Discourses of Perfection: Representing Cosmetic Procedures and Beauty Products in UK Lifestyle Magazines

Discourses of Perfection explores editorial and advertising discourses related to cosmetic procedures and beauty products and services in UK lifestyle magazines, offering a holistic perspective on the normalisation of cosmetic procedures and the societal context in which particular perceptions have flourished. The book examines the societal climate that contributed to cultural perceptions of the body as object and project, and constructions of masculinities and femininities as context for developments in lifestyle magazines’ content on beauty and cosmetic procedures. Integrating approaches from Critical Discourse Analysis, Thematic Analysis, and Content Analysis, Discourses of Perfection explores the varying ways in which cosmetic procedures and other beauty products are marketed to different audiences and examines phenomena such as the ‘problem/solution’ rhetoric, and developments in beauty advertising discourse specifically targeted at men. The book also investigates the continuum view of beauty products and cosmetic procedures, and examines the implications of these blurred boundaries for the regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry.