This revival of conservative beauty standards is also illustrated by beauty trends across the board. In nails, make-up, hair, ‘tweakments’ and cosmetic surgery, the momentum is toward an understated glamour: minimalist manicures, ‘barely-there’ long-wear cosmetics, surgery trends that are “undetectable”, and a fixation on strengthening and growing... See more

Social media platforms – particularly TikTok – are reflecting and accelerating this shift. The hashtag #SkinnyTok has surpassed 2.4 billion views, driving a toxic wave of algorithmic thinspiration reminiscent of Tumblr’s early-00s ‘pro-ana’ communities. Young women are reporting that their feeds are suddenly full of these videos, despite not... See more

Sicardi further explains the broader function of beauty in society: “Beauty has always been a tool of fear and respectability politics, a language of ‘passing’ in a system of surveillance and judgement. We’re going to see it operate in several ways – as a method of distraction (So many products! So many problems to fix in ourselves!), and as a way... See more

It’s also about physical control – both reproductive rights restrictions like denying access to abortion, and GLP-1 drugs (for those who aren’t using them to treat diabetes) create environments where women’s bodies are heavily restricted, surveilled and minimised.