Ever wondered what goes on behind the closed doors of beauty industry? Now you don’t have to. From skin bleaching and K-Beauty to the impact of palm oil and toxic chemicals, these are the most gasp-worthy beauty documentaries to binge-watch right now.
Beauty Documentaries To Add To Your Watch List
Makeup History With Lisa Eldridge
Award-winning MUA Lisa Eldridge is one of the most trusted voices in British beauty, having created a huge presence online to share her insider tips, tricks and recommendations. And for those who want to delve deeper into the past, Makeup History With Lisa Eldridge is just the thing to satiate any lingering curiosity. Each episode of the three-part documentary spotlights the beauty industry at various moments in British history – starting with the Georgians, then the Victorians and finally arriving at the modern woman of the 1920s. Watch as Eldridge heads to historical homes, museums and even the BFI to see what beauty routines looks like, before trying her hand at recreating those looks herself.
Olivia Atwood: The Price of Perfection
Olivia Atwood is back with another docuseries – and this time, she’s taking a deep dive into the world of aesthetic treatments. Exploring the ins and outs of society’s obsession with the ‘perfect body’, Atwood investigates various procedures – from frozen foreheads and boob jobs to mummy makeovers and weight loss.
Make Me Perfect: Manufacturing Beauty In China
China is a renowned leader in modern cosmetic surgery. A booming industry, the nation is quick to set almost unattainable beauty trends – spurred on by social media’s proliferation of before and after videos that suggest a seamless transition through weight loss, facial corrections and all-over ‘beautifying’. But the demand for the perfect face and body has had some side effects; namely, a surge in in-clinic accidents caused by a shortage of qualified practitioners and licensed clinics. In Make Me Perfect, the BBC meets indsutry pioneers while uncovering the stories of victims of botched surgeries and recruitment scams.
Tan France: Beauty and the Bleach
While known primarily as the fashion guru of award-winning Netflix show Queer Eye, Tan France directs his attention to the wider beauty world in his new documentary Beauty and the Bleach. With skin whitening still a multi-billion dollar business, Tan explores the social impact of the world’s most shocking trend and the underlying colourism still rampant across the industry and beyond.
Beyond Beauty with Grace Neutral: Exploring Korea’s Illegal Beauty Scene
A viral trend to hit the cosmetics sphere, beauty products and procedures hailing from South Korea are some of the most desired in the industry. Better known as K-Beauty, these brands are big on natural, dewy skin and youthful results. But just how did K-Beauty build its empire? i-D collaborates with British TV presenter Grace Neutral to explore the thriving beauty scene in South Korea, as well as its darker underbelly.
Explained
Streaming giant Netflix teamed up with Vox in 2018 to create Explained, a series of documentary-style episodes on specific topics. As of 2023, the series has three seasons that dive into the beauty world in more ways than one. Think explorations of diet culture, tattoos, skin and plastic surgery. With narration from the likes Kim Cattrall, Sophie Okonedo and Kristen Bell, audiences should prepare to learn something new with this documentary series.
Are Organic Cosmetics Any Better? Cosmetics Coming Clean
Tonic, known for creating videos spanning health, beauty, workouts and recipes, takes a deep dive into the organic beauty industry with its documentary Are Organic Cosmetics Any Better? Cosmetics Coming Clean. Highlighting a shift in consumer behaviours – many of us are now taking a much bigger interest on what we apply to our skin – the documentary shares stories from organic boutique producers and the labs of major manufacturers.
The TRUTH About My Makeup
Over 70 per cent of all makeup products contain palm oil, an ingredient which, according to WWF, is a major driver of deforestation and climate change. Knowing this, why do we continue to opt for brands that rely on palm oil to create their products? In the BBC’s short documentary, The TRUTH About My Makeup, salon owner and makeup artist Emmy Burbidge travels to Papua New Guinea to see how palm oil is sourced and extracted, the impact on local communities and whether there’s a sustainable alternative.
The Illusionists
How much does media and advertising influence our perception of beauty? That’s the big question in The Illuionists, which explores takes a deep dive into the negative repercussions of today’s beauty standards. The documentary highlights the harmful effects of unrealistic portrayals of beauty, from skin whitening to body modification, and examines the societal pressures that drive these trends.
