March might not be the warmest month of the year, but it is one of the most important because it marks the transition from winter to spring, giving us hope that the days of dry skin and seven layers of clothing are almost behind us. In addition to warm weather, there are also so many things to look forward to, like International Women's Day and Mardi Gras.
Adding to that sense of anticipation are all the spring launches coming to Sephora aisles this month. From brand-new innovations, like a fog-inspired hydrating mist, to cult classics remixed, we've rounded up the best products coming to Sephora this month, so you can see all the newness for yourself.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
For the last few months, our lip routine has involved a triple layer of Aquaphor — and that's it. But now that our chapped lips are starting to heal, we're reaching for hydrating lip colors that are comfortable to wear. This lipstick from Huda Beauty, which launches on March 14, packs color but also has sweet almond oil for a smooth payoff.
Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick, $25, available at Sephora
Zap your dark spots in the same way that you'd treat your acne with this spot treatment. You just apply this dot directly on the discoloration, wear it overnight, and let the microneedling technology work its brightening magic.
Peace Out Microneedling Brightening Dots, $28, available at Sephora
If you love Benefit's cult-favorite Hoola Bronzer, the brand is feeding that obsession with a new jumbo version. You'll be able to bronze your way through spring and summer without running out.
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer Jumbo, $44, available at Sephora
Speaking of remixes to popular products, Viktor&Rolf is giving a darker edge to the best-selling Flowerbomb fragrance. The night-blooming jasmine in this scent gives a delicate depth to the floral mix of peony and vanilla.
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Midnight, $115, available at Sephora
You can easily take your look from day to night with just this one palette. Whether you're going for a neutral, bronze eye or an electric pop of blue, this limited-edition shadow set has everything you need to switch it up.
Charlotte Tilbury The Icon Eyeshadow Palette, $65, available at Sephora
Primers are getting more innovative by the minute. This one from Milk Makeup, that launches March 8, has hemp-derived cannabis seed extract to hydrate the skin as the formula grips on to your makeup.
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, $30, available at Sephora
This might not be a new product, but the floral packaging is updated. Supergoop! teamed up with fashion brand Rebecca Taylor to create a limited-edition version of the brand's popular Defense Refresh Setting Mist.
Supergoop! x Rebecca Taylor Defense Refresh Setting Mist (prices vary with size $8-$28), will be available at sephora.com on March 5th
Glow Recipe is growing its best-selling watermelon family with a mist like no other. It has everything from hyaluronic acid to watermelon extract to hydrate skin, but the best (and most unique) part is its micronized spray. The mist comes out so fine, like a fog, and it feels hella good on the skin.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist, $28, available at Glow Recipe
This hair tool brings together the power of a flat iron with the ease of a hair brush. Plus, the unique iRed beam technology and negative ion projector keep heat damage at bay.
Amika iRed Polished Perfection Straightening Brush, $120, available at Sephora
Your yearly spring cleaning plan should include your pores. Detox the skin with this clay mask that treats acne, without drying out your face or causing redness. It's the perfect zen treatment to use as you pack away your winter clothes.
Biossance Squalane + Tea Tree Detox Mask, $39, available at Sephora
Daylight Saving Time is coming on March 10, which means we lose an hour of precious sleep, throwing everything — including our skin — out of whack. Be one step ahead with this brightening eye cream from Sephora Collection's new skin-care line that depuffs while reducing dark circles.
Sephora Collection Brightening Eye Cream – Hydrate & Depuff, $16, available at Sephora
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Update: In honor of Women's Equality Day, we're sharing this slideshow on 16 history-making women you've probably never heard of. Ahead, a look at the barriers they broke in supporting rights for all women.
This story was originally published on March 8, 2016.
It’s a pretty great time to be a woman. A lot remains to be done to support women’s rights around the world, but more women now have access to education, economic opportunities, and leadership roles than ever before.
This progress is thanks to many generations of brave and brilliant women who shaped the course of history. So why don't the names of these history-making women roll off of our tongues as easily as those of history-making men? In school, we rightfully learn to celebrate Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr., but we rarely hear about the work of women like Grace Hopper or Cecilia Payne.
Women like Hopper, Payne and many others had to push back against the social norms of their day, breaking down the barriers of what society thought women could do. They were often excluded and marginalized along the way. Some of them were even demonized for making choices that would have been seen as commonplace for men. In the face of these huge challenges, they still managed to make groundbreaking discoveries, advocate for human rights and change the world. To be clear, none of these women were perfect, and many of them had notable flaws, but there is still plenty to celebrate in their remarkable lives.
We owe it to these hardworking women to start repairing these gaps in our history and raising our voices about their amazing accomplishments. To celebrate International Women's Day, Refinery29 has compiled a list of the under-recognized women you absolutely should know about.
Women accounted for only 13% of the directors on the 700 top grossing films in 2014 — and only 7% of the top 250 films. Refinery29 wants to change this by giving 12 female directors a chance to claim their power. Our message to Hollywood? You can't win without women. Watch new films every month on Refinery29.com/Shatterbox and Comcast Watchable.
The silent era of Hollywood is virtually unrecognizable to today's landscape. Back then, women sat in director's chairs, wrote scripts, and edited films in droves. Women were at the forefront of the burgeoning industry. In fact, Hollywood was called a "manless Eden" by a commentator.
And screenwriter Frances Marion, who wrote 325 scripts over the course of her career, was at the epicenter. She held "cat parties," women-only parties where women across show business could gather, gossip, and support each other professionally. “They were meeting with each other. Talking with each other. Taking care of each other, professionally and personally,” film historian Cari Beauchamp told Refinery29. In addition to being the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood, Marion championed other women's careers.
Sybil Ludington: Female Paul Revere 1761–1839
Paul Revere is one of America’s most beloved folk heroes. Songs, poems, and even beer bottles commemorate his midnight ride, but few people know that a 16-year-old girl performed a similarly heroic feat.
In 1777, Sybil Ludington rode nearly 40 miles —more than twice Revere’s distance—to warn her father’s militiamen that the British were coming. Late one the evening, a messenger warned the Ludingtons that the British were looting Danbury, Connecticut. Young Sybil volunteered to rouse the scattered militia, and rode from 9 p.m. until dawn on a man’s saddle with nothing but a stick to ward off bandits—just think of that next time your quads are burning at SoulCycle.
While the militia was too late to save Danbury, they eventually drove the British back to their ships. Locals and General George Washington thanked Sybil for her role, but it wasn’t until 1935 that a statue was erected in her honor in Carmel, New York.
Photo: Louis S. Glanzman/National Geographic/Getty Images.
Ada Lovelace: The First Computer Programmer 1815–1852
Ada Lovelace was the only legitimate daughter of Lord Byron, one of England’s most famous poets. Her parents separated shortly after Ada’s birth, and Byron left England. He died in Greece a few years later. Although she never knew her father, Byron's legacy greatly influenced Ada’s upbringing. Her mother was paranoid that she would inherit her poet father's erratic temperament, and made sure that she was tutored in mathematics and science.
When Ada was 17, her mentor Charles Babbage showed her the prototype for his ‘Difference Engine,’ the world’s first computer. In 1842, Babbage asked Lovelace to help translate an article about the plans for his newest machine, the ‘Analytical Engine.’ She appended a lengthy set of notes to her translation, in which she wrote an algorithm that the engine could use to compute Bernoulli numbers.
While the extent of her original contribution is disputed, her code is now considered the world’s first computer program. Lovelace theorized that the machine might eventually do far more than calculating numbers. Babbage’s engine was never built and her code was never tested, but many of her insights about the future of computing proved to be true.
Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG/ Getty Images.
Henrietta Lacks: The Immortal Woman 1920-1951
Polio. Cancer. Cloning. Scientists researching these and many other areas have one thing in common: the human cells they use in their tests all come from a young African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks. Lacks was a 30-year-old farmer and mother of five who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951. While she was being treated at John's Hopkins, a sample of cancerous cells was taken form her cervix without her consent. A researcher soon discovered something remarkable about them: they wouldn’t die.
It’s incredibly difficult to grow human cells in a lab. Most die quickly or multiply only a few times once removed from the body. For reasons unknown, Lacks’ cells could be multiplied perpetually. Although Lacks passed away in 1951, her ‘immortal’ line of cells (known as HeLa) became integral to some of the most important medical research of our time, including the development of vaccines, in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. Lacks’ children and grandchildren were not made aware of HeLa until the 1970s; raising important ethical questions about genetic research.
In 2013, the National Institute of Health signed an agreement to protect the family’s privacy and acknowledge them in future publications. 62 years after her death, the scientific community finally recognized Lacks’ invaluable contribution to biomedical research.
Photo: ITV/ REX/ Shutterstock.
Lois Jenson: Seeking Justice for Sexual Harassment Born 1948
Lois Jenson came from a family of miners in the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. In 1975, she and three other women became the first female employees of Eveleth Mines, deep in one of the richest iron ore deposits in the world.
The hostility was immediately palpable. The women were groped, threatened, stalked, and called ‘sluts’ and ‘bitches.’ They would sometimes find semen on the clothes left in their lockers. "You fucking women don’t belong here," they were told. Outnumbered 600 to four, they had little recourse and needed the income and benefits that the mine offered. After 9 years of this treatment, Jenson filed a complaint with the state, never imagining it would turn into a 14-year legal battle.
In 1991, on behalf of all the mine’s female employees, Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co. became the first class-action sexual harassment lawsuit in the country. Seven years later, the company settled with the women for millions. Jenson struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress and regretted not seeing the case through to trial. Nevertheless, it led to widespread changes: mining companies implemented sexual harassment policies, and Jenson herself became an inspiration and source of support for working women all over the country.
Photo: Courtesy of MetroActive.com.
Amelia Bloomer: Activist and Trendsetter 1818–1894
Amelia Bloomer was a 19th-century woman’s right’s activist responsible for transforming the way American women dressed. Born in upstate New York, Amelia was working as a governess when she met her future husband, Dexter Bloomer. After they married, she began writing for his newspaper. Dissatisfied with the lack of dedicated material for women, she established The Lily, one of the first newspapers written, edited, and published by women.
The Lilysupported women’s suffrage and the temperance movement; according to Bloomer, the consumption of alcohol was a women’s issue because: "Intemperance is the great foe to her peace and happiness." Though this attitude may be hard to process today, Bloomer lived at a time when temperance was touted as the solution to many social ills, from poverty to spousal abuse.
Bloomer also advocated for women’s clothing reform, and said that women should abandon corsets and petticoats for looser tops and shorter skirts with pants underneath. While she didn’t invent the undergarments, she popularized them and they came to be known as "bloomers." Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly to support women’s right to vote. And it paid off: her activism helped secure Ohio women the right to vote in 1873.
Photo: Interim Archives/ Getty Images.
Dorothy Lawrence: The Woman in the Trenches 1896–1964
In the summer of 1915, the valley of the Somme was the last place anyone wanted to be. The Western Front cut through it, with German and Allied armies entrenched only a few dozen yards apart.
A brave 19-year-old English girl named Dorothy Lawrence headed straight for it. Lawrence longed to be a war correspondent and convinced a pair of British soldiers to smuggle her a uniform, piece by piece. She flattened her chest with a corset, lopped off her hair, and darkened her complexion with shoe-polish; a razor raked over her cheeks simulated a shaving rash. A British Royal Engineer named Tom Dunn helped her find a job installing mines.
Lawrence stayed undercover in the trenches for almost two weeks, but the physical and mental stress wreaked havoc on her health. She revealed herself to her superiors, who arrested her and accused her of being a spy or a prostitute. Her story was one of tremendous bravery but Lawrence was forbidden from writing about it. Her 1919 memoir was highly censored by the government and sold poorly. Penniless and alone, Lawrence was committed to an asylum and spent the rest of her life in care.
Photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Wu Zetian: China’s Only Female Ruler 624 CE–705 CE
Wu Zetian was the only woman ever to rule China in her own right. Rising to power at the height of the glorious Tang Dynasty, she improved agricultural production, lowered taxes, reduced the size of the army, challenged Confucian prejudices against women, and kept a tumultuous country at peace.
Nevertheless, imperial chroniclers portray her as a monstrous, bloodthirsty nymphomaniac. At 14, she became a concubine to the aging Emperor Taizong. After his death, she was expected to wither away in a Buddhist monastery, but Wu maneuvered her way back into the palace as consort of the new emperor, Gaozong. The liaison was taboo (he was her stepson) but this did not stop her from superseding her rivals.
As legend has it, a week after giving birth to a daughter, Wu smothered the child, accused the Empress Wang of infanticide, and had her imprisoned, mutilated, and drowned in a vat of wine. After her husband died, Wu usurped the throne from her own four sons.
According to contemporaries, she was responsible for the deaths of her sister, brothers, cousins, and mother. Although it would certainly have taken pragmatism and ruthlessness for a woman to rise her position in medieval China, it’s hard to say how much of Wu’s bloody legacy was fabricated by her critics. A modern biographer argues, "Without Wu, there would have been no long-enduring Tang dynasty and perhaps no lasting unity of China." Ultimately, she was a remarkable figure who continues to capture the imagination of critics and advocates alike.
Photo: British Library/Robana/REX/Shutterstock.
Mary Frith: The Roaring Girl c. 1584–1659
In a popular 17th century play, a feisty character named Moll Cutpurse teaches a lustful suitor a valuable lesson about consent: "Thou art one of those that thinks each woman thy fond, flexible whore if she but cast a liberal eye upon thee," are among her famous lines.
Playwrights Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton based this character on a real-life contemporary of theirs named Mary Frith, who was notorious in London for swearing, pipe-smoking and dressing as a man. It didn’t take much to break the rules as a woman in early modern London. Even speaking too loudly was often enough to get a girl labeled a "whore"—a slur that could be ruinous and difficult to shake. Women were banned from being actors, and laws of apparel governed exactly what they could wear.
