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

23:05And maybe to kind of summarize 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. 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.

23:36So this is actually the firm behind early investments in Skims, Glossier and Cozis. Yeah, guys. So they know what they're doing. Like Alex Earl Convert, that has openly been said by many brand founders. There is a reason that Alex Earl 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 weaponise her influence and absolutely make bank on it. I wouldn't be surprised if the brand does really well, but let's go back to the actual offering, if I may.

24:16Yes, you may, Jo. Please do. 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 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.

24:57It'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.

25:29I'd say that's quite deliberate based on the average age of her audience. 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. Alta and Sephora. Very good point. Now, the range itself, I think we'll 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 so that we can get 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.

26:06So 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, and it's not going to interact poorly with other actives that we've included in a routine.

26:46So 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.

27:24Can 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? 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 moisturizer 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 it that might be counteracting any, you know, potential comedogenic effects.

28:06So 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 moisturizer 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 moisturizer or they'll use very, very lightweight moisturizers. And as a result, their skin's dehydrated. They might experience delayed healing, etc.

28:35etc. 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. Oh, this feels like the product that they're talking a lot about. 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 AHA. 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.

29:12But 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. 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.

29:44I quite like a mandelic acid. And honestly, given that Jo's like semi just given a tick of approval on it or said she's interested by it, I shouldn't give the Jo Fleming tick of approval without her prior consent. I'm kind of like, do we need to do like a stylish tries and I bring some back? Maybe. Maybe. Oh yeah, you can bring it back from the States. Yeah, I'm not smuggling anything. I'm like, put it in my suitcase. I've got a sneaky PO box, dogs. Oh, do you? I should also mention this serum does contain hexyl resorcinol 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.

30:24So 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. So what's your prediction? If you were to say the next product they should launch is? I would like to see a niacinamide with an azelaic acid.

30:57What 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. Watch this space. Yeah. I'd say a very deliberately tight lineup to allow for a very strong, long runway. Which is what Ro did. Yeah. That is similar sort of strategy.

31:35So I wonder if 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.

32:05I 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 or belts. 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 favourites. 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.

32:42We're going to start by talking about jewellery first, because it feels the most obvious place to start. What are you guys loving at the moment? I'm so boring with jewellery. Like my jewellery is the kind of jewellery 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 stud 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. 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.

33:27Or 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, Mads. Don't you reckon an earring can really throw off an entire outfit? Oh yeah, big time. Yeah. Like an earring has a lot of power. It can make or break. 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 earring. Okay, so there's like a deep rooted thing here. Yeah, good, good, good. There always is. There's always a deep rooted thing.

33:56So what jewellery are you turning to if it's not earrings? 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 spoken about at length on this podcast. But, you know, First Dibs, Invaluable, Vestiaire, Depop, eBay, you name it, I'm on there looking at jewellery. I think we've got a lot of great Australian jewellery labels. Like I have a lot of YCL stuff. I have a lot of Francesca stuff, Sarah and Sebastian.

34:34We've got a lot here. Anna Rossi. She does some bloody great stuff. 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 of those kinds of things. Obviously very different, wildly different price points. We've got a lot of variety here, I think. Good segue joke. We went above and beyond for this and went and got all the fun facts for us. 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.

35:13Have you ever experienced that? Yes. Yeah, green finger. Green finger. So we thought it'd be really helpful for you guys to actually 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 STER, which is short for sterling. Obviously, silver is considered to be one of the more affordable options, but it's also softer than gold.

35:49So 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? No, I'm a gold girl. I'm a bit of a mixed metal girl. 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 going to love this, Jo. I don't think it's in my like color wheel, color palette. You don't think gold is? No. Oh, I don't think it is. Really? Yeah. I think I'm forcing it. It's your engagement in wedding ring. I know.

