Life in Colour - 29: Closing the Business, Taking the Gap Year, and Dressing the Life You Actually Have — with Kirsten Smith of Bettyquette

Episode Date: June 23, 2026

What does it actually look like to step away from a business you've built — intentionally, bravely, and at 52 — and call it the best decision you've ever made? That's exactly what Kirsten Smith of Bettyquette did, and honestly this conversation stopped me in my tracks. Kirsten is someone I've spoken to before on the podcast, and when I heard what she'd done in the time since, I knew we had to sit back down together. She closed her business, gave herself a gap year, and came out the other side with a clarity about herself — and her wardrobe — that I think so many of us are quietly searching for. We talk about what led her to that decision, what the gap year actually looked like (it's not what you might expect), and what she noticed about herself when she stripped away the busyness and the identity that comes with running a business. And of course, because it's us, we talk clothes. We talk about dressing for a season of life that doesn't quite have a name yet — that in-between space where you're not who you were, and you're not yet sure who you're becoming. Kirsten has such a beautiful way of thinking about this, and I think you're going to feel very seen. This one is warm, honest, and a little bit life-affirming. I hope you love it as much as I did. Ashley 💕 About Kirsten: Kirsten Smith is the founder of Bettyquette, a natural skincare brand, and someone who has spent years thinking deeply about how we care for ourselves — inside and out. You can find her at https://www.instagram.com/kirstenandco/ Connect with Ashley: Instagram: @lovingcolour__ Virtual Colour Analysis: lovingcolour.au The Colour Collective membership: lovingcolour.au Find My Colours Masterclass: lovingcolour.au

Welcome to Life in Color, the podcast where we dive into the real, raw and wonderfully colorful aspects of life. I'm your host, Ashley, and I'm here to explore the ins and outs of seasonal color analysis, navigating motherhood, thriving in your 40s and beyond, and embracing health and wellness with a healthy dose of humor. Join me as we uncover the secrets behind finding your perfect palette, share stories of the joys and challenges of being a mum, and from practical tips to heartfelt conversations, life in color is your space to laugh, learn and live life unapologetically in all of its colourful hues. So grab your favourite drink, settle in and let's add some colour to this adventure that we call Life. Welcome to Life in Color.

Well, on the podcast today, I am so delighted to say that I have the lovely Kirsten back. She came on the podcast. Was it about this time last year? I think that it might have been actually. Yeah, I think it was about this time last year. And so much has changed in her world since then. So she used to have better kit. And we're going to talk all about why she decided to close it down. Obviously, we will talk about colour and fashion because that is both of our jams and we love that and just have a good old catch-up. So welcome to the podcast. It's so lovely to have you. Thank you. It's nice to be back. So good to catch up. So where should we start? I guess the overarching question let's begin with is you decided to close down Betakit, which obviously is a really big decision.

I know that as a business owner when I've decided to close it, that it's a very bitter sweet decision. to make that, but it also can be the most liberating decision that you can ever make to. So perhaps just take us through what, from where we were last year, how you then got to where you are today. Yeah, sure. So Better Kit was a natural skincare company and we did face and body oils. And I started that back in 2018 when I was actually really sick with a condition called idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

So it's a very long, it's a long name and a long story. so I'll keep both as short as I can. But basically, I was losing my eyesight at a very rapid rate. I got to the point before my diagnosis that whenever I stood up, my vision and my left eye went completely black. So that would stay like that for a couple of seconds, and then my vision would return. So left untreated, the end result is permanent vision loss.

You actually go blind. And so I was put on a whole lot of medication to treat that. And a lot of the medication is to get rid of the excess fluid around my brain because that's what was the issue. So that medication really dried my skin out, and my husband is a industrial chemist for want of a better description and does a lot of blending of chemicals and things, and I just happened to ask him if he could make me a hydrating face oil.

He did, and that became a business. I mean, how amazing is that? It was never meant to be a business. It was always just meant to be a personal care product for me. But over time, I had a blog back then and blog readers knew my health story, and then they started saying, commenting on my skin, and that's, after a while, I realized we might have created something that could help other women. So that's how it launched, and it always was a business to help other women.

And I think we did that really successfully. They were, and I personally still use the products because Scott can make them for me, but they are, they were, and they still are beautiful natural products. So the business was tootling along really well, actually. And you had it, you'd expanded to a number of different products as well. Like I remember when you put hair oil and obviously we talked about this on the original podcast episode like my, I've got allergy so I couldn't use it. But my mum religiously used your products and I know stocked up massively when you announced that you were closing because she loves them. But there are so many women all over Australia who would have absolutely loved using all your different products.