When Mary Frith unapologetically took to the streets of London in men’s breeches or climbed on the stage of the Fortune Theater with her lute, she became a symbol of defiance. The details of Frith’s life have become inextricably tangled with the myths of Moll Cutpurse, but records show that she was repeatedly punished for her outlandish behavior. On one occasion when she was forced to publicly repent for her crimes, a witness said that though she "wept bitterly and seemed very penitent," it was later discovered that she had downed some wine before her performance. #SorryNotSorry.
Photo: Archive Photos/ Getty Images.
Nellie Bly: Journalist and Globetrotter 1864-1922
When 21-year-old Elizabeth Cochran wrote a scathing reply to a chauvinistic op-ed in a Pittsburgh newspaper, she never expected to become a journalist. The paper’s editor, however, noticed her talent and offered her a job and the pen name ‘Nellie Bly.’ Bly wrote eloquently about labor laws, women’s rights, and political corruption in Mexico.
Later, while working for The New York World, Bly had herself committed to a mental institution for 10 days to investigate the conditions. Her shocking report on the facility’s rotten food, vermin infestation, and horrific abuse of inmates led to public outcry and helped reform the care of the mentally ill.
In 1889, Bly had the newspaper send her on a race around the world inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. With a tiny travel bag and one dress, Bly made her way by ship, train, horse, and rickshaw from England to Italy, Egypt to Singapore (where she bought a monkey). When she arrived home on January 25, 1890, Bly set the record for circumnavigating the world in 72 days. She later married and became an inventor, registering several patents under her name.
Photo: Popperfoto/ Getty Images.
Cecilia Payne: Astronomer Who Touched the Stars 1900–1979
When Cecilia Payne was a student at Cambridge University in 1919, scientists believed that the sun and stars were made of the same stuff as the Earth. Trading Cambridge, UK, for Cambridge, MA, she became the first person to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Radcliffe College (Harvard’s sister-school). In her doctoral thesis, Payne determined the actual temperatures of the spectral classes of stars and showed that they are mostly made of hydrogen and helium.
This conclusion was so radical in 1925 that Payne was dissuaded from publishing it, but astronomers later called her work "undoubtedly the most brilliant Ph.D. thesis ever written in astronomy." In spite of her brilliance, astronomy was still very much a boys club and Payne spent 11 years as a lowly technical assistant at Harvard. In 1938, she was given the title of “Astronomer.” In 1954, she became the first woman in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to be promoted to full-professor and later became the first woman to head a department at Harvard. Through years of quiet dedication, she paved the way for many women astronomers and scientists after her.
Photo: Alamy Stock Photo.
Rosalind Franklin: The Woman Who Unlocked the Structure of DNA 1920–1958
On February 28th, 1953, Francis Crick strode into The Eagle pub in Cambridge and announced that he and James Watson had uncovered "the secret of life"—the double-helix structure of DNA. No mention was made there (or in their Nobel Prize acceptance speech) of Rosalind Franklin, the woman whose work had made it all possible.
Cracking the structure of DNA was a three-way race between Watson and Crick at Cambridge, Linus Pauling at Caltech, and, at King’s College London, Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins (who couldn’t stand each other). Franklin used her expertise in X-ray crystallography to obtain remarkably clear photographs of DNA diffraction patterns.
In January of 1953, Wilkins showed Watson one of these images without Franklin’s permission. "The instant I saw the picture my mouth fell open and my pulse began to race," Watson later wrote in his memoir. With the help of this clue, he and Crick published their results shortly afterward.
The structure of DNA was one of the most significant discoveries in the history of science, but Franklin died unacknowledged for her role in it, succumbing to ovarian cancer in 1958 at the age of 37. Four years later, Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize.
Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG/ Getty Images.
In 1943, in the midst of the Second World War, Grace Hopper felt compelled to enlist, but the 37-year-old associate professor barely made the age cutoff for the Navy. Hopper had earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale and was teaching at Vassar at the time. The Navy assigned her to a project at Harvard, where she helped program the Mark I, the first computer in the country. When a moth shorted out the Mark II, Hopper joked that they had to "debug" the computer. The term stuck.
In 1952, she and her team created the first compiler, which helped translate source code written in one computer language into another. Compilers are now essential to programmers but at the time, "Nobody believed that," she said. "They told me computers could only do arithmetic."
Hopper helped develop the COBOL programming language and in 1983 was promoted to Rear Admiral (Lower Half). Upon retirement, she was awarded the highest level of distinction for non-combat personnel. At age 79, she was the oldest active-duty commissioned officer in the Navy. Hopper loved training young people, and gave lectures until she passed away. Her invaluable work helped expand the scope of modern computing.
Photo: Cynthia Johnson/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images.
Edith Cavell: The Selfless Nurse 1865–1915
At dawn on October 12, 1915, British nurse Edith Cavell was executed by a German firing squad in Belgium. Her death provoked international outrage and rallied support for the Allies. A wave of recruitment propaganda portrayed Cavell as an innocent women destroyed by the barbaric German enemy. The daughter of a Norfolk vicar, Cavell was recruited to manage a Belgian nursing school in 1907. She launched a journal called L’infirmière and trained nurses throughout the country.
In 1914, Cavell was visiting family in England when war broke out; she insisted on returning to Belgium. As war raged around them, Cavell and her associates tended to the wounded from both sides and helped hundreds of Allied soldiers stranded behind enemy lines to escape. Cavell was betrayed by a Belgian collaborator and arrested for being a spy. Although diplomats tried to intervene, Cavell was convicted and executed. For years, it was believed that the charges of espionage were false; however, in 2015 the former director of MI5 revealed that Cavell’s organization had been smuggling intelligence back home. Although we may never know the extent of her participation, Cavell should be remembered for her tremendous bravery and selflessness.
Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG/ Getty Images.
Hypatia of Alexandria: Philosopher and Mathematician c. 350–370 CE–415 CE
In 415, a mob of religious fanatics attacked a woman in the streets of Alexandria, stripped her naked, and savagely hacked her to death with shards of tile. Her name was Hypatia, and she was a philosopher and mathematician admired throughout the ancient world. For some, her death signaled the end of classical antiquity itself.
Throughout its history, the city of Alexandria had been a beacon of culture and learning. Hypatia’s father Theon was an astronomer and mathematician who made sure that his daughter received a thorough education. She became head of the local university, and students came from far and wide to hear her lectures. According to a contemporary historian, Hypatia "made such attainments in literature and science, as to far surpass all the philosophers of her own time."
Little is known of her personal life, but she was widely praised for being wise, virtuous, and beautiful. But across the Roman Empire, tensions mounted between pagan authorities and the growing Christian church, and Hypatia was drawn into the vicious power struggle. As an influential pagan woman and adviser to the governor, Hypatia became a symbol of everything that stood in the way of Christian supremacy. The fanatics who murdered her saw as a satanic witch, but modern historians celebrate her for being one of the leading thinkers of her time.
Photo: Universal History Archive/REX/Shutterstock.
Edmonia Lewis: Ground-breaking Sculptor c. 1844–1907
Edmonia Lewis was the first African-American and Native-American woman to become a professional artist. She was known for her neoclassical sculptures and paintings of famous abolitionists. Lewis’s mother was a weaver with Ojibwe and African American roots and her father was a Haitian servant. She drew inspiration from her cultural heritage for many of her works.
During the tumultuous days of the Civil War, Lewis attended Oberlin College (one of the first institutions to admit women and African Americans.) While at school, she was brutally beaten by vigilantes for allegedly trying to poison two of her white friends with a dodgy batch of mulled wine. A few years later, Lewis moved to Rome where she spent much of her career. Sadly, many of her works have not survived. Her towering sculpture The Death of Cleopatra (1876) was a highlight of the first World’s Fair in Philadelphia, but languished in a junkyard for more than a century before being recovered and restored in 1994.
Lewis overcame tremendous obstacles to become an artist at a time when few opportunities were open to people of her gender and skin color.
Photo: Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
Rebecca Latimer Felton: First Woman Senator in the U.S. 1835–1930
Rebecca Latimer Felton has a complex legacy. Born in Decatur, Georgia, she was an invaluable asset to her husband’s political career. A sharp and efficient woman, she deftly ran his campaigns and helped him draft speeches and legislation. She was a passionate advocated for women’s suffrage, equal pay, prison reform, and educational opportunities for the poor.
In 1922, when the senator from Georgia died suddenly, the governor appointed 87-year-old Felton as a stand-in. Felton was sworn in on November 21st and although her term lasted only 24 hours, she was officially the first woman senator in the U.S. and is still the only woman to have ever served as a senator from Georgia.
Felton was also a staunch white supremacist. As vocally as she campaigned for women’s right to vote, she opposed the same right for African Americans, arguing that the more education and social freedoms they had, the more danger they posed to white women. Even for a period rife with intolerance, Felton’s views were exceptionally racist. She deserves to be remembered for her lifelong fight for women’s rights, but her views on race can't be erased from her story.
Back in 2016 Instagram added the "saved" section to every profile, and the beauty game was changed forever. 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, inspiration can still be hard to find when you're inundated with hundreds — no, 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 upcoming weeks.
Ahead, check out 31 looks to try this March.
Kristen Stewart always serves edgy looks, but her latest smudged wings set a whole new precedent for punk rock-inspired makeup.
It might not be spring yet, but pastel makeup is already trending. Makeup artist Jenna Kristina proved it after covering Dirty John star Julia Garner's lids in this creamy orange shadow.
Looking for a smoky eye alternative that won't make you look sleepy? Try a shimmery purple powder instead.
A modern cat-eye is perfect for any occasion.
Just in case you're still curious about jelly makeup — and how great it looks — here's makeup artist Isabel Y Rosado using it as a glossy topcoat to her eyeshadow.
We've covered inner corner strobing with highlighter, but never with green eyeshadow. Then again, Gemma Chan can pull anything off.
We never knew how badly we needed opalescent highlighter and berry lipstick until we saw this look that Nick Barose created on his longtime client Lupita Nyong'o.
Rowan Blanchard is proving that glitter looks good everywhere and anywhere.
Try a rad take on '80s makeup for yourself with two mismatched shadows. Tip: Apply one on the lid and the other on the lower lashline.
The bigger the cat-eye, the closer to drama.
It might be winter, but that doesn't mean your skin can't glow like it's 75 and sunny. Copy this golden shimmer with Alexa Persico's Brighten Me Baby highlighter trio.
If last month's color du jour was slime green, then we're officially upgrading to mossy green in March.
Makeup artist Jo Baker created this floating look by pairing two "sibling shades" — turquoise and emerald — on the crease of the eyelid.
Dana Delaney's take on the trend includes a moody, ombré effect with matching eyeliner.
Brighten up your usual black eyeliner with a glittery gloss swept across your lid.
Swap out your black eyeliner for a pink liquid formula a la Amanda Seyfried for an instant spring refresh.
Even better, try an all-pink look — from blush to lipstick to the pencil you use to line your waterline.
Not for the faint of heart, this asymmetrical eyeliner by Sam Visser is as bold as it is easy to copy.
Camilla Belle is proof that the blotted lip still reigns supreme.
Okay, we take it back: Slime green is still trending in a truly beautiful way.
Top off your chartreuse eye look with a peachy blush and nude gloss.
Not so into green? Behold the next bold color du jour: neon orange.
Don't forget to finish the look with a worn-in lip. Copy the ombré effect fast with a K-beauty classic: peel-off lip tint.
Looking for something warmer than orange? Try mixing purple and pink shadows on the inner and outer corners of your eye for a romantic twist on the trend.
Channel Kacey Musgraves' country energy with extra-long falsies and pastel blue shadow.
Cameron Dove's cat-eye toes the line between Halloween and everyday in the best way possible.
In the market for a new everyday shadow? Try patting Marc Jacobs Copperazi glitter eyeshadow all over your lid before sweeping a quick coat of mascara through your lashes.
Add interest to your usual red lip with a pop of blue on the eyelid.
A graphic eye like this only requires two steps, but lots of patience (and probably some concealer clean-up).
Ever since my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to match people with music they might like. So, I wrote a book calledRecord Collecting for Girlsand started interviewing musicians. The Music Concierge is a column where I share music I'm listening to that you might enjoy, with a little context. Get everything I've recommended this year on Spotify, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and leave a comment below telling me what you're listening to this week.
Stella Donnelly "Tricks"
Stella Donnelly's music is arresting on first listen. She might play the same sort of strummy guitar-driven tracks as fellow Australian Courtney Barnett, but the tenor of her voice is something else entirely. She takes it to a place reminiscent of the twee (and beloved) K Records style. Is woke twee a genre? It is now. Don't let the sweetness of her distinctly feminine voice distract you from hearing her message, however. These songs are about the male/female dynamic and how it's not skewed in favor of women.
Destiny Rogers "Tomboy"
What would music by an 18-year-old from Lodi, CA (best known as the "Zinfandel Capital of the World") sound like? Nothing like you expect. Destiny Rogers caught my attention as much for the message of her song as for her skateboarding skills. "My mother said marry a rich man / And I was like mama, I am that rich man," Rogers sings and hell yes is the only way to respond. She messes with gender norms, and rap/sings over a low-key production that's all the more surprising once you realize it's by The Stereotypes — the same production team who worked with Cardi B and Bruno Mars, who are not exactly known for their stripped down...anything.
OMA "Dance"
There are few artists out there who I'd say defy classification — if anything, most of them just fit into multiple genres. But with OMA, a married duo from Réunion Island, there are truly so many styles and influences happening in this track that it is like a history of music lesson to pick them all apart; African instrumentation, French pop arrangements, indie pop vocals mixed with African chanting, and a touch of Bollywood performative style merge into one gorgeous track. It will be like nothing else you listen to.
