Remember when you would make macaroni necklaces and pick flowers from the backyard for Mother's Day? Your mom would gush over them, say they were the most special gifts she's ever received, and you'd pat yourself on the back for a job well done. It's the thought that counts, you'd remind yourself in high school and college, as you gave her a $3 card, and she'd understand because you didn't have much money. Yeaaah, well, that doesn't fly anymore.
Now, you really ought to put some effort into your gift. Picking out a fragrance for someone else is tough, and most people will advise against it, but hear us out: When you nail it, when you find the one that'll be her signature for years to come, all those times you didn't call when you promised you would, or said you couldn't afford a present as you showed up in a new dress, will be erased.
And you will nail it, because the perfect scents for every (weirdly specific) type of mom are just a few clicks away.
Positano's Hotel Le Sirenuse is the inspiration behind the entire perfume brand, but this specific scent is an ode to the hotel's sprawling terrace that overlooks the Amalfi coastline and is wrapped in night-blooming jasmine and lily of the valley. It's a floral explosion, and it'll last even longer than those $400 chemically-preserved roses.
If she's always the first to send you People breaking news...
You needn't love the Kardashians to appreciate this, which is much more sophisticated than your usual celebrity fragrance. It opens strong with bergamot and peach nectar, then delivers hits of jasmine and rose before settling to a subtly musky, woody finish on the skin. Obviously, given that it comes in a bottle with nipples, it ends up smelling a little like sex, but daytime, immediately post-shower, white-sheets sex.
If she was always down to tailgate with your friends in college...
She's not a regular mom, she's a cool mom, and she needs a scent that is, too. This crisp, energizing blend of ginger, lime, apple, and sandalwood — just as refreshing as the vodka drink it's named for — fits the bill.
Tropical scents are pretty predictable: You can almost always count on frangipani, vanilla, coconut, or tiare flower to make an appearance. Fun, yes, but a little tacky. That's not the case with this unexpected mash-up of cherimoya fruit, pear, passion flower, Brazilian copahu resin, and tonka bean, which is warm and summery, but not in-your-face beachy. It'll fit right in with her Slim Aarons vibe.
If she's always telling people why you're such a middle child...
Getting psychoanalyzed doesn't always feel great, but if your mom is going to spend the car ride digging into all the ways your ex was just like your dad, you might as well make sure her fragrance isn't also annoying. This scent, created by Sigmund Freud's great-granddaughter, might do the job too well: With citrus notes at the top, tobacco in the middle, and leather and musk as the base, it's sexy and animalic and, oh fuck, are you attracted to your mom now?
One minute she's putting the fear of God into the poor telemarketer on the other end of the phone, the next she's cooing to the cat in a baby voice. She'll appreciate the contrasting sweet and sour notes in this sparkling scent —or maybe she'll hate it, who knows.
If she got married outdoors, barefoot, in a vintage dress...
This feminine, nymph-inspired fragrance with notes of fresh pear and mandarin, sweet magnolia and freesia, and warm amber woods does indeed smell like flowers in an enchanted fairytale forest. If you're familiar with Lydia's mom on The Real Housewives of Orange County, who wears tiaras and scatters glitter wherever she goes, then you have an idea of who would love this.
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, as part ofYour Spending In Your State: an analyst working at a nonprofit who makes $57,000 per year and spends some of her paycheck this week on sweet chili sauce.
This diarist opens up about her experience with schizophrenia. To learn more about schizophrenia and find resources for support, please head over to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Monthly Expenses Rent: $600 for my half. (I live with my boyfriend.) Student Loan Payment: $0. (I went to a public university and had a full-tuition scholarship.) Gym: $23 Parking: $20 Health, Dental & Vision Insurance: $35 Spotify: $10 Therapy: $130 per session, once or twice per month Medication: $35 Renters Insurance: $10 Phone Bill & Car Insurance: $0. (My parents graciously pay.) Roth IRA: $450
Day One
6 a.m. — Wake up after snoozing several times. I had intended to do morning yoga at home with a YouTube video, but I opted for a hearty breakfast of eggs and avocado instead of downward dog. I do my hair and makeup and pack my lunch for work – roasted eggplant, zucchini, and onion with leftover rice and shredded chicken, plus my favorite drink, pineapple-flavored seltzer water. Lunch, done.
7 a.m. — 15 minute commute to work. I work for a nonprofit with a lax schedule, so I'm one of the first people on my floor to arrive. I fire up Outlook and start responding to vendor emails.
11:30 a.m. — I finish my morning meetings and reheat my lunch in the microwave. I want to go outside for a walk, but it's raining. I settle on eating at my desk and browsing Reddit.
3:30 p.m. — I leave work a little early to make my therapy appointment. I used to see my psychologist twice a week, but I've tapered that down to once every two to three weeks now that my parents aren't paying for it anymore and I have a high-deductible health plan. I've worked with this psychologist for eight years now, and talking to her is a priceless comfort.
4:45 p.m. — My therapy appointment is over. I feel drained but also lighthearted. We talked about my anxieties related to my face and body tremors, plus my dreams and fears related to having children. The medication I take is harmful to fetuses, and people with serious mental illnesses have a hard time – impossible, really – getting approved to adopt. My medication makes a normal life possible for me, but I've always wanted kids. It's been on my mind for the past few months, especially since my boyfriend of four years also wants kids. Google tells me that surrogates cost about $100,000-ish, which is a lot less than I would have expected. If I decide I want to have a child when I'm 35, which is in ten years, then I would need to save $10,000 per year starting now.
6 p.m. — I work from home a little to make up for the time I spent in therapy. Then I microwave a frozen meal for dinner.
8 p.m. — My boyfriend and I watch an episode of Westworld. He downloads the show online for free somehow. We already used the free month HBO offers to new subscribers on the HBO Now app, and we're both too cheap to pay the 15 bucks a month. I feel bad and resolve to start paying for HBO when Game of Thrones starts up again in 2019.
Daily Total: $0
Day Two
5:30 a.m. — Wake up on the first alarm. I groggily put on Spandex and a T-shirt and drive to the gym. I lift on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays with a coworker, who is quickly becoming a friend. Today is leg day. We do deadlifts, squats, lunges, calf raises, and hip thrusts.
6:45 a.m. — Leave the gym, go home, and contemplate showering. I decide not to, and instead use baby wipes, deodorant, and dry shampoo.
8 a.m. — Arrive at work. It's been a goal of mine to bring my lunch four days a week. On Sunday I tried making shakshuka from a popular New York Times recipe that popped up on my Facebook feed. I plan to eat it for two lunches this week, and today is one of them.
11:30 a.m. — Emerge from meeting. My tremors have been getting worse lately, and I don't know why. The antipsychotic drugs I take for my schizophrenia have caused me to develop something called tardive dyskinesia, which, for me, manifests as facial grimacing and hand tremors. It's not terribly noticeable, but I told my coworkers I have Tourette's to explain away the tics.
12:30 a.m. — Eat lunch. This shakshuka is delicious!
5 p.m. — Leave work and head home. I put a few chicken breasts into the slow cooker every Sunday so I can have shredded chicken in the fridge for quick salads and tacos throughout the week. I microwave chicken mixed with cheese and heat up a couple taco shells in a skillet. I add salsa, rice, and the other half of the avocado that I opened up in the morning. Voila – dinner in seven minutes!
6 p.m. — My boyfriend gets home from work. We usually spend an hour after work talking and cuddling on the couch. He tells me about the mystery thief in his office who has been stealing lunches from the break room, and I tell him about my presentation at work that went well.
7 p.m. — I head to the salon down the street to get a haircut. I see a junior stylist, which is considerably cheaper than getting a cut from the more experienced hairdressers at the salon. It's only 30 bucks for a cut, and I tip 20% as usual. My bangs come out a little wonky (they always do, no matter where I go) and I gingerly fix them in the bathroom with kitchen shears when I get home. My DIY bangs situation unsurprisingly doesn't work out, and I resign myself to bobby pins and head bands for the next couple of weeks. $36
Daily Total: $36
Day Three
7 a.m. — Wake up and make a quick breakfast of egg whites, avocado, leftover rice, and Sriracha. I make a large cup of coffee in my Keurig, which is more expensive and environmentally wasteful than a regular coffee pot, but the convenience factor is unbeatable.
11 a.m. — One of my 2018 resolutions is to donate to a different charity every month. I try to give about $20, which definitely isn't a lot (and I know I can do more…), but it's the number I settled on. I try to pick local charities instead national ones. Someone left a flyer in the break room for my city's youth robotics team, which is raising money so they can go to an international competition. I hop onto their GoFundMe page and contribute 20 bucks. $20
5 p.m. — I pick up my boyfriend from work. He usually takes the bus, but it's raining today so I offered to pick him up. We're home by 5:15 and decide to make beef strips and peppers with pasta for dinner.
