The story of beauty over the past seventeen months is tricky to unravel. There were the months we stayed home in our sweatpants, pacing the living room in anxiety puddles, our overgrown eyebrows the farthest thing from our minds. There were the months when every waking hour was seemingly spent on Zoom, fixating on our roots growing in at an alarming pace. There were the ring lights and filters and eye masks flooding the market, attempting to come to our helpless rescue. There were those amongst us who found freedom in trashing the entire makeup drawer, and there were those who clung tighter to their eyelash curlers than ever before. <\/p>\n
Since reopening, plastic surgeons have reported unprecedented interest in rhinoplasty (nose jobs) and face-lifts. There\u2019ve been psychological studies<\/a> conducted on the link between staring at our own faces on Zoom and decreased levels of self-esteem. And in a recent feature story<\/a> for The New York Times Magazine focused on the tie between social media and changing beauty standards, journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis wrote, \u201cWe seem to be among the first people in history to be both in the midst of a global pandemic and also obliged to project an attractive image of ourselves to the outside world.\u201d <\/p>\n Yeah, talk about complicated. The data is revealing, but it doesn\u2019t tell the whole story. So, where does that leave the state of post-pandemic beauty? I decided to reach out to several women I admire\u2014from across different industries and with different perspectives\u2014to gain insight into the ways in which our relationships to (\u201ccapital B\u201d) beauty have evolved. And one thing is clear: when it comes to the story of pandemic-era beauty, there is no singular story\u2026 <\/p>\n The Downfalls of Zoom\u2026 <\/p>\n We don\u2019t spend hours in front of a mirror all day for good reason. But, Zoom essentially forces that same effect. And as much as we\u2019d like to say we\u2019re exclusively focused on the meeting at hand, that\u2019s hardly the whole truth. <\/p>\n Brittany Lo<\/a> is the founder of Beia<\/a>, a new pleasure-focused beauty and self-care brand. She says, \u201cGiven how Zoom and Google Hangouts are set up, it’s almost impossible not to look at yourself during a meeting or catch-up. I found myself finding lines or wrinkles that I never knew existed.\u201d And Carly Cushnie<\/a>, a designer and creative director, shares, \u201cI definitely saw some wrinkles that I started to get from certain expressions I kept making. I would have never noticed otherwise!\u201d While entrepreneur and consultant Jackie Courtney<\/a> shares, \u201cPerhaps it\u2019s a bit like adjusting your outfit or hair before you walk into a room. When a meeting starts, I find myself \u2018checking myself.\u2019 I try not to once the meeting has started, but it\u2019s hard, I find myself gravitating back to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Long before the pandemic broke out and Zoom became our main form of socializing, Lisa Conn<\/a>, a tech entrepreneur, was aware of the self-view as a design flaw in video conferencing platforms. Three years ago, she co-founded (and serves as COO of) Gatheround<\/a>, a different video networking platform that hides the self-view from users\u2019 screens and aims to \u201creplicate the feeling of intimacy and authenticity\u201d of IRL interactions. \u201cWhen we\u2019re face-to-face in real life, we don\u2019t look at ourselves. Can you imagine having coffee with a friend and having a mirror in front of you?\u201d she asks. Lisa\u2019s prior experiences in community organizing led her to start Gatheround, backed by research in effective conflict resolution and peace building. She says, \u201cHumans are at our happiest gathering around campfires or cafes to share stories and lose track of time together. When the internet came along, it gave us more ways to interact than ever before, but something got lost in translation: real humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n A Skin First Approach to Stay-at-Home Life\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, Zoom has increased our awareness of facial flaws. But for some of us, remote work has also given way to a dismissal of makeup and more time to spend on what\u2019s under it\u2014our skin! <\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that the ability to reject makeup during this time is largely informed by industry standards of female beauty\u2014think, just because news anchors couldn\u2019t access their makeup artists in the early days of the pandemic doesn\u2019t mean they weren\u2019t still encouraged to do their own makeup and don a full beat when broadcasting from home. <\/p>\n But, for the lucky women who felt comfortable enough to lean into the au naturale look, it was a source of pleasure\u2026 and of market boom. When makeup sales plummeted<\/a>, online skincare sales skyrocketed. Even celebrity makeup artist Jenn Streicher<\/a> says, \u201cI was surprised to learn how easy it was to just go makeup free for 16 months! I absolutely loved it.