Della Mae "Bourbon Hound"
Bourbon in the winter and clear booze in the summer is the rule, so Della Mae dropped this track at exactly the right time as winter abates into spring. This barn stomper of a single is soaked in Kentucky bluegrass vibes and the old school country aesthetic with some of the best harmonizing you can imagine. I love a woman with a deep voice, and it's only better when it's paired with an amazing fiddle in the band.
Vök "Erase You"
Iceland knows how to do dark songs, and Vök (a band, not a person) makes the darkest of laments out of reminiscing over a relationship gone bad scored by bedroom indie pop sounds. Everything about the song is captivating, from the brutal way the singer wishes to erase that bad partner to the static over the beats that makes everything muddy — implying she might not be the most reliable of narrators. There are two sides to every story, but the singer of Vök draws all the eyes in the room to her.
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The honeymoon phase and the royal baby she's currently in the process of growing might play a part, but I'm calling it: Meghan Markle's smooth, dewy skin and Krispy-Kreme-glaze glow are likely the result of a damn good skin-care routine — and every good skin-care routine needs the perfect hydrating, yet non-greasy moisturizer.
While I can't confirm the exact cream the Duchess massages into her face every morning (oh, to be a fly on the wall of the master bathroom at Nottingham Cottage), there is one I think she'd really like. Out today, the Dewy Skin Cream is just as plumping and glow-inducing as the name implies — and it's the latest launch from Tatcha, the Japanese-inspired brand that Markle has professed her love for in the pre-Prince Harry past.
The new offshoot of the brand's Luminous Dewy Skin Mist (the super-fine facial spritz that another A-list alliterate, Kim Kardashian, swears by) is rich, both in its moisture-locking ingredients like hyaluronic acid, botanical oils, and antioxidant-packed Japanese purple rice and buttery, creamy texture. In short, it's everything my parched winter skin has been craving.
Like other Tatcha creams housed in polished jars, this one comes equipped with a fancy dollhouse-sized gold spoon on top, which I used to scoop the cream from the pot and dab it onto my forehead, cheeks, and chin. Using upward strokes, just like Tatcha instructs, I massaged the cream into my skin and felt instantly soothed by the faint lavender scent — and very impressed by the immediate plumping effect that seemed to happen right before my eyes.
The resulting glow was so good after just the first use, I was inspired to leave the house without any highlighter. You can probably imagine that I'm not looking to share my jar any time soon — but I do hope someone has an extra lying around to send to mom-to-be Meghan. That is, if she doesn't have one already...
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With an overabundance of products and marketing hoopla in the beauty industry, it takes a lot for a brand to break through the noise and get people talking. But that's exactly what CopyCat Beauty did when it announced Danielle Bregoli, a.k.a. Bhad Bhabie (a.k.a. the "cash me ousside" viral star), as the face of its brand last month.
The $900K partnership was met with shock and bewilderment, and the controversy didn't stop there. People were also side-eyeing the fact that the brand shamelessly offers rip-offs of some of the best-selling products on the market, including Anastasia Beverly Hills highlighter palettes and Marc Jacobs makeup brushes.
While the brand openly lists its ingredients and claims to be cruelty free, the unorthodox approach — paired with the price point — has definitely left some people uneasy. So, we decided to test them ourselves and see how the company's dupes really measure up to the original versions. Ahead, five R29 staffers put CopyCat Beauty to the test and share their brutally honest opinions.
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Aimee Simeon, Beauty Writer
"The craziest thing about Bhad Bhabie's new endorsement is that the products aren’t actually bad. The lipstick was the perfect barely-there pink and it lasted for hours without budging or feeling dry. It even got me a few compliments, though I didn't admit what I was wearing."
CopyCat Beauty LIPSTICK - GLIP01, $2.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
"The blush palette didn’t impress me like the lipstick did. The majority of the shades were too pale for my complexion, but the darkest pink was a great match. Now, will I take my hard-earned cash — or ditch my favorite products — and get anything from this collection? Questionable."
CopyCat Beauty EXPOSED 1 PALETTE - GBP01, $8.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
Samantha Sasso, Beauty Writer
"Behind bronzer, highlighter is the one makeup product I can't live without. Although I prefer a creamy formula on a regular basis, this powder didn't disappoint. Depending on the brush you use, these four colors can be subtle and shimmery or beaming in the sunlight."
CopyCat Beauty BEACH GLOW - GHP01, $8.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
Jessica Cruel, Deputy Beauty Director
"When I first opened the Cocoa palette, I thought, 'Something about this is so familiar.' That’s when I realized it’s a dupe of the best-selling Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. Right from the jump, I can tell you it has a few less shades than the original, but there is that faint chocolate smell. I started by applying the matte, soft brown shade to my entire lid, and I was surprised that the color showed up on my darker skin. Then I layered a metallic gold on top, and I can say that I’m happy with the results. There is some settling in the creases, but the color payoff is pretty powerful."
CopyCat Beauty COCOA - GES01, $8.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
"Let me preface this by saying: I love my Beautyblender. The damp sponge gives me the dewy coverage that I prefer as an occasional makeup wearer, but this brush has some of the softest bristles I’ve ever felt. The compact style really lays on the product — whether your foundation is full coverage or not — which is a good thing. However, I missed the lightweight finish of my go-to application method."
CopyCat Beauty Contour Buffer - GT02, $3.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
Rachel Lubitz, Senior Beauty Writer
"Never thought I'd say this but Bhad Bhabie's makeup... slaps. Though I feel weird about supporting a line of makeup that is openly dupes, this stuff really didn't disappoint. The color is exactly the same as MAC Ruby Woo, and the formula actually felt a little richer — though that could be because my lipstick at home is dangerously ancient."
CopyCat Beauty LIPSTICK - GLIP03, $2.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
"Moving on to the glittery eyeshadows, which are definitely meant to be dupes of Stila's amazing liquid shadows, I have to say I loved them, too. I mixed together the shades 09, a light pink, and 15, a deep burgundy, and felt like Katie Jane Hughes ' redheaded sister. Though I did notice some fading with these shadows after a few hours, I feel like with this incredibly low-price point, this brand might save people a lot of money."
CopyCat Beauty Glitter Eyeshadow - GLS09, $4.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
CopyCat Beauty Glitter Eyeshadow - GLS15, $4.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
"I've been using Morphe's Deluxe Buffer Brush to apply my medium to full coverage foundations. I love how the buffing bristles blend my makeup flawlessly, so I was curious to see if this brush could do the same at nearly half the price. And it did. It buffed out my foundation seamlessly and didn't absorb the product so there was no need to pump out more than needed. While I have no idea how it will hold up, it definitely left a good first impression."
CopyCat Beauty Deluxe Buffer Brush - GT19, $6.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
"I'm into any lip products that come in pinky-nude shades — I need to Marie Kondo my lip collection for that reason. The gloss didn't make for a smooth application; it was pretty sticky. While I did like the color, I wasn't a fan of the formula, so I wouldn't keep this in my makeup bag — even if it's just $4."
CopyCat Beauty Lip Gloss - GLG04, $3.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
"Honestly, this highlighter left me shook. I used a small highlighter brush and one swipe was more than enough; my cheeks were gleaming, but in a 'healthy glow' way rather than a chalky streak. If you're going for a more natural look, be sure to blend it in and if you want glam, just swipe away with your brush. This $8 product gets the job done."
CopyCat Beauty BEACH GLOW - GHP01, $8.99, available at CopyCat Beauty
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With billions of beads, eccentric masks, and a rainbow of feather boas, Mardi Gras is not a holiday renowned for its subtly. The celebration, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, falls exactly 47 days before Easter, marking the official end of the Carnival season and the kickstart to the holy period of Lent.
Specifically, the holiday is a huge cultural moment in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Mardi Gras — which is Tuesday, March 5, this year — is a bank holiday, and there are parades and parties spanning up and down Bourbon Street. But even if you're nowhere near The Big Easy next week, you can get in on the festivities with a Mardi Gras-inspired manicure. The celebratory colors — purple, green, and gold — represent justice, faith, and power, respectively. And the combination will surely make you smile when mixed and matched on your fingernails.
Scroll through to find the ideal Mardi Gras nail art to carry you through the Lenten season in style.
If you're looking to go extra in celebration of Mardi Gras — in true Big Easy style — try a bling-y manicure with stripes of gold and rainbow gemstones.
For a more muted take, keep your gold accents, but make it a 2-D foil situation.
Make each individual nail its own work of art by adding press-on jewels.
A holographic purple manicure is kind of perfect for Mardi Gras because it fits into the color theme, but will still feel fun and shimmery when Carnival's over.
The skinny yellow arches of this nail art give the festive feeling of gold beads draped across your fingernails.
Freehand Mardi Gras medallion nail art may be best left to the pros — but, if you can find a press-on sticker that resembles a fleur-de-lis, the effect will be just as ornamental.
A jade-green, shattered glass manicure is cool any day of the year, but feels particularly appropriate during Mardi Gras.
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One triggering spring 2019 season later, Hedi Slimane 's second go at Celine is here. We've read the think pieces, we've had the arguments, we've shed the tears, and we've obsessively followed the #OldCeline Instagram tribute accounts. In the 12 months since Slimane became Celine's creative director, a divisive new logo, a fresh handbag debut, and an eerily familiar ad campaign (ahem, Saint Laurent) all offered clues into the French fashion house's future. Last September's show was, as suspected, a complete 180 from Philo's thoughtful, minimal Celine.
Not only was it short frock o'clock, but the collection was a direct copy-and-paste from Slimane's previous designs for Saint Laurent. (Slimane was very much aware of the backlash.)
The departure of Slimane's predecessor Phoebe Philo was a traumatic end of an era, and we (the fashion crowd) love to deliberate, mourn, panic, and jump to the worst possible conclusions. While the general consensus has been "We hate it! We miss Phoebe!", celebrities and their stylists disagree. From Dakota Johnson initiating new Celine-on-the-red carpet, to Lady Gaga at the Grammys, to Brie Larson at the Oscars, Slimane's pieces have made numerous red carpet appearances — and, honestly, we might kind of be into it.
So, as Paris Fashion Week kicks into full gear — after Dries Van Noten inspired us to rethink the relationship between color and clothing, and Loewe's clean silhouettes induced happiness (could Jonathan Anderson replace the Phoebe Philo-shaped hole in our hearts?) — all eyes were on Celine in Paris tonight.
The show started with a model being lowered onto the runway courtesy of one giant robot arm, and it only got more confusing from there. Apparently one season in fashion years actually adds 10 more years, according to Slimane. The new Celine girl is now a lady and she is swapping last season's sparkly mini dresses for pleated skirts and ponchos. She’s moved to Greenwich, CT, and loves organizing her filing cabinet in alphabetical order.
Click through for the looks from the Celine's fall 2019 show and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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There are moments when we want our eyelids dusted with baby-pink powder and others that call for a full stop smoky eye — and, sometimes, all in the same day. But there’s never not a time when we don’t want darker, more defined lashes. It’s something that makes the unending cycle of putting on and taking off mascara kindof worth it — but also, can’t we just skip ahead to the part where we have perpetually inky, separated lashes already?
For now, the closest thing to natural, yet perma-defined hairs comes by way of lash tinting, a quick in-salon treatment that gives the illusion of 24/7 mascara for weeks on end, without the clumping or streaking.
“Lash tints are a happy medium between mascara and extensions, giving you a bolder, wide-eyed look for a relatively affordable price and with very little upkeep,” says Clementina Richardson, celebrity lash artist and founder of Envious Lashes in New York. “Because the process colors the entire strand from the base of lashes to the tip, it can also make the lashes appear longer, too.”
The treatment, which can be done in less time than it takes to pick up lunch, is also relatively affordable, with the cost of treatments averaging $45-75 a pop. The only hitch? You can’t get a lash tint just anywhere. While the service thrives in many states (including New York, Illinois, Florida, and Texas) the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology removed the treatment from training programs in 2015 — therefore keeping it from being performed by a licensed professional in salons there. The reason? Growing concern that the treatment dyes, which are not FDA approved, aren’t safe to be used around the eyes. In a warning of its own, the FDA states, “permanent eyelash and eyebrow tints and dyes have been known to cause serious eye injuries, including blindness. There are no color additives approved by FDA for permanent dyeing or tinting of eyelashes and eyebrows."
Photographed by Caroline Tompkins.
Still, many practitioners in other states have long provided lash-tinting services without negative reactions. The discrepancy could lie in which type of dye is used when performing the service — and there are many. “Dyes used for lash tinting range from food dyes and semi-permanent dyes to chemicals similar to hair dyes and even coal tar dyes,” notes San Diego-based dermatologist Dr. Melanie Palm, M.D. “Some of these can cause irritation or even severe contact allergies to the skin, while the coal-tar dyes could cause damage to the eye itself.” Indeed the FDA has issued an alert for eyelash and brow dyes containing coal tar.
Further, Palm points out that some of the dyes used for lash tinting services are packaged in multi-use containers, which ups the possibility of bacterial or viral contamination without sterile preparation. But, as Richardson (whose clients include Naomi Campbell and Jenna Dewan) proves at her New York salons, safe and natural results can be achieved with the right tools. The pro employs semi-permanent vegetable or plant-based dyes in all her appointments. “Under no circumstances should they use a regular hair dye on your lashes,” she says.
According to Richardson, reputable lash tinting services should be administered by a licensed provider and start with the kind of consultation you'd expect at a hair coloring appointment: Ahead of the treatment, the technician should determine the shade (from blue/blacks to brown) and type of dye to achieve the desired look. “At our salons, we match the color to the client’s natural hair coloring,” Richardson notes. The consultation also helps to determine whether the service should be performed at all: Those who have had an adverse reaction to hair dye don't make viable candidates for the service, Richardson notes.
