Arabelle Tag

Beauty is terror. The pursuit of beauty can be terrorising. Flesh pulled back and cut open, bodies constricted, poison injected, hair burnt, skin bleached. Our biggest insecurities magnified, our natural bodies sold back to us for profit. The history of the industry is just as horrifying; tales of exploitation, discrimination, fascism, deforestation, unpaid child labour.      When they were first conceiving of their debut book, The House of Beauty, Arabelle Sicardi turned to horror stories and haunted houses as a lens through which to navigate the world of beauty. “Horror houses are always alive; they’re actively trying to harm you. And that is ultimately how I also see the beauty industry. It’s something that understands your greatest fears and is able to...