Has wedding prep gone mad?

Summary

Style-ish Podcast Episode Summary: "Has Wedding Prep Gone Mad?"

Released on March 4, 2025, by Shameless Media, "Style-ish" delves into the intersections of fashion, branding, business, and beauty. In the episode titled "Has Wedding Prep Gone Mad?", hosts Madison Sullivan Thorpe, Anika Joshi Smith, and Joanna Fleming explore a variety of contemporary topics, from the Oscars' influence on branding to the resurgence of natural pubic hair trends. Below is a detailed summary capturing the episode's key discussions, insights, and conclusions.

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1. Opening Banter and Personal Style Chats (00:00 - 02:00)

The episode kicks off with hosts sharing their Monday moods and recent fashion purchases. Madison reveals her new suede bomber jacket, aiming for a more mindful shopping approach compared to the previous year's impulsive buys.

Notable Quote:

• Anika Joshi Smith (00:38): "You're looking very Oscars ready. Like I'm here for it."

2. Oscars Red Carpet Fashion Highlights (02:00 - 07:08)

With the Oscars underway, the hosts passionately discuss standout fashion moments from the red carpet. Anika admires Lily-Rose Depp's custom Chanel dress, applauding its blend of sheer elegance and edgy silhouette. Madison shares her admiration for Ariana Grande's red Schiaparelli dress, highlighting its emotional impact during the award presentation. The conversation extends to men's fashion, with Joanna emphasizing the impressive ensembles of actors like Timothee Chalamet and Jeff Goldblum.

Notable Quotes:

• Anika Joshi Smith (03:04): "She honestly looks so stunning, but still looked very much like Lily. So it had, like, a little bit of edge to it."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe (03:29): "But the way I died when she got on stage in that red Schiaparelli with the little bow slippers as a nod to Dorothy for the Wizard of Oz. I was hysterically crying with her and Cynthia in, like, singing that."

3. Sponsored Segment: Lancome Genifique Ultimate Serum (09:09 - 10:25)

The hosts transition to a sponsored segment, introducing Lancome's newly launched Genifique Ultimate Serum. They discuss its enhanced formula, featuring licorice root and beta glucans, designed to repair skin damages like redness, pores, and fine lines within seven days.

Notable Quotes:

• Joanna Fleming (09:25): "For us skincare geeks, this is a breakthrough ingredient that is proven to increase the skin's capacity for visible repair and recovery."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe (10:10): "The highly anticipated Longcom Genifique Ultimate Serum is available now. You can check it out [e-mail] thank."

4. Oscars as the Super Bowl for Women-Targeted Brands (10:25 - 15:02)

Madison elaborates on why the Oscars have become a pivotal event for brands targeting female audiences. With 19.5 million viewers and a demographic skewed 60% female, brands like Poise, Skinny Pop, and L'Oreal leveraged the platform to showcase female-centric products. Joanna highlights the extravagant swag bags worth $200,000, exclusive to major nominees and hosts.

Notable Quotes:

• Madison Sullivan Thorpe (10:25): "The Oscars had 19.5 million viewers in 2024. And it's a real cultural event, but the audience, interestingly, is 60% female and is most popular with women aged 45 plus."
• Joanna Fleming (07:36): "It just seems unnecessary, doesn't it?"

5. Full Bush Revival and Pubic Hair Trends (16:02 - 26:43)

A significant portion of the episode delves into the "Full Bush Revival," a trend advocating for natural pubic hair, spurred by viral TikTok discussions and challenging longstanding beauty norms. Joanna recounts how a viral Etsy review and TikTok user Sujinda's chant "full bush in a bikini" catalyzed widespread conversations about body hair acceptance. The hosts share personal anecdotes and societal observations, emphasizing the shift towards embracing natural body hair and challenging societal pressures.

Notable Quotes:

• Joanna Fleming (16:02): "A full bush revival is apparently happening, and it's all thanks to an Etsy review and TikTok."
• Anika Joshi Smith (19:13): "It's all about being confident in who you are and what you want to believe in and you do you."

6. Listener Question: Pre-Wedding Skin Prep (28:40 - 36:26)

The episode addresses a listener's query about investing in at-home LED skincare devices versus professional facial treatments ahead of a wedding. Joanna, the in-house skin expert, advises that while at-home LEDs can enhance glow and texture, professional treatments may be necessary for more significant skin concerns. She emphasizes the importance of starting skin preparations well in advance—ideally six months before the wedding—for optimal results.

Notable Quotes:

• Joanna Fleming (28:40): "You don't need to completely change up your skincare. You don't need to go and have treatments, you don't need to be buying all of the different gadgets just because you're getting married."
• Anika Joshi Smith (35:18): "I absolutely love what Poise did with the Hollywood Reporter ad."

7. Conclusion and Announcements (36:26 - 38:55)

In wrapping up, the hosts tease upcoming episodes, including exclusive content available through their "Shame More" series. They express gratitude to their team and encourage listeners to engage via email or social media for opinions and advice.

Notable Quotes:

• Lucy Hunt (37:39): "In our Inner Circle episodes, we answer some pretty philosophical questions from our closest friends and family."
• Joanna Fleming (38:55): "Alrighty."

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Key Takeaways

1. Oscars Influence: The Academy Awards continue to be a significant platform for brands targeting a predominantly female audience, mirroring the Super Bowl's impact on male-targeted marketing.

