We’re currently in what's being called a 'golden age of television'. So many innovative and boundary-breaking shows have cropped up over the past few years, causing Twitter to crash after every episode. But it seems the majority of women these hit TV shows - regardless of how gritty or shocking the subject matter - seem to have an almost Stepford Wife gloss. Even the cast of Girls seem to uniformly exude of a certain 'alternative' hipster cool, save Lena Dunham's occasional 'shock-nudity' scenes (the fact that they were seen as shocking only serves to prove the point). 

Then there was the vintage boom of Mad Men, PanAM, Boardwalk Empire and recent UK drama The Hour, all those perfect beehives, porcelain skin, eyeliner that never flaked off and immaculate red lipstick. Mad Men's Joan Holloway might be hailed as a ‘real woman’, but how many actual women can feel good comparing themselves to the creamy, voluptuous, flame-haired beauty that is Christina Hendricks?

And in recent years we've been fixated with the other-worldly, intricately braided, hyper-real beauty of sci-fi drama Game of Thrones. There's Khalessi, who although a strong female character, looks like a Middle Earth Malibu Barbie, while bow and arrow-wielding Ygritte 'the savage girl' could probably star in a campaign for Clearasil. At the other end of the scale is warrior Brienne of Tarth, who echews make-up altogether and is constantly described as 'ugly', or looking like a man.

All or nothing - when it comes to beauty on prime-time shoes, there's no middle ground. And as much as we love the hair and make-up looks from these shows - and strive to emulate them via You Tube tutorials - it's very rare to find a hit series that takes a more daring approach to beauty.

The opening credits of Orange is The New Black changed all of that. The original idea was to depict main character Piper (played by Taylor Schilling), switching back and forth between her former carefree middle-class existence and her new life as an inmate (after being found out smuggling drugs money for her ex-girlfriend ten years previously). But the producers decided to take a slightly different, more interesting route. As a result, we were confronted with extreme close-ups of women (both physically and psychologically), the likes of whom we hadn't seen outside of an observational documentary.

As the credits start, the voice of Regina Spektor warbles over letterbox-framed images of eyes and mouths, as if we're viewing them through the narrow window of the prison door. A montage of freckled cheeks; a tattooed lip; dark under-eye circles; hauntingly pale skin; perfectly threaded brows; a wrinkled forehead. A far cry from the kind of TV-type beauty we're used to, but that's what makes these women - and the show itself - so intriguing to us.

"What makes this sequence even more powerful is that these aren't even the actors who appear in the show, but real-life prison inmates."

What makes the above sequence even more powerful is that these aren't even the actors who appear in the show, but real-life current and former prison inmates (including the show's creator Piper Kerman, whose life it is based on). Hence it's no understatement to say that OITNB is the first show to really depict women - and their beauty looks - in a completely stark and fascinating new light.

But that's not to say it's all just make-up free faces and scraped back hair (although there is plenty of that). The focus is more about how the women who are locked away from society - and the male gaze, save a handful of prison guards - rely on their beauty rituals to preserve their identity (and sanity) during their time in prison.

"The women who are locked away from society - and the male gaze - rely on their beauty rituals to preserve their identity (and sanity) during their time in prison."

They also use beauty as a way to bond, to trade favours and to reconcile with one another following a dispute - or just to remind themselves of happier times. The first ever episode begins with Piper reminiscing about how being in the bath or the shower is her ‘happy place.’ It then cuts to her in the present, showering in prison and shivering under a cold dribble of water with the voice-over: ‘…was my happy place.’

But, as conveyed by the opening credits, the show is not just about Piper's story but those of her fellow inmates (similar to Lost, the show flashes back to each character's past). A transgender woman, Sophia has her hormone dosage reduced due to budget cuts. In a heartrending scene, she stares into the mirror with a pained expression as she plucks the stubble growing back out of her face.

"[The women] use beauty rituals as a way to bond, to trade favours and to reconcile with one another following a dispute."

The characters' beauty looks are as stark and bold as the show itself. The action is set in a prison, hence there are dark circles, greasy hair and rotting teeth. Granted, it’s not going to inspired any You Tube tutorials, but some of the other characters do have strong hair and make-up looks. Yet it's more deliberate and specific, rather than just there to please the camera. As well as the character 'Crazy Eyes' with her Bantu knots, one inmate Morello is rarely seen without her (slightly smudged) red lipstick.

"As her character becomes more and more unhinged, her skin becomes sallow, her dark circles more pronounced."

And as for Piper Chapman, her blonde all-American good looks earn her no favours behind bars (she memorably gets called a 'Taylor Swift mother-f*cker'). And as the show progresses, her character becomes more and more unhinged, her skin becomes sallow, the dark circles more pronounced as she starts to confront aspects about herself she has formerly repressed. The lack of gloss makes Taylor Schilling's performance - and that of her fellow-actors - all the more harrowing.

Although most of us watching OITNB have never been to prison and have no idea whether the characters are true to life or not, the show should still be admired for its unique, individualist approach to beauty. Something we seem to be seeing a lot of recently, if this month's Vogue featuring a bare-faced Christy Turlington is anything to go by. And its something which should be encouraged and celebrated.

Click through our gallery for some of the show's most memorable characters and their pared-back beauty looks.

The entire 2nd season of Orange is the New Black is now available to watch here on Netflix