Yeah, we started just with two face oils, get up and glow and sleep on it. And then by the end of it, we had 10 products in total. So it again, it was a lot of work. It was a lot of work. And it was something that I just didn't expect when we launched. I sort of thought it would just be a little part-time gig and it would keep my mind off being so unwell. And so I was really unwell for the majority of the years that the business was running. And then in 2020, I was struck down with appendicitis and during a lockdown and had to have my appendix removed.

And I actually went, developed septic shock during that surgery. And so I was meant to be in hospital for one night and I ended up being in there for 10 days. Wow. I had two met calls. If you're not sure what that is, give it a Google, but it's pretty confronting. In the words of my surgeon, I was the most unwell patient in the hospital and they were very concerned for my outcome. Wow.

I was very sick. And then it took me, and I had just got the all clear of my I-IH and then that happened. And it took me another 12 months to recover from that. completely. So up until sort of 20-22-ish, I was just battling a lot of really illness behind the scenes, if you will. She had a bit of it, but not as much. So I look back now and I'm just, I don't really know how I actually managed to do that. But I think as women, we just pushed through, you know, I still had two kids at home at school and all the rest of it. And then in 2023, something in me just shifted. Our eldest was graduating, sorry, our youngest was graduating.

school and I turned 50 and the time that I had with my husband like was was ours, you know, and I mean, your kids still need you as adults, but in a very different way. You're not doing school runs and the pickups and life is not quite as all-consuming as it is when your children are smaller. And something in me shifted and that combined with just the change in social media, how difficult it became to get new customers and retain old customers and costs, arising. There was just a lot going on and I sort of started falling out of love with it, but also really appreciating my good health because I hadn't had it for the best part of a decade. And from about two years ago, two years prior to closing was when I just sort of started thinking,

I'm not sure if this is actually what I want to be doing in my 50s and beyond. A lot of people were saying, you know, you could get your products into Mecca or Sephora or, and I was just like, I don't, I never actually wanted that. I didn't start the business to do that. It wasn't, it was never my plan. It was just to help my own skin and to help other women. And I sort of felt like I had achieved that. And I really just wanted to focus on myself, for the first time.

And that's amazing. And I think a lot of women don't do that. You keep going because you feel like, well, I've built this or I've created it or we've invested in it. There are so many different other things that come into it. There's not a lot that necessarily will say, well, I'll walk away. Because walking away from a business that is, you know, to the outside world doing quite well. But obviously on the inside, there's always so many other things like the rising costs. And I totally understand about falling out of love with social media and what you have to do.

I feel that. And I don't know if you follow Jenna Kutcher in the US. She's a very big, or was a very big podcaster. And earlier, at the beginning of this year, she made a really big announcement and her podcast was called The Gold Digger. And she said, I could keep going. She said, but I've achieved it. I achieved what I said out to and people thought she was crazy to stop something that obviously was doing so well. And she was like, but I've achieved and got out of it what I want, not to say that she's like, I might come back to it one day. She said, but I've got different things in my life, like how your season of life changed hers did her kids were going to school and just a different era of motherhood. I think it's a really brave decision to make that decision to step away because not everyone

necessarily understands why, but especially when you're a one-man band, it is a lot. Yeah. And it was a lot. And it was still a very much a viable business. So that was why it was so hard because my husband, mate, he blended all the chemicals. Oh, chemicals. He blended all the ingredients. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, the oils. And he was like, oh, no, he was the one sort of like, no, this is just such a good little business. Like, it's ticking along really nicely. And I was just like, there's more to life for me than that. And the money side of it just wasn't, it's not why I started it in the first place. So, I don't know, we were, I guess we were as a business in a really fortunate position that

when I did make the decision to close, there was some funds left in there. And so I've now been able to set it up so that I'm having a midlife gap year, as I call it this year. I love that. I can't already chat about your plans for that. But yeah, I love it. Yeah. I just, and I think perhaps because I sort of, I was joking. Like people would say, oh, well, what are you going to do?

And I was like, well, I never had a gap year when I was a teenager. So I'm going to have one at 53. Just joking. And then I was like, actually. I know. Like, why couldn't I do that? And so that was, I think if I didn't have a plan afterwards, I would have struggled even more. But it did take me a good couple of years before I finally actually just sat with it and went, yeah, I'm okay with doing this.

Because I really got to know so many of our customers. They were very loyal blog readers back in the day and all beautiful women. And I didn't want to let anyone down. And I really struggled with that side of it because I know so like thousands of women were using our products. And now they just can't access them. But I also just got to a point where I was like, there's actually nothing. nothing with putting yourself first. That's an okay thing to do.