2. Fashion Cycles: Both women's and men's red carpet fashion trends showcase a blend of nostalgia and modernity, from hourglass silhouettes to bold color choices.

3. Beauty Innovations: Lancome's enhanced Genifique Ultimate Serum exemplifies ongoing advancements in skincare, merging traditional formulas with innovative ingredients for improved efficacy.

4. Body Positivity Movements: The resurgence of natural pubic hair acceptance highlights a broader shift towards body positivity and challenging societal beauty standards, fueled by social media platforms like TikTok.

5. Wedding Preparations: The pressure to achieve flawless skin for weddings underscores the evolving beauty rituals and the importance of personalized skincare strategies.

6. Consumer Insights: Listener polls reveal diverse attitudes towards body hair removal, indicating a market ripe for varied beauty solutions catering to individual preferences.

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Final Thoughts:

"Has Wedding Prep Gone Mad?" encapsulates contemporary dialogues around beauty standards, the commercialization of cultural events, and personal autonomy in fashion and skincare choices. The hosts adeptly balance personal anecdotes with broader societal observations, offering listeners both entertainment and insightful commentary on current trends.

Transcript

[Mish]

Shameless media.

[Joanna Fleming]

This episode of Stylish is brought to you by the Lancome Genifique ultimate serum. It's the advanced serum you know and love. Now with a revolutionary new ingredient to visibly repair aging signs.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

This is Stylish, the podcast for all things fashion, brand, business and beauty. My name is Madison Sullivan Thorpe. My co hosts today are Anika Joshi. Sm, Joanna Fleming.

[Joanna Fleming]

Hello.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

How are we?

[Joanna Fleming]

We're good. How are you?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm great. I've had a really good Monday.

[Anika Joshi]

You're looking very Oscars ready. Like I'm here for it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I walked in in like a silk organza top today and Annika is like, you're ready to go to the Oscars? I'm like, I would probably go a little bit more dressed up than this.

[Anika Joshi]

But what about our.

[Joanna Fleming]

She looks very sexy today.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I know you know that my ambition for my wardrobe was 10% sexier.

[Joanna Fleming]

Well, you've pulling it off today. I can tell you that.

[Anika Joshi]

You're really on the right path.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Okay, great. Yeah, I actually did a little bit of online shopping today though. You guys off mic? I haven't done much shopping and then Jo said, stop talking. Tell us on the mic, what did you buy? Bought a suede jacket.

[Anika Joshi]

Nice.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I've started doing these things. I want to be more mindful in what I'm purchasing this year because I think last year I was a little bit like add to cart. Trigger happy.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And undeniably suede is having a moment. Got a suede bag that I've been loving. But I was like, okay, I really want to get another suede jacket because I've got a fitted one. So I ended up getting like a suede bomber.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Cute.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Quite excited for it to arrive.

[Anika Joshi]

I'm loving a head to toe suede look. I saw a lot of it on the runways a lot in New York, but I feel like it's gonna be our new timeless piece.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You know, today is Oscars day here in Australia and if you're listening from the U.S. it's your Sunday, but it's our Monday and it's just my favorite time of the year. I love awards season cause I love a red carpet. But we felt like it would be very remiss of us to let this episode slide without us chatting about our favourite looks. Jo, what else are we covering on today's episode?

[Joanna Fleming]

So before we jump into our Oscars chat, I'm just gonna recap what you can expect on today's episode. We're gon be chatting about the unexpected comeback of the full bush. Yes, that's exactly what you think it is.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

She said what she said.

[Joanna Fleming]

And I'm going to be answering a listener question about pre wedding skin prep. But first, let's jump into the Oscars red carpet. We've all been dying to talk about this today.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

We have been dying to. Our slack channel has been going off today with our favourite looks. Annika, ultimately, who was your favourite?

[Anika Joshi]

Okay, so I know we've been talking about Chanel and whether or not they have been hit or miss when it comes to event dressing, but they dress Lily Rose Depp, and I am obsessed with this look. I'm going to talk about this a bit later, but sheer dressing, sparkles, sequins, glitz, glam, totally having a moment, as well as hourglass silhouettes. And she was wearing the most beautiful custom Chanel inspired by the SS95 Couture Collection. And she honestly looks so stunning, but still looked very much like Lily. So it had, like a little bit of edge to it. Makeup was, like, still kind of, you know, giving Lily rose depth.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, I really liked her look.

[Anika Joshi]

What about you?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Well, I had a couple. I know that Ariana Grande. There were a lot of memes.

[Joanna Fleming]

We can't not talk about Ariana Grande.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I know there were a lot of memes made about the dress and a lot of references to, like, lambshades and things like that. But I know that we've spoken about method dressing before. I know that Elliot spoke about it in the Face to Face series. Her and Cynthia have just committed wholeheartedly to that method dressing. And I loved what she wore.

[Joanna Fleming]

I liked her look.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I loved it. But the way I died when she got on stage in that red Schiaparelli with the little bow slippers as a nod to Dorothy for the wizard of Oz. I was hysterically crying with her and Cynthia in, like, singing that. I was like, I don't even know why I'm feeling all these feelings.

