these stamps are because it will indicate whether the price is matching the quality of gold.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

And if you're buying secondhand, you are allowed to email the seller and ask these questions and ask for more images. A lot of the time they won't include them so make sure you're crossing your t's and dotting your eyes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

100 I asked for videos, Ask for video.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

She said, that's fair enough. I do. I mean, when you're investing that much, you know what? That's fair enough. You can ask for a video. I don't play in the fine jewelry space as much as the costume jewelry space. And I do have a little tip for anyone who is similar to me. Check out Etsy. And what I would actually do is use search terms. So I've got an example here. I'm on the hunt for a gold T bar necklace that I can add different charms to. So you can actually search by term and that will pull up a lot of different sellers that you can click through and have a source of what their different look and feel is. A lot of the time on Etsy as well, an individual seller will have a specific esthetic that they sell. So once you're on one, it's pretty easy to kind of stay on there and find something that you like. And also a lot of the time they will do custom charms. So a little Etsy store I want to shout out. We actually looked at this Mads for a friend in the past to buy a gift for. It's Linda McCall jewelry. And I'll put that in the show notes because I think I butchered the name. But lots of little custom charms available. I love when people are adding different charms to the T bar necklace. And you know, it's just got a really cool, eclectic vibe to it. So I would recommend looking at them if you are looking for ready to shop brands that I also really like. As you said. Anna Rossi. One of my favorite. All my bridesmaids earrings were Anna Rossi. Reasonable price point. They've got a mix of high low. I also love their cuffs. You know me, I'm a big cuff girly. I love stacking them and layering them. They're awesome. Also dinosaur designs.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Great Australian brand and my usuals Lucy folk. Can't go past them.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I love Linden Cook as well. I know we've spoken about them here, but nice little touches to be able to have fingerprints or. I know ri, you had one. That was Louis birthstone, the signet ring.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Shush. I did lose it. It's in my house somewhere.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You wore it on your wedding day.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

I did.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

That's why I was thinking of it because I thought it was such a nice, like, little part of Louis. I mean, he was obviously there. I'm like, yeah, it's something to remember him by. While he was one, a lot of

[Rhiannon Joyce]

people were really surprised that I wore other rings on the same hand as my wedding band. A lot of people were surprised by that. I had a few people be like, oh, but I really liked it in the way it photographed. Look quite cool.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

But I also think that's so inherently your jewelry style.

[Joanna Fleming]

Mads, you've said you don't love an earring. Let's talk about other accessories. I feel like you're a belt girl.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm a belt girl. I would say I'm a belt girl and a sunglass girl. I love what a pair of sunglasses do for me because I think traditionally I'm like a pretty low key dresser. Like, I love being in a singlet, like a tank or a tee and jeans. And so putting on a great belt and a great pair of sunglasses makes me feel like I've elevated it and made it quite different. I love witchery.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Heaven mayhem.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Heaven mayhem. Great one.

[Joanna Fleming]

Looking overseas as well, Suzanne.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yes.

[Joanna Fleming]

Great belts and also little bags too.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yes.

[Joanna Fleming]

And Charles and Keith, I'm glad you

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

brought up handbags because I think sometimes we forget what a handbag can do to an outfit.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Yeah, I'm in the market for an evening handbag. That is the one space that I'm really struggling with at the moment. I'm going to a lot of formal black tie events and I just feel like I'm lacking.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Do you know why I think it's a hard one to buy for? Because it feels like an investment for something you're not reaching for the same way you would for a big tote bag that you're going to take to work every day or a handbag that's, you know, going to fit all of your things. It's like, oh, I'm pulling it out only on special occasions. It feels like you want to really love it.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Definitely.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And look, I know we spoke about the auction sites before and I've probably referenced them as much as Jo has referenced color analysis. You're probably like, we get it. But what I would say is, like, you can get some absolute bargains, like, patience is a virtue and you need it on there. But even just like going to your local thrift stores, you know, Swap in Melbourne, incredible. But even just your locals, like, keep the search terms, keep patient. I've been like on the hunt for a particular bag for a really long time on Invaluable. Famously missed out on it haunts me almost daily. But I just think, like, keep looking on there. You'd be surprised. I think a lot of the time people think auction sites can kind of run away train, but sometimes things are misspelled or, you know, there's like one or two handbags being sold in an auction that's otherwise like coins and silverware. And it's like no one's on that auction site or with that auctioneer looking for those things.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Patience, my people. Patience.

[Joanna Fleming]

And I don't have that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

What a nice note to end on. Well, from three patientless women. That is all for this week's episode of Stylish. Thank you so much for joining us. Of course. Thank you very much, Rhiannon Joyce and Joanna Fleming.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

You're welcome, Mads.

[Joanna Fleming]

Thank you, Mads.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And remember, you can drop us an email anytime. [e-mail] or you can slide into our DMs over tylishpod. We can't forget to thank the Shameless Media team, head of podcast Lucy Hunt and senior podcast producer Kate Emma Burke. You'll hear the next installment of our wedding series this Friday, and all of us will be back here next Wednesday.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

See you then. Bye bye. This podcast was recorded on Wurundjeri land.

[Joanna Fleming]

Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

[Sam]

Hello, everybody.

[Joanna Fleming]

It's.

[Monica]

It's us.

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Shock.

[Joanna Fleming]

It's us again. Oopsie.

[Monica]

We felt like we haven't spoken to you guys about Shame or much recently.

[Joanna Fleming]

No.

[Sam]

And the thing is, we may mention Shaymore a little bit in our general episodes every now and then, but if you don't actually know what it is or you've come on, you feel like we've never explained it to you. Shame More is the subscription arm. Our subscription arm of Shameless.

[Monica]

Do you get it?

[Rhiannon Joyce]

Shameless or Shame More? Ah.

[Sam]

When you subscribe to Shame More, you

[Joanna Fleming]

get a few perks.

[Sam]

That includes early access to most of our episodes that are completely ad free. Also, twice a month, we drop exclusive episodes that only Shame More subscribers can hear.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Monica]

So on Shameless, you get our takes on pop culture. Over on Shame More, you get more us. I guess so. Every month, we talk about the Roman Empire topic we secretly can't stop thinking about. We also welcome you into our inner circle, where the people closest to us in our private lives ask a big question that we then tackle live on Mike.

[Sam]

If you subscribe to Shame. More today, you immediately unlock dozens of exclusive episodes. Everything from Misha's recap of the first few months of motherhood.

[Monica]

Your relationship with fear was a great one.

[Sam]

Yeah. To what we both visualize when we think of the afterlife. We really go here, there, and everywhere, as they say. Can I also say, oh, someone said to you recently that they thought that because we only ever on our Instagram

[Joanna Fleming]

put up Shame More.

[Sam]

Ask us what you want. They think It's Q&As.

[Monica]

Yeah, but you do get an ask us anything portion in every episode as well.

[Sam]

It's just at the end.

[Monica]

It's at the end. So if you're thinking Shame More is just an Ask mission. Zara, anything.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Monica]

We're talking ad free. We're talking early access. We're talking exclusive episodes, including little ask us Anythings at the end.

[Sam]

That's it. Subscribing on Apple podcasts is easy. Just click the locked episodes in the Shameless feed and follow the prompts over on Spotify. You just need to search for Shame More, click into that feed and follow those prompts.

[Monica]

It's a little trickier.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

We won't lie to you.

[Monica]

It is easier on Apple. But on Spotify again, we back you.

[Sam]

Yeah. You can do this.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You can do it.

[Monica]

I did it. I figured it out.

[Sam]

Thanks, everyone. Speak soon.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Bye, Sam.