Working in the digital media space, we come across a ton of both bizarre and hilarious GIFs, Vines, and photos on the daily. (Seriously, check any R29 employee's email and you'll find it riddled with GIFs in response to everything from a fellow staffer's TV appearance to news that there's pizza in the kitchen.) The creativity and ridiculousness always manages to amaze us, and we not-so-secretly wish we had the skills, wit, and, well, time to create them as our full time jobs.
Of course, our favorite memes fall into the beauty category. They're (mostly) friendly, funny jabs at the hair and makeup problems so many of us deal with, and serve as subtle reminders not to take ourselves too seriously. Click through to check out some of our favorite memes — we're sure you'll find one or 20 you can relate to.
If only Beyoncé was waiting for us to come up from the sink and lock eyes in the mirror.
So, that's her secret...
Maybe it's Maybelline, maybe it's a genetic gift.
This palette would be finger lickin' good — if it were real...
Try and keep us away from a Sephora. We dare you.
Photo: Via @beauty_memes_/Instagram.
If we run out of room on our arms, we know where to swatch next.
Photo: Via @makeupinfatuated/Instagram.
Words to live by.
Photo: Via @thelipsticklane/Instagram.
Quite honestly, we've all attempted to rinse off our cleansers like this at least once. Needless to say, it never worked out.
Photo: Via @beautymemes/Instagram.
#blessed
Photo: Via @makeupjunkiesunite/Instagram.
If we had to guess, we're thinking Becca's Champagne Pop.
If you're new to cleansing or protective rituals, one of the first things you'll be told to try isn't a special crystal or any sort of spell candle, it'll be salt — yes, the same salt that you sprinkle on your dinner. When your aim is something as mystical as guarding your home against negativity (or ghosts), humble salt might not seem powerful enough. But, as a spiritual tool, salt keeps many of its signature culinary perks: It's all-purpose, enhances the overall effect of a ritual, and is easy to use.
It's no wonder, then, that salt's spiritual properties partly have their roots in food, too. "Salt’s association with cleanliness, protection, and purity probably comes from the fact that its mundane uses include purifying and preserving food," says Barbara Moore, author of Modern Guide to Energy Clearing. She explains that salt's color (white) connects it to purity, and its ability to maintain food's freshness gives it protective properties. "Magical or symbolic uses of an item often reflect the characteristics of that item’s everyday uses," Moore adds.
To that end, the spiritual uses for salt are just about as wide and ranging as its everyday or "mundane" uses, as Moore calls them. If you're not sure how to start using salt as a spiritual tool, Moore suggests focusing on its protective powers. To maintain a sense of safety while on the go, she'll fill a small bag with salt and other protective items like runes, and she'll stow it away in her purse, luggage, or glove compartment.
But, you can also do something as simple as keeping a bowl of salt in each room of your home. Moore says doing so will help to balance and stabilize the energy throughout the house.
However you choose to use salt, Moore recommends doing a little prep work first, to ensure that the salt works to achieve the ends you desire. Put the salt you want to use on a table, bookshelf, windowsill, or, if you have one, altar. Then reflect your plans for it. "I invite the spirit of the salt to work with me to protect my home (or whatever my intention is) and leave it overnight," Moore says. By the next morning, she says that the salt's energy ought to be ready, and you can use it as you wish.
(For what it's worth, Moore says that just having salt in your pantry, without charging it to a specific goal, will have some effect on the overall energy of your home, but won't make as much of a difference.)
So, the next time you move into a new house and want to neutralize the space, all you need to do is grab your salt shaker and get down to business. The same goes for keeping you and your belongings safe while traveling and staying calm ahead of a stressful meeting or conversation. Salt's soothing energy is as versatile as it gets, so it'll never hurt to have it around. And, if nothing else, you'll never have an unseasoned meal.
There’s nothing better than a bit of sunshine to boost your mood, energy, and creativity. It’s certainly a maxim fashion blogger and street style star Courtney Trop lives by. A self-professed warm-weather fiend, Trop was eager to get out of her native Pittsburg as soon as possible. A couple of weeks after graduating from high school, she set her plan in motion — moving for a year to New York City before making the inevitable jump west to Los Angeles. Twelve years in, the woman behind the fashion and lifestyle blog Always Judging is firmly set up in her West Hollywood life. She’s a regular at all the city’s top spots and friends with the coolest up-and-coming designers (who conveniently let her use their studios to customize vintage finds she’s passionate about incorporating into her wardrobe).
She’s also a must-watch on the fashion month circuit, photographed making her way across Europe in a slew of innovative, unexpected outfits — so it's no surprise that her Instagram account, @alwaysjudging, has a loyal following of more than 300K. Though she made her blog her full-time gig only a couple of months after launching it in 2013 at the age of 26, in her previous life, the glamorous side of fashion wasn’t really on Trop’s radar. “I never thought I would be going to fashion week,” she says. “I honestly didn’t know there was a fashion week!”
Still, her prior near-decade of working in the industry as a clothing and accessories buyer honed her eye for unique finds. These days, she translates that knowledge into mixing designer pieces, classic staples, and vintage finds she hunts down all over L.A. and on the occasional visit home to Pennsylvania. Case in point? Her unique twist on Polo Ralph Lauren 's iconic polo shirt, seen here styled in three of-the-moment ways. A master of proportion and pattern, below Trop reflects on her personal fashion aesthetic, the coolest way to wear a polo, and how swearing off jeans can actually do wonders when it comes to upping your sartorial game.
How would you define your style philosophy? "It changes every day, so I don’t like to pinpoint what my style is, but I do always like a little bit of hardness and roughness around the edges with anything that I do. I feel that I have a lot of masculine energy and even my mannerisms are masculine. So any time that I dress super girly, I don’t really feel comfortable. I always like to have something on that brings out my masculine side. I also don’t like to get dressed up. I prefer to keep things casual. If I get really dressed up, I’ll take it down with a cowboy boot or something like that."
Do you have any pieces that you find yourself constantly reaching for at the moment? "My favorite thing in my closet is a pair of grungy platform creepers with studs all over them. They’re black and have that great, timeless combat-boot feel. I have probably worn them every other day for the past two years!"
How has your style evolved over the past couple of years? "These days, I’m really all about wearing designer clothing rather than contemporary fast fashion. I like heritage brands but also enjoy wearing a lot of new, up-and-coming designers that I think are made well. I want to make sure my pieces stand the test of time and really last. I actually don’t care too much about accessories. I like shoes, but I’m definitely a clothing person. I’ll always buy a fabulous suit over a bag. Since I turned 30, I’m trying to only buy designer and vintage pieces that I’ll have forever. The goal is to have a smaller closet than I used to when I was younger."
Were you into fashion growing up? "Yes, definitely! I always had my mom make me things — she actually made a lot of my clothes. I was also at the mall every single weekend."
You’re a big fan of the polo shirt and all of the various ways it can be styled. Any memories of the iconic staple that jump out? "I wore a lot of Polo Ralph Lauren when I was in high school — both the long-sleeved and short- sleeved polo shirts. It's a style that doesn’t have to be preppy like everybody thinks. It can actually be quite grungy, which is great. I like the rougher side of it. It’s cool to wear a polo shirt with leather pants or something else that’s rough around the edges. It really balances it out."
Talk us through a bit about how you decided to style it in these photos. "I like the whole leather cowgirl thing that’s happening in fashion right now. I feel that the polo shirt looks good and unexpected paired with pieces like that. And then I also think it’s fresh with the 'bad' schoolgirl look. I went for classic black and white because, unless it’s a crazy piece, when it comes to my basics, I only really wear black and white to keep things streamlined. The black one could be either a nighttime or daytime look. I really do like to be casual as much as possible."
Do you have any favorite fashion tricks that make you feel pulled together in a hurry? "I stopped wearing jeans. I’m always wearing vintage band T-shirts, and with jeans and boots or sneakers, I felt that I looked too sloppy. The trick was to quit jeans. I don’t even travel in jeans or sweatpants anymore. I started traveling in skirts. I wore one on the plane for every single trip this past month."
What’s the last thing that you added to your closet? "A pair of brown vintage leather pants. I found them in a store in Nashville. Then over Christmas in Pittsburg, I found a long, brown leather trench at Goodwill for $20. They match so perfectly it looks like a set. I’ve been wearing those together a lot. I can't get enough of brown leather right now."
Lastly, any trends you’re excited about for summer? "I’m really into tartan skirts and the grunge look. I pair them with vintage T-shirts or a polo and boots. That’s an outfit that I’m probably wearing three times per week right now."
