Pretty Hard

Poppy Lissiman has spent nearly two decades building one of Australia's most recognisable independent fashion brands, doing it entirely on her own terms.

 Known for creating accessories with personality and cultivating a fiercely loyal global following, I had been wanting to catch up with Poppy for years since we first met, and am grateful that she made the time to share her relationship to beauty with me. 

Poppy and I talk about so many things - her relationship to hair, cosmetic tweaks, fashion, and eyewear, as well as more broadly - inspiration origins, and comparing life in Perth, Australia, to Tokyo Japan. 

We unpack the realities of building a creative business built on integrity and originality, in an industry obsessed with trends, and what the future looks like for herself and her business. 

I learnt so much about Poppy in this conversation and am excited for you to get to know the woman behind the brand too. 

Find Poppy on Instagram at @popsqueek and @poppylissiman

After a 15-year rowing career, Rosie Popa retired as an Olympic Champion and Olympic Record Holder following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She quickly transitioned into the corporate world, where deeper questions about her identity, ambition, the hidden costs of success, and purpose reared their head. 

These questions now shape Rosie’s writing, speaking, and work with individuals and organisations. Her passion is helping individuals and teams perform at their best while staying connected to what truly matters. This is no easy feat. 

Rosie and I met at yoga through a mutual connection that guessed we might have something to talk about together. They were right, and I’m glad we pursued the friendship that I now hold very close today. 

In this discussion we talk about what happens when your self-worth becomes entangled with achievement, navigating life after elite sport, and redefining success on your own terms. It's a conversation about ambition, resilience, accepting change and discovering the beauty of who you really are. 

Find Rosie on IG @iloveitwhenyoucallmebig_popa

And substack at @rosiepopa

Fashion journalist and author Lucianne Tonti has spent years examining the stories our clothes tell about us—and the systems that shape the industry from which we buy from every day. Having recently published her latest book, The Good Witch, I was curious to understand how her career led her here, and if the idea of witchcraft or magic has influenced Lucianne’s relationship to beauty and identity. I also wanted to question the idea of whether getting dressed, or wearing makeup, is ever really just about getting dressed or wearing makeup, or if Lucianne believed there was something more personal or deeper. We explore how the history of the witch-hunts intersects with culture, politics, the environment, and the loss of feminine power. And why buying less, choosing better, and reconnecting with nature, creative acts and craftsmanship, might be one of the most radical things that we as women we can do for ourselves and each other.  

Find Lucianne @luciannetonti

Mukti is a pioneer of Australia’s natural beauty movement and founder of Mukti Organics, blending science and sustainability to redefine conscious skincare. She’s also the author of Truth in Beauty, a book I continually return to when navigating ingredients and formulations in this noisy, complex industry. Mukti has been in business for 25 years, more than most founders can lay claim to, which is why I have so much respect and had so many questions for someone who started before Instagram was a thing, and before being a founder was something to aspire to. She is a wealth of knowledge and incredible humble human who I hope to meet in person soon. I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Find Mukti on Instagram at @bymukti @muktiorganics

Felicity Evans is the founder of Imbibe Beauty, the ingestible and topical skincare brand. She is known for her holistic approach to beauty that bridges nutrition, skin health, and modern ritual. As a mum of three daughters, Felicity is ever conscious of her role in modelling a positive and sustainable approach to beauty, while sharing her love of all things timeless, beautiful, and chic. This conversation took place between Melbourne and Paris, where we speak about the pressures of ‘looking like a beauty founder’, our respective brand’s origin stories, and what we hope comes next for our industry.  

Find Felicity at @imbibeliving @thefelicityevans

Alison Rice is a journalist, podcast host and founder of Offline, a platform exploring conscious careers, purpose and what it really means to succeed. I had been wanting to chat with Alison for years and we finally made it happen. We chat about the internal conflicts of working in our respective industries, and how to navigate a business and life that may not want to be online but in some ways needs to. Alison and I have a very similar spiritual practice and this convo gets pretty deep exploring what it is we all might be covering up with beauty and or other forms of self expression in the digital age. Thankfully she offers practical tips for regulating your consumption and in turn, nervous system. 

