When considering your skin and hair-care routines, it may be what's inside a product that counts — but in 2019, the packaging is also worthy of your attention. As consumers and beauty fanatics, it's both impossible and irresponsible to ignore the industry's carbon footprint. While it's fantastic progress that microbeads were banned last year, and that we're buying more natural formulas than ever, it's also important to address the container.

Accounting for just over 40% of total plastic usage, but with only 14% of it being recycled, packaging has a huge impact on the environment. The solution? Along with reducing your water waste with shorter showers, cutting open bottles to make the most of the product inside, and buying dual-use products that work harder, you can buy from brands that are committed to placing sustainability front and center.

From no-waste bottles to recycled and recyclable cardboard boxes, we've found the companies doing just that. Click through to shop the beauty brands we're lining our bathroom shelves with in a bid to help the planet.

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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Whether you’re on your first date with a new parter or you've been together for years, there’s nothing like kissing someone you’re really, really into. And of course, you want to make sure that your partner enjoys kissing you as much as you love kissing them. So, what makes a good kisser? There’s no textbook definition, because different people like different things — one person might love ear kisses, while another might hate them. In fact, the only thing that might make you a bad kisser is if you expect everyone you kiss to like exactly the same things, instead of paying attention to each person's preferencees.

"Great kissing is part knowledge, part attitude, and part skill," Eric Marlowe Garrison, an AASECT-certified clinical sexologist and author, previously told Refinery29. "There is also no universal definition of a great kiss, so learning how to kiss well is a game of show and tell.”

That said, there are some general tips we can share for inspiration — feel free to modify based on what you and your partner enjoy.

via GIPHY

How to start a kiss

When you're going to kiss someone, lean in slowly. Instead of immediately jamming your tongue down your partner’s throat, start with a kiss on the lips. If they pull back or freeze, stop. And if you're not sure if they'd like you to kiss them, you can always ask.

How to be a good French kisser

Once you’ve started kissing, add some tongue. Begin by gently touching your tongue to your partner’s. “The tongue is a very strong muscle – it should only be served with finesse,” Andréa Demirjian, kissing expert and author of KISSING: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About One of Life’s Sweetest Pleasures, previously told Refinery29. “Keep it supple and gentle.”

Though it’s not a universal rule, OKCupid data shows that 90% of men and 88% of women prefer long, slow kisses, while 8% of men and 11% of women prefer little, sweet kisses. So a long, slow, French kiss is a good bet.

How to be good at neck kisses

Once your make-out session is in full swing, add in some neck kisses. Kiss your partner’s neck softly for a few seconds — unless you’d like to leave a hickey, that is. (Hickeys can be fun, but check with your partner to see if they'd like one, first.)

Along with neck kisses, some people love ear kisses. Try lightly kissing your partner’s earlobe — if they’re into it, they’ll let you know. You can also try using your teeth. Some people love a light bite on their neck, ear, or lower lip.

How to be good at making out

Sticking with one type of kiss can get boring, so vary it up by moving between French kisses, shorter kisses, and neck kisses. Don’t keep your hands by your sides! Wrap them around your partner, touch their arms, back, or face, or head for one of their erogenous zones.

Remember, different people like different things

Maybe your ex loved it when you bit their lower lip, but your new partner wants you to keep your teeth away from their skin, thanks. They’re both right — and the only way you’ll know what a good kiss means to your partner is to kiss them a lot and find out what they’re into. And hey, that’s the fun part.

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July is a scuba dive into the deep sea of sales. Post Prime Day, our shopping tanks are running on empty and we're ready to come up for air — but, just as we start to surface, another lure of irresistible deals floats in to hook us: a big kahuna called Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. The annual event kicked off on Friday, July 19 with major cross-category discounts on premium brands that not even our spent bank accounts can resist.

Before you take a shopping reprieve, join us for one final dive into the most wanted Nordstrom scores. We looked back at last year's carts and crafted a list of R29 reader's most wanted products to shop for 2019's extravaganza. There's a little sale something for everyone; from exclusive beauty sets to plush home bundles, top-rated fashion basics, stylish luggage, and more. With just enough shopping oxygen left in the month, it's time to swim through the 29 deals 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. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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Christina Fuser — Refinery29 's Senior Product Manager — loves her hair. She'd go as far as to say that her naturally bouncy, brunette curls are her single-favorite feature, but now, she's feeling ready for a lighter, brighter change.

"I'm going through a phase of transformation," she tells R29. "I'm meeting new friends, learning a new language, trying new things. I'm trying to be open to things I previously wouldn't consider, so if there was ever a time to try a hair transformation — from brunette to very bright blonde — it would be now."

For this episode of Hair Me Out, Fuser headed to NYC's trendy Spoke & Weal salon in SoHo, where colorist Haley Parker lightened her long brown hair with a blonde balayage treatment. The inspiration for the color was actress Emma Roberts, who recently colored her hair a rooted 'boho blonde' color. The look is very light through the shafts and ends, but maintains some of the natural darkness at the roots for dimension.

Parker re-created the color using a two-step process. First, she painted the hair with a blonde bleach, then she let it set under aluminum foil. After rinsing and toning, Fuser was given a boho braid by Spoke & Weal hairstylist D'Angelo Alston to really play up the new blonde color.

The end result is more than what Fuser was expecting. "It looks like I've been living on a beach for six years and never cut my hair," she says, running her fingers through her loose, long waves. "I love that it's a very natural highlight — not fake-looking at all. It feels different, in the best way, and it's exactly the kind of change I was looking for."

Press play to see Fuser's complete transformation.

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Welcome toMoney Diaries , where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.

Today: a healthcare analyst who makes $84,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on Two-Buck Chuck.

Occupation: Healthcare Analyst
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 28
Location: Omaha, NE
Salary: $84,000
Paycheck Amount (Biweekly): $2,300
Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $900 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment (This includes internet as well as parking for the first six months of my lease.)
Loans: $1,000 (I have $60,000 in loans for grad school and my car. My parents kindly loaned to me for both, interest-free.)
Health Insurance: $19 (pre-tax)
401(k): $175 (pre-tax; my employer matches this)
Car Insurance: $125
Renter's Insurance: $12
Utilities: ~$80
Phone Plan: $40
Netflix, Hulu, etc.: $0 (I mooch off my brother and parents.)
Savings: $1,000 (Right now I'm working on building my emergency fund. Once I get to the amount I want, I'll move more into my retirement contribution.)

Day One

7 a.m. — I wake up and scroll social media on my phone for 15 minutes, then get in the shower. I'm living alone for the first time, and it's worth it just to avoid coordinating bathroom schedules with roommates. While I get ready, I eat some Greek yogurt and listen to an episode of My Dad Wrote a Porno. (I know, I am really late to the game!) It's sooo cringeworthy.

8:30 a.m. — I leave for work, which is just a short drive. Now that the weather's nice, I want to start biking to work, but I need to force myself to get out the door earlier. I make a coffee in the office kitchen, then head to my 9 a.m. meeting.

1 p.m. — I brought a homemade salad for lunch — spinach with balsamic vinaigrette, steak, strawberries, cucumber, avocado, feta, and walnuts — which I supplement with a bag of pretzels from the kitchen. I have a lot to finish in between meetings today, so I eat at my desk.

5:30 p.m. — My coworkers are going to happy hour in a cool neighborhood near midtown. I started my job four months ago and still feel like I'm not past the small-talk level with many of my coworkers, so this is a good opportunity to get some more face time in. I pay for parking ($2) and meet everyone inside. $2

6 p.m. — The happy hour deals are amazing here, so I get a drink and what turns out to be a MASSIVE order of tots ($11.50). We decide to migrate to a speakeasy kind of place a block over, and I get another drink there ($9.86). $21.36

9 p.m. — I had fun getting to know everyone better, but I've definitely had enough work talk for one day. I head home, do my nightly skin routine, pack up my stuff for tomorrow, and go to bed around 11.

