The House of Beauty: Lessons from the Image Industry by Arabelle Sicardi
Beauty writer and critic Arabelle Sicardi delivers an unflinching examination of the beauty industry in her debut nonfiction book. Blending memoir, reporting, and sharp analysis, Sicardi dissects how beauty ideals are constructed—and who profits from them. From advertising archives to personal anecdotes, this collection of essays challenges conventional narratives around glamour, identity, and power, offering a critical framework for understanding the forces that shape consumer desire. Named one of Amazon Editors’ Best Books of 2025, The House of Beauty is both uncomfortable to read and incredibly important for anyone who works in beauty to understand and integrate into their role.

G.O.A.T. Wisdom: How to Build a Truly Great Business by Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell
Beekman 1802 founders Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell launched their brand in one of New York State's poorest counties without an initial business plan or funding, and they did so during a severe recession. Today, Beekman 1802 is a $100 million brand “powered by the science of goat milk and kindness.” In this commonsense business book, the two founders distill their entrepreneurial philosophy into a practical guide for building a brand instilled with heart and deep meaning. Mixing business strategy, behavioral science, and the founders’ trademark humor, Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell outline the principles that helped transform their brand from a small goat farm into a modern beauty success story. G.O.A.T. Wisdom is a valuable playbook for emerging founders navigating CPG growth, community building, and operational discipline.

Ingredients by The Ordinary/DECIEM
A deep dive into the science and ethos behind The Ordinary, Ingredients demystifies the brand’s ingredient-first philosophy. Featuring behind-the-scenes insights from DECIEM’s research teams, Ingredients functions as both an educational guide and a testament to the company’s disruptive approach to transparency. More than a simple ingredients glossary, Ingredients puts the whole formulation puzzle together for readers whose thirst for beauty knowledge can’t be satiated by scrolling TikTok. It’s a must-read for product developers and marketers navigating today’s informed, ingredient-literate consumer.

Puig: Home of Creativity by Alice Cavanagh, Michael Edwards, Jean-Claude Ellena, Leticia Sala, and Anatxu Zabalbeascoa
Published to coincide with Puig’s 110th anniversary, this lavishly produced volume explores the Spanish fragrance and fashion group’s creative legacy. With contributions from perfumers, journalists, and design experts, it traces Puig’s evolution from a family business to a global beauty and fashion powerhouse. Archival photography, brand histories, and olfactory storytelling make this a standout coffee-table book for fragrance aficionados and industry insiders alike.

Ugliness by Moshtari Hilal
Who is ugly, and what makes them so? Artist and theorist Moshtari Hilal dismantles the cultural construct of “ugliness,” examining how beauty norms are weaponized against marginalized identities. Drawing from art criticism, political theory, and personal reflection, Hilal argues that ugliness is not an aesthetic category but a social and political one. A provocative and timely meditation on both her own self-image and the larger beauty industry, Ugliness invites beauty professionals to interrogate bias, representation, and the power structures behind what it means to be “pretty.”

No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
New York Times reporter Gardiner Harris dismantles Johnson & Johnson’s long-cultivated reputation as America’s trusted “baby company” in this investigative nonfiction book. Sparked by a chance airport encounter with a former J&J sales rep, Harris’ book exposes the corporate misconduct behind some of the brand’s most iconic products, from the baby powder cancer controversy to deceptive opioid marketing and dangerous pharmaceutical campaigns. Meticulously reported and deeply unsettling, No More Tears reveals how one of the world’s largest healthcare conglomerates put profit over patient safety, raising urgent questions for consumers, regulators, and the wider health and beauty ecosystem.