'House of Beauty' examines how the beauty industry has been fueled by joy and pain

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published November 20, 2025 at 11:57 AM EST

The cover of "House of Beauty" and author Arabelle Sicardi. (Courtesy of W. W. Norton and Lo Hunter)

“When I tell you that beauty is a monster, I need you to know it’s my favorite kind.”

That’s the opening line of Arabelle Sicardi‘s new book, “House of Beauty: Lessons from the Image Industry.”

Sicardi, a journalist and former beauty editor, explores some of the darker sides of the beauty industry while recognizing the ways in which beauty has been a source of caretaking and cultural tradition.

They speak with host Elissa Nadworny about the book.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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