I’ve always been intrigued by the dark side of beauty. Show me a YouTube video about a cosmetic procedure gone horribly wrong, and I can easily spend hours watching. When it comes to skincare, a good cautionary tale can be very instructive. It’s a powerful way to help people avoid some serious mistakes.
With the beauty industry being what it is, you never have to look too far to find an ugly side. And with Halloween just weeks away, there’s no better time to indulge in a good skincare scare.
Here are three books I recommend for those who want to delve into the darker side of beauty.
“Rouge” by Mona Awad
For as long as she can remember, Belle has been dangerously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle returns to Southern California, dealing with her mother’s significant debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes increase when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s death, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the dangerous grip of La Maison de Méduse, the same luxurious, cult-like spa her mother loved. There, Belle uncovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the deep, shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.
“Natural Beauty” by Ling Ling Huang
Our narrator, a talented pianist, coaxes a unique sound from the piano that no one else at the Conservatory can reproduce. Her ability stems from a technique learned from her parents, also renowned musicians, who fled China during the Cultural Revolution. However, an unfortunate accident leaves her parents debilitated, forcing her to abandon her musical aspirations and pursue a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City.
Holistik, renowned for its exceptional products and services, presents a new opportunity that introduces our unnamed narrator to a world of privilege and a long-awaited sense of belonging. Amidst this newfound luxury, she becomes captivated by Helen, the niece of Holistik’s charismatic owner, and their friendship blossoms into something more. However, beneath the allure of luxurious creams, tinctures, and other products that promise to slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair, a sinister truth lurks.
“Youthjuice” by E.K. Sathue
Twenty-something Sophia Bannion yearns for a deeper meaning in her life—and a cure for her brutal nail-biting habit. But when she arrives at HEBE (hee-bee), a luxury skincare and wellness company in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood, it’s evident that something is deeply amiss. Despite her doubts, Sophia discovers more than she could have ever imagined, all thanks to Tree Whitestone, the charismatic founder and CEO.
Soon, Sophia becomes addicted to her HEBE lifestyle, particularly Youthjuice, the curiously lush moisturizer Tree has asked her to test. However, as cracks in HEBE’s infrastructure begin to worsen, and Sophia uncovers a horrible secret, she is forced to confront the question of how far she is willing to go to maintain her beauty.
Happy reading!