7 p.m. — We're done with dinner, and to my dismay, we're out of coffee creamer, soy sauce, eggs, and a few other kitchen staples. We decide to go to Kroger. I pick up a few different sauces (sriracha mayo and sweet chili sauce!) for a roasted bang bang cauliflower recipe I've been wanting to try. I also get other food stalwarts like onion, peppers, kale, rice, chicken, limes, and my current obsession: Halo Top. $45
8 p.m. — I head to the gym and do an easy workout on the elliptical. I'm lifting tomorrow, so I don't overdo it.
9 p.m. — I take my evening medication. It makes me super drowsy, so I'm asleep within 10 minutes.
Daily Total: $65
Day Four
8 a.m. — I wake up and head to my psychiatrist's office. I've been seeing her since I was 18, and she's the best psychiatrist I've ever been to. She's fee-only (no insurance), but completely worth the $200 per visit. I usually see her once every three months, but my symptoms have been flaring up and I want to try a different medication. We discuss some of the newer anti-psychotics on the market. I called three pharmacies beforehand to get price quotes on them with my insurance, and the most expensive came out to be over $500 per month. She tells me there are chemically similar meds on the market that are older and cheaper. She writes me a script, and I head to CVS to drop it off. $200
9 a.m. — I head to work late because of my appointment.
12 p.m. — I eat my packed lunch – another salad. I added roasted veggies and rice I had in the fridge, so it's not half bad. Then I browse Airbnb for places to stay in London. My boyfriend and I are going to the U.K. in a few weeks and we haven't done any planning yet.
5:30 p.m. — I'm finished with work. One of my friends and I make an effort to go on long walks together a couple times a week, which we do today. She's a little older than me, and is hoping to get married in the next couple years. She's been with her boyfriend for seven years, but he keeps telling her he's not ready for marriage yet. I'm better friends with her boyfriend, so I tread carefully while she unpacks her feelings about the subject.
8 p.m. — I read my book, Americanah, for about an hour. Then I do my skincare routine. I'm a little beauty product-obsessed. My best tip for saving money and having great skin is at-home acid peels. Obviously not for everyone, but my skin is very hardy and loves chemical exfoliation. I buy bottles of chemical peels for 20 bucks and they last an entire year of twice weekly sessions.
Daily Total: $200
Day Five
7 a.m. — I decide to walk to work today. It's about two and a half miles away, so it's a bit of a hike. The route is pleasant, though. I cross a few parks and spend most of the way on walking and bike trails.
8 a.m. — I arrive at work a little sweaty, so I wipe down in the shower area with a towel before heading upstairs to my desk.
6 p.m. — I go to a local place to get my oil changed. I know nothing about cars, but the garage people always tell me I need full synthetic oil, whatever that means. $90
7 p.m. — Oil change complete. I get gas. Since my commute is so short, I only need to fill up once every three to four weeks. $25
8 p.m. — I FaceTime my parents. My obsessed-with-running mom tries to encourage/harass me into doing a half marathon with her in a few months. I've had persistent shin splints for a while now, so I rebuff her efforts. My parents are really into this thing called FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). I don't know much about it other than people who subscribe to the ideology try to save a significant amount of money in a strategic way to retire before 65. As a result, my dad regularly checks up on me by asking me how much I've contributed to my Roth IRA. It's his way of showing that he cares. I tell him I'm at $4,500. I had a $3,500 tax return this year, so I put all of it into my Roth and another $1,000 I had saved up. He is pleased with my answer, but tells me I can always do better. Ahhhh, Chinese parents – gotta love them!
Daily Total: $115
Day Six
8 a.m. — It's my friend's birthday tonight, and he texts me and my boyfriend inviting us to go out for drinks to celebrate. I reply that we'll be there.
9 a.m. — I swing by my gym buddy's house and pick her up. We live about half a mile away from each other, so we carpool whenever we can.
10:30 a.m. — Workout is done, and I'm exhausted. We did arms and abs today. On the bright side, I increased my bench PR! Yay, me!
12 p.m. — I make fried rice for lunch. My boyfriend gets home from his run, and we chill on the couch for a bit, just talking. We're trying to decide if we want to stop in Amsterdam or Paris when we're in Europe next month. I went to Paris about six months ago, and I've never been to Amsterdam, but my boyfriend is more interested in Paris. We discuss the pros and cons of each.
5 p.m. — Dinner! We decide to make baked ziti for dinner and have red velvet Halo Top for dessert. It's a feast!
8 p.m. — I get ready to go out. I settle on a dress and a denim jacket.
10 p.m. — I only let myself have one drink tonight, because alcohol doesn't mix well with my meds. I used to be more lax about drinking and would sometimes have over five drinks in a night, but last month I made the conscious effort to reduce my consumption. It's helped my schizophrenia symptoms considerably, so I'm happy with the compromise. $5
2 a.m. — My boyfriend and I stay up talking about the night. He's got a little bit of social anxiety so he usually unpacks his feelings after big social events for a bit when we get home. I listen to him for a while and we eventually fall asleep.
Daily Total: $5
Day Seven
10 a.m. — I wake up and my boyfriend and he makes us French toast for breakfast. We lay around on the couch talking and do more planning for our trip to Europe.
2:30 p.m. — I go to the local library. The book club I'm in picked out next month's book, and the library has one copy left! I schlep myself on my bike to the library and pick up the book, along with a couple others.
6 p.m. — I am super engrossed in Gone Girl. I know my book club is a couple years late on this one! It's a really gripping page-turner. I check the clock and I can't believe I've been reading for a couple hours!
8 p.m. — My boyfriend and I head to our friends' place for TV night, which they host once a week. We bring a bottle of wine and chips we already had at home.
Daily Total: $0
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When it comes to buying beauty products at the drugstore, you generally know what to expect: You walk in, head to the dental-care aisle to get the toothpaste you came in for, then suddenly black out and by the time you come to you're in the checkout line with a basket full of "essentials" you probably don't need. (And forget about shopping online — with all those coupons, you could stock up on enough "essentials" to last you the next decade.)
But right now, there's much more to the drugstore beauty section than the usual moisturizers, masks, and Banana Boat sunscreens — and it's proof that "innovative" and "affordable" are not two mutually-exclusive concepts in the world of beauty. Rather, the formulas you'll find on shelves these days are new, exciting, and like nothing you've ever seen before, at the same low prices you've come to expect from, well, the drugstore.
Ahead, the five coolest skin-care products that just launched at drugstores... as if you needed another reason to "go buy band-aids."
Dark circles, puffiness, that weird furrow you get between your brows from staring fixedly at your computer screen for hours: This unique hydrogel mask eases those symptoms of a long, stressful day on contact, while strengthening seaweed extract replenishes the delicate eye area. It's exactly what your pre-bedtime wind-down ritual is missing, especially considering it leaves the bottom half of your face uncovered, so you can soothe your weary eyes and sip wine unencumbered at the same time.
Bridging the gap between low-maintenance makeup and high-functioning skin care, this tinted balm is the dream: an easy, swipe-and-go tint in varying shades of sheer, flattering neutral, with the very necessary addition of SPF to protect the delicate skin on your lips from sustaining sun damage. (It's a thing.)
From the classic brand behind the scrub you used to slough off your prepubescent acne comes this much gentler cleanser, which is as brightening and soothing as it is travel-friendly. With a base of natural coconut oil, infused with apricot and honey extracts, it leaves skin feeling soft and refreshed no matter where you are — even if you're hastily washing your face in an airport bathroom during a layover.
Haven't you heard? Chemical sunscreens are out (because they cause major harm to the oceanic ecosystem); mineral sunscreens are in (because they don't). This lightweight whipped mousse, with an easily-absorbed, velvety finish, is all the more reason to switch to a formula that will protect your skin without killing any fishies — and the signature coconut vanilla scent is a lot more pleasant, too.
This powerful serum has already amassed a cult following since it launched earlier this year, with five-star reviews across the board — and for good reason. Ginseng extract, vitamin C, and an array of peptides make quick work of brightening dull, tired skin, and a touch of salicylic acid smooths uneven texture and keeps skin clear without triggering dryness or irritation. It's the rare formula that packs benefits for all skin types, and it works well under makeup, too.
How many cleansers do you know of that come packaged in ball form? Very few, probably. This highly-concentrated formula is packed inside a thin latex sphere; all you have to do is wet the ball and massage it in circular motions over your face to create a light, floral-scented lather. It's a lot of fun, and surprisingly long-lasting — it should last up to 45 days when used properly.
Forget SPF 4 tanning lotion and aluminum reflectors: The future of sun-kissed summer skin is not a fast track to melanoma, but rather the advent of products like this one, which provides SPF 30 and bronzing benefits in one 360-degree spray (as in, you won't need any help covering those hard-to-reach areas on your back). It's also cruelty-free, water-resistant, and uses mineral UV protectants instead of chemical, so you've really got nothing to worry about. (Except, of course, for reapplication.)
With just 11 ingredients in this potent formula, you get more of the good stuff — like the powerhouse combo of 15% vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, and a soothing antioxidant boost from vitamin E — and less of the... other stuff. The dropper bottle might be tiny, but it packs quite a punch, and the addition of the French brand's signature thermal water means your skin gets all the firming, strengthening vitamins and minerals it needs without any extra filler.