Daily Total: $23.36

Day Two

7:30 a.m. — I hit snooze three times, which means I lose the time to do my hair nicely, but messy buns are fine by me. I have some yogurt as I put my makeup on and make a note to take a trip to Sephora soon. I have bad acne, and while I love the consistency of my foundation, sometimes it seems like it's drawing more attention to my breakouts. I head in to work, make coffee, and start plugging away at my to-do list.

11 a.m. — I'm taking a business trip to New York in a few weeks, and I've decided that I'll stay through the weekend just for fun. I have a few friends from different walks of life who live in the city. I figure I won't want to be tied down staying with someone the whole time, so I splurge on a hotel that's pretty central to everyone I want to see. My company will pay for my flights, so I just need to cover my hotel over the weekend. $335.34

12:30 p.m. — I walk to the cafeteria with a coworker for lunch. I make a Mediterranean-inspired salad at the salad bar and get an iced tea. It's super cheap! $4.25

3:30 p.m. — I sit in on a few afternoon meetings and feel like everyone can hear my stomach growling — that salad wasn't too filling. I grab a Diet Coke and a granola bar from the office kitchen to fuel me through some boring spreadsheets.

5:30 p.m. — Done for the day, and time for a quick workout at the gym upstairs. I might eventually shell out for a membership somewhere else, but the free gyms at my apartment and at the office are pretty nice, and between the two, I have everything I need for now. I'm not feeling very energized today, but I force myself to do a few intervals on the treadmill.

7 p.m. — I get home and shower, then make a dinner of broiled salmon, Brussels sprouts, and roasted red potatoes for dinner. So satisfying. I've been trying to do better at making full, healthy meals at home, rather than grazing on snacks or ordering takeout. I definitely feel better about myself when I do it. I am exhausted for no reason, so I zone out with a few old episodes of Veep before bed around 10:30.

Daily Total: $339.59

Day Three

6:30 a.m. — I hop through the shower, do my makeup, and get dressed. I make some avocado toast (topped with arugula, cherry tomato, garlic, salt and pepper, and lemon juice) and get into work by 8. I'm leaving early today to get an IUD. I'm kind of nervous but also excited — I'm tired of remembering to take a pill every day, and the brand I'm getting is also supposed to lighten periods over time.

12 p.m. — Ugh. I had some time-sensitive things added to my plate today, but I need to leave for my appointment. I'll finish up when I get home — fortunately, it's nothing I can't do while chilling on the couch.

2 p.m. — HOLY @%$# DID THAT HURT. Wow. I almost passed out from the pain, and the nurse made me stay and take my blood pressure to make sure I was okay to go home. But it's over! I just feel a little sore now. I pass a Target on my way home, so I go in to buy a heating pad in case the cramping gets bad. $19.32

3 p.m. — I get back to my apartment to find a gorgeous flower arrangement waiting for me! My boyfriend, A., sent them with the sweetest note. He was so cute and nervous for me, so I text him to say thank you and let him know everything went smoothly. Then I change into sweats, make a quick salad since I never ate lunch, and flop on the couch to send off my last couple work assignments.

6 p.m. — A. comes over with the essentials for a recovery day. He whips up his famous grilled cheese while we catch up on our days, and then we settle in for movie night with some wine and ice cream.

Daily Total: $19.32

Day Four

9 a.m. — I wake up feeling a little crampy, but otherwise fine. It's a gorgeous 75-degree morning, so A. and I decide to go to the gym, then spend the rest of the day by the pool in my complex. We make some toast before walking down to the gym in my building.

