The interviews in this blog are a space for women to cast a spotlight on their own take on the beauty mystique. Artists, cosmetologists, photographers, performers, sex workers: The professions that directly deal with questions of beauty are plentiful, and here women will have space to put forth their views on beauty. Of course, it's not only women whose professions bring them directly into the beauty sphere who have their own take on the matter: You'll also hear from a psychologist with a skin disorder, a novelist, a butch comic, and more.
Part of what makes beauty a complex subject for women is its secrecy
and its illusions. We may talk explicitly about our favorite skin
products and lipsticks, and among our intimates we may talk about beauty
and self-image—our fears and our joys alike: I love this picture of
us, we look great! / I feel gross today / It was for the best but I miss
having someone tell me I'm pretty. But because we
place so much emphasis on beauty, we are unable to talk about it freely.
We don't share our deepest vanities for fear of being judged
narcissists; we don't share our most terrifying moments of doubt
because it's impossible to put it into words. We may touch on it, with
terms like "confidence" and "inner beauty," but we all know that
confidence alone is not the answer to the beauty conundrum. The interview subjects here don't claim to have all the answers—but collectively, they form an emerging thesis of how appearance is both a highly individual story and something that, at its core, affects us all.
Click here for a stream of all interviews, or peruse from the list below:
• Kelli
Dunham, comic
• Charlotte
Shane, prostitute
• Lisa
Ferber, artist
• Daniella Marcantoni, mortician
• Virginia
Sole-Smith, writer
• Sister Nancy Ruth, Anglican nun
• Leah Smith, Ph.D. public policy student and little person
• Miyoko Hikiji, U.S. Army soldier, author, and model
• Nicole Kristal, bisexual advocate and writer
• Siobhan O'Connor, journalist and natural beauty consultant
• Tizz Wall, professional domme
• Colette
Nelson, professional bodybuilder
• Kjerstin Gruys, Mirror Mirror Off the Wall blogger and Ph.D. sociology student
• Annika
Connor, painter
• Golda
Poretsky, wellness counselor
• Sophie
Elgort, photographer
• Chrissie
Eden DiBianco, makeup artist
• Rosie
Molinary, author
• Jessica
Obrist/Jo Jo Stiletto, burlesque dancer/roller derby queen
• Carolyn
Turgeon, novelist
• Martina
Molin, painter
• Ali,
magazine beauty editor
• Sarah,
designer
• Sherry Mills, artist
• Sunny Sea Gold, writer
• Diane DaCosta, celebrity stylist
• Vickie Dowling, Ph.D., clinical psychologist
• Kerry Ann King, dance instructor
• Jennifer Miller, single mom/superhero
• Heather,
blogger
