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As Sudan Faces Political Upheaval & A Food Crisis, Here’s How To Help

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Sudan has been in a state of crisis since early April, when civilians opposing dictator and war criminal Omar al-Bashir finally ousted him from the government. Al-Bashir’s regime, though, was quickly replaced with violent military control, which has left hundreds of peaceful protesters injured, raped, and murdered, reports the Guardian. And now, according to a food security report issued on Friday, South Sudan is facing another crisis: namely, record numbers of starvation. The World Food Programme (WFP) reported about 7 million people are facing food shortages, with more than 20,000 dangerously near famine. This is predicted to continue worsening as the country prepares for its rainiest season; by the end of July, over 1.8 million South Sudanese people will find themselves in a state of emergency, with 5 million in crisis.

“It is famine-like, but you cannot call it famine, because you can only call [it] famine if you have a certain number of criteria,” said WFP spokesman Hervé Verhoosel. “We cannot use the word famine, but [many South Sudanese right now] live in conditions that are equivalent to a famine.”

As a result, food and fuel prices are spiking considerably, and local markets are suffering. With both the hunger and humanitarian crises, Sudan needs help (and money) more than ever. Here are a few ways to directly make an impact.

The World Food Programme: One hundred percent volunteer-run and spanning 75 countries, the WFP is the world’s largest organization specifically devoted to fighting hunger. Just a $15 donation supplies a month’s worth of food to one starving person — and, if you can swing it, $75 can feed an entire family.

The United Nations Children’s Fund: The United Nations Children’s Fund — better known as UNICEF — works to help children in 190 countries across the world in need of healthcare, emergency relief, food, and water. UNICEF has earned top ratings from organizations including Charity Navigator and Charity Watch.

The International Rescue Committee: Also a top-rated charity, the International Rescue Committee offers both nutritional support and emergency medical assistance to malnourished children in need.

The University of Khartoum Alumni Association’s fundraiser: Created by Bakri Ali, the University of Khartoum alums behind this fundraiser on Facebook are working directly with a network of local Sudanese volunteers, organizations, and communities to assist the people of Sudan with both food and medical care. In just over a month, the association has raised more than $375,000, but they’re still far from their goal of $500,000. (You can also invite your Facebook friends to donate, too!)

And, of course, call your representatives: In part thanks to a viral Politico essay by George Clooney and a push on social media (many users are changing their icons navy blue in solidarity, and celebrities such as Rihanna are spreading the word), Congress is finally starting to listen. Check out our guide to calling your reps, and tell your elected officials that it’s important to help the people of Sudan.

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Your Horoscope This Week

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Start the week slow and steady on Sunday when lucky Jupiter squares against dreamy Neptune. It's easy to get caught up in fantasies while these two planets are at odds with each other. Make sure that you're listening carefully to what others are saying as communicative Mercury trines with Neptune on Sunday as well, as people will be focused on expressing their imagination. Our enthusiasm bubbles up when the Moon waxes full in Sagittarius at 4:30 a.m. EST on Monday morning. It's a beautiful time to take pride in our accomplishments.

The Moon is void-of-course until Monday at 12:13 p.m. EST, when she enters hard-working Capricorn. Unlike Sunday's air of idealism, we're more interested in getting down to brass tacks. Test your flexibility on Tuesday, when Saturn in retrograde sextiles inventive Neptune. The ringed planet of structure is moving in reverse, letting you set new rules for how you execute your responsibilities. Consider the hard lessons that Saturn's retrograde has already taught you since he began to move backward on April 29 while you make your new playbook. Our mood remains in a professional, less emotional tone until Wednesday morning at 7:18 a.m. EST. Instead of working on new projects, hunker down on maintaining your core tasks while the Moon goes void-of-course until 10:00 p.m EST that evening. Look for inspiration in your dreams and start Thursday on an optimistic note while the Moon wanes in Aquarius. It's an excellent day for self-study and exploring your independence. Get out of your usual haunts and seek out inspiration until Friday morning at 10:01 a.m. Friday marks the official start of Summer, also coinciding with the arrival of Cancer season. It's a brilliant time to work on your living space, spend time with your loved ones, and express your creativity. Add new plants, host get-togethers, and get ready to soak up the season. Intuitive Neptune goes retrograde in his own sign of Pisces on Friday, pulling our thoughts away from distractions. Over the next five months, the blue planet of dreams and illusions will help to reveal changes that you need to apply to your relationships, work, and behavior. Neptune rules the realm of mind-altering substances, so it's a good idea to avoid partying too hard while he moves in reverse. Pay attention to the signs that your intuition brings, and seek enlightenment until November 27 when he moves direct. On Saturday 10:01 a.m EST, the Moon wanes in sensitive Pisces. Be aware of the waves of emotion that pass through you, and don't be afraid to let yourself express your feelings as they come.

Aries
March 21 to April 19

It can be hard work to run down a hill, Aries. You need to be cognizant of your foot placement as you make your descent. Be present as you mirror the energy of the Moon, your personal planet of foundations. She starts full on Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. EST, and wanes down through the rest of the week. Seeking fulfillment? You could get inspired on Sunday when conversations around your well-being arise. Neptune, your personal planet of inner growth, trines Mercury, the ruler of your health and work zones. Check the fine print on Sunday when Jupiter, your personal planet of mind expansion squares dreamy Neptune, your spiritual ruler. Ideas and opportunities will be more style than substance, so ask for more time if someone is pressing you to commit to taking a new class or vacation. Flesh out the details if there's a spark of intrigue later this week. Reflect on your career goals on Tuesday, when your professional ruler Saturn sextiles with Neptune. It could be time for you to switch industries, or seek out a more fulfilling position. Celebrate the first day of Summer on Friday, when the Sun, your personal planet of joy, enters your 4th house of family, instincts, and foundations. It's time to focus on building up your safe spaces. Intuitive Neptune goes retrograde on Friday shedding new light on your beliefs. Inner truths will be revealed to you over the next five months — keep a diary of your breakthroughs to stay present.

Celia Jacobs.

Taurus
April 20 to May 20

All that glitters isn't gold, Taurus. Hold off on burning a hole in your pocket, especially on Sunday when money-minded Mercury trines with dreamy Neptune. Make sure that you have all of the information you need before you make a purchase because what seems like an excellent investment now could easily fall apart. This is courtesy of the Jupiter and Neptune square that arrives on Sunday. Passions rise on Wednesday, when your personal planet of inner growth, Mars, opposes Pluto, Taurus's ruling planet of love. If you're in a relationship, be gentle with your partner and listen carefully before speaking. On Friday, The Sun, your domestic ruler, enters your 3rd house of communication, thought, and community. Research free talks and panels in your industry and interests to get stimulated and connect with others — you could make some inspiring new friends. Strengthen your current friendships by livening up your usual BBQ or park hang with card games or outdoor movies. The sky’s the limit.

Cachetejack.

Gemini
May 21 to June 20

Try your best to disconnect from the world on Sunday, Gemini. Jupiter, your personal planet of love squares against Neptune, your career ruler, creating some unrealistic expectations between these two aspects of your life. A few big ideas may land in your inbox, but hold off on committing to anything immediately that doesn't seem to hold up to your standards. Stick to your guns on Sunday, when your ruling planet Mercury trines with professional-minded Neptune. Your financial planet, the Moon, waxes full in expansive Sagittarius on Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. EST blessing you with an optimistic start to your week. As she wanes down for the rest of the week, place your focus on tying up loose ends with travel and education plans. The Sun leaves your sign on Friday, making his way into your 2nd house of finances, values, and possessions. Take stock of your belongings and assets — what do you need to make space for? Take a deep dive in your closet and check out what you can live without, what can be repaired and what you should toss. Freeing up space in your home can help you find mental clarity. Friday also welcomes Neptune's retrograde, helping to guide your career goals in a better direction. Keep your eyes on the prize until November 27 when the blue planet moves direct.

Amber Vittoria.

Cancer
June 21 to July 22

All is not as it appears on Sunday, sweet Crab. Jupiter, your personal planet of well-being, squares against Neptune, Cancer's ruler of good fortune. Take every promise made to you with a grain of salt. Be cautious before offering up your time or money, and listen to your gut instincts. Mercury, your personal planet of inner growth, trines lucky Neptune on the same day, helping you make the right call. The Moon waxes full in Sagittarius on Monday morning at 4:30 a.m EST, guiding you towards completing your projects. Take a chance on love Tuesday, when your romantic ruler Saturn sextiles Neptune. If you're in a relationship, invite your partner out to explore your city, or investigate a new restaurant to break up the week. If you're single, open your heart to serendipitous chances. Keep a professional air on Wednesday when your career planet Mars opposes Pluto, your personal planet of fun and games. Lines could get blurred if someone doesn't understand your dark humor. Preserve your work relationships by keeping it low-key at the office. You're ready for the spotlight on Friday as the Sun moves into your 1st house of self, first impressions and appearance. Wear colors that inspire joy, and step into the first day of Summer in style. Illusions are removed as dreamy Neptune goes retrograde on Friday, helping you to see the world with fresh eyes.

Ariel Davis.

