The Curve

Can women afford to not botox?

The Curve

Show Notes

This week, Sophie and Emma finally have the conversation they've been avoiding for months (maybe years): what beauty spending actually costs women over a lifetime, and whether skipping it is a luxury anyone can afford. They get very honest about what they've personally spent on Botox, filler and laser, then run the numbers on what that money could be worth if invested instead. Plus they unpack why workplace ageism means looking young isn't just about vanity, and whether the "transparency era" of plastic surgery is helping women or just normalising more of it. At some point it stops being about beauty and starts being about tradeoffs; this episode just puts numbers on them.

Sign up to our Substack, Soph's Botox confession is coming (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)

Denise Richards' facelift recovery in Allure, warning, it's pretty graphic (https://www.allure.com/story/denise-richards-facelift-before-and-after)

Emma’s Links

Pleasure: https://geni.us/pleasureelboynton Sex Talks: https://www.sextalks.co.uk/ Instagram: / emmalouiseboynton (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rUkdXbE1pSV9FeUVqOTBqNEVXaUNkTXxBR3JiS2Fsa0k3aW1xSS1vTjlXajhSV2JKck82cjNlWmNwZDFjUTYyb2lrazZJeE9vMS1pV241eHpldzdhT09SVDZmeVRmcDVNd1h3S3YxZnJpOEhfUlhhSTc5X3RRNHFUVGU3&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Femmalouiseboynton&v=GF8IJCxAEgs)

Substack: https://emmalouiseboynton.substack.com

WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits:

Compound interest Money making money, then that money making money too. Opportunity cost What you gave up by spending it on your face instead. ROI Return on investment, or "was it worth it" with a number attached. Motherhood penalty The pay cut nobody signs up for but most mums get anyway. Economic inactivity rate The percentage of people not working and not looking for it either.

Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve

Credits:

Hosts: Sophie Hallwright

Guest: Emma Louise-Boynton

Editor: Kate Callaghan

Producer: Emily Rigby

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/)

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3)

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⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly)

Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)

Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode … 00:01:20 The Curve x Generate 00:01:50 In the red or the green? 00:05:44 The pressure of beauty standards 00:18:22 How much Soph and Emma have spent 00:26:35 Is transparency helping us? 00:34:29 The financial cost of procedures 00:48:43 The Curve x Generate 00:49:29 The professional cost of staying natural 01:03:06 Thanks for listening! 01:05:01 Financial disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Generate’s Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Advice Provider License can be found here: GenerateKiwiSaver.co.nz/disclosures.

*Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey March Quarter End 2026. The Generate Focused Growth Fund returns have ranked in the top three of NZ Multi Sector Aggressive Category Funds for 10 year returns every q

More from The Curve

Oct 22, 2026

Part two of Meet the Founders. After Soph shared her money story, the requests for Vic's kept coming, so our Producer, Emily, and Digital & Social Manager, Lucy, sat her down for the full version. Vic takes us from selling her sister's clothes on Trade Me as a kid to choosing a South America trip over a job offer at Goldman Sachs, then starting out answering phones at Milford Asset Management. She shares the employee share offer she nearly turned down and what it grew into, what she learned as one of the only women in the room, and how her salary went from $45k to over $400k. Then it's on to The Curve. She talks about the friends who wouldn't stop telling her to start it, what raising money from investors was really like, her lowest point with money, and why she launched The Curve Investments. She also answers your community questions and gives her advice for anyone on the edge of a big decision. Watch Soph’s money story if you haven’t already! https://youtu.be/6NrkbtrC_Qg?si=U4dTbKku2I3XUwF0 We're so proud to have created a fund shaped by you, The Curve community. To find out more, visit thecurveinvestments.co.nz. The Curve Investments Limited is the issuer and manager of The Curve Fund. The Product Disclosure Statement is available at thecurveinvestments.co.nz/pages/the-legal-stuff. The Curve Investments Limited is part of The Curve group, and the hosts of this podcast have an interest in it. This is general information only, not financial advice. Investing involves risk and returns aren't guaranteed. Credits: Hosts: Victoria Harris, Emily Rigby, and Lucy Munro Producer: Kate Callaghan Editor: Emily Rigby Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline) For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/ Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/ The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw ⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform Chapters

Oct 20, 2026

Bumble was once worth US$14 billion. Now it’s being bought for US$1.3 billion and taken private, and the app built on women going first will be run by two men. Soph and Emma get into what went wrong, what happens to your shares when a company leaves the stock market, and why LVMH shares are down around 40% while Uniqlo keeps breaking records. Plus, is a Chanel bag ever really an investment? In case you missed our lab-grown vs natural diamonds episode … https://youtu.be/0qCN7Z1XFKM?si=KLlYJa-2hA5wu4Lt Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve Credits: Host: Sophie Hallwright & Emma-Louise Boynton Producer: Kate Callaghan Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline) For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/ Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/ The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw ⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform Chapters

Oct 18, 2026

Vic is officially back in New Zealand with big news: The Curve Fund is now live on Sharesies. She explains why September is so often a rough month for markets, the best analogy you’ll hear all year for how AMD became a trillion-dollar company without making a single chip, and why the company everyone should be watching isn’t Nvidia. Plus, how Warner Bros.’ CEO walked away with US$606 million after losing his job, and why stock options are worth asking about next time you negotiate your pay. Can’t get your head around bonds? https://youtu.be/BVhMzrp9jo0?si=IJF7VYP2PyZjwGGH How to ride the peptide wave … https://youtu.be/cKoNDrtjp_U?si=fIOe6BzImsgkDSO7 We're so proud to have created a fund shaped by you, The Curve community. To find out more, visit thecurveinvestments.co.nz. The Curve Investments Limited is the issuer and manager of The Curve Fund. The Product Disclosure Statement is available at thecurveinvestments.co.nz/pages/the-legal-stuff. The Curve Investments Limited is part of The Curve group, and the hosts of this podcast have an interest in it. This is general information only, not financial advice. Investing involves risk and returns aren't guaranteed. Wondering whether an investment actually lines up with your values? 👉 Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM Credits: Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris Producer: Kate Callaghan Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/ Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/ The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw ⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform Chapters

Oct 15, 2026

Today we're talking lab grown versus natural diamonds, and by the end of it, neither of us landed exactly where we thought we would. Sophie sits down with Martha (@martha.stewish) to unpack where diamonds actually come from, why the cut matters more than the size, and how a 90-year-old marketing campaign convinced generations of women that a natural diamond equals real love. We get into resale value, the celebrity engagement rings we assumed were natural, and why some of the richest people you know are quietly choosing lab grown. Full community data in this week's Substack! https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/ This episode is proudly supported by Michael Hill. We've teamed up to give one of you a diamond tennis bracelet, details on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en Credits: Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Victoria Harris Producer: Kate Callaghan Editor: Emilly Rigby Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline) For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/ Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/ The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw ⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform Chapters

Oct 13, 2026

Emma Louise Boynton is back, filling in for Vic. Sydney Sweeney’s “just sports” ad caused a stir, but the bigger story is that she’s an investor in Novig, the prediction market now reportedly worth $2 billion. Soph breaks down how prediction markets work and whether they’re anything more than sports betting. Then Emma brings the story of Sarah Creal, the Victoria Beckham Beauty co-founder who’s just launched a brand in the UK for women over 40, the generation with the most money to spend and the fewest products made for them. Check out Emma’s book! https://geni.us/pleasureelboynton Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve Credits: Host: Sophie Hallwright Guest: Emma-Louise Boynton Editor: Kate Callaghan Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline) For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/ Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/ The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw ⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform Chapters

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