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Another day, another well-off older person reminding young people that our generation will probably always struggle to obtain the things our parents took for granted. Last year, it was Australian millionaire Tim Gurner asserting that if we just didn’t buy so much damn avocado toast, we’d be able to afford to purchase homes. This time, it’s Patrik Schumacher, company director and senior designer at the prestigious architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects, positing that young people today simply don’t need living rooms. That’s right, living rooms have come under fire, because apparently the desire to have separate spaces in which to do basic things like eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, and simply chill is more than we should aspire to.
“For many young professionals who are out and about networking 24/7, a small, clean, private hotel room-sized central patch serves their needs perfectly well," Schumacher wrote in a paper titled “ Only Capitalism Can Solve The Housing Crisis,” published last week by the Adam Smith Institute, a British think tank.
As Dazed notes, current laws in the U.K. prohibit developers from building apartments that are less than 38 square metres (about 409 square feet). Comparable laws vary from place to place, but in New York City, for example, a legal bedroom must measure at least 80 square feet with a ceiling height of at least 8 feet. However, this hasn’t stopped landlords from creating illegal bedrooms out of spaces intended to function as living rooms and hallways. In his paper, Schumacher argues that abolishing such laws could solve the housing shortage that has plagued cities like London in recent years. Schumacher also says there are “no rational, pragmatic arguments” that suggest young people need more space than this, and that anyone who has a problem with young and/or low-income renters being “forced” to live in “rabbit hutches” or “slums” is being “emotional and rhetorical.” Yikes.
What Schumacher, who probably penned his essay from the comfort of a large or at least multi-room home, fails to acknowledge is that smaller apartments don’t necessarily equal cheaper apartments, especially when it comes to crowded city centers and other highly desirable locations. For the most part, housing in these places isn’t unaffordable because apartments are too large — anyone who has lived in New York, London, or San Francisco can attest to the fact that a studio or small room in a shared apartment can easily cost $2,000 a month — it’s unaffordable because the system is broken.
Most city dwellers are paying a premium not for the apartments themselves, but for the land they’re built on. Allowing developers to build increasingly tiny apartments on said land is therefore unlikely to result in prices going down. If anything, renters will just end up paying more and getting less.
While many young people already do live under circumstances similar to those Schumacher is prescribing, it’s not something most of us aspire to. Just like the generations before us, millennials understandably look for a reasonable mix of space, convenience, comfort, and safety when it comes to where we live. And that’s really not too much to ask.
Blair Brandt, co-founder and CEO of Next Step Realty, a New York-based firm that caters to millennials and recent college grads, says the young people he works with aren’t interested in living in spaces with no room for recreation, even if doing so might mean saving money on rent or living in a more desirable part of town.
“People make an enormous effort to ensure they do have a living room and do have a space other than their bedroom to reside,” he tells Refinery29. “The city is very expensive, so people don’t necessarily want to be constantly out and about. If you only have a bedroom, you’re going to be eating every meal out, having every drink out. For people in their 20s, recent graduates, and entry-level professionals, they need to have an escape from the city itself.”
Brandt makes an important point: Even if making apartments smaller did somehow allow for tenants to save money on rent, if you live in a glorified closet, you’re not going to want to spend much time there. Not only is this potentially bad from a mental health standpoint, it also means you'll definitely be spending more money on food and recreation, which isn't reasonable for someone on a budget.
Many young people have spoken out against Schumacher’s argument via Twitter. User Brendan Redmond, a U.K.-based designer and photographer, writes: “Patrik Schumacher's vision of life in cities is deeply depressing and his naive faith in the "market" would be hilarious if it wasn't so destructive.”
“Note the complete absence of consideration for whether living in a teeny tiny box is healthy (as well as working all the time, as seems to be the self-serving assumption),” writes lawyer Martin Dillon.
The Adam Smith Institute, however, is standing by Schumacher and his assertions. “Your minimum standard is actually a minimum cost you are forcing others to bear,” a spokesperson for the institute told The Independent. “Think of those businessmen that commute into town once a week and basically use the room to sleep in and nothing else, if they rent a flat at present they have to take one bigger than they need. That means more space is taken up than often they want or need, and that means higher rents and higher prices for everyone else.”
When was the last time you heard someone in a major city complain about all the housing options being too spacious? And why does Schumacher have to argue that young people in particular should be the ones who must downsize? While there may be people in the millennial age bracket that don’t feel strongly about having a living room or other recreational space, the onus shouldn’t fall on an entire generation of people to give up living comfortably in order to solve a crisis that isn't its fault.
The housing shortages that are impacting cities around the world is a serious problem worthy of creative, outside-the-box thinking. But there has to be a way to solve it that doesn’t mean expecting an entire group of people to live in places where their shower is in their kitchen and their bed doubles as a dining room table. While, obviously, not everyone is lucky enough to have a living room or other type of recreational area, to suggest that it's asking too much for people of any age to aspire to living in such a space is patently unfair.
Like filing your taxes or bringing bae home to meet your judgmental relatives, detangling your hair is one of those painful but necessary processes in life that can't be avoided. No one likes seeing a wig's worth of dead hair in the sink or on the shower floor... especially when you've spent a decent amount of time slathering your hair with a nourishing mask that ended up doing nada.
Don't be discouraged — successful detangling is simply a matter of finding the right product for your texture. "If you have a knot in your hair, it can always be worked out with product," Kim Etheredge, one of the founders of Mixed Chicks, says. Keep scrolling to see picks from the pros for every hair type, ahead.
Heat-Damaged Hair
Wet Brush’s formula promises tangle-free hair for up to three days. Unlike other detanglers, the keratin in the formula helps strengthen fried strands and wards off future heat damage. Think of it as an intense leave-in conditioner that does the heavy-lifting as you go throughout your day.
"My favorite detangler is Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In. Besides smelling amazing, it has moisturizers to help soften natural hair. It lubricates it so that the comb just glides through," Derick Monroe, who works with Tyra Banks and Justine Skye, says.
Loose Curls
"The entire Oribe line is great, and this detangler is especially effective for coarse to curly hair — I just mix it with water," Shirley Gordon, a Clairol color expert, says. The finer your hair, the less conditioner you should use in your DIY cocktail.
Oribe Conditioner for Moisture & Control, $46, available at Oribe.
Fine Or Fragile Hair
"My clients who [have] weak, overly dry, and thinning hair benefit from this product greatly," says Lisa Scott, MC Lyte 's hairstylist. It's somehow both weightless and intensely moisturizing. We don't get it, but we won't question it.
Carol's Daughter Mirabella Plum Leave- In Biotin Conditioner, $11, available at Carol's Daughter.
Dry Hair
"This helps to soften the hair and makes the ends manageable. It’s great to prep the hair for style changes and excellent for extensions," says Clyde Haygood, who works with Demi Lovato. Even better, you can use it to refresh day one (or two or three) hair.
Kardashian Beauty Take 2 Dry Conditioner, $15, available at JC Penney.
Dyed Hair
"This is great for all textures, very light on the hair, and doesn't require much else," Gordon says. The protective blend also makes hair crazy-shiny — and prevents color fading, especially on redheads.
Wella Brilliance Leave-In Balm, $13.90, available at Ulta.
Blonde Hair
"I found the perfect detangler," Clariss Rubenstein, whose clients include Allison Williams and Sofia Vergara, praises. "If you only use one product in your hair, use this. 7Seconds by Unite makes the tangles slide right out, and it conditions the hair leaving it healthy and shiny."
Laura Polko, who works with Kim Kardashian and Shay Mitchell, agrees. "It helps me brush out my over processed bleached hair without snapping it off." (For the record, we love it, too.)
Unite 7Seconds Detangler, $28, available at Unite.
Relaxed Hair
Scott heads to the kid's aisle for her detanglers. "This one is soft to the touch, but still strengthens the hair," she notes.
Dark and Lovely Beautiful Beginnings Detangler, $5.78, available at Amazon.
Thick Hair
"Aussie's Hair Insurance smells good and doesn't leave my hair feeling like I didn't fully wash out all my conditioner, like other drugstore products do," Polko says.
Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner, $3.43, available at Walmart.
Protective Styles
"For those with extensions and need extra love and care for their hair, my go-to is the Enjoy Conditioning Spray," Haygood says. "It’s a lightweight, leave-in conditioner that hydrates and soothes hair without making it heavy. It’s great for girls who work out a lot, or who like to shampoo a lot, because it gives added conditioning qualities since too much washing can dehydrate you."
Enjoy Conditioning Spray, $21.95, available at Enjoy.
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I've loved magazines since the days when I scrounged up $3.99 worth of allowance money for an issue of YM. I can't remember every prom horror story that I read, or all of the flirting tips that still fail me in my late twenties, but there's one lesson that resonated with me from those preteen reading days: You must mattify your T-zone. Or I need to, rather.
