The AAs to Z of Everything and Nothing

The AAs to Z of Skincare, Aging & Beauty BoundariesIn this episode, Alaina and Ash swap stories about cosmetic procedures overheard at the gym, share their personalized skincare routines prescribed by beauty expert Brooke, and debate where to draw the line on anti-aging treatments, from dermarolling to mouth taping to facelifts.Topics & Timestamps:[0:23] Introductions — Alaina and Ash[0:52] Gym eavesdropping: nose jobs in Turkey and a 40-year-old researching facelifts[2:28] The 44 and 60 face transformation theory; would you get a facelift?[3:25] Someone asked Alaina if she's had a facelift - should you be flattered?[5:12] Alaina's daily skincare routine breakdown (cleansing oil, stem cells, snail serum, LED mask, retinol, dermaroll)[6:27] Ash's personalized skincare prescription (micellar water, vitamin C ampullae, exfoliating toner, silk pillowcases)[8:41] Derma Rolling Deep-Dive - Ash's scraping mishap, clown lines fading, chest breakouts, and hitting her boundary on face treatments[9:30] Sleeping on your back to prevent side wrinkles - the snuggle vs. vanity debate[11:00] Mouth Taping & Sleep Habits - medical tape for nasal breathing, mouth breather posture issues, and why Ash is not onboard[14:07] Botox, Skin Boosters & Mother's Day —-surviving the holiday, the pain of skin booster needles, and the upsell to PRP microneedling[16:26] Ash's HydraFacial in Bangkok - face shaving, water extractions, and glassy skin results[18:43] HydraFacials, Bloodhound Jowls & Madonna - the bloodhound jowl comparison, Madonna's facelift double standard, and the 3D facelift[22:24] Final thoughts - never say never, clinging to "young-ish," and mom's natural beautyProducts & Treatments Mentioned:Botox, skin boosters, LED mask, retinol, derma roller, snail serum, stem cells, vitamin C serum, exfoliating toner, sheet masks, cleansing oil, micellar water (Bioderma), HydraFacial, PRP microneedling, facelifts, 3D facelifts, silk pillowcases, medical tape (mouth taping)Links & References:Brooke's beauty expertise at Phuket Cleanse — Age BackwardsKey Takeaways:Brooke's philosophy: the 1% you do daily matters more than the big treatmentsDerma rolling visibly faded lines, but may not suit all skin types (chest breakouts)Both Alaina & Ash draw the line at mouth taping, back sleeping, and PRP microneedling - for now 😂Facelifts are more common than expected, who would have thought it? 

Thanks to everyone for the incredible support after our first episode! This week, we're sharing protein tips straight from our listeners — from breakfast shake recipes to creatine dosages and vegan protein hacks.In this episode:0:40 Listener Protein Tips — Fasting for women, Stacy Sims as a resource, and a high-fiber protein shake recipe2:16 Vegan Protein Discussion — Why animal protein is hard enough already, and a shout-out to our vegan listeners2:59 Recipe & Creatine — Alice's morning smoothie recipe (milk, banana, chia seeds, pea protein, 10g creatine, collagen, yogurt, cinnamon, vanilla seeds), plus the case for increasing creatine from 5g to 10g for brain benefitsResources mentioned:Stacy Sims — stacysims.com (protein, strength training, menopause & perimenopause)Have a protein tip or recipe to share? Send it our way for a future episode!

Meet Alaina and Ash. Two friends, ten years in, four years apart - connected by voice notes, fierce opinions, and the shared chaos of being a woman in your 40s & 50s. From career pivots to protein obsessions, from aura readings to crying in towels at 8am, this is what it really sounds like to figure it all out in real time. No polish. No neat answers. Just two women, one VN at a time. 

The AAs to Z…of Protein: Shakes, Gruel, and a BreakthroughTwo friends and longtime voice-note oversharers, Alaina and Ash, discuss turning their shared protein obsession into a podcast, framed by their 2026 life resets and the pressures of being women navigating sleep, steps, hormones, and strength training. They trade experiments and frustrations about getting enough protein at breakfast and after workouts, including protein breakfast “gruel,” pros and cons of protein water, and debates over flavours like chocolate and cereal milk. Alaina describes mixing matcha with milks, waters and various supplements, while Ash works through portions and timing. After numerous and humorous failed attempts, they reach breakthrough recipe combinations like flavored protein with half coconut water and half milk tastes like a milkshake, leading to more flavours, half flavoured/half unflavoured blends, and a pantry filled with protein products.00:00 AAs to Z....of Protein19:30 The Breakthrough (00:00) - AAs to Z....of Protein (19:30) - The Breakthrough

Alaina overhears a table of women deep in a protein and collagen debate and has a lot of thoughts. A few short, unfiltered moments from the AA's to Z of... Protein.