[Anika Joshi]

I love that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

But she just looked immaculate. Like, I loved that look. I had no notes. And I also loved Zoe Saldana, who won best supporting actress in Yves Saint Laurent. She was incredible.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

I actually feel like we need to shout out. The men, they came. When I was looking through all the photos, I was just like, oh, there's so many good looks. Like, Timothee Chalamet had this yellow. I think it's like a butter yellow suit. I couldn't really find the right words to describe it. I think I'd say butter yellow, definitely.

[Anika Joshi]

Like a nice sorbet.

[Joanna Fleming]

Adrien Brody with the little bird brooch. He was dressed by Armani. I think Timothee Chalamet was Givenchy. We had Colman Domingo in like a red suit jacket with a tie across. That was really cool. I think that was Valentino, obviously. I have to call out the brown moment from Andrew Garfield. He was wearing a full brown suit and then like a silky brown shirt. He looks so cool.

[Anika Joshi]

I was waiting for that from you.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes, he. I would replicate that look on myself. And then Jeff Goldblum was in a white suit jacket, but he had like a floral shirt underneath. And then he had like a floral arrangement on his suit lapel. Like, he just looked so cool. There was so many great men's looks. And you don't normally see them explore fashion that much. Usually they're just in the plain black tux. But I loved all the men's looks.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. There was actually another gentleman who had an outfit called Paul Tazewell and he was the costume designer of Wicked. He actually won. He was the first African American man to ever win the award. But when he got up to make his acceptance speech, he had this incredible, like crystal piece around the neckline of his tuxedo and he looked impeccable. I was like, you are my best dress of the whole day. But yeah, I agree, the men brought the looks.

[Joanna Fleming]

They really did.

[Anika Joshi]

And I honestly love how we're seeing so many trends now. Like just from the runways. Definitely been bought from like, you know, often it's gone straight into the ready to wear category. But seeing them on the red carpet, I just love that. Cause it kind of shows.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay.

[Anika Joshi]

Everyone is really bringing the glitz and the glam. I think after what LA has been through in general, it's so nice to see the communities coming back together. But I think another trend I saw was definitely a lot more kind of hourglass. Really, like firm, like body hugging silhouettes. Selena Gomez and that beautiful sparkly custom Ralph Lauren number. Like Obsessed.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Anika Joshi]

Julianne Hoff and her like Dior with the tulle really channeling Grace Kelly. I feel like there were some really cool old Hollywood moments, which I loved.

[Joanna Fleming]

Heaps of mirrored silver dress. Like that was a repeat thing on the tie also bows around the waist.

[Anika Joshi]

Yes.

[Joanna Fleming]

I saw at least four or five bows around the waist.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I thought Balletcore was done same. And yet here we are. Like it was kind of not in the 2025. Pinterest predicts it was like last year, but so much. I was surprised to see as much metallic as we did because I feel like sort of 2010s to 12s was when we saw a lot of that sort of silver metallic, you know, red carpet dominance with. I think it was Marquesa at the time that were kind of quite big. But I think Schiaparelli has definitely brought the hourglass back.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And Demi Moore had Armani prive on and she just looked impeccable.

[Anika Joshi]

Oh, my gosh.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. I think this may be her, like, moment. I mean, she was tipped to win, so she definitely looked like she was ready to. Sadly did not. But, you know, she looked incredible.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. Also, the amazing goodie bags that the nominees and the host get this year, they're valued at a whopping 200,000 USD, which is about 322,000 Australian dollars. And according to Pedestrian, not every nominee gets the swag bag, just the host. And then nominees of the biggest categories at the Oscars, they get access to the bag. But I've started seeing some early previews now. For context, we record on a Monday, so by Wednesday, I think the bags will be well and truly out on TikTok and you'll be able to see what was in them. But I've seen some early previews.

[Anika Joshi]

Please tell us more.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, it just. It's honestly wild. What is in these things. It's like fully paid holidays. It's like. Yeah, it's crazy. But the bags are valued at 200,000 USD, which is about 322,000 Australian dollars.

[Anika Joshi]

Wow.

[Joanna Fleming]

But according to Pedestrian, not every nominee gets the swag bag. It's just the host. And then the nominees are the biggest categories. So it's not everyone that goes. But, like, if you are nominated, obviously you're going to be like, yes, I'll go for the goodie bag.

[Anika Joshi]

Wow.

[Joanna Fleming]

These people really need free holidays. But, like, yeah, some of the stuff in there, there was like a disaster relief thing of some kind that was transferable so you could give it to someone else that you knew that was impacted. And I think that had to do with the fires. Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You would hope that they do that.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Like that most people opt in to donate.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But there was a lot of interesting things in the goodie bag, but I thought it would apply to everybody, but apparently not. It's only select people.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's just amazing to me that no matter what level of celebrity it gets to, that there is a free goody bag. Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Like, it just seems unnecessary, doesn't it?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's bizarre to me that it's like you've been nominated for the most prestigious Award in cinema. And you're getting a gift as well as the fact you've got the nomination. I mean, good way to commiserate if you lose totally.

[Anika Joshi]

Only in America.

[Joanna Fleming]

All right, well, up next, we'll be exploring why the Oscars is considered the super bowl for brands targeting women. But first, let's hear a word from today's sponsor.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Jo. We adore a new skincare product here in the shameless office.

[Joanna Fleming]

Absolutely we do. Especially when there's so hype around it. Or it comes from an iconic beauty brand we already know and love. Or it's both.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yes. And so when we first found out about Lancome's new genifique Ultimate Serum, it sent us a little crazy.