Back then, I always wondered why my forehead and the bridge of my nose were so much oilier than the rest of my face. And once my beloved mags taught me about that T-shaped area and how oil glands are a lot more populous there, I began choosing products that would help dull the shine. So whenever I do wear foundation, it's a full-coverage matte or nothing at all. That way, I can control my glow. And I grew to become really particular about my highlight placement, too — no more than three sweeps on my cheekbones, one underneath each brow, and absolutely none on my nose.
So when a colleague asked me to try NARS' new Radiant Longwear Foundation, I wasn't all that thrilled. Don't get me wrong: I love NARS, and have probably gushed about the brand's Velvet Matte Skin Tint at least a dozen times. But the whole name of the game is to hide my flaws... not highlight them, and I feared a sheer formula would do just that. I should've had more faith, though. Upon first try, the foundation did go on lightly and smoothly — and managed to bring life to my otherwise dull complexion (thanks to an extra glass of wine from the previous night). My dark spots were mostly covered, and instead of having to overcompensate with illuminator, my high points looked dewy and natural. It's all because of the formula's watermelon, raspberry, and apple extracts that work to smooth your skin, which gives the light a surface to bounce off of. It's glow without the grease, and it's what I'll be wearing for every rooftop happy hour and family barbecue this summer. I think my inner 13-year-old would be proud.
NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, $49, available at NARS.
BeautywithMi, hosted by Refinery29's beauty writerMi-Anne Chan, explores the coolest new trends, treatments, products, and subcultures in thebeautyworld. Never miss an episode by subscribing here.
There is no spectrum of appreciation for pimple popping videos: You either love them, or you hate them. And if you love them, then you probably also appreciate nose strips, "vacuum" pore cleansers, and extraction masks. There's just something so satisfying about seeing every last bit of puss, oil, and dirt squeezed out of your face — which is immediately what drew me to Sephora's new in-store treatment: The Perk Hydrating Facial.
Not to be confused with Sephora's "mini facials," which are really just a glorified form of in-store sampling, the Perk facial resembles a salon-grade treatment complete with a pore-sucking device. The facial won't extract your pimples, but it will deeply exfoliate, leaving you with a big, satisfying jar of dry skin, serum, and oil to ogle at the end. The good news: The facial is free with any $75 skin-care purchase. The bad news: You can't take the miracle pore vacuum home with you. (Trust me, I tried).
After 20 minutes of pore purging, I got to feast my eyes on a jar full of dead skin, oil, and serum. Photographed by Meghal Janardan.
I started the facial by chatting through my skin concerns with a Sephora-trained specialist. (Important to note: Sephora's consultants are not licensed aestheticians.) She pulled out Sephora's Moisture Meter, a device that measures your skin type, to determine that my skin is "normal" but leaning toward the oily side. My specialist and I then walked through a few products she thought would be a fit for my complexion. You can choose to buy these items after the facial, or you can buy something else — it's entirely up to you.
My specialist then cleansed my skin before bringing out the main event: The Perk Hydrating Facial, a device which features two rollerball pens that are filled with serum. As you roll them over your skin, the device sucks away debris and oil while simultaneously pushing serum into the skin. She used a lactic acid-based serum first to loosen any dead skin cells, then switched it out for a Vitamin C serum to brighten my skin, especially around my eyes. At the end, she showed me a jar full of the excess serum, oil, debris, and dead skin. (Check out my special cocktail above.)
The entire process took 30 minutes and while I wouldn't say it was the most innovative facial I've ever had (which is a tall order), it was definitely the most rewarding 30-minute skin-care treatment I've gotten at the mall. If you're looking for a quick refresh, and live near one of the 100 Sephora U.S. stores where this treatment will be available, then I'd definitely recommend it. If you're looking for someone to extract a chin full of whiteheads, you'll have better luck at your dermatologist's office.
"Wild Thoughts " was the song of the summer, and, in a lucky twist of fate, wild and wavy hair was the aesthetic. Even though it's time to bid a tearful goodbye to rosé, frosé, and the like, that doesn't mean that we're letting go of our 'big hair don't care vibes' anytime soon. The easiest way to score the look when you want to (also) baby your 'do ahead of a long winter of heat styling? Crochet braids.
The protective style is synonymous with lots of loose curls and the hair usually used (Marley) is light as a feather — a welcome alternative to wearing cumbersome box braids and heavy twists. But sometimes, you can get stuck doing the same two or three looks with your crochets (top knots, high ponytails, double ponytails — you get it).
Don't fret if you're in an end-of-summer hair rut, because these Instagrammers have found pretty nifty ways to get more bang for their buck with their crochet braids.
Try: Bantu Knots
For this style, Camille of Sabrina's Beauty in Orlando, Florida, used two to three packs of 4A bohemian curl hair, then added Bantu knots for added interest.
Photo courtesy of Sabrina's Beauty.
Try: A Color Refresh
Remember the days when people actually wanted to hide their grays? Neither do we.
Photo: Via @cantanina.
If you want to DIY your dye job, Black Girl Long Hair suggests starting off with white or blond hair, then coloring it yourself.
Photo: Via @hairglambychaka.
Any style that flatters your skin tone and saves you from damaging your real hair is an automatic win.
Photo: Via @yankahglamgoddess.
Try: An On-Trend Bob
Beach waves with all the bump — and no gritty texturizer spray.
Photo: Via @beautifulsoulbraids093.
@Vivianbeautyandstyle curled her own hair by braiding small sections all over, then warmed them up with hot water.
Bonnets aren't exactly the kind of thing you put on before sending a "you up?" text. Most are oversized, blindingly bright, and have that unmistakeable plastic sheen. When it comes to protecting our strands overnight, that's perfectly fine. But for sexy sleepovers? Maybe not so much.
That's why we're excited to see more brands introducing cool, innovative bonnet designs that are not only pretty enough to wear to bed, but could actually pass for daytime hair accessories. Best part: They extend the life of your look, help retain moisture, and fight split ends — all while looking damn cute, to boot.
Check out our favorite re-usable styles, ahead.
We are obsessed with these SLAP caps, which look like beanies and come in every color imaginable.
Grace Eleyae Mauve Satin Lined Cap, $29.95, available at Grace Eleyae.
With some artful knotting, you could easily wear this as a chic head wrap and pair it with jeans.
Contrary to popular belief, the FOMO phenomenon is not exclusive to social events and Saturday nights — it can be applied to makeup, too. Even if your current lineup is perfectly good, even great, it’s hard not to feel a little covetous of the newest, most innovative launches, to want to test out $300 worth of mascara or $280 worth of concealer just to say you’ve tried them all. And when our favorite brands are pushing out yet another brand-new product on the regular before we can even finish our morning coffee, that fear of missing out on the latest and greatest is admittedly a tough habit to kick.
Now, to add insult to injury (to our bank accounts, that is), more foundations than we can count have already hit the market this year — and it’s not even April yet. But before we eschew our old favorites and replace them with the fresh new launches, we wanted to put the most popular, most inclusive, and buzziest new foundations to the test.
Ahead, six R29 staffers gave the most hyped new formulas a whirl — and found out whether they’re really worth ditching your go-to.
The Foundation: Milk Makeup Blur Liquid Matte Foundation
Shades Available: 16
The Claims: Similar to the airbrushed effect of the brand's Blur Stick, this full-coverage, oil-free matte formula incorporates tiny powder-filled spheres meant to diffuse light for a soft-focus finish — kind of like you've got a ring light on you at all times.
The Verdict: "I have pale, dry skin with freckles, and I'm always on the lookout for a foundation that won't flake off on my chin and cheeks where I'm most dry, but will cover up any red spots and also still let my freckles show. Add that to the fact that I need my foundation to come in a very pale shade, and I'm not left with many options. Still, this formula managed to do all those things.
This is what I call a 'high-maintenance' foundation: You really need to prep your skin for this one — serum, moisturizer, primer — and you really need to take time to carefully blend and top it with a setting spray. However, when you take the time to go through all of the steps, the foundation looks great. It'll definitely become my special-occasion foundation, and it'll be good for the days I wake up early and can dedicate time to my makeup routine, but it's not something I could put on every morning or travel with. Oh, and don't worry about the price tag — a little goes a long way, so you won't have to repurchase so soon after buying." — Rebecca Smith (@rebecca_m_smith), Managing Editor
The Foundation: Sleek Makeup Lifeproof Foundation
Shades Available: 24
The Claims: An oil-free, everything-proof matte foundation made to evolve with your skin throughout the day, whatever that might entail.
