Autumn Whitefield-Madrano
- Location
- New York, New York, USA
- Birthday
- May 27
- Company
- The Beheld
- Bio
- I write The Beheld (the-beheld.com), a blog examining our concepts of beauty, using interviews with women whose professions and passions lend them a keen insight into personal appearance; analysis of news, business, economics, and culture; beauty experiments; and personal essays.
MY RECENT POSTS
- You Really Got Me
May 31, 2012 08:23AM - Life at 36: Anne Bancroft,
Phylicia Rashad, Reese
Witherspoon, and Me
May 29, 2012 02:53AM - Beauty Blogosphere 5.25.12
May 25, 2012 03:30AM - A Partial List of Male
Celebrities Who Have Given Or
Received Pedicures
May 24, 2012 03:28AM - The Sweet Smell of Sexcess
May 23, 2012 03:52AM
MY RECENT COMMENTS
- “JMac, absolutely agreed.
That's not the focus of the
project
I'm working on, is
a…”
March 12, 2012 10:16AM - “Wordsmith, you're right.
I have a gender bias here,
and
though this blog is
speci…”
February 29, 2012 04:39PM - “Thank you to everyone
who read this and took the
time
to
comment.
Greenhero
n, tha…”
February 29, 2012 04:24PM - “This is a beautiful
account of an extraordinary
evening for
a
19-year-old--thank…”
February 18, 2012 10:21AM - “Rw005g, have you ever
read these ladyblogs? Do you
know what
they write about?
Ye…”
February 05, 2012 01:30PM
Autumn Whitefield-Madrano's Links
JUNE 21, 2011 8:49AM
Thoughts on a Word: Fair
Fair meant beautiful before it meant light-complected, not the other way around. Fair derives from Old English faeger (beautiful, lovely, pleasant), which came from the Germanic and Norse fagar and fagr for beautiful. Until the 1550s, fair was used to describe a beautiful or attractive person with no/… Read full post »
JUNE 20, 2011 7:00AM
Five Beauty Sale Finds For Which I'd Gladly Shell Out Retail Price
I rarely write about products on here, in part because so many
other people do it so well, and with more genuine enthusiasm than I
have even at my most enthused. But after
last week's post on ladymag beauty sales, I took a look at my
collection and realize there are…
JUNE 17, 2011 6:44AM
Beauty Blogsophere 6.17.11
The latest beauty news, from head to
toe and everything in between.
From Head...
Behind Bare Minerals: Nice
profile of mineral-makeup guru Leslie Blodgett. I'd argue that
the piece overstates the revolution of mineral makeup (is it really
that different than regular makeup? Or am I wearing it
wrong?),/…
JUNE 15, 2011 7:12AM
The Ladymag Beauty Sale (and What I've Learned From Them)
This post is a part of this month's Feminist Fashion
Bloggers prompt: women in media. You can read
a roundup of all FFB prompt posts here.
Imagine every single beauty product you have ever heard of being crammed into one room, and you have something resembling the women's magazine beauty closet. And…
Imagine every single beauty product you have ever heard of being crammed into one room, and you have something resembling the women's magazine beauty closet. And…
JUNE 14, 2011 7:57AM
Thoughts on "Plus-Size," and a Guest Post on Fabulosity
Today's word post is kindly being hosted at Plus Size Models Unite, which features interviews (and stunning photos) with plus-size models, shedding some light on the industry. I wrote a post for them about the history of the term "plus-size," which was fascinating to research. (I was particularly amu/…
Before I say anything about Anthony Weiner,
let me say this: I like the male body. I don’t
think we should treat men’s bodies comically,
and I think
doing so can send
negative messages to boys and men. I want men to not feel ashamed
of their bodies, and to be… Read full post »
JUNE 10, 2011 8:04AM
Beauty Blogsophere 6.10.11
The latest beauty news, from head to toe and everything in
between.
From Head...
The definitive guide to not washing your hair: Fonda LaShay of Mint & Chili has been with me from nearly the beginning of this hair experiment. Now that I've been STEALTH SHAMPOOED, Fonda's locks are, to…
From Head...
The definitive guide to not washing your hair: Fonda LaShay of Mint & Chili has been with me from nearly the beginning of this hair experiment. Now that I've been STEALTH SHAMPOOED, Fonda's locks are, to…
JUNE 9, 2011 10:27AM
On the Birthday of Anne Frank
Sixty-nine years ago this Sunday, Anne Frank turned 13 years old.
The most famous of the gifts given to her on June 12, 1942 was, of
course, a diary bound in red gingham that would become one of the
world's most widely read books.
There's another item which makes an appearance…
There's another item which makes an appearance…
JUNE 8, 2011 7:25AM
Sunny Sea Gold, Writer, New York City
Writer, editor, and
recovered binge eater Sunny Sea Gold shares her personal story with
a forthright fearlessness, both on her support site, Healthy Girl, and through her
book.
Food: The Good Girl’s Drug
is a step-by-step guide toward
recovery for an eating disorder that has only recently begun
to… Read full post »
JUNE 7, 2011 6:40AM
Thoughts on a Word: Graceful
Much like the practice of yoga itself,
the blog Anytime Yoga is
focused yet expansive, grounded yet
flowing. Whether Tori is writing on
not using food choices as a moral compass,
victim-blaming,
the folly of schoolteacher-as-hero, or, of course,
yoga, she's sure to do it in an astute, nuanced fashion/… Read full post »
JUNE 6, 2011 7:53AM
10 Pieces of Mirror Media
When I
initially embarked on my
mirror fast, I hadn't really given thought to the ways that
media has treated mirrors. Throughout the month, though, friends
kept referring me to songs, films, and stories that explore
mirrors. Here they are, along with others that I either love or
that this month… Read full post »
JUNE 3, 2011 7:00AM
Beauty Blogosphere 6.3.11
What's going on in the latest beauty news, from head to toe and everything in between.
