"With kaleidoscopic vision, meticulously researched insights, and the narrative power of a novelist, Ellen Atlanta’s Pixel Flesh unravels the complex tapestry of standards and perceptions that shape our identities. Pixel Flesh is not just a book; it's an essential mirror reflecting the profound impact of beauty culture on our lives, urging us to question and redefine our notions of allure and authenticity." —Chloé Cooper Jones, two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and author of Easy Beauty

"A rigorously researched and deeply personal account of the modern female experience. Pixel Flesh is a searing and lucid appraisal of internet culture's most corrosive and diminishing aspects; from predatory algorithms, celebrity, cosmetic surgery, disordered eating and the tyranny of performing a self. A must-read guidebook on the dizzying hall of mirrors that women must navigate online and the dangerous real world consequences that follow. " —Nada Alic, author of Bad Thoughts

“Ellen Atlanta has written an imperative manual for surviving modern womanhood. Equal parts compassionate and fierce, personal and universal, Pixel Flesh delivers a searing account of an image culture that continually asks us to self-harm in the name of empowerment. I couldn’t put it down.” —Allie Rowbottom, author of Aesthetica and Jell-O Girls

"Atlanta is a whip-smart, full-hearted writer who gets to the core of beauty with expert grace that makes it look easy. Her vulnerability makes you feel seen as a reader and her expertise makes you feel protected as you navigate the chaos of the beauty industry from her perspective. Pixel Flesh a pleasurable read, and one I feel lucky to have on my shelf. The world is lucky to have her writing and her tenderness, too." —Arabelle Sicardi, fashion and beauty writer

“Pixel Flesh is a wise and sensitive indictment of the beauty industry—it synthesizes relatable anecdotes about living in the social media age with vigorous research. If you’re struggling with the beauty industry’s chokehold, this book can be a tool in breaking free.” —mj corey, The Kardashian Kolloquium

"This book is courageous, revealing, and occasionally painful, and Atlanta writes with verve and authority." —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"An informed look at visual perfection ideals and their chilling contemporary consequences...Atlanta is brutally honest and often uses herself as an example of an informed, intelligent woman who knows she's being manipulated but still obsesses over her physical appearance. She ends with hope for universal adoption of realistic, inclusive attitudes towards natural and unique beauty for future generations. Many readers will relate to Atlanta's experience, and appreciate this thoughtful consideration of physical female beauty and how it's dictated and judged." —Kathleen McBroom, Booklist (starred)

★ 2024-03-23
When an expert in the beauty business surveys the field, she finds a bleak and frightening landscape.

Atlanta, who has long been a figure in the beauty industry as a writer, editor, and brand consultant, deftly gauges and examines the pressure on young women to be constantly beautiful, fresh, and fashionable. She is brave enough to recount her firsthand experience with beauty culture and supplements her investigation with interviews with influencers, researchers, and young women who religiously follow the trends. She even spent time with Kylie Jenner, the source code for much of the modern beauty business, who in person turned out to be much more ambiguous and uncertain than her social media profile suggests. For many young women, beauty has become an obsession, and they spend much of their life (and money) on skin care routines, diets, and surgical enhancements. Atlanta acknowledges that beauty has always had a commercial aspect, but social media has taken it to a new, ultracompetitive level. Filters and software apps mean that a digital image can be endlessly improved and perfected, to the point that reality has become detached from what is presented on the screen. The result of all this is stress, depression, and heartache for millions of women worldwide. Far from freeing women, beauty has become another tool of manipulation, and Atlanta concludes that the cycle must end. In the closing chapter, she offers useful advice on breaking the addiction, and it begins with true self-awareness. “You do not owe anyone perfect, and you don’t owe anyone pretty,” she writes. “Remove the glossy filter that smooths out any negativity, resist the feminine urge to lighten the mood, or to make others comfortable [and] practice radical honesty with yourself and others.”

This book is courageous, revealing, and occasionally painful, and Atlanta writes with verve and authority.