Absolutely. And that takes time. Like as you said, that was a two-year process for you to come to that. I know when I closed my, well, I morphed the first store sort of into the second store. It's still fashion.

I still had inventory. But when I decided I no longer wanted to have an inventory-based business because that puts a lot of pressure. Like, you know, for you seeing boxes with bottles in that you needed to sell because I'm sure that they had it used by date on them. And I had it where, well, that dress, people wanted new, constantly wanted new. And yet you had, I had clothes sitting in there. And there's that pressure.

You physically can see what you need to sell. Yeah. And I would say I made that decision before I even told anyone in my life, I'd made that decision a good four or five months before I even uttered a word. And even my family of like, I think this is what I want to do. Yep. Because it is. It's a very difficult decision.

I think both of us also have in common that when you've had really ill health over the years, when you are feeling better or you get to a point of, well, actually, what's my priority, what's the most important thing? When you've had ill health, you know what it's like to not have it. And so it is like gold dust when you do. And you have to enjoy it. And I think you very much become in that mindset of life can change in an instant tomorrow. And I want to enjoy it for now.

so what exactly do I want to do now? Yeah, and that was pretty much the thought process. And I was just like I am the healthiest I've been for a really long time and I don't want to spend it stressing out about inventory and delivery costs and employing people and I just didn't want to do it. And that's really what it came down to. And I just felt like it, for me, it had run its course. And then I think once you kind of lose the passion for something,

then it is actually really hard to keep, that I would agree. Going. And I was a little bit checked out probably in the last six months or so, just easing off with posting on socials and things like that and really just taking the time to see what would happen if I did just step back. And do you know what? The world just kept turning.

And it was okay. And, you know, people were, I was really overwhelmed with the beautiful support when I announced that it was closing. Everybody was just, it actually blew me away, how thoughtful everyone was. And I think as women, we just totally get it. We just, we understand that whole, I just want to do something for myself while I've got the opportunity. Yeah.

We'll do something different. Like, I find that, especially for entrepreneurs, and I think we spoke about this before, that when you make a decision to close a business, it is no, there's a lot more to it, but it's no different to someone who's, say, working in the tech industry. And they go, you know what? This isn't my passion. I want to do something else for the next 10 to 15 years. years of my life. I want to go teach. It's no different. And yet I feel like there's so much more

sometimes judgment and also reluctance to actually make that change when you're an entrepreneur because people seem to think that when you've set up your own business, well, that must be the passion that you have for your entire life. Well, just like anyone, things change. Yeah. Change, life changes, kids. And then also it may just be that you literally fall out of love with what you were doing and you're ready for a new adventure, which is so normal. But then there's also, you know, we're talking about social media, that pressure and the money and going into Mecca and everything, which I think is so important to touch on. Because I know there's a lot of small businesses run by women who follow me.

And there's that hype, especially with coaches and there's so much out there of posting all the time and get to a $10,000 month and this, this and this and join a master. There's so much out there. And look, I've been part of those and they've been amazing. The ones that I've been part of, I'd never felt that pressure. However, you can't go on Instagram as an entrepreneur without all these ads coming up about how you can fix your funnel or you can change things or attract more customers, which then those little seeds get into your head of, well, maybe I'm not doing enough

or I'm not doing it right or I should be trying this. Whereas for me and for so many, and I think for you as well, it isn't about those big $10,000 months and what other people set out to make like the million dollars a year. You have an idea. You want to help other women. And that's at the forefront of what you do and the money that comes with it kind of is the supplementary to it. Obviously, you need the money in order to keep going.

But when it's not at the forefront, I think it changes the perspective of how you approach your business. Yeah, definitely. I definitely agree with that. And yeah, it's just, I think it's a mindset shift of. I think maybe an older generation might look at it as it's a failed business. And I think like us women and our, like us, Gen X's, we're kind of like, actually it was such, failure does not even come into my mind when I think about it.

I think it was the most beautiful, successful business. Absolutely. And, you know, I only have to look through all the testimonials that the websites doesn't exist now, but the testimonials that were there from all of our customers. Yeah. Like that is absolutely a success. Yeah. And to be able to.

