Former BET style editor Prescod explores the racism prevalent in the style and beauty industries in this eye-opening memoir. Using her childhood experiences growing up in an affluent white suburb and her work as both a fashion and beauty editor as references, she examines how the "white, blond, blue-eyed, super-skinny girl" standard set by a society as the attainable for beauty perpetuated racism, while also harming Black girls with unrealistic goals for beauty.

Prescod doesn't sugarcoat her experiences or her choices--she knew she was an acolyte of this stereotype, but that only came later when she was older and able to assess how it damaged both her behavior and society as a whole. Her inability to speak up and fight back against stereotypes of beauty and her place as the "token Black girl," led to binge drinking and an eating disorder, which she details openly and honestly here. She also speaks to her own treatment of other people, which helped feed into the stereotypes and toxic culture.

I loved how she examined it on a personal level with honesty, while also shining a spotlight on society's systemic issues with racism in beauty and style. This book is an enlightening nonfiction choice for people who want to learn more about not only the industry and its ills, but about the exerpeince of a Black woman whose open and honest about her struggles and the systemic issues that caused her and Black women in general harm. Great read!