The New Garde with Alyssa Vingan 2016, Part 1: Beauty (w/ Jessica DeFino)
Dec 2, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Jessica DeFino, writer and founder of Flesh World, shares her experiences creating beauty standards while working on the Kardashian apps in 2016. They dive into the impact of Kylie Cosmetics, the paradox of 'Republican makeup,' and social media's role in democratizing beauty. Jessica critiques the rise of 'get ready with me' content and highlights the growing prevalence of cosmetic procedures amid newfound self-scrutiny influenced by filters and video calls. Nostalgia for 2016 unfolds as they examine lasting cultural shifts.
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Inside The Kardashian Apps
- Jessica DeFino worked as an assistant editor on the official Kardashian-Jenner apps in 2016 and created beauty tutorials with the sisters' teams.
- She recalls writing pieces like how to fake a nose job with contouring and 'how to facetune your face with makeup.'
Trend Cycles And Political Parallels
- The 2016 beauty look is resurging because trend cycles swing from 'clean girl' to maximalism and nostalgia fuels the return.
- Jessica links this to broader political parallels where beauty standards reflect cultural systems of oppression.
Democratizing Professional Beauty
- Makeup artists became social stars and social platforms democratized professional-level beauty.
- Jessica says that rise made 'everyone a pro' and drove people to recreate Hollywood-level glam at home.