[Joanna Fleming]

Fifteen years after the launch of the iconic genifique advanced Serum, Lancome has introduced the next evolution in skincare. The ultimate formula is designed to visibly repair skin damages in just seven days, targeting redness, pores, and fine lines caused by daily stresses like sun stress and pollution.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

But thanks to the new technology, Longcom has levelled up the Genifique Serum. Basically, they've kept the best parts of the original formula, but added licorice root and an innovative ingredient called beta glucans.

[Joanna Fleming]

For us skincare geeks, this is a breakthrough ingredient that is proven to increase the skin's capacity for visible repair and recovery. What this really means is that after just one bottle, you can expect a visible reduction in redness, pores and fine lines, plus an increase in visible smoothness.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

The highly anticipated Longcom Genifique Ultimate Serum is available now. You can check it out [e-mail] thank.

[Joanna Fleming]

You so much to Lancome for making this episode of Stylish possible.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So, as Jo mentioned, we're talking about how the Oscars has really become the super bowl for brands wanting to target specifically women. And from a brand perspective, The Oscars had 19.5 million viewers in 2024. And it's a real cultural event, but the audience, interestingly, is 60% female and is most popular with women aged 45 plus. The audience demographic has led some of the advertising industry to start dubbing at the super bowl for brands targeting women. And this year, Poise, which makes incontinence products for women, had a 30 second ad spot starring Katherine Heigl, who people may remember from Grey's Anatomy.

[Joanna Fleming]

27 dresses.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And it's the. Yes, yes, I love that movie.

[Anika Joshi]

She's in her bridal era.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's the brand's first appearance in the program in over 15 years. But poise wasn't the only female centric brand with a spot this year either. Skinny Pop, a first time Oscars advertiser, aired a spot with its new celebrity endorser Jennifer Aniston. Visa aired an ad about a female protagonist living out multiple dreams and other women. Targeted brands like L'Oreal Paris, Ulta Beauty and Elf Cosmetics also aired ads. In an article for Adweek, writer T.L. stanley explains how the tenor of the messages in these ads is evolving too. Case in point, poises comedic take on bodily oopsies, which also featured a print ad in the Hollywood Reporter with the tagline think of it as wardrobe malfunction insurance. That kind of pull no punches tone may signal a coming trend of other brands offering an unvarnished view of hot button issues like ambition, ageing, stress and societal expectations in ads featuring and targeting women. Did either of you catch this ad?

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes, we did.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

What did you think of it?

[Joanna Fleming]

I kind of liked it. I mean, I just like that there's visibility on these kinds of women's issues. I feel like all of this stuff just gets swept under the rug. Like you don't really know anything about perimenopause until you get there and then it's like, oh my God, I did not know this was gonna happen to me. Yeah, like all of this stuff just goes unsaid. And so it's nice to see some visibility, especially in such a major moment, like in an Oscars ad space.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I agree.

[Anika Joshi]

I actually, when I was in the US for the super bowl, some of the ads that were prominent during the halftime break and just like throughout were all around stress, we're all around anxiety. They were very much targeted to like issues that I guess we often don't talk about. And I love that they're also talking to women and women because they are common, but you don't see them talked about as often, I think in Australian media as well. So I actually found this one quite entertaining and humorous how they kind of put a positive spin on it and made it playful. But it is very, very real.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I think as well, I was surprised by the stats. I would have thought that it would have been more women than 60%, to be honest. I don't know why.

[Joanna Fleming]

I just, I just really think 80%.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I probably would have said like 65, 70 would have been my guess. But I think the age demographic didn't surprise me. And the age 45 plus, you know, if you sort of go 45 to 60 is considered gen X, which often in marketing we refer to as the forgotten generation. And I Jo, to your point, there are a lot of issues and you know, life stages as part of that that aren't spoken about. And so then they don't feel like brands are necessarily speaking to them.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

And that is true representation is completely lacking in this space, even from an influencer's perspective. Like there are not a lot of influencers over 45 that are speaking to women their own age.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. And then the irony is that they have the most disposable income because they likely have children who are growing up and moving out and they've got money to spend like. So I think I really liked the ad. I think it was a bit tongue in cheek. It was definitely trying to take the narrative and the power back for that consumer. I thought Katherine Heigl was an interesting choice because I thought maybe you would go someone a little bit older, but maybe that's very deliberate that they've done her because, you know, she seems a little unexpected and a little younger and. Yeah. But very interesting to see this going forward. Do you think that there's any brands that, you know, I mentioned Ulta Beauty, L'Oreal, like any brands that should be playing in this space?

[Anika Joshi]

Oh, good one. Honestly, actually I see L'Oreal popping up a lot and I think this one speaks to me. Cause it's all about grey coverage. And honestly I started going grey in my early 20s. So I'm like, tell me more about these quick touch ups I can do to fix my greys. But definitely more I think even like around period underwear. I would like to see more about that. Cause I think that's something that I hear a lot about now in my friendship group, especially post having children.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. The American advertising landscape is just. We were talking off mic about. Was it Joe Jonas?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Joe Jonas.

