Beauty Cult-ure
My proclivity for bathroom selfies? My pseudo-obsession with skin elasticity and collagen? My shelves of skincare, makeup and hair products? Maybe. Or maybe you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between me and what seems like your average beauty-influenced internet overconsumer.
I’ve always loved playing with makeup and trying different things with my hair. When I was little, my mom gave me a an ice-blue Revlon eyeshadow and an ugly-but-well-loved red lipstick. I was so excited to play dress up at my hand-me-down vanity table. Actually, that would be a great piece to refinish and use now!
I was kind of a girly tom boy in high school. I wore mascara and concealer most days, and a little hit of eyeshadow for special occasions. I didn’t need to do anything special for my long, thick hair to look great. I was an athlete and band nerd, and didn’t think too much about how I looked. There were no cell phones or social media to create weird comparison loops in my brain, and we had to wait 3 days for our pictures to be developed after we dropped off our film. My best friend and I always got doubles so we would each have a record of our shenanigans.
During my early career as a hairstylist, the only comparison I made of my skill and lifestyle was with my coworkers. I wan’t overly affected by what others did, and went on about my days creating Rachel cuts and Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera inspired colors for my clients. Everyone got one of about three styles during those days. We all watched the same shows, movies, and read the same magazines. Our world was small and cozy. Then I discovered YouTube and my true obsession with beauty culture and creativity fired up. Not only could I see how other women used beauty products, but I realized the way they communicated through their videos created a unique impact on their audiences.
My love for creating videos and tutorials wasn’t new…my friends and I would make fake commercials and mess around with our parnets’ camcorders in high school. Any time I could be part of a photo shoot, I was in heaven. I loved being on-screen and creating a visual record of what I was thinking about. I majored in Broadcasting and wanted to become a news anchor (or preferably star in a soap opera.) I ended up in the beauty industry kind of accidentally, but it’s proven to be a wise career move for me.
And here’s where things get spicy. Social media has created such a bubble of comparison, consumerism, overconsumption, and chaos that you may just want to step away and throw in the towel. But if you’re in a beauty-based industry, existing online is the gold standard of awareness. Yes, real life interactions are still super impactful and are thankfully making a comeback, but in real life, you will always be vetted by your digital footprint. Even if you stand in front of a potential client and they tell you yes, I want you to do my hair, they will still spend the afternoon looking at every picture and video you have ever posted to make sure you’re the one for them.
This is why you must get yourself on screen. You have to put your face in your content, and that includes video format. You have to become a consumable commodity, but remain true to who you are. This is the rub for most beauty entrepreneurs. It is such a wildly abnormal thing to stand in front of a camera and “be yourself” while you overthink the idea of communicating your valuable message and material to nobody. It’s not easy, but just like mastering the inverted bob, it’s a skill that can be learned. Now listen. I am not an expert, but I’ve been doing this for fun and for work for decades. And I think I can help you get comfortable on camera. I don’t know how I’ll do it, but you’re probably going to see a video about it soon. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions. And be sure to check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel!
xx, linds
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