At some point in the final stretch of spring, I resolved to revamp my entire persona and radiate confidence. It’s a humiliating admission, one that should shame even the most reluctant of confessor. However that is America. In a culture that glorifies constant self-optimization, Americans are taught to view downtime as a sign of surrender, rather than acceptance or relaxation. The relentless pursuit of personal improvement can lead to an existential dread of simply being.

As everyone else was already embracing the trend, it seemed like a natural fit to join in. Every day on my TikTok feed, I’m bombarded by ladies detailing their individual “glow-up” stories – from skincare makeovers to hair growth transformations, gut health revamps, protein boosts, personal branding overhauls, and mindfulness practice regimens. These challenges, often spanning two weeks, one month, or a year, promise sweeping changes to the mind, body, and spirit. During sleep, they employed an unusual technique: taping their mouths shut and securing their chins in makeshift hammocks. As individuals strive to perfect different aspects of themselves, their paths often converge on a singular destination: a tutorial on replicating the results.

So I listened. As the prospect of marriage looms on the horizon, a lingering desire to slip back into my pre-pandemic attire stirs, while one fateful April evening, the place where I now reside became a sanctuary after a grueling day of social events, and as I gazed at my reflection, I was appalled by how my foundation had morphed into bizarre splotches, prompting me to abandon all knowledge of makeup techniques.

After discovering that my diet was overly reliant on dairy products, particularly cheese, I started working with a nutritionist to reassess and rebalance my eating habits. I recently revamped my skincare regimen to incorporate products highly recommended by popular dermatologists on TikTok, such as Dr., whose numerous videos start with her age – 40 – yet showcase skin that rivals a college freshman’s.

As soon as I met someone with remarkably long and shiny hair, I became obsessed with understanding her secrets. She effortlessly explained the science behind her remarkable locks, revealing techniques I had never considered before – yet they convinced me to buy everything she recommended.

I’ve watched numerous films that helped me understand what makes a true romantic, someone with a mild summer romance, or a score of low on the scale.

As I embarked on this personal odyssey, I found myself navigating increasingly complex algorithmic pathways, entwined with a tapestry of profound emotional introspection, all centered around the existential inquiry: What does it mean to be a woman in this precise moment? The allure of societal pressures increasingly diverges from reality: Demanding a 2020s “glow-up” aftercare requires pores and skin so radiant it appears sculpted from polished glass, with any makeup application being imperceptible due to the coveted appearance of refined, affluent women. Your physical form should exude a gaunt, almost emaciated appearance, yet also convey strength, resilience, and a sense of having emerged “healed” from the traumas that marred your past.

Despite your complexion being radiant from a recent facial or your skin appearing luminous due to injectable beauty treatments, or even if your collarbone stands out due to its angular definition, the imperative remains: you must exude an aura of brilliance. Who among us does not yearn to stand out in some way, leaving a lasting impression on those around us?

Within 75 days, my “75 Hotter” TikTok challenge aimed to deliver a comprehensive makeover, yielding a transformative glow-up from start to finish. The gimmick is borrowed from an earlier viral phenomenon known as “75 Days: A Tactical Guide to Conquering Your Struggle With Yourself,” which requires you to work out twice daily, stick to your chosen diet, and abstain from alcohol for 75 consecutive days; if you miss a day, you must restart the entire process. Online, a “transformative psychological toughness program” and “Ironman on your mind” tantalize potential customers, targeting a specific type of individual who is likely to resonate with such appeals – but I wasn’t one of them?

While 75 was indeed a slightly more lenient temperature, The text encourages daily step goals of 10,000, having an exercise plan, prioritizing protein and greens at each meal; it also includes guidelines such as “speaking to yourself the way you’d communicate with a friend” and, in romantic situations, “cutting out toxic people.”

With a nod to her own entrepreneurial spirit, 75 Hotter was born from the innovative mind of Jade Brandt, a 36-year-old content expert based in Austin, Texas, who discovered that the rigors of the 75 Hard program were ultimately unsustainable for her. Seventy-five degrees can be excruciating, especially for women. “Yearly, as fall unfolds, I push myself to the limit, indulging heavily until the holidays arrive and I feel gross, bloated, and self-conscious about my appearance,” she confessed during her program launch, accompanied by a popular infographic that racked up nearly 6 million views.