When your skin is crying out for heavy-hitting moisture, this fast-absorbing night cream will more than suffice — without actually feeling heavy. Surprisingly lightweight, and with zero greasiness, it smooths away dryness and soothes irritation overnight, and it won't leave your face stuck to your pillowcase.
While sneakers have been getting their fair share of love, there's one from the bunch that has always been a shoe-rotation regular, it's the white sneaker. From high-topped dunks to performance trainers in luxe materials (leather kicks!), the fresh and clean, rubber-soled shoe is one of the most enduring trends to date.
Wearing white sneaks right out of the box might feel like you're really living on the edge, but a pristine pair is an impossible dream. Besides, any good sneaker will look way better scuffed up with story to tell. Click through to see the cutest white shoes of the season that are meant to be worn in.
Between the music, TV shows, documentaries, films, and wine, it's safe to say Lady Gaga has had her hands full since entering the spotlight in 2008. In the midst of it all, she's also managed to become an icon in the beauty world: From wearing a sheath made entirely of purple hair extensions and turning lazy smudged eyeliner into the rock 'n' roll makeup trend of the year, Gaga has never been afraid to take risks.
So it should come as no surprise that, after teaming up with MAC on a Viva Glam lipstick and launching fragrance, it appears she's finally giving her Little Monsters what most big-name stars almost always eventually do: a cosmetics line.
According to official documents filed on February 22 of this year, Lady Gaga's company Ate My Heart Inc. set out to secure a trademark for a cosmetics company called Haus Beauty. Judging by the singer's aesthetic, you can probably expect the line to be over-the-top extra as ever: the products mentioned in the trademark range from the usual (lipsticks, eyeshadows, highlighters, bronzers, body powders, perfumes, lotions, nail polishes, and face cleansers) to the unexpected (body masks, laundry products, and beauty milks, whatever those are).
No word yet on when the line will drop and what exactly it'll look like, but we'll update you when we find out more. All we know is she's giving us a million reasons to be excited.
As a general rule, celebrities are drawn to outrageous beauty treatments that the majority of the population has never even heard of, let alone tried. Considering what we know about most of these expensive procedures — fish pedicures, vampire facials, bee-venom acupuncture — it's probably better that way: It's always safer to stick to things that belong on a spa service menu, not an episode of Fear Factor.
Still, that never stopped stars from trying to make the next trendy treatment seem like a must-try. Fortunately for the rest of us, the latest is far more accessible than something that requires drawing blood or getting stung by bees. All you need is... boobs.
Taking care of the skin on your décolletage isn't a new concept; in fact, it's something we should all be doing already, but probably aren't. Just ask Ashley Graham, who got an oxygen facial on her boobs as part of her pre-Met Gala beauty prep. But the model isn't the only one proving that your bust deserves the added TLC. Ahead, a guide to celebrity boob routines for your consideration.
To prep for New York's night of "Heavenly Bodies," Graham went in, doing everything from getting her nose hair removed via laser to a full-body oxygen facial. Thanks to Mzia Shiman, celebrity esthetician to the Victoria's Secret Angels, Graham's skin was glowing from her cheeks to her chest.
Photo: Karwai Tang/Getty Images.
Emma Watson
Just because Watson shares a Goop-y beauty sense with Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't mean she's going to recommend you get stung by an insect any time soon — but she might suggest that you massage your breasts daily with Boobs' Essential Oil. Watson's UK-based beauty guru Imelda Burke swears by the product, which not only helps women indulge in self-care, but also serves as a healthy reminder to check your breasts.
Photo: JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX/AFP/Getty Images.
Jessica Simpson
Back in 2014, reports began to surface charging Simpson with having one of the most expensive beauty routines in Hollywood, even topping Kim Kardashian West's. Along with frequent eyelash extensions, self-tanners, and a full-time glam squad, the rumors suggested that Simpson spends a lot of money — around $50,000, to be exact — on breast treatments, including lifting creams and massages.
Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.
Beyoncé
When you're the kind of superstar who headlines Coachella — with a show that's going to be live-streamed to millions of people — you have the best of the best handling your beauty routine. In the case of Beyoncé's festival performances, leave it to makeup artist Sir John to enlist a budge-proof body-makeup formula on his client's arms, legs, and boobs to keep her looking ***flawless.
Photo: Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images/Coachella.
Kim Kardashian West
After giving birth to two children, you'd think Kardashian West's naked selfies would feature a few totally normal stretch marks. And yet you won't spot one on the star's body — and most definitely not on her breasts. She recently revealed on her app that she wasn't happy with the post-pregnancy lines on her boobs after having daughter North in 2013, so she tried a laser treatment, the Coolbeam by Dr. Ourian, which she says "made SUCH a difference."
Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.
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For years, it seemed like the only hair trend to come out of L.A. was the messy lob. But this season, stars in Hollywood are looking to the past for styles that feel fresh, exciting, and a little bit rebellious. There's the blunt supermodel bobs of the '90s, '80s power-suit curls, and now, Prohibition era flapper finger waves are having a moment. The one thing they all have in common? Powerful women wore them then, and powerful women are wearing them now.
Ahead, check out how Rihanna, Cardi B, Amber Rose, Yara Shahidi, and more are styling their finger waves. From dyeing them blue to rocking them with natural textures, these new takes on the classic style feel youthful, cool, and modern. And the best part? This time we can wear them and drink. Cheers to that.
"John Galliano is the inspiration of all inspiration," hairstylist Yusef Williams said of Rihanna's Met Gala look, which was mostly tucked underneath an elaborately-beaded mitre. "For this look, I wanted to go back in time and create this Vatican-homage, but with a single finger wave to make it feel modern and more avant-garde.” After blowdrying her wet hair with the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer professional edition, he used Phyto Specific Curl Legend Spray to add hydration before forming a ponytail. To finish, he used a flat iron to create flat waves and brushed them out with a comb, freezing the shape with Phyto Professional Workable Holding Spray.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/FilmMagic.
Cardi B 's highly-anticipated debut album dropped on April 6, and we already knew it'd be iconic because of this bodak neon yellow Tokyo Stylez wig. The key to making even waves like these is to wet your hair and apply a holding gel or mousse. Then, place your index finger about an inch below your part on the side that has the most hair. Comb the hair under your finger away from your face. Place one finger about an inch below that and comb the hair in the opposite direction. Continue until you reach the ends.
Photo: Via @iamcardib.
To get Greta Gerwig's more casual take on the style, hairstylist John D. combed a large dollop of TRESemmé TRES Two Mousse through her hair and gave her a side part. He diffused her hair with the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, scrunching it a bit to bring out her natural texture. Then, he formed the waves with a comb and secured the ridges with small clips, sliding them out at the very last second to make sure the style stayed in place all night.
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Danielle Brooks' hairstylist Tish Celestine proves that this style works on every texture. "Done on Natural Hair....#NoWig#NoRelaxer #NoGel," she captioned her Instagram post. She says that she used a pressing comb and the Dry Bar barrel iron to form the foundation of the waves and molded the shape with Sebastian Pro Shaper Spray. She finished with Sebastian Sheen Spray to get that glossy finish.
Katie Holmes looks like an old Hollywood starlet at the Grammys. Her hairstylist used a Harry Josh Pro Tools dryer attachment to set her jet black waves into place.
Photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images.
But the style isn't just for short hair — you can also use it to accent longer looks, like this ponytail that Nai'vasha Johnson created for Yara Shahidi last year. We love the contrasting textures of the glossy waves with the full curls.
Photo: Via @naivashaintl.
Amber Rose's look is more 2018 than 1928, thanks to her mermaid-blue dye (created by Shelby Swain).
Photo: Via @theshelbyswain.
We're not sure what's hotter — Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert's sexy shoot, or her short hair, which she tells us she's never letting go. "When I wear short hair, I just want to keep it short forever," she said. "I look in the mirror, like, 'I'm never growing my hair out again.' Short hair always works for women with strong features. I just love it, and I embrace it."
Photo: Via @teyanataylor.
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In yet another infuriating episode of Living While Black, a white Yale University student called campus police on Black graduate student Lolade Siyonbola for napping in her dorm's common room.
Siyonbola, as she explains to police in a video she posted to Facebook, was just resting and trying to write her final paper when the woman came into the common room, turned on the lights, and started yelling, "Why are you sleeping here?"
In the first video Siyonbola posted, the woman takes photos of Siyonbola and says, "I have every right to call the police, you cannot sleep in that room." Siyonbola calmly says, "Continue. Get my good side."
When the cops arrive, one of them explains, “You’re in a Yale building and we need to make sure that you belong here,” according to the second video.
"Let me open my apartment for you so that you can see that I belong here. I don't think there's a need for you to be here," Siyonbola responds. She then unlocks her apartment in front of them to prove that she lives there.
“I deserve to be here; I paid tuition like everybody else; I am not going to justify my existence here,” Siyonbola says while the officers take forever to check her information. “I am not going to be harassed.”
The cops assure her that they'll "get out of her hair" as soon as they check her ID against a university database and make sure she actually goes to Yale. (Note: She is in a Yale dorm the entire time.) They assure her she's not in trouble.