Leo
July 23 to August 22

It's critical for you to take good care of your finances on Sunday, Leo. Be cautious of people who offer get-rich-quick schemes while expansive Jupiter squares against Neptune, the planet of illusions. Press pause on making any significant moves, and use the day to conceive your best course of action while money-minded Mercury trines with intuitive Neptune on Sunday. Saturn, your personal planet of health and work, sextiles dreamy Neptune on Tuesday, helping you reformulate your self-care rituals and day to day tasks. Lean into your intuition and look into new routines to help you flourish. Fiery Mars opposes your domestic planet, Pluto, on Wednesday raising tensions at home. Express gentleness and understanding if one of your loved ones is feeling frustrated. You're ready for a bit of downtime on Friday when your ruling planet, the Sun makes his way into your 12th house of inner growth, vulnerability, and conclusion. After spending the last month socializing, you're ready for some internal reflection. Idealistic Neptune goes retrograde on the same day, encouraging you to look at the world through a more realistic lens.

Lynnie Z.

Virgo
August 23 to September 22

The key to a happy relationship is open communication and understanding, Virgo. Your partner may require more space in your life on Sunday when your domestic planet, Jupiter, squares Neptune, your personal love planet. Jot ideas down but hold off on committing to concrete plans while these two planets are at odds — they tend to be more surface level than they appear. Explore ideas with your partner and keep conversations flowing while Mercury, your ruling planet, trines gushy Neptune on Sunday. If you're single, get outside and enjoy Tuesday's upcoming romantic transit — Saturn, your personal ruler of pleasure sextiles Neptune. Muster up your courage and start chatting up the person who catches your eye in person or online. Partnered Virgos will enjoy linking up with their loved ones as well, helping to bring energy back into date night. You'll be excited to stir up the social scene on Friday when the Sun moves into your 11th house of groups, friendships, and goals. Get on your group chats and organize a casual summer soiree to kick off the season. Neptune goes retrograde on Friday, helping you reassess your relationship values. What kind of a partner do you want to attract? How much should you give of yourself to someone you love? These are a few of the questions you might be faced with while your love ruler moves in reverse.

Simone Noronha.

Libra
September 23 to October 22

Listen carefully, Libra. It's easy to get wires crossed and talked into shenanigans on Sunday while Jupiter, your personal communication planet, squares against your health and work ruler Neptune. Let your inner voice direct your actions on Sunday, while Mercury, your personal planet of inner growth and good fortune, trines with Neptune, your health and work ruler. You'll be bursting with energy on Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. EST as the Moon waxes full in optimistic Sagittarius. Our lunar lady is your career ruler, helping you to wrap up work projects as she wanes this week. Get cozy on Tuesday, when your personal planet of home and family, Saturn, sextiles Neptune. You're ready to embrace new responsibilities on Friday, as the Sun lights up your 10th house of career, structure and public image. You're ready to make your mark. Use this time to carve out the future you desire. Work on skills that you need to get to the next level — sign up for classes, and see if you can get your company to help cover the cost. Neptune, your personal ruler of routine, goes retrograde on Friday, helping you to get serious about your schedule. When he moves in reverse, he helps you get your head out of the clouds and focus on the task at hand.

Sarah Mazzeti.

Scorpio
October 23 to November 21

Does something seem too good to be true, Scorpio? On Sunday, protect yourself and your assets while your financial planet Jupiter squares against Neptune, the planet of illusions. Even if the people who are trying to win your favor have the best intentions, a deal struck during this transit could quickly go sour. Stay positive and ask them to bring more information along later if you'd like to preserve your relationship or the proposal. Schedule some alone time for yourself at the office on Wednesday, when your ruling planets Mars and Pluto oppose each other. Pace your work and take a moment to analyze your emotions as they come to you mid-week. You're ready for significant changes on Friday when your career ruler, the Sun, illuminates your 9th house of exploration, adventure, and belief. It's time for you to leave your comfort zone behind and broaden your experiences. If you're looking for a change of pace, why not research working in a different country or make a lateral move into an uncharted career path? Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy the ride.

Kelsey Wrotten.

Sagittarius
November 22 to December 21

Your spirit is positively contagious, Sagittarius! This sentiment rings especially true while the Moon waxes full in your sign. The rest of the zodiac is emulating your interest in travel, mind-expansion, and connecting on a deeper level all day Sunday until 4:30 a.m. EST on Monday morning. Temper your expectations on the same day, when Jupiter, your planetary ruler squares against your domestic planet Neptune. If someone makes a significant promise that day, they could be attempting to match your enthusiastic energy. Want to give your space a little lift? Invest in some hardy plants or check out furniture on Tuesday when your financial ruler Neptune sextiles Neptune. A metamorphosis approaches on Friday when the Sun lights up your 8th house of transformation, mystery, and dramatic change. It's time for a new adventure to unfold. Your home and family ruler Neptune goes retrograde in deep feeling Pisces on Friday. When Neptune moves in reverse, he helps to sharpen your perspective of the needs for your loved ones and living space. Make time to get organized while the blue planet moves in reverse until November 27.

Kissi Ussuki.

Capricorn
December 22 to January 19

Embrace your vulnerability, Capricorn. On Sunday, Jupiter, your personal planet of inner growth squares against your communications ruler Neptune creating some pangs of confusion. Everything seems peachy-keen on the surface, but deep down, you can tell if something feels a bit off. Tap into reality on Sunday by focusing on your day-to-day tasks. Mercury, your personal ruler of health and work trines with Neptune, helping you to think efficiently about your upcoming week and goals. Spend Sunday prepping so that it all goes off without a hitch! Your love ruler, the Moon, waxes full in Sagittarius on Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. EST, helping you to express your feelings with enthusiasm and clarity. Your voice gains confidence on Tuesday, when your planetary ruler Saturn sextiles thoughtful Neptune. If you've been waiting to be heard, now is the time to speak up. You're ready to strengthen your connections on Friday when the Sun lights up your 7th house of partnerships, contracts, and business. If you're an entrepreneur, it's an excellent time to network and seeks out advice from mentors. Neptune goes retrograde on Friday, creating a more formal tone in your speech. You're less interested in exploring tangents and more interested in getting to the heart of the matter.

Loveis Wise.

Aquarius
January 20 to February 18

It's easy to get distracted by a big performance, Aquarius. Pay attention to the players that approach you on Sunday, as a retrograde Jupiter squares Neptune, your financial ruler. When these two planets are at odds, people are talked into ideas that they otherwise would have seen straight through. Communication planet Mercury trines Neptune on Sunday, helping to guide your intuition. When in doubt — feel it out. Your energy overflows at the top of the week while the Moon, your personal health and work planet, waxes full on Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. EST. You might be interested in investing your money in a socially responsible cause on Tuesday, when Saturn, your planetary ruler of inner growth sextiles money-minded Neptune. The Moon wanes in your sign at 10:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday driving you to break away from the world. Enjoy a little independence and finish up a book that you've been meaning to dive into while the Moon inhabits your sign until Friday morning at 10:01 a.m. EST. Ready for a little action? On Friday, your love ruler the Sun lights up your 6th house of health, order, and service. If you've been looking to get back into a groove, you'll be sure to find new routines and meals to help you thrive. Neptune, your money ruler, goes retrograde on Friday giving you a more precise look at your finances. If you're looking for help, get trusted advice until the blue planet moves direct on November 27.

Hilda Palafox.

Pisces
February 19 to March 20

Practice working on your game face, Pisces. You may need to veil your reactions on Sunday when Jupiter, your personal career planet squares against imaginative Neptune. Listen to your gut when Jupiter and Neptune square against each other, as these planets can stir up big promises without substance. Avoid disappointment on both ends by playing sly. Take the ideas brought to you from this transit and flesh them out. Your left brain will be working overtime from Sunday to early Monday morning at 4:30 a.m EST, while your creative ruler, the Moon, waxes full in Sagittarius. Summer solstice arrives on Friday, building your excitement for Summer. The Sun, your personal planet of health and work, is ready to spice up your routine as he illuminates your 5th house of creativity, pleasure, and romance. Neptune, your ruling planet, goes retrograde on Friday, grounding your emotions and revealing hidden truths. Pay special attention to the lessons presented to you until November 27. The Moon enters your sign at 10:01 a.m. EST on Saturday morning, connecting you to your inner voice and allowing the rest of the zodiac sign to better understand your perspectives.

Rachel Jo.

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A Week In New York City On A $77,000 Salary

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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: an associate director working in higher education who makes $77,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on fries.

Occupation: Associate Director
Industry: Higher Education
Age: 26
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $77,000
Paycheck Amount (Monthly): $4,180

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $3,584 for the mortgage, plus ~$2,000 for various taxes (town, village, school). I split these costs with my husband.
Car Lease: $270 (My husband pays.)
MetroCard: $130
Utilities: ~$150
Cable & Internet: $120 (My husband pays.)
Spotify: $10
New York Times Weekender & Digital Subscription: ~$30
Retirement: $270, which my company matches
High-Yield Savings: $200

Day One

8 a.m. — I decide to work from home today. I usually work remotely on Fridays, but we have a big conference meeting I'll need to be in the office for then — plus I'm exhausted from a long few weeks and could use a quieter day. My husband and I recently bought a house that needs a lot of...love...before we can move in, so we've been doing the work ourselves in the evenings after work. I start checking and replying to emails on my phone from bed and end up working for about two hours before getting up! I finally make a cup of tea and some toast with peanut butter and get dressed, but still feel out of it, so I continue to work from my couch under a layer of blankets and my dog.