The Verdict: "I'm really, really, really picky when it comes to foundation because my skin's so darn fickle. All it takes is one bad product to spark a catastrophic breakout that takes days — if not weeks — to clear. Although I was hesitant at first, I'm happy about this full-coverage formula. It offers the kind of coverage it promises and leaves my skin with a natural and dewy glow. To be honest, it reminds me of concealer but just not as thick. The only downfall is that I wish more product came in each tube. Bummer." — Brianna Arps (@briannaarps), Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor, Branded Editorial
The Foundation: Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Youthful-Look 24H Foundation SPF 25
Shades Available: 29
The Claims: In addition to offering one of the most shade-inclusive ranges on the market today, this buildable, medium-coverage formula also includes an impressive level of SPF protection, and promises it's clinically tested for 24 hours of wear.
The Verdict: "Since I first started wearing foundation at 16, it was always the hardest beauty product to shop for. I had to ask myself, 'Will this be too oily? Too light? Too dark?' There are so many questions that spark when buying just one foundation, and years later I still get worried when shopping around for a new brand. Although there are still some troubles in the beauty industry in terms of foundation range, there are a few brands that really show up when picking shades for women of color. Now, this is my new favorite: Its light, oil-free finish is perfect for acne-prone skin, and I don’t need to set it with any powder because it seriously last 24 hours — even without anything but a primer underneath. If you're looking for an effortless, no-makeup makeup look that has the ability to have fuller coverage, this is it." — Nana Agyemang (@everystylishgirl), Associate Content Strategy Editor
The Foundation: Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15
Shades Available: 30
The Claims: A semi-matte, natural-finish formula that looks just like your skin, only better, and lasts for 16 hours.
The Verdict: "Full-coverage foundations have gotten a bad rap in the past for being heavy, drying, and borderline caky, but that's not the case for this one — it feels straight-up like a tinted moisturizer, right down to the medium coverage. Still, it covers everything, from redness to post-acne hyperpigmentation, without looking or feeling obvious. It's everything I love about a lightweight tinted moisturizer, with the longevity and coverage of more heavy-duty formulas." — Mi-Anne Chan (@mianne.chan), Beauty Writer & Host Of Beauty with Mi
The Foundation: Cover FX Power Play Foundation
Shades Available: 40
The Claims: This long-lasting, sweat-proof vegan formula promises to match your skin's unique undertones without oxidizing throughout the day, while leaving behind a non-drying matte finish.
The Verdict: " This color matched me perfectly and the shade range is really inclusive. I’m lucky if one shade ever matches me when looking for foundations, and this time, G60 was a clear, perfect match. That said, I don’t think this foundation is the best for my skin type. I have normal to dry skin and I think this foundation could be better suited for people who are on the oilier side. I have to put a thick layer of moisturizer on before using this foundation; otherwise, it doesn’t blend out properly. I also have to apply it to my cheeks first and use the leftover foundation on my brush for my nose, or else it cakes up. But I'm still able to make it work, and I actually think I'll end up using it as a light concealer instead of foundation because of its staying power." — Meghal Janardan (@meghaljanardan), Video Producer
The Foundation: Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Perfector
Shades Available: 10
The Claims: A sheer-to-medium coverage tint that perfects the look of skin for a fresh, natural finish that still hides everything you need it to.
The Verdict: "I have a very specific vision of what I want my skin to look like: clear, fresh, slightly dewy, and damn near poreless, as if I've never picked a zit until it bled, broken all the capillaries around my nose from squeezing at my imaginary blackheads, or smoked a cigarette in my life.
After years of inadvertently making my skin worse instead of better, by treating it like a problem that needed to be fixed instead of a highly reactive whiny baby that needed to be coddled, I think I've finally gotten things figured out — and this foundation is an absolute dream for creating a clear, fresh, slightly dewy, and damn near poreless finish for skin that's pretty good but not yet great.
I'm fully on board, with one reservation: Supposedly each shade in the range is capable of adapting to three to five different skin tones, eliminating the need for a wider variety. Though all of the existing reviews online have good things to say about that claim, I'm still a little skeptical... but I could be wrong." — Rachel Krause (@rchlkrs), Senior Beauty Writer
The Foundation: NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
Shades Available: 33
The Claims: A medium-to-full coverage foundation that creates a radiant, natural base without the heavy sensation of a traditional, long-wear formula.
The Verdict: " The people closest to me know two things: I’m deathly afraid of cats, and I do not wear foundation unless absolutely necessary. Sure, I know that it creates an even base, but I feel like liquid foundations just make me break out. But when I do have to use it, it’s matte full-coverage or nothin’.
"I was skeptical of this sheer formula, because the whole name of the game is to hide my flaws, not highlight them. And while this new formula did go on as lightly as it promised, the formula, somehow, still managed to bring life to my otherwise dull complexion (which I owe to that extra glass of white wine from the the night before). My dark spots were mostly covered, and instead of having to overcompensate with the highlight, my high points looked dewy and natural. Now, I know the foundation I'll wear all summer long."
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When it comes to your makeup, you fall into one of two camps: You either like your face matte, or you like it dewy. Often, that means you either use a setting powder, or you don't. But now, thanks to a new generation of finishing products, those on team glow are about to get a taste of the powder life they've avoided for so long.
Whether it's mineral, loose, or pressed, the main goal of any good powder is to keep your makeup as creaseless as possible all day long — and more often than not, that means you're getting the mattifying treatment. But a baked-to-oblivion undereye isn't everyone's goal; some just want a radiant, healthy sheen. That's where the three new launches ahead come into play. These formulas include ultra-refined particles that are lightweight, silky, and — yes — really hydrating. They keep your T-zone free from the dreaded oil that hits without fail at 3 PM, but make everything else look seriously lit.
Hourglass is the master of blurring powders that leave skin radiant, not chalky. If you’ve never used the Ambient Lighting powders, know this: They make your complexion look IRL FaceTuned. Now, the brand is delivering more magic with its latest, talc-free (meaning zero white cast) setting powder that marries the soft-focus, skin-perfecting blur of the Ambient Lighting formula with the oil-control of a setting powder. Instead of setting foundation by smothering it with a heavy layer of powder, this fine, translucent formula veils over your existing makeup for a light-reflecting filter that leaves you looking like you just got back from a very expensive spa weekend.
When it comes to achieving that post-vacation glow, Marc Jacobs has you covered. If you're not already covered in the Coconut Gel Highlighter, then you've got something else to add to your seasonal regimen. This setting powder goes on like a powder, but — thanks to the coconut and cocoa butter ingredients — sets like a cream. Wait a few hours, and you'll swear your skin looks more hydrated than when you left for work in the morning.
Becca's newest launch is in a league of its own — the only powder that competes with a face mist, thanks to the high percentage of water and glycerin in the formula. Don't pack it on with a BeautyBlender, either, because this weightless formula is meant to refresh and revive makeup as opposed to set it. So when it's 3 p.m. and your to-do list has all but sucked the life out of you — and it shows — a gentle dusting of this cooling, light-reflecting powder will wake you up.
It's never easy to let go of something you love. Really, it's one of the hardest conclusions a person will ever have to come to, acknowledging — and then accepting — that a part of your life is no longer servicing you as it once did. I have suffered two great disappointments of this kind, two crushing blows of realization that a thing I had built my life around wasn't working for me the way I wanted it to. The first, years ago, was smoking weed. ("It's actually really good for anxiety," everyone would tell me, while my hands shook and my heart raced and my vision blurred and I considered calling my parents to tell them I loved them before I died.) And the second, far more recently, was essential oils.
Here's where that ill-fated love story begins: me, over the age of five but definitely no older than 10, huffing the huiles aromatiques in their frosted-glass flacons that my mom kept on her dresser. And here is where it ends: around two decades later, relying on an expensive cocktail of skin-care products enriched with oils, both essential and non, to tackle problems ranging from acne to redness to sensitivity to just... problematic. According to my internal narrative, I had bad skin, and I was using good products to treat it. But it never got better. Why?
There's that quote that's always attributed to Albert Einstein, even though it might well have originated in an old Narcotics Anonymous handbook from 1981 and never been spoken at all by the German-born genius: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results." So maybe I'm insane! Or maybe I'd just invested so much in the idea that natural "toxin-free" products with organic essential oils were Good and my skin was Bad that it was hard to flip that script.
The first step was a kind of trial separation from my bergamot and neroli and orange blossom and lavender and all the aromatherapeutic blends I used to inhale deeply for ten breaths as I massaged them into my skin. I found a line of products that I liked that happened to leave out essential oils. The brand's founder, chemist Marie-Veronique Nadeau, said that she formulated an essential oil-free range as a way to "eliminate one factor in the guesswork with sensitive skin issues, and that it did. I used them consistently for a few days, and that was it. Irritation: gone. Redness: gone. Weird flakiness around my mouth: gone. Breakouts: gone. Like magic — or, at the very least, like normal, balanced skin.
And because I'm not insane, I haven't gone back to my old ways. I no longer use any essential oils; in fact, I scan every ingredients list with an eagle's eye before trying anything new, and if I see any of my old floral-extract friends, I'm out.
