On this episode of en(gender)ed, our guest is Erika Geraerts,a former executive at Frank Body who started her own brand, Fluff, two years ago.  We speak with Erika today about her journey as a founder and beauty brand iconoclast, Fluff, an ethical beauty brand based in Melbourne, the state of the beauty industry, and the ways in which beauty, lifestyle, consumption intersect to shape women’s views of ourselves, our bodies, and impact our relationships.

During our conversation, Erika and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• The role of family and culture in shaping girls’ and women’s views of themselves and their relationship to the beauty industry
• The documentary film, “Miss Representation” by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, that explores how mainstream media and culture contribute to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power in America
• The stereotypical housewife archetype of June Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver (whom Teri mistakenly referred to as “Betty Cleaver”)
• The impact of Kim Kardashian on girls, beauty, self-image, etc.
• The Medium post about a mom who pretended she was an 11 year-old girl and what she learned in the process

This episode was sponsored by Masami, the ultimate in botanically hydrated hair.  You can find Masami online at lovemasami.com and share your hair @lovemasamihair on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

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