3 p.m. — I'm done with most of my work and calls for the day, so I run to the grocery store to pick up some chicken. I'm going to cook dinner and pack it up for later tonight to take out to our house, where we'll be working after work. I get a pack of six organic drumsticks — the rest of the ingredients I need I can rustle up at home. When I get home, I sear the chicken and then add garlic, herbes de Provence, and balsamic vinegar to simmer and reduce to make a sauce. I sauté some haricots verts and peas I had in the freezer. I want to get moving so I can work at the house, so I add a cornstarch slurry to the chicken to thicken it faster. But I was overzealous and made it gloopy. Oh well, we'll still eat it! I eat a quick slice of leftover pizza, pack up the dinner and dog, and hit the road. $7.84

9 p.m. — I drive to our new house about 20 minutes away in bad traffic (so it takes almost 40) and get to work caulking some molding. My husband takes a train from work to meet me and joins in the fun. We eat the gloopy-sauce chicken (which tastes fine but not great) and keep working. On the way back to our apartment, we stop at Carvel for ice cream to make up for a less than satisfying dinner — and a hard night's work! Husband picks up the tab. $8.38

Daily Total: $16.22

Day Two

8 a.m. — I wake up at the last possible moment and get ready for work. I'm out the door about 20 minutes later and am able to get coffee, a bagel, and some sliced fruit at work. Yay, free stuff!

2 p.m. — I have a really full day of meetings and calls, so I'm not able to step out for lunch. I usually try to take a walk and pick up a salad or sandwich. Luck is on my side, though, as there was a lunch event as well that had some leftovers. I grab a salad and chicken.

7 p.m. — My husband and I meet at our apartment after work and drive to our house with our pup in tow. She loves having space to run around the house, even if it is full of construction items! She's been known to leave a paw print of paint here and there...but we love having her around. During our work, I take a quick drive to a nearby Mexican restaurant and pick up dinner: chicken, carnitas, mahi mahi tacos for me, and a steak rice bowl for my husband. We sit on paint buckets and eat our dinner in the middle of our living room. $24.87

10 p.m. — On the drive back to our apartment, I scroll through Instagram and get hit with a targeted ad from J. Crew (I'm such a sucker, I know). Pants that I've been eyeing are super on sale, and I have a few bucks on a gift card, which will cushion the blow a bit. We've been trying to curb unnecessary spending since money is tight with our new home, but sometimes you have to indulge a little. I order two pairs and will return if they're not perfect. I am a serial returner! $88.42

Daily Total: $113.29

Day Three

8 a.m. — This morning I'm feeling a bit more energized — it's nearing the end of the week, and I'm seeing my out-of-town best friend for lunch today. I grab a yogurt on my way out the door and drink a huge glass of water to curb my coffee cravings.

12:30 p.m. — I meet my best friend for lunch at a nearby restaurant that has a nice courtyard. I order a lemonade cocktail and a Cobb salad, and we split fries. We have a great time catching up, and although neither of us wants to leave, I have to get back to the office. We split the bill, which ends up being pricey, but I rarely go out for expensive meals so I don't mind. $52.08

4:30 p.m. — My husband and I leave work a bit early to meet my dad at a local home-supply store near our new house. He's helping us with a lot of the renovations since he's in the business, and he and my mom live really close by. We would never be able to swing this without them, so I'm grateful for all of his help! We pick out some bead board to cover over old broken tiles in our master bathroom. It is very much a temporary fix, but we're doing what we can on a budget to get by until we can afford pricier fixes (like new tile). Between the boards and the installation supplies, we shell out $240, which is including my dad's contractor discount (woof!). $240.59

8:30 p.m. — On the way home to our apartment, we stop at McDonald's. I probably haven't eaten fast food in a few years (it's just not my thing!), but we are starving and exhausted, and we have the dog in the car so we can't stop anywhere else really. We both order a crispy chicken sandwich with no mayo and split fries and a diet soda. My husband pays, and we eat in the car while tossing fry bites to the dog in the back seat. $16.42

Daily Total: $309.09

Day Four

9 a.m. — I get into the office a bit later than usual this morning, and I stop on the way to pick up some breakfast pastries for our big meeting and a coffee for myself. I'll reimburse this expense later. ($12.57 expensed)

12:30 p.m. — Since our meeting runs all day, our manager orders in lunch from a local restaurant.

4 p.m. — We call it an early day after our long meeting, and I meet my husband and our friend at a bar nearby to celebrate the end of the workweek and a night off from working at our house! We each order a drink, and I pick up the $30 tab. Our friend has been a great sport helping us at the house on the weekends, so I feel like it is the least I can do! After drinks, we head to a Mexican restaurant and get carried away with ordering — (many) tacos, spicy margaritas, queso fundido, and corn esquites. We all split the check, and in my margarita haze I start to realize how much I've been spending this week and vow to cool it for the next few days! $81.07

Daily Total: $81.07

Day Five

9:30 a.m. — We sleep in a tiny bit, and then: You guessed it! Pack up the car and doggo to head to our house. We'll have a full crew today — both of our parents will be joining us to help paint. We stop on the way to fill the car up, which my husband pays for. $32.58

11 a.m. — I head to the local hardware store to pick up paint supplies for the house. We spent weeks picking a color, and I am so excited to finally see it up on the walls! I pick up two gallons of wall color, one gallon of trim, extra rollers and trays, and one last bucket of primer for random spots we missed previously. I also grab a couple more pint samples for the kitchen, which we're painting a different color than the rest of the house. I make sure to mention our contractor discount again — but home ownership is expensive, even with that 10% off! $249.61

12 p.m. — I completely forgot that I have a haircut scheduled, so I sneak out for my quick 30-minute trim, which sets me back another $50. On the way back, I stop at a favorite deli and pick up sandwiches and chips for my crew of workers at home, which comes to $52.75. I'm so used to cooking most of our meals that these expenses are really starting to make me cringe, but I know it's temporary until we move and have our kitchen and normal schedule back in order. Plus, I am happy to treat all of our free labor to lunch! $102.75

8:30 p.m. — When we finally get our paint color up, it's looking a little off. It is golden hour, though, so we can't tell if it's just this time of day with super yellow-orange light streaming through the windows. I'm feeling a little defeated as we leave for the day. We shower up and head to dinner nearby with my husband's parents, and I order a huge bowl of pasta and a glass of wine to indulge after a long day. My in-laws treat us to dinner after working at the house with us all day. We lucked out with both our in-laws (who are clearly total gems!).

Daily Total: $384.94

Day Six

10 a.m. — We get a slower start this morning after staying over at my parents' house. I can tell I am super cranky — nothing seems to be working out. We forgot our house key, the paint color we put up still looks yellow (it was supposed to be gray...), and I'm feeling overwhelmed. I offer to do a coffee run to clear my head a bit and to make sure we're well caffeinated. I pick up large coffees for everyone from a 7-Eleven nearby and get myself back in the home-reno spirit. The whole family and our good friend are at the house to help us today. We toss up about five more paint samples in big swatches on the wall and identify where we went wrong with our first choice. We make a new choice, cross our fingers, and go forth. $15.74

11 a.m. — Back to the hardware store! New paint, deep breaths. I'm annoyed I have to shell out more money on paint when I already bought some yesterday, but we will put that to use somewhere less obvious like the basement or a guest room. Luckily, I only have to replace the two gallons of wall color, and I pick up some ceiling paint as well — four gallons in total. $140.77

2 p.m. — The new color is awesome! The whole crew loves it, and we're all rolling away covering as much of the house as we can, listening to an eclectic playlist of Led Zeppelin and Lizzo. Everyone is in better spirits, and my in-laws treat us all to pizza and salad delivered from our favorite local spot. Our dog is spoiled by her grand-pup-parents with pizza-crust bits, even as we repeat over and over that dogs don't eat pizza crust...

6 p.m. — After a long day, we shower up and have dinner with my parents at a sushi restaurant. Our home-renovation process has meant SO much time with our parents (and in restaurants!), which again is unusual, but we're enjoying the time together and feeling like we're kids again being treated to dinners, ha! My parents kindly pick up the tab, and I soak it in because I know this gravy train is ending once we're out of the woods on home costs in a couple weeks. After dinner we drive back to our apartment and immediately fall asleep while trying (and failing) to watch an episode of Billions. Starting a new binge-able show during this hectic time was not our best idea.

Daily Total: $156.51

Day Seven

8 a.m. — Back to my other day job! I haven't done a proper grocery shop in ages, but I rustle up a questionable yogurt from our fridge to take for breakfast. I crumble in a granola bar from my desk when I get to work and make a coffee in our office pantry.

12:30 p.m. — Lunchtime rolls around, and I remember I have my leftovers from our meeting on Friday, so I heat that up and shadily watch an episode of The Office and zone out for a bit while I eat.

3 p.m. — I have a call with a consulting firm that is doing research in my area of work. They reached out to me on LinkedIn and asked if I'd be interested in participating in their compensated study. I was a psych major in college and loved jumping into studies (paid or unpaid) — so I agreed immediately! They're paying me to do a one-hour call, and I won't have to share any proprietary information. I've been in the same industry for a while, so I enjoy feeling like I'm putting my knowledge to good use, and the call is actually really interesting. They pay me $125 for the hour.

6 p.m. — After work, I take a solo drive with the pup to meet my dad at yet another home-supply store. Tonight we're buying supplies for the electrician to finish some work on our (very) old electrical system. We buy two bathroom fans, outlet casings, outlet faces, pigtails for lights, duct work and duct tape, and some contractor bags for all our messy adventures in home ownership. I put the items on my credit card, which my husband and I will even out based on our joint income at the end of the billing cycle. After the store run, we head to my house to haul out the construction trash (including an oven!) for recycling pickup in the morning. I'm kicking myself for not waiting for my husband to be done with work to help us, but we get it done. $196.22

8 p.m. — Afterward I head back to the apartment for dinner with my husband. He makes cacio e pepe pasta with ingredients we miraculously had in the house, and we finally (finally!) get around to watching a whole episode of Billions with our sort-of night off. Looking forward to more nights in with a home-cooked meal in our new house soon.