How you measure success as well. Like when I closed mine down, I did have quite a bit of excess stock and I sold them off quite cheaply, like as majority of businesses do it, you know, I know that you did a sale at the end of yours. And they were snapped up. They literally, they flew and I pretty much sold out. And then what was left, I donated to a domestic violence women's shelter. But the success in that was me knowing that there were literally.

hundreds, if not thousands of women around Australia, wearing my design. And I'm like, they're going to keep on wearing that. Those dresses are going to live on. That was the success, not the fact that the monetary way hadn't quite turned out how I'd expected it to. And that's where measuring success, I think men and women probably look at that a bit differently, but also, like you say, generationally. It's not about being, if all you're going to measure a business on is money,

then you're missing the whole, so many people. missing the whole point. Yeah, yeah, of course. And like you were saying earlier about you see all the ads for 20, 30,000 dollars. I would see things like that and go, okay, but what's your profit? Like anyone can have a massive turnover. Absolutely. And what's your profit? Because they are two very different things. So, yeah, I mean, it was a really hard decision. It was a good profitable business. And just to kind of walk away, it took me, yeah, a good couple of years. But it was, I believe, the best decision I've, made in a very long time.

So it's so good when you look back and you think that was the, that was the right, not just the right thing, that was the best thing that I did to do. So how long ago was that now that you've? November, so we ceased trade the middle of November last year, but I've only just, there's so much accounting side of it to wrap up. So I've actually just signed off on the final accounting side of things. Wow. So that's how long it took to.

It's time, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah, it really does to wrap all the. financial side of it up. So that's all done now. So it's officially, yeah, it's definitely, it's definitely closed. It's all done. Yeah. I did keep, we've still got the trademarks to the names of the business and a few of the products and I will keep renewing those because I just have it in the back of my mind. That may be one day. You never know. You never know. So yeah, I think that's a good thing to do that. Yeah, it's just sitting there and, you know, I can bring it.

That's the beauty of it when you're in control of all your own stock and everything. I I could bring it back tomorrow if I wanted to. I don't do right now, but in 12 months, so I might get itchy feet and go. And that's the thing. You never know. I was when I was on Instagram the other day, there was a brand. I don't know if you, you may have remembered them. It was from years ago.

A lovely lady called Kylie, I'm sure it was Kylie. She used to have shabby sisters. It was a shop. I do. Yeah. So I used to, her and I used to chat quite a bit just on Instagram about things. And she closed. She was a really, you know, well,

loved business. Yeah. And she closed and I know it was for family reasons and her boys were like at the top end of high school. There was a number of different reasons. And I logged on and I saw her stories and it was a picture of her and it said chapter two. Yeah.

Okay. And I was like, that's so exciting. And it was so lovely to see her back. And that's the thing is that sometimes it just needs to be put on ice for a bit. Yep. And then you just need that bit of a break to live your own life, to do your own thing. Yep. and then decide, well, actually, do I want to recontinue?

So, yeah, you never, and that's the beauty. You never know. Yeah. Never say never. Yeah. So your gap here. I want to hear all about it. And I know that on Instagram you've been saying that you've been busier than ever,

which was not your intention. No, that was not my plan. So I've always been, I mean, in inverted commas, in the influencer world, I guess you would say, and worked with brands throughout the, throughout the, that's how we met. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Well, those years ago, yeah. Yeah, but then as I was building Better Kit, I sort of put all that off to one side.

I was still doing a bit of collaborations and stuff, but not really focusing on paid partnerships and whatnot because I had my own business to grow and build and focus on. But I don't know, the minute I kind of said, right, I'm closing the business from December onwards, I was just flooded with offers to work with brands. And I think it's taken me up until about now to remember, actually, no, you're on a gap here. Like, what are you doing? And so January, February, I was so busy. I was creating all sorts of content.

And I was doing a kind of gifted collabs and PayPal and whatnot. And that's being online. And when, you know, for those things, we say we create content. It is you put so much time and effort and love. And a 30 second reel can literally take like three or four hours. Yes. Then it gets sort of lost into the whole algorithm. them and you know, you send it off and you hope it does its best.

But it takes a long time, a lot of effort and a lot of time, like energy to create that content. Yeah, exactly. And it's the editing, the killer, you know, and so I just found. And I just found I was January, February and most of March, I was sitting on the couch endlessly editing. And what is my doing? This is the, this is why I wanted to get out of it.

of my own business because I was tethered to my phone and I'm three months later doing the same thing. So it kind of shows you how hard it is to get out of that mindset and into actual relaxation mode. Life. Yeah. Yeah. And so the beginning of this month and March, I just kind of have been really picking and choosing what I'm doing and saying no to so much more than what I'm saying is too. So I'm now leaning, really leaning into the whole gap here more than I was in the summer months, if you will, and just filling my days with things that bring me joy and things and people that bring me joy. So I just started random hobbies.

Like I've bought a bedazzling. I saw that. I wanted to talk you about that because I saw someone the other day. I don't know if I sent it to or not. I meant to. And she'd bedazzled a whole denim jacket. Oh, yeah. People are sending me stuff.

