The Powder Room is a fashion photography project that investigates the politics of the gaze and the private rituals of female self-presentation. Informed by feminist theory surrounding the male and female gaze, including ideas articulated by Sophie Gilbert and Nancy Henley, the work examines how women have historically been positioned as objects of visual consumption through media, fashion, and non-verbal power dynamics. The photographs are intentionally taken at close range to emphasise intimacy and to frame the powder room as a secluded, gendered space, one that exists beyond the male gaze and outside public visibility. The use of baby powder references historical expectations placed on women to remain “fresh,” composed, and ladylike, concealing perspiration and bodily reality in favour of restraint and decorum. Cyanotype and mixed-media processes soften the imagery, producing a tactile, diaristic aesthetic that resists polished commercial fashion photography. Through this material and conceptual approach, the project reclaims intimacy as agency, prioritising subjectivity, emotional presence, and a female gaze rooted in empathy rather than spectacle.