36:20Everything is. Okay. Well, we're going to need to get you a color analysis. No, I don't want to. Okay. Yeah. I don't want to do that. Anyway. I don't want to do it because I just deep down, I feel like something is off. something is off. 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 male, which is affordable and high quality, but it is also prone to tarnishing gold filled, which is similarly affordable and high quality, but also is tarnish resistant.

36:55So 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 resistant. 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. 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.

37:25Here we go. Of course she does. Yeah, 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. 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.

37:55So like a microwave safe, like heatproof 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 underwater and you're going to dry it and you're good to go. Good as new. I love that hack.

38:24That'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. I've done a video on it before. 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 a hundred percent worth investing in. Stamps like 375, which is nine carat, 585, 14 carat, 750, 18 carat, or 916, which is 22 carats. So pretty much all solid gold will have one of these? 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.

38:58But 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. 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 I's. 100%. I ask for videos. Ask for videos, 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.

39:32And 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 tea 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 suss of what their different look and feel is. A lot of the time on Etsy as well, an individual seller will have a specific aesthetic 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.

40:02And 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 McHale 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.

40:31All 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. Yeah. Great Australian brand. And my usuals, Lucy Folk. Can't go past them. I love Lyndon Cook as well. I know we've spoken about them here, but nice little touches to be able to have fingerprints. Or I know, Rhi, you had one that was Louis' birthstone. Did you lose that? Shush. I did lose it. It's in my house somewhere. You wore it on your wedding day. I did.

41:03That'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 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. It looked quite cool. But I also think that's so inherently your jewelry style. Mads, you said you don't love an earring. Let's talk about other accessories. I feel like you're a belt girl.

41:29I'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. Heaven Mayhem. Heaven Mayhem. Great one. Looking overseas as well, Cezanne. Yes. Great belts and also little bags too. Yes. And Charles and Keith. I'm glad you brought up handbags because I think sometimes we forget what a handbag can do to an outfit.

42:06Yeah. 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. 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. Definitely. And look, I know we spoke about the auction sites before and I've probably referenced them as much as Jo has referenced colour analysis.

42:41You'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 misspelt or, you know, there's like one or two handbags being sold in an auction that's otherwise like coins and silverware.

43:21And it's like, no one's on that auction site or with that auctioneer looking for those things. Patience, my people, patience. And I don't have that. 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. You're welcome, Mads. Thank you. And remember, you can drop us an email anytime at style-ish at shamelessmedia.com.au or you can slide into our DMs over at StylishPod. We can't forget to thank the Shameless Media team, head of podcast Lucy Hunt and senior podcast producer Kate Emma Burke.

43:59You'll hear the next instalment of our wedding series this Friday and all of us will be back here next Wednesday. See you then. Bye. Bye.

44:11This podcast was recorded on Wurundjeri Land. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

44:25Hello, everybody. It's us. It's us again. Whoopsie. We felt like we haven't spoken to you guys about Shame More much recently. No, and the thing is, we may mention Shame More 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 and you feel like we've never explained it to you, Shame More is the subscription arm, our subscription arm of Shameless. Do you get it? Shameless or Shame More? Ah, when you subscribe to Shame More, you get a few perks. 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.

45:03Yeah, 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. 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. Your relationship with fear was a great one. Yeah, to what we both visualise when we think of the afterlife.

45:35We really go here, there and everywhere, as they say. Here, there and everywhere. Can I also say, someone said to you recently that they thought that because we only ever on our Instagram put up, shame more, ask us what you want, they think it's Q &As. Yeah, but you do get an ask us anything portion in every episode as well. It's just at the end. It's at the end. So if you're thinking Shame More is just an ask, Missions are anything. No, no, no, no, no, no. We're talking ad free. We're talking early access. We're talking exclusive eps, including little ask us anythings at the end. That's it. Subscribing on Apple Podcasts is easy.

46:08Just 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. It's a little trickier. We won't lie to you. It is easier on Apple, but on Spotify, again, we back you. Yeah, you can do this. You can do it. I did it. I figured it out. Thanks, everyone. Speak soon. Bye.