The Beauty Load: How to feel enough in a world obsessed with beauty

by Nicole Mathieson

Do you ever compare yourself to others, and feel like you don't measure up?
This is not due to a lack of good looks, self-confidence or effort.
It's the Beauty Load in action, and you are not alone.
Our personal perception of our beauty, or the lack of it, can make us feel anything from numb to anxious, stressed and ashamed, and at worst like we don't belong and that we are not worthy of being loved.
In the Beauty Load, counsellor Nicole Mathieson exposes the damaging and unrealistic beauty pressures society places on women, and shares how to let go of the struggle, feel confident about who you are in the world, and trust that you are worthy of love and connection-just by being you.

240 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2022

Reviews

[Amanda Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew letting go of beauty rules could feel so liberating and free.

[Justin Huehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Beauty Load’ is a thoughtful and relatable read about the pressure many women feel to meet modern beauty standards. Nicole Mathieson writes with honesty and care, blending personal insight with practical reflections. With a compassionate and witty approach, she invites us to think differently about how we see ourselves and helps unpack some of the emotional weight that can quietly shape our daily lives. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to challenge their views on beauty and self-worth.

[Petrina Reichman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book is essential reading for anyone identifying as female, at any age. I read this sanity-saver just as I was shifting into my 50s, when my appearance felt like it suddenly took a hit. Reading The Beauty Load was a light bulb moment, an invitation to take a long hard look at how society has manipulated beauty ideals to suit a patriarchal narrative. This book is an important tool in the liberation of women and I'm eternally grateful for having read it!

[Steph Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant read. Evey woman, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece should read this and give it to a female. Nicole perfectly captures the beauty load constantly put on females from all directions. We are enough as we are. She combines a light hearted, personal and deeply serious perspective. Well worth reading.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good message but nothing new here. Maybe the format and the author's direct style with her personal feelings (lots of "I") will appeal to people who don't know anything about this topic or have never thought about it.

[Kristen River · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came at the right time. Menopausal body changes had me revolting against myself.
The beauty load is an important examination and enquiry into a world that keeps us scrutinising and critical and offers compassion, kindness and the opportunity to liberate ourselves.
A great read

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes . Ultimately it’s an empowering book and I encouraged my older, teenage daughters read it also. I learnt something new about how much of our society, men and women, are affected by the beauty load either a lot or a little .

[Ngaire Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a fantastic read! I have loaned this book to several friends, and will be saving it for when my daughter becomes a teenager. Nicole’s work is so important in our beauty obsessed world 🙏🏼 Thank you Nicole!!

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a balm this book is! A clever and wonderful tale of being enough always! Thank you Nicole for the much needed reminder that there is so much power to be reclaimed in our own inherent beauty. (And that the systems that perpetuate the myths might simply vanish without our attention)

[Craigus McVegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, insightful, in a world obsessed with physical perfection, this reality check is what the world needs right now.

[Tanya Genito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book full of spot on insights. It provides a dialogue of the pressures of the concept of beauty that is forced onto women in the modern world.

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book extremely insightful

[Brigitte Gaschk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved The Beauty Load. Nicole writes in such an honest and relatable way about something so many of us feel but rarely talk about.