To be loved is to be seen: why the world has fallen for Aimee Lou Wood and her teeth
And why her sister should be top of your Instagram follow list
I know I’ve been living under a rock, but I hadn’t seen Aimee Lou Wood in anything before the White Lotus, and she’s my new favourite person.
Since discovering her a few weeks ago, I’ve watched Toxic Town, Daddy Issues and intend to binge all of Sex Education. I can’t get enough of her.
As someone who loves makeup, I’ve been following her sister Emily for ages. You’ll likely have seen her videos before, she’s a makeup artist who loves to mix and match bold colours. Her videos are like performance art; she’ll draw squiggles of crayon over her face and blend them out with the warmth of her fingertips.
What I love about Emily’s page is that there is a complete and utter ‘I don’t give a fuck’ air to everything that she does. That’s not to say that she isn’t purposeful. I just mean that she reads to me as completely carefree and liberated. She puts together the most unusual colour combinations and yet they always look fab. Unlike the majority of beauty content we see online in 2025, hers feels genuinely artistic. She’s not layering products to make her face more correct or beautiful, she’s using colour for play and encouraging us to do the same.
My admiration for her in mind, I was so excited to see her sister Aimee playing Chelsea in this season of The White Lotus. It’s one of my favourite shows anyway, and to be honest there’s just something so cool about seeing a Mancunian being herself alongside this all-star Hollywood cast. How wicked is that? It’s a gesture that feels personal; she’s showing everyone outside of the capital that big dreams can come true.
As the show went on, I found myself hypnotised by Aimee’s face. Having worked in makeup myself for years, you sometimes see a face that you would simply love to paint, and hers became one of mine. The big expressions, her happy smile, the way her eyes tell a story… She is just so beautiful. She and Emily are very similar, and both have especially striking faces.
Before I go any further, I want to pause here and sound something out with you. I’ve wrestled with myself about the idea of writing a piece that is ultimately going to comment on both of these girls’ appearances. Even to say something complimentary, is it appropriate? Is it necessary? But with much thought I’ve decided that it is, because they’ve both become much needed figures in a vortex of nonsense.
The thing I’m not saying, because I’m trying to find the right words, is that Aimee’s teeth aren’t teeth we’re used to seeing on TV. (Let’s add to that that Emily’s teeth aren’t teeth we’re used to seeing on social media.) The impact of this has been palpable, and I’ve seen much commentary about her online, all of which immensely positive.
Aimee was laughing with Jonathan Ross the other day that since the show has aired, people are talking about her teeth a lot. Orthodontists are making content that evaluates her teeth pattern, and - more importantly - people are reaching out to tell her how lovely it is to see someone that looks like them.
I think she understands this experience and how powerful it is. I saw that she made a beautiful video with Merit beauty (which I know Emily loves) and she explained the impact that seeing Georgia May Jagger as a face of Rimmel had on her younger self.
They say that to be loved is to be seen, and I think this conversation has gained such momentum because people feel seen for seeing Aimee.
One thing I am a huge advocate for is people doing whatever the hell they want to their own faces and bodies. If it makes you feel good, go for it. I want to make it really clear that I am in no way shaming anyone for botox, corrective surgeries or anything else that might alter their appearance. But in the same breath, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people that we see in mainstream environments (like a HBO show as big as the White Lotus or an Instagram algorithm) are so conventionally symmetrical, we can lose sight of features that are normal.
If we’re only used to seeing symmetrical teeth, clothes in a size extra small, clear skin and shiny hair, it’s easy to feel a little less than if we don’t match the mark.
When we have Aimee on an enormous show, with a face that moves and animates like our own might, and teeth that we aren’t used to seeing, it feels exciting.
When we have Emily talking to over 100,000 followers on TikTok, smooshing things in haphazardly with her hands, pairing colours together that look arty, not just pretty, getting herself reposted by Kim Kardashian to millions of people, it feels exciting.
Let’s be clear here - when considering traditional western beauty standards, both of these girls would be deemed beautiful. I’m not praising their faces in a patronising way; they would both turn your head on a crowded street. So for this defining feature of theirs, their teeth, to be a contributing factor in how beautiful they are, it makes it that much easier to accept the defining features we have within ourselves.
For me, that’s part of the appeal. We’re often told to love ourselves, exactly as we are, and for some people it’s just not as easy as that. It can be difficult not to look at someone conventionally beautiful and wish you had something that they had. (In my case, it’s always thick, wavy hair.) How liberating then, that in the case of these two girls, the very thing that makes them extra sparkly is the thing that we aren’t used to seeing? It fills me with a thrill that I might end up loving something about myself that currently feels out of the norm.
When I strip it back, I think the reason the Wood sisters resonate with me is that we need more like them. We’re so used to seeing media trained, super polished people everywhere we turn. We need more outspoken personalities to make us laugh. We need more facial expressions to connect with when we watch TV, like Aimee on that sun lounger. We need to give less of a fuck what everyone thinks of us, like Emily doing her colourful makeups in the middle of a busy London tourist spot. It rings true – look at the other people I always harp on about. Chappell Roan, the Haim sisters… they’re all eccentric in their own ways and quite unique in their statures. There’s nothing more exciting to me than someone who is empowered by the things that make them different.
The Wood sisters have really made me contemplate the enormous power in simply being yourself. I hope we can all take this conversation and give it some thought. If the world is currently taking about Aimee’s most defining feature, and loving it, maybe we need to think about our own defining features. Maybe the thing we’re worried about, or conscious of standing out for, will actually be the thing that someone remembers us most for? What a lovely thought.
Love this! I’m not actually enjoying this season of White Lotus but I’m basically watching it for her at this point. Also that style moment for her with the glitter eye and oversized t shirt?! So good. I’m so sick of everyone on TV having perfect veneers, it’s lovely to see someone with some character in her face.
I’ve been drawn in by Aimee Lou too! I love her in White Lotus - by far my favourite character and part of that is her absolute belief in herself and her values. Lovely article😊🙏