Last Friday morning, warmed by sunshine after a week of rain, our community of creative minds gathered in Bondi to celebrate the launch of the RUSSH Beauty Annual 2.0 – a reimagined broadsheet and continuation of our exploration into beauty and what it all means. Held at the RUSSH Café takeover on Bondi’s iconic Curlewis Street, we brought together friends and partners for an intimate conversation between RUSSH Beauty Editor Emily Algar and skincare visionary Emma Lewisham.
The morning started with coffee, matcha and The Beauty Chef Collagen Boost elixirs. Guests including Sean Brady, Mana Mackay, Elfy Scott, Serena Wardell and Maggie Hewitt slowly filled the space – a warm, textured room scattered with wooden stools, native flowers and poster boards of Broadsheet cover girl Devon Lee Carlson.
Once everyone was settled and sufficiently caffeinated, the conversation began. Emily opened by reflecting on the essence of the second RUSSH Beauty Annual 2.0 – a version of beauty that intersects voyeurism, creativity and self expression. A collection of thoughtful essays, think pieces, images and interviews, the annual emphasises that beauty comes in all forms; it’s less about how we look, and more about a feeling.
The conversation then shifted over to Emma, whose eponymous brand recently achieved the world’s highest B Corp score within the luxury skincare space. The founder shared her perspective on the power of purpose-driven innovation and spoke candidly about creating systems that nourish both people and planet. The discussion touched on transparency, sustainability and the emotional resonance of rituals – how skincare can be both a scientific pursuit and a personal salve. As she shared insights from her journey, guests nodded and hung to every word, Emma’s inspiring aura could be very much felt.
After the talk, conversations spilled out into the sidewalk. More friends stopped by – dogs, too – to enjoy the sunshine, a Beauty Chef collagen elixir and leave with their copy of the annual.
The morning felt emblematic of what RUSSH stands for: connection, conversation, and creativity in real life. A reminder that beauty, at its core, is not only seen but shared.
A look at the morning that was, below:
