On Beauty: A Manifesto

The cliche goes that, in makeup, the face is your canvas; a more precise feeling, for me, is that my face is a medium. My makeup technique involves as much awareness of the geometry in my body as it does the deftness of my hands or the tools it holds. Although, certainly, beauty plays a part in all this, it would be a mistake for me to say that I practice makeup in order to make myself beautiful. More than beauty, my personal makeup practice is about knowing myself.

Selfie #2: Google Tells Me I am a Beautiful Princess

Zoie Ghika's portrait was commissioned by Catherine the Great. After Russia conquered Moldova, Catherine kept Ghika as a member of the royal court. She was an exotic presence, symbolic of the expansion of the Russian Empire to the Black Sea. Google Arts & Culture asks, "What do you see in her gaze and her posture? Is she a cowed princess or a proud refugee?" These questions make me flinch.