Daily Total: $196.22

Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women's experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29's point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here.

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My Dallas Apartment Costs $1,200 A Month — Here's How Big It Is

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This DIY Apartment In Dallas Is $1,200

In Refinery29's Sweet Digs, we take a look inside the sometimes small, sometimes spacious homes of millennial women. Today, 28-year-old Erica Massey shows off her Dallas home, filled with her own designs and DIYs.

When PhD student Erica Massey decided it was time to get out of downtown Dallas, she knew her biggest hurdle would be her books. "I have over 1,000 print books I had to move. So that was just annoying," Massey says.

What it really meant, though, was that she needed to find a space with 10-foot ceilings to accommodate her massive bookcases. The first apartment building she signed with mis-measured the height of the ceilings, and management called her 5 days before moving day to inform her that no, she would not be able to move in. "I desperately called back all my other top places, and it turned out that this unit became available that day," Massey says. "It was luck, mostly."

Massey fell into a 530-square-foot studio with 10-foot ceilings and enough wall space for her books. Even better, at $1200 a month her new studio was significantly cheaper than her $1500-a-month downtown apartment — albeit smaller.

"The rent is definitely a lot on a PhD student’s budget, but the $1200 includes utilities, a parking garage spot, in-unit laundry, direct White Rock Lake hiking/biking trail access, and there’s a Dart (train) station next door, so I’m happy to pay for location and perks over square footage," Massey says. Bonus: The apartment building has a self-service dog wash, so she can wash and dry her service dog Deacon if he gets muddy from the trails. And at the end of the day, the distance from the city gives her a small escape from the day-to-day grind.

"When I come home, I want my space to be as warm and inviting and cozy as possible. I have so many pillows and blankets and all different textures, and I'm very much a 'wrap myself in blankets and drink hot chocolate' kind of person," Massey says. "I have to be pretty serious on campus, and I have to act very put-together in my demeanor and my dress because I get mistaken for being a lot younger. So when I come home, I like to be completely rid of all that." Read on to hear more about how she turned this space into her own.

How much smaller is this space compared to your previous apartment?
" It is 200 square feet smaller. I had a couch made out of palettes at my old apartment, and it would've taken up most of the living room here so I had to get a new couch. And then the bedroom, I made my bed so my dog's crate is underneath my bed. I already had this at my last place, but if I didn't I definitely would've had to come up for it with this one."

How did you come up with your idea for the combination bed frame and dog crate?
"I wanted to find something online, but there just wasn't anything. The only thing I could find was either super expensive or for a smaller dog, and they would all be custom-made. I was like, I don't have that capability. I have power tools and nothing else. So I found on Ikea Hackers someone who used Malm storage units for a kid's bed, and I thought, Oh, I can use Malm on the outside and Kallax on the inside. And then I put standard wooden bed slats on top, and I can pull the crate in and out to get the storage. The only thing I needed to do was make sure they were all anchored well. The whole thing took me two hours."

How did you learn to be so crafty? Where do you get your inspiration?
"Both of my parents are engineers and my dad is quite handy, so I grew up with this idea that if you can't find something you want, make it. I just have to be aware of my limitations. So I tend to save things on Pinterest and see if I can figure out a cheap way to make the same thing. The Ikea Hackers website is really handy — I got ideas for my credenza and my bed from there. Other than that, I'd just think, oh would it look cool if I did something like this? And then iron out the details while scrolling Pinterest."

What are your decorating rules/tips? Best tip you’ve ever learned?
"Don’t spend money you don’t have. I put very firm limits on myself, and this was true when I was looking for apartments, too. 'This is the ideal you want to spend, but you definitely will not spend more than X.' I hold myself to that. Even if you see something you really really want, is it really going to be worth it if you blow your budget on it and something happens and your dog needs medication and you can't pay for it? So I have a strict budget and I stick to it. But that helps me be more creative."

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Everyone Got Bold With Their Looks On The MTV Movie & TV Awards Red Carpet

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Many of us think of award show season as occurring at the start of the year with the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, the Grammys, and the Oscars. By the time we get to summer, we aren’t thinking of red carpet looks and hopeful nominees trying out trends, but we wouldn’t dare miss the MTV Movie & TV Awards.

The statements made by celebrities at this award show might be more casual than a black tie event, but they are no less fashion forward. In fact, we would argue they might be even more so. This is when celebrities, especially the much-buzzed-about newcomers, bust out bright colors, unconventional cuts, and the outfits they wouldn’t put together for the winter award shows. Kiernan Shipka, Lana Condor, Lizzo, and Finn Wolfhard all stepped onto the red carpet with trend-worthy ensembles worthy of a catwalk. After all, you wouldn’t see Elisabeth Moss sporting a snake over half her dress as the Oscars.

This is one of the few awards shows where you will see a mega-budget superhero film nominated in the same category as a viral Netflix original. Where else would you have nominee categories like Best Villain alongside Most Meme-able Moment? The MTV Movie & TV Awards are unexpected and playful, just like the red carpet looks attendees wear to it.

Click through to see some of our favorite red carpet looks from this year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards.

Lizzo

Whenever we know Lizzo will be at an event, we excitedly wait in anticipation of a bold and bright look — and tonight she delivered in a killer ensemble by Christopher John Rogers. Her hair and dress silhouette say Motown diva, but the lime green is all 2019.

David Crotty/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images.

Maude Apatow

We've been seeing her in films since she was little, but now, here for her new HBO series, Euphoria, she's grown up to become quite the iconic dresser.

Jean-Baptiste LaCroix/AFP/Getty Images.

Storm Reid

We first saw Storm Reid step into the spotlight in A Wrinkle In Time. Now, we're just counting down the days until she becomes the face of a high-fashion brand. This kind of sartorial sophistication needs to be front and center.

Jean-Baptiste LaCroix/AFP/Getty Images.

Tessa Thompson

Usually, a blazer completes an outfit. With someone as fashion foward as Tessa Thompson, a whole outfit can be made from the right blazer.

Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic.

Elisabeth Moss

No doubt Elisabeth Moss wants a break from her lusterless Handmaid's attire. We don't blame her. Instead, Moss sported a statement dress that spoke for itself.

Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic.

Daniel Levy

While most people would shy away from red on a red carpet, Schitt's Creek star Daniel Levy decided to embrace the color palette in a bold suit.

Steve Granitz/WireImage.

MJ Rodriguez

The Next Generation nominee and Pose star was right on trend as she stepped out in a color we have been seeing everywhere this summer.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images.

Finn Wolfhard

Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things looked every bit the band frontman in his red carpet ensemble.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/MTV.

Kiernan Shipka

Kiernan Shipka is hardly a newcomer when it comes to television, but she’s proven that she is not only one to watch on screen in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, but in all matter of fashion as well.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/MTV.

Jada Pinkett Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith is a red carpet veteran, and with that comes the innate knowledge of how to work an award show look as chic as an all-silver suit.

Steve Granitz/WireImage.

Lana Condor

One of our newest favorite leading ladies, Lana Condor shows that she will be one of our favorite ones to watch for red carpet looks and Netflix original romantic comedies.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/MTV.

Nico Tortorella & Manny Gutierrez

Okay, is this a red carpet or did they just walk off a fashion week runway? Either way, Nico Tortorella and Manny Gutierrez's outfits are everything we love about the MTV Movie & TV Awards.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/MTV.

Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy is giving us major old Hollywood vibes with this '40s-inspired gown and complementary dark red lip.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/MTV.

Aubrey Plaza

Never doubt the power of a monochrome outfit. Aubrey Plaza is proof that black and white is all you need to be red carpet ready.

David Crotty/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images.

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Elisabeth Moss Wore A Dress Full Of Symbolism To The MTV Movie & TV Awards

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Elisabeth Moss stars as June/Offred/Ofjoseph in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and she’s bringing her message of nolite te bastardes carborundorum, bitches to the red carpet. At the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards, Moss rocked a velvet mini architectural dress by Balmain, complete with a fishnet sleeve and a huge silver serpent, rendered in three glorious dimensions. But is there a secret message that Moss is broadcasting to the world? That serpent comes with serious backstory — and Moss’ dress is loaded with symbolism.

The serpent is an ancient symbol that spans many ancient cultures. It can refer to snakes or wyrms, a wingless, limbless creature with the head of a dragon and the body of a snake. Throughout history, serpents have been a symbol of deception, especially by women — we all know the Biblical story of Eve eating the apple from the Tree of Knowledge. Suppressing feminine energy is a huge theme in The Handmaid’s Tale; women must be sheltered from their own sexuality and power, whether literally through oppressive power structures, or metaphorically through their color-coded, modest clothing. Putting a snake on her dress is one way of acknowledging she sees the oppression of women and is embracing that old school idea of taking it back — by hook or crook, deceptively or right from under their noses.

The serpent can also be found in a very optimistic, familiar place: the caduceus symbol of modern medicine, a winged staff with two intertwining serpents. Moss’ dress reminds us that the serpent also symbolizes healthcare as a noble pursuit. Gilead is a sobering reminder of what can happen if we don’t value women’s healthcare, or women at all.

