When it comes to dating, looks are often everything – but whether it’s possible, or even a good idea, to change that is up for debate
Sep 28, 2026
Posting pictures of yourself online has become a popular but often stigmatised behaviour. Below, we unpack the psychology behind thirst traps and how they really impact our mental health
Sep 24, 2026
Social media has catalysed body hair trends like ‘full bush in a bikini’, but visible leg hair – which is more difficult to sexualise or frame as as a feminist statement – remains taboo
Sep 17, 2026
Despite decades of body positivity, women’s body hair still provokes strong reactions – we speak to young women about why hairy pits still feel like a statement
Sep 11, 2026
Can you really hex yourself hotter? When Tessa Patrick paid a witch on the internet to cast a beauty spell on her, the results weren’t what she was expecting
Aug 19, 2026
Now, it seems like everyone’s a body cop – but is it ever OK to say someone looks too thin or unwell? As concerns are being raised over Ariana Grande’s weight, we explore the murky ethics of commenting on people’s bodies
Aug 03, 2026
Despite being the subject of extreme beauty practices for centuries, more women are using the language of looksmaxxing in an effort to be taken seriously
Jul 17, 2026
The martial art, currently exploding in popularity, is allowing many women to reframe their relationship to their bodies and the beauty ideals they previously found stifling
Jul 13, 2026
A viral new philosophy is encouraging young women to find their ‘twin animal’, reject beauty hierarchies and embrace their inner bimbo
Jun 12, 2026
‘I’m often made to feel like a monster’: From weight restrictions on gender-affirming care to punishingly high standards about desirability, trans people are facing an uphill battle not to hate their bodies
Jun 08, 2026
From dating apps and ‘leagues’ to pheromones and self-image, our desires are shaped as much by how we see ourselves as by who’s in front of us
May 06, 2026
‘I consider myself a fat activist, but my fiction is not activism – it is art’: Emma Copley Eisenberg on her hotly anticipated new story collection, fatphobia, and the pain and pleasure of having a body
Apr 28, 2026
At a time of toxic beauty standards and widespread body image issues, could taking your clothes off around strangers (in a non-sexual way) be the answer?
Apr 15, 2026
After years of male body ideals becoming increasingly hyper-muscular, there is now a growing aspiration towards ‘leanness’ – but is it going too far?
Apr 13, 2026
Suspicious of established institutions and reluctant to be seen as participating in the ‘feminine’ consumption of beauty products, the men of the looksmaxxing community are turning to DIY hacks
Apr 10, 2026
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