We've curated a beauty reading list for your next salon visit, hair mask time out or when you're pretending to just check your emails. From the scary rise of 'MAGA beauty' and what it says about identity politics to a deep-dive into the artistry of makeup in the local ballroom scene, these stories prove beauty is never just skin deep.
Jessica DeFino is one of the best and most fearless beauty writers out there, offering a fresh perspective on the "absurd world of beauty culture" with her Substack Flesh World. This piece is a perfect example: she was interviewed for Marie Claire story on the rise of the MAGA aesthetic, with their story taken down and edited without explanation. So, she published her answers in full on her own site.
It's an interesting and terrifying topic, and one Jessica approaches with classic raised brow, offering clever context on right wing aesthetics and its cartoonish "femininity".
"‘Mar-a-Lago Face’ and ‘Republican makeup’ are sort of ahistorical reimaginings of the ‘classic’ 1950s beauty ideal through the lens of 1980s excess, brought to life with 2025’s modern cosmetic technology."
A sweet beauty story with a local context, this piece by Natasha Ovely for the now-closed Ensemble explores the importance of makeup in the ballroom and voguing scenes. She offers a brief history, before speaking to three creatives in the local and Australian scene about their personal makeup journeys - focusing specifically on those who compete in the 'face' category.
"For a lot of the girls, makeup and beauty are their armour to go out into the real world. We look forward to our ball because we get the chance to get dolled up and showcase how we see ourselves compared to what we put forward every day," says ballroom and drag icon Nikita Iman, of the House of Iman.
"It seems quite funny that what started out as anti-fashion became fashion in itself." So said the 'face' of punk, who passed away in September.
This New York Times obit celebrates her enduring DIY influence, from the original story of her shaved head with two tufts (slicked up with dabs of Vicks VapoRub) to befriending Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten and appearing on the cover of Anarchy in the U.K., a Sex Pistols fanzine. And later, rejecting the scene as it became commercialised.
We know that hair loss can be a key, and sensitive issue for many men and women. This UK-focused report from the Guardian touches on the background issues that can lead to thinning crowns and hairlines, and the dramatic solution of transplants - which has seen a global rise of 16.5% between 2021 and 2024.
"This, then, is a story about hair loss and femininity, of bald spots and shame, and why, among younger women in particular, hair transplants are on the rise. Ultimately, it’s a tale not only about the behaviour of women, but also about the standards and values imposed on them."
"But from a young age, Keaton seemed to understand that actual beauty, the timeless kind, required a degree of depth, even darkness. It demanded originality and unconventionality, as well as fierce independence. These were the qualities that captivated her most. And they are the ones that describe her best."
One of many tributes to the actor following her passing, this Atlantic essay does it through the lens of beauty: her lifelong insecurities, vulnerability on screen and approach to aging. "If we’re lucky," wrote Diane in her memoir, "we have a long time to consider what beauty means."