Moss has been outspoken about Gilead’s oppressive power structure as it relates to our own. Last year, when she accepted her Golden Globe for her portrayal of June, Moss dedicated to award to women and allies who are “brave enough to speak out against intolerance and injustice and to fight for equality and freedom in this world.” Just this week, The Handmaid’s Tale cast recorded a PSA for Harper’s Bazaar and Planned Parenthood, in which they unequivocally affirm that abortion is healthcare — and “denying access to safe, legal abortion care is dangerous and deadly.” It’s unfortunate that this needs to be said, but abortion access is being decimated across the U.S. as we speak.

The red-hooded Handmaid costumes have taken on a life of their own beyond the show. Protesters against anti-abortion measures have arrived at state capitals all over the country, silently donning the cloaks as an eerie reminder of the consequences of rolling back women’s rights. Moss’ serpent gown may also be a nod to those protesters, her way of saying, “I see you.” Refinery29 has reached out to Moss for comment.

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Tessa Thompson's MTV Movie & TV Awards Hairdo Is All About Girl Power

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Men In Black: International may take place in a futuristic, alien universe, but star Tessa Thompson’s latest red carpet hairstyle gives serious vintage vibes.

One of the most well-recognized retro hairstyles has to be victory rolls. Seriously, just turn on any movie or TV show set in or around the 1940s. Walking the red carpet for MTV’s Movie & TV Awards on Saturday, Thompson sported the iconic rolls, along with a cascade of loose waves. And much like Thompson’s historic MIB role — she’s the first woman leading character in the franchise — victory rolls ooze girl power.

The ‘do is said to have gotten its name from a fighter plane maneuver called the aileron roll done as a sign of victory or celebration, hence the term “victory roll.”

During World War II more than 350,000 women served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Likewise, the industrial labor force also saw an uptick in women employees, with nearly one out of every four married women working outside of the home and taking on the jobs of men who were fighting the war, according to the History network. Thompson’s ‘do is reminiscent of a time when women were first finding their place in the American workforce and becoming empowered as contributing members of society and the economy.

It’s said that the women adopted this particular hairstyle because it was practical (it kept hair out of their face), yet still feminine. In other words, it marked the beginning of the day-to-night beauty trend we all know today, and the transition of women in roles beyond wife and mother.

The latter continues today, with more women like Thompson stepping into the stoplight both on-screen and behind the camera, something that the actor hopes becomes more frequent as time goes on.

“In the last 10 years, some of the top-grossing studio films that have been made, women represent only 4% of the directors in that space,” Thompson told NPR, in regards to the 4% Challenge” from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Times Up, of which she was an early and vocal supporter. “There's a misconception for some people in Hollywood that that's the pool of talent.” Thompson took the challenge and vowed to work with a woman director in the next 18 months, and already completed it — her film Little Woods was directed by a first-time woman director, Nia DaCosta.

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Man Arrested After Breaking Into AOC’s Office & Spraying Fire Extinguisher At Police

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A man has been arrested after breaking into New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office on Saturday. When police arrived, he sprayed a fire extinguisher and attempted to hide in the utility closet.

The man has reportedly been identified by the New York City Police Department as Douala Hashi. He has been arrested and charged with menacing, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass. Hashi was known to employees at the building and had argued with people who worked there before rushing up to the third floor, where Ocasio-Cortez’s office is located, according to the New York Post. Members of Ocasio-Cortez’s office called security when they saw Hashi wandering the halls.

When police arrived, Hashi sprayed police officers with a fire extinguisher before running into a utility closet while holding a broken bottle, said police. Hashi was then arrested and taken to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. "It doesn't seem to be a break-in. It seems to be a trespass," said NYPD spokesman George Tsourovakas. Hashi has no relation or connection to Ocasio-Cortez, according to the NYPD.

“It appears to have been a coincidence that this happened in our building. We are glad that it was resolved peacefully,” said Corbin Trent, a spokesman for Ocasio-Cortez, to NBC New York.

Ocasio-Cortez was reportedly in Washington, D.C. over the weekend to appear on ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos when the incident occurred.

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H&M's Latest Collab Will Be On Beaches Everywhere This Season

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Throughout the industry (and beyond) H&M is known for their designer collaborations. Their first was a collection designed by the late Karl Lagerfeld — and it sold out in seconds. Then there was that top secret Giambattista Valli couture capsule that damn near broke the internet. And while their latest collaboration isn't quite as luxurious as a tulle gown on the Cannes red carpet, that doesn't make it any less perfect.

In preparation for a summer of weekend beach trips and poolside hangouts, H&M teamed up with lingerie and swimwear brand, Love Stories to create a 29-piece collection of bikinis, one-pieces, pool cover-ups, and more.

“This flirtatious mix and match swimwear collection is the perfect choice for lounging by the pool or having fun at the beach to casually slipping into a tunic and heading straight to meet friends," says Maria Östblom, Head of Design Womenswear at H&M. And she isn't kidding. No matter where your summer vacation takes you, you can count on H&M x Love Stories to have an outfit for every occasion.

So, before this collection sells out like history proves it will, take a peak at all 29 pieces in the slideshow ahead.

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.

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The Real Meaning Behind Taylor Swift's Giant New Back Tattoo

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We knew Taylor Swift was revamping her image for her seventh album, but a full-on back tattoo? Damn, girl.

Late last week, Swift debuted the single art for her latest song "You Need To Calm Down," from her forthcoming album, Lover. In it, Swift appears as we've never seen her before: Wearing a baby-pink bikini with her back turned to the camera, the "Me!" singer reveals a truly enormous tattoo that winds from just below her bra strap all the way up to her neck. The back tat briefly resurfaced again today in her "You Need To Calm Down" music video  — right before she covers it with a giant, hot-pink fur coat to lounge in the pool (naturally).

Swift's Instagram caption matched ours and most fans reactions: "Gxgjxkhdkdkydkhdkhfjvjfj."

View this post on Instagram

Gxgjxkhdkdkydkhdkhfjvjfj

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on

The ink features a motif we've come to associate with Swift's new era: a snake transforming into a swarm of butterflies. The same imagery is also reflected in the very beginning of her "Me!" music video, which shows a snake erupting into butterflies. Fans have already concluded that it likely symbolizes Swift's own metamorphosis from the darker, snake themes of her Reputation era (when the "Old Taylor was dead") to a place of being reborn and happy. With her latest album reportedly all about love, it makes sense. Another interesting layer to the butterfly-and-heart motif: A group of butterflies is often referred to as a "kaleidoscope," which could bring new meaning to the famous lyric she referenced in her "Me!" video: "Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats."

As you can probably imagine, fans are losing their minds over this one.

While we are guessing this tattoo is most likely a fake, that isn't stopping fans from wanting to copy the look — either temporarily or permanently.

Not since Mandy Moore in A Walk To Remember have we seen a fake butterfly back tattoo make such a splash among the youth, and if Swift is strategic about it, we smell a great merch opportunity (along with glitter heart makeup and blue-and-pink hair chalk) in her future.

Get a better look at Swift's back tattoo in her "You Need To Calm Down" music video below.

This story has been updated.

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Fashion Mogul Gloria Vanderbilt Has Died

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Gloria Vanderbilt, a design icon who redefined the denim industry by creating jeans that were actually cut for women’s bodies, passed away at the age of 95. According to her son, CNN ’s Anderson Cooper, she died Monday morning surrounded by family and friends.

“Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms,” Anderson said in a statement. “She was a painter, a writer, and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend. She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they’d tell you: She was the youngest person they knew — the coolest and most modern.”

Before building a fashion empire, Gloria was among the most closely followed people of the 20th century, having been born into one of the country’s wealthiest and most well-known families. As The New York Times put it, “She was America’s most famous non-Hollywood child in the Roaring Twenties and Depression years, the great-great granddaughter of the 19th-century railroad-steamship magnate Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.”

As an infant, the Times reports that she inherited a $2.5 million trust fund — equivalent to $37 million today — which she wasn’t allowed to access until she turned 21.

But Gloria was much more than the typical socialite. In 1969, she received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award for her fashion and textile designs. Not long after, she turned the industry upside down with a collection of ready-to-wear pieces, most notably with jeans specifically made for women (most mass-produced jeans at the time were designed for men). Her eponymous clothing line soon became a $100 million-a-year business.

“I’m not knocking inherited money,” she told the Times in 1985. “But the money I’ve made has a reality to me that inherited money doesn’t have. As the Billie Holiday song goes, ‘Mama may have and Papa may have, but God bless the child that’s got his own.’”

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I Got Naked At A Clothing-Optional, Adults-Only Resort

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When I was invited to spend four days at Hedonism II, a clothing-optional, adults-only resort in Jamaica, I knew immediately that I wanted to go. But not because of the nudity. I’d never been to Jamaica, or anywhere else in the Caribbean. As a Sagittarius moon, I was not going to turn down the opportunity to travel somewhere new, especially if I got to do so as part of my job. I told my editor that I would get naked for the story and tried not to think about the fact that I hadn’t even worn a bikini since I was, oh, 11.

