In Your Face : The Culture of Beauty and You /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

From bedtime fairytales and blockbuster movies to magazine advertisements and reality TV, we absorb the lesson early, being beautiful is the answer to our dreams. For pre-teens and teens, the pursuit of fitting in and measuring up feels like an essential survival strategy. Never before have so many messages offered so many unattainable ideals. With In Your Face, Shari Graydon encourages readers to look critically at the culture of beauty of both past and present. Whether it's the different standards for guys versus girls, the assumptions we all have about models and celebrities, or the message that the right makeup can make you a better person, Graydon's look into the realities of our ideals will help kids face up to the culture of beauty and the beauty industry hype. Accompanied by lively visuals, including sharp comic-style vignettes and photos from our beauty culture, this book will captivate readers. "In our factory, we make lipstick; in our advertising, we sell hope," said Charles Revson, founder of Revlon Cosmetics. On the strength of that hope, more money is spent annually on beauty products in the U.S. than on education--over $6 billion on makeup alone. Media activist Graydon encourages readers to look critically at the culture of beauty both past and present. Whether it's the different standards for guys versus girls, the assumptions we all have about models and celebrities, or the message that "the right makeup" can make you a better person, Graydon will help you face up to the culture of beauty and the beauty industry hype. A selection of photographs takes readers on a tour of beauty culture through time.--From publisher description.