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FlawlessBy: Elise Hu One of Porchlight's Business Books of the Year One of Vox's Best Books of 2023 An NPR Book of the Day Required Reading from New York Post One of Nylon's 13 May Books to Add to Your Reading List One of PureWow's 14 Books to Read for AAPI Heritage Month One of W Magazine's 14 Books to Dive Into This Summer One of Betches' Best Summer Reads of 2023 An audacious journalistic exploration of the present and future of beauty through the lens of
By: Elise HuOne of Porchlight's Business Books of the Year | One of Vox's Best Books of 2023 | An NPR Book of the Day | Required Reading from New York Post | One of Nylon's 13 May Books to Add to Your Reading List | One of PureWow's 14 Books to Read for AAPI Heritage Month | One of W Magazine's 14 Books to Dive Into This Summer | One of Betches' Best Summer Reads of 2023
An audacious journalistic exploration of the present and future of beauty through the lens of South Korea's booming "K-beauty" industry and the culture it promotes, by Elise Hu, NPR host-at-large and the host of TED Talks Daily
K-beauty has captured imaginations worldwide by promising a kind of mesmerizing perfection. Its skincare and makeup products—creams packaged to look like milkshakes or pandas, and snail mucus face masks, to name a few—work together to fascinate us, champion consumerism, and invite us to indulge. In the four years Elise spent in Seoul as NPR’s bureau chief, the global K-beauty industry quadrupled. Today it's worth $10 billion and is only getting bigger as it rides the Hallyu wave around the globe.
And fun as self-care consumerism may be, Elise turns her veteran eye to the darker questions lurking beneath the surface of this story. When technology makes it easy to quantify and optimize ourselves—from banishing blemishes, to whittling our waistlines, even to shaving down our jaws—where do we draw the line? What are the dangers for a society where a flawless face and body are promoted and possible? What are the real financial, physical, and emotional costs of beauty work in a culture that valorizes endless self-improvement and codes it as empowerment?
With rich historical context and deep reporting, including hours of interviews with South Korean women, this is a complex, provocative look at the ways hustle culture has reached into the sinews of our bodies. It raises complicated questions about gender disparity, consumerism, the beauty imperative of an appearance obsessed society, and the undeniable political, economic, and social capital of good looks worldwide. And it points the way toward an alternative vision, one that's more affirming and inclusive than a beauty culture led by industry.
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4.2 ★★★★★
Based on 20 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
smooooth....
Size: 16 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
beard lube.
sounds weird. lube. beard lube.
im a shaving cream shaver. or at least i was. i got a sample pack type grooming kit for xmas last year. used the cologne and the lotion in it and it was good stuff. didnt use the 'beard lube' though. thought it was silly or something. just used my plain old shaving cream.
little more info on me: my neck is f'ed up as far as how the hair grows. some grows up, some grows down...sideways..its all over the place. i get ingrown hairs and red bumps on my neck after shaving quite often because of this. it sucks.
so one day i unfortunately ran out of my beloved shaving cream. faced with not shaving, shaving with some hand soap or using the 'lube' i went with the lube. i went with the lube. figured i had nothing to lose.
.
the beard lube makes a difference. its different to shave with. its not thick like a shaving cream. its almost like theirs nothing there. it doesnt take much either. and its clear. so when your shaving, its almost like theres nothing there.
anyway, i used it that day and afterwards my neck wasnt red. none of the usual bumps. hmmmm....i tried it again the next time i shaved. same results. soon after the sample bottle ran out. oh well..back to the standard shaving cream.
and the return of the red bumps and all that.
a quick trip to amazon and im ordering up more beard lube. couple days later its here and my shavings changed forever. does it cost more than regular shaving cream? yes. can i pick it up at the local grocery store? no. is it worth it? yes. when this bottle runs out, ill buy another. possibly 2 so i wont have to order again so soon.
bottom line is, it makes a difference. if you have sensitive skin and problems like i described above, then this might be worth trying. even if you dont, you should try it. its good stuff.
.
shave on brothers....shave on.....
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Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2011
★★★★★ 5
A bit expensive but very good product.
Size: 3 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I like that this goes on clear. No need to remove shave cream or gel at bottom of beard line with my finger do I can see where to shave.
Tapping razor after rinsing to get hair out is easier than with other products. Everything comes out after tapping razor on sink.
Very little irritation. Skin becomes looser with age, but beard stays the same so it's harder to get close shaves. This is these best product so far. A little goes a long way.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2024
★★★★★ 5
Great cream for a smooth, nick free shave
Size: 6 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I shaved (using a double edge safety razor) for the first time this morning using the Jack Black beard lube and was very impressed. It's a cream, not a soap, so you don't have to whip it up first or use a brush. Just wet your beard with warm water and rub in the beard lube. It only takes a small amount and the lube is very slick. My shave was very smooth and nick free. Nice scent also. It goes on nearly clear, but I didn't find this to be a problem as have some other reviewers. I only shave my fairly coarse beard every other day, so it was easy to spot where I had applied the lube. Not cheap, but an excellent product which should last a long time since only a small amount is needed each time.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2019
★★★★★ 4
Very expensive but quality product
Size: 16 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
Love this stuff. Helps avoid cuts and nicks and makes the razor glide nicely. Also has a nice smell. Only thing I dont like is this stuff is VERY VERY pricey.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Different in a good way
Size: 16 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I’ve tried every type of shaving cream, foam, gel, etc. and this is my favorite. It’s different than other options because it’s more like a lotion so it takes some time getting used to how it works, but once you do it becomes clear that it performs really well. It’s easier to see where/what you’re shaving, it’s very smooth, and it feels nice on the skin. I initially balked at the price, but you need so little for every shave that the bottle lasts me about 3 years(!) so it works out to be pretty cost effective.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2026