August 2026

Skin

More than what meets the eye

Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and the most publicly visible. It has been painted, perfumed, protected, and read as a social signal for as long as recorded history allows. This month, four angles on the surface that is never merely a surface.

Company of the Month

Full Portrait Available

Nägele & Strubell

Founded in 1880 at Graben 27, steps from the imperial court, Nägele & Strubell has been Vienna's specialist house for fragrance, skincare, and beauty for nearly 150 years. Personal consultation, careful curation, and the belief that being well advised is part of being well cared for.

Object of the Month

Luxury face cream jar and holiday glitter

The Face Cream

The face cream predates the beauty industry by several thousand years. Egyptians used it, Roman women made it from beeswax and rose water, Renaissance women applied it knowing it was slowly poisoning them. What has changed since is the packaging. The need itself never has.

Feature

A Maiko, apprentice Geisha, in full white face makeup and traditional kimono, pointing to her cheek

The Price of White

For centuries, European women applied white lead to their faces to achieve an ideal that was slowly killing them. Japanese Geisha culture arrived at the same white face independently, centuries earlier, through rice powder and a completely different logic. On what two cultures decided, separately and without contact, that a face should look like.