On the web, everyone appears to be pre or post-makeover. Women are posting themselves on TikTok asking to be critiqued, while dedicated accounts like @glowsupgal are guiding them through aesthetic transformations. Sephora tweens need to expedite that post-puberty metamorphosis via elaborate skincare routines, and men are re-shaping their faces based on recommendations on #looksmaxing forums. It’s as if we’re all on a collective journey towards aesthetic self-actualisation, which may very well be realised at any moment by the correct product, hack or tweakment. In other words, we’re all obsessive about makeovers.
In fact, the makeover isn’t a novel concept. Magazines have long shared beauty and fashion suggestions with a susceptible audience. While we'd associate the makeover montage with noughties teen romcoms,...
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