Key Takeaways:There is a clear dichotomy that exists within all beauty consumers. On one hand, they embrace skinimalism and body positivity. On the other, they feel a pull toward perfection. But the two really aren’t that different. All consumers are actually aspiring to the same thing—unrealistic beauty standards and the pursuit of flawlessness, perpetuated by celebrity and beauty culture. Brands can lean into this contradiction to better target their consumer with more conscious beauty that blends the attainable and the new definition of aspirational.Something unexpected happened recently. As a self-proclaimed (and proud) skintellectual who has always enjoyed relatively problem-free skin, I started to notice inexplicable changes: redness, dryness, and mysterious blemishes and texture on my chin, along with, frustratingly, a diminishing overall quality of my complexion, no matter what manner of creams, masks, serums, and pore-vacuuming devices I used. Chalk it up to aging and perimenopause (I’m 43), and also a new, higher-resolution iPhone that captured my face (and flaws) in high definition. Am I vain? Absolutely. (And I’ve worked in the beauty industry for two decades, which doesn’t help.) So, in an effort to calm my angry skin, I traded my retinols, toners, and chemical exfoliants for only a cleanser and an intensive repair cream at night, and in the morning as well, together with sunscreen. Within four or five days, I was quite shocked. My skin hasn’t looked this good in a year or more, and I feel much more confident than I used to when sans makeup.