Once the right shade and type are selected, the dye is applied to the length of each individual lash, then left to tint while the client keeps his or her eyes closed. About 15-20 minutes later, the service is complete. “It's super easy and the benefits are immediate,” Richardson says. “The result is beautiful, darker looking lashes without the use of mascara.”
While those with thicker lashes will likely see more dramatic results than someone with fine lashes, the color should last about four-to-six weeks if properly cared for. To get the most mileage out of your fresh dye job, Richardson suggests keeping the lashes from getting wet (this includes avoiding steam from facials and heavy eye makeup) for at least 24 hours, and staying away from oil-based products altogether, as they can strip away the tint. Whether you want to cross state lines to get the service is another story...
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Acne doesn’t discriminate — especially on where it decides to set up camp. The bumps can park on your face, appearing on your chin or cheeks. Or, they can pop up on other parts of your body — including your scalp.
Even though it's covered in hair follicles, the scalp is actual skin. Just like your face, it can be prone to dryness, scabbing, scarring, and "acne." Dermatologist Neil Sadick, MD, of Sadick Dermatology in New York City, tells Refinery29 that scalp acne (known by doctors as folliculitis) occurs when a hair follicle gets clogged with sebum or product debris.
Ted Lain, MD, of Sanova Dermatology in Texas, explains that scalp acne is a common result of inflammation of the hair follicles. But sometimes it can be a sign of something more serious. “Acne on the scalp may also indicate a bacterial infection," he says. "If the acne seems very inflamed, itchy, and is spreading very quickly, you should seek care from a dermatologist."
If you've noticed a few pesky, red bumps after skipping a few washes, slathering your scalp with oil (which causes clogging), or rocking a slightly-snug protective style — the key to getting rid of scalp acne starts with picking the right products. Ahead, find the exact tips (and products) dermatologists give their clients when acne attacks.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Dermatologists preach the importance of washing your hair regularly to remove buildup from your scalp, but when you're dealing with mild acne, pay attention to the ingredients in your shampoo. "Use products that contain salicylic acid to gently treat irritation," Sadick says. Lain recommends this Neutrogena option — which is also helpful if you struggle with dandruff — for soothing pissed-off follicles.
Neutrogena Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo with Salicylic Aci, $5.94, available at Walmart
You can also reach for traditional dandruff shampoos, like Selsun Blue, says Lain. This formula has menthol, which creates a cooling sensation to ease the itch and ache of breakouts.
Selsun Blue Medicated Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, $6.98, available at Walmart
Lain recommends adding products that contain apple cider vinegar to your rotation, because of its anti-inflammatory properties. "Apple cider vinegar can help balance the pH levels of the scalp," he says. "You can alternate between an ACV rinse and shampoo if you're treating mild acne." Note: If you decide to DIY an ACV rinse, make sure to dilute the pure vinegar with plenty of water.
dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse, $32, available at Revolve
Cleansers that contain tea tree oil are also great for clearing clogged follicles, according to Sadick. This Paul Mitchell bottle has tea tree oil, peppermint, and lavender extract to invigorate roots coated with sebum and product buildup.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo, $34, available at Ulta Beauty
This Matrix shampoo has 2.9% salicylic acid, which will target acne and dandruff on the scalp. It's also free of sulfates, parabens, and silicones, so it won't make your skin and hair feel too dry.
Matrix Biolage R.A.W. Scalp Care Antidandruff Shampoo, $25, available at Ulta Beauty
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Kensington Palace had a busy week shutting down reports that Markle and Prince Harry intend to raise their baby without imposing any gender stereotypes. The rumors of the royal couple’s parenting style of choice stem from a recent Vanity Fair report, which quoted an anonymous source saying, “Meghan has been talking to some of her friends about the birth and how she and Harry plan to raise their baby. Her exact word was fluid...She said they plan to raise their child with a fluid approach to gender and they won’t be imposing any stereotypes.”
The palace’s response was swift: “This story is totally false,” a spokesperson told Hello! magazine just days after the article went live.
It’s significant that the palace chose to weigh in on this, considering how tight-lipped the royals typically are about personal matters. Besides announcing royal babies, one of the rare moments the palace issued a statement about the royals’ personal lives came last year, when rumors of an ongoing feud between Markle and Kate Middleton were getting out of hand.
Vanity Fair does note, however, that there are “multiple possible interpretations” of Markle’s use of the word “fluid,” and it is unclear to which the palace spokesperson was responding to. First off, there is gender fluidity: people who are gender fluid do not identify with any particular gender marker. Then there are examples of gender neutrality and genderless parenting, which does not necessarily mean going so far as to raise a child as gender fluid, but rather attempts to dispel preconceived stereotypes about gender from a young age. This tactic, for example, falls in step with Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to avoid pinks and blues for their nursery in favor of a more neutral color palette of greys and whites.
The royal couple has not yet revealed the gender of their baby, which is due this spring. Us Weekly reports Markle told friends it was a boy, Vanity Fair says the decor at Markle’s baby shower suggests it is a girl, and according to Elle, Markle and Prince Harry already know the gender but have chosen to keep it a surprise. No matter what your guess is, though, the palace has made one thing clear: there’s definitely a 50-50 chance you’re right.
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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 civil engineer who makes $72,800 per year and spends some of her money this week on a Twix bar.
Monthly Expenses Rent: $1,100 for my half of a one-bedroom backyard cottage, including all utilities, internet, and laundry Student Loans: $0 (Undergrad was paid for by my parents and a trust from my grandparents. My master's was paid for with savings, a gift from a family friend, and $10,000 in loans that I paid off four months after graduating.) Credit Card: ~$2,000 on a 0% APR card from when my car needed a $7,000 fix a few months ago. I wanted a travel rewards card anyway, so this way I got the signup bonus and had more time to pay off the fix. Health Insurance: $97.63 each pay period Phone: $5 (My work pays for $25 of my $30 bill.) YMCA Membership: $32 Student Spotify With Hulu: $4.99 (my last year possible) Savings: ~$14,800 in various accounts, including $3,800 in a combination of traditional and Roth 401(k) not including company match. Roth 401(k): $168 per pay period (This is 6% of my salary, and my company matches 4% of my salary at the end of the year.)
Additional Expenses Car Insurance: $341.18 every six months Renters Insurance: $196 a year
Day One
6:25 a.m. — My alarm goes off, and I spend the next five minutes cuddling with my boyfriend, L. I get up when his alarm goes off at 6:30, start boiling water for my French press, and toast some of the cranberry walnut sourdough I made last weekend. Then I pack my prepped lunch of broccoli and chicken breast and an apple. I also add a healthy oat cookie from the batch in the freezer that I made for L. last week. I add homemade almond butter to my toast and eat it with a cup of coffee (and fill my travel mug with the rest) while reading theSkimm on my Kindle.
7 a.m. — I get ready by wiping my face with micellar water (I use reusable fabric rounds that I wash each week) and putting on SPF moisturizer, tinted BB cream, mascara, and blush and brow gel. I unbraid my hair, throw on a dress and tights, and am out the door by 7:20. On the drive to work, I listen to Maggie Rogers on Spotify, and I make it in by 8.
11:30 a.m. — After a meeting and getting some work done, I eat my apple and go on my lunch walk around the block, which takes about 20 minutes. I spend the rest of my break eating my lunch at my desk.
4:30 p.m. — My afternoon at work was kind of boring, and I had to find things to do to fill my time (including making my meal plan for next week). I finally catch up with my boss towards the end of the day and get some work to do for when I'm working from home tomorrow, so that's good! Many of my current projects are waiting for other companies/clients, so work is slow right now, but I could have a week's worth of work to do tomorrow.
4:45 p.m. — For the past 10 months or so, I have been baking my way through a book of 10 expert bread formulas — one each month. This month is my last, and the bread formula is croissants. I need more ingredients to make them, so I decide to just do the grocery shopping for next week right now. L. and I usually do our shopping together and split the bill, but he paid for a large Costco run last weekend, and we don't need much this week, so I don't mind paying for all of it. I head to Trader Joe's where I get butter, milk, eggs, ground turkey, two onions, a tomato, bread crumbs, a lime, black beans, a six-pack of beer, and lobster ravioli to eat on Valentine's Day. I've been trying not to buy produce wrapped in plastic, which means TJ's is pretty off limits, but I fail and get a bag of spinach this week. I'll get the rest of our produce at the farmer's market this weekend. I remember that TJ's doesn't have bread flour, which is unfortunate, and I drive home. $40.75
5:30 p.m. — After unloading the groceries and unpacking my things, I walk to Safeway to get bread flour, whole milk in a small carton, and tissues. I enjoy the walk and getting to take in the beautiful blooming magnolia and cherry trees (thanks, California!) $8.16
7 p.m. — After chilling for a bit and watching an episode of Pioneer Woman on Hulu, I start making dinner. I make fried rice using brown rice I cooked yesterday, broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, mung bean sprouts I've been growing all week, and egg. L. gets home just as it's finished. He gives me a giant hug when I tell him I already got the groceries for next week. We eat dinner while watching Friends from College on Netflix. L. says dinner is good even though I think the brown rice is too starchy for fried rice.
9 p.m. — After doing the dishes, L. and I play Stardew Valley together for an hour before bed. L. really likes playing video games, and while it isn't something I would choose to do alone, it's fun to play some games together! We are in bed by 10.
Daily Total: $48.91
Day Two
6 a.m. — My gym alarm goes off, but L. cuddles me and I am sore from going earlier this week, so I decide to sleep in. I get up at 7 and start working while eating the same breakfast as yesterday.
11:30 a.m. — Work is really busy this morning, but I decide to take a break and go for a run on my lunch break. I run just over two miles and get home just as it starts raining. I work a bit more, shower, and start my croissant dough while my computer is busy converting an AutoCAD surface to a DEM. L. is currently finishing graduate school and is done at noon on Fridays. He comes home, and we eat leftover turkey chili we made earlier in the week for lunch.
3:30 p.m. — I finish my work for the day and briefly consider working this weekend since a file I was waiting for all day never came through, and I need it to finish the report I've been working on. L. and I play more Stardew Valley, and I continue to check my email to see if the files are finished uploading, but no emails come!
5 p.m. — L. and I are going into the city tonight to see Mortified Live! We decide to drive since BART isn't very convenient, it's raining, and there is free parking nearby. It takes about 50 minutes to cross the bridge into the city, and the toll is $7 charged to my FasTrak (prepaid). I'm shocked at first that the toll is so high, but then I remember they increased this year to pay for better mass transit, which is a good thing!
6 p.m. — We get to the show right as doors open so we can get seats, only to realize L. got reserved seating tickets (they were my Christmas present). We get two beers, which L. pays for ($15), and decide to get some pizza next door to bring to our seats while we wait for the show. I pay. $23.65
9 p.m. — The show was great, and L. and I laughed the whole time! We get back to the car and realize where we parked was only free until 8:30. Luckily, we don't have a ticket and traffic is easy as we head home.
10 p.m. — I am bloated from the pizza and beer, so I drink a lot of water as I get ready for bed. My usual nighttime routine is Paula's Choice salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, followed by retinol and either a moisturizing night mask or blue tansy oil. Sometimes I use a jade roller, too. I also floss, brush my teeth, and wear my bottom retainer to bed both to keep my teeth straight and act as a night guard. We are in bed by 10:30 like the old people we truly are on Friday nights!
Daily Total: $23.65
Day Three
6 a.m. — I wake up naturally and we cuddle/snooze until getting up around 7. I have sourdough with butter (I ran out of almond butter) and coffee. Today, I need to laminate my dough for the croissants! L. and I put our sheets in the wash and talk about what we need from Amazon before my free Prime month ends. He leaves for his class, and I add a roll-up travel hat, a pair of Heat Holders socks, and workout headphones for L. to my cart, but wait to purchase in case I think of something else to add. I watch an episode of Pen15 on Hulu while waiting for my dough to rest between turns. The show is okay, but I don't think I will watch it again. It's kind of creepy with the grown women and little kids, but the music is great!
9:30 a.m. — My dough is resting in the freezer and needs to chill until tomorrow. I switch the sheets to the dryer. The rain has stopped, so I decide to bike over to a nearby coffee shop since I have a coupon for a free cup of coffee on the Chinook Book app. I pump my tires and bring my book with me to read while I drink my coffee. I tip the barista $1 and read I Contain Multitudes for about half an hour. I usually read a lot, and while this book is really interesting, it doesn't pull me in like other books. I bike home enjoying the sunshine. $1
10:30 a.m. — I get home and decide to clear out the area around my garden box. My landlords are great and let me garden in part of the shared backyard! I do some weeding and trimming while thinking about what I want to bring to a dinner party tonight. I consider going to Trader Joe's for wine, but I am not a huge wine drinker and wouldn't know what to buy. I've moved a number of times for school and don't have any close girlfriends in the area. I find it's hard to make close friends, and even harder to meet people since I've finished school. I'm getting together with people from my graduate program, and even though I know them, I want to make a good impression.
11 a.m. — I decide to make cookies, and I find a recipe on my Pinterest board that I haven't tried yet and have all the ingredients for — Salted Coffee Brownie Cookies. I eat an apple, then I make the cookies in my Kitchenaid and also make more almond butter in my food processor. It takes a surprisingly long time, but it does come together with patience! I also remake the bed with clean sheets and do the dishes while listening to my playlist of Brandi Carlile, Maggie Rogers, Phoebe Bridgers, First Aid Kit, and Billie Eilish. The cookies stick to my Silpats and are kind of annoying, so I probably won't make them again.