\u201d Jenn leaned into experimentation with her skincare routine and enjoyed finding new products to love\u2026 and using that extra time to indulge in baths. \u201cBath oils, bath salts, CBD salts, milk baths, I\u2019ve tried them all,\u201d she says (her favorites are: Nature of Things Restorative Floral Bath<\/a>, Olverum Bath Oil<\/a>, and Kneipp Dream Away Bath Oil<\/a>). <\/p>\n Carly Cushnie and Brittany Lo share similar sentiments. My approach has been to take better care of my skin, and therefore, I have less of a need for makeup,\u201d says Carly. \u201cRemote work allowed me to really indulge in a more complex skincare routine and wear masks more frequently,\u201d adds Brittany. \u201cThe days I would have a Zoom, I\u2019d put makeup on my eyes and lips, but for the most part, I would try not to put any makeup on my skin.\u201d <\/p>\n And remember, makeup products often have shorter expiration dates than we think. So, whether you\u2019re excited to start bringing out the lipstick again or you\u2019re ready to purge your products for good\u2014either way, it might be time to take a deeper look at your makeup case. <\/p>\n Finding Confidence in Beauty\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n On the flipside of the no-makeup craze are those who found power, constancy, and a commitment to sense of self through their pandemic beauty routines. <\/p>\n Though Jackie Courtney has always considered herself a \u201cfashion person,\u201d as opposed to a \u201cbeauty person,\u201d she found dressing from the waist up for remote work to be lacking in inspiration. As a result, she turned to beauty. \u201cFor a long time, being okay without any makeup was something that was important to me, to accept myself. But, this period has allowed me to accept that wearing makeup actually does make me feel more put together, and that’s ok.\u201d She adds that additional things she\u2019s noticed while on Zoom include: she feels most beautiful when smiling or laughing, her jewelry makes her feel powerful, and she loves her glitter eyeshadow. <\/p>\n And while Lisa Conn understands that there\u2019s a gender disparity when it comes to beauty standards in the tech world, only highlighted by remote work, she finds strength in her beauty routine. \u201cI do notice that my co-founders (both male) can show up to a meeting unshaved faces, no problem, while I feel the need to look put together\u2014not too intimidating, not trying too hard, but polished in a natural way\u2014to be taken seriously,\u201d she says. But, taking ownership of her own beauty standards has helped forge a path to more present relationships and productive working conditions. \u201cI\u2019ve learned that when I don\u2019t feel beautiful, by my own standards, it\u2019s actually harder to show up and do my best work. It\u2019s harder to feel confident in myself, and I\u2019m less capable of engaging others and being present for them,\u201d she shares. <\/p>\n Ultimately, Jackie concludes, \u201cI don\u2019t think the video reflection has brought much new to my attention, rather the things I already know, love, and struggle with have become that much more pronounced.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking Forward\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n Coming out of the pandemic, there seems to be a general excitement to dive back into beauty treatments and get into the swing of dermatologist appointments. Though for the women I spoke with, this interest is spurred less from feelings of insecurity around beauty and more so from a desire to treat themselves to a moment of relaxation or to prioritize their well-being after a year in which it was hard to do so. <\/p>\n Brittany Lo explains that part of her mission in founding Beia is to bring moments of pleasure to women\u2019s daily lives, especially after a year that lacked so much intimacy. The company has launched with a single product\u2014a Daily Hydrating & Setting Mist<\/a>\u2014but plans to expand into numerous categories of self-care, with the concept of indulging in forms of gratification at the heart of its evolution. <\/p>\n