They booked a brow wax. You got their entire breakup. They came for a lash lift. You held space for their grief. They said, “You’re the only one I can talk to.” And somehow... you kept going.

In this episode of The Ugly Side of Pretty, we’re pulling back the curtain on something every beauty pro knows, but no one really names: emotional labour.

Because being a lash, brow, or PMU artist isn't just about the skill of your hands — it's the quiet therapy sessions, the energy drains, the stories you carry home. And unlike our services, this part’s not priced into the booking.

We talk:

• Why clients overshare in treatment rooms

• The unspoken pressure to “hold it together” for everyone

• Emotional boundaries (or lack of) in beauty

• And how to protect your peace without sacrificing your client care

If you’ve ever ended a day mentally exhausted from more than just the sets you did… this one’s for you.

Because behind every pretty face, there’s a heavy space — and beauty pros are holding more than people realize.

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Follow labsnz on Instagram : ⁠⁠⁠⁠labs.nz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Renee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brow Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Miriam:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Haus of Lash NZ⁠

You mastered the craft—but when it comes to pricing? Panic. Guilt. Overthinking.
This episode dives into why beauty pros undercharge, how to stop people-pleasing with your prices, and what it really takes to charge like a CEO.
It’s time to raise more than just your rates.

Follow Us on Instagram : ⁠⁠⁠The Ugly Side of Pretty⁠⁠⁠

Follow labsnz on Instagram : ⁠⁠⁠labs.nz⁠⁠⁠

Follow Renee: ⁠⁠⁠The Brow Shop⁠⁠⁠

Follow Miriam:⁠⁠⁠ Haus of Lash NZ

Let’s talk about it — when did the algorithm become more important than the actual artistry?

In this episode of The Ugly Side of Pretty, we’re calling out the culture that’s trading substance for aesthetics. When content gets more energy than clients. When flawless feeds cover up flawed foundations. When educators care more about going viral than teaching value.

We’re asking the uncomfortable questions:

• Is your business built to last… or built to perform?

• Would it survive if Instagram disappeared tomorrow?

• And what kind of legacy are you really leaving behind?

For the artists who feel pressured to curate perfection instead of create impact — this one’s for you.

It’s time to stop chasing likes and start building something real.

📱🔥 Legacy Over Likes. Always.

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Follow Renee: ⁠⁠The Brow Shop⁠⁠

Follow Miriam:⁠⁠ Haus of Lash NZ

Training or Trauma? – Part 2: Red Flags & Real Fallout

Not all red flags come with a warning label — some are wrapped in certificates and confidence they didn’t earn.

In this episode, we’re unpacking the real impact of poor training in the lash, brow, and PMU industry.
Because when students are rushed through underqualified courses, it doesn’t just affect them — it affects everyone.

We’re talking:
🚩 Students left with massive gaps in knowledge
🚩 Professional artists forced to clean up the mess
🚩 A growing reputation crisis in our industry

This isn’t just about bad educators — it’s about a broken system that rewards speed over skill, and profit over people.

🎧 Hit play and let’s call it what it is.
Because if we want a stronger future, we need to start where it all begins — the training room.

Follow Us on Instagram : ⁠⁠⁠The Ugly Side of Pretty⁠⁠⁠

Follow labsnz on Instagram : ⁠⁠⁠labs.nz⁠⁠⁠

Follow Renee: ⁠⁠⁠The Brow Shop⁠⁠⁠

Follow Miriam:⁠⁠⁠ Haus of Lash NZ

Not all education is empowering — some of it leaves scars you don’t see.

In this episode of The Ugly Side of Pretty, we’re unpacking the raw reality behind beauty training that looks polished on the ‘gram but leaves artists underprepared, overwhelmed, and doubting their worth. From lash to brow to PMU, the story’s the same — overpriced promises, rushed certifications, and trainers who shouldn’t be teaching in the first place.

We’re diving into:
🚩 The difference between being trained and being set up
🚩 Why so many artists are walking away with trauma, not tools
🚩 The pressure to teach before you’ve mastered your own craft
🚩 And the silent damage it’s doing to our industry

This isn’t about dragging — it’s about unpacking what’s broken, calling the standard up, and standing with the artists who’ve been let down by a system that values profit over people.

If you’ve ever left a course feeling more lost than levelled up — this one’s for you.

🎧 Press play. Let’s talk about it.

Follow Us on Instagram : ⁠⁠The Ugly Side of Pretty⁠⁠

Follow labsnz on Instagram : ⁠⁠labs.nz⁠⁠

Follow Renee: ⁠⁠The Brow Shop⁠⁠

Follow Miriam:⁠⁠ Haus of Lash NZ

Behind the flawless sets, full books, and filtered reels…
there’s a side of the beauty industry no one wants to talk about.
Until now.

In this episode, we’re going deep into the unspoken culture of bullying— the kind that doesn’t always scream.
The kind that whispers, isolates, excludes, and hides behind professionalism.

From shady comments to “friendly competition” that’s anything but—
we’re naming the patterns, calling out the culture, and unpacking how pretty turns petty when power, ego, and insecurity collide.

This isn’t a takedown.
It’s a wake-up call.

If you’ve ever been iced out, overlooked, or made to feel like you didn’t belong—
you’re not too sensitive.
You’re just finally seeing it for what it is.

💥 This is the start of something louder.
Welcome to The Ugly Side of Pretty.

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Follow Renee: ⁠The Brow Shop⁠

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Welcome to The Ugly Side of Pretty — the podcast that unpacks the truth behind the beauty. Hosted by Miriam and Renee, co-founders of LABSNZ.

In our very first episode, we’re flipping the script.
This isn’t about cancel culture.
This isn’t about calling people out.
This is about calling the beauty industry UP — to better standards, stronger education, real leadership, and actual integrity.

We’re talking lash lifts with no lift, PMU gone rogue, and trainers with more ego than experience.
We’re asking the hard questions:
Why has mediocrity become the norm?
Who’s holding the industry accountable?
And what happens when beauty becomes a performance instead of a profession?

If you’re tired of the highlight reels and hungry for real change — hit play.
We’re not here to be palatable.
We’re here to be powerful.

🔥 It’s time to disrupt, rebuild, and rise together.
Because pretty isn’t always perfect — and that’s where the real work begins.

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Follow labsnz on Instagram : labs.nz

Follow Renee: The Brow Shop

Follow Miriam: Haus of Lash NZ