11 a.m. — After the gym, we make a quick run to the grocery store to get some White Claws and snacks to have by the pool. He pays for those, and I pick up a couple of groceries (spinach, two avocados, and turkey burgers) at the same time. $10.15

12 p.m. — The pool is packed! The bros are out in full force today, and there are too many Solo cups, portable speakers, and Juuls to count. We spend the rest of the afternoon getting sun and people-watching.

6 p.m. — Another lazy evening — I'm starting to get some pretty heavy cramps. We throw together some turkey burgers with guac, salad, and fries and then settle in to finally watch the new season of Black Mirror. We speed through them all in one sitting, but I'm kind of disappointed compared to other seasons. A. hasn't seen any of them, so I launch into fanatic mode and make him watch two older episodes before we turn in for the night.

Daily Total: $10.15

Day Five

10 a.m. — It's pouring rain today, and I do not feel like leaving the apartment. A. heads home, and I make peanut butter toast and coffee for breakfast. For the next few hours, I get some annoying paperwork done, which I feel good about. I also sign up for a volunteer shift for a charity run in a few weeks. I've been wanting to get more involved in the community, and I'm hoping to meet some new people at the same time.

2 p.m. — Lunch is a sandwich with sliced turkey, avocado, tomato, and spinach, which I eat while I catch up with my parents on the phone. I do a half-assed bodyweight workout in my living room, then paint my nails while watching some John Mulaney stand-up.

7 p.m. — I make salmon, Brussels sprouts, and fries for dinner, then make some chocolate chip banana bread with some rapidly mushying bananas I have. After a little Googling, I learn that you can actually sub baking powder for baking soda with a quick conversion — who knew?

8:30 p.m. — I take a shower, do a face mask, and sketch for a bit while listening to podcasts. I turn off the lights around 11, but can't fall asleep for over an hour — Sunday scaries are too real.

Daily Total: $0

Day Six

7 a.m. — I hit snooze three times, then eventually get up, have some banana bread, and get ready for work. I decide to put in a little more effort to my outfit — start the week off on a high note, right? I pack my gym bag and lunch, then head out.

9 a.m. — After making coffee, I get down to work. Lots of people are on vacation this week, so things are quiet and I love the opportunity to catch up on stuff without getting too many new projects.

1 p.m. — I have a salad from home (spinach mix, salmon, tomato, cucumber, avo, and feta) at my desk, and take a break to read my favorite advice columns (such a guilty pleasure) and scroll through Instagram.

2 p.m. — I was just brought on to a new project, so I spend some time this afternoon reading up on the background and scope of the work. Then I have a few back-to-back meetings. I snack on two clementines in between.

5:30 p.m. — I do my full-body weight routine in the office gym. It's a bit crowded today, and I forgot my headphones, so I try to push through and get out of there quickly.

6:30 p.m. — There's nothing in my fridge, so it's time for a Trader Joe's run. I get a bunch of my regular staples: bell peppers, salad mix, apples, chicken, salmon, deli turkey, frozen meals, almond milk, some pantry items, and yes, Two-Buck Chuck. $86.31

8 p.m. — I throw one of my frozen pizzas in the oven and eat while I read a chapter of my book that's taking forever to finish. A. and I text back and forth about nothing for a while, then I hop in the shower and turn in around 10:30.

Daily Total: $86.31

Day Seven

7 a.m. — I get out of bed on my first alarm (what?), make coffee at home, and have a slice of banana bread and yogurt while I get ready.

1 p.m. — I have to say, I killed it at work this morning! The points I made in a meeting were well received, and I stepped up to take on a bigger part in one of our projects, which I'm really excited about. I take a break to eat (another homemade salad and an apple with peanut butter) with a few coworkers who are hanging around in the kitchen.

