Letter From The Editor

A few days ago, I looked in the mirror and audibly gasped. There it was — an ominous line snaking across my forehead, proclaiming, “You are aging, sweetie!” Heart racing, I grabbed my phone and drafted an email to my dermatologist, pressing send with the swiftness of an Olympic sprinter. Knowing that a quick prick of Botox would bring my forehead back to the texture of a freshly-peeled egg gave me solace. And yet, for the rest of the day, I felt unsettled — mostly by my reaction to something quite literally so miniscule.

I’ve never wanted over-plumped lips and bionic-looking cheekbones (although I enjoy seeing them on my TV whenever I’m watching Bravo, which is a lot). I do, however, want to keep looking as effortlessly well-rested as I did in my early 20s. Apparently, I’m not alone — Botox, with its magical line-smoothing ability, consistently ranks as the most-requested minimally-invasive procedure each year. Plastic surgeons tell me their clients aren’t bringing pictures of celebrities to their consultations anymore — they’re bringing photos of themselves when they were younger or smoothed out and Paris-filtered. I guess, in some ways, this is a positive change: We no longer want to look like someone else — progress! But the paradox of looking “naturally” beautiful in its very narrow definition — wrinkle-free skin, smooth hair, flushed cheeks and lips akin to a Glossier model — is that it’s just another beauty standard women are held to, and one that’s far from inclusive (there’s a reason the CROWN Act exists — Black women have been discriminated for their natural hair texture for years).

In Bustle’s (Un)Natural Beauty package, we’re exploring the concept of looking effortlessly beautiful in 2022 and the time, effort, energy, and money it actually involves. You’ll find beauty secrets from attractive people around the world, fascinating facts about Botox (it was discovered from poisoned meat!), a deep dive into society’s new obsession with the “warped hourglass” body type, and more.

As it turns out, my dermatologist is booked until March, so my forehead line and I will be getting to know each other better over the next few weeks. In our forced closeness, I’m trying to find acceptance, and maybe even a little joy. What’s wrong with looking a bit older after a year that’s been anything but easy? My wrinkle, she’s a survivor — a reminder of life experiences, both crushing and joyful. I’m working on showing her — and myself — some kindness until my next appointment.

- Faith Xue, Executive Beauty Director