This, I should mention, is controversial. I know, I know — controversy should be limited to discussion around things like Michelle Wolf and the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, not whether or not I like putting essential oils on my face. But you'd really be surprised: I've sat down with esteemed founders of popular skin-care brands who balk at my suggestion that essential oils do not work for me. They act like I'm lying, or like I am an idiot who has put pure undiluted tea-tree oil on my face and wondered why it burned, which I haven't. "I’ve seen severe contact dermatitis from a variety of products containing essential oils," a board-dermatologist with a medical degree once told me, which is to say: I am not making this shit up.
But for every brand that puts essential oils in their formulas like they're going out of style (and they're really not — people have been using them for thousands of years, which is a good indicator that they'll probably never stop), there's another brand that's wising up to the fact that, while they're not inherently bad, they just don't work for everyone. Peet Rivko and Drunk Elephant have sworn them off entirely; Trilogy and Sunday Riley both offer some essential oil-free formulas. And if you find your skin in constant turmoil for a reason that remains a mystery, consider taking a break and seeing what happens. Breaking up was hard to do, but things are so much better on the other side — which, coincidentally, is exactly what I'd say to my pot-peddling high-school boyfriend, too.
Beauty gurus feel like their work is incomplete without a dusting of highlighter or a spritz of setting spray. When it comes to hair, though, some naturalistas consider their baby hairs to be the finishing touch. And while you don't need to lay your edges to slay your style, if you do, you'll want to be armed with the best techniques for your texture, not to mention the products that'll hold up all day. We asked five naturalistas for the exact tricks, gels, brushes, and scarves they actually use to style their edges. Watch them in action, then shop their products in the slides ahead.
Ke'von, Nneka, Patti, Kim, and Amber all have different curl types — and their natural hair journeys are just as varied, too. See their techniques in action in the video above.
"The toothbrush is the most important part," Ke'von says, and many of the women agreed. They're small enough to catch those wispy strands and give you the control that you need to create some artful swoops.
"Gorilla Snot is really fantastic if I'm going to be out all day and want my hair to stay in place," Nneka notes. "It's called snot for a reason because it has a yellow-ish consistency and is really goopy."
But if you'd prefer something more solid, then try Patti's pick. "I like the fact that it doesn't look wet or greasy. It gives you the amount of hold that you need."
Of all the edge control products tested, Eco Styler seemed to be the most versatile. Amber used it by itself, applying it directly on her hairline and brushing it through. Ke'von cocktailed her Eco Styler with göt2b Glued Styling Spiking Glue for maximum hold.
Refinery29 senior features writer Arianna Davis wore this new launch for an entire day at Coachella, "where I sweated, screamed, and danced my heart away," she says. "It was light and easy to apply and didn't feel greasy."
For your edges to really be laid, you need to set them. Whether you're doing it overnight or for 15 minutes before you hit the door, wrap a satin scarf (or a long sock like Nneka) around your hairline so that the style freezes in place.
Imagine spending a good chunk of your Friday night color correcting, concealing, applying your foundation, and contouring only to have your hard work melt off by the time you make it to the bar. Truth be told, forgetting a delicate dusting of setting powder is almost worse than forgetting your primer before you apply your base.
"Think of setting powder as the varnish a painter uses to protect pigments from fading over time on her canvas," makeup artist Clarissa Luna says. "It literally 'sets' your foundation and concealer, and stops it from moving around on your face. And it creates a smoother finish and a flawless look overall."
While setting powder is deemed necessary by most major makeup artists and influencers (hey, Patrick Starr!), it's not always easy for those with darker skin tones to find the right one. Most powders are white or translucent, and can sometimes leave an ashy cast — or worse, photo flashback. "A lot of cosmetic companies have yet to make a universally-true translucent formula," Luna continues. So, to combat that, look for a selection that has been finely milled and tinted with your complexion in mind. See the pro picks ahead.
The Pro:Clarissa Luna Clients: Cynthia Erivo, Regina Hall, Normani Kordei
"Fenty Beauty’s Invisimatte Blotting Powder is a godsend," she says. "It can be used for setting, touching up, and it holds back shine. The two formulas have become favorites in my kit for celebrity clients!" Plus, Priscilla Ono (Fenty Beauty's global artist) told us that Rihanna herself goes nowhere without this in her clutch.
FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA, $32, available at Fenty Beauty
"Bobbi Brown carries a range of powders that I’m in love with," Luna adds. "Its Retouching Powders come in six different colors made to compliment every skin tone. Whether you use them to set foundation, color correct, or for shading, these powders do the job. The best part is the finish: They smooth over any type of textured skin, creating a soft-focus look with no white cast. Plus, you don't need to use a filter for selfies when you're done!"
"I don't wear base every day, but when I do, I reach for this pink-lidded baby to set it," Underwood explains. "Glossier's all about that natural ~aesthetic~, like me, and Wowder keeps my concealer and tinted moisturizer in place without dimming my glow."
"My little sister is notorious for her mile-long Christmas lists, but last year she only had one — ok, ok, ALMOST one — item on her list: Sacha Buttercup Setting Powder," Underwood says. "Long before Laura Mercier offered a deeper option, bloggers and vloggers reached for the brown-girl friendly powder perfect for setting, baking, and getting rid of shine."
The Pro:Samuel Rodriguez Clients: Vivica A. Fox, Malika and Khadijah Haqq
"Hands down, this is one of my favorites," Rodriguez says. "The price is considerably affordable compared to other products that are currently on the market, and you end up with the same exact results as the 'designer' powders, without paying designer prices."
Hourglass is the master of blurring powders that leave skin radiant, not chalky. If you’ve never used the Ambient Lighting powders, know this: They make your complexion look IRL FaceTuned. Now, the brand is delivering more magic with its latest, talc-free (meaning zero white cast) setting powder that marries the soft-focus, skin-perfecting blur of the Ambient Lighting formula with the oil control of a setting powder. Instead of setting foundation by smothering it with a heavy layer of powder, this fine, translucent formula veils over your existing makeup for a light-reflecting filter that leaves you looking like you just got back from a very expensive spa weekend.
The Pro:Alana Wright Clients: Khoudia Diop, Aurora James, Ebonee Davis
"I love the darker shade that it comes in for deeper complexions," Wright says about this Laura Mercier option. "Plus, it’s talc free, weightless, and doesn’t look ashy on darker skin tones."
"Nars has wide range of shades for darker tones, too." Wright adds. "I love the light reflecting particles in this because it’s great for smoothing textures, minimizing pores and — most importantly — it doesn’t flash in photos."
With every new season comes a whole new crop of eye candy to shop for. Pages and pages to be exact. But navigating the new arrivals section can feel daunting: Between the overload of budding trends and the general excitement of seeing all things new and exciting, we tend to shop with eyes bigger than our wallet. It's easy to get caught up in adding everything you see to cart, then having a small cry when your checkout page lists 20 items and a price with one too many zeros.
To offer a helping hand, every month, we'll be breaking down the best items in the market that you can buy for under-$150. Think of our curated shopping guide as an easy way to keep you in the know, without making you splurge. From of-the-moment collaborations to the latest trickled down runway trends, you'll be able to give your closet a mini boost on the cheap. Click on — the spring collections are calling your name.
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A letter of support for longtime NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, signed by female staffers in light of the sexual harassment allegations against him, continues to raise eyebrows.
In a separate memo obtained by Variety, NBC News instructed its staff Monday on how to handle reporting on the sexual misconduct allegations plaguing Brokaw. The document urged staffers to be "scrupulous in reflecting all sides" and added: "Include relevant portions of Brokaw’s denial, his email and the email in support of him, signed by more than 60 colleagues."
The letter — signed by around 115 current and former NBC staffers, including high-profile women in the company such as Rachel Maddow, Maria Shriver, and Andrea Mitchell — emphasized that they believe Brokaw to be "a man of tremendous decency and integrity."
But according to Page Six, not every woman who signed the letter did so because they believe in his character. In fact, some NBC female staffers say they "had no choice" but to sign the document.
"We felt forced to sign the letter supporting Brokaw. We had no choice, particularly the lower level staffers," an unnamed NBC staffer told Page Six. "The letter was being handed around the office and the unspoken threat was that if your name was not on it, there would be some repercussion down the road."
Another unnamed staffer told Page Six the letter could stop other women from coming forward with allegations against Brokaw, especially since power players such as Maddow and Mitchell signaled their support for him.
Vester said the anchor groped her and made unwanted sexual advances towards her in the mid 1990s. Brokaw denies the allegations, though he doesn't dispute the meetings Vester talked about took place. In an internal letter obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Brokaw called Vester's allegations a "drive-by shooting" and said she was a "character assassin."