"My ancestors built this university. I know I'm not in trouble," she says.
After over 15 minutes of awkward, tense back-and-forth, they finally leave. It turns out, according to the police, it took this long because Siyonbola’s name was spelled wrong in the database of student information used by Yale campus police — a struggle so many people with "foreign-sounding" names are familiar with on top of an already traumatic incident of racial profiling.
As Siyonbola says in the video, the woman who called the cops on her also called them on her friend a few months ago. His "crime" was being in a stairwell while Black.
According to the Yale Daily News, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean Lynn Cooley sent out an email earlier this week to Master's and PhD students.
“Incidents like that of last night remind us of the continued work needed to make Yale a truly inclusive place," Cooley wrote. "I am committed to redoubling our efforts to build a supportive community in which all graduate students are empowered in their intellectual pursuits and professional goals within a welcoming environment. An essential part of that effort must be a commitment to mutual respect and an open dialog.”
On Tuesday, Siyonbola wrote on Facebook that she's grateful for all the support she's received and welcomed other students to tell their stories of being racially profiled: "Grateful for all the love, kind words and prayers, your support has been overwhelming 🙏🏾 Black Yale community is beyond incredible and is taking good care of me. I know this incident is a drop in the bucket of trauma Black folk have endured since Day 1 America, and you all have stories. Share below if you feel led. xo." The post has received over 2,300 likes and over 500 comments so far.
Racist and otherwise discriminatory incidents on college campuses, such as students wearing blackface to frat parties and white supremacist flyers, are nothing new either. Students have called for more education, including mandatory anti-bias classes. But it's obvious that there is still a long way to go before students of color can feel safe on campus doing the exact same things that white students do.
Sleeping in your dorm while Black shouldn’t result in being questioned by police. Students of color should be able to use common spaces on their college campuses without fear of being racially profiled. #YaleWhileBlackhttps://t.co/RX4WNGBa8U
Just learned the young woman who had to face the police for being at #YaleWhileBlack is a grad student in my old department there. @yalegsas, I & other alums look forward to hearing what you'll be doing to ensure that HGS residents of color are protected from racist co-residents.
It's, literally, putting Black people's lives in peril. Not to mention, it's gross and racist. The neighbor sounds like the real menace and Yale needs to respond and act accordingly. #YaleWhileBlack
Sleeping while Black in America. This is straight up BS . They need to start arresting people who just misuse the criminal justice system. #YaleWhileBlackhttps://t.co/nJsJR1Qev2
Of course, you don't need a Very Important Reason to get inked — just look at Marc Jacobs, who's got SpongeBob, an M&M, and a South Park character tattooed on his body. But if you've got the urge to go under the needle and want your art to have real sentimental value, look no further for ideas than the arms, chests, and backs of your favorite celebrities.
Stars love a good, permanent family tribute — to their sisters, pets, and, most importantly, moms. And given that Mother's Day is coming up, there's really no better time than the present to immortalize your love for the woman who birthed you all those years ago.
Ahead, check out the best mom and grandma tattoos in Hollywood for inspiration.
Beckham has plenty of tattoos all about his famous family, but it's the classic mom tattoo that tops the list for us. On his left arm reads "Mum" inside a heart covered in roses.
Kylie Jenner
Momager Kris gets a Kylie Cosmetics makeup line, but grandma Mary Jo gets her own tattoo in red. What makes it extra-special is that it's her grandmother's name written in her grandfather's handwriting.
Miley Cyrus
The only thing sweeter than getting a tattoo dedicated to your mother is getting one with her. In 2016, Miley and her mom Trish made side-by-side appointments with tattoo artist Dr. Woo. Now that's a Mother's Day gift worth copying.
Drake
If rapping about his love for his mother on the track "You & The 6" wasn't quite enough to land him best son of the year, then the massive portrait tattoo he got on his back certainly sealed the deal. And like the good family boy he is, right next to his mother's face is an image of his grandmother.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/VF18/WireImage.
Harry Styles
Out of all 50+ of Styles' tattoos, a healthy portion are dedicated to his family. But the best one includes the year his mother was born on his chest: 1967.
Photo: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images.
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There is a multiracial model in almost every hip ad campaign these days. Usually minimally made up and effortlessly cool, she has an Afro and a splash of freckles; or maybe she’s dark-skinned and light-eyed; or maybe she has that ‘could be from anywhere’ look. But is this a sign that we are on our way to a post-racial society, or is the racially ambiguous imagery just being fetishized by the fashion industry?
Colonial Europeans invented the concept of race as a way to distance themselves from the colonized and enslaved. Whiteness was used as a ‘scientific’ validation of superiority that enabled the imperialistic and exploitative practices of colonialism. Under this taxonomy, multiracial people — particularly those with some white ancestry — were put in a racial limbo: in many parts of the world they were categorized in semi-privileged racial groups, such as the ‘Anglo-Indians’ in India, ‘colored’ people in South Africa, and ‘mestizos’ in South and Central America.
In the United States, multiracial people weren’t seen as a distinct racial group, but were simply subsumed into the less privileged racial group and subjected to discrimination. The largest multiracial group were ‘mulattos,’ or people with Black and white ancestry. By default, ‘mulattos’ were understood to be Black, but some ‘passed’ as white, the practice by which they hid their Black ancestry in order to live with the full rights granted to white people. In stark contrast to present-day attitudes, it wasn’t just undesirable to look biracial in this context — it was dangerous.
Social attitudes about people of color began to slowly progress during the Civil Rights Movement, but fashion and beauty — industries built on elitism — have been notoriously slow to embrace inclusion. The past few years, however, have seen tectonic shifts in representation. Instagram, which launched in 2010, altered the power structures of visual media. Theoretically, anyone with a well-curated feed could hop the fence into prominence.
Fueled by social justice movements, communities congealed around Insta-celebrities whose types had been excluded by traditional media. People like Sanam Sindhi, a plus-size South Asian influencer, and Mariah Idrissi, a multiracial hijab-wearing model, were democratically uplifted as icons and later tapped by the industry. (Sindhi was cast in Rihanna’s "Bitch Better Have My Money" video in 2015; Idrissi is signed with Select.)
As the aesthetics of cool decentralized and radicalized, the fashion and beauty industries transformed their casting strategies. Young, offbeat brands — including fashion labels like Hood By Air, Eckhaus Latta, and Vetements, and makeup companies Milk and Glossier — ditched the whole ‘delicate waif’ motif and defined their labels through street casting, booking a diverse hodgepodge of friends, collaborators, and people scouted on Instagram.
The racially ambiguous model has become emblematic of this street-cast, cool kid trend. High-fashion brands don’t just want diversity; they want to cultivate a nonconforming, familiar-yet-inaccessible look. A certain type of multiracial person — the type that wears their mixedness on their sleeve with an unexpected combination of features, like industry staples Adwoa Aboah, Jasmine Sanders, and Angelica Erthal — has become the embodiment of nonconformity, a visual representation of the street-casting ethos and the principle of diversity in casting at large.
In March 2017, Vogue ran a cover story titled "The Beauty Revolution: No Norm Is The New Norm," featuring seven models of different backgrounds and sizes; only one model, Imaan Hammam, was Black. However ironic it may be that Vogue claims to be hopping on the beauty revolution bandwagon, the publication serves as a litmus test for the fashion industry and society at large; in the historical context, this cover represents a radical transformation for multiracial people. And for his first full edition in December 2017, editor Edward Enninful cast Aboah as cover star. In contrast to passing, in which mixedness was marginalized and hidden, visibly multiracial models now feature prominently in affirmative sites of social norms. Multiracial looks are normalized and, by extension, mixed identity is validated. There’s no cohesive social movement behind it, but it’s a quiet sea change that’s come with broadened beauty standards and the slow dismantling of social hierarchies.
But when analyzed in regard to the contemporary constructs around mixed identity, the transformation doesn’t look so utopian. In the decades after the Civil Rights Movement, multiracial populations grew, and by the 1990s, new narratives around mixedness that were rooted in fetishization started to sprout. Multiracial people were examined with perverse fascination, a pseudo-scientific poking and prodding. An iconic 1993 TIME magazine cover featured a photo composite woman and the headline, "Take a good look at this woman. She was created by a computer from a mix of several different races. What you see is a remarkable preview of The New Face of America."
As objects of fetishization, multiracial people started to be seen as harbingers of a harmonious post-racial future. Their existence suggested that a racially egalitarian future wouldn’t require a radical dismantling of white supremacy, but instead could be the result of a gradual, passive blending of racial lines. In the media, multiracial people with white ancestry served a form of diversity that was particularly palatable to audiences used to white dominance; they were different enough to stand for values of diversity and equality, but familiar enough to be recognizable and non-threatening. Their existence suggested that the future could be multicultural and still comfortably white.