[Joanna Fleming]

Joe Jonas. Xeomin ad, which is a offshoot of Botox.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

It's just crazy that that can be advertised.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Just to the public.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Because I feel like in Australia having celebrity endorsement in commercials feels very early 2000s. But it's alive and well in America and they really love celebrity influence. I. I did really love what Poise did with the Hollywood Reporter ad. Speaking to the Oscars. Like I would have loved Kim having a skims ad for Shapewear and talking about like how do you get that, you know, no seams dress look and that kind of thing. So that even like a left of field brand like mints or chewing gum kind of playing to that like event ready breath and those things I feel.

[Anika Joshi]

Like work Yeah, I love this marketing mind.

[Joanna Fleming]

We just try and get free information from you all the time.

[Anika Joshi]

Help me more meds.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, I do charge a consulting thing. I have to start sending my invoices at the end of each month, but up next, Jo, what headline have you got for us?

[Joanna Fleming]

All right. Full bush in a bikini. A full bush revival is apparently happening, and it's all thanks to an etsy review and TikTok. Unsurprisingly so. Earlier this year, a customer left a review of a bikini on Etsy and included a photo of them wearing the bikini with pubic hair on full display. The post went pretty viral and it sparked conversations on TikTok and in major publications about our expectations and standards around hair down there. And it's nothing new. Hair removal. I think all of us in this room, including Lucy and Kate, who are sitting here with us, like, we've all had our own experiences with hair removal, and even Egyptian women reportedly removed their pubic hair. So it's certainly not a new concept. But for millennial and Gen Z women, particularly those brought up in the Western world, there's been this immense pressure to be pubic hair free. And a lot of us have, you know, had permanent laser hair removal. Me being one of them. I think a few of us in this room have had laser before. And when TikTok user Sujinda posted a video chanting the phrase full bush in a bikini and sharing how the Etsy review had radicalized them, the conversation went viral on TikTok. The video now has over a million views and thousands of comments from women who've decided to embrace the full bush. Australian writer and Full Bush advocate Laura Roscioli discussed the trend on her substack writing, the big Bush comeback proves that nothing lasts forever except your own gut instinct. Who cares what the world thinks? It will change its mind eventually. But some things aren't reversible. So go with what makes you feel like you. The world will catch up. There's kind of a few ways that we can start this conversation around the bush, I guess I want to ask you guys what you think about the full Bush revival and growing up. I guess what pop culture moments, us all being millennials. What moments got you in the mindset of being Bush free?

[Anika Joshi]

I suppose. Yeah, I definitely. There's one memorable moment from growing up in, like, the Sex and the City era. And Samantha Jones kind of criticizes poor Miranda and our lying poolside and she makes a comment saying, are you growing a national forest down there? Because she's like, you Know, all the ladies are laying out and she's the only one that has pubic hair on display. And it's kind of. It's something that was cemented in my memory because I remember growing up thinking, oh, okay, we shouldn't be having, you know, pubic hair down there. And you're so easily influenced at that age that I remember, you know, I've got quite dark hair. I've actually never had laser hair removal, which everyone's like, to me, you should probably give it a shot. But it's such, like, a memorable moment because I just felt like, okay, I had to be bear down there. That was like, my what I idolized. I loved that show. I loved Carrie Bradshaw. And I thought, okay, if she's doing it, then I've gotta do it too. And I felt like that really resonated with my girlfriends. So actually now, like, looking at this conversation and the dialogue, I'm actually really impressed by how many people are vocal about it because I think it shows confidence. It's all about being confident in who you are and what you want to believe in and you do you like. I'm so, like, honestly impressed to see the conversation and dialogue and how many people are for this because it's just something at that age. I don't think I would have been like, so pro for if that makes sense.

[Joanna Fleming]

And we had like, Paris and Nicole in the school life with their ultra low rise jeans, barely there. Yeah, if you had a bush, it would have been for sure. And we had Britney Spears in her rhinestone bodysuit in the toxic film clip. Like, that was huge when we were younger. So I think it's this whole trend of it being Brazilian or nothing at that time that maybe isn't as popular now.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Let's not also forget Victoria's Secret.

[Anika Joshi]

Oh, my God.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's almost like they invented the Brazilian wax. Because those women, like, I got on here once and said, as slippery as a dolphin. And like, if ever you wanted a visual depiction of what as slippery as a dolphin looks like, it is like early to mid 2000s, you know, VS Runway show.

[Anika Joshi]

Totally.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think that's what impacted me growing up, for sure. I mean, I idolized a world where, you know, it was Candace and Miranda and, you know, Bahati and get the gang together once a year. Like, I think there's a whole lot of cultural revolution that they probably did that I have to thank them and hate them for. But I think for me, I hate that we're even having this conversation. And I use hate as A word really deliberately. I don't use it often. I think that for me, I just don't think we would sit here and debate men's chest hair or men's, you know, male region. I didn't know what to slip at the tongue then. But I just think we wouldn't ever sit here and talk about that, and they wouldn't sit there and talk about that. And I don't feel like it's a debate. It's a personal preference, a hundred percent. What I don't like is that people feel societal pressure to do one or the other, because I don't think it's that. I think if you want to go and get laser because you don't like having hair, go for your life. If you like having your hair, don't go to laser. But that's an internal conversation. That's not a debate to have. So I don't like the idea that someone's shunned for having gone to laser. And I don't like the idea that someone's being shunned for having a bush.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Is that fair?

[Anika Joshi]

Totally.

