Sweeney Skin: The Euphoria Effect and Other Fairytales

There’s a scene in the first season of Euphoria, the one with the carnival and all that glitter, where Jules (Hunter Schafer) is getting ready for the night. She’s meticulously applying rhinestones around her eyes, a constellation of sparkle against her otherworldly beauty. It’s mesmerizing. You can practically hear the generation raised on Instagram whispering, “Goals.”

That scene, I think, perfectly encapsulates the double-edged sword of beauty in our current age. On one hand, you have this incredible freedom of expression, this anything-goes playground of makeup and self-invention. On the other, there’s this pressure, this almost desperate need to curate an image of perfection, often fueled by filters and Facetune.

And it’s not just Euphoria, is it? This aesthetic, this hyper-stylized, almost fantastical approach to beauty is everywhere. It’s in the glossy campaigns for Glossier and Milk Makeup, with their dewy skin and just-bitten lips. It’s in the rise of elaborate skincare routines, with their ten-step programs and promises of a “glass skin” glow.

I’ll admit, I’m as susceptible to a good marketing campaign as anyone. I’ve found myself staring longingly at serums that cost more than my rent, wondering if maybe, just maybe, they hold the secret to eternal youth. And don’t even get me started on the jade rollers and gua shas. My bathroom counter looks like a Goop pop-up shop exploded.

But here’s the thing. Underneath all the glitter and the gloss, there’s a sense of unease. A creeping suspicion that maybe we’re all chasing after something that doesn’t actually exist. This idea of “perfect” skin – poreless, luminous, eternally youthful – it’s a fairytale. A modern-day myth perpetuated by an industry that profits from our insecurities.

And the stakes, they feel higher than ever. Because it’s not just about looking good in a selfie anymore. It’s about building a personal brand, crafting an online persona that’s aspirational and enviable. It’s exhausting, frankly. And more than a little bit soul-crushing.

I remember interviewing a young designer years ago, just starting out. She was incredibly talented, but so painfully insecure about her appearance. She spent the entire interview fiddling with her hair, apologizing for her “bad skin.” It broke my heart. Because here was this brilliant woman, dimming her own light because she didn’t fit into some arbitrary standard of beauty.

We need to have a conversation, a real one, about the pressure cooker we’re living in. About the unrealistic expectations that are being foisted upon us, particularly women, from a very young age. And we need to start questioning the narratives we’re being sold.

Because here’s the truth: Beauty isn’t about achieving some unattainable ideal. It’s not about having perfect skin or the perfect body. It’s about embracing your individuality, your quirks, the things that make you, well, you.

It’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin. Even if that skin, like mine, is prone to the occasional breakout and definitely doesn’t photograph as flawlessly as it used to. And maybe, just maybe, that’s a more interesting story to tell anyway.

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