As the popularity of 75 hottest packages and self-care routines confirms, the era of glow-ups has expanded beyond the traditional two-week window in January, traditionally associated with setting New Year’s resolutions; instead, it’s become a year-round obsession. Brandt rebranded its product line for summer’s revival, dubbing the endeavour “Hottober” to signify a makeover for the autumnal season. “People are placing a greater emphasis on their overall wellness, often seeking to take proactive steps rather than waiting for the traditional start-of-year resolutions.”

While social media is now flooded with diverse beauty routines and products for sale, she sees the current state of the glow-up trend as a far more benign evolution from what millennials were initially exposed to. As I reflect on my youth, I’m struck by the stark contrast between then and now: in those days, our obsession was palpable – fixated on achieving the perfect proportions of thinness, a radiant blonde hue, and an enviable tan. She concedes that it wasn’t empowering in any meaningful sense. “However now it’s extra attainable. “We’re committed to a wellness tradition where we prioritize what’s best for our bodies.”

As I quickly came to understand, my relentless pursuit of the perfect physique had morphed into an obsession with minute details: I fretted over falling short of my daily step goal; I agonized over the calorie count of a seemingly innocent salad bowl; and I beat myself up for a brief lapse in self-control at a friend’s gathering.

The following day, I met someone who shared with me how their mental health struggles over the summer had ultimately led to achieving a healthier body composition. As the evening wore on and our glasses were repeatedly replenished with Brat-green cocktails, she confided, “The only genuine route to self-illumination lies in harboring a subtle yet toxic relationship with food.” She is, sadly, proper. As I navigated my 30s without ever being diagnosed with an eating disorder, I found myself fixating on caloric intake and macronutrient ratios, wondering if I could trust the reflection staring back at me after a particularly tumultuous photo shoot – always one cursed image lurking in the shadows. What if we collectively designated a specific timeframe for celebrating women’s achievements globally? In all likelihood, every woman on the planet would receive recognition, making the concept of an “issue” seem insignificant in retrospect.

What I discovered lacked uniqueness. A prominent psychotherapist and author notes that they’ve witnessed clients struggling with a trend that’s affecting many individuals currently: the adoption of increasingly harsh beauty standards. The notion of being “skinny” still holds significant appeal for people who aspire to feel comfortable in their own skin, both physically and emotionally, albeit somewhat begrudgingly. “My customers are undoubtedly experiencing a profound sense of satisfaction.” Individuals who previously perceived themselves as supporters of physique positivity and fat acceptance find themselves at odds with former allies who are now pursuing weight loss through GLP-1 medications. “It’s a challenging experience for those navigating the marketplace.”

The resurgence of toxic body ideals from the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s is disheartening, not because they truly disappeared – for obvious reasons, they never did – but rather because, without the influence of Hollywood and tabloids, this discourse is no longer perpetuated by a dominant media force. Millennials often reminisce about the weight-obsessed culture of their youth, when they saw iconic figures like 130-pound Bridget Jones worrying about being fat.

By the late 2000s, as social media empowered ordinary women to push back against restrictive beauty standards, the style and entertainment industries responded by theoretically embracing a philosophy of “body positivity” that pervaded culture throughout the 2010s? The traditional weight loss approach was upended by an all-consuming fixation on “wellness,” which, in reality, operated with similar efficacy, but the added expectation that one must now meditate and don athleisure wear as a badge of honor to showcase their supposed well-being.

The pendulum’s momentum has shifted dramatically in the opposite direction once more. The pandemic’s impact is being blamed for changing lifestyles, with some even attributing it to a ‘vibe shift’; meanwhile, others point to the effects of medication like Ozempic – but these opinions are no longer voiced solely by cultural authorities. Influencers, often unremarkable in their own right, exploit social media’s algorithmic power to disseminate regressive ideas that captivate our attention by posing as purveyors of unvarnished truth that the mainstream media allegedly won’t touch. Some creators, such as 22-year-old Liv Schmidt, have amassed tens of millions of followers by peddling dubious dietary advice (spoiler alert: remarkably minimal) and, in Schmidt’s case, responding to critics with emojis depicting pigs, cows, and whales – a veiled attempt at shame.

