Reading can be an escape, a way to gather knowledge, or a path to reshaping how you view the world. When the subject turns to beauty, though, it’s often reduced to product breakdowns, skincare steps, or endless lists of ingredients. Yet beauty writing holds far more than that. It reveals how culture defines attractiveness, how marketing shapes illusions, and how our own reflection speaks back to us with truths we don’t always expect. Below, Jordan Risa, founder of Seen Library, reflects on how literature can reframe beauty and expand the ways we learn to value ourselves.
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
This whole book is a must-read but her essay “Always Be Optimising” in particular talks about beauty and wellness today, and how social media influences our approach to them. Tolentino talks about how obsessed we are as a society with constant self-improvement and how the beauty and wellness industries sell the ideal as something we can attain – through workout classes or the newest makeup product – yet the goal posts always shift. It made me reflect on the ways we tell ourselves how what we do or buy is our choice, when in reality they are things we feel we have to do to keep up with the current beauty standards.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
An American classic that explores how beauty standards – Eurocentric beauty standards, specifically – have the power to shape self-worth and identity in such a heartbreaking way. This story follows a young Black girl who so badly wants her eyes to turn blue so that she can feel beautiful and loved.
Growing up, I too equated whiteness with beauty. I believed that because I was not white, I was not only less beautiful, but less than entirely. This was the first time I saw these internalised thoughts reflected back at me in a book. It sheds light on how dangerous these beauty standards can be, especially when it comes to young, impressionable girls, and how vital it is to have diverse representation in the media and the world at large.
The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
The author is controversial (and for the right reason), but I still gained so much reading this book. It’s a must-read for all who have struggled with their appearance and felt less than when it comes to beauty. Written in 1991, some of this book is outdated while some of it is still so sadly relevant today. So many pages in my copy are dog eared and highlighted – it’s one I expect to refer back to time and time again when I need the much-needed reminder of what’s causing insecurities or self-consciousness when it comes to appearance – and who’s benefiting. “Does all this mean we can’t wear lipstick without feeling guilty? On the contrary… I am not attacking anything that makes women feel good; only what makes us feel bad in the first place.”
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
A friend gave me this book for my birthday and I couldn’t put it down. I found it so fascinating to read into the lives of four modern women in Korea navigating impossible beauty standards and how it affects their lives, relationships and aspirations. Some of the characters’ livelihoods are directly impacted by their appearance and it’s interesting to think about how beauty can be used as social and monetary capital, especially in today’s world. But prioritising beauty at any cost doesn’t just come with benefits of privilege and power – it can be a trap and take a mental toll.
Beauty Sick by Renee Engeln
I remember being with friends and the topic of plastic surgery came up – one said since everyone is doing it, it’s only a matter of time before we do it too, otherwise we’ll “fall behind.” Another agreed. While I disagreed, I sadly understood where they came from – we live in a world where beauty is currency and is often valued above most else. This book is about society’s harmful obsession with beauty and reminded me that my views on embracing ageing don’t have to be archaic. It’s a needed reminder that beauty standards come from those who benefit from our insecurities most.
