The rise of the tennis aesthetic (thank you Zendaya)
The rise of the tennis aesthetic (thank you Zendaya)

Sarah Finnan

Rodial founder Maria Hatzistefanis: 15 lessons in business
Rodial founder Maria Hatzistefanis: 15 lessons in business

Holly O'Neill

PODCAST: Season 3, Episode 4: Trinny Woodall of Trinny London
PODCAST: Season 3, Episode 4: Trinny Woodall of Trinny London

IMAGE

Ask the Doctor: ‘Is a Keto diet safe, or could it raise my cholesterol?’
Ask the Doctor: ‘Is a Keto diet safe, or could it raise my cholesterol?’

Sarah Gill

Sarah Jessica Parker loves Ireland and we love her
Sarah Jessica Parker loves Ireland and we love her

Sarah Finnan

Chocolatey browns are our new favourite interiors fix
Chocolatey browns are our new favourite interiors fix

Megan Burns

Mango x Victoria Beckham is here
Mango x Victoria Beckham is here

Holly O'Neill

Inside this incredible €3.6 million Howth house suspended over a private lake
Inside this incredible €3.6 million Howth house suspended over a private lake

Sarah Finnan

Award-winning chocolatier Norma Kelly on her life in food
Award-winning chocolatier Norma Kelly on her life in food

Sarah Gill

Women in Sport: Olympic swimmer Mona McSharry
Women in Sport: Olympic swimmer Mona McSharry

Sarah Gill

Image / Beauty

In defence of the Resting Bitch Face


By Holly O'Neill
19th Sep 2019
In defence of the Resting Bitch Face

Why oh why are women are seeking out surgical ‘help’ for their Resting Bitch Faces?


In today’s sad beauty news, women are apparently seeking out surgical help for their Resting Bitch Faces in order to achieve… Resting Approachable Face?

Having lived my life with Resting Approachable Moon Face, I am unsure why you would seek out any treatment that encourages men to tell you that “you should smile!” more, but hey, it’s your face.

I’m sorry you’ve had to live your life in a world where you feel that you should do anything to your face in order to make it more comfortable to anyone but yourself, let alone make it appear to be the face of a pleasant person when you are unconsciously going about your life.

Of course, it is a sexist, gendered concept with misogyny at it’s heart. There are no men with resting bitch face. Men get to just have their face, without being told, even in what is deemed a light-hearted way, that they look like a bitch.

Ideally the concept of ‘resting anything face’ wouldn’t exist, it wouldn’t be a term of whimsical cultural phenomena that has made it’s way into our collective subconscious along with standing desks and Pumpkin Spice Lattes and we wouldn’t expect that females must permanently appear friendly or open to a stranger in any capacity.

Ideally, no woman would feel an expectation to alter their face that fits a demand to give others any feeling their emotions don’t instantly convey.

Let’s not even get into the botox and fillers you need, according to the New York Post, because “if you always look dumpy, or unfriendly … people are going to react to you differently.”

The audacity of you to not look warm in the presence of people you owe nothing to when you are resting.

Wear your RBF as a badge of honour for having the power to instantly let anyone know to expect their downfall should they suggest you “cheer up!”.

I’ll be over here practising my Exerted Bitch Face.


Read more: How many ways are you apologising? Tentative language undermines your credibility

Read more: Is locker room talk harmless banter or misogyny?

Read more: The best of beauty at London Fashion Week