a year later and this is still so relevant. just this week i’ve been wavering between continuing my “feral girl” summer or purchasing a few “minimal” skincare products. your writing is so concise and informative and has had a huge impact on my relationship to beauty. thank you for saving my $$ and saving my spirit too haha. can’t wait for the book. and i’ll say i love how you look at the root of these issue and tie it back to colonialism, sexism, racism, capitalism, etc. knowing where beauty culture stems from has had a huge impact in my personal ability to divest in it
So well written. I feel these answers could function as an intro or first chapter of a (your?) book. SKIN & nature - skin & culture - skin & industry, and where to position oneself as a woman. X
I’m typically pretty bad about reading articles because they don’t get my attention BUT you’re amazing!! Subscribed to your newsletter because I’ve enjoyed your work for a long time! Thank you for all you do to open our eyes to the beauty culture!
I write about addiction (to alcohol and other drugs, mainly, but in any form), and I see so many parallels in the work I do and what you’re doing.
The idea that we need/deserve something, that it’s self-care, that it’s normal/routine…etc. but if we are honest, at its core, it’s actually hurting us more than it’s helping us. It’s a short term bandaid for deep-rooted issues. Could be talking about a serum or a glass of wine, no?
I often think to myself “I want to be the Jessica DeFino of the addiction/recovery space.” Haha. As usual, thanks for everything you’re doing! The lord’s work!
YES, there are SO many parallels here. I wrote a whole chapter of my (upcoming/unpublished) book about the link between drinking culture and beauty culture. I just subscribed to your newsletter :) Can't wait to read x
Aug 6, 2022·edited Aug 6, 2022Liked by Jessica DeFino
So insightful and articulate as always! Loved this. I would appreciate if you wrote/talked more about what it's like to be out on the other side of the b****y industry especially when you see your peers and colleagues haven't really 'seen the light' in how entrenched our ideals are in these millenia-old institutions, and how you go about convincing/informing them (besides the Unpublishable ofc lol). I imagine you have a lot of anecdotes of pushback. Asking mostly because I see my friends and loved ones so convinced that being beautiful 'on our own terms' is literally fifth wave feminism. 🥲
That is a great suggestion!! I have SO many stories and have been saving them for my book, but maybe I should do some "behind the scenes" posts here as well. Thanks for reading and for your feedback!
You're a very good writer and I enjoyed reading your posts until I got to "white supremacy .... colonialism". Then you lost me as a paying subscriber. These subjects are irrelevant to this English reader, who is really pi---ed off by having them crop up in an article on skincare products. I realize that Americans are very concerned about these issues, but they don't have anything at all to do with your main subject, which was the reason I subscribed in the first place. Patriarchy and capitalism, yes, but don't bring racism into this subject. That belongs in another blog, and conditions being so different in the UK, where I live, I would not want to read it.
LOL! Good riddance, then. White supremacy and colonialism are the rotten roots of beauty culture and are, I would argue, EXTREMELY relevant to the English 😂😂😂😂😂
BTW the US did not invent racism, just institutionalized it. We could discuss reparations for all the money the English slave traders (who invented the corporatized practice of slavery) made trafficking human lives but I guess it's easier for overwhelmed brains to focus on the surface, like skin care regimes. Sadly, life is so much deeper and complex; we need to think about this stuff more seriously than ever before. I'm always sorry to see a dissenting voice go because it's a missed opportunity to learn how others think.
I think skin could be a very powerful metaphor for the state of the world right now.
I had no idea this was supposed to be a woke political blog - I thought it was about skincare, the beauty business, and so on. Silly me. I no longer engage in political arguments because nobody ever changes their mind about anything, and it is always quite fruitless. I wish you well, and trust you are reaching your target audience, which I see as very young, cancel culture, anti-white and anti-western civilization. It seems to me that you are wasting a very real talent.
Do you see the incredibly big deal you are making about ONE sentence that mentions colonialism and white supremacy? Do you see how you literally read the word “colonialism” ONCE and created a whole narrative in your head that I must support “cancel culture” and be “anti-white”? Do you see how you complain that “nobody ever changes their mind” but YOU refuse to explore a new idea and open YOUR mind? (P.S. — I have changed my mind! That’s kind of my whole thing…? I was on the side of the industry for years, then educated myself, and now I expose it for the harmful business it is.) Do you see how YOU are the reactionary here? Do you see how you are the snowflake that can’t handle seeing a word she doesn’t like, to the point of making a stink about it and publicly ending your subscription? YOU ARE THE SENSITIVE CANCEL CULTURE CHARACTER HERE!! Please find some self-awareness. Lol I have to laugh because it’s so obvious and ridiculous. This is not a “woke political blog.” It’s not a blog, period. I’m a fucking reporter. I’ve reported out the history of beauty standards for years for the New York Times, Vogue, VICE, etc. That history includes white supremacy and colonialism — as does the history of the world. These are just facts! If you can see how patriarchy and capitalism are connected to beauty, but cannot see how white supremacy and colonialism are as well… I don’t know what to tell you. As I sad, good riddance! This is not the place for you.
a year later and this is still so relevant. just this week i’ve been wavering between continuing my “feral girl” summer or purchasing a few “minimal” skincare products. your writing is so concise and informative and has had a huge impact on my relationship to beauty. thank you for saving my $$ and saving my spirit too haha. can’t wait for the book. and i’ll say i love how you look at the root of these issue and tie it back to colonialism, sexism, racism, capitalism, etc. knowing where beauty culture stems from has had a huge impact in my personal ability to divest in it
Thank you so much for sharing this!! I really appreciate you reading & I'm glad to hear your feral girl summer is going well :)
So well written. I feel these answers could function as an intro or first chapter of a (your?) book. SKIN & nature - skin & culture - skin & industry, and where to position oneself as a woman. X
Good idea. I would like to read this book.
