GLOW UP Beauty was a result of many beauty reviews on a what started as a small YouTube channel by a wife and mom of two boys called Juliette, or more commonly know in the world of social media as 'Being Mrs Dudley'. The issue is that only a few people can access it and (like all elements of comparison culture) it always comes at a cost.GLOW UP Beauty is a luxury range of products lovingly created to ensure customers have a luxurious experience whilst leaving the prices to speak for themselves.

“What physical appearance doesn’t show is the mental or emotional state that someone is in: you can glow-up on the outside but not grow internally at all.” Unfortunately, in an image-driven society riddled with biases, to “glow-up” physically is to access more social currency and privilege. “Glow-up into an anti-racist, please,” they say. “At the end of the day, glow-up culture ultimately celebrates the “achievement” of a more conventional attractiveness and I would like to see us permanently stop attaching morality to bodies just because of how they look.” 2022 is about seizing control of beauty narratives and focusing on positivityįor Finoh, the only “glow-up” worth acknowledging in is seeing people engage in the glowing up of their personalities, values, and beliefs. The irony is that many non-black creators now use the term to perpetuate beauty ideals rooted in anti-Blackness.

“Unfortunately, this path forces the person to continue to seek additional change, reinforcing the frame that they are never enough.”įinoh thinks “glow-up” culture should be put to bed for good, firstly because it’s a term from Black American vernacular that’s been co-opted by non-Black people. “It is not uncommon for individuals struggling with body image and self-esteem issues to feel validated when they can measure change in their worth through numbers – clothing sizes and numbers on the scale,” she told Vogue. So why are we still obsessed with “glowing up”? Kirsten Oelklaus, Co-Founder and Program Director, Bellatore Recovery says the idea of change often comes as a result of feeling out of control. A place we already know is harmful to teenagers’ mental health. While shows like America’s Next Top Model are no longer able to encourage unkind transformations on air, the glow-up has found modern relevance on social media. Why are we so obsessed with the idea of “glowing up”? Then there’s shows like The Biggest Loser or the controversial Nip Tuck, where the whole source of entertainment is people losing weight or getting a nose job. Think back to the 2001 classic Princess Diaries, where Anne Hathaway was suddenly transformed into being beautiful (despite the fact that she already is conventionally attractive) by simply waxing her eyebrows, straightening her hair, and taking off her glasses. The glow-up makeover has existed in countless forms on the big screen. The show was a flop, but the idea of the post-break up glow-up is still extremely prevalent today, insinuating that whoever becomes more attractive after the end of a relationship somehow “wins”. There was Khloe Kardashian’s Revenge Body show in 2017, created to show “all those people who doubted you, who rejected you – what they’re now missing”.

Under different terms, it’s existed throughout recent history. The concept of “glowing up” is simple – you become more conventionally attractive over a period of time and usually document it. In fact, many viral videos on TikTok are weight loss before and afters disguised as a new trend or “drastic” beauty transformations that usually just involve removing facial hair and some contouring. Like other viral transitional trends on the app, the results usually show the person now acne-free or after losing a large amount of weight. This one starts by the writing “you’re not my type” over an old photo then after “16 Missed Calls” by Brent Faiyaz plays, a current and more desirable state is revealed.

If you’ve been on TikTok lately you have most likely come across the latest in a long line of “glow-up” trends.

Glow up