Botox and feminism: Can they coexist?

PLUS! Don't miss your Midst-exclusive November horoscope!

BeWell | The Midst beauty, style & wellness newsletter

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Your Midst-exclusive November horoscope

By Mandy Wilde

Happy birthday, Sagittarius!

Sagittarius, this month you are being urged to take a closer look at your day to day and see what’s actually working for you. If you’ve been on autopilot, press pause and ask yourself if your routine is lifting you up or wearing you down. Are those daily habits moving you toward your goals, or just adding to that drained feeling? Small changes can make a big difference, so don’t sleep on switching things up.

You may also want to direct your attention to where you are feeling maxed out. Maybe there are work tasks you can delegate to others or stale routines can finally be shed. Step back and rethink where your energy goes because you don’t have to do it all. Lighten your load by asking for help or reworking your schedule to keep your day flowing.

Physical and mental wellness go hand in hand, so check in on both. Is something off in your diet, exercise, or mental health practices? Sometimes all it takes is guilt-free rest to realize what you need.

For the rest of November, try to focus on building routines that protect your energy and support your goals. Swap out anything that feels like a drag for something that brings balance and energy. The goal here is to feel focused and refreshed, so go slowly, make mindful shifts, and remember to put yourself first because you’ve earned it!

Aries (March 21—April 19)

Aries, let’s get down to business, literally. This month, your finances are under the spotlight. If you’ve been flying by the seat of your pants with your money, it’s time to take a good hard look at things. Ask yourself “Are you just getting by, or are you setting yourself up for something solid and sustainable down the road?”

Think five, ten years ahead. Are your current financial choices moving you toward that vision? November is the perfect time to reevaluate where your money’s going. You don’t need to be a budgeting pro, but maybe it’s time to rethink how you handle money and whether some old habits are holding you back. Money trauma anyone? 

Relationships are also a big theme here, especially if you share finances with someone. Money dynamics can stir up issues around control and self-worth, so pay attention to any tension that pops up. Are you sacrificing too much to keep the peace? If things feel unbalanced, it’s time to find your voice and set boundaries that reflect your needs.

Ultimately, you want to feel good about where your financial choices are taking you. Trust your gut, because no one else can tell you what you’re worth. This month is about laying a foundation that aligns with your goals and the future you’re creating.

Our horoscopes were originally published today here on the-midst.com.

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Do I have to choose between Botox and feminism?

BY SARAH NARDI

Because I spend an ungodly amount of time sitting in front of my computer, its desktop has become like a window into my soul. Scattered across the digital expanse are screenshots of things that, for various reasons, have caught my eye: A recipe for green curry, a woman suspended in crow pose, multiple examples of “French girl hair.” The desktop is like a mood board assembled by the better angels of my nature — a place of clean eating, inner peace, and effortless style. 

In the lower-left corner is an image that, despite being shrunk to the size of a thumbnail, still looms very large. It’s a portrait of Susan Sontag in her later years, her face a topographical map of life’s long journey. Every line we are taught to fear is etched deep into her skin. Beneath the photograph is a quote from Sontag’s essay, The Double Standard of Aging:

“Women should allow their faces to show the lives they have lived. Women should tell the truth.”

I came across the image one day while mindlessly scrolling the socials of people I’ve never met. Immediately inspired by the feminist call to action, I resolved to embrace my age and eschew all cosmetic intervention in the name of sisterhood. “Fuck the patriarchy,” I probably said as I saved the image to my desktop, vowing to henceforth wave my age like a flag. 

But just a few clicks on the very same screen will reveal a browsing history that stands in stark opposition to the sentiment:

Botox near me

How much Botox

How long Botox last

Do French women get Botox

If the internet has given me anything, it’s the power to confirm any bias that I’m holding at the moment. And when it comes to my beliefs about Botox (or Dysport, Juvederm, Kybella, et al), I am a study of contradictions. 

Because I want two things: to embody Sontag’s feminist principle and to look nothing like her while doing it. 

Of course, those propositions are completely incompatible, and the result is a kind of moral paralysis. How can you possibly weave two completely disparate ideas into something resembling sustainable, livable truth? 

The Barbie conundrum

My inability to act on either impulse may have something to do with the fact that I am among the roughly 50% of people born into a woman’s body at some point during the course of human history. Whether being burned at the stake for being unable to prove that we’re not witches, or shamed for not figuring out how to be a CEO and stay-at-home mom all at the same time, women are forced into a hopeless double bind. 

The experience was succinctly described in a devastating monologue halfway through Greta Gerwig’s 2023 film Barbie:

“It is literally impossible to be a woman … You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin … You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass … You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean … You're supposed to love being a mother, but don't talk about your kids all the damn time.”