Thank you! I hadn't thought of that but I like it!!
I’m typically pretty bad about reading articles because they don’t get my attention BUT you’re amazing!! Subscribed to your newsletter because I’ve enjoyed your work for a long time! Thank you for all you do to open our eyes to the beauty culture!
thank you so so much!! I really appreciate you being here :)
I write about addiction (to alcohol and other drugs, mainly, but in any form), and I see so many parallels in the work I do and what you’re doing.
The idea that we need/deserve something, that it’s self-care, that it’s normal/routine…etc. but if we are honest, at its core, it’s actually hurting us more than it’s helping us. It’s a short term bandaid for deep-rooted issues. Could be talking about a serum or a glass of wine, no?
I often think to myself “I want to be the Jessica DeFino of the addiction/recovery space.” Haha. As usual, thanks for everything you’re doing! The lord’s work!
YES, there are SO many parallels here. I wrote a whole chapter of my (upcoming/unpublished) book about the link between drinking culture and beauty culture. I just subscribed to your newsletter :) Can't wait to read x
WHAT! Cannot wait. Will be on the lookout for the book. 😌
So insightful and articulate as always! Loved this. I would appreciate if you wrote/talked more about what it's like to be out on the other side of the b****y industry especially when you see your peers and colleagues haven't really 'seen the light' in how entrenched our ideals are in these millenia-old institutions, and how you go about convincing/informing them (besides the Unpublishable ofc lol). I imagine you have a lot of anecdotes of pushback. Asking mostly because I see my friends and loved ones so convinced that being beautiful 'on our own terms' is literally fifth wave feminism. 🥲
That is a great suggestion!! I have SO many stories and have been saving them for my book, but maybe I should do some "behind the scenes" posts here as well. Thanks for reading and for your feedback!
Thoughtful and well written. Thank you.
Thank you for reading <3
You're a very good writer and I enjoyed reading your posts until I got to "white supremacy .... colonialism". Then you lost me as a paying subscriber. These subjects are irrelevant to this English reader, who is really pi---ed off by having them crop up in an article on skincare products. I realize that Americans are very concerned about these issues, but they don't have anything at all to do with your main subject, which was the reason I subscribed in the first place. Patriarchy and capitalism, yes, but don't bring racism into this subject. That belongs in another blog, and conditions being so different in the UK, where I live, I would not want to read it.
LOL! Good riddance, then. White supremacy and colonialism are the rotten roots of beauty culture and are, I would argue, EXTREMELY relevant to the English 😂😂😂😂😂
BTW the US did not invent racism, just institutionalized it. We could discuss reparations for all the money the English slave traders (who invented the corporatized practice of slavery) made trafficking human lives but I guess it's easier for overwhelmed brains to focus on the surface, like skin care regimes. Sadly, life is so much deeper and complex; we need to think about this stuff more seriously than ever before. I'm always sorry to see a dissenting voice go because it's a missed opportunity to learn how others think.
I think skin could be a very powerful metaphor for the state of the world right now.
YESSSS the skin IS a very powerful metaphor for the state of the world right now!!
Colonialism is arguably more historically relevant to England than virtually anywhere else on the planet.
I had no idea this was supposed to be a woke political blog - I thought it was about skincare, the beauty business, and so on. Silly me. I no longer engage in political arguments because nobody ever changes their mind about anything, and it is always quite fruitless. I wish you well, and trust you are reaching your target audience, which I see as very young, cancel culture, anti-white and anti-western civilization. It seems to me that you are wasting a very real talent.
Do you see the incredibly big deal you are making about ONE sentence that mentions colonialism and white supremacy? Do you see how you literally read the word “colonialism” ONCE and created a whole narrative in your head that I must support “cancel culture” and be “anti-white”? Do you see how you complain that “nobody ever changes their mind” but YOU refuse to explore a new idea and open YOUR mind? (P.S. — I have changed my mind! That’s kind of my whole thing…? I was on the side of the industry for years, then educated myself, and now I expose it for the harmful business it is.) Do you see how YOU are the reactionary here? Do you see how you are the snowflake that can’t handle seeing a word she doesn’t like, to the point of making a stink about it and publicly ending your subscription? YOU ARE THE SENSITIVE CANCEL CULTURE CHARACTER HERE!! Please find some self-awareness. Lol I have to laugh because it’s so obvious and ridiculous. This is not a “woke political blog.” It’s not a blog, period. I’m a fucking reporter. I’ve reported out the history of beauty standards for years for the New York Times, Vogue, VICE, etc. That history includes white supremacy and colonialism — as does the history of the world. These are just facts! If you can see how patriarchy and capitalism are connected to beauty, but cannot see how white supremacy and colonialism are as well… I don’t know what to tell you. As I sad, good riddance! This is not the place for you.