In 2018, clear, glowing skin has become a twisted status symbol, implying that those of us without a flawless complexion just aren't trying hard enough. Looking to dismantle that illusion and break down the stigma around skin conditions like cystic acne, psoriasis, and rosacea, London-based photographer Sophie Harris-Taylor shot and interviewed makeup-free women from across the U.K. for a series called Epidermis, in an effort to highlight and celebrate the variations in our skin.
"I wanted to create a series of work that empowers and allows women to love the skin they’re in, regardless of what condition they have," Harris-Taylor explained. "Suffering from severe acne throughout my teens and 20s left me incredibly self-conscious, and I longed for 'normal' skin. Normality is defined by the images we see all around us. We are led to believe all women have perfect flawless skin — they don’t."
While we know that overexposure to a certain type of image can alter your perception of reality, Instagram is arguably more pervasive and sinister than billboards and magazine ads. The 637,540 (at the time of writing) posts tagged #FlawlessSkin make us feel just as bad about our faces as painfully thin, hairless models do about our average, hairy bodies.
"Whether not shown or simply disguised, many women suffer from conditions such as acne, rosacea, and eczema, and most of these women feel a pressure to hide behind a mask of makeup, covering up what actually makes them unique," Harris-Taylor says. "Here, these beautiful women proudly bare their skin.”
While makeup can work wonders for your confidence, and is a joyous way to express your individuality, heavy coverage shouldn't be the only option for those battling skin conditions. We need to normalize and salute skin that isn't "flawless" — otherwise we'll just continue to pressure women into hiding their true selves and delivering their appearance in a neat little package. Let's question what "perfection" really means, and remind ourselves that glowing, clear skin is not beauty's end-all and be-all.
Ahead, we've selected eight women from Harris-Taylor's series, who show us their skin in all its natural glory, and talk about how their relationship to it has changed over time.
Joice Gonzalez, 22
"I've had acne for about 10 years or so, ever since I had my first period. It definitely took a toll on my self-esteem growing up, to the point where I was embarrassed to even set foot outside my house. The thought of people looking at all the 'problems' on my face gave me anxiety. I just wanted to hide my face from everyone.
I became obsessed with constantly trying new methods that would potentially cure my skin concerns. I would tell myself that once I got clear, beautiful skin, I'd feel better about myself. But over the past few years, on my journey of personal health and wellness, I've learned to love and accept myself exactly the way I am. It's been a difficult process, but I feel more empowered and I stopped caring what people think of my skin anymore. At the end of the day, it's just skin. It shouldn't dictate my entire life. Though my skin has gotten better ever since I started taking better care of my body, I've accepted that I may never have perfect skin. And that's okay.
Being photographed for this, I definitely felt like I was in a position of vulnerability, but it was also extremely refreshing. It allowed me to feel more comfortable in my body and it was a reminder that I don't need to have makeup to feel beauty. Years ago, I probably would've been horrified looking at a portrait of myself with no coverage on my skin, but today I feel differently. I feel empowered by the image of myself."
Gina McTeague, 19
"I've had spots since I was about 14, but had acne since I was around 16. I'd say it's affected me mainly negatively; it's frustrating feeling like you need to put on layers of foundation before leaving the house or not wanting to be barefaced around people you don't know well. I used to hate when it was time to take off my makeup if I was staying at someone's house. I usually cover up my skin; being without makeup always made me feel so insecure and I thought people would think, 'Oh, her skin is horrible, she looks so ugly.'
When I heard about Sophie's project, I thought it was so cool because you never hear about something like this cropping up. When first in front of the camera it was mildly terrifying having absolutely nothing covering my skin, but after the first few shots, it actually felt pretty empowering, not having to mask anything for the shoot. I think it took me a minute or two to warm to the image at first, but it's actually really striking. I'll always be able to pick out a hundred flaws with myself, but having my biggest insecurity displayed in such a beautiful light is really amazing!"
Tina Guetierrez, 23
"I've had hyperpigmentation since I was 15. I started breaking out when I got to high school. I'm learning to leave the house without makeup but I always feel weird without it. I feel like people are focusing on my acne marks. I always exaggerate my American accent so people can focus on that instead of my skin. I cover it up and feel better with a layer of foundation.
Being photographed for this, I was nervous at first but I ended up feeling so empowered. I really enjoy how calm I look. I'm not focusing on my skin or body. I look like I'm at peace with myself."
Indiana Wrigley, 21
"I've had cystic acne for about two-and-a-half years. It flared up mid-November 2017 due to severe stress in my personal life. Two of my close friends attempted suicide and it was my final year of university. I was the most overwhelmed I had ever been. It affected my self-confidence massively; my reflection was not who I am. During the month-long break I had from university, I left the house three times. One of these events was my 21st birthday and I would not let anyone take photos of or with me. I usually attempt to cover up my skin. I feel with acne, people tend to assume you eat poorly, don’t wash, or aren’t capable of professionalism.
I felt exposed and empowered having my photo taken by Sophie. Getting the train to her studio was a nerve-wracking experience; it felt like people stared at my uneven tones and blistered face. After the photoshoot I went to meet my mum for a drink, she hadn’t seen me for a few months. I did not cover my skin up, I let it breathe and felt myself do the same.
Looking at the photograph, it brings out a mix of emotions: sadness, because it encapsulates a time when I felt powerless and at my lowest, but overjoyed, as the process was a reversal of that powerlessness. I took what made me feel the lowest and I shared it under broad daylight. The warmth and respect I received from others has been immense.
This project is exactly what I needed when I was experiencing skin abnormality. As plus-size models are celebrated and mental health care grows, self-acceptance and advice on skin care, for all skin types and conditions, is the next step. People of all ages need to be taught how to be kind to themselves, not encouraged to hide. This is a relatable subject to all, and therefore a door to human connection and love — let’s open it."
Holy Serukenya, 19
"I've had acne scarring and pigmentation since I was 16. At times my confidence would diminish, especially when going out, wanting to look my best or impress others. I'd often compare my skin with my friends' skin and think, 'Why doesn't their skin play up like mine?' I would think to myself, 'How is it that they pop a spot and it disappears after a couple of days, but if I do that I end up with scars from a good six months to a year depending on severity?'"
Issey Gladston, 19
"I've had eczema on the usual places on my body since I was a baby, but it only started flaring up on my face last year when I started university. I think that with everything there are benefits, and the benefit of having eczema for so long means that I am very in tune with my body as a result. I understand that I need to take care of my body and mind, as neglecting either side can lead to a flare-up.
I think it’s also important to realize that in the grand scheme of things I have a very good life, so it's almost a luxury to be able to worry about something as insignificant as my skin rather than food, shelter, or education. But at the same time I have bad days where it does feel like the end of the world, and it can be quite difficult to deal with not having 'perfect' skin and being pretty powerless to make a change to it. My eczema is cyclic and linked to stress, so it tends to flare up when I'm having a hard time in general. When it is flared up I do cover it up, because it’s hard to deal with the attention and anxiety that a visible and unusual skin condition can bring.
I felt scared about being photographed because even some of my closest friends haven’t seen my skin flared up and uncovered, but I also felt very excited. At the time I was writing an essay about feminist body art and power relations, and in the process of doing this I realized that our current beauty standards, and in turn my relationship with my skin, is a result of the expectations placed on a female body by patriarchal [structures]. I realized that a beautiful and accurate representation of eczema would have helped me when I was younger, as there is a lack of this imagery. But I also feel like a bit of a hypocrite because although I crave this representation I’m also very quick to cover my eczema up in order to better align myself with beauty standards.
It’s one thing to notice a lack of representation, but it's also important to be active in changing that. So although it's scary to be so physically and emotionally bare in front of the camera, it also marks the first step of my acceptance of eczema as a feature of mine, rather than a flaw."
Izzy Clifford, 23
"I've had acne and been compulsively skin picking for 10 years. I do feel very self-conscious about my skin, and feel that I've tried everything under the sun to get it 'under control.' But as I've gotten older I've realized that skin isn't naturally smooth, even, and untextured, and that none of the faces I look at in real life look like my 'ideal' skin. That's not to say I don't sometimes stop and look in the mirror and feel ashamed of my face, particularly if I'm out and about with no makeup on, but I've learned that those thoughts aren't useful and try not to obsess over them. The thing I find most difficult to cope with is the compulsive skin picking, because it's a manifestation of anxiety that I wear in the scars on my face. I don't really talk about it, and didn't really come to terms with the fact that it is a compulsion until a few months ago, despite having done it for years.
Whether I cover up my skin really depends on a multitude of factors — time, stress level, where I'm going — but not really on whether I think my skin is 'bad' or 'good.' If I'm going to work I'll wear makeup, but I'll happily go out with friends barefaced. I'm used to being out without makeup on, but I'm not used to the way I look being the focus of any given interaction. Being photographed for this was a really nice experience; I felt able to be entirely candid about the way I looked with Sophie."