1 p.m. — L. comes home, and we play Stardew Valley for an hour or so. I reheat some of the leftover fried rice for lunch while L. cultivates our crops and cares for our chickens in the video game. We would both like to have chickens and a big garden someday in real life, too! Then we do our own thing (I read and he plays a different video game) and snack on some BBQ chips we got last week. He eats a cookie and says they're really good, so that's a plus!
4 p.m. — I spend some time looking for a new hair salon online. I usually only cut my hair about twice a year and use Groupon, but I am ready to find a hairdresser to go to regularly. The top-rated salon looks great, but haircuts range from $80-$105. I'll probably go with it, but decide to call to make an appointment, since it isn't clear what type of haircut I should book online. I also remember I wanted to get a safety razor on Amazon since I am almost out of my plastic razor heads and am ready to make the switch to a plastic-free option. I find one I like and add it to the cart (but still wait to purchase). I'll have to look up how-to videos before trying it out so I know what I'm doing!
5 p.m. — I finish my book, and we watch the new Safiya Nygaard and Bon Appétit videos on YouTube. I've always loved to cook and bake, but I've really seen myself progress since watching Bon Appétit videos and The Great British Bake Off. I love how they explain the process and science behind their cooking. I have a sip of L.'s beer, and we both decide it's a bit too sour for us (we like darker beers). I drink peppermint tea and eat an English muffin so I won't be starving when I get to the party.
6:30 p.m. — I get to the party exactly on time (as usual), and sit in my car for five minutes since I know it's not normal for people to be on time. I'm still the first one there, but it doesn't feel too awkward. We make and eat pork dumplings and drink wine while catching up. It is a lot of fun, and everyone loves the cookies, which is great!
10:30 p.m. — I'm home at a good time, since it always takes me a while to wind down after socializing. I wipe off my makeup and brush my teeth before going to bed and end up taking melatonin around 11:30 because I'm not sleepy yet.
1:30 a.m. — I'm still not quite asleep, which is a real bummer. Usually melatonin works, but my brain just won't quiet down and I keep replaying conversations in my head from the night. I go to the bathroom and drink some water before finally falling asleep.
Daily Total: $1
Day Four
8 a.m. — I wake up, and L. is already up. I'm really groggy, so I just make coffee and move my croissant dough to the freezer before browsing the internet and eating a leftover cookie.
9 a.m. — Time to shape the croissants! The dough is a bit more mottled than I would like, but I soldier on and make plain and chocolate croissants. They need to prove for two and a half hours, and L. asks to play Stardew Valley again. We play for an hour and then I get ready to walk to the farmer's market.
10:30 a.m. — I change my clothes before walking to the market. I wear a baseball hat, which will forever make me feel like Hilary Duff in A Cinderella Story. It is such a beautiful crisp and clear morning! At the market, I buy two artichokes, broccoli, and cilantro. They have the first of the strawberry crops, but I pass this time. Sadly, the honey stand isn't there, so I'll just have to continue to be honey free for another week. $9
11:45 a.m. — Home from the market, and it's time to bake! I brush the croissants with egg wash and put them in the oven…fingers crossed! While they bake, I look at adoptable puppies at a nearby rescue and wish I could have pets at my apartment.
12 p.m. — Fun fact: my oven is not level. When I turn my croissants, a massive flood of butter is shuttled to the end of my baking sheet, threatening an oven fire. Fortunately, I quickly grab a rimmed roasting pan to throw under it and catch the butter. There's my adrenaline rush for the morning! L. takes a break from school work to try a chocolate croissant. He gives me a hug and tells me he is proud of me for finishing my bread book project. The croissants aren't perfect, but holy balls do they taste good!
4 p.m. — After doing the dishes, I spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing. I shower, do a clay face mask, start some tulsi holy basil seeds I got from the farmer's market last year in half an egg carton on my counter, eat scrambled eggs on bagels with hot sauce, and talk to my parents on the phone.
6:30 p.m. — I start my meal prep for the week and dinner for tonight. For my lunches, I steam some broccoli and bake two thin chicken breasts with ghost pepper flakes and curry powder. I only make three days' worth since I'll work from home at least one day, and we're getting lunch at work tomorrow. For dinner, I make vegan lentil burgers with carrots and jalapeño in them and use up some burger buns and French fries we have in the freezer. The lentil burger recipe makes seven burgers. I cook extra so L. can take one for lunch tomorrow and freeze the remaining ones to have later. We watch Friends from College while we eat and do the dishes together. Then I read and do my nightly routine while L. finishes school work.
8:30 p.m. — We play our game for an hour in bed and then I read for another half hour before falling asleep.
Daily Total: $9
Day Five
6 a.m. — Wake up to my alarm, and L. rolling over to cuddle. I know if I stay in bed too long I won't go to the gym, so I count down from 10 and force myself up. I make coffee and a smoothie (almond milk, frozen fruit, spinach, and protein powder) in my to-go cup. I also toast half a slice of sourdough with almond butter and reheat leftover coffee to have while I drive. I kiss L. goodbye and I'm out the door by 6:20.
7 a.m. — At the gym I'm reminded why it's nice to come early. Every squat rack is free, and I can do my entire workout in an hour. It only takes me about 10 minutes to shower, change, and do my makeup. I stand under the hand dryer for two cycles so my hair isn't as soaking wet. I would bring a hair dryer, but 1) no one at work cares if my hair is damp, and 2) it would take me about 20 minutes to dry it fully.
8:30 a.m. — At work and I'm busy already. My stomach feels off, since I ate mostly junk all weekend, so I only have half of my smoothie before going to my long meeting. I brought some of my croissants to share, and everyone loves them!
12 p.m. — We have lunch catered today (which is pretty rare). The food is good but filling, so I save half to have with my meal prepped lunch tomorrow.
4:30 p.m. — The rest of the day is wonderfully busy and flies by. I come to a stopping point in my work right at the eight-hour mark, but I am not sure if our meeting/lunch counts as a lunch break and if I should stay another half hour. I decide to head out since most other people have, and I usually walk on my lunch breaks, but I didn't do that today.
5:15 p.m. — Home from work. After I unpack all of my many bags, I change into my running shoes to go for a 20-minute walk. It's another nice evening, and I see the wild turkeys which is always fun! Back home I get an email that my final tax document is available, so I finish my taxes. My refund this year is much more than I expected (around $4,000 from the feds and $1,000 from the state)! Part of it is my education credits for being a student last year, but the rest is a total surprise. I do a mini happy dance and text my family group text, since I've had bad tax years in the past. My mom says she's glad there won't be tears this year. (I cried at the tax lady a few years ago because I owed a lot in taxes unexpectedly thanks to an internship. There were other things going on at the time that contributed to the tears, but I sure made the poor lady uncomfortable!) I decide to wait to submit my taxes so I can review them with fresh eyes just in case.
7:15 p.m. — For dinner tonight we're having a white bean, artichoke, mushroom concoction I made a few months ago and kept leftovers in the freezer. I heat it up and add a few handfuls of spinach. L. comes home, and we eat while watching YouTube videos. The dinner is kind of gross and mushy. I apologize to L. that everything we've been having lately has been kind of bad. He immediately asks me to stop and says he can't believe I make him dinner on days he has class late and that it doesn't matter what it is.
8 p.m. — After doing the dishes, I get ready for bed while L. reads for school. His shoulder is really bothering him ,so I massage it first with my hands and then with an electric body massager. We usually trade massages, but my shoulders feel fine today, and I want to read Educated before bed. I remember I need to get gas in the morning, so I grab the Costco card from L.'s wallet. We are both asleep by 10:15 p.m.
Daily Total: $0
Day Six
6:25 a.m. — My alarm goes off, and I do my usual non-gym daily routine of cuddling, coffee with toast while reading theSkimm, unbraiding my hair, throwing on makeup, grabbing my lunch, and leaving at 7:20 am.
7:21 a.m. — Shit! I forgot I needed to get gas until the second I turned my car on. Oh well…at least it's on the way, and I won't be too late. I stop at Costco to fill up. I usually need gas about every week and a half, depending on how often I work from home and if I go hiking on the weekends. $35.60
12:35 p.m. — Work has been pretty busy this morning. I mix my leftovers from yesterday with my broccoli and chicken, and it's so good! I'll bring the container from my leftovers home to compost/recycle since we don't have compost at work. I consider skipping my lunch walk again, but I don't want to make sitting for eight hours straight a habit. I walk for 20 minutes.
4:30 p.m. — Ahhh! Time to head home. This afternoon was pretty slow and really felt like it dragged on. On the bright side, my boss complimented me in front of everyone.
5:15 p.m. — I get stuck behind wild turkeys on my way home. They hang out near a busy street by my house and tend to block traffic. I love the little reminder that we are all animals living on this earth, and the opportunity to slow down for a minute. Plus, they are getting their mating season plumage and are too funny looking! Once home, I unpack my lunch bag and walk to Safeway for avocados. It's Taco Tuesday, so guacamole is a must! I also buy L. a Twix bar because he has been having a rough week with school. $7.25
6 p.m. — I eat the final croissant and look for summer campgrounds to go to. We don't know what L.'s schedule will be like yet, so we can only book weekend trips. We have a spot booked nearby, but I'd love to go out to the Sierras. Or maybe we should go river rafting? I bookmark a few options to look at later and start the tacos. L. and I usually make them together, but his later class got switched this week. I cook ground turkey with a ton of different seasonings (garlic powder, cumin, dried ghost pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, and paprika), garlic, onion, jalapeños, chipotle peppers, and black beans. Then I make guac with red onion, garlic, cilantro, avocados, jalapeños, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and a squeeze of lime.
7:30 p.m. — I get a text from L. saying his bus never came and asking if I mind coming to get him. I don't at all! My steering wheel is locked when I get in my car and my usual trick to unlock it isn't working. I quickly Google it and am able to solve the problem (thanks, wikiHow!). We get home and have our tacos with tortillas, spinach, leftover tomato from our lentil burgers, two different types of salsa, and pickled jalapeños. We each have a beer with dinner.
8 p.m. — After dinner, we do the dishes and play Stardew Valley for a bit before bed.
Daily Total: $42.85
Day Seven
6 a.m. — Gym alarm goes off, and it is raining really hard out. I want so badly to stay in bed, but I have no excuse today. I change into my gym clothes and eat half an Rxbar as I drive to the gym by my house.
7:30 a.m. — Home from the gym and loving being near the heater! I start work for the day while making coffee. I quickly shower and make some eggs and toast for breakfast.
9 a.m. — Fortunately, I am working from home today since I have a long meeting. I notice a small patch of mildew on our ceiling above my fiddle-leaf fig tree. UGH. We've been having issues with mildew taking over the shoes/bags we don't use too frequently, and I thought we had fixed the problem a few weeks ago. I'm sure it's leftover, since we switched out our shoe rack, have been running the dehumidifier 24/7 in the room, and placed DampRid in every closet of our house after deep cleaning/removing anything with mold on it. I'll ask L. to help me dab the ceiling with bleach or vinegar when he gets home so it doesn't spread or get any worse.
11:30 a.m. — I'm already hungry, so I eat my broccoli and chicken breast and make some black tea. It doesn't satiate me. I try not to snack too much when I'm home, so I'll wait a few hours before eating anything more. No lunch walk today, since it's still pouring rain.
12:30 p.m. — Eat half of an overripe orange over the sink...and smush the other half while trying to peel it.
1:30 p.m. — I'm antsy from being inside for so long, so I take a break and brave the rain to drop a few things off at the mailbox. I take my time walking back and look at the water in the gutters and culverts near my house. Helping to design these is something I do at work, so it's always interesting to see them doing their job (or more interestingly not doing their job) during storm events.
2:30 p.m. — I eat a small bowl of Special K with strawberries and almond milk and a cup of peppermint tea.
4 p.m. — Finished with work for the day. L. isn't home yet, so I decide to take care of the mildew myself. I wipe down the wall and ceiling with diluted rubbing alcohol and put a fan on the area to dry it out. Then I review and submit my taxes and research pay raises for positions similar to mine. I've been at my job for about seven months now and think I will deserve a raise after my first year. I think it's pretty common, and while I think my company will be open to it, I will probably need to be the one to bring it up. I see that at a local municipality, after one year and a higher education degree, the salary range goes up 15% with a new title. That seems like quite a big jump, but I can't find anything for private companies. Good thing I have a few months to research and think it over.
5 p.m. — L. comes home, and we watch Claire from Bon Appétit make gourmet Ferrero Rochers and performances from the Grammys. L. warms up a frozen pizza for dinner, and I make a spinach salad with lemon vinaigrette using lemons from the tree in the front yard. We take turns playing Stardew while we eat.
8:30 p.m. — I get ready for bed and read for a while. My shoulder is really bothering me today from the gym and using a computer mouse for so long. L. gives me a shoulder massage which helps a lot. My stomach hurts from the pizza (I really shouldn't eat cheese), so I don't fall asleep until 11.
Daily Total: $0
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As clumps of snow fell on a crowd clad in parkas and wrapped in scarves, Sen. Bernie Sanders officially announced his presidential run on the quad of Brooklyn College, the school he attended for a year that's only a few miles from where he grew up.
The youthful, and youthfully enthusiastic, assembled supporters held Bernie signs and chanted "Bernie!" and "U.S.A.!" There was a sea of beanies and beards along with a snowman that someone dressed in a Bernie T-shirt and sunglasses. Jay-Z's "Brooklyn We Go Hard" blared as Sanders came out to the podium in a parka of his own.
While Sanders is currently a front-runner in the 2020 race according to early polls, it remains to be seen how questions of identity and representation will affect his candidacy. After Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016, thousands of women who decided they have had enough of sexism in politics took matters into their own hands, running for office — and winning — in record numbers. Now, the crowded Democratic primary field includes a historic number of women and people of color, the most popular among them Senate colleagues of Sanders who share many of his causes, including Medicare for All.