From Head...
An oldie but a goodie: A fantastic post from fashion blog Dress a day on why you don't always have to be pretty. "Prettiness is not a rent you/… Read full post »
JUNE 2, 2011 7:12AM
Stealth Shampoo!
If you've been following this blog, you know that I haven't shampooed my hair since September 2010. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that I've happily extended into months of research. I've heard from people who wash their hair with olive oil, goat's milk soap, herbal rinses, and baking soda. I'v/…
JUNE 1, 2011 8:37AM
Thoughts on a Word: Mirror
Mirror comes comes Old French mireor (“reflecting glassâ€), which sprang from earlier French miradoir (exact translation lost) mirer (“look atâ€) and Latin mirare, miror, and mirari (“to wonder at, admireâ€). Certainly mirer is the most direct ancestor here; it also gave birth to admire./… Read full post »
MAY 31, 2011 10:22AM
Month Without Mirrors Update 5.31: Recognition
I haven’t looked at my reflection for 31 days.
No mirrors, no windows, no darkened subway glass. No shadows. The
goal, which I
went into in greater detail at the project’s
beginning, was to loosen the grip that self-consciousness has
had on me for much of my life,/… Read full post »
MAY 27, 2011 6:28AM
Beauty Blogosphere 5.27.11
The latest beauty news, from head to toe and everything in
between.
Willie Nelson has a venerable place in
makeover history.
From
Head...
A history
of the makeover: Great,
entertaining
piece at the New Zealand Herald tracing makeovers from ancient China to Willie
Nelson ("2011: Willie Nelson… Read full post »
MAY 26, 2011 9:32AM
Month Without Mirrors 5.26 Update: Clothes Shopping!
Clothes shopping when you've banned yourself from mirrors requires
a different sort of trust than the sort you'd normally put in a
total stranger. I'm loath to ask sales staff what they think of any
particular garment on me—the worst of all
possible shopping worlds being when the saleslady bullies…
MAY 25, 2011 7:18AM
Month Without Mirrors 5.25 Update: You Don't Always Have to Look Pretty
When I was walking around wearing my glasses the other day (in
public! gasp!) and not caring a whit about how I looked, I had a
thought I'd never had before. It is so elementary that it's
embarrassing to let you know that this thought had literally never,
ever crossed my…
MAY 24, 2011 11:42AM
Thoughts on a Word: Vainglorious
Sarah Frye Valencius creates
clothes that serve as a uniform for the creative mind:
“I want to design unfussy, non-body-conscious
clothing for women who care about fashion but
can’t afford to be distracted by it all
day,†she says. Minimizing fuss and maximizing
concentration, her work incorpor… Read full post »
MAY 23, 2011 4:21AM
Month Without Mirrors 5.23 Update: Amsterdam
I've been in Amsterdam for the past week, and since this is not a travel blog I will not go on about bicycles and tulips and the best rijsttafel you could ever wish to have (Cilubang on Runstraat, for the record). What I will tell you is that in early April,/…
MAY 20, 2011 6:12AM
Beauty Blogosphere 5.20.11
The latest beauty news, from head to
toe and everything in between.
From Head...
Who's buying color cosmetics?
The
buried lede on
this piece about makeup purchases is that women ages 35 to 44
buy more color cosmetics than other groups. Still, the only product
you see specifically targeted/… Read full post » 
A true tale.
My best friend growing up not only had Barbies; she had a custom-made Barbie house that her handy father built for her. And the car, and Ken, and Strawberry Shortcake too, which made for some weird perspective play as a seven-year-old because she was almost as tall as Barbie,/…
MAY 18, 2011 7:03AM
Charlotte Shane, Prostitute, East Coast
Now in her late twenties, Charlotte Shane
has been a sex worker for nearly a decade; she started out in the
web cam world, then moved on to fetish and escort work through an
agency. She currently works as an independent prostitute with a
roster of regular clients. Her compulsively
readable… Read full post »
MAY 17, 2011 7:44AM
Thoughts on a Word: Pretty
When I first met Mary Duffy, our
conversations quickly turned to stuff that could keep me going for
hours: What does it mean to be beautiful, or to witness beauty?
What does it mean to be a "pretty girl"? Is there such a thing as
objective beauty, or does the idea… Read full post »
MAY 16, 2011 3:46AM
Beauty Blogosphere 5.16.11
The Beheld, like all blogs hosted on Blogger,
has been experiencing technical issues—recent
posts have disappeared; I'm still hoping/waiting to get them back.
In the meantime, please enjoy my usual Friday roundup on this
Monday.
And let's kick
things off by agreeing to refer to Crystal Renn as a
mod… Read full post »
Autumn Whitefield-Madrano's Favorites
Rae Bryant
designanator
Frank Apisa
Sara Grace O'Connell
Beth Mann
Kerry LauermanUpdates
-
The National Debt Clock, 22 years later
-
Too Close To Home
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TIME FOR THE FRINGE LEFT TO WAKE UP!
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The Positivity Police and the Good Weather Glee Club
-
Announcing the Salon-Alternet Investigative Fund
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“Someone” by National Book Award Winner Alice McDermott in The New Yorker
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Hijab: A Love Story
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Introducing the new Masturphone™
Salon.com