Welcome to The Review of Beauty (formerly known as The Unpublishable)!
What people are saying about this weekly(ish) newsletter:
“The woman the beauty industry fears.” - the Sunday Herald
“Yanking consumers out of the matrix made by the beauty industry.” - HuffPost
“Jessica DeFino is really good at her job.” - Emily Sundberg
“A fierce critic.” - the Financial Review
“Innovative and Visionary … helping to shape culture while breaking new ground.” - Adweek
“Acerbic.” - the Financial Times
“Terrifically smart.” - Slate
“Jessica DeFino is who you should be reading if you want to really understand the existential vertigo of the beauty industry right now.” - Catherine Lacey
“DeFino’s [work] is a reminder to question our relationship with beauty. Why do we do what we do? Is it being defined by society or driven by our authentic self?” - Dua Lipa
“Subscribe for witty, BS-free content.” - the Sunday Times
What is The Review of Beauty?
Hi! I’m Jessica DeFino. I've been working in the beauty industry for over a decade — first in magazines, producing celebrity cover shoots (I did Rihanna's Harper's Bazaar Arabia spread), then in digital, working with the Kardashian-Jenner sisters to create content for their Official Apps (I'm sorry). I later pivoted to freelance reporting and wrote for The New York Times, The Sunday Times, Vogue, Allure, and more.
After years in the belly of the beauty industry beast, I realized: There is no beauty here.
I started The Review of Beauty five years ago to cover what traditional beauty publications don’t, won’t, or can’t — whether that’s to appease advertisers, preserve brand relationships, or cling to the conventional wisdom, outdated ideals, and marketing myths that keep consumers consuming. (Trust me, it all influences what information makes it to the mainstream.) My goal is to de-center products and re-center people; to explore how beauty culture impacts us, not just externally but existentially. All my reporting is free, but anyone interested in extra insight can become a paying subscriber for $5/month.
Consider TROB the first-ever Beauty publication (because everything else is just about appearance).
Paying subscribers get:
The Don’t Buy List: a twice-monthly curation of beauty news, current events, and trend reports + my personal commentary
Access to the comment section and subscriber chats
The joy of supporting the culture-shifting work of The Beautywell Project and Slow Factory, where a portion of subscriber proceeds are donated each month
My endless gratitude for funding independent beauty reporting that isn’t beholden to brands, advertisers, algorithms, or affiliate sales
Paying subscribers say:
“This remains the best $5 I spend all month.”
"Your work has been better for me than any product I have ever purchased.”
“My therapist suggested your writing.”
“As a proud retired hot girl, this publication has done so much for me in terms of unlearning beauty bullshit and taking my time back. I have saved hundreds of dollars in products, maybe hundreds of hours of self-obsession, thanks to Jessica’s work. I truly cannot recommend reading this newsletter enough.”
“YOU MAKE THE INTERNET BEARABLE.”
Have a hot tip for The Review of Beauty? An unsettling ad, a new celebrity brand, exec-level intel? Submit it anonymously here.