The Sanders campaign says it's working to make changes by, for starters, hiring a team that is far more diverse than its mostly male and white staff of 2016. Sanders also said he would incorporate a stronger sexual harassment protocol after reports from 2016 that both staffers and volunteers encountered harassment, and after some called his initial response dismissive. At the same time, the campaign is making efforts to reach out to groups of voters with whom the Vermont senator didn't win in 2016, including the Black population.
"Certainly we learned a lot in 2016, and what people will see in 2020 is a reflection of this campaign's goal to make sure that everybody sees themselves in this campaign," Nina Turner, campaign co-chair and president of Sanders' Our Revolution group, told Refinery29. "People will see themselves reflected in this campaign on every level, and that's important."
Turner pointed to the diverse new group of campaign co-chairs, including herself and Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sanders' new campaign manager Faiz Shakir, the former national political director of the ACLU, is the first Muslim to run a major presidential campaign.
In his announcement, Sanders stuck to his lifelong message of combating economic inequality, achieved by policies such as a Medicare for All single-payer program, raising the federal minimum wage, and access to affordable child care. He also alluded to rooting out institutional racism, and made a mention of reproductive rights, saying, "When we are in the White House, we are going to protect a woman's right to control her own body. That is her decision, not the government's."
Sanders told more of his personal story than he has in any previous speech, as his aides reportedly persuaded him to. His mother Dorothy, who raised his brother and himself while their dad worked long hours, became ill when he was in high school and died at age 46 while he was at Brooklyn College. But even when discussing his family history, he connected it to economic justice.
"My mother's dream was that someday our family would move out of that rent-controlled apartment to a home of our own," Sanders said. "That dream was never fulfilled. She died young while we still lived in that rent-controlled apartment." Growing up in a family that struggled economically greatly influenced his life, he said, making sure to draw the contrast between himself and Donald Trump.
This message resonates with his millennial supporters, many of whom were affected by the 2008 financial crash. Women under 35 supported Sanders by an almost 20-point margin in 2016, and while the majority of them say they do, of course, want the country to be led by a woman one day, their identification with his Democratic socialist ideology and willingness to take on the establishment wins over.
"I believe in Medicare for All, healthcare as a human right, and tuition-free college; and that a more just and equitable world can be where we live," Kat Brezler, a teacher, activist, and founding member of The People for Bernie Sanders, told Refinery29. "And I'm going to fight for it with him."
Other young women, including some who backed him in 2016, are disappointed by what they believe are tone-deaf statements by Sanders on gender and race.
Rebecca Brubaker, a 22-year-old living in L.A. who thinks she will vote for either Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand or Sen. Kamala Harris in the primary, said she aligns with Sanders on most issues but was disenchanted after being harassed by his supporters, both in person and online, when she publicly backed Hillary Clinton. "If Sen. Sanders were serious about a revolution, about supporting minorities, he would support the women. He would step back and empower the next generation, similar to what Hillary is doing," she told Refinery29.
Turner, on the other hand, believes that Sanders will fight for women. "People are looking for a champion, whether it's a man or woman. But certainly, any candidate has to be able to articulate and show through their policies and what they've stood for whether or not their agenda is the agenda of women."
She added that on issues like Medicare for All, Sanders took a progressive stance before the other presidential candidates got on board. "It's a beautiful thing to have so many people running, and so many people running on the platform that Sen. Bernie Sanders championed in 2016. But he is the real thing...everybody's following his lead."
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Donavion “Navi” Huskey and Taiyande “Juice” Huskey attended Coachella in 2018 and claim that festival security stopped each of them when they tried to use the bathrooms that corresponded with their gender identity. While waiting in line for the women’s restroom, Navi was stopped by a security guard. The following night, Juice, already in the men’s restroom, was told by another security guard to use the gender-neutral restroom. When Juice asked why he was not allowed to use the men’s restroom, security escorted him out. “He led me to the back of the restrooms and made it seem like he was going to show me where the gender-neutral bathrooms were but, as I got outside, he just shut the door behind me,” Juice told The Desert Sun. According to the ACLU letter, no festivalgoers in either restroom objected to either of the siblings’ presence.
“Refusing people access to the restroom which corresponds to their gender identity constitutes a denial to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privilege, or services of a business establishment,” the ACLU lawyers wrote in the letter to festival planners. “California law is clear across various contexts that individuals have the right to access restrooms (and other gender-segregated facilities) in accordance with their gender identity.”
The letter is clear in its intent. The ACLU is willing to take AEG and Goldenvoice to court, but rather than focusing on that, the ACLU would prefer to work with the festival organizers on a solution that will benefit all festivalgoers in the future.
Coachella provided a statement to The Desert Sun, saying that the festival had plans to introduce steps to ensure that all festivalgoers could access restrooms that correspond with their gender identity as part of their “Every One” campaign, which comes after numerous complaints about the festival’s environment. Refinery29 has reached out to Coachella and has not received a response.
“This is not reflective of the safe and inclusive festival culture that we strive for, and this behavior is intolerable,” Coachella’s statement said. “We are reaching out to invite both Navi and Juice to our offices to help us perfect this program for 2019 for all patrons of any gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, or ability.”
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20th Century Fox dropped a trailer for its latest X-Men movie this week: Dark Phoenix, an adaptation of Marvel’s classic Dark Phoenix Saga led by Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner as Jean Grey.
The Dark Phoenix Saga, which is widely recognized as one of the most popular and influential comic series ever printed, was the culmination of Marvel’s retcon of the Jean Grey character. When Jean was first introduced in the X-Men series in 1963 as a telekinetic, she was one of the least powerful figures in the Marvel canon. Over the next decade, the character was given telepathic abilities, a larger role in the series, and eventually became the host of the Phoenix Force, a cosmic being with the ability to manipulate pure energy. As one with the Phoenix, Jean’s role was completely flipped: she was now one of the most powerful figures in the universe, let alone the X-Men.
But eventually, the Phoenix was corrupted. As Jean grew more powerful, she was targeted by outside forces wanting to use her for their own gain. In the comics, she is seduced and manipulated by the supervillain Mastermind; in Dark Phoenix, it looks like Jessica Chastain is pulling the strings as a potential new character.
This is 20th Century Fox’s second try at adapting the Dark Phoenix Saga after 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. ( Dark Phoenix, it should be noted, is written and directed by Simon Kinberg, who also co-wrote The Last Stand.) However, after a delayed release and a new trailer, some are concerned over how the film might fail to hash out the nuances of the story.
Jean is an all-powerful entity, but she is also a young woman. The premise of the Dark Phoenix Saga is rich for exploring a plethora of issues that non-superpowered women face, too: abuse and gaslighting, mental illness, inferiority complex. It could give Jean the space to be a powerful woman with difficult emotions, the space to be a woman whose anger and pain and sadness are not considered a weakness, but human. Early skepticism about Dark Phoenix, even in 280 characters, gets at the very real concern that the film will instead simply gloss over these issues, chalking them up as female hysteria and delivering a very dangerous warning about repressing a woman’s power and voice.
Dark Phoenix is also an opportunity for the X-Men to reckon with Jean’s role in their ragtag family — which has often been on the sidelines. But the X-Men films don’t have the best track record in spotlighting Jean’s point of view. There’s Professor Charles Xavier, who encouraged Jean to suppress her powers due to the potential danger they posed, and her love interest Scott Summers (Cyclops), who often tries to swoop in and save the day. Jean is introduced from the vantage point of characters such as Wolverine, who she begs to kill her when her powers get out of control in The Last Stand, or the super-villain Apocalypse, who considers Jean more as a godlike conduit of power than an actual human being in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Perhaps this is a side effect of having little to no women in the writers’ room, or maybe it’s due to an ultimately regressive attempt to preserve the spirit of the original material, which sometimes trades in dated gender dynamics. But either way: should this pattern continue, Dark Phoenix also runs the risk of telling Jean’s story from the point of view of the men in her life, further robbing her of her own agency.
Fan reaction to early marketing has been less than positive, with some wondering if the complex superheroine at the film’s center will be reduced to tired tropes.
The story arc of every male X-Men: "the amount of power I have is scary and I need to learn to control it and use it to do good."
The story arc of Jean Grey: "my powers are unnatural and I need to be rescued from them."
What’s so weird about that DARK PHOENIX trailer is that Magneto has been a mass murderer in these films for a long time, and they always treat him with kid gloves.
Now you’ve got two DARK PHOENIX movies and the concept is “An angry woman! We must destroy her!”
Watching the Dark Phoenix trailer all I can think is how portraying the Phoenix as an inherently sinister force that a sensitive woman can't handle is not only played out but incongruous with the comics as a whole.
There’s no doubt there may be more than a little bit of Marvel fatigue mixed into early criticism of Dark Phoenix — a side effect of following the X-Men film franchise, which spans nearly 20 years now. But concern over Dark Phoenix ’s portrayal of Jean Grey is also true to the nature of the source material itself. Comics have always been reactionary and timely and political; they have always served as thinly-veiled commentary on society at large. In 2019 — a charged era of social media, political activism, #MeToo, and Time’s Up — presenting a superpowered woman as a two-dimensional outline of a character would be outdated at best.
Dark Phoenix hits theaters on June 7, 2019.
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To celebrate Women’s History Month, which kicked off on March 1 in case you didn’t make plans yet, Yelp has collaborated with Rebecca Minkoff to promote women-owned businesses on its site. To celebrate that it’s 2019, it’s not just a temporary campaign, the feature is here to stay.
Many famous female-led businesses have taken part in the promotional feature including by Chloe, Pressed Juicery, Magnolia Bakery, Baked by Melissa, Flour Shop, Helen’s Wines, The Doughnut Project, and others. Businesses can apply to be marked as women-owned through Yelp as long as they submit the form by March 15. Businesses just have to go into their Yelp accounts and mark themselves as women-owned. It’s that easy.
It’s also that easy to find out which restaurants are owned by women. To check whether the next brunch spot or café you’ve been meaning to check out is women-owned, find the “more business info” section to the right of the restaurant’s page. Alongside other details such as whether the restaurant does take out, you will find a yes or no marker for whether or not the business is owned by women.
Yelp is also making stickers available for restaurants to proudly display in their windows. That way, when you pass a cozy-looking coffee shop, you’ll know it’s owned by women before you even pull out your phone.
What better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than by taking your favorite women out for a delicious meal? Now, you can support women-owned businesses and find your next great brunch spot.
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It’s that time again. Our first retrograde of 2019 arrives on Tuesday, throwing our communication and technology askew. But instead of cursing Mercury retrograde every time something goes wrong, we can reduce the opportunity for chaos by simplifying our schedules. We get it. It is fun to blame the mischievous messenger planet, but we have to take responsibility for our actions.
So what do we do? Mercury retrograde is an excellent time for you to work on your fact checking skills. Avoid rushing through anything, as it is much easier to make mistakes. On Wednesday, radical Uranus leaves fiery Arie s and enters hardworking Taurus. We will be experiencing a collective shift with regard to the things we want to change over the next seven years. This slow-moving planet will require us to focus on money and financial institutions — so are you ready to make the shift? Take the time to educate yourself, as it’s the best way to prepare for uncertain circumstances.
We’re also preparing ourselves for a fresh start as the moon wanes in Aquarius from Sunday until early Tuesday morning. Our new moon in Pisces arrives at 11:03 a.m. EST on Wednesday, putting our feelings at the forefront of our plans. And on Thursday afternoon, we’re ready for action, as the moon waxes in Aries until Saturday at 12:13 PM EST. Take a well-needed break on Saturday afternoon as the moon goes void-of-course for the rest of the day. If you’re trying to start a big project or make a big move, Saturday’s moon won’t do you any favors.
Aries March 21 to April 19
Getting to know yourself is a joyful process this week, Aries. The sun, your planetary ruler of creativity, fun, and entertainment is illuminating your 12th house of spirituality. This is the perfect opportunity to trust yourself and your intuition as Mercury retrograde arrives on Tuesday. The messenger planet is Aries’ personal planetary ruler of health and work, and it will be slowing this sector down, and he begins to move backward mid-week. Consider what you can do to maximize your time and minimize your efforts. A big shift is happening on Wednesday with Uranus this week as he leaves your sign and moves into Taurus. The planet of innovation is leaving your first house of self-image, and moving into your second house of finances. Think about the changes that you’ve made over the past seven years. You’re prepared to take on the next chapter. If you need help managing your money, look to advisors in your network or financial institution. It’s time to take control. The moon, your personal planet of home and family is beginning a new cycle in Pisces on Wednesday, rejuvenating your love for your space. Connect with your closest family members to help guide your decisions through the week.
Celia Jacobs.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
Your friends can’t get enough of you, Taurus. The sun, your personal planet of home and family highlights your 11th house of friendship this week, creating the perfect elements to host great get-togethers. Your pals would rather trudge out in this end-of-winter sludge to connect with you than head to a bar. Lead a new group chat this week before Mercury retrograde hits, and make plans with your best buds. The messenger planet’s first reverse trip begins on Tuesday, testing your ability to manage your finances. Mercury is Taurus’s personal ruler of finances, which is why you’re such a pro at handling them! You have to overcome specific struggles to learn new lessons, and this period will help you learn even more. Avoid complications by staying on top of your finances, checking your bank and credit card statements, and making sure that you’re keeping a budget. Your career planet, Uranus is going to contribute to creating a more financial mind as he leaves Aries and enters Taurus, aka your first house of self. The planet of innovation will help you to create some major waves over the next seven years, both publicly and privately. This planet will be shaking up your usually steady path, so why not get into the habit of experimenting with new ideas? You could come up with something great!
