Better Sex Through Skincare?

brace yourself...

Welcome readers, old and new!

Please hit that ❤️ above if you believe Al Gore did not invent the al-gor-ithm, bane of the scroller’s existence.

To the many new sets of eyes on these parts, hello!

I hope you’ll find aid and comfort here in the Elysian Fields of HNTFUYF—and that you’ll send your queries about vexing appearance issues, products, devices, or existential dilemmas to me at valeriemonroe@substack.com. The question booth is open 24/7.

Those new sets of eyes are here largely because of an interview I did with the terrific reporter Amy Odell of the Back Row (and a new book we’ll be discussing soon about Gwyneth Paltrow). You can find the interview, “Why Plastic Surgery Social Media Is Spiritually Rotten,” here. For those who’ve had facelifts and other aesthetic treatments, please note I don’t say plastic surgery is spiritually rotten, only that social media about it is. There’s a big difference.

Speaking of a big difference, and what might’ve made a big difference, I recently saw the film Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print, which documents the evolution of the “pioneering periodical.”

It was especially interesting to me, as my first magazine job was editing the “Letters to the Editor” column at Ms. in the early ‘70s, a job I believe was among the best in magazine journalism. (Though I probably didn’t do the best job at it, as I didn’t realize at the time I was in a catbird seat at the birth of second wave feminism.) For an absorbing look at an exhilarating time, check it out on HBO Max.

After the paywall, a peek into the question: Can your facial moisturizer enhance your sex life? The answer is hardly definitive—but it’s definitely fun.

HNTFUYF is a payola-free, reader-supported zone. I get no cut from sales when I mention a product—any kind of product! This means that my recommendations are offered without obligation, making HNTFUYF one of the very few places where you can get unadulterated advice, beauty and otherwise.

More of this post sits quivering with excitement behind a paywall. For full access to all posts and the extensive archives, please become a paid subscriber at the current rate of $40/year. Can’t afford a subscription? Write to me at valeriemonroe@substack.com and I’ll give you a comp. 🙏