The much-anticipated debut from a beauty business insider cracks open an industry designed to capitalize on our desires and reimagines a more-just future.

With the intellectual rigor of Maggie Nelson, the cultural agility of Jia Tolentino, and the sensitivity of bell hooks, Arabelle Sicardi brings a singular voice—poetic, candid, incisive—to the complexities of the beauty industry. Weaving sharp analysis and vivid storytelling, Sicardi explores how beauty myths are crafted, sold, and weaponized, from corporate boardrooms to local salons. Delving into such issues as the exploitation of refugee labor in nail salons, the use of fragrance in fascist propaganda, and the hidden connections between power and profit, Sicardi challenges readers to confront the industry’s costs—both personal and societal—and reconsider beauty as more than a product of consumption. Instead, they invite a vision of beauty rooted in connection and self-care, one that transcends industry-driven ideals. The House of Beauty is both an exposé and a cultural reckoning, offering insight into beauty’s true impact and the untold stories behind its illusions.

About the Author: Arabelle Sicardi is a Taiwanese American writer exploring beauty, care, and crisis. They’ve written for Allure, Teen Vogue, and the Cut; run the scent collective Perfumed Pages; and founded the Museum of Nails Foundation.