As the world is bombarded with images of prominent individuals undergoing drastic physical transformations, it’s crucial to remember that discussing someone else’s body is never acceptable, regardless of the situation. Acknowledging that societal expectations can’t diminish our genuine emotional connections with our physical selves, it’s crucial not to deceive ourselves or others about the profound impact these pressures have on our wellbeing. Many people are left uncomfortable acknowledging their own self-acceptance as the ultimate form of self-love, and equally stigmatized from openly discussing the undeniable truth that we can all visibly perceive through our individual experiences.

As I sank into the reality of life less than three weeks in, I found myself ensnared by a more insidious fallacy lurking within the glow-up economy: the notion that middle-class individuals could effortlessly acquire beauty through Amazon’s click-and-deliver mechanism alone. As my addiction to buying grew, I devoured anything that caught my eye: a cool-toned highlighter because summer skin tone requires precision, brown mascara for its flattering contrast on my low-luminosity features, and an under-eye cream as the sudden concern of puffiness had become an all-consuming preoccupation.

As I delved deeper into the world of social media, I fixated on identifying celebrity counterparts who mirrored my own preferences and palettes, having been advised by influential models that aligning with like-minded individuals was key to achieving one’s ideal appearance. Here is the rewritten text:

Upon landing somewhere between the styles of Shahs of Sunset’s Nicole “Shiv” Ghia and Vanderpump Rules’ Stassi Schroeder, I infer that my ideal visual identity can be distilled into a single phrase: “unapologetically fierce.”

Jessica DeFino has exhaustively critiqued the flaws plaguing the makeup and skincare sectors through her Substack. As beauty standards evolved in the 2010s, a marked emphasis emerged on upholding an air of indefatigable elegance above the neckline, precipitating a surge in demand for anti-aging products, dermal fillers, and facelifts.

“As suddenly as a physical form settles into relaxation at home, it’s impossible to allow one’s body to remain still in time any longer.” The skincare tradition is, she argues, essentially an extension of dietary restraint: “There’s no philosophical distinction between zealously tracking calories and zealously applying active ingredients, or between creating a diet to eliminate fat and creating a skincare routine to eliminate dead skin cells, oil, pimples, and wrinkles – all of which are fundamental human imperfections.”

Our cultural fixation on self-improvement, as epitomized by social media’s endless stream of people achieving their goals, eerily reflects the quintessential American dream notion of upward mobility and success. Irrespective of the starting point, there exists an intrinsic component of our national psyche that impels us to envision, albeit naively, the possibility of betterment as always within our grasp.

The revised text is: “Introducing the reimagined Hero’s Journey.” “She notes that the starting point and endpoint are distinct, with the latter standing out as a clear visual cue that holds significant meaning.” As society progresses, it becomes increasingly apparent that we’re witnessing a disturbing trend towards infantilization. When it comes to the most critical aspects of our thought processes – our literacy, political awareness, and cognitive sharpness – As the allure of simplistic answers gives way to the complexity of reality, magnificence finds itself ensnared in the sweeping tide of political expediency.

As I revelled in my newfound narcissism, the sudden dawn of a new president-elect brought me back down to earth. As I hazy-remembered 2017 in the US, numerous women sensed a profound connection between their facial expressions and emotional regulation during tumultuous times. “With concerns at an all-time high, people are instinctively driven to take control of a situation once they feel anxious about it.” As a result, we are poised to experience tangible repercussions in our physical appearance, specifically our bodies and facial features, stemming from the recent proliferation of conversations surrounding thinness.

Can you envision a future where AI-powered skin analysis and personalized product recommendations become the norm, allowing for even more effective treatments and reduced waste? “As we move forward, I predict that there will be a greater emphasis placed on celebrating femininity and exploring the complexities of gender.” “The notion that women must present themselves as visually appealing as a moral imperative is deeply problematic, perpetuating harmful societal expectations.”

