Search results for ""author anita bhagwandas""

'Ugly is not only a must read, it's an urgent read' - Farrah Storr 'This book unravels what we think we know about beauty' - Poorna Bell Where did the word 'pretty' come from? Why do we shave our armpits? When did cosmetic surgery move from being functional to aesthetic? When did tanned skin become idealised? When did 'anti-ageing' slogans make us fear getting older? After years of feeling 'ugly' despite a successful career in the beauty industry, journalist Anita Bhagwandas grew tired of a world where it is desirable to be skinny but curvy, light-skinned but not too pale, and glamorous but natural. As beauty trends fluctuate and self-care becomes expensive, it's increasingly hard to keep up. Social media preaches 'you do you' and 'love yourself first', but unattainable dominant beauty standards continue to reign. The reality remains true: on most days, it can be hard to feel

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We've all had those moments. The ones where you look in the mirror and nothing feels ok. For Anita Bhagwandas, this started when she was a child and it created an enduring internal torment about her looks.We're all told that this is just part of growing up, but it stays with us, evolving as we age. The internet tells us we should love ourselves, whilst bombarding us with images of airbrushed perfection, upholding centuries-old beauty standards which we can't always see. Our beauty rituals are so often based around things we think we need to fix, grow and develop - sometimes tipping into dangerous obsession.So, what seismic shift does it take to break free from this mentality? In Ugly, Anita uncovers where these beauty standards started, unpicks why they've been perpetuated and unmasks the structures that continue to support them. From the ever-growing cosmetic surgery industry, to the hidden pitfalls of 'pretty privilege', it is time to finally break free from those limiting beauty standards, because feeling ugly should have nothing to do with how we look, and everything to do with who wants us to feel lacking.

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