She's done that. And then I did see someone doing their cosmetics, which I knew you were doing your. Yeah, that's what I've been doing. It's just, it's the. process, not the product for me. So years ago, I used to be an early childhood teacher and that's what we used to say to parents when they'd get a bit bent out of shape if the child wasn't reading as well as the child next to them. And I would say it's the process, not the product. Like everyone has to go through this learning experience, right? So bedazzling for me is all

about the process. It just calms my mind. It's so relaxing. I put a Netflix show on, had that in the background, and I just don't think. And the end result is, tacky and kitch and just, I, it's, I love it. I finish things and I go, that is really unattract. But the actual process. You know, it's the process and it's the satisfaction of like, well, even if I think it looks gaudy, I did it and I love it. And it's just, it's, it's my way of relaxing.

Yeah. So that's my current hobby. It'll probably change. I've also done, I did a flower workshop, like a florist workshop. Yep. Which I absolutely loved. And I just. Like with your ribbon.

Yes. See, this is, we can blame TikTok because TikTok got me on to the ribbon Pavlova and the bedazzling. Oh, that's how. And the floral arranging is just something I've always wanted to do. And I actually, I've loved to do it. Yeah, anything creative, what you enjoyed as a kid is usually what you are drawn to as an adult when you're looking for a hobby. Yeah. So you just say, oh, you play the flute.

Now you play the piano. And as you're talking, I've got a piano sitting over there to my right that I used to be really good at playing the piano. And I had persons from the age of seven through to 18. Wow. I'm actually going to study it at university, but back then. Well, you've got, your children are quite musical as well, aren't they? Yeah, they both are. Yeah, they both are quite musical.

I bet you can play Claire to Loon probably. I can. I was going to say, do you know, that is a really hard piece to learn. And I didn't play, I couldn't play that until I was about four or five years into. I'm only literally the first 30 seconds. It took me about three hours. Three hours for that. And then I've realized that I've got quite small hands.

And then the next section, I have to stretch my hand out so far. That's the bit. And that's why I've got, I've stalled on that and I went to another piece. Yeah. Like I love, I know we're going off on a tangent, but I love like cinematic scores from movies. They're some of my favorite music to listen to. So I just sort of, I always had the ability I could listen to something and then just sort of. Or just figure out.

out. So yeah, that's, that's fun. So when was the last time you played then? Oh, every now and again, I'll sit down and I can remember, I can still remember pieces from years and years and years ago, but I can't really play a full piece from start to finish anymore. So that is also on my list of things to do this year is to just, yeah, get back into the piano because I do enjoy it. It does come back to you. But. I'm just like riding a bike. If I pick up, once I get into it, I can play. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Especially the high notes, they're a bit harder than I remember.

But yeah. So what else is on the list? We did a lot of travel last year, actually. And so it was my husband travels a lot for work. So I can tag along with them every now and again, which is amazing. So a little bit of travel, but probably not as much this year because our son and his partner are living in London at the moment. So our plan is to go over with our daughter at Christmas and have a white Christmas over this. Oh, that would be lovely.

Yeah, so that's sort of what we're concentrating on, just saving the pennies for that. So there's not a lot of travel, but that's okay because I'm enjoying just downtime. Yeah, really enjoying that. And yeah, just really, when I sort of thought I'm going to have a gap year, I just thought, I don't really even know what that entails. And I'm such a planner and I'm so type A that I am also just rolling with it. So when people ask, like, what are you going to do? My answer is usually like, I don't really know.

I think that's the best thing. Yeah. I think that is the most fun when you don't know because it's literally like, okay, let's see where the year takes us. Yes. And I'm enjoying it so far. And I'm just kind of, yeah, I'm saying yes to different things and no to a lot of things, which I think is when sometimes we really struggle with saying no. And I've also learned that you can actually say, no, thank you. That's not for me.

And, you know, in the past when I've said yes to things I should have said no to, it never really works out well anyway. So that's a learning lesson. Yeah, I've been there, done that. Yeah. And I don't know, there's something about being in your 50s that you just all of a sudden care about different things in a different way. And that kind of is shaping my year as to what I'm going to do. So exciting.

It's not going to be anything outdoorsy though, people who know me from socials. No, I'm not really an outdoors. No, I wouldn't expect you to start going on hikes and camping. No, no. I'm not the kind of person either. If I see a big set of steps or a big hill, I do think of you. Yeah. I can't do them either from all my pelvic floor issues that I've got and still investigating.

Yeah, I just can't do them. Yeah, it's not for me. But I did grow up in New Zealand and we were back there just recently and I do love the outdoors in New Zealand, but mainly because when you go outside, there's not 47 things that could kill you. Like there's no snakes. There's no. I didn't know that.