This fetishistic narrative still holds weight today, and the trend of casting multiracial models can be seen as its capitalist corollary: a sexier, post-identity world is possible, only now it’s accessible via the brand. In January 2017, Nielsen, the data information company, published "Multicultural Millennials: The Multiplier Effect," in which they reported that multicultural millennials — those with African American, Asian American, or Hispanic backgrounds — are viewed with a halo effect, the phenomenon in which a person or group is seen in a positive light, so all their actions are too. Nielsen, naturally, urges marketers to view this as a business opportunity. "Multicultural millennials’ evolving, ever-expanding tastes and consumption patterns are influencing those of their parents, their children, and mainstream culture and society," the report advised. "This multiplier effect should and can be harnessed by marketers and advertisers."
And so it has. Mainstream brands have revved up the multicultural millennial targeting in recent campaigns, crafting perfectly formulaic multicultural casts (see: Pepsi’s absurd Kendall Jenner ad). Multiracial people are just a subset of the multicultural population, but for marketers trying to reach a broad audience, casting them is a safe bet. One racially ambiguous model can build connections with multiple demographic groups non-exclusively; someone could look Hispanic enough and Asian enough, for example, to appeal to both groups. And in an ironic perpetuation of racism, models with white ancestry can get the brand diversity points while still hedging close to Eurocentric beauty standards, a bitter echo of the racial limbo multiracial people have inhabited historically.
So while on first glance the rise of multiracial models might look like progress in representation, upon closer inspection it’s clear that ultimately, the change is skin deep. The movement for inclusion might have sincere, democratic origins, but once it’s tapped by big brands, diversity is nothing more than strategy deployed to support existing capitalist structures. The normalization of different identities ends up being no more than a collateral consequence. We’re led to believe that a post-racial world is possible, but we’ll have to buy our way there.
Around the same time of year that the gust of stale subterranean air as the subway roars into the station starts to feel like a refreshing gift from God, cooling products start to seem like a very good idea. Face mists spiked with menthol or under-eye gels laced with peppermint oil are a lifeline, a Hail Mary for days when it's 100 degrees and you're 100% trapped in the office.
But that invigorating tingle, the same sensation that tells your brain that it's cold now and everything will be fine and no, you won't melt to a fleshy puddle right where you stand, isn't necessarily a good thing — no matter how good it might feel.
In fact, that's the biggest benefit of cooling products, right there: They just feel good. "The cooling effect of a product on the skin does not have a true therapeutic benefit, but rather affects the experience of using the products," says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. "That can make you feel more comfortable in general, without necessarily changing the health of the skin."
Not that there's anything wrong with using a product because you like the sensorial experience of it — it's just that the specific ingredients typically used to create a cooling sensation, like menthol, peppermint, and eucalyptus, can be harsh on skin, especially sensitive types. The risk, Dr. Zeichner explains, is that they can trigger contact dermatitis, with dryness, itchiness, and inflammation far outweighing the benefit of instant I'm-not-melting-anymore relief.
But a propensity for reactivity does not mean you are doomed to a life of suffering through hot summers armed with nothing but a paper fan and a prayer while everyone else on the subway platform spritzes their forbidden minty elixirs around you. There are plenty of soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients to look for — things like aloe, caffeine, cucumber, coconut water — that cool and refresh without rocking the sensitive-skin boat.
And, if all else fails, just stash your regular skin care in the fridge. It's so simple it's stupid, but hey, that's one thing your office building has going for it that your beach bag doesn't.
Swimsuit trends come and go, but some stick around a little longer than we anticipated. The one-shoulder bathing suit has been slipping into swim collections for a couple of years now, making us wonder whether it's time to admit that they've transcended past the "trend" phase and into "staple" territory.
Summer 2018's swim line-up is rife with one strap cut-out monokinis, ruffled single shoulder bikinis, and every silhouette style in between. With the popularity of one-shouldered dresses and tops still very much alive, we're not totally surprised the look has been translated into swimwear as well. On a practical note, a one strapped swimsuit also doubles as a compromise for support when a option for a full strapless suit is too much too handle. Plus, it's a more interesting alternative to that whole wearing a one-piece-as-a-bodysuit thing.
With beach days close and Summer Fridays even closer, here's 18 one-shoulder swimsuits we're ready to slip into.
Sunglasses can be hard to buy online. You order them, they come to your door, you rip them out of the box, throw them on your face, and run to the mirror, thinking something along the lines of, please be love at first sight. Unfortunately, more often than not, the love is lost; the frames are either too small, too large, or too (insert adjective here).
I know that sounds pretty bleak, but I promise there is a light at the end of the tunnel (which will definitely require UV protection). With all the problems that come along with buying new shades online, they are a key item (your eyes really do need protection, especially in the summer, and sunnies are one of the best accessories for instantly sprucing up an outfit). So, in case of a future scratch, poor fit, or an oops I sat on them again moment, why not opt for a pair that looks high-end, but actually costs you next to nothing? Click through to find a ton of frames that will bring you life and leave you feeling totally fine if when they get smushed.
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The countdown to summer has officially begun, and the act of avoiding your Dark Sky app for fear of more snowy forecasts is being swiftly replaced by crop tops, Summer Fridays, and — for anyone after the covetable post-vacation glow but is stingy on PTO days — self-tanner.
But, as you prepare your limbs to come out of hibernation for the first time in what feels like 24,000 days, fear not: Finding the right bronzing formula is easy, so long as you adjust it to your timeline. Got a hot date tonight? Try an instant tanner. Have two weeks before your trip to Portugal? Get a gradual color that goes the distance. Ahead, we asked self-tanning pros to break down the best formulas to whip out before a big event — so you can start thinking about more important things, like which rosé to order once you're there.
If you've suffered from a heavy (orange) hand in the past, plan ahead and pick a gradual self-tanner. These formulas — like this one from NKD — have a smaller percentage of DHA that deepens over time with fewer streaks or patches, making them ideal for photo-heavy events like weddings or prom.
"It's a win-win option since we all need to be moisturizing daily," says Meredith Baraf, makeup artist and the celebrity spray-tanner for the Victoria's Secret Angels. "You can also build up your tan by using a gradual tan moisturizer in the morning and before bed."
NKD SKN Gradual Glow Daily Tan Moisturiser, $14.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
The thing about gradual tanners is that, for the most part, you do need to apply one daily to see any measurable difference in color. "And they still need about eight hours to develop, but used consecutively can build up a great glow," says celebrity spray tanner and St. Tropez ambassador Sophie Evans. Coola's organic lotion combines a sugar beet-derived form of DHA with skin-firming botanicals to deliver a natural glow.
Coola Organic Sunless Tan Firming Lotion, $46, available at Coola.
For people who can't be bothered to apply lotion every morning: This gradual formula is meant to be applied before you step in the shower. Slather it on for a few minutes (or up to 10 for a darker tan), then rinse. Your body won't look noticeably bronzed right off the bat, but everyone knows it's all about the slow build.
St. Tropez Gradual Tan Pre-Shower Tanning Mousse, $20, available at Ulta Beauty.
1 Night Before
According to Evans, the best time to apply most self-tanners is a few hours before bed — both to give it time to develop, but also so it won't transfer to your sheets. Evans says her personal preference is to use lotions, which have the highest amount of DHA and give the deepest, longest-lasting tan. "That way, you only need to apply every 10 days," she adds. It's also a great option for people with dry skin — which makes this tanner from James Read (which contains hydrating coconut balm with DHA) a double whammy.
James Read Coconut Tanning Melt, $38.50, available at QVC.
If you struggle with lotion application, try a mousse, which dries the fastest. "Mousses are great for most skin types and very easy to apply, but won't last quite as long as a lotion or oil," says Evans. "You will just need to apply more frequently." True to form, this lightweight option from Jergens dries in 60 seconds — so you'll never have to worry about staining.
Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Mousse, $12.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Here's a tanner for the truly lazy: Skip the prep, spray on the clear mist in vertical motions, give it a half-hearted blend, and wake up to a pretty uniform color. The magic ingredient is erythrulose — a tanning active that Baraf says takes longer to develop than DHA, hence why it's perfect to use at night. Even better? "Sprays are great for those hard-to-reach areas and for people who don't like rubbing at their skin," says Evans.
Hampton Sun Sunless Tanning Mist, $36, available at Hampton Sun Care.
These under-the-radar tanning sheets have been a staple in beauty editors' cabinets for years for a reason: The clear formula is easy to use and completely mess free. Our beauty director sweeps them on before bed and wakes up golden. They have that distinct self-tanner smell, but it's worth it for anyone with white sheets.
Tan Towel Body Tan Towelettes, $29, available at Tan Towel.
Again, the best time to tan is before bed — but there are also formulas designed specifically for overnight use. Exhibit A: Tan Luxe's self-tanning facial oil, which goes on completely colorless so you'll never wake up with stains on your pillow.
In a pinch? Evans suggests trying a body bronzer or instant tanner. This dry oil absorbs in seconds and won't transfer to your clothes — so you can walk out the door with a subtle wash of color that rinses off at the end of the night.
Sol de Janeiro Copacabana Bronze Glow Oil, $35, available at Sephora.
Face mists can lend your skin an immediate — and very temporary — glow, but this isn't your average face mist. No, this clear water formula is packed with tanning actives that develop over the next few hours, meaning you can spray it on before makeup as a primer in the AM and notice a golden glow by lunch.
