Black Friday encourages the kind of cosmetic consumerism that screws the skin, the psyche, and the entire species. (And also literally kills people? More like Bleak Friday!!!)
So today, instead of stocking up on dehumanizing products meant to disappear your basic human features (pores, wrinkles, cellulite) or amassing 17 non-recyclable skincare samples at the Sephora sale, invest in content that kills consumerism: It’s The Unpublishable’s Third Annual Don’t Buy Day sale!
This weekend only, I’m offering 20% off subscriptions to The Unpublishable newsletter. That’s just $4/month, down from $5/month. (For context: about 1/10th of what you’d spend on the Know Beauty Arctic Gold Vitamin C Mask to get the inside scoop on why the Know Beauty Arctic Gold Vitamin C Mask is a scam.)
What you get:
two issues of The Don’t Buy List each month
the ability to comment on all Unpublishable articles
access to subscriber-only chats
my eternal gratitude for funding critical beauty content that — thanks to your support — doesn’t need to appease advertisers, cater to algorithms, or push products on people via affiliate links
the joy of funding the culture-shifting work of The Beautywell Project and Slow Factory, where a portion of profits are donated each month
Why it’s worth it:
Access to The Don’t Buy List is what makes the upgrade worth it, in my humble opinion. This is where breaking beauty discourse starts. The “longevity is the new anti-aging” articles popping up lately? The Don’t Buy List called it in June. The “is Barbie feminist?” questions that followed the film’s July premiere? The Don’t Buy List answered them in April. The current “Food Face” craze (glazed donut skin, latte makeup)? The Don’t Buy List explained it all last year. The back-and-forth about AI influencing beauty standards? The Don’t Buy List predicted it two Novembers ago! What I write here ends up being quoted in the news or on NPR or TikTok two months later. Get it while it’s hot!
Don’t just take my word for it, though.
What paid subscribers are saying:
“This Substack remains the best $5 I spend all month.”
“You’ve given me confidence to allow my face and body to exist without forcing them to conform to garbage beauty standards.”
“My therapist suggested your writing.”
“YOU MAKE THE INTERNET BEARABLE.”
“Saving my wallet, face, and general worldview.”
Other praise for The Unpublishable:
“The woman the beauty industry fears the most.” - the Sunday Herald
“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
“Jessica is brilliant and constantly gets right to the heart of the capitalism, misogyny, and racism at the heart of the beauty industry ... it's the only beauty content i read” - Rayne Fisher-Quann
“Dazzled! Giddy! And am now a devotee of Jessica DeFino!!” - E. Jean Carroll
One of “2023’s Most Innovative and Visionary Talents … helping to shape culture while breaking new ground.” - Adweek (Creative 100 for 2023)
“Jessica DeFino uses her Substack The Unpublishable to lift the lid on the beauty industry and deliver scathing and insightful analysis about the skin, make-up and beauty trends that we see on our newsfeed.” - Refinery29