5 p.m. — I leave right at 5, so I have time to run home and decompress before A. and I head to a concert at 8 (I bought the tickets last week). I'm starving when I get home, so I have a very thick slice of banana bread while I check the mail — my old roommate sent me some mail that didn't get forwarded to me. I promised her I'd cover the cost of postage, so I send it over Venmo. $1.05

6 p.m. — For dinner, I throw together chicken tikka masala with a sauce I got at TJ's. It turns out great, and I made enough for a few lunches this week! I change, freshen up my makeup, and am brushing my teeth right as A. knocks. We have a quick dinner and glass of wine on my balcony before A. calls an Uber.

11 p.m. — The concert was amazing. I knew the band well, but the opener was seriously incredible! A. bought our drinks, which were very strong. A. calls another Uber, and once home I have some water and tortilla chips. We talk for a bit before going to bed.

Daily Total: $1.05

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A Manifesto to Women in Their Twenties:

Almost every week I’ll get an email from a young woman asking for advice, and it’s always the same spiel. They are in their early to mid-twenties. They can’t decide between a job that pays and a job they are passionate about. They want to hear from someone in their thirties who has ‘done it’. They turn to me for this advice because I host and produce a television show about food, which means my career seems to hit all the right notes for a generation that wants jobs that offer both creativity and autonomy. They start by asking me what they should do to get into food/media/communications/any gig where they’re not chained to a desk. But the questions I end up asking them seem foreign: Do you know if you want kids? Does your passion job include real health care? Do you think you’ll eventually need a house with a yard to be happy or is that studio you live in now enough?

I swear, it’s like I am asking whether they want to go in a spaceship to Mars.

Somehow, in between our mothers’ and grandmothers’ fight for us to ‘have it all’ and our current battle to take down the patriarchy, we have completely lost the plot for the path to adulthood.

As teenagers, many of us planned, dreamed, and prepared with anticipation and excitement for the expectedly life-altering new period that would begin when we turned 18. But when it comes to adulthood we don’t plan for the future in the same way. There are no AP classes to get you ready to enter your thirties.

There is a fundamental problem with the current bill of goods young women have been sold. In a bid to undo the generational trauma of women having no agency, we were told to spend our twenties focusing on our careers, leaning in, and working hard figuring out what job gives us meaning. Everything else — love, kids, home, etc. — would fall into place later. Then we enter our thirties and suddenly feel immense pressure to get married and procreate or have some phenomenal career that transcends it.

It’s as though we are told to be young and singularly focused until one day everyone is shocked that we don’t fit into the mold of being ‘an adult.’ And it’s not working.

In recent years I’ve seen the effects of this emotional whiplash that stems from only planning for the near future. I’ve had friends move to cities that make them miserable just to follow a job. I’ve seen friends completely burn out, quit to have kids, and then wonder how to go back to a career that won’t work anymore. I have a lot of friends who’ve always wanted kids who are freezing their eggs and wondering why they didn’t date more seriously in their twenties. And I’ve seen a lot of friends end relationships when they finally admit they don’t want kids.

Your career doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Creating the whole package — whatever version of life you want — should be the goal. Society wants to reinforce the idea that ‘adulthood’ means hitting certain milestones, but in a world where women now can define the milestones ourselves you have to define what it looks like for you. Stop waiting around until a series of unintended choices start to define you. Adulthood can mean whatever you want it to, so long as you give some thought to the path you actually want to take.

You can’t fully plan your life of course, but you can work towards something. In this climate, it feels unfathomable that a 24-year-old would also ask me questions about my childcare, mortgage, and why I have even chosen that particular path. But I’m not sure when that essential part of the conversation got lost.

So it’s time to fix it and it starts with an exercise. A 'check the box' if you will. Consider these questions:

*Is there any woman in your career path whose life you admire and want to emulate? And would you work as hard as she did to get there?

*Can your career fit the type of family you have imagined for yourself?

*Can you move forward in your dream career and still live in the type of city or town that would make you happy?

*Can you make enough money in your dream career (on your own – no cheating and including a potential spouse who may or may not stay in the picture) for you to live the life you need? (Key word here is need. We all would like more money in the bank. The question is about your lifestyle and whether when you are older if you think you will derive more happiness from money than other lifestyle factors.)