Louisa Northcote, 21
"I started getting acne really bad when I was 15. It has affected so much of my life; I lost a lot of self-confidence and it even stopped me from leaving the house. I used to cover up my skin all the time, but after being on a TV program and showing a lot of the world my biggest insecurity, I don't anymore. I decided to post a makeup-free selfie on Instagram with the hashtag #FreeThePimple — it being out there actually empowered me to not care and just embrace it. In addition, the amount of messages I get daily from other people telling me they suffer with it and how much of an inspiration I am to have the confidence to show it helps me keep going.
I believe acne isn't something that actually gets spoken about enough. Acne is also a huge cause of some mental health cases and the society we live in seems to tell us it is a bad and ugly thing that should be covered up. Growing up, I didn’t have someone to relate to or 'look up to' in the public eye who also suffered with acne, so it was hard — I felt alone. Therefore, to be part of such a project is so amazing, and I love that I am not alone. I hope this can show other people like me that they are beautiful."
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Logging on to Facebook after shopping elsewhere online can sometimes feel like you're stuck in an episode of Big Brother. All of a sudden, your News Feed is full of ads for objects and clothes you've viewed on other sites. The implication is that, somehow, Facebook is watching you.
It turns out, this is actually kind of true: Third-party websites and apps use Facebook's ads and analytics tools, and then share information with Facebook when you visit them. That's why the yoga mat you just dropped in your cart at Lululemon can suddenly show up on your Facebook feed as an ad.
You might have noticed this in the past and thought it seemed strange, but not given it much thought. But according to industry insiders, this is one of the most important sets of data Facebook has access to. And in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, concerns about what is and is not being tracked by Facebook have come to the forefront.
To that end, the company is introducing a new way to control, and even delete, your browsing history that is stored on Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg announced the development of the tool, simply called Clear History. Prior to delivering his keynote at F8, Facebook's annual developer conference, the CEO — recently back from a trip to Washington, DC — previewed the feature on his profile:
"Once we roll out this update, you'll be able to see information about the apps and websites you've interacted with, and you'll be able to clear this information from your account. You'll even be able to turn off having this information stored with your account."
You can read Zuckerberg's full post below, and, as he noted in his keynote, expect more data privacy-related features to roll out in coming months, in addition to the ones released in March.
Welcome toMoney Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
Today: a program associate working in nonprofit who makes $44,000 per year and spends some of her paycheck this week on pain au chocolat.
Monthly Expenses Rent: $775 Health Insurance: $115.96, taken out of my paycheck Student Loan Payment: $90 Phone Bill: $0. (I'm still on my parent's plan and sometimes attempt to pay them with a check, but they usually rip it up.) Utilities, Water & Electricity: $55 Spotify: $9.99 ZipCar: $7 Gym: $60 Planned Parenthood Donation: $10
Additional Expenses Amazon Prime: $49/year (I'm a part-time student.)
Day One
6:20 a.m. — I'm up early today, since I'm commuting into D.C. for work. I do my normal morning routine (brush teeth, micellar water on face, toner, serum, sunscreen, moisturizer, and tinted moisturizer with SPF). I make sure I have my Metro card and a full water bottle and am out of the house within 20 minutes. I ride my bike to the train station, buy my ticket ($8) and am told it's delayed 10 more minutes. Blah. I waste my time on the train by listening to Release Radar and Discover Weekly on Spotify. ($8 expensed)
8:30 a.m. — I stop at my favorite French pastry shop to pick up a pain au chocolat. I hop on the Metro (expensed) and it's packed. It's an emergency nightmare scenario. I have nothing to hold onto and accept that I'll bump into those around because there's no space. I finally hop off and walk the few blocks to the office. $3.77
1:30 p.m. — Finally time for lunch. I brought in couscous with mixed veggies and eat at my desk while I work.
5 p.m. — I leave work and stop by the bakery again to pick up three "merveilleux" pastries for my roommates and I to split. (I Venmo request them for their shares.) I hop on the Metro (expensed) and stop by the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms. They're pretty, but don't quite meet the expectations I had of them. I hop back on the Metro and take it back to Union Station, where I catch the train back to Baltimore (again, expensed). $5.50
6:40 p.m. — I'm finally back in Baltimore. I ride my bike home and pray the sweets don't get squished...20 minutes later, they are but I'm sitting on the couch with my roommates eating them anyway and catching up. We talk about our weekend plans and make dinner together. It's a super grownup meal of mac and cheese and smoothies (avocado, banana, mixed berries, and coconut water).
8 p.m. — I prep my bag for tomorrow, fold old laundry, and finish the night with a cup of tea and an episode of Grace and Frankie with my roommates. I'm asleep by 10:30.
Daily Total: $9.27
Day Two
6:30 a.m. — I'm up early again and not into this routine. I set my alarm back another hour but am awake five minutes later, so I get my act together and go to my barre class. I'm out of the house within 10 minutes and ride my bike to class.
8 a.m. — The hour-long class is over, yay! It was harder than normal because my body was not interested in moving this morning. I take a shower at the gym and get ready for the day, which takes about 20 minutes. Then I ride my bike over to the grocery store to pick up yogurt for breakfast. $3.56
12 p.m. — Free lunch at work today! I love free lunch days.
5 p.m. — I leave work and walk over to a local ice cream shop that's having their opening day of the season. This means a free ice cream cone. I listen to more music on Spotify and feel sad that I don't have a romantic partner. I think I'm great and try to put myself out there, but it just doesn't pan out. I had two abusive ex-boyfriends that destroyed part of me and fueled negative thoughts about how I don't deserve to find love or be worthy of it. The ice cream and walk help to clear my mind of that negative self-destructive train of thought.
7 p.m. — I make a quick smoothie and run out the door to take a Lyft to meet a friend for drinks in Mount Vernon. $8.93
7:30 p.m. — We chat for three hours and catch up on life since we last saw each other two years ago. I have two cocktails and then we head back to his place to drink a few more beers. We talk a lot about sexuality, sexual norms, dating apps, and other fun stuff I love to openly discuss. I talk about how I'm continually disappointed with dating and still hurting from the last guy I dated. It's a good conversation and I could have stayed all night chatting about my interests and desires for experimentation. $27
11 p.m. — I Lyft home, do my normal bedtime routine, and am asleep within 10 minutes. $9.60
Daily Total: $49.09
Day Three
7:15 a.m. — I'm up before my alarm goes off, so I snuggle under the covers for as long as possible and read through emails. I make a smoothie to drink as I walk and get into the office by 8:30. I spend most of the morning listening to New Music Friday on Spotify, a playlist I look forward to every week, while I work.
2 p.m. — I eat leftover pasta and think about how slowly the day is moving and how badly I want it to be the weekend. Is that sad to say? I'd love to feel more excitement about everything at all times of the day, but I'm tired.
5 p.m. — I leave work and walk 20 minutes to the nail salon. I had a shitty week because my sort of boyfriend (the fun in-between phase) ended things, so I want to find a small source of joy like getting pretty nails. My manicurist and I talk about food dishes we've been making recently and she infuses me with positive energy. While I'm getting my nails done, I miss two calls from my long distance BFFs. I promise to call them this weekend and walk over to the grocery store to meet my roommates. We're buying ingredients for tacos tonight and walk home together after. $37
7 p.m. — The veggie tacos are delicious! I make us Pimm's Cups and we sit around and talk until midnight. I chug a glass of water before bed, wash my face, brush my teeth, and pass out.
Daily Total: $37
Day Four
8 a.m. — Despite drinking last night, my body wills me awake at this hour and I lay in bed listening to music. I end up cleaning for a few hours, Facetiming with one of my long-distance BFFs, and trying on different clothes in my closet. I should study for class, but I decide not to. (I'm getting my Master's, very slowly and part-time. I get partial tuition-remission, and the remainder of my tuition is paid for with money my parents set aside for me.)
12 p.m. — At drag brunch with friends! I order bottomless mimosas and huevos rancheros. The food is subpar, but the company is great. There's a dance contest halfway through brunch and I'm nominated from our table. I dance to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" and win! $38
2 p.m. — We walk to a block party happening a few streets over. They've shut down the street and have a live band, unlimited oysters, and multiple bars, so it's a fun time. It's $10 to enter; my roommate pays and I immediately Venmo her for me. We get inside and a friend buys me an Orange Crush. Other friends and boys buy me drinks until I'm finally ready to leave. $10
7 p.m. — Leave the block party feeling pretty drunk. I walk home with my roommate and we order pizza on GrubHub. We devour it and stay up until midnight talking about life, our expectations, our families, and other normal drunk chat topics. I begrudgingly drunk text my sort of ex. When he responds, I decide to be smart and not reply, even though I want to hook up. $18.08
12 a.m. — I chug water, brush my teeth, wash my face, and head to bed.
