Lucy Eaton

To be truly intimate is to be dangerously unarmed . It is to step into a space where your cleverness cannot protect you, where your prettiest metaphors fail, and you are asked not to perform, but to remain. Real intimacy is never slick. It is awkward, raw, and resists the script. It shows up in the unfinished sentences, the tear caught mid-smile,... 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

But we should realise that in trying to circumvent pain or awkwardness, you don’t get any of the good stuff either: support; kinship; a village.

all flesh rots, yes, even gold-laced skin,

soft lips that once knew how to sin,

eyes that drank in morning’s light,

now hollow, blind to day or night.

the bloom of youth, the sculpted frame,

the whispered praise, the fleeting fame,

they curl and crack, they break and fall,

time takes its due; it claims us all.

Although it’s been approved and prescribed since 2017, the buy-in of Hollywood, openly or not, took Ozempic from medicine to status symbol. The message that dramatic weight loss is now readily, effortlessly available for those who can afford it spread across text chains and friend groups along with referrals to willing prescribers. Not since Botox,... See more

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

“The truth is we really don’t know,” says Lofton, the NYU doctor. “We don’t have enough evidence in those people because we never studied it in those people. So we have to find out.”

Recent data from the 2025 SeeMe Inclusivity Index for beauty demonstrates that inclusive brands grow faster than their less inclusive counterparts. The index analyzed over 100 beauty brands across six key identity dimensions, including gender expression, skin tone, age, body size, visible disability, and sexual orientation across major... See more

Social media is full of young women warning each other and listing out red flags and reasons why you should dump him or dodge commitment. He compliments you a lot? Love-bombing. Says I miss you too soon?Run. Approaches you in person? Predator. It’s all so cynical. It’s all about how not to catch feelings; ways not to get attached; how “you’re not... See more