St. Tropez Self-Tan Purity Water Face Mist, $30, available at Bluemercury.
What's better than instant gratification? Instant gratification with a long-term plan, too. This blurring body bronzer from Vita Liberata goes above the call of duty — camouflaging nicks, bumps, and spider veins while also developing your base tan in the process. (Even Lea Michele swears by it.)
Vita Liberata Body Blur Sunless Glow, $45, available at Vita Liberata.
1-2 Hours Before Event
Developed by Kim Kardashian's self-tanner Jimmy Coco, it's no wonder this express formula delivers the A-list treatment: It develops on the skin in as little as an hour. "With these formulas, you can rinse them off early with luke warm water — just skip the soap," Baraf says. "This will get the bronzer off, but won't necessarily stop the tan from continuing to process."
Jimmy Coco Bombshell Bronze Self Tan Mousse by MineTan, $34.95, available at MineTan.
Have even less time? Try James Read's body mask, which lends your skin some color in just 30 (!) minutes without drying the crap out of your skin. It's packed with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, jojoba seed oil, aloe, and vitamin E.
James Read Self-Tan Express Glow Mask Body, $52, available at Bluemercury.
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No matter how you slice it, parenting is hard work. Looking back, how my mama managed to do it all on her own isn't something that's easy for me to wrap my head around — not because the closest I've come to raising a kid is a two-week dog-sitting stint, but because, despite a myriad of emotional and financial challenges and a demanding full-time job, she never gave up. In fact, she persevered day in and day out (three decades and counting), instilling in me the notion that if I work hard and stay true to my own sense of self, I can do anything.
The thing is: Single mothers are pillars of strength. It's almost as if they possess some sort of superhuman ability to do whatever it takes to "make it happen" — with a whole lotta love, mind you. Katelin Sisson, cofounder of Yoga For Bad People, event producer, and single mama has a mantra that proves I'm not far off. To come out of this on top, she insists, "You put all of your pride aside and just do anything and everything you have to do. Literally, stop at nothing."
Eager to learn more about Sisson's personal experience being a single mom in New York City — and of course, shoutout single moms everywhere this Mother's Day — we teamed with zulily to find out how she overcomes feelings of self-doubt, her secret to balancing her 4-year-old's hectic schedule with her own, and how becoming a single mother has changed her life for the better. See what she has to say (and meet her crazy-cute daughter, Minnie James) below, and then set a reminder to call your mom on Sunday. She deserves it.
Shop similar denim pieces at zulily.
First of all, tell me about your mom. What's your relationship with her like? "My mom and I were always quite close, but when I was growing up, we had a lot of the same troubles that most mothers and daughters have — it was an incredibly emotional relationship."
What do you admire most about her? "She is strong, almost to a fault, but with a heart of gold. She is extraordinarily soft in her tenacity. She is also very humble. The biggest lesson she taught me was to put all of your pride aside and just do whatever you have to do to make it all happen."
On set, you mentioned that you had always wanted to be a mother. What was it about motherhood that appealed to you? "I always wanted to be a mom, no question. I actually can't remember a time when I thought it wasn't for me — I definitely knew very early on (not that I was in a rush) that it was something I wanted to do, and it was something I was really looking forward to. My family, as complicated as it is, is very close, and I always wanted that to grow."
Your daughter, Minnie James, just turned 4 years old. What can you tell me about your relationship with her father? "My ex and I were engaged when Minnie was born, and like some relationships, ours just didn't make it. I think we both put in plenty of effort to see if we could make it work. I fought very hard (probably harder than I would have otherwise) because we had a child. I felt like that was important. But ultimately, we weren't supposed to be together in the long run. Today, I think everyone is better off."
When you realized you'd be doing this on your own, what went through your head? "Very quickly I tapped into my mom's mentality that you put all of your pride aside and just do anything and everything you have to do to make it all happen — literally, stop at nothing. I also very quickly realized that you have to be extraordinarily clear on the things you can do and the things you cannot do. If it's not serving the greater purpose, which is you taking care of your child and maintaining a life where there is some joy, you have to say no to a lot of things."
Can you give me an example? "A lot of my work requires me to travel a lot, which I love, but logistically, at some point, I had to start saying no to some of that. More than anything, it just mathematically was not working out. You also start to say no to things like dinners you want to go to, because it's not just the cost of the dinner but also the cost of childcare. That's just not realistic for me anymore."
What were those first few months like? Did Minnie handle the transition well? "Those first months, I was very tapped into her sensitivity. It was a process — first of all moving and getting ourselves comfortable in a new home and understanding the new dynamic of just her and I. I think moms, they can have nothing, and they know how to make it right for their baby. The best advice that I was ever given, and the advice I give new parents, whether they are in a relationship or single parents, is to just parent your child. Don't worry about the onslaught of advice, just worry about your baby. You'll know what to do."
When it comes to being a single mom, what would you say is your greatest challenge? "The biggest challenge is balancing out a life that supports her and our home — and then also being where I need to be for her, when I need to be there. I have to physically run from work or wherever I am to be at her school when she gets out at 5:15 p.m."
So what's a typical day like for you and Minnie? "Our mornings start at 7:30 a.m. Sometimes it's me pulling Minnie out of bed. She's sort of like a teenager in that way — she'd sleep all day if I let her. I get in the shower while she's eating breakfast. She won't get dressed until after I'm dressed. She goes to school while I'm at work all day. I pick her up, we hit the playground after school with all her friends, and then we go home to have dinner and a bath. We fight about bed for an hour, and then do it all again."
Do you have any specific pointers on how you balance it all? It can't be easy. "The balance of life, work, and being a single mom is no joke! I can't say that NYC is particularly user-friendly for single moms. The schedules for these little kids is insane, and just when you're in a groove, BOOM — early dismissal from school that day and you're yet again explaining why you can't make a meeting. I believe having a strong support system is key. I had to get over myself and start getting very comfortable asking for help."
On that note, what does your support system look like? "Being a single mom, eyes get really wide. You see really quickly who your people are. I have an incredible group of friends. They save me often from the demands of all of the many moving parts of living here, working, mothering, and so forth. And when we all get a chance to slow down for even just a couple hours, they are the best company. I also have my family, of course — they're top notch."
What are your biggest worries? Is there anything that keeps you up at night? "I worry about her anxiety level a lot and how much she senses. I'm not really a helicopter kind of mom, but I worry about her heart — and whether she's comfortable and feels like she's being supported. I also worry about keeping a life together in this town."
When you're having those negative thoughts, how do you come out of it? "In the moments where it gets dark, where I can't see the next thing — whether it's a financial issue or whatever — I try to put everything else down and have a little moment with her. That will usually pull me out of it."
Do you find that you oftentimes compare yourself to other moms? I would think that it would be hard not to. "Especially in New York, where there's such a vast array of how to do this thing, it's very easy to feel down and hard not to compare your situation. But quite frankly, I don't really have time. I'd say that having to do it by yourself, you don't have time to worry about what everybody else is doing. It's one foot in front of the other."
How do you think this experience has most changed you? "There is now very little space for self-doubt. There are moments when you entertain it, but all in all there is no time for that. You go down that path and you and your baby suffer. So you put your head down and get it done and do your best to do it with grace. When you pull it off, you give yourself a little knowing smirk and move on to the next. Before all this, self-doubt was an unfortunate luxury."
Given that, what's your best advice for other single parents? "Say no when you need to say no. Figure out, even if you can't afford it, how to take a break. Even if it's a 30-minute massage — it will save you. Have a glass of wine. Don't worry about people judging you. It's not a low; it's just about accepting your blank slate and being pumped on it. Oh — and ask for help. That's crucial."
When you're able to find some time for yourself, what's your favorite way to unwind? "I've been a yoga teacher for 10 years, so a lot of that was filtered into my work. While I'm still doing that, I'm also working on some other things, so the time spent doing that is dwindling. Post playground, pre-dinner, I do a quick 15-minute yoga practice in my house. If I can get her downstairs with me, we'll jump rope. And if I don't have her on the weekend, I will try to get a massage or something."
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How does this "me" time go hand in hand with being a better mom? "I think understanding when you need to reboot your system and taking the time to do that makes you a more present, less irritable human — to your child and everyone else."
I had so much fun hanging out with Minnie on set. Tell our readers, who didn't get to dance around with her today, how you would describe her personality. "Minnie is extremely sensitive and intuitive. She takes her time to enter any given situation. When given the time to get comfortable, she has a very smart sense of humor that comes out and captivates. She is equal parts sweet and bossy. And so far her sass doesn't overshadow her inherent kindness."
In what ways has she changed you and the way you look at the world? "I think the moment you become a mom, the way you perceive the world flips. For me and much of what I hear from other moms, it happens nearly instantly — and though everyone tells you that it will happen there is no way to prepare or understand the feeling and the sense of responsibility. It hits like a ton of bricks. Like, Oh! This is not all about me anymore! Okay! I wouldn't have ever described myself as a selfish person before Minnie, but even the best of us have our moments. After she arrived, it became very clear that she was the point. She gave me a huge sense of purpose and a restored strength that made me feel like I could move mountains if my child needed me to. It feels really amazing to want to do that for another person."
