Stephing Up

ChatGPT told me I was a soft autumn, so I culled my entire wardrobe. Then I got a proper colour analysis and found out I’m a light spring. Whoops. Turns out finding my (right) colour season was the thing that actually changed my glow up.
Rachel from Colour Lab explains colour analysis from scratch, what to wear instead of black, and how knowing your colour season changes your life outside the wardrobe too, from your hair colour to your makeup shades (and I can vouch for that).
This is for you if:
You’ve ever bought an outfit, put it on, and blamed your face
You’ve been checking your wrist veins to work out if you’re warm or cool (put your arm down)
Your wardrobe is 80% black and you’re not sure why it makes you look tired
In this episode:
What colour analysis is: the 12 seasons, and the 3 things (undertone, chroma, contrast) that decide yours
Virtual vs in-person colour analysis: how drapes work and why Rachel does it all online
How ChatGPT got my season wrong (and why I’d already culled my wardrobe)
Colour analysis beyond your wardrobe: your best hair colour and makeup shades
Colour analysis myths: the vein test, cool-toned fake tan, gold vs silver, and foundation labels
What to wear instead of black when black isn’t in your colour season
How knowing your colour season makes shopping easier
Does your colour season change as you age?

Find Rachel:
Rachel Bilu is one of Australia’s top virtual colour analysis experts and founder of Colour Lab. Based in Melbourne, available worldwide to help you find your Colour Season and personal style.
Instagram + all socials: Colour Lab Stylist (@colourlabstylist )
Website: www.colourlabstylist.com
Use the code STEPHINGUP to get 20% off Rach’s most popular colour analysis package!
Most popular package (Complete Colour, Hair & Makeup): https://colourlabstylist.com/products/the-complete-colour-hair-makeup-bundle
Related episodes:
S2E30: Skin Cycling for Beginners: the routine that halved my skincare (the face under the colours)
S2E15: The Doable Glow Up: where my (very wrong) soft autumn era started
Follow Stephing Up 🎧
Subscribe, leave a review, and send this ep to the friend who's sure she's a soft autumn.
Let's hang:
@stephing.up: https://instagram.com/stephing.up
@stephpase_: https://instagram.com/stephpase_
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@StephPase.
My book Mastering My Messy Life: Paperback https://amzn.to/4uL4X26 · Audiobook https://amzn.to/3NTTQn5 · Penguin https://www.penguin.com.au/books/mastering-my-messy-life-9781761349256
Steph Pase Planners: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au
Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/justanothermummyblog
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's ep is my full skin cycling routine, what your skin barrier actually is, and why I now own half the products I used to. I'm not a dermatologist, I'm a 35-year-old with oily, acne-prone skin who has tried everything. And this is what worked for me.
Your skin doesn't know the routine. I learned this the annoying way. I'd been skin cycling for years, my skin was the best it had ever been, and then I got excited and skipped a recovery night. Tingling. Tight. Red. My skin barrier, very politely, telling me to sit down.
This is for you if:
You bought a retinol, used it every night like the packet said, and decided you "can't use retinol"
Everything you put on your face suddenly stings and you can't work out why
You're in your 30s dealing with breakouts AND fine lines (rude)
In this episode:
What is the skin barrier, and the signs yours is damaged
Skin cycling explained, and why it works
Exfoliation night: BHA vs AHA for oily or dull skin, and the 15-minute rule
Retinoids for beginners plus the sandwich method
Recovery nights: why the boring nights matter most
…
Everything I use (not sponsored) 🧴
Shop my Skin Essentials list: linked here
Cleanser: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08W2HG4WP?tag=stephpase-22
Micellar water: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0C44X5JML?tag=stephpase-22
BHA exfoliant: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CJH3R48Z?tag=stephpase-22
Azelaic acid: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DG1DQ2S7?tag=stephpase-22
TXA serum: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CQ4ZM4VT?tag=stephpase-22
Barrier serum: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CMR74JMG?tag=stephpase-22
Hydrating serum: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07NNVZNQR?tag=stephpase-22
Face spray: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DCBWM7GT?tag=stephpase-22
Moisturiser: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FMDRCHXV?tag=stephpase-22
Face towels: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0D5HZHW9B?tag=stephpase-22
Differin (adapalene): ask your pharmacist or doctor. I get mine from the iHerb website.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Episode Links:
Episode - Stop Asking What’s Causing your Acne (Ask this instead)
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple
The 2027 Planner Collection is now live! My Skincare routine lives in mine. Shop now.

