Abstract
This project aims to unwrap some of the complexities related to female beauty and
the body. It reflects on the second wave radical feminist view that beautifying the
female body serves to attract male approval via the male gaze, both of which are
deeply entrenched in patriarchal power. This perspective positions cosmetic surgery
as a disempowering act for women. In riposte, we turn to third wave liberal feminist
ideas to engage with the narratives of ten participants who tell of their personal
experiences of, and motivations for, undergoing a cosmetic intervention. We
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undertake an in‐depth exploration of these lifeworld experiences and the interplay of
subjectivity and inter‐subjectivity in the women’s encounters...