See, I’m plus-size, fat, chubby, curvy, whatever you want to call it (just not “fluffy,” please). Most days, I’d say that I exist in the realm of body neutrality — meaning I might not always love my body, but usually, I'm okay with it. I aim for better feelings than that, and sometimes I achieve them. I don’t count calories, I fill my Instagram feed with beautiful fat babes, I listen to Lizzo, I shop at Premme. But then a friend of a friend will grab my belly and ask when the baby’s due, when the only thing in there is a burrito and I’m holding a beer in my hand. (Yes, that happened.) I’m on the smaller end of the plus-size spectrum, and there is a lot of fatphobia that others experience that I do not. But ever since I was a pre-teen, I’ve been aware that I’m bigger than many people around me think I should be. A lot of them have let me know it.

It’s hard enough when it’s strangers, but a couple years ago, an ex broke up with me by saying some incredibly cruel things about my body. My confidence plummeted for a long time after, and while it’s slowly been climbing in the past year, I still had a long way to go. A bikini felt like a big step, but if I was going to end up naked, I had to start somewhere. It’d be easier to go from one-piece to bikini to topless to naked than to skip those middle steps, right?

PHoto: courtesy Hedonism II.

So I ordered a bright blue bikini from ASOS. I didn’t love what I saw in the mirror, but I put it in my suitcase anyway. Then I got on a plane to Jamaica, and a bus to Negril.

After arriving at the resort, I was struck by how beautiful it was — the clear, blue ocean; sandy beaches; palm trees everywhere. It was humid enough to make my hair wave, but not so humid that I felt gross. As I settled in for a post-flight plate of jerk chicken, I saw a naked man strolling across the beach. The fact that this was a clothing-optional resort suddenly felt real.

A few hours later, I watched Hedonism’s nightly entertainment — this time a dance show featuring incredibly skilled performers showing off sexy moves, entertainers executing airborne routines on curtains hung from the ceiling, and, for the finale, a choreographed milk bath. But while the dancers were ridiculously talented and gorgeous, I couldn’t stop looking at the audience. People of all ages, sizes, and races rocked outfits they clearly felt amazing in — whether that meant a cute cocktail dress, a sheer teddy, or a collar and leash. Nobody was making fun of anyone or even looking at them sideways. I was surrounded by strangers in lingerie and fetish-wear, but the thing that felt the weirdest was the atmosphere of total acceptance.

Later that night, I joined a few other writers to check out a sex toy demonstration, only to find out that this was a live sex toy demonstration. That’s right, I watched people try out dildos and a Sybian machine. Not only were people of various ages and sizes getting naked, they were actually using sex toys in front of an audience. And again, the atmosphere was one of total acceptance. Arousal? Sure. Curiosity? Definitely. Judgmental looks? Not at Hedo.

PHoto: courtesy Hedonism II.

Over the next few days, I saw people having sex in a pool and in an open-air cabana. I saw nude men and women walking around or lounging on the beach without any sign of self-consciousness or insecurity. Again and again, I was more surprised by how comfortable people seemed, and how encouraging and accepting those around them were, than by all the sex and nudity going on. And then it was my turn to get naked.

Hedonism II is divided into two beaches: the Prude beach, where you can wear clothes or not, and the Nude beach, where nudity is required. If you’d like to, you can stay on the Prude side the entire time, swimming in the ocean or chilling by the pool with a book and a pina colada (I read four and drank many). But I’d promised myself that I would experience the whole, well, experience. So after an afternoon of snorkeling in my bikini (success!), I joined some other women from the press group and headed to the nude beach — with the help of a shot or two. At the sign reading “No Clothing Beyond This Point,” we simultaneously stripped down. At first, I felt totally exposed and self-conscious. But within a few minutes, that feeling began to fade. Everyone on the entire beach was naked, after all, and nobody gave me a second glance. I even walked up to the bar and ordered a drink — totally naked. I kept thinking about the way I’d grown up, with strict school dress codes and Christian youth group admonishments to dress modestly. The me of 10 years ago would be astonished by the me of the present. It felt exhilarating.

But while being naked in public felt liberating, it didn’t feel particularly sexy. That came later that night, at the “toga foam party," which is exactly what it sounds like — a sexier, friendlier, more grown-up version of a frat party. The toga I was wearing showed a lot of side boob, and I was feeling self-conscious again. Until someone asked me to dance in the foam (Hedo is all about affirmative consent) and I discovered he was very into the side boob. And front boob. I know I shouldn’t need to be showered in compliments about my body to feel sexy, but what can I say? It helps. And no, I didn’t have sex, but I did make out on the beach, and it was a lot of fun. (And yes, he told me I could write about him.)

After that night, I didn’t become the nakedest, most adventurous person at Hedo. I didn’t volunteer for a sex toy demo or even participate in one of the nightly costume contests. But I did wear a sheer, hot pink bodysuit to the party on my last night — a bodysuit that had been in my dresser for two years but that I had never worn outside my own bedroom.

As I was told a few times, Hedonism means “pursuit of pleasure.” Many people come to Hedo for the sex, or the nudity, or the parties. What I took away from the experience was the acceptance. For a few days, I existed in a world in which I heard only positive things about my body and bodies that look like mine, where I could show every inch of skin without questions or criticism. A world in which people could wear what they wanted to without judgment, and everyone believed that anything resembling sexual activity, even dancing, required consent. I don’t plan on having public sex anytime soon, but I hope that I can take some of the freedom and confidence I felt at Hedo with me forever. And I’ll definitely wear that blue bikini again this summer.

Hedonism II provided the press trip the writer of this story attended. However, Hedonism II did not approve or review this story.

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JoJo Siwa Speaks Out After Her Claire's Makeup Kit Was Recalled

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JoJo Siwa is breaking her silence a week after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration warned consumers that her Claire's makeup kit tested positive for asbestos — the harmful fiber that's been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other pulmonary diseases. This Sunday, the YouTube star, who has nearly 10 million subscribers, shared a video titled "My Makeup" to finally address the controversy.

The 16-year-old maintained the bubbly personality that she's known for, laughing a bit at the start of her video. "I was going to start this video all serious and dramatic, but that's not who I am and that's not what this video is about," she said before admitting that this was "actually a little bit more serious" than her usual videos.

Siwa, who rose to fame on the television show Dance Moms, went on to acknowledge the situation. "Recently, it’s been brought up to my attention that there has been a problem with one of my products in Claire’s stores, with one of the JoJo makeup products,” she says. “I just want to let everyone know that, no matter what, safety is myself and Nickelodeon’s number-one priority in everything, in every JoJo product and in everything out there.”

She further explained: “This product is something that, with a lot of things, that I put my trust into other people’s hands. We are working really, really hard to make sure that this product is recalled and off all shelves." The internet star also let customers know that they will get refunded, whether the product was used or not, which Claire's also announced last week. At the end, she thanked her fans for their support during this circumstance saying, "I thank you for understanding, because it is serious to me, and it means a lot to me because it is my name, and it is my brand, and it is my face — quite literally."

Claire's spoke out immediately following the FDA statement last week telling Refinery29 in an email: "Claire’s Stores, Inc. has voluntarily recalled the JoJo Cosmetic Kit out of an abundance of caution after testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicated the possible presence of trace amounts of asbestos fibers in the powder eyeshadow element of the kit. Claire’s stands behind the safety of this item and all other Claire’s cosmetic items, as such small trace amounts are considered acceptable under European and Canadian cosmetic safety regulations. We will provide a full refund to any customers who purchased the product."

Prior to this month's recall, the retailer faced similar backlash from the FDA. There was a warning issued earlier this year that highlighted specific Claire's cosmetics with asbestos. Also, back in 2017, nine products were recalled after a Rhode Island mom sent her daughter's glitter makeup from the store in for independent lab testing. Clearly Claire's is under a microscope right now, but in general, the cosmetics industry could use more oversight to ensure that products are safe for consumers.

Refinery29 has reached out to Claire's for comment and will update this story when we hear back.

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Ready, Set, Shop: Wayfair's 72-Hour Sale Ends Tomorrow

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Wayfair is making its own long weekend waves with a 72-hour sale offering up to 70% off its stocked collection of home buys. The three-day event started this Saturday and ends tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. sharp. It's time to shop right on by those Monday blues for double deals on bestselling furniture, bedding, kitchen essentials, storage solutions, and more while they last.

We already got a head start on bookmarking the goods we hope see even steeper price cuts during the three-day extravaganza. The particular products we're eyeing are top rated favorites approved by an enthusiastic group of Wayfair reviewers — including under $20 sheet sets boasting over 50,000 reviews and premium stand mixers for more than 50% off, to name a few.

Scroll ahead to craft your own list of add-to-cart pieces and keep checking back as we update this post with the freshest deals rolling in daily for the remaining 24-hours and counting.

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.

Wayfair Basics Sheet Set

This simple set of white sheets has 4.6 out of 5 stars and a whopping 54,000+ reviews — starting with but not ending at, "I am very picky with sheets. I can't believe how soft these are, and I love that they have deep pockets so it fits over my mattress and the mattress topper. And you can't beat this price. The quality is amazing."



Wayfair Basics 1800 Series 4 Piece Sheet Set, $19.98, available at Wayfair

Mint Pantry 16-Piece Dining Set

This stocked earthenware dining set is dressed for summer with pastel, watertight glaze — and over 900 plus 5-star reviews: "These dishes are absolutely STUNNING."



Mint Pantry Valia 16 Piece Full Set, Service for 4, $49.99, available at Wayfair

Brookside Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper

At 65% off, this gel memory foam mattress topper is a premium bedroom steal — the supportive sleep product boasts 4.7 out of 5 stars in addition to over 1,000 reviews ranging the likes of, "This is my first night sleeping on this mattress topper and I have to say it's like sleeping on a cloud...great way to renew an old mattress."