[Joanna Fleming]

Absolutely. I was gonna say it really is personal preference. I've been having laser hair removal for probably 13 or 14 years. So I used to work in a laser clinic before, laser clinics were on every corner and in every plaza, every single shipping center, every single one multiple. This was, like, groundbreaking at the time. Like, none of my friends had laser. I was getting laser at the time. It was $280 per session of a Brazilian.

[Anika Joshi]

Wow.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And now you can get, like, six packs for that.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, exactly. And it was the best fucking thing I've ever done. I've never had a single regret from a convenience standpoint. And it's not because I feel the pressure to look a certain way. It never has been. It is convenience for me, and I prefer it that way. And that's why I continue to get laser. And it worked very well at the time. It didn't grow back for ages. And now I've had my full body basically done. I have my arms and legs done. And again, that's a convenience thing for me because I can't be bothered shaving my legs all the time. And I personally kind of don't really like wearing, you know, a short skirt or something if I'm constantly looking at the hair on my legs. And it probably is a little bit related to having body hair as a young girl. And, like, my brothers being like, oh, she's got hairy legs. And, like, trying to shave my legs in secret When I was like 7 and my mom yelling at me cause I should have been waxing. But, you know, it's all those little cumulative things that build up and you just prefer things a certain way. And I prefer not to have the body hair, personally.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah. Do you know what I actually like as well? Like, speaking to cultural moments, how we're actually seeing now this whole kind of chat become very much in the forefront. Like, I don't know if you guys saw Maison Margiela's 2024 couture show, but they actually had this beautiful collection designed by John Galliano. And the models were sent down the Runway and these amazing sheer skirts with big chill moments. But they also had a merkin. So the merkin was like prosthetic hair, literally perfectly placed just in front of your, you know, down there region. Your hoo ha and your hoo ha fandangle.

[Joanna Fleming]

That's a new one, Annika calls it at home.

[Anika Joshi]

But for those not familiar with the merkin. So it's kind of like a toupee for the pubic region. And they were kind of really trying to celebrate the whole concept was the female form woman in all her glory. And we've obviously then also seen Doja Cat. She wore an incredible see through dress to the Grammys last year, which left literally nothing to the imagination. And I just think it's quite interesting, like, we're speaking about this as a trend as it comes in fashion and it goes out, but when we look back in the 70s, it was all about being au naturel. And I feel like that's also something that we're kind of leaning towards now. And I do think it should be celebrated. So you to you, boo. If you're, you know, rocking the hair down there. Good on ya.

[Joanna Fleming]

Every hair trend, regardless of where it is on the body, goes in cycles. We see differences in eyebrows, in, like, haircuts, in having a landing strip or a full bush or a Brazilian. It's always gonna go in cycles. And it just really is your preference. If you want your hair cut a certain way, you're not gonna worry about what other people are doing if you wanna have that haircut.

[Anika Joshi]

Totally.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. I think this comes in cycles, but I think it's great that this generation's having the conversation. I think this conversation, I feel like happened maybe 10, 12 years ago. I remember reading an article with Emma Watson and she was referencing for hair oil that she was using for her pubic region. I remember all this press and buzz being around that article because it was like, oh, she's talking and it was kind of like, is that back? And I'm like, I don't think it ever left and I don't think it ever needed to come back. But it's kind of just this thing where I think. We think it's operating in waves, but really in the privacy of someone's decision, it's however they want to do it.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

We also polled our listeners on how many of them have had laser hair removal and found out that 64.75 of you have had laser hair removal when you were younger. And 84.84 said you don't regret spending time and money on it, which I totally agree with. As I said before, we also asked what your attitudes are now towards body hair removal and 37.12% said you're impartial, 49.4 said that you still don't like it and regularly remove it, and 13.48 said you're embracing it. So do we think the hair removal trend will stick around? Do we think that all of these laser hair removal clinics in all of the shopping centres will last?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I don't know how many times you can cut up the word Australian laser, Australian clinic laser. I'm like, I don't know which ones I've been to. Probably all three of them, because I'm like, wait, are you the purple one? Are you the black and gold one? You know, like, I feel like I went into Emporium the other day and I was like, is there one on every floor? Yeah, probably, like, get one next to the food court, like, go grab a potato cake and you. Laser hair removal. But I. I don't see this trend going away because I think that ultimately the beauty industry will always profit off telling women that no hair is beautiful because it. There's a lot more money, I would suspect, to be made in hair removal. Then there is conditioning of pubic, specifically region hair.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, agreed.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And, like, it's not just hair removal of, like, a laser clinic, we're talking at home laser machines, we're talking razors. Like, there's a lot of, you know, industry here.

[Joanna Fleming]

Let's not even get into the pink tax.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Anika Joshi]

Wait, I actually don't know what that is.

[Joanna Fleming]

What's the pink tax where we get charged more for being women? So, like, a pink razor costs, like, $5 more than the men's one. Oh, yeah. Oh, it's a thing.

[Anika Joshi]

That's not cool.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, I know. You're telling me.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

We've actually got an episode on Friday going live with Bec Harding who created Louis and she spoke about the fact that the razors were not ever designed for women on how we hold them. So we hold razors and our body form is different to men. So not only do we pay the pink tax, they just made it pink and didn't think about how he actually used it or needed it.

[Joanna Fleming]

Awesome.