Cachetejack.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
You’ve got a laser focus on your professional life, Gemini. The sun is brightening your 10th house of career this week, encouraging you to take special pride in your work. Pat yourself on the back for hustling hard. Slow down on Tuesday, when your ruling planet Mercury goes retrograde. It’s time for you to double check everything that you write, text and email. If you need some extra help, ask your friends and colleagues to check your work. You’ll be sound of mind knowing that you took every necessary step during this retrograde. On Wednesday, innovator Uranus moves from your 11th house of friendship into your 12th house of spirituality. The next seven years will help you to confront any metaphysical concerns you have. The moon, your financial ruler, enters a new moon in Pisces on Wednesday, connecting your spending habits to your feelings. Are there any patterns that you can identify that you’d like to remove? You’ve been pushing your nose to the grindstone at work, It may be time for you to explore pay negotiations to gain more value.
Amber Vittoria.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Have you been thinking outside of the box when it comes to creating more abundance in your life, Cancer? Your financial planet, the sun is currently setting up camp in your ninth house of education and travel. If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new skill or explore a new career path, getting out of your regular routine could inspire some fantastic options. On Tuesday, your spiritual ruler Mercury enters his first retrograde of the year. It may seem counterintuitive to lean more into your spirituality during this period, but if you can spend more time alone to connect to your inner self, you’ll be happier for it. You’ve got a shell for a reason — use it. Get ready to breathe a sigh of relief as Uranus, the planet of ingenuity, shifts from your 10th house of career into your 11th house of friendships on Wednesday. Take a look at the past 7 years of your professional life, and thank yourself for the challenges that you’ve overcome. The next seven years will focus on the people that you invite into your life, and your ability to manage time properly. A new moon in Pisces arrives on Wednesday, helping you to restore your emotional energy. Consider how your emotions affect you, and how you can control them this week.
Ariel Davis.
Leo July 23 to August 22
You’ve got your focus on the bigger picture this week, Leo. Your ruling planet the sun is touring your eighth house of sex, death, and rebirth. You’re not sweating the small stuff, which will help you as Mercury retrograde arrives on Tuesday. The messenger planet helps to rule Leo’s finances and keen business sense. Take a look at your books during this period, and make sure that you’re not overspending while your planetary ruler of cash is moving backward. On Wednesday, your personal love planet Uranus leaves your ninth house of expansion into your 10th house of career and social standing. You’re ready to level up at work after gathering knowledge, it’s time to put it to use! The next seven years will forge your career ahead and into the spotlight that you crave. Make sure that you consider each move that you make, and accept challenges for their learning opportunities. If you’re in a relationship, the new moon in Pisces on Wednesday could inspire a heart to heart. Build each other up as everyone will be feeling a little tender.
Lynnie Z.
Virgo August 23 to September 22
It’s time for you to strengthen your network, Virgo. Have you ever noticed that people reflect the behaviors of their favorites? Surround yourself with people who inspire you this week as the sun lights up your 7th house of relationships. If you’re in a relationship, this week will help you connect with your partner by embracing each other’s vulnerability. Single Virgos will glow when they don’t hold back in creating new relationships. Your ruling planet goes retrograde on Tuesday, throwing the balance off of your tightly run ship. Weather the storm by exercising your attention to detail and slowing your pace at work. You’re used to these periods meant for pausing as the messenger planet is responsible for managing Virgo’s career zone. On Wednesday, your health and work ruler Uranus is changing houses. He’s leaving your 8th house of sex, death, and rebirth, and advancing into your ninth house of education, expansion, and travel. Is it time for you to go back to school? Is there a part of the world that you’ve been dying to visit? Make learning a priority and seek enlightenment. Uranus will remain in your ninth house for the next seven years, who do you want to be at the end of that trip?
Simone Noronha.
Libra September 23 to October 22
If you’ve been removing toxicity from your life, you’ve got the sun to thank, Libra. Our shining star is passing through your sixth house of health this week. Are there any bad habits that you’ve been making excuses for? Kick ‘em to the curb for the next two weeks, and you could free yourself from bad behavior. On Tuesday, your planetary ruler of spirituality and good fortune begins his first retrograde of the year. Mercury is asking you to take a breather and work on your internal thoughts. Reducing your pace can help you manage the obstacles that this backward motion throws your way. Upgrade your cell phone case, check all details before checking out online and make sure you’ve got clarity on your travel plans. Now is the time to triple-check everything to avoid setbacks. Your career ruler begins a new moon in Pisces on Wednesday, connecting your emotions to your work. Reflect on how your job affects your feelings as the moon waxes this week until Thursday afternoon when she enters Aries. You’ll be ready to take on any task.
Sarah Mazzeti.
Scorpio October 23 to November 21
You can find joy in everything that you do this week, Scorpio. Positivity shines through the sun, as he ignites your fifth house of pleasure. This motion will make your office a destination for elation as the sun rules your career sector. Make the most of this energy by bouncing ideas off of your co-workers, and inviting them to networking events. You could create some great relationships that inspire you. At the very least, your productivity will soar, making tasks easy breezy. Keep a compassionate ear on Tuesday, when Mercury retrograde hits. Other signs will be more affected by this backward motion, and that will impact you. Help out by offering an eye to look over your coworker’s projects and presentation. They’ll be thankful for your keen eye! On Wednesday, Uranus your personal planet of home and family life make a move from your 6th house of health to your 7th house of relationships. This innovative planet instigates both opportunities and challenges, are you ready to tackle them? The next seven years will help you to become a more emotionally intelligent person. Exercise your listening skills, open yourself up to criticism and check your standards.
Kelsey Wrotten.
Sagittarius November 22 to December 21
Family comes first, Sagittarius. The sun makes his way through your fourth house, putting your priorities on your household and family. Keep this in mind as we enter our first Mercury retrograde on Tuesday. The messenger planet is responsible for both your career and love life, astrologically. If you’re in a relationship, pay close attention to how you communicate with your partner. Unless they’re a Scorpio or an Aquarius, they’ll be affected by this movement, too. Single Sags may want to take a step back from the dating game, getting to know themselves better before diving back in. Guard your heart — it’s precious. Mercury also affects your career, so if you’ve been stumped on a particular career path, make a list of what your wildest dream jobs are, and explore in and around that industry. You never know where you could end up. Work on your resume until the 28th, and wait until the messenger planet is direct before you start sending it off. On Wednesday, innovative Uranus leaves your fifth house of pleasure and moves into your sixth house of health and work. This slow moving planet will inhabit this house for the next seven years, bringing you on a journey of creating strength and well-being.
Kissi Ussuki.
Capricorn December 22 to January 19
You’ve got a secret weapon this week against Mercury’s retrograde, Capricorn. Our glorious sun is lighting up your third house of communication this week, keeping you sharp as a tack. The messenger planet will begin his backward motion on Tuesday, slowing down your health and work sectors. It’s not unusual for you to pace yourself so that you can climb the mountain, sea goat. Use this retrograde to be thoughtful about how your workload affects you. Sometimes, what doesn’t kill you, is actually hurting you more. Be wise about where you spend your energy, it is invaluable. On Wednesday, your financial planet Uranus leaves your fourth house of home and family and enters your fifth house of pleasure and children. Consider how the challenges of the past seven years in your personal life have increased your tenacity. The next seven could offer you the opportunity to invite more small people into your life. This movement might change the way that you find pleasure in activity, so why not sign up for some new group sports or outdoor activities? Your romantic planet begins a new moon in Pisces, helping you to let your guard down with new and old partners.
Loveis Wise.
Aquarius January 20 to February 18
You’ve got money on your mind this week, Aquarius. The sun, your personal planetary ruler of love is brightening your second house of finances. If you’re in a relationship, you might be inclined to have a serious talk about sharing your cash, creating or managing a joint account. Make time to connect with your partner and clear up any concerns around debt, savings, and future plans. If you’re single, you may want to think about the cash that you’re spending in order to find the right person. At what point is, do your belongings and outward upkeep of appearance define you? Find a happy medium, and let your inner glow shine! Your ruling planet Uranus changes houses on Wednesday, shifting from your 3rd house of communication to your 4th house of home and family. The last seven years have been focused on finessing your communication skills, while the next seven will help you mold your foundation. The planet of innovation will help you to place your priorities on creating a safe space for yourself and improving your family dynamic. Gather emotional insight into your habits as we enter a new moon in Pisces on Wednesday. As Aquarius’s personal ruler of health and work, the moon will help you connect with your emotions.
Hilda Palafox.
Pisces February 19 to March 20
The sun is helping you to construct confidence in your habits this week, Pisces. He lights up your first house of self this week, influencing you to step up your game. When you take care of yourself, you feel better. Take this new found attitude into Mercury’s retrograde on Tuesday, as he moves backward through your romantic, home and family sectors. The messenger planet is here to help you take a look at the bigger picture of your life. In a relationship? Use this retrograde to step out of yourself and look at your partnership through the other person’s eyes. This new perspective could help you find comfort. If you’re single, you may want to take a page from fellow water sign Cancer, and hang out at home while the storm passes. When it comes to your home, keep an eye out for home improvement projects that pop up. If you decide to take any of them on, ask for a helping hand. Ingenious Uranus leaves your 2nd house of finances on Wednesday and makes his way into your 3rd house of communication for the next seven years. You’ll learn about the intricacies of connection, so take note. Inspiration strikes on Wednesday as the moon begins a new cycle in your sign. So, don’t sleep on it. The moon will wax in your sign until Thursday afternoon at 2:08 p.m. EST, so keep a pen and paper ready, and exercise those screencapping muscles.
Rachel Jo.
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It’s safe to say that designer Thom Browne has reached icon status, with his pieces in the collections of major art museums around the world and countless CFDA awards to his name. Upon his launch in 2001, he single-handedly changed the silhouette of the classic men’s suit, eschewing the roomier proportions of the ‘80s and ‘90s for a cropped and shrunken silhouette that is now a menswear standard. With his reverence for tailoring and an ability to consistently refresh the conventions of haberdashery, he has dressed men and women alike, fueled by a belief in the suit's ability to elevate and transform its wearer, no matter their gender. (See Elsie Fisher’s ultra-cool three-piece ensemble on the Oscars red carpet for further proof of this magic.)
PHoto: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.
His runway shows are also the stuff of legend. Editors, buyers, and fashion industry followers eagerly await the spectacle every season, whether he's presenting a Willy Wonka-ian crew of flannel-clad garden gnomes, an army of mid-century office drones, or pastel-bouffanted models donned in trompe l'oeil skirt suits. "For me, my shows are really important. I love doing them. I love the entertainment of them. I love giving a story to the collections," Browne told Marc Karimzadeh in 2016. "If I wasn’t able to do my shows, I wouldn’t be as interested in fashion as I am."
This season was an especially significant one, marking ten years since the designer presented what GQ called one of the most influential runway shows of all time — the Fall/Winter 2009 menswear collection that featured a phalanx of identically-dressed paper-pushers in a retro office setting. Browne returned faithfully to this concept for the current women's collection, with each model sitting at her own desk, tapping out correspondence on a vintage Olivetti Lettera typewriter. He followed this throwback moment with a parade of classic Thom Browne: 90-degree shoulders and exposed wrists; a mélangé of plaids, stripes, and cheeky prints; and the overall precision of cool and powerful suiting. (And of course, Hector.) You can see it all for yourself — scroll down to watch the full video, filmed live in Paris.
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Can you feel the burn? The hot, sore, flushed feeling of... chapped lips. By the time the third fourth month of winter comes around, our mouths have deteriorated into a splitting, peeling mess — the dryness level vacillating somewhere between sandpaper and White Walker. ( Is summer ever coming Jon Snow?)
So, to make it through the final stride of winter and welcome spring with healthy, smooth lips, we're piling on the medicated lip balm — it's not sexy, but it's necessary. These options have ingredients like menthol and eucalyptus to hydrate and heal. Ahead, the medicated lip balms you need, whether you like some flavor or desire some tint.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
This 100% natural lip balm contains eucalyptus extract to hydrate dry lips, while menthol works as a soothing treatment. The best part is that you get two in a pack that costs less than your Hulu subscription.
Burt's Bees Natural Medicated Moisturizing Lip Balm - 2 Tubes, $6, available at Amazon
Yes, this is real. The best-selling, drugstore lip product comes in a medicated version that has a hint of eucalyptus. The formula also comes in natural tints, like this pretty coral shade. So, you're not just soothing your lips but also disguising the gray, lifeless look of them, too.
Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue Medicated Lip Balm, $4.19, available at walgreens.com
If you're looking for a straight-forward option, go for Chapstick's medicated version that was made to treat severely chapped lips — it's a classic. It has camphor and menthol to soothe lips, plus phenol to relieve any pain as the skin heals.
ChapStick Classic Medicated External Analgesic & Skin Protectant, $2.29, available at CVS
You know that ahh moment when you layer aloe vera on a sunburn? Well, that's the same feeling you'll get with this balm that has all the ideal ingredients for cooling down inflamed lips: menthol, chamomile, aloe, and cocoa butter. Don't even get us started on the cute packaging.
eos medicated cooling chamomile, $3.29, available at eos
While it is important to treat your lips, it's just as critical to protect them, especially from the sun. Enter: Jack Black's lip balm with SPF 25. This product moisturizes the lips and comes in multiple flavors, including this natural mint and shea butter variant.
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25, $7.5, available at Amazon
Chapped lips are a seasonal struggle, so one tube isn't enough. Stock up on this pack of three, SPF-packed balms for less than $3. Plus, there's a variety of flavors, so you can switch between mint, berry, and classic while healing your dry lips.
Blistex Medicated SPF 15 Lip Balm Pack 3ct, $2.79, available at Target
This balm in the yellow jar has been around forever, and it's got 5 stars for a reason. The no-fuss formula immediately soothes the lips and works wonders for those pesky cold sores. We've even been known to put a little on our cuticles in a pinch.