Brookside 2.5" Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper, $49.58, available at Wayfair

Mistana Area Rug

This stylish customer favorite boasts over a whopping 25,000 reviews, a rating consensus of 4.8 out of 5 stars, and color options spanning from light gray to dusty pink and deep blue.



Mistana Clair Area Rug (4' x 6'), $71.98, available at Wayfair

Will Arlo Interiors Sleeper Sofa

Over 6,000 reviewers settled on a 4.5 out of 5-star rating for this elegant sleeper sofa with velvet upholstery and multi-position lounging capabilities.

One customer raves: "I've been continuously rechecking this site for this couch because it is always sold out EVERYWHERE! Let me tell you, if you need a couch & this item happens to be available, BUY IT! At first I was a little skeptical so I waited... the blue sold out... then I said no worries, I'll get the grey... then the grey sold out! Well about a month later I finally I saw it was available & I ordered it right away! No regrets! The color is perfect and I love playing around with the different color pillows and throws that compliment the blue. Looks and feels better than it looks online. Can't get any better for this price. Also, I'm 5'7 & can lay flat across this couch, perfect for laying out & watching TV. With the back down, it could comfortably fit 2 people about 6' tall. Another piece I'd recommend 100%."



Willa Arlo Interiors Nia Pin Sleeper, $319.99, available at Wayfair

Cuisinart 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer

This elevated kitchen staple is already on sale for over 50% off, and we can't wait to snag it for even more of a steal come 9 a.m. tomorrow morning — the top rated appliance comes with 12 different speeds in an array of rainbow sheens, from stainless steel to powder blue and candy red.



Cuisinart 12 Speed 5.5 Qt. Stand Mixer, $159.99, available at Wayfair

ClosetMaid Storage Bench

This simple cubby-style storage bench boasts over 5,000 5 out of 5-star reviews, describing the organizational buy as an easy-to-assemble bargain of premium quality.



ClosetMaid Cubeicals Shoe Storage Bench, $63.99, available at Wayfair

Stainless Steel Sensor Trash Can

Make trash look good with this sleek, motion-activated appliance that over 2,000 reviewers give 5 out of 5 stars: "Makes me feel like a Jedi. Still working after 5 years. Can't beat it. Only problem I have is when I go over a friend's house and forget that not all trash cans are automatic and stand there like a moron with my hands over the bin waiting for it to open. Great purchase and highly recommend."



Nine Stars Stainless Steel 13.2 Gallon Motion Sensor Trash Can, $59.99, available at Wayfair

Alwyn Home Pillow-Top Mattress

At over 50% off, this 10-inch mattress offers firm support mixed with pressure-relieving pillow-top comfort that over 5,000 once-skeptical reviewers now swear by: "Honestly, after reading reviews about products I'm still skeptical...but I can tell you, I'm so glad I ordered this mattress. It came in a box, and it was so easy...All you have to do is to unwrap and leave it for half an hour and it's ready for use. Very comfy!!! Not too soft, not too firm...Just perfect!!! I'm very happy with my purchase..Highly highly recommended if you looking for comfort and a great price. Pros: after unwrapping it's basically ready for use...Cons: none."



Alwyn Home 10" Firm Pillow Top Mattress, $154.99, available at Wayfair

Trent Austin Designs Coffee Table

Refresh your living space with a rustic-chic and storage-capable coffee table that over 4,000 reviewers sum up as a 5 out of 5-star steal: "Better than I could have hoped for. Easy to put together, about 15 minutes. Wood is reclaimed and very rich looking. Would have paid far more at high end furniture stores. Sign of good piece of furniture is the weight of the piece and this is a heavy piece of furniture."



Trent Austin Design Kinsella Coffee Table, $147.99, available at Wayfair

Bungalow Rose Reversible Quilt Set

This vibrant floral bedding impressively boasts a 4.8 out of 5-star rating with 2,000+ rave reviews — customers claim that the 100% cotton sham and quilt set for 58% off is everything from beautiful to lightweight and high quality chic sleep material.



Bungalow Rose Briaroaks Reversible Quilt Set, $74.7, available at Wayfair

Beachcrest Home Table Lamp

Add a touch of big beach energy to your space with this top rated, glass-crafted lamp that customers can't get enough of: "Absolutely beautiful textured glass base. Narrow profile for tight spaces but definitely makes a statement. Could look contemporary or beachy and looks right at home in my glam cabin. Lovely, reflected, sparkling light when bulb is on. Just the right amount of understated glamour for me without any bling."



Beachcrest Home Barnwell 20" Table Lamp, $55.99, available at Wayfair

Wade Logan Shag Rug

Pick up an area rug that is simple, sturdy, and customer approved — this shag number in a cool cloud gray covers all those bases with over 13,000 reviews amounting to a 4.7 out of 5-star rating and accolades along the likes of, "Everyone who sees this rug loves it. It is super plush and soft underfoot and luxurious and it holds up perfectly to a Dyson vacuum."



Wade Logan Thaddeus Colorway Silver Area Rug (4' x 6'), $64.98, available at Wayfair

Lark Manor Double Dresser

We did not know we needed a powder-pink, six-drawer dresser until we set eyes on this top rated closeout — and over 2,000 gushing reviews. One reading "As soon as I unboxed this, I knew I would love it. The quality is spectacular and the finish on it is beautiful. It looks great in my bedroom," sealed the shopping deal. (If you're not into pink, this steal comes in a wide range of subtler color options from white to gray and classic woodgrain.)



Lark Manor Lisle 6 Drawer Double Dresser, $389.99, available at Wayfair

Langley Street Jute Ottoman

Kick your feet up or take a seat on this under-$100 jute poof in a classic navy hue.



Langley Street Koby Sphere Pouf, $90.15, available at Wayfair

August Grove Upholstered Headboard

Updating your bedroom is just an under $100 headboard away with this simple but stylish August Grove number upholstered in a sea-foam fabric.

Reviews rave: "This Upholstered Headboard is absolutely beautiful! It arrived two to three days after I ordered it along with free shipping (definitely a plus). This headboard was easy to assemble and it looks beautiful."



August Grove Corneau Upholstered Panel Headboard, $76.31, available at Wayfair

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One Of Marchesa’s Founders To Exit — & It’s Not Who You Think

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After news broke in late 2017 of Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual misconduct, which dismantled his career and inspired the #MeToo and #TimesUp initiatives, many wondered how the scandal would affect his estranged wife Georgina Chapman and her fashion line Marchesa. Although Chapman and her co-founder Keren Craig skipped the traditional runway show to present their fall 2018 collection, at the time, Craig insisted it was business as usual. But on Tuesday, Craig announced she was leaving the brand, once a red carpet mainstay.

"While I have made the difficult decision to part ways with Marchesa, I have tremendous pride in the company, the team, and the many successes achieved," Craig says in a statement, Fashionista is reporting. "Marchesa will always be the realization of a dream. Over the last 16 years, it has been the most incredible and fulfilling professional journey. I am excited to now begin exploring additional creative opportunities and to push my potential as a designer in new directions."

In the wake of Weinstein's downfall, the brand's future seemed uncertain as more and more celebrities spoke out about being bullied into wearing Marchesa by the movie mogul. When the Weinstein story first broke, actress Jessica Chastain took to Twitter, writing, “I was warned from the beginning. The stories were everywhere. To deny that is to create an environment for it to happen again.” also reportedly tried to pressure Felicity Huffman, Renée Zellweger, and Kerry Washington to wear Marchesa to Hollywood events.

In the midst of the allegations, Marchesa and its co-founders retreated into silence. The brand slowly began to reemerge in what Racked called a comeback "carefully orchestrated by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour." Wintour was a once close friend of the Weinsteins, who also commissioned a feature about Chapman in the June 2018 issue of the magazine. Constance Wu wore Marchesa during a pivotal scene in the movie Crazy Rich Asians and Scarlett Johansson wore the label to the 2018 Met Gala — an event in which every little detail is selected by Wintour herself.

Whether or not Marchesa will actually be able to stage a comeback, we eagerly await Craig's next steps.

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Cute Women's Beach Dresses, Because Normal Cover-Ups Are So 2000 & Late

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Beach dresses rightfully sit in their own category because the right beach dress should involve as little effort as going to the beach itself. As long as it checks off the boxes for functionality, is easy to take on and off, and possesses a whimsical air that says, " Yeah, I'm on vacation," you're covered.

But, if you're a little stuck with where to look beyond the typical caftans and cover-ups, opting for a silhouette you regularly wear anyway — like a wrap dress (hello, easy swimsuit access) or an off-the-shoulder number — is a good place to start. You'll also want to make sure your chosen fabric is light and breathable (think linen and light cotton), and something you don't mind getting wet (going to the beach should be worry-free, after all). To help you leave that years-old printed smock behind this summer, we've rounded up 18 beach dresses to wear anywhere, anytime. Fun in the sun never looked so good.

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.

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Lauren Chan Couldn’t Find The Perfect Plus-Size Workwear, So She Designed It Herself

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If you talk to any two people about their experiences in the workforce, you’ll get two entirely different answers. We’re in an age of nonlinear career paths — of early starts, late blooms, extreme pivots, and, more often than not, an accumulation of wildly different roles — and there is something to be learned from everyone’s unique path. That’s why we partnered with Clear Eyes, the #1 selling eye drop brand whose latest campaign is all about celebrating the moments in life when we truly shine. Together, we spoke to women whose trajectories have been anything but traditional — and landed them right where they were meant to be.

