Welcome to FLESH WORLD!*
What people are saying about this weekly(ish) newsletter:
“The woman the beauty industry fears.” - The Herald
“A go-to for feminist insight on cosmetics and beauty culture.” - Salon
“Jessica DeFino is really good at her job.” - Emily Sundberg
“A fierce critic.” - the Financial Review
“Yanking consumers out of the matrix made by the beauty industry.” - HuffPost
“Un-bought, highly-researched, and totally unhinged way of covering the beauty industry.” - Kate Messinger
“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
*previously known as The Unpublishable and The Review of Beauty
What is FLESH WORLD?
Hi! Jessica DeFino here. I’m an award-winning beauty journalist who’s 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 FLESH WORLD five years ago to report on the absurd world of beauty culture and 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or can’t — whether that’s to appease advertisers, preserve brand relationships, or cling to the conventional wisdom, outdated ideals, and marketing myths that keep consumers consuming.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.) It’s since become the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” according to The Herald.
Most FLESH WORLD content is completely free, but anyone interested in extra insight can become a paying subscriber for $6/month.
Paying subscribers get:
Exclusive, independent beauty reporting + the full FLESH WORLD archives
Access to the comment section and subscriber chats
The joy of supporting the culture-shifting work of The Beautywell Project, Slow Factory, and Transgender Law Center, 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 FLESH WORLD? An unsettling ad, a new celebrity brand, exec-level intel? Submit it anonymously here.