Carmex Classic Lip Balm Jar - 3ct, $2.79, available at Target
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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 communications and culture specialist working in finance who makes $129,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on Tatcha primer.
Occupation: Communications and Culture Specialist Industry: Finance/Banking Age: 28 Location: New York, NY Salary: $129,000 Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $3,394 (This varies.)
Monthly Expenses Rent: $2,220 (I live in a studio by myself. Manhattan rent is absurd, but I actually don't mind paying this since I prefer living alone, and my landlord hasn't raised the rent in six years.) Electric: $30-$60 (This can vary wildly from summer to winter depending on my AC/heat use.) Internet & Cable: $141 (Yes, I have cable.) Cell Phone: $81 (I technically pay my mom in a lump sum at the beginning of each year and she adds my portion monthly to the family plan.) Netflix: $12.99 Spotify: $9.99 Gym: $240 (I have an unlimited membership rate that I got as a founding member.) Health, Dental & Vision Insurance: $0 Retirement: $0 (Contractor life.) Credit Card Payment: Varies from $500 to $1,000 Oral Surgeon Payment: $2,650 this month and $1,350 for the next two months. In a super awesome twist of fate and no fault of my own, I have teeth issues. Savings: $0 (LOL. Thanks, former unemployment!)
Day One
6:45 a.m. — Good morning. My alarm goes off, and I snooze for 15 minutes since I showered and washed my hair yesterday evening. I had a SUPER weird dream about the apocalypse, and I write it down in my dream diary on my phone before I forget it.
7 a.m. — I do my skincare and makeup. I wear a full face of makeup every day to work, and I invest in good products. I have extremely sensitive skin, plus rosacea, so spending more on quality products saves me issues in the long run. I wash my face with Exfolikate cleanser, put on Kiehl's Daily Reviving Oil while my skin is still damp, and follow with my rosacea medication and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer. Next is Bare Minerals primer, foundation, finishing powder, blush, Anastasia brow pencil, Too Faced eyeshadow, Becca Champagne Pop highlight (the best there ever was), mascara, and lock it all in with my Urban Decay setting spray. TA-DA!
8:15 a.m. — I pack up my lunch and breakfast, grab my gym and work bags, and bundle up for today's slushy mess since we got a little snow yesterday, and I walk to work.
9:20 a.m. — I get in, check some emails in my inbox, fill up my water cup (the first 24 ounces of my 96-ounce daily goal), and then head to the espresso machine. I use a Nespresso pod to make a shot and then the Keurig for a 6-ounce cup. I dump the espresso in and add milk. It horrifies my coworkers that I do this. *Shrugs.* I eat my breakfast, which is always two-hard boiled eggs and a wish for ketchup.
12:30 p.m. — A slightly early lunch. I meal prepped turkey chili for lunch this week. I heat it up, drink more water, and refill my water cup with more.
2 p.m. — I guess for the sake of transparency I should mention that I don't do much at my job. At my last job I was overworked, stressed, and having almost daily panic attacks due to my awful manager and the pressure being put on me. I ended up getting fired for “performance issues,” which is a nice way of saying I didn't subscribe to the office politics. I had never been fired from a job in my life, and at the time it seemed like the worst thing in the world to be 27, unemployed, and horribly demoralized. Now, I make more money than I ever have, I leave around 5/5:30 every day, my work load is very light, and I am back to being in a good place physically and mentally. I'm not very challenged, and I'm maybe not doing my best work, but I'm so grateful to be employed and a valued member of my new team while I get back on my feet and figure out what's next in the long-term.
3 p.m. — Since today is a gym day, I have extra calories to eat. Woo! I go downstairs to get a bag of sour cream and onion chips and a black cherry seltzer. $3.54
5 p.m. — I hang out at my desk and chat with my coworkers before changing into my gym stuff and heading out to the gym. I walk around 18,000 to 20,000 steps a day since I don't take the subway much. I find with the train delays and crowds, it's usually not more than a 10-minute difference to walk it, and I save money on the subway fare.
8:45 p.m. — I scarf down some spinach and shrimp I cooked earlier in the week and chug more water. I have reached 96 ounces today. That's almost three liters for y'all not into ounces for measuring. I jump in the shower and then do my nighttime skincare routine (nightly rosacea medication, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Kiehl's Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate, and Kiehl's Rosa Arctica moisturizer.) I brush my teeth, use the special mouth rinse from my oral surgeon, and put in my retainer.
10 p.m. — I slather on body lotion and hop into bed. I put on an episode of ER on Hulu, which I am aware is a really old show, but I am obsessed and need to finish season 9 so I can find out if Dr. Carter and Nurse Abby stay together. Scroll around on my phone and hit the lights. I put on my Calm app sleep sounds and set the alarm. Tonight, I feel like “babbling brook.”
Daily Total: $3.54
Day Two
6:45 a.m. — No dreams last night. I check my email and social media and hop out of bed to do skincare, get dressed, grab my gym stuff and my pre-packed lunch/breakfast/snacks, and get out the door.
9 a.m. — It's Valentine's Day, and I love cheesy holidays. There's an event later today at work with the LGBT group with free candy, so I mark it on my calendar. Love is love. I eat my breakfast (two hard-boiled eggs as usual) and make my coffee.
11:30 a.m. — I have a phone interview today. It goes really well…I think. It's for a job that pays less than my current contracting role even when I factor in the basic costs of healthcare benefits and 401(k). I spend some time agonizing over my long-term career goals and current money situation because of this and decide there ain't no point in worrying when I don't even have a job offer on the table. I eat my mid-morning snack (cheese stick from TJ's since I'm four years old).
12:30 p.m. — Same lunch, work on same stuff, book some travel for my boss, and then help him get out the door for an evening flight. My fave work friend is here today, so we chat and go get our Valentine's Day candy and spend some time at the LGBT event.
5:30 p.m. — Off to the gym. Today is day three of my four weekly gym days, and my body is feeling it.
8:30 p.m. — Home. My doorman has a package for me — it's my rosacea medication that the pharmacy delivers. I had to switch to a new cream that I could pay for out-of-pocket. They charge my card $65, but it will last me several months. I chat with my doorman because he is my favorite and is always up for a friendly chat. $65
9 p.m. — What the hell am I going to eat? I scrounge together a dinner. I cut up some chicken sausage and scramble two eggs with some cheese and red pepper flakes since I'm out of hot sauce.
10 p.m. — Shower, body lotion, bed. I don't have the energy to watch anything tonight, but I leave Jurassic Park on in the background while I do the dishes and pick up before I sleep.
Daily Total: $65
Day Three
6:45 a.m. — It's payday! And also the day my first payment to my surgeon is due. Goodbye paycheck…it was nice to see you. Whatever, I'll be stealing everyone's man in the nursing home with my killer smile when I'm 84.
7:45 a.m. — My mom (who is also my accountant) calls to tell me my federal tax refund is in a shared account we have. I tell her to take out $1,000 since I owe my parents for the rent they covered the last month of my unemployment. Can't miss what you never had.
9:30 a.m. — Breakfast, coffee, emails. My boss is on vacation, and it's a long holiday weekend, so most of my coworkers are working from home. Contractors aren't allowed access to work from home, so I piddle around and get small tasks done leftover from the week.
12:30 p.m. — My fave coworker gets out of a meeting, and we decide on Mexican food for lunch. $9.79
2 p.m. — After lunch, I stop at Duane Reade for birthday cards for my grandma and sister and a congratulations card for my friend who just had a baby. $16.73
5:30 p.m. — I walk home and debate getting a manicure, but I decide I don't want to sit around waiting so I go straight home.
8 p.m. — I cook the same dinner from last night and settle in for an evening of nothing. I watch a few episodes of ER, do my skincare, and get in bed. I always get up and do the early gym class on Saturday so I don't stay up super late.
Daily Total: $26.52
Day Four
7:45 a.m. — Time to get ready for the gym. I wash my face, put on SPF and moisturizer since I'll sweat it off shortly, brush my teeth, and get dressed to walk to the gym.
10:30 a.m. — I walk across town to Trader Joe's. I stop at Starbucks and pick up a venti dark roast coffee with a gift card I got for Christmas.
10:45 a.m. — I stop in Sephora for ONE thing and…I get Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel, Tatcha Silk Canvas Protective Primer, and Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector SPF 42. $165.49
11 a.m. — I get to TJ's, and it's just beginning to get crowded, so I rush to get everything. I get spinach, a lemon, apples, bananas, onions, celery, carrots, cheese sticks, cheddar cheese, chicken sausage, yogurts, pickles, chicken stock, chicken thighs, shrimp, and granola bars. $64.33
2 p.m. — I get home, put away all the groceries, make my usual eggs, chicken sausage, and cheddar. I add in spinach, and remember I'm still out of hot sauce, goddamnit. Shower, wash hair, exfoliate, shave, and then do my skincare. I have plans to meet up with a friend this afternoon, so I blow out my hair and text her to confirm.
3:30 p.m. — My friend bails on me and asks to meet up tomorrow. I'm annoyed since I didn't make any other plans but still blew out my hair. I turn on ER and decide this is why I hate making plans. I text my best friend from home, and we catch up.
8 p.m. — I'd love to pretend that I spent my Saturday doing something other than binging a show and lying in bed. But I didn't.
Daily Total: $229.82
Day Five
8:30 a.m. — I'm always up early no matter what. I lounge around and set up plans with my friend to get our nails done together since she bailed yesterday. It's my sister's birthday, so I text her and send her a Sephora gift card. $25
12:30 p.m. — I meet my friend uptown and get a gel manicure and a pedicure. I cover the tip for us both because she forgot cash. She will get me back later. $84.05
4 p.m. — I head home and get a turkey sandwich and a Coke Zero on my way. $10.49
6 p.m. — Time for some meal prep for the week. I make chicken thighs in my cast iron with sautéed onions and a mustard sauce. I microwave some sweet potatoes and boil eggs. Then I eat some of the chicken. This shit is good as f***. Thanks to my personal idol Ina Garten. I clean up the kitchen and pack up everything else.
8 p.m. — I pretty much do nothing for the rest of the night. You know the drill: skincare routine, brush teeth, get into bed, and watch ER. There is drama surrounding a local politician and his lover this episode.
Daily Total: $119.54
Day Six
8 a.m. — I'm up. I eat a banana and peanut butter and drink lots of water while I get ready for the gym. I wanted to do an earlier class, but the instructor I like isn't starting until 11, so I wait until about 10:15 and head there.
12:30 p.m. — Time for another coffee with my gift card at Starbucks. I text my friend about our plans today. We decide to meet at 3 for Mexican food.
3 p.m. — We catch up and eat tons of chips. I get two margaritas and carne asada tacos with rice and beans and we split guac. My friend works for a skincare company and gives me a coconut hydrating lip balm which smells SO good. Also saves me $18 at Sephora. $54.99
5:30 p.m. — We decide we need dessert and head to Van Leeuwen. I get a cone with a scoop of Mocha Cookie Crumble. Hits the spot, even though its freezing out. There are a few kids with their mom in the shop, and they ask their mom if they can add the song playing on the speakers to their playlist…the song is "Tipsy" by J-Kwon. We burst into laughter and head out for the train. $6.99
6 p.m. — The train isn't running uptown from this station, so I go downtown just to get off and then go back up. Gotta love the MTA. I fill up my MetroCard so I'm not out next time. $10
8 p.m. — I chug a few glasses of water, and it pushes me over the edge. I am a bloated ball of guac and chips. Send help. I lie horizontally and scroll through nonsense on my phone.
8:30 p.m. — I got an email from the company I interviewed with last week!!!!!! They want me to do a writing test of sorts, basically a shorter version of things I'd do in the job. I immediately panic and respond back to let them know I received it. I arrange dinner plans with my friend who works at the company and referred me for the job to debrief.
10:30 p.m. — More ER before bed. The politician's lover died after an allergic reaction to penicillin…that truly sucks but I can't get over the fact the lover was played by Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother.
Daily Total: $71.98
Day Seven
6:45 a.m. — Out of bed. I do my skincare, get dressed, grab my pre-packed lunch/breakfast/snacks, and walk to work.
11 a.m. — Everyone but me and one other person is working from home. My coworker just got back from traveling and brought candies to share. I rifle through them and try two.
12:45 p.m. — I heat up my chicken with mustard sauce and sweet potato. It's good, but I clearly did not cook the sweet potato enough, since it's hard in the middle. I refill my water and wash my dish and silverware. I don't use plastic silverware if I can help it, so I'm that weirdo carrying around a butter knife and fork to the sink.
3 p.m. — I read through the document I need to base my writing test off of and start putting things together so I can get feedback from my friend at dinner tonight if she has time. I find I really enjoy the time I spend putting together the visual and the additional writing. The afternoon flies by, and I stave off thinking about the career crisis that's been on my mind. I know I'm good at this shit and I want to be back in my field doing work that I'm interested in. I'm gonna make it happen no matter what.
4 p.m. — Am I hungry or just bored? I eat an apple from my snack stash that I bring from home and drink my third espresso shot of the daaaaaay. Coffee solves all.
5:30 p.m. — I go meet my friend at an Italian place and have a two glasses of wine and a pizza. I was gonna save half for later...but I don't. She's a real angel and listens to my concerns and thoughts on the new job and my career goals. We walk downtown so she can catch her train and finalize plans for bridesmaid dress shopping next month, since I'm in her wedding in December! $51.72
9 p.m. — I take off my makeup and my pants and do my skincare. Anyone who wears pants when they're home alone is a serial killer. Period.
10:30 p.m. — ER and bed. I snuggle in and scroll on my phone through today's political nonsense. Fuck Donald Trump. But for now, let's get this sleep.
Daily Total: $51.72
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