But why, though? From Goddesses to Grind: How Beauty Became a Full-Time Job

This powerful narrative traces the evolution of beauty in Western culture—from the sacred rituals of ancient queens to the modern grind of self-care routines and cosmetic labor. Once a luxury of the elite, beauty has transformed into an expected, unpaid form of maintenance predominantly imposed on women. This essay explores historical turning points—from Cleopatra to Botox, corsets to Instagram filters—and blends feminist and labor theory to reveal how beauty standards have become deeply embedded systems of control, consumption, and gender inequality. Drawing on philosophy, economics, pop culture, and protest movements, the essay critically examines how beauty shifted from privilege to pressure, and what it costs in time, money, autonomy, and identity. **Disclaimer:** In this video, we use Google's NotebookLM to assist in the analysis and understanding of complex documents. NotebookLM is a research and writing tool that allows us to generate summaries directly from uploaded documents. The podcast like audio overview you will hear is generated by Google's AI based on the content from the sources listed below. Please note that the interpretations and summaries generated by NotebookLM are automated and may not capture every detail or nuance. They are intended to aid in understanding but should not be considered a substitute for professional advice or a legal interpretation of the documents.Sources:World History of Cosmetics and Beauty Practicescosmeticsinfo.orgcosmeticsinfo.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgRoman Attitudes Toward Women’s Makeup (WorldHistory Encyclopedia)en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgCosmetics Use in Ancient Rome (Haaretz, via Wikipedia)en.wikipedia.orgHistory of Cosmetics Timeline (Personal Care Products Council)cosmeticsinfo.orgcosmeticsinfo.orgcosmeticsinfo.orgcosmeticsinfo.orgThe Flapper Era and Mass Cosmetics (CosmeticsInfo.org)cosmeticsinfo.orgcosmeticsinfo.orgWWII and Beauty Adaptations (CosmeticsInfo.org)cosmeticsinfo.org“The Grooming Gap: What ‘Looking the Part’ Costs Women” – In These Times, 2020inthesetimes.cominthesetimes.cominthesetimes.comKathir, Anjali. “Labour and Alienation: Body Estrangement through Beauty Work” (2021)ojs.lib.uwo.caojs.lib.uwo.caBartky, Sandra. "Foucault, Femininity, and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power" (1990)goodreads.comBerger, John. Ways of Seeing (1972)goodreads.comNaomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth (1991)alaalsayid.comWellisch, Yael. “The cosmetic industry has benefited from women’s insecurities for too long” – Brown Daily Herald, 2022browndailyherald.combrowndailyherald.com1968 Miss America Protest coverage – Smithsonian Magazine, 2018smithsonianmag.comsmithsonianmag.comLivescience summary of Wong & Penner study on grooming and incomeinthesetimes.comBusiness Insider/HuffPost statistics on lifetime beauty spendinginthesetimes.com.