…
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
If today's episode helped, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify is honestly the best thing you can do to help us reach more women.
…
Let’s Hang:

Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia
Steph’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/justanothermummyblog/list/17TTU785IMM53
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adulting hacks nobody told me: iPhone settings you're not using, unclaimed money in Australia, free IKEA parts + more. These are the 17 things I found, across tech, life admin and money. Some of them you'll know. A lot of people won't. There's all these things we just assume everyone knows about... and they don't.
This is for you if:
You're paying for an app your phone already does
You hate life admin with a passion, but you'd quite like any money that's sitting there with your name on it
You've ever stood in the IKEA car park missing one tiny wobbly metal thing
In this episode:
iPhone hacks nobody tells you about:
How to find unclaimed money in Australia
NSW money hacks
Life admin hacks
Home + girl math
…
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
If today's episode helped, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify is honestly the best thing you can do to help us reach more women.
…
Let’s Hang:
The 2027 Planner Collection is now live, and selling fast! Lock in your favourite planner before they’re gone: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/collections/planners
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia
Steph’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/justanothermummyblog/list/17TTU785IMM53

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm about to ruin your perception of time and likely your day. Hang in there, we'll still be friends at the end.
I went looking for the facts about time because I've become a broken record. How are my kids this old? How is it already September? Where did the year go? I say some version of that most days. And at the same time (this is the uncomfortable bit) I'm trying to make almost every part of my actual life go faster. YouTube while I cook. Emails in the grocery queue. Podcasts on double speed. I even brush my teeth in a rush.
Today I’m sharing what I learned.
This is for you if:
You say "how is it already September" and "where did the year go" more than once a week
Your days blur together and you can't remember what you actually did on Tuesday
You've been told to "just be present" and thought, okay, but HOW
In this episode:
Why time speeds up as you get older
The two kinds of time: why a doctor's waiting room disappears and a weekend away feels huge
Why life feels like a blur and what the research says about memory markers
Living at double speed and what it's doing to us
How to be more present without meditating: the 5 things I actually do
Why it's okay for time to fly and the question that replaced "how do I slow it down"
…
Episode Links:
Shop Journals: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/collections/journals
The 2027 Planner Collection is now live, and selling fast! Lock in your favourite planner before they’re gone: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/collections/planners
…
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
If today's episode helped, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify is honestly the best thing you can do to help us reach more women.
…
Let’s Hang:
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia
Steph’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/justanothermummyblog/list/17TTU785IMM53
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know everyone loves the Let Them Theory… but I actually think there’s one pretty big problem with telling people to simply “let them” and stop caring what other people think.
It kind of asks us to fight against our own psychology.
Humans are wired to care about belonging, rejection and what other people think of us. For most of human history, being accepted by the group wasn’t just nice — it was tied to survival.
Which is probably why one weird comment can derail your entire day, someone seeming “off” sends you into a spiral, or criticism somehow becomes evidence that you’re a terrible person… hi. Same.
For years, I thought the goal was to learn how to stop caring what people think. But the more I’ve looked into the psychology behind it, the more I’ve realised that advice like “just don’t care” can miss something pretty important: humans are literally wired to care about belonging.
So maybe the goal isn’t becoming someone who doesn’t care.
Maybe it’s becoming much more selective about whose opinions are allowed to carry weight.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
Why some of us take criticism, rejection and other people’s moods so personally
The very old survival reason your brain cares so much about what other people think
How negativity bias can make one negative comment louder than 100 positive ones
Why telling yourself to “just stop caring” often doesn’t actually work
The difference between receiving feedback and automatically turning it into a judgement about who you are
Why disagreement doesn’t necessarily mean rejection
The problem with giving people who barely know you the same voting rights as the people who actually do
The simple filter I now use before deciding whether someone’s opinion deserves my energy
The “mailbox” idea that completely changed how I think about criticism
How to let something sting without letting it become your truth
And towards the end, I’ll give you the questions I now ask myself when a comment gets under my skin — because I’m probably never going to become someone who magically doesn’t care what anyone thinks.
But I can stop handing everyone a vote on who I am.
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
If today's episode helped, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify is honestly the best thing you can do to help us reach more women.
Let’s Hang:
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia
Steph’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/justanothermummyblog/list/17TTU785IMM53
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.