What kind of woman do you hope Minnie James becomes over the next year, five years, 10 years? "If I could wish for and work to instill one thing in Minnie as she grows, it would be a fierce strength in communication: an ability to speak up for herself in a way that is clear and notable. So much can be accomplished and prevented with solid communication and genuine kindness."
Do you think growing up with a single mom will make her a stronger, more empowered person? "I hope so. That's not to say that kids that grow up with parents that stay together are not strong. She's just been through it, for a 4-year-old. Thankfully, she has a lot of love around her. She has been very supported."
Finally, what does your future look like? What are you most looking forward to? "My life is changing a lot right now, in a lot of ways. I feel like I'm about to hit this mark, where a lot of doors are closing and a lot of new ones are opening up. It's an incredibly exciting but also scary moment. It's taken two years to see the light at the end of the tunnel and where we're headed. Now that I can see that clearly (it was fuzzy for a while), I feel really good about it. We're a good team."
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When you really think about it, the traditional hair-salon experience is full of weirdly dated — yet somehow unquestioned — practices. Bad coffee, capes that make you feel like an inpatient, dog-eared weekly magazines you flick through out of sheer boredom. We spend a small fortune having our hair cut and colored by cutting-edge industry professionals, yet accept a salon experience that feels stuck in the '00s. We expect luxury when we have facials, manicures, and massages, so why not demand the same from our hair appointments? After all, we're in the chair for anywhere from an hour to an entire afternoon.
Enter Luke Hersheson, the fashion-week mainstay and creative director of his eponymous hair empire (along with his industry veteran father, Daniel). Hersheson is on a mission to revolutionize the way we think of hair appointments. Starting with his own years-in-the-making beauty hub, which opened in London's Fitzrovia neighborhood last week, he's reshaping the salon experience in a thoroughly contemporary way.
"I just feel like there are lots of negative connotations with the word 'salon' — it’s old-fashioned and intimidating," Hersheson explained as he walked us through the brand-new space. "They're not places where people enjoy the experience. I wanted to turn it on its head and make it somewhere you want to go, that will make you feel good throughout the whole process, not just with the end result. So we questioned everything. Why do the color and cutting areas have to be separate? Why is the reception area so uninviting? Why is the lighting so unflattering?"
From power ports at every station so you can charge your phone and laptop to cozy navy robes that make you feel like you're at home rather than about to ride a log flume, Hersheson and his team thought of absolutely everything. There are notepads and pens next to every station, so you can take pointers home from your stylist, and rather than fashion magazines ("Why assume all women just want to read about that?") there are indie publications on subjects ranging from architecture to travel. "We really try to make it a space that revolves around the customer and not a prima donna hair stylist," he said.
The space itself is somewhere you'd actually want to spend an hour, an afternoon, or even a whole day (which isn't out of the question for the double processes among us). "The design and interior of our space reflects an anti-salon vibe," Hersheson said. "We didn’t want matchy-matchy mirrors, chairs, and lighting that typifies the traditional salon design model." Thanks to the designers at GP Studios and architect Racheline Michaels, the space is eclectic and welcoming. Harsh salon lights have been replaced with reclaimed fittings from a British Airways Concorde hangar, while the reception desk is a DIY mid-century style and the floor tiling is Instagram-worthy.
Not content with simply shunning the archetypal salon experience in favor of something altogether more modern, Hershesons offers more than just haircare. The 5,000-square-foot space not only boasts a Sans Pere lifestyle café, serving food and drink while you wait for your appointment or for your bleach to take, but Hersheson's new location is a bona fide beauty metropolis, a one-stop shop for some of the most renowned treatments in the industry. Only have an hour lunch break? Get a manicure by Dryby while having a high-tech facial by Sunday Riley. Fancy LED therapy by the Light Salon, or non-surgical treatments by Kardashian-favorite facialist Dr. Barbara Sturm? Take your pick — and let Ministry of Waxing take care of your pre-holiday prep at the same time. You can even have your brows microbladed by the sought-after Suman Jalaf while your balayage is being done.
Hersheson's space is certainly the first of its kind — not something you can say often in the beauty sphere. "It's never been done before," Hersheson said. "Yes, there are salons that offer tea and coffee and beauty products — but to house all these brands together under one roof, in a space that makes you feel happy and homey? It’s all about the customer: listening to what she wants, and doing it when she wants and how she wants."
The Federal Election Commission handed out a major victory to mothers running for office on Tuesday, ruling that a first-time candidate in New York is allowed to use a portion of her campaign funds to pay for childcare.
Liuba Grechen Shirley, a Democrat running on the state's 2nd District, asked the commission in early April to allow campaign funds to be used for childcare-related expenses. Prior to launching her congressional bid in October, she worked from home as a consultant and was the full-time caregiver of her two toddlers. When she decided to run, the family hired a part-time babysitter to take care of the kids, paying her $22 an hour for about 20 hours per week.
In her letter, the candidate argued the family's babysitter is an integral part of her campaign.
The FEC ruled that Grechen Shirley's request falls under the Act and Commission regulations, which allows campaign funds to be used for "ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with duties of the individual as a holder of Federal office."
The ruling reads: "The Commission concludes that your authorized campaign committee may use campaign funds to pay for the childcare expenses described in your request because such expenses would not exist irrespective of your candidacy."
WE WON! Thank you to the FEC Commissioners for their unanimous vote to approve our request to use campaign funds for childcare! This is a game changer for women and parents considering a run for office. pic.twitter.com/FUfrxXOmVS
— Liuba GrechenShirley (@liuba4congress) May 10, 2018
A record number of women running for office this year, including many mothers, and people have wondered why the cost of childcare would not be considered part of a campaign.
"Denying Ms. Shirley's request would undermine the Commission's previous advisory opinions, discourage young mothers from seeking elective office, and deprive parents of ordinary means of the opportunity to serve," Clinton wrote in her letter to the FEC last month. "Young women like Ms. Shirley are now running for office in record-breaking numbers. For young mothers like her, the ability to seek office hinges on access to child care.'
After the ruling, Rep. Frankel celebrated the decision in a statement to Refinery29.
“Today’s FEC decision recognizes the everyday realities of working parents running for elected office," she said. "The practical effect of breaking down this barrier gives a boost to getting more mothers on the campaign trail.”
Hopefully, the FEC's ruling will encourage more mothers to seek office.
This story was originally published at 12:17 p.m. It has since been updated.
As one recent Sweet Digs resident said, "Plant ladies are the new cat ladies." And judging from the range of green thumbs we're seeing all over Instagram, we have to agree.
But not all of us live in pleasant, airy, sunny spaces made to cultivate oxygen-creating life. In fact, the majority of city real estate (unless you have cash to spend) consists of dark corners, humid rooms, and that one radiator that always dries out your skin and those $2 Whole Foods herb pots.
So ahead, we talk to the folks at plant-to-door delivery service Bloomscape, as well as the pros at Sprout Home, to find the best plants for all your not-so-plant-friendly corners. From windowless rooms to non-ventilated kitchens to that dry spot right above your radiator, these foolproof plants should be able to survive even the dreariest of rooms.
The classic windowless room is a staple of railroad apartments, 1-bedroom to 2-bedroom converts, and studios that basically face another building's wall. "All plants need to have some sort of light source in order to photosynthesize," Tara Heibel of Sprout Home tells Refinery29, but if you have that one spot in your windowless room that gets some light, you could put a plant there.
Luckily, there are a few plants that can survive incredibly low-light situations — but not necessarily no light situations. Resident "plant mom" Joyce Mast at Bloomscape recommends two types of aglaonemas: The Cutlass Aglaonema and Silver Bay Aglaonema. "Interestingly enough, they can adapt to fluorescent lighting," Mast tells Refinery29. Of course, a more diffused natural light could help these lush plants grow faster, but if you're just looking for something that won't die, these are worth a shot.
If all else fails, though, Heibel recommends getting a grow light to mimic filtered or ambient light, giving your plant a little boost. Or, just call it a day and find dried plants that still make a visual statement.
Bloomscape, $65, available at BloomscapeBloomscape, $125, available at BloomscapeAmazon, $20.95, available at Amazon
That Super Hot Spot Above The Radiator
This isn't so much a problem during the summer, but even around an air conditioner, plants can dry out. "Plants like to be calm and steady in their care," Heibel says. "If the temperature changes rapidly, any plant will get a little upset."
Succulents might be strong enough to survive this tricky spot, like the ponytail palm ("essentially a succulent even though people don't think of it like one," Mast says) and the hedgehog aloe, a spiky succulent that's also great for dry skin (bonus!).
For something more lush, look for plants with thicker leaves. "The thinner the leaf, the more apt they are to lose moisture and dry out," Heibel says. Both Heibel and Mast suggest the ever-popular sansevieria, or mother-in-law's tongue, which can essentially survive anything. "It does best in moderate to indirect light to low light, and it doesn't require extra humidity," Mast says. "So it could be sitting next to a radiator and you don't have to worry about it at all." Just don't let the plant actually touch the radiator.
