Are AI-generated images perpetuating toxic beauty standards?
Viewing photos generated by apps like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Adobe is no longer a novelty. Could frequent exposure to highly idealised – and unrealistic – images of human beings potentially reshape society’s beauty standards? If you’ve ever toyed around with AI photo-generating apps, you may have noticed a trend emerging...
Current in Style
Muscle dysmorphia is fuelling a silent male mental health crisis
As social media and the lucrative, unregulated supplements industry continues to promote unrealistic beauty standards, more boys and young men today are becoming obsessed with body image and bulking up to the point of risking their overall wellbeing. For as long as I’m able to remember, women have been the...
The latest TikTok trend points to Gen Z’s obsession with anti-ageing
With more social media users buying into the idea that perceived flaws must be dealt with before they’ve even begun, young people have turned their attention to a new product which promises to offset any future lip creases: a straw designed to prevent wrinkles. It’s no secret that Gen Z...
Boohoo under fire for breaking promises on ethical overhaul
Following shocking revelations of malpractice at clothing factories owned by the fast fashion giant in 2020, it pledged to reform its operations and launched its ‘Agenda for Change’ programme. A new undercover investigation has found evidence that this was nothing but smoke and mirrors. In 2020, Boohoo, the online...
London-based agency launches sustainably made edge styler
The beauty industry has become notorious for its single-use plastic problem, but one UK design agency is looking to change that with its reusable edge styling brush designed specifically for Black hair textures. A renowned London-based design agency, Blond, has just launched the Edge Slick – an innovative hair styling...
Beauty brands brace for incoming sustainable packaging regulations
As we inch closer to 2024, significant changes to packaging regulations are on the horizon for both the EU and the United Kingdom. Beauty and cosmetic companies will need to pay close attention. For too long, eco-conscious skincare lovers have felt a pang of guilt when throwing out empty plastic...
Patagonia’s warmest jacket ever is made with upcycled ocean plastic
Working together with Bionic and Gore-Tex – two companies that collect ocean plastics and transform them into fabrics – Patagonia has now released its warmest and most sustainable winter jacket ever. As new environmental policies are written up globally, immense pressure has started mounting on the fashion industry to clean up its act. Hoping to shed their reputation as contributors to one of the most polluting and wasteful industries on the...
Are modern-day concepts of ‘natural’ beauty a lie?
The rise of makeup-free and fresh-faced looks online and on the red carpet aren’t always the ‘natural’ vibe we believe they are. Ask the girlies anywhere and you’ll hear that many of us are no longer rocking the full-face makeup that had us in a chokehold during the mid-2010s. We’ve traded HD brows, dark lipstick, heavy matte foundation, and contour for softer and more natural makeup looks that incorporate skincare-based products. The...
How music bolsters mental well-being and social connections
Music is often viewed as an enjoyable form of entertainment, but a growing body of scientific and sociological research is proving how music enhances the strength of our brain’s neural pathways and helps us foster deep social bonds. One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. The legendary Bob Marley sang this lyric in 1971 and it has been repeated by music lovers countless times...
Do we need a #MeToo movement for men?
A new Panorama investigation looked into accusations of sexual assault against male employees by former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO. Following the grim exposure of Russell Brand’s alleged sexual abuse by Channel 4 Dispatches, the BBC teased – for the first time in Panorama’s recent history – an exclusive episode. Its focus was kept secret from initial announcement until the time of air. Given the Brand allegations, a rumour mill quickly got to work...
