Introduction: Beyond the beauty myth -- The pencil test: quantifying the unquantifiable -- Hotties, foxes, and cankles: why we use the words we do -- Lipstick isn't cubist: the artifice of beauty -- The eye of the beholder: sex, dating, and romance -- The prettiest girl in the room: bonding, competition, and other women -- Who's afraid of the Big Bad Media?: skinny models, idealized images, and why maybe it's not such a big deal -- "Like" me: how social media and 24/7 surveillance are shaping women's--and men's--self-image -- "Don't you know you're beautiful?": the therapeutic beauty narrative -- Conclusion: Skin deep: looking beyond beauty.