Jude Chao’s charming book, Skincare for Your Soul, is one of the must-reads for practicing skincare as self-care.
To quote Paris Is Burning, reading is fundamental. To contribute our part, BeautyMatter gathered a list of new and upcoming publications that offer a deeper dive into the industry, from the evolution of aesthetics to fragrance history.
Skincare for Your Soul by Jude Chao, Mango Publishing
Skincare as self-care isn’t a new concept, but Jude Chao, author of the blog Fifty Shades of Snail, and who is proclaimed as the “reigning queen of skincare,” brings in her own perspective on how to make beauty work for you beyond the product. Packaged in a beautifully illustrated hardcover, Skincare for Your Soul is a straightforward and accessible, K-beauty-inspired guide to crafting your own skincare routine, and managing stress, anxiety, and depression in the process.
The Scent of Empires: Chanel No. 5 and Red Moscow by Karl Schlögel, Polity Books
Politics meets perfumes in historian Karl Schlögel’s recounting of 20th-century fragrance icons Chanel No. 5 and Red Moscow. The story for both begins in Tsarist Russia, where two French perfumers, Auguste Michel and Ernest Beaux, crafted fragrances in honour of Catherine the Great for the Romanov dynasty’s 300th anniversary. Beaux fled Russia during the Russian Revolution to France where he presented Coco Chanel with what was to become one of the best-selling fragrances of all time. Michel stayed and launched his version as Red Moscow for the Revolution’s 10th anniversary. Schlögel’s writing goes beyond the mere product and is a captivating historical account of the personal lives and political intrigue surrounding two perfumery legends.
The New Beauty: A Modern Look at Beauty, Culture, and Fashion by Kari Molvar, Gestalten
A visual exploration of human beautification throughout history, this book is penned by The New York Times, Vogue, and The Wall Street Journal contributor Molvar. She traces the evolution of the beauty ideal, challenging gender through makeup, and the link between hairstyling and community building, to name a few. The publication includes interviews with the likes of Gucci’s global makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver, and Peter Philips, creative director of Christian Dior Makeup.
Beauty and the Best by Susan Routledge and Andrew Priestley, Writing Matters Publishing
Owner of award-winning salon Finishing Touch Health & Beauty Clinic, international business consultant, and founder of the Beauty Directors Club, Susan Routledge sat down with 22 beauty success stories to offer their insight and advice to others pursuing a career in the industry. Contributors include movie makeup artist Katt Philipps, Mary Haworth Beauty Culture director Verity Davies, and skin specialist Jill Yvette Painter.
All Made Up: The Power and Pitfalls of Beauty Culture, from Cleopatra to Kim Kardashian by Rae Nudson, Beacon Press
Beauty, fashion, and pop-culture writer Rae Nudson takes a deep dive into the cultural impact of makeup, both on a personal and wider societal level in this upcoming summer release. Profiling famous women throughout history, from gay liberation activist Marsha P. Johnson to entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, Nudson unpacks the racial undertones of beauty standards, traces the shaping of identity through cosmetics, and highlights all the underlying factors which indicate that our relationship to makeup may be personal, but never fully independent.
Skincare for Your Soul
Achieving Outer Beauty and Inner Peace with Korean Skincare
The Korean skincare journey. As much as we’d like, glowing, clear skin doesn’t happen overnight. But there is beauty in the process―not just the results. Author Jude Chao links skincare to self-care culture, giving readers a practical guide to developing an ideal skincare routine and using it to help manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The Korean skincare routine invites us to look at our skincare not only as a way to reduce lines and wrinkles or clear up breakouts but as a tool for developing our self-care habits.
Steady improvement is the goal. Photoshopped perfection is neither realistic nor a healthy goal. What matters is caring for our mental health and building our self-esteem by intentionally taking time each day to give our skin some love. But it starts with changing how we view skincare and developing a routine that fits our personal needs and goals, and Chao helps you do that.