I literally didn't know that until about two months ago. Yeah, no. there's nothing there. It's so great. So like outdoorsy there is my kind of outdoorsy and it's not hot. I don't do snakes. I think I put it on Instagram that end of last year. I was end of last year, beginning of this year.

I can't remember. It was still when it was the year of the snake. And we had our first snake living under the barbecue because I remember because we have so many lizards. And I can't remember God, good old perimenopause. I can't remember the name of these. Water Dragons. We have so many of them.

And so I just assumed it was one of them that was living in there. And then my husband's like, it has no legs. And I'm like, well, it has no legs. I don't do that. Yeah, absolutely. They are not my thing. No. No.

So, yeah, the Gap is not going to involve much, Aunt Dawsey, but you never know. Maybe if we have another chat in 12 months time, I might surprise even my... Oh, I'll have to, because I'll need to know what you. what you've got up to. So while we're chatting, let's have a quick chat because we both love fashion so much. Yes. What are you wanting to sort of coming? Because I know it's harder for you being in Brisbane that your cooler months aren't really

as cool as like what we get in Sydney and say, you know, obviously Victoria. Is there anything on your radar that you're wanting to purchase or where that you're seeing for that? Well, I'm loving anything chocolate brown at the moment. And I... It's very good because there's so much of it. There's so much. is everywhere and I have been buying just a few little bits and pieces because the problem is everything's now in the stores, right, for autumn, winter.

We don't get winter till, like, to last a week really. It's 31 degrees here today. So I'm buying a couple of little pieces that I just think are missing from my wardrobe and probably won't wear them for another two months, but they're there. If you really, and this is what I say to clients all the time, if you, you really, if you have things on your list and then you buy it when you see it even if you're not going to wear it necessarily immediately it's an intentional purchase because you know that that like I've got a list on my list I want some kitten heel like brown sway boots so very specific what I'm after

and that's going to it may they may not even come out necessarily yeah but I've got them on the list and you know that when you see them you buy them and then you wait to wear them you've just on a really big wardrobe clear out haven't you? Yeah, I do that pretty regularly. And I've just, because I only have a small wardrobe space. So I rotate through. So I like put all my summer stuff away and bring all my water in winter. I do the same.

But of course now I'm still, as you can see, I'm still in my summer. It's just so hot. But doing a little bit of travel too is helpful. So, you know, when we were just in New Zealand last week, that was great. I could take all my jeans and I bought a new bomber jacket, chocolate brown bomber jacket from Country Road and wore that every day over there. Yeah. I'm going to wear it again now for a little while, but at least what's really good wear out of it. So, yeah, I do like to just be organised within my wardrobe and then just look for gaps.

And more, I try to dress more for what I know I feel good in and what suits me rather than the current trends, if you will. Absolutely. Not really a trend buyer. No, neither. That is. I'm more of a, that is not my ethos. Yeah, just a classic. I'd say my, I'd say my style would be like casual classic.

I'm a jeans and a nice top sort of a girl, love a blazer. But I also do love all the alternate jacket styles that it seemed to be coming through for the cool. There's a lot. I'm actually doing a master class tonight in the color collective. And I was going to do it on one topic. And then I was like, you know what? I've decided to switch it up and I'm doing it on jackets. Because there are so many different styles and cuts coming out.

Yep. Which is so nice to see. Yeah. And I think what can be really hard, though, is like we've talked about, you know, I think you and I pretty much know what our style is and what we like to wear and what we enjoy wearing. And we don't really subscribe to a trend unless it's something we really want to try, like that you're intrigued to try. Yep.

And that's where I'm encouraging, like, with clients that you don't have to try every single trend that comes out in order to, you know. I hate the words that you. dress to stay modern and relevant. Like, I can't, it's just, I can't think of anything worse. You dress for you and what you want to wear and how you want to feel in the clothes that you wear. Yeah. But yeah, there's so many different styles.

But I've noticed like in denim jackets, there's that, so there's still the shacket that's around. Former jackets are definitely making a bit of a rear rear parents this year. And then there's the new, there's a couple of new denim jacket styles that I've seen come out. There's, they've called it a trucker style. I don't know if you've seen these. Yeah.

It's more just like the old 80s style denim jacket. Like it's just bigger style, I guess. So there's that. And then there's like the funnel neck. Yep. Which that was a trend that I actually did really like. But then when I tried it on me, it just nothing for me. The pockets were too big.

I got drowned in fabric and it didn't work. So that's one that I will have to love from afar. Yes. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. I understand that. Yeah.