The numerous concerns she’s highlighting relate to the alarming erosion of women’s reproductive rights. The notion that women should conform to societal standards of femininity has profound consequences extending beyond physical appearance, reinforcing harmful beliefs about trans and nonbinary individuals, effectively condoning fear and intimidation towards them.

The backlash against physique positivity and “wokeness” is often built on a foundation of anti-feminist sentiments, with some individuals dismissing the movement as overly sensitive or aggressive. As social media’s influence reaches a fever pitch, individuals are reassessing their affinity for trendy phenomena, such as “tradwives,” “soft boys,” and others, wondering whether they got caught up in fleeting fads that seemed harmless until it was too late.

As December arrived, I found myself contemplating the ideal outcome for right-wing charlatans: a widely accepted notion of health and beauty fueled by crowdsourced opinions, where the loudest voices are treated as the only ones worthy of consideration. When influencers and multi-level marketing moguls converge to shape public perception of what constitutes a healthy body, regulatory authorities risk being easily circumvented by these influential figures. As market trends unfold, untapped revenue streams emerge, awaiting savvy entrepreneurs to capitalize on their dynamic potential.

On day 50, my algorithm presented a video featuring a woman who asserts that candida overgrowth is the likely culprit behind fatigue and bloating, suggesting that it can be effectively treated via supplements available through her TikTok store’s affiliate link. By then, my social media feed had been overwhelmed with dubious science films I’d learned to ignore, promoting individuals who attributed bloating to factors like stress, cortisol, or high-FODMAP diets, only to offer pricey solutions via affiliate links. Known for its pejorative connotations, the term “bloat” or “irritation” is often used to describe excess fat rather than adopting a more straightforward label. This semantic approach can be a clever marketing strategy, as it acknowledges the issue without directly confronting it.

Through my relentless struggle with TikTok’s ever-changing algorithm, I’ve come to realize that the greatest mistake one can make in life is to let oneself succumb to obesity, and the next worst error lies in devoting every waking moment and last dollar to a futile quest for weightlessness. You may find yourself propelled into a vortex of impulse buying, driven by the desire to refresh your wardrobe after shedding even a modest amount of weight.

If you hire a random girl on TikTok for €50 to provide a “digital makeover,” she will likely merely superimpose makeup onto your digital image using Adobe Photoshop, rather than performing a comprehensive transformation. As a beauty enthusiast, I was struck by the fact that a limited-edition 1.35-ounce bottle of Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops will soon expire, selling out in under a month for $35 – leaving me no choice but to repurchase it once it’s gone. It’s often said that investing in high-quality hair care and skincare products is essential to achieving noticeable results, which may require an initial outlay of around $300.

Realizing that, even as you strive to become the “best version of yourself,” you still feel drained by work and yearn for more financial security, while simultaneously feeling frustrated that others seem unhappy with you without being able to pinpoint who or why they’re upset. Despite substantial progress along your “glow-up” path, you’ll never truly feel satisfied, as self-improvement only fosters a desire for further growth.

Months of rigorous study have yielded little progress, leaving me disillusioned. A tradition that locates our bodies’ sole purpose in optimization is fundamentally flawed and disconnected, transforming us into prolific consumers and unengaging humans. However, it can occasionally make people who genuinely care about the world a little bit more.

Despite this, there’s an undeniable allure to embracing the transformation, particularly on the path towards a perfect TikTok glow-up. Perhaps true growth appears as tangible progress only because our physical bodies serve as tangible manifestations of that growth, making it easier to overlook the imperfections of the entire process when we’re too preoccupied with becoming something more beautiful.

Despite my lukewarm emotions, I’m actually more scorching now than I was on my first day. Despite my hectic schedule, I still manage to fit in a brisk walk of 10,000 steps, while also taking care to apply under-eye cream and brown mascara for a touch of elegance; yet, when it comes to nutrition, I always put the emphasis on consuming a healthy balance of leafy greens. In just 11 days, I envision myself evolving into the most sought-after version of me. The journey’s not over but. Despite everything, it remains far from ideal.