[Anika Joshi]

Oh my God. I can't wait to tune into that one.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Listeners, before you go, I have to tell you about an incredible new serum that's come out from Lancome. You might be familiar with the OG Genifique Advanced Serum. It's the original that's been going strong for 15 years. But the new Genifique ultimate formulation has added ingredients and some seriously impressive stats. After just one bottle, you'll have 20% less visible pores, 33% less visible redness, and 28% less fine line. Not to mention smoother, more youthful looking skin. Check it [e-mail] and thank you so much to Longcom for making this episode of Stylish possible. All right, it's now time for opinions. Please. As the name would suggest, this is where you, our lovely listeners, get to write in and ask us for our advice. This one will be no surprises, Jo's main domain. But we got this lovely message from a listener who said hi girls, I'm a huge stylish fan. I was hoping to get your opinion on something. I'm getting married next April. Congratulations. And I wanted to know your thoughts on investing in an at home LED device with my skincare she uses rationale versus spending money on a facial treatment plan in the lead up, which I know some people like to do. I'm keen to hear your thoughts. Jo, you are our in house skin expert. It would be so rude for either of us to even try and start by answering this, but what are your thoughts on this?

[Joanna Fleming]

There's so many ways that I could answer this question, but I would firstly say that you don't need to completely change up your skincare. You don't need to go and have treatments, you don't need to be buying all of the different gadgets just because you're getting married. That's what I'll start by saying. If you have skin concerns that you are wanting to address and you want your skin to look a certain way on your wedding day and and you feel that skincare and professional treatments might benefit you, then great, we can come up with a plan for you. If you're kind of thinking I want to invest in an LED and then also invest in my home care as an alternative to professional treatments. That's kind of a different conversation. So I would say that an at home led, great for someone with minimal concerns. It's great for reducing inflammation, supporting collagen synthesis, promoting skin recovery. But if you've got major concerns like hormonal acne, you've got melasma, more advanced hyperpigmentation that you're wanting to address, the LED is not going to address that. So that's where I would say that it's best to talk to an expert who can give you a little bit of guidance on what might be the most beneficial for you. You're already using great skincare. Being rationale, you're probably spending a fair bit of cash on that. So I'm imagining that you probably don't have any major concerns because you also haven't mentioned anything in particular that you're wanting to treat. So if glow and you know, perfect texture is something that you're after, you're probably already halfway there. But as I said, if you are wanting to target those more specific skin concerns, that's when an expert's opinion can be really beneficial and end up saving you money in the long term. I see so many brides and a lot of people also leave it to the very last minute. I just had a bride the other day who is getting married in April and my wait time is already past her wedding date. So the key is to get in probably, probably minimum six months beforehand because I don't even see clients for a follow up before 12 weeks. So 12 weeks is where I expect to start seeing results with your skin. Six months is probably ideal and then nine months if you're leaving room for professional treatments. So there's gonna be a bit of a treatment protocol in place if you're getting professional treatments. For example, if you're getting pico laser, which is great for hyperpigmentation and texture, you might be wanting to squeeze three or four treatments in before your wedding and they're all gonna be spaced a few weeks apart. So they're little considerations that you need to make in terms of your time frame and when you start your wedding skin prep. But I personally love vascular laser for those little visible vessels around your nose that people can get a little bit of vascularity through the cheeks. If you get rosacea like me, if you've got hyperpigmentation, something like IPL might be great or the pico laser. So yeah, I do see a lot of brides, but in a lot of situations. I'm like, we don't need treatments. You've already got great skin. Let's just get your home care down pat and get you on the right track and using all the right things to tick all the boxes. And I'll see you in three months time. We'll see where we're at. And if we do need to incorporate anything, then we've got time to do so.

[Anika Joshi]

I love that advice.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Do you think there's like something in this, if we zoom out, that is just. I don't want to say the toxicity, but maybe the pressure is a better use of term of wedding culture. That and I feel like TikTok has inflamed this. Like, I don't think people wanting to look good on their wedding day is a new concept. I'm sure this was well, well alive and thriving in the 70s and 80s, but I feel like now people feel like they need to be the fittest they've ever been. Their skin needs to look like they have freshly come out of the womb and are full of collagen and life. You know, it's like they're stopping drinking coffee, they're not drinking wine anymore. They're like going to Pilates six times a week. Like, I often wonder what the hidden costs of getting married are for women now versus just the big day.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, yeah, no, that's a great take. I definitely agree with that. And I think for a lot of women, this is the most photographed and videoed they will ever be in their life. For us, spending every week in front of these cameras and yapping into these microphones, it's probably less confronting getting all of that footage back because you see yourself all the time. You're like, oh, my God. You just get used to seeing your own head.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You get really used to not enjoying it.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah, I'll double down on that.

[Joanna Fleming]

But for a lot of people, they're like, I actually want to be able to look back at these photos for years to come and be like, I did everything to look like that. You know, I think there's a little bit of that mindset too.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

And I'm in it in at the moment. Like, I've just gone and had salmon sperm injected. I'm a victim.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

But I understand why. Why brides kind of get hyper fixated on their appearance.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Like, it's so interesting to me. Like, I had a girlfriend who's probably had like one facial in her whole life. She's recently engaged and she's like, need your help mads I need to know where to go for a facial. Who should be like my dermal clinician? Who should I be buying my skin care from? And I'm like, but you've got beautiful skin. You've never been for like, and you've.

[Anika Joshi]

Never done it before.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm like, maybe a sunscreen and a moisturiser and a cleanser. Like a three step routine would be a great place to start, like a B5 or a hyaluronic. But I was like, you don't need to go and get laser. There's no need.