Yeah. So I picked up one, picked up a denim jacket at a, like a thrift shop for 20 bucks. It's like a military style one. And I, yeah. So because there's a little bit of military that I've noticed on a Rodney Clark have got one that's quite military. So yeah, no, it's, there's lots of different things coming in the stores. In terms of colors, I think it's very much like autumn-based colors that are coming in. So I'm hoping that some other like cooler tone colors might.

Yeah. A bit of an appearance. Yeah. But yeah, with the chocolates, that's everywhere. Yeah, sure is, which I'm loving. So, yeah. Yeah. The chocolate brown.

Well, it's nice to have change from black. Agreed. Yes, it's lovely. Yeah. Yeah. And I was in Country Road the other day, and their whole new collection is warm toned. Like, there's rusts and olive greens. They've got like a lovely oatmeal color.

So, yeah, lots of really nice colors coming in as well. So when you do a clear. out. I couldn't remember. Do you sell them online? Do you have a page that you? I do, but I had, I did a big clear out, oh, about six months ago. And I, this is embarrassing to say, but I filled nine bags of clothes. And I was mortified at myself. I was like, this is cramsy. Yeah, but especially for you, especially when you're working with brands, I can see that easily done. Yeah. So I donated all of, all of those. Then I had some pieces. Obviously, I'm not anything that I'm gifted. I don't, I don't sell at all.

I wear those to dead because I say yes to brands that I know. Yeah. And I'll read them. But I'd had a couple of things that I'd bought myself and I'd worn, some of them still had tags on and I was like, again, I'm mortified. So I do have it. You know, I don't know. Including me.

Everybody has that. And so I did, I have a Instagram page where I sold a couple of pieces there to some really lovely women who have sent me photos of them wearing their, wearing. Oh, that's so good. Yeah. And it's so nice to know that they've gone to a. good home, you know, but I have learned because someone actually messaged me and said, well, I've just intrigued to know why you're buying things and not wearing them because I do

that like this lady does it too. And I just said, I've now learned if you don't, if you put something on in a change room and you're talking yourself into it, it's not true. And I've done that so many times and I've been like, oh, but I could wear it with this. It's not quite right. But if I pull it in here, if I do this. And then it just hangs in my wardrobe or the dreaded, oh, if I just lost a couple

of kilos, like why do we think like that? And so I just don't anymore. And it's just got to be, if I put it on and go, oh, my God, I love this. Then, and it's, you know, I can afford to bond. That's it. You have to. Yeah. Is a cool reaction of like, wow.

Like I love it. And you're not going to get that if you're buying a basic, necessarily a basic t-shirt or you're filling some of the bases you need. But I even had that. I had to, my shape has changed and I've put on a bit of weight since my hysterectomy. And none of my jeans were fitting. and I had really bad endobloat and literally nothing fit, not one thing. And I was so upset. And so last week I went shopping and I tried on all these different pants and Unicloat.

And it was, I tried like when I put the knit pants on, which they came home in three colors. It was because they fit and they were comfortable. But when I put them, I was like, oh, wow, I really like that. Yeah. Yeah. I really like that. And then I tried on a shirt just to see how a shirt would look with the jeans because I've got quite a few shirts at home, not like this one.

Then I was like, oh my God, I love the shirt. Like, yeah. And it's that feeling. And that's what I tell women all the time. It's not a, oh, well, perhaps I could wear it with this, but I'm not really sure if you ever feel like that. So for those listening, if you ever feel like that, make sure you can return it. If you want it to go home and test it, like for me, you have to have a minimum of three

outfits that you can wear something with. And I bought a country road. green, you know, their heritage sweats that they... Yep. It was in the men's section and my son is a light summer like me, even though we're totally different. Like he's olive skinned and brunette hair. And I bought it for his birthday and then they brought it out in the heritage sweat,

but not in the women's. I was like, that is the perfect green. And this green just doesn't come along. And I bought it in the extra, extra small, hoping. And then I came home and I tried it on and like it was all bunched here. Maybe because I love the color so much. or maybe I could get it altered a little bit. And then I thought this is already $120.

And now you're adding more money on because you're going to have to get the damn thing altered. And could they actually alter it to fit properly? Yeah. And so I sat on that because what? I think you've got 30 days or whatever it is. I sat on it for three weeks. It stayed in the bag, in the wardrobe. And then my parents happened to be here on the weekend.

I tried it on and my mom was like, no. And even for me, I looked at again. I was like, I love the color. I don't love the item. Yeah. I was like, it's got to go back. Yeah. Whereas I bought a pair of seed linen pants, their high-waisted pants in their core.