Bloomscape, $35, available at BloomscapeBloomscape, $125, available at BloomscapeAmazon, $15.99, available at Amazon
The Muggy, Humid Bathroom
Bathrooms — literally the opposite of your radiator-dry room — are actually great spots for plants that love humidity, especially if you have some natural light coming in. For well-lit bathrooms, Mast recommends a pinstripe plant, while a lower-lit bathroom could be a great home for a rattlesnake plant.
Even better are ferns. "Ferns will definitely pull humidity out of the air, which is why they'll do so well in a bathroom," Heibel says. If you're looking for a super lush, tropical-feeling bathroom, Heibel recommends the Macho fern. "It creates a lush, woodland environment, with broad leaves to visually cover a corner," she says. The only catch: "They love to be evenly moist, so it might be a problem for someone who goes out of town a lot." In the winter, you might even have to mist your fern to get it through those cold, dry months.
Air plants could also work in this space, if you want something without dirt. "They take water and nutrients in through their bodies, so they do take in more of the natural humidity, and you don't have to fully saturate them in water all the time," Heibel says. Of course, caring for air plants will depend on where you live and what the climate is — adjust accordingly depending on seasons, air conditioning usage, and more.
Bloomscape, $35, available at BloomscapeBloomscape, $35, available at BloomscapeAmazon, $20.12, available at Amazon
The Greasy, Oily, Kitchen
Everyone wishes they could grow herbs in their kitchen, but the truth is, herbs are tricky. "Most of those guys need direct rays and even moisture," Heibel says. "You really need to be on top of them." If you have direct sunlight and you swear you water regularly, and those suckers still keep dying, Heibel recommends repotting your herbs into a larger pot with good potting mix. "The more soil you have around something, the more water retention," she says.
Herbs that are slightly hardier could deal with less water overall — think French lavender, which can be kept inside all seasons, and thyme.
For the less fortunate of us without direct light in their kitchen, plants with hardier leaves like a rubber tree or a cute croton might be a better option — albeit not edible. "Your kitchen will have more humidity and be warmer, but can be oily," Mast says. "You want plants with leaves that are tougher so they can hide oil spots, but are also easy to wipe down with a little bit of soapy water."
Amazon, $15.99, available at AmazonBloomscape, $125, available at BloomscapeBloomscape, $65, available at Bloomscape
The One Plant That Does It All
Ever wonder why you keep seeing snake plants all over Instagram? It's because they can handle almost anything — droughts, cold spins, and dark corners — all while looking lush and vibrant. "It's a total throwback to the 1970s look, which is fabulous, and they're good for travelers because they want to dry out in-between waterings," Heibel says.
Better yet, they oxygenate at night, which means they're perfect for improving air quality in your bedroom. Wins all around.
Bloomscape, $125, available at BloomscapeAmazon, $22.42, available at Amazon
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There are people who haven't checked their bank statements in months, and there are others who compulsively review their balances, transactions (pending and completed), and app alerts several times a day.
If you know where your money goes, and aren't working toward any specific goals at the moment, operating on cruise control may be fine for a time. But if you have short-term plans (such as growing your savings or saving for a vacation) or longer-term aspirations (like saving up for a down payment, paying off a large amount of debt in a concise amount of time), tracking your expenses in a more dedicated way is key.
One popular way to do so is by using an Excel spreadsheet — something we often see among Money Diarists, like this Money Diarist and her husband, who live in Astoria, Queens and keep their expenses separate. "I keep track of charges on our credit cards on an Excel sheet and either attribute charges to him, myself, or as a split cost," she explained.
By contrast, this Twin Cities couple joined forces and finances to pay off nearly $162,000 in debt in three years. They used a spreadsheet to keep them on target as they wiped out their debt.
If you haven't created a spreadsheet like this before, you may be unsure how to set yourself up for Excel and money-saving success. So, we asked two young women who created spreadsheets for their budgets to share examples of how they tracked everything, and give a few tips.
Option 1
Budgeter 1 says she developed her own system five months into her first real salaried job. As she wrote in her Money Diary, she "saved almost no money" when she first started working, and now checks her budget once or twice per week — with the goal of saving $10,000 by the end of 2018.
"I realized I was putting absolutely no money into savings and was spending frivolously. Now, I check in on the budget at least one or two times a week," she tells Refinery29. "While that may seem like a lot, this Excel sheet helps me track where my money is going and has increased the amount of money I'm saving tenfold!"
(Sheet has been slightly modified for viewing.)
She highlights rows in blue after the money has been paid off or transferred to give herself "a visual cue of [payments] that are still to come." She also color codes items red or green depending on if the amount was higher or lower than she budgeted.
"I split my spending on two credit cards and then pay them in full at the end of the month," Budgeter 1 explains. "This system makes me more aware of what I'm spending and is slowly building my credit."
Option 2
Budgeter 2 has a much more intricate approach.
"I update my spreadsheet a few times a week and use it in conjunction with Mint and my banking apps. I save this on Google Drive so I can access it wherever," Budgeter 2 tells Refinery29. "At some point, this is probably unnecessary once you get the fundamentals down with budgeting. But I enjoy doing it, so I’ll stick with it for a while."
She says tracking expenses in a spreadsheet helps keep her mindful of her spending and conscious of when she might need to "pull back" in certain categories if she has overspent in others. Color-coding also helps: She highlights sections in green where she is under budget in a given category, yellow if she's on target, and red if she is over budget.
"It's not a perfect system," she said, "but it works for me."
(Sheet has been slightly modified for viewing.)
Her tips for making this system work in your own life:
1. Don't obsess: If taking a consistent look at your spending is new to you, becoming better acquainted with your spending habits might be a little anxiety inducing at first. But the point isn't to stress yourself out — and in fact, it's the opposite. Things will get easier over time, so update it every few days without punishing yourself. Remain an honest but objective observer.
2. Make it fun: For some people, incorporating small games or challenges into tasks like these can be motivating. Budgeter 2 suggests trying to see how many zero-spend days you can achieve in a month, once you have a better understanding of your cash flow.
3. Audit yourself: After a certain amount of time, you'll need to turn your observations into action. This might happen best once a larger cycle of time has passed, perhaps a season (about four months) or even half a year. (That way, you'll have a more reliable understanding of your long-term spending habits, including splurges and special events. "Look back on old months to recognize trends in spending — e.g. how much money have I spent total on clothes this year? How did that feel? Could I have spent more/less?"
4. Be flexible: No one is perfect, and some weeks or months, you might decide to treat yourself. Don't let a small splurge throw you off track. "I often go over budget in certain categories, but then I'll try to dial back elsewhere in the next month," Budgeter 2 says.
5. Do what works for you: Your spreadsheet might look different based on your needs. Use others' methods as suggestions, rather than cleaving to a style that doesn't work for you. "Edit this (or make your own) to customize, based on what you want to keep track of," Budgeter 2 advises. "Not everyone wants to track daily spending like I do!"
Tom "you can't fix ugly" Jackson stole viewers' hearts in the first episode of Netflix's Queer Eye reboot — and not just with his love of "redneck margaritas." The sweet, lonely retiree, who was woefully lacking in confidence before the fab five made him over, couldn't stop talking about his ex-wife, Abby Parr.
But Queer Eye love is in the air this week. Not only did the show's culture expert Karamo Brown, 37, pop the question to his partner of eight years on Wednesday night, it turns out that Jackson finally got his happy ending, too.
Abby and I got married!!!!!!!👰🏻❤️👨🏻💞😍Gatlinburg, Tennessee at Chapel at the Park💒Just the two of us, an elopement wedding then a honeymoon in the mountains!⛰💘🏨😊Check out the article written about us in Us Weekly magazine!!!!https://t.co/F0X3Vzvfyqpic.twitter.com/yBcy4A6q18
Back in March we learned that Jackson and Parr had begun dating again. "So happy to say that Abby and I are reunited," Jackson tweeted. "We’ve loved each other for many years and want to spend the rest of our lives together!!!!!!"
Just a week later they were engaged again. "What a Netflix special the (sic) would be. If the Fab 5 planned and attended our wedding!!!!!!!!!" he tweeted.
And now the pair have remarried. Jackson revealed on Twitter on Thursday that he and Abby had eloped in a private ceremony at a chapel in Tennessee and would be honeymooning "in the mountains." While this means none of the Queer Eye cast were in attendance, their influence could certainly be seen in Jackson's black suit, which was tailored during his wardrobe makeover, and shirt, given to him by the show's fashion expert Tan France.
Jackson also posted a string of wedding photos that made the internet virtually explode with joy.
Thank you Tiffany Aggen, our wedding photographer for the beautiful wedding pictures!!!!!!🙌📷💞🌹 pic.twitter.com/zmUcp7N0OL
The power of yogurt guacamole is real. The power of West Elm furniture is real. The power of patterned button-down realness is real. Love is real. pic.twitter.com/V5OaMtZYLj