[Anika Joshi]

I honestly, I love that because I think you do get so caught up in it all and it is all about that fairy tale day and ending. And like, just from personal experience. I was so confused when I was entering my bridal era and so many of my girlfriends gave me mixed opinions. We had different concerns, like, what bothered them didn't really bother me and vice versa. And I actually went and saw someone just to get that initial advice. We put a six step program in place and we combined it with LED treatments. And honestly, I found the combination of the two really helped. Like it was an investment. Especially the LEDs. I did them daily, 30 minutes a day. Every day? Yep.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Professional.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah. For two months in the lead up to my reading.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Two months, you went in clinic every day?

[Anika Joshi]

Yes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

How did you find half an hour in every day?

[Anika Joshi]

I own my own business anyway.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

But that kids, if you too are successful enough to have your own business, you too can enjoy both spending the time and the money on 30 minutes.

[Anika Joshi]

I need to provide further context because I also plan my wedding in eight weeks. So this was like a hard and fast, like, let's do whatever we possibly can, really. Yeah, I think that's another story.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, it really is another story for another day.

[Anika Joshi]

But that six step system, I still use it to this day. And I honestly, like, I am really proud of how far my skin journey has come. And like, putting those steps in place, I think have really, really been a good investment long term. So I definitely think I loved your advice, Joe, of trying to balance the two and finding what works for you. And even just refining, like, you don't need all these products. I think, like you were saying meds, you get caught up in it all and there's so much stuff out there that I was just like, yeah, no.

[Joanna Fleming]

There'S so much refining of people's routines. I'm like, we do not need this, we do not need that. You've got to double up here. You've got to double up there, that there's so many ways to save people money. And I also see a lot of bright brides post wedding because they're like, I spent all this money on all of these products and I was having all these treatments before my wedding and now I kind of want to save.

[Anika Joshi]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

And so then we go through the process of, okay, well, this is similar to this. This is what we could swap out here. And here's some ways that we could start to save totally. But it certainly is a real process leading up to the wedding. But to answer that question a bit clearer and to I guess summarise what we've just spoken about. But if you've got a great home care plan in place and you want to add an led, great. It's probably going to help a little bit more with glow and, you know, evenness and all of those delicious things. But if you've got more considerable concerns that you're really wanting to correct and address before your big day, leave a bit of lead time, speak to an expert about what that looks like, and then you can budget as well. And if that's within budget for you, then great, go right ahead.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. I mean, added bonus too, you'll get to keep the LED to keep using it post.

[Joanna Fleming]

Exactly.

[Anika Joshi]

Oh, yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

That is all for this week's episode of Stylish. I feel like we've had very diverse discussions.

[Joanna Fleming]

We really have.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Thank you very much for joining us and listening and of course, thank you very much, Annika Joshi Smith and Jonah Fleming, Always a pleasure. Remember, you can drop us an email anytime. Overtyle-ishameless media.com or you can slide into our DM. If you're after an opinion, please as well over Tyle underscoreish au. And we of course cannot forget to thank the wonderful team who make this podcast possible. Our audio engineer, Liam Clayton, Shameless Media team head of podcast Lucy Hunt, and senior podcast producer Kate Emma Burke will be right back with you next Wednesday. Bye.

[Anika Joshi]

Bye.

[Joanna Fleming]

Bye. Where can I buy a merkin?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Marjala baby, I've got the opposite of that. I've got an at home laser you can borrow.

[Mish]

This podcast was recorded on Wurundjeri land.

[Joanna Fleming]

Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

[Anika Joshi]

Mish.

[Lucy Hunt]

I feel like now is as good a time as ever to remind the listeners that we now do two exclusive Shamemore episodes a month.

[Mish]

We sure do. Shame More is such a special outlet to have the kind of conversations that just feel a little more personal. If that sounds like something you guys would enjoy, enjoy you are going to love our new series, Inner Circle.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, totally.

[Lucy Hunt]

In our Inner Circle episodes, we answer some pretty philosophical questions from our closest friends and family. And the catch is we have to guess who asked the question and we have no idea what's coming for us when we get on Mike.

[Mish]

Yeah, we do sometimes have to phone a friend or two if we're feeling stuck as well.

[Lucy Hunt]

Yeah, that's what we did last month. So that's one episode a month. And for our second monthly Shame or Drop, we discuss our current Roman Empire. The thing we just cannot get out of our mind.

[Mish]

I love recording those episodes. One of my favorite Roman Empire recordings was the discussion about our decision to actually close the Facebook group. Something we get asked about all the time.

[Lucy Hunt]

Yeah, I think my favorite might be the one we just recorded last month about needing more parties in the world. The cool thing about Shaymore is that if you subscribe, you get access to all of our past exclusive episodes. So if you're in a podcast listening rut, Shaymore's got you.

[Mish]

And of course, everything on Shame Moore is ad free, including our regular Monday and Thursday Thursday episodes.

[Lucy Hunt]

Yeah, not a bad deal if you ask me. You can subscribe to Shame More on Spotify or Apple Podcasts on Spotify, just search for Shame More or One Word on Apple. You can just go right to the regular Shameless podcast feed and subscribe there.

[Anika Joshi]

Alrighty.

[Lucy Hunt]

That's all from us.