I was eight years old when my grandmother first told me I should get plastic surgery. Or rather, she told my mother, “I think Carol should get a nose job.” My mother laughed it off. I pretended I wasn’t listening, but I took away two lessons: Even my loved ones saw flaws in me, and I could alter those features if I wanted. I never … Continue reading Korean Beauty Standards Made Me Hate My Face. My Father Helped Me Love It.

My favorite spot in my weekly hot yoga class is directly facing a full-length mirror. Enjoying an unobstructed view of my body allows me to make minuscule adjustments. Recently, however, I’ve been zeroing in on my shoulders, where my trapezius muscle looks bulkier and more sloped than ever. Yoga poses like Dolphin can help loosen the trap muscle—but maybe not enough for me, since I … Continue reading Body Botox Is the Next Frontier

Inspiration knows no bounds, often creeping in during the most untimely moments and places. For makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez, creativity often sparks while in the throes of listening to a Mozart composition or intently gazing at classical art pieces. As she began conceptualizing the makeup look for Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 Met Gala return, which asks guests to follow its “Garden of Time” dress code, Gonzalez … Continue reading All the Details on Sabrina Carpenter’s Cinderella Met Gala Glam

It’s no secret that beauty loves a cultural moment. French skincare and makeup aesthetics, along with elaborate K-beauty routines and products, have been hugely successful in the beauty space, informing numerous trends over the years and carving out sizable territory in the global beauty market. The impact is undeniable, and Sabrina Elba has been taking note. With virtually poreless and blemish-free skin, the model, entrepreneur, … Continue reading Sabrina Elba Is Redefining A-Beauty for a Global Audience

To be Black often means to be seen as “the other.” This is especially true when it comes to our hair care regimens. So when a brand comes along that not only caters to our unique textures, but also adds a sense of ease to our routine, we start to feel like we’ve found a place where we belong. We begin to feel like the … Continue reading The Makings of a Black American Empire