Daily Total: $66.08
Day Five
8:30 a.m. — I'm up early again. I clean my room and waste time in bed for a hour watching Sex and the City until I commit to going to barre class. I ride my bike there and arrive in time for the 10:30 class. It's an hour of pure exhaustion, but I love it and feel no hangover after.
11:30 a.m. — I walk over to the grocery store to buy red peppers, green peppers, bananas, cara cara oranges, crumbled goat cheese, rye bread, yogurt, gnocchi, and soup ($29.17). Then I hang out in the seating area of the grocery store and eat my soup while I chat with the other long-distance BFF. I love talking to her and it fills me with such a sense of rejuvenation. $29.17
12:30 p.m. — I ride my bike from the grocery store to a coffee shop to meet my roommate for tea. We talk about last night, regrettable choices, and how to talk to a mutual friend about potentially dangerous alcoholic tendencies. I ride my bike home. $2
2 p.m. — I roast veggies in the oven and feel gross because I haven't showered yet. Instead of showering, I to go to Target and Michaels with my roommates. I buy jalapeño ranch Ruffles, milk, heavy whipping cream, and eggs ($11), a frame for a painting, laundry detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, and shower scrubber refill ($20), a tennis racket and tennis balls ($20), and two sports bras ($35). I buy the tennis gear because my roommate and I have been wanting to use the courts at the park near our house. We then stop at a hardware store to buy another recycling bin (because our current bin always overflows) and a rosemary plant ($10). $96
4:30 p.m. — I'm back home and make a veggie, goat cheese, and pesto sandwich. I heat it on the stove, and it's delicious. My roommate and I make tiramisu and then head to our rooftop to do gardening, since it's beautiful outside. We come back inside and start rearranging other furniture, and then I put away some of the veggie sandwich supplies to bring into work for lunch tomorrow.
7 p.m. — I take a shower and get in my cozy clothes for the night. My roommate and I agree on watching Girls Trip. We're in bed by 11 and I fall asleep reminding myself that I should always try to look as fabulous as the women in that movie do.
Daily Total: $127.17
Day Six
7:20 a.m. — I'm up before my alarm again so I read the news in bed and write down my dreams. Anytime I remember my dream I create a note to remember how ridiculous it was. I am out of the house by 8 after following my normal morning routine and eating a yogurt. I listen to the new Cardi B album while walking to work.
1 p.m. — Work goes by quickly today because I'm distraction-free. While I eat my grilled veggie sandwich for lunch, I research stocks to invest in. I'm trying to educate myself, since this seems like something I should start knowing about for my future savings.
5 p.m. — Leave work and walk to the gym for a barre class. The class is 45 minutes and exhausting, but the teacher thanks us for coming and doing this instead of happy hour. After reading a recent Money Diary, I'm inspired to make miso soup with veggie dumplings. So I buy miso soup packets, zucchini, onion, red pepper, green pepper, edamame, and frozen broccoli. The food will last me multiple meals, since I'll make pasta primavera with the remaining veggies. $19.17
7 p.m. — Miso soup is delish! I found two recipes online, so I combined them to be a bit more spicy, with fried dumplings for the crunch. I made a smoothie to go along with it since I haven't had enough fruit today. I call my dad and we catch up while I eat.
9 p.m. — One of the roommates is going away for a long weekend, so we insist on her giving us a fashion show. It ends up being a lot longer than expected, but it's a funnier way to waste a night with friends. I pack my bag for tomorrow, shower, watch the most recent episode of The Royals, and try to fall asleep by 11 p.m. I stay up for another half hour feeling sad and lonely. I contemplate re-downloading dating apps, but decide against it. I realized that I meet plenty of people in person and have not successfully dated anyone from an app.
Daily Total: $19.17
Day Seven
6:30 a.m. — I'm awake before my alarm goes off. I pre-packed my bag to go to the gym but can't force myself out of bed knowing how cold it is outside. I lay in bed and half-sleep through weird dreams until it's 7:30 a.m. I finally resign myself to leave bed and shower. Since I planned to go to the gym today, I didn't wash my hair last night and as a result, it's a frizzy mess. I shower quickly and am out the door by 8. My roommate drops me off on her way to work, so I'm in the office by 8:15. I eat my yogurt and banana once I'm in the office.
12 p.m. — I had meetings all morning, so I savor this time to catch up on all my favorite websites while I eat lunch. I make another grilled veggie panini with the goat cheese and pesto. People in the kitchen tell me it smells delicious and I smile knowing I will devour it.
5 p.m. — I leave work and walk over to meet one of my roommates at work. She drives us about 20 minutes outside of the city for my first Yelp Elite Event. It's an escape room with pizza! It's a fun and frustrating night that I wouldn't do again with strangers. I've done an escape room before and loved it, but this time it was frustrating because I knew the code and wasn't being listened to. Roommate and I stop at HomeGoods on the way home. She picks up a few things for herself and I buy a beach towel for the summer. $7.97
10 p.m. — I'm exhausted, but can't resist having more of the tiramisu. I have a bit, do my normal nighttime routine, and watch an episode of Sex and the City before going to sleep at 11.
Daily Total: $7.97
If you are experiencing anxiety or depression and need support, please call the National Depressive/Manic-Depressive Association Hotline at 1-800-826-3632 or the Crisis Call Center’s 24-hour hotline at 1-775-784-8090.
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December 14th, 2016 was a good day for Instagram users. Why? Because that was the day the app added a "Saved" section to every profile, instantly giving all of us the ability to secretly catalog any post.
For beauty lovers, this was big. Gone were the days of screenshotting a notable makeup look or palette to buy, only to lose it in the mess of photos in our camera roll. Now, if we spy something we love, we can simply click "save" and add it to our private vault of inspiration images.
That being said, there's no denying the fact that inspiration can be hard to find when you're inundated with hundreds — nay, thousands — of images daily. That's why we decided to share the photos we've archived in the past month. Hopefully, it'll get your creative juices flowing for the next. Ahead, check out 31 looks to try this May.
Patrick Ta has been using lilac shadow on a number of celebrity clients, including Olivia Munn recently. He paired it with a bit of pink blush and nude lipstick for a fairytale feel.
We love this icy blue eye on The Handmaid's Tale actress Madeline Brewer, especially because it couldn't be easier to do. Simply tap a layer of matte blue shadow onto your lids and finish off with a swipe of black eyeliner.
A departure from her usual dark smoky eye, Mila Kunis opted for diffused brown liner and lots of lashes for an event earlier this week.
A touch of pink highlighter on Deepika Padukone's inner corners livens up an otherwise dark and brooding look.
Alicia Keys' beauty look is the epitome of "business in the front, party in the back." The star matched her blue mascara with the blue ribbons running through her braids.
Red, green, and silver shadow may not seem like an obvious combination, but makeup and hair duo Alana and Maddie Alper kept this model's look from veering too bold by pairing it with fresh skin and a clean bun.
Shades of purple will be everywhere this summer, whether you're looking at Instagram or the red carpet. Jump on the bandwagon early by copying Zoë Kravitz's lilac smoky eye by makeup artist Nina Park.
Yara Shahidi's slicked-back hair, wash of matte pink shadow, and rouged cheeks pairs beautifully with her pink gown.
We love reaching for a pot of duo-chrome shadow (these are a favorite) when we're in a pinch. The shimmery finish looks gorgeous all over the lid with just a touch of mascara.
Makeup artist Celine Bernaerts just showed us exactly how that Popsicle-stained summer lip we dream of every time the temps rise is done.
Colored eyebrows may sound intimidating, but they're worth pushing yourself out of your comfort zone for.
Add a touch of iridescent sparkle to your inner corners to instantly perk up tired eyes.
This cool take on the color-blocking trend was inspired by painter Gustav Klimt.
Artist Anna-Karin Hellborg is giving us serious Debbie Harry vibes.
Zendaya went for an all-over glow with lots of highlighter and gloss. You might as well do the same, because the weather is going to make you shiny whether you like it or not.
Let an unusual shade like mustard yellow take center stage by pairing it with a few coats of mascara and glowing skin.
A handful of individual lashes placed carefully on the bottom lashline gives a Twiggy-like effect without all the runny mascara.
Makeup artist Nate Matthew's graphic remix of the cat-eye is even easier to do than the original, because you don't have to squint and pray you're getting the line across the top lashline perfectly even.
Rich brown and mauve shadows make for a slightly more unexpected smoky eye.
Vanessa Hudgens loves a "brassy undereye" — a layer of bronze underliner that softly defines the lashline without looking too stark.