For some women, buying a new blazer is a grab-and-go situation. Got an event Friday? Wear a size 8? Walk into the nearest retailer and you’ll probably be in luck. No, seriously. If you can go into a store and find a blazer that fits you on the first try, you are extremely lucky. For women who wear over a size 12, finding a blazer that fits can take weeks, because most blazers aren’t designed to fit their bodies comfortably. As a result, many end up settling for pieces that don’t make them feel good about themselves.

At the office, the experience of wearing ill-fitting workwear might mean spending an entire meeting pulling at a button-up shirt because your bra is peeking through the gap between the buttons or adjusting your pants before you sit down and worrying about where the waistband is cutting your stomach. Which isn’t to say you’re not paying attention at the meeting, but the anxiety over your clothes might lead to other concerns about perception in the workplace. “The ripple effect of a button-down that doesn’t fit is tangible,” says Lauren Chan, the founder, CEO, and designer of workwear line Henning, launching this fall. “It affects the work that you’re doing and the work you’re given the opportunity to do.”

Over the course of her adult life, Chan has shopped for sizes ranging from 12 to 20, and as someone who describes her background as working in plus fashion and “capital F” fashion (writing and editing for magazines) before plus-size became part of the zeitgeist, she’s most grateful for her experiences shopping above a size 18 — because she learned just how difficult it can be to find trendy pieces that fit bodies like hers. “Your experience with not only the clothes in fashion but the ideas of representation and spaces where you feel welcome and how you’re able to present yourself as a person…it changes so much,” she says of wearing above size 18.

At 21, Chan graduated from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, where she studied sociology and French. She dreamed of becoming a fashion editor but couldn’t obtain a visa to move to New York and start interning. Instead, she attended an agency open call for plus models and signed with them the same day, so she could move to New York as a model. “I had almost two separate work lives,” she says. “I was interning and writing for [fashion magazines], and then I was going to work as a plus-size model for [major brands].”

Soon, Chan was hired as fashion features editor at one of those magazines. She was overseeing the trend coverage and fashion editorial writing at the publication but also paid special attention to the plus-size beat and ensured it received enough real estate online and in print. Her coverage of plus-size fashion led to appearances on TV morning shows and caught the attention of a plus-size powerhouse fashion brand, which proposed a collaboration, with Chan on board as designer. “That was my first foray into product,” she says.

While shaping the national conversation around luxury fashion and models (remember that cover story?), Chan was wearing fast fashion to work every morning, because fast fashion brands are some of the only ones producing on-trend pieces for the plus-size community. “I realized I was reporting on these luxury brands for years that I had never ever worn. The irony was not lost on me.” During this time, plus-size labels started launching buzzy campaigns, designers started casting models above sample size for fashion week, and plus models started appearing on more magazine covers. On social media, consumers demanded options beyond shapeless frocks and peplum tops. Soon, Chan considered leaving her role at the magazine to start a workwear company.

“I didn’t go to fashion school, I’d never made clothes on my own before, and I’d never run a business,” she says. “Everything I was doing after leaving my fashion job was new to me.” Henning is self-funded, which means Chan has total control over every decision as she chooses fabrics and cuts, designs branding, and plans the launch schedule for the fall. Though she won’t get too specific about the line, she describes it as “fit with a plus-size body in mind,” which means hidden buttons in the oxford shirts to prevent gaping and elastic fused to the back of the trousers. Henning’s Instagram is rife with muted and tonal blues, tans, corals, and mustards. While the collection has been said to form around a power suit, there’s also a high-key flattering trench coat Chan has been photographed wearing on Instagram and in an online feature about what’s in her closet.

Though her career has followed a roundabout path — as those of many multihyphenates do — Chan has made decisions based on a single guiding principle: “My end goal is to make women who have felt excluded and disadvantaged in life because of their size feel included and capable and valuable through fashion,” she says. “I always thought my means to that end was through magazines and content and speaking to her. Now, I’m doing that through being an entrepreneur and providing product to her.”

Moving from office life to self-employment can be a big adjustment, but Chan says the most noticeable difference has been the day-to-day energy flow. “Recognizing your wins, whether big or small, is really important in this process because those are the things that keep you going as an entrepreneur, so every day there’s a shining moment, whether it’s big or small, and every day there’s a low moment, whether it’s big or small,” she says. “That is a new cadence that I’m learning to balance.”

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The Simple Way To Wear Instagram's Trendiest Manicure

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For some, the rainbow manicure trend — with every fingernail painted a different color — might feel a little intimidating. It's hard enough to pick one polish color, so the thought of curating five that play well together (undertones and all) brings on a massive headache. Luckily, for those who've been hesitant to try the look, the summer variation on the multicolored manicure is the most wearable yet. The key is sticking with soft, pastel polishes.

Ahead, we've rounded up photos that showcase exactly how to pull off the pastel rainbow manicure. It's one part fun, one sunshine-y — but it's still attainable for those who tend to fall back on the French manicure because it sidesteps statement-making neons for more muted shades. From baby pink paired with creamsicle orange to a lavender and light green combo, read on to find your soft-hued rainbow manicure inspiration.

Nail artist Betina Goldstein calls this look "matte summer sunshine."

Here, nail pro Queenie Nguyen mixed five pastel-toned polishes by CND: Creekside (blue), Sun Bleached (yellow), Salmon Run (peach), Mint Convertible (green), and Candied (pink).

The pastel rainbow was practically tailor-made for short, clean fingernails. This particular look also incorporates glitter to make the mani even more festive.

Cool-toned shades — like mossy green and grey-blue — will give you a fresh, earthy vibe. Plus, this version of the look doubles the number of polishes to create a two-tone effect.

We know the single-tone creamsicle manicure is popular for summer 2019 (Selena Gomez is a fan, too), but now we're thinking we'll mix our peach polish with a Starburst pink.

One commenter dubbed this soft blend of tones a "pastel delight."

We're influenced two-fold: by the fun rainbow manicure and the dainty wrist tattoo, inked in perfect cursive.

Long, almond tips make the perfect backdrop for a colorful blend. The shape also calls to mind the Easter candy that this look closely resembles: Jordan Almonds.

Still iffy on tones? Light blue, pink, and lavender polishes tend to play well together, while still coming off as super soft.

Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and inspiration on the Refinery29 Pinterest page — we'll see you there!

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With a client roster that includes Lady Gaga, Kesha, Ciara, Beyoncé, and even Jay-Z, celebrity manicurist Miho Okawara has tended to the nail beds of some of the biggest stars in the world. Famous for her innovative trends using beads, wires, chains, and more, it's safe to say that the L.A.-based pro knows a thing or two about what makes nail art Instagram-worthy.

Pearl manicures, deep French tips, and watermelon-inspired designs are all already on our radar — but according to Okawara, there are countless new original styles on the horizon this year. Ahead, Okawara unveils the biggest nail crazes to look out for this summer.

This story was originally published on Refinery29 UK.

Neon Cow Print

Thanks to celebrities like Kendall Jenner, cow-print nails are huge at the moment, but Okawara has seen a movement away from traditional black and white — now, clients are requesting the print in bold neon hues. Surprisingly, she says, "Brighter colors and bold prints like this look better on shorter nails. But if you find it difficult to do nail art on shorter nails, just opt for a simple color block using one color on one side of the nail and a different shade on the other side."

3D Resin Nails

"3D nails are getting bigger and better," says Okawara — and her latest creations are proof. She has recently created 'resin' or 'brooch' nails by sticking pictures onto the nail and applying layer after layer of clear gel on top. The finished result looks as though the image is framed, or embedded in resin or enamel.

Geode Nails With A Twist

Similar to resin nails, Okawara applies a colorful sticker to the nail and coats it in a veneer of gel, so that the end result resembles gemstone or crystal. She says that this is a much better option than using nail glue to stick on real gemstones, which could damage the nail bed — plus, the stones are likely to fall off after a few days of wear.

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Do “The Hills” Reboot Cast’s Star Charts Mean They’re Fated For Drama?

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According to astrological compatibility, the time, date, and location we were born play a factor in determining who we click with as friends, who we make it work with as romantic partners, and who just plain gets on our nerves. For the cast of The Hills: The New Beginnings, their star charts may provide a hint at what’s to come. Is perfectionist Virgo Kaitlynn Jenner fated to butt heads with newcomer Brandon Thomas Lee, a charming Gemini? Will Mischa Barton, an independent Aquarius, find the group dynamics annoying and strike out on her own?

Newcomers Barton, Lee, and Kaitlynn Jenner joined veteran cast members Brody Jenner (Leo) and Stephanie Pratt (Aries) to play “Star Charts ” with Refinery29. In this game, the contestants try to guess which astrological description fits which person. (Who else wants to play this at their next party?)

First up: “This person is a perfectionist who thinks about things on an intellectual level and may come off as unemotional. They are sociable and easy to talk to. They may be ambitious, even if their goals are untraditional.” The answer? Heidi Montag, a Virgo sun and Aquarius moon. And even though no one got it right, they all agreed the description fits Heidi to a T.

Here's another: "This person's sun and moon combo makes them warm and confident, but not overbearing. They have a big heart and take pride in who they are. They value being liked and being perceived as creative. They are often the life of the party and are great at making friends. Picking a fight with them is a bad idea.” It's Whitney Port, a Pisces sun and Leo moon.

Watch the rest of the game (and find out who wins by a landslide) above.

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