A Week In Beauty: QAnon and the Wellness Community
Plus: my reporting on the skin-lightening industry
BEAUTY IRL is a newsletter that covers beauty at the intersection of politics and pop culture.
I've been able to carve this beat for myself because of readers who have bought subscriptions 🙏🏾 My goal is to report on the industry in the same ways we see politics, tech, and sports covered. Beauty is a multibillion-dollar industry and deserves to be taken seriously. A yearly subscription to Beauty IRL is $70 for a one-year subscription or $7 dollars per month. — @darian
“This week in beauty” and “this month in beauty” curated round-ups will be for paying subscribers in the future but I’m going to keep it free for a few weeks, to give folks a sense of what it’ll look like. Alright, let’s go 👇🏾
A Week In Beauty: September 13th, 2020
QAnon is typically presented in media as a far-right conspiracy theory, driven by Trump supporters. As true as this may be, the peddling of QAnon’s ideas by wellness influencers and leaders pushes up against that idea.
☝🏾 This post is being regrammed across IG from a group in the yoga community that wishes to not be identified out of fear of retaliation from QAnon believers.
As a reporter, I’ve been aware of QAnon through the work of various tech journalists I follow. However, it was Energy Healer Maryam Ajayi who made me realize that it’s time for all reporters to familiarize themselves with QAnon because it’s spreading across various industries. Maryam brought it to my attention and spoke to me about how she’s been following the spread of QAnon throughout her community for some time.
What is QAnon? I am going to use the definition presented by Digital Anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush, who I have been learning a lot from on this topic:
Q is a right-wing conspiracy theory is based on an individual with high-security clearance who has been dropping clues that indicate that Donald Trump is working to dismantle a "deep state" power structure involving global elites who are also pedophiles.
Trust me when I tell you I feel weird talking about this in a beauty newsletter, but beauty and wellness… 🤝
QAnon is becoming less of a fringe conspiracy theory every day. I have not done any reporting on QAnon myself, so I’m going to link to reporters who have covered its spread within the wellness community. I would remember one thing: At the core of QAnon is the desire to feel seen, heard, and as if you’re apart of something. As people, we search for a sense of purpose — especially during desperate, confusing times.
“The beliefs central to QAnon, such as a distrust of the establishment and alternative ideas around health care, are particularly attractive to members of the yoga and spirituality communities, who often have countercultural views.” — E.J. Dickson, Rolling Stone
“Ms. Corn said that the wellness community’s emphasis on truth-seeking and self-improvement makes it particularly vulnerable to a conspiracy theory like QAnon, which is all about sowing distrust in mainstream authorities under the guise of “doing your own research.”” — Kevin Roose, NYTimes
A list of wellness industry figures that have shared, posted or created QAnon-related content. — Conspirituality podcast
The “domestic aesthetics” created by the women of QAnon by Kaitlyn Tiffany of The Atlantic. In addition, a thread from Marc-André Argentino below.
A general guide to QAnon and “Q”
Here are over 81 current or former congressional candidates who have embraced QAnon.
Quick updates 💄
Natural hair discrimination is officially illegal in Colorado.
Star Wars actor John Boyega cut ties with beauty brand Jo Malone after they re-shot a campaign video that he originally conceived and directed, and replaced him with Chinese actor Liu Haoran. Jo Malone herself says that she supports Boyega (she sold the company to Estée Lauder in 1999.)
According to Glossy, Millie Bobby Brown’s skincare and makeup line is for sale.
A Hong Kong makeup brand named a blush after Anne Frank (“Dream Like "Anne") and received backlash. The product has since been removed from its website.
EltaMD, mostly known for its sunscreen, has launched its first skincare line.
A Friends (yes, the TV show) makeup line is here in collaboration with Revolution Beauty.
“Black-ish” makeup artist and frequent Tracee Ellis Ross collaborator Araxi Lindsey won Best Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling at the Creative Arts Emmy.
Christina Milian is collaborating with BeautyStat on its first celebrity partnership. She recently reviewed their products on Instagram. (If you grew up watching Milian on TV, this is just delightful news!)
And Elle Fanning said Eczema… where?
Sign of The Times
Stories that are a nod toward the people and moments shaping beauty, directly and tangentially.
Skin Whitening Products Get a Rebrand, But It Doesn't Erase Centuries of Colorism — THIS IS MY STORY!!!!!!!! for Allure
“The Black Lives Matter movement set off a worldwide conversation about racism and colorism, and many beauty brands that have long marketed "whitening" products are quickly changing course. But can a rebrand do anything to impact centuries of socialization that made skin lightening a billion-dollar business?”
Buying Myself Back — Emily Ratajkowski for The Cut
EMILY RATAJKOWSKI BETTER TAKE BACK HER POWER!
Raisa Flowers Is Pushing The Beauty World To Rethink Makeup — Arabelle Sicardi for Teen Vogue
A look inside makeup artist Raisa Flower’s mind. I’ve been following her work for a few years, and the way she approaches makeup truly makes her “your favorite’s fave” as Sicardi puts it. Also, she has an episode on the Naked Beauty podcast.
How I Faced My Fears & Created A Latino-Owned Beauty Brand With My Own Money — Angel Merino, CEO of Artist Couture, for Refinery29
“My coworker introduced me to putting makeup on myself rather than just trying to do makeup on the dancers at my other job. He showed me the ropes, and that's when I bought my first MAC Studio Fix Powder and moisturizer. I took everything home and hid it all from my mom because I wasn't out at home either.”
These Are All the Weird Ways Your Skin is Talking to You, According to Experts — Jessica DeFino for HelloGiggles
“Even as the body continues to develop, the [brain, skin, and gut] remain inextricably intertwined in ways that aren’t yet fully understood by science. And while it may sound a little woo-woo to say that your mind can influence your skin (and vice versa), there are plenty of everyday examples that prove it.”
Jodie Turner-Smith on Being a New Mother and the Beauty Lesson She Wants to Pass Down to Her Daughter — Alexis Okeowo for Vogue
“My skin is very sensitive, so I use a light cleanser, and then I put on a serum with aloe and breast milk that I literally squeeze right into my hands from my boob. I think it’s the lactic acid. I’ve just found that the milk has been revolutionary.”
By the Numbers: E-girls Overtake Google Search — James Manso for WWD
WWD breaks down the numbers off of a Spate report. “E-girl makeup” is up +412.77% and “curtain bangs,” +141.1%. #lol
Dul-sayin': The Messed-up History Of Black Hair In America — ComedianDulce Sloan on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
“When we lived in the motherland, hair was so important that you could tell a family’s name and social status just by their hairstyle. Basically, your hair was how you told all your business. And this is still true today. Show me a Black man’s waves and I’ll tell you if he drives a Benz or a runs after the bus.” 😭