*Would you eventually (and realistically) marry the person you are currently dating?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, you need to rethink your strategy. You cannot go through your twenties without any thought into your thirties and beyond.

You don’t need to quit your current job. On the contrary, the world is now full of inspiring women who have bent paths to fit the lives they want — from Jacinda Ardern having a baby while serving as New Zealand’s Prime Minister to Oprah’s active choice to not have children in order to be able to put work fully first. But you have to have the goal in order to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You have to think through the potential path that could get you there, even if it is currently uncharted. And if it is uncharted, are you willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get there? At every moment you should be asking yourself if the thing you are doing is moving you forward. People often get tunnel vision on winning this month’s race, and they don’t stop to think if there is an actual goalpost worth having.

The same goes for terrible relationships — romantic or otherwise. You don’t have to want to get married now (or ever), but you do have to stop wasting time on people who are ‘just for now.’ I am so tired of going to weddings of two people who happened to meet at 32 and just wanted to be done searching for the one. Good relationships rarely fall in your lap. It’s okay to make marriage a priority in your twenties and have conversations about when you want to have kids. And if you’re not ready to make those kinds of moves, then freeze your eggs instead. Just don’t settle. Friendships are the same: skip out on that birthday party for the girl you would not keep in touch with when she inevitably moves back to Ohio. Work towards your own goals by investing in people who are worth it for the long haul.

You may think you have a lot of time for all of this – and this is certainly the time to do things like move to a foreign city or take a career break – but you will save yourself the emotional toll of wasted time or lost opportunities if you start thinking through your goals now. These can still be far off, even purposefully delayed, just know what they are.

I’m going to let you in on a pretty terrible secret: You will never feel like an adult. Ask your parents – they probably still feel like they are twenty- or thirty-somethings in the bodies of older strangers. You know that feeling in your first job where you think you’ll have to fake it ‘til you make it? Well, it’s like that when you have a kid, too. Or when you get a big promotion and suddenly have to start leading people. Or when your back starts to hurt. Or when those wrinkles pop up while you still have acne. No one ever feels ready. So if you just read this entire thing and decided to give it some more time until you ‘are an adult,’ sorry. It won’t ever happen. Sometimes I walk down the street with my son and assume people are wondering if I’m his young babysitter until I remember that, oh right, no one is thinking that because I actually am a totally age-appropriate thirty-something mom. I just don’t feel like it. Someone calling me ma’am is the worst. We are all just figuring it out. We never feel like we’ve made it. So it’s okay if you feel like a fraud when thinking about your life goals. We all feel like frauds forever. That’s just part of moving forward and pushing ahead.

So future ma’ams of the world (sorry, it’ll happen), do me a favor: step away from the clever quote you’re working on for an Instagram post and give your mind a moment to step off the treadmill. Take a few long walks. Write a pro and con list. Hell, you could even ask your parents (they’re not as old as you think, something else you will tragically discover soon). But think it through. Write down some life goals and then take steps forward: dump that terrible boyfriend you don’t want to marry, ask for that raise, research that grad program, think through career options in a city you want to live in, make new friends, and ask the scary questions.

You are already an adult. Do your future self a favor and start acting like one.

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Living the small space lifestyle is an ongoing battle of trying to do more with the less. Sometimes, after an exhaustive search, we strike the furniture jackpot with a piece that epitomizes our spacial, stylistic, and budgetary trifecta. But just because these home buys are a rarity, doesn't mean that there aren't multiple viable options out there...It's a matter of finding the time to hunt them down.

If turning small space furniture hunting into a full-time job isn't in the cards right now, don't sweat it — because we've got you and your tiny apartment's back. Every month we're hula-hooping our way through the best buys in budget, size, and statement-making — from chic nesting tables to decorative room dividers, sleek units with extra shelving, comfy ottomans with secret storage, and even a loveseat. Scroll on for the under $150 furniture finds that will maximize tight spaces while keeping minimalism and style top of mind — so you can easily shop, decorate, and relax without ever leaving your tiny abode (or quitting your day job).

