The Edition: No. 123

For the happiest life, days should be rigorously planned, nights left open to chance. — Mignon McLaughlin

Freed. How women can escape the likability trap.

Functioned. Hello, perfect (and perfectly affordable) desk-chair cardigan.

Climbed. Women can’t rise into leadership roles without sponsors.

Dressed. T Tahari has the best work dresses; try this shortsleeved and this sleeveless.

Sized. Are 8 out of 10 women really wearing the wrong size bra?

Bagged. This seriously discounted hobo bag is a weekend/travel dream.

Solo’ed. How to love living alone without feeling lonely.

Listed. This Boden mulberry skirt and flat black Mary Janes are on my list for fall.

Raised. Is this the right way to ask co-workers what they earn?

Hyphenated. Amazon’s in-house brand Truth & Fable brings us this must-have knot-front day-to-night work dress in a selection of great colors.

Tripped. 7 Last Minute Labor Trips, No Passport Required.

Traveled. Meet my new makeup travel bag, because, you know, wedding.

Relieved. How to quit waiting for the other shoe to drop and just breathe.

Can we talk about “no makeup selfies?”

Last week, I logged onto my Google News feed to find this headline, “Jessica Biel Shares No-Makeup Selfie and Fans are in Awe.”  No-makeup selfies are a continuation of last year’s #Iwokeuplikethis social media explosion.  And these barefaced photos are considered brave by the skeins of magaziness which tout them as a courageous response to a world built on Facetune and Instagram filters.

But is posting your near flawless, professionally maintained skin really that brave?  Or is it just another insulting way to make regular women feel bad about themselves?  Because, let’s face it, my no-makeup selfie features dark under eye circles, a lifetime of acne scars, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation.  And so does the bare skin of nearly every woman who doesn’t have access to the finest Beverly Hills aestheticians and priciest products.

The beauty industry (and the 25-year-old editors who write about it) has just found a new way to get women to spend their hard earned money on product.  Before, you needed the poreless primers and face sculpting kits to get photo ready.  Now, you need $125+ serums so you can go #nofilter and make the other thirty-somethings envious.

Women pushed the beauty industry away from the flawlessly Photoshopped models in the glossy magazines because we were tired of being held to unrealistic expectations.  How is cheering us toward the virtually unattainable goal of glowing, perfect skin any different?

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