Find Alison @alisonlarsenrice and @getoffline.co

Alicia Millan is the founder of Melbourne jewellery brand, Aletheia and Phos, who just announced that after 13 years in business, she is closing their doors, and preparing for her new chapter in life, whatever that will be. Currently situated in Thailand, we discuss the simplification of Lissy’s life that has taken place in the last couple of years, and what’s left are you break down the layers and strip so much of your former identity away. 

Having known Alicia for almost two decades, it was hard not to lead this conversation in a specific direction, having shared with Lissy so many of life’s up and downs, from business to romantic success and failures, to family dynamics and our personal reflections and interrogations. 

With a greek model mother and Italian body building father, Lissy shared the pressures of growing up looking different from her classmates, and how it impacted her later in life, and finally, to accepting herself for everything that she fully is. I hope you enjoy the conversation. 

Hilary Holmes is a makeup artist and the founder of Holme Beauty, known for challenging traditional beauty standards and redefining makeup as a tool for education, confidence, and self-acceptance rather than correction. Hilary and I have found a friendship in recent years discussing all things from our own personal beauty journeys, the highs and lows of being a founder, navigating the commercial and often ugly side of business, alongside our own personal lives and somewhat spiritual journeys. I am always confident and grateful that Hilary will challenge me on my beliefs, process, and actions and trust that she feels the same. 

Find Hilary @hilaryholmesmakeup and @holmebeauty

Laura Roscioli is a Melbourne-based writer, sex columnist, and cultural commentator whose work unpacking love, desire, identity and modern relationships has resonated with audiences around the world. From her early days writing about sex at VICE to bylines in Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Fashion Journal, POPSUGAR and more, Laura brings honesty, nuance and curiosity to every conversation. She’s the author of the growing Substack The Things We Don’t Say, and in our chat we explore the messy, joyful and complicated ways we live and love, every day, and how our relationship to sexuality impacts our relationship to our identity and beauty. I hope you enjoy this conversation. 

Find Laura at https://www.instagram.com/lauraroscioli & https://www.instagram.com/changedmylifepod/

A different kind of podcast episode as we head into a new year. 

Particularly transitioning from this year of the snake to the next year of the horse, something at Fluff we are resonating with, many of us can feel like we're shedding, questioning, reflecting. 

In light of such, we decided to ask four friends of Fluff: Laura Roscioli, Erin Deering, Lesley Hunter and Kayla Moon a simple question: What are 3 decisions that have dramatically developed and/or simplified your relationship to beauty?

For me personally - this has included:

-Doing something in the morning for me before anyone else: how I look is how I feel. 

-Using fewer, better products

-If I’m tempted via online shopping, adding it to cart, and then I leaving it for a few days to see if I really need it.

-Talking to more people about the beauty that comes with aging, not the decline. 

We hope this episode inspires you to reflect on your own relationship to beauty and any changes you'd like to see, or intentions you'd like to set for the new year. 

About our guests:

Laura Roscioli is a Melbourne-based writer, sex columnist, and cultural commentator whose work unpacking love, desire, identity and modern relationships has resonated with audiences around the world. @lauraroscioli 

Erin Deering is Co-founder of Triangl and now her namesake fashion label, Deering. Her honesty and authenticity as a mother, businesswoman, and human engaged in the ever-evolving complex beauty narratives online is deeply refreshing. @erinkdeering 

Lesley Hunter is a 65-year old model, yogie, and compassionate, curious human being who never ceases to make us smile and laugh, while encouraging us to embrace every age and stage of life. @lesley__hunter 

Kayla Moon is the founder of the Collingwood based florist, Xflos. She’s also the cofounder of Stay Soft Studio, hosting monthly night markets, and creative co-working & events. She is deeply committed to showing up authentically and exploring her true self. @whoskaylamoon