Ugly: Giving us back our beauty standards

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Bhagwandas is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and brand consultant based in London, and the beauty columnist for the Guardian's Saturday magazine. Join her for a conversation with Sali Hughes, the Guardian’s resident beauty columnist and the author of Everything is Washable. Why did I still feel like this? Something I hadn’t yet identified was keeping me lodged in this web of self-hatred. I was angry at myself, too – I was well versed in how the capitalist patriarchal agenda has used beauty standards against women as a means of controlling us. Logically, I knew I now had permission to embrace my looks, but ugly was so deeply ingrained in me, it wouldn’t let me go. More than anything else I wanted to be free of its clutches, but there was a missing piece to this exhausting puzzle. That’s why it’s become a fascinating subject to me, simply because I’ve never had it – I’ve always felt on the outside of pretty, looking in. Having been taken with Ugly, an unflinching critique of ‘beauty’ and how we perceive it throughout history, Elizabeth Morris learned more from its author Anita Bhagwandas – a south Wales writer striking out with this debut book after several years highlighting how the beauty industry underserves women of colour. I wouldn't say I stopped hating the way I look but this book helped me make a significant steps towards just accepting myself the way that I am. Anita’s experience in the industry both as a journalist and a brand consultant gives a very unique, detailed and practical look at how to really finesse and cut through to ensure maximum results when pitching. From the angle to the actual approach, creative AND insider anecdotal tips, this was by far the strongest refresh AND new learnings workshop I’ve attended in a very long while.Add to that specific bespoke advice from pre-submitted questions in a confidential and constructive discussion environment, and the “story” here is – SIGN UP. NOW.

We've all had those moments. The ones where you look in the mirror and nothing feels ok. For Anita Bhagwandas, this started when she was a child and it created an enduring internal torment about her looks. I know I’d like to find another way to approach ageing that’s akin to my mum’s perspective; one that means a birthday milestone feels like a gain and not a loss (for my self-worth or my collagen levels). I want to age with hope, freedom and joy for what’s to come, and to free up that part of my brain that was reserved for ‘anti-ageing’ to celebrate myself, my evolving appearance and the privilege of living.

Anita felt the world was telling her to ‘correct’ the colour of her skin as she got older (Photo: Supplied) Working on the inside of the beauty industry, I started to notice some changes. Around 2010, social media gave people a voice and more control over what magazines and brands were creating for them, eroding the carefully crafted elitism and exclusion that I’d been chipping away at from the inside. Campaigns started to become more inclusive on a surface level (though they still rarely featured anyone genuinely plus size, with disabilities or dark skin) and the beauty product launches I attended finally offered shades of foundation in my skin tone and informed me that instead of trying to fit in, I should feel “empowered”. I didn’t. Anita Bhagwandas: ‘When I started to read about beauty standards, who created them and held the strings, things started to shift.’ Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian

She kind of lost me with the yoga bit. I understand her frustration with the cultural appropriation aspect but yoga without the spiritual aspect has a place - especially for us atheists who could benefit from the physical movement aspects of the practice. Perhaps not calling it yoga, as such would be more appropriate. The word ‘ugly’ – and its connotations – isn’t just used blatantly and aggressively of course – it can be implied in more nuanced ways, through advertising and social media, for example. The suggestion being that if you can look a certain way, your life will be perfect. This aim is matched by the title’s impact. Each chapter delves into a different intersection of beauty standards – from age to body size, race to pretty privilege – and the unrealistic expectations within them. Bhagwandas says she loves a “practical tip”, which was the reasoning behind ending each chapter with a helpful set of questions to take forward. Is there one overarching practical tip someone could take from Ugly?Having already noticed the book’s undeniable impact on my own everyday life, and with a new understanding of Anita Bhagwandas’ intentions being exactly this, I can’t help but feel Ugly has potential to be a powerful tool in dismantling this repetitious and outdated notion of unattainable beauty. The British Beauty Council appoints Kate Moss – Supermodel, COSMOSS brand founder, and industry entrepreneur – as Global Ambassador, to help support raising the awareness and reputation of the British Beauty Industry. Assuming the inaugural role of Global Ambassador,... The Online Safety Act has received Royal Assent, here’s what it means for beauty That pity factor is aimed at all women who defy patriarchal norms of behaviour and cast those like Madonna, who refuse to ‘put it away’, into a negative light. So, it’s no wonder that appearing ageless has become one of the few ways women have to battle against a force that wants them to just ‘disappear’ (with the anti-ageing and cosmetic surgery industries only too happy to offer their services in exchange for our cash). But here again, there’s a fine line to tread because while female celebrities like Madonna are often subjected to tabloid headlines stating they’ve gone ‘too far’, those who choose to age naturally are accused of looking tired or having ‘given up’. The sweet spot is being frozen by time—in a way that the male gaze deems both acceptable and desirable, of course.