And I think you've got them in like a, the red. You had like that orangey red. Didn't you have a set? Yes, I've got a skirt and a top. Oh, the skirt. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. So in those ranges, they do the pants. And I have the shorts and they had it in a really pale pink. You would have the pink. And I'd held off and held off. And then I'd just taken this top back and I'd walk down to seed and they had it in my new size. And I tried it on and they were reduced down to 69. I'm like, that's something that I will wear again and again.

I was like, even for me as like a light summer, I still like being quite classic in my colour combinations. So for me with a pale pink, I'd wear like either if it was a matching pale pink or I'd wear a grey and navy or a white. or like a denim with it. And I'm like, okay, so there's my three outfits. They can come home. And I don't need to be altered. But it's really, it's so easy to be in those change rooms, especially when you're not sure what suits you or what you even like to talk yourself

into something and then it hangs in your wardrobe. Yeah. Yes. I'm working really hard at not doing that anymore. And I am really. It is an effort sometimes. It is. No, it is.

And I actually am enjoying what's in my wardrobe at the moment. So, you know, it's a strategy that's working. Yeah, which is great. Yeah. Fashion is a lot of fun, but it can also become quite overwhelming and quite daunting. And then you can feel like your wardrobe is just exploding. But yeah, I think it's when in Australia, I've said this a lot before that you get a lot of the same kind of things popping up between, especially like witchery, trenery, country road.

Like they're all owned by the same brand. They're slightly different, but you're going to get different, slightly different, slightly different, but sort of similar. So, you know, like when you went, was it Italy that you bought those really, was it dresses or tops that you bought when you were there? They were just. Oh, I bought a really beautiful dress. Yeah.

Just a one, a gorgeous linen dress. And I've just worn and worn and worn that. Yeah. And I think that's really nice is even looking outside the usual suspects. Yes. And even looking overseas, obviously I know at the moment, shipping and everything is so much more expensive with what's going on in the world.

But I actually started, I started following a brand that you were in. Is it called Tuesday? Was that that you posted that on your, you're in New Zealand. Oh, drama, the label? Yeah, maybe that was it. Maybe I've mixed it up. Might be. I visited them when we were over there last week.

Yeah. Yeah. It's so nice when I love it. when people tag things when they're overseas because then you get to find different brands and what they're doing and especially little boutiques. I feel like little boutiques are lost over. I don't have many in my area. Do you have many around where you are?

Not really, no. Thought of you yesterday actually. I meant to send it to you. There's this woman, she must live out in the country and she tries all these sort of random recipes and someone had said to her, you can make a Pavlova replacing the, the sugar with the nest quink. Did you see that? Three people sent me that.

I saw it and I was like, I need to send that to you. That's interesting. I don't know if I'm convinced on that one. I mean, I'll probably give it a go. She said going back for more. Yeah, I'll probably give it a go to try it. I just loved it how she said, someone sent this in.

I think it's bullshit, but we're going to try it anyway. Yeah. I'm not sure. Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm sold on that one, but I probably will go by a can of Ness Creek to give it a go. Strawberry or the chocolate. Yeah, I probably, oh, I don't know. I do banana as well.

I actually really like banana. That is it. Of my next quick, that'd be my favorite. But I'm not sure how I feel about a banana flavor. Really. Yeah, no, I think I'd just like eat a banana. Yeah. I'm just not really, I can't get my head around it.

No, I sure don't have quite interesting. Yeah, she made also, she made an apple cake, where she literally, it was a tin of apples and it was like a $1 cake mix. Right. And did that. And that turned out as like a tea cake. That turned out pretty good. I mean, that could work.

Don't follow her. She just keeps coming up. Yeah. I don't know if I want to be influenced in that regard because I'll just start making crazy stuff all day long. I think I might stick to my bedazzling. Yeah. And I'm just work on my ribbon pavlover craft and normal flavors.

but I do like coloring them, so like as in food coloring. Yeah. So, but yeah, I'm always doing something baking-wise. I love baking again. I just find that therapeutic. I love the whole process of it. And I do like feeding people. Like I'm, that's probably my love language.

Like creating beautiful movies and the whole taping and the kind of thing. I love that. Yeah. And I think it's really relaxing. I've done that even myself this year. I've tried really hard. And there are times when I'm like, no, I just want. to bake a bit more or be in the kitchen a bit more rather than everything being such a rush.

I felt like everything was such a rush and I just wanted to take. And if that means that I miss posting one day because I'm actually baking something for the kids or doing dinner, then that's the line that I've done. Well, thank you so, so much for coming back on and giving everyone a life update of what you're up to now. It has been an absolute delight to catch up with you. And I do. I think we should catch up in a year's time and see exactly what you did on your gap year.

That sounds like a good plan. Awesome. Thanks so much. Take care and I'll chat. Thanks for having me. Bye.