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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Nearly every celebrity we know is showing classic signs of hair fatigue. Emma Roberts continues to toggle between a Cali blonde and dark-chocolate brunette; Charlize Theron won't stop cutting her hair shorter and shorter; even Sophia Bush has admitted to getting bangs when she's bored. As for Jennifer Garner? Well, she's the exception — and her recent visit to the hair salon proves it.

Unlike most stars, Garner did not debut a drastically different look yesterday after leaving Mèche Salon in Beverly Hills. Instead, she was spotted strolling onto the street with what appeared to be fresh trim and dye job. Celebrity colorist Tracey Cunningham confirms that Garner paid her a visit this week for a quick appointment, including a gloss and highlight touch-up. Most would describe this as a summer refresh, a subtle update to reflect the sunny season. It is, but it's also Garner maintaining her signature look like a total pro.

Just like Hollywood veterans Natalie Portman and Angelina Jolie, Garner just proved that, sometimes, celebrities like to keep their hair as low-maintenance as we do. In fact, she's done it for years: Save for the cherry-red and blonde wigs she wore on Alias, Garner has always kept her roots her natural brown, her ends ever-so-slightly lighter (what Cunningham calls "dirty brunette "), and her length just grazing her collarbone.

Although we'll never be able to guess exactly why Garner prefers her signature bronde color and mid-length cut, we think we know who to credit for her no-fuss philosophy on beauty: her mother. Garner once told Refinery29 that her mother is the least vain person she knows — and for that, she's sort of her beauty icon. "My mom is the woman who is the least marked by vanity of anyone I know, but in the best possible way," she said. "She just isn’t focused on it, and doesn’t do makeup and hair — she’s just herself. So, [seeing] that allowed me to grow up without feeling like [beauty] was something I needed to do."

The only thing that makes Garner's not-so-new look sweeter is the fact that she ran into Busy Philipps while getting it. Maybe next time we'll get the invite, too.

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Friends and supporters of Alexandria "Ally" Kostial, who was found shot dead in a remote area near the University of Mississippi last Saturday, are paying tribute to the 21-year-old student with the #JusticeForAlly hashtag, helping bring awareness to the growing epidemic of violence against women. They are also advocating that the suspect, a white male from a privileged background, gets the justice they believe he deserves.

Brandon Theesfeld, 22, was arrested and charged with Kostial's murder earlier this week. He is being held at the Lafayette County Detention Center in Oxford, MS. New details about Kostial and Theesfeld’s relationship along with photos of the two together have emerged, with friends and family members saying that they had dated on-and-off in the past while both studying in the business school at Ole Miss. Investigators have not commented on their relationship.

Several friends have told news outlets that Theesfeld had been abusive to Kostial. “I truly believe that he manipulated her emotionally to have her believe that he loved her the same way she did, and I think he had her on the hook until the very last second,” Rex Ravita, a student journalist at Ole Miss who said he lived on the same floor as Theesfeld freshman year, told KMOV-TV. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Ravita said that Theesfeld was known around campus as a "misogynist" and that he led Kostial on. “He led her on A LOT, enough to where it could be considered emotional abuse,” Ravita said. “But he definitely had a violent streak.”

Another friend of Kostial's, who preferred to stay anonymous, told The Daily Beast that Kostial would confide in her friends about how Theesfeld treated her. “Ally would talk about how crazy aggressive he was,” the friend said. “I don’t know how many times she called me about him. About how he was treating her and about how he acted when they were together. We all told her to end it with him, but she always said she saw the good in him.”

Ally would talk about how crazy aggressive he was. ... We all told her to end it with him, but she always said she saw the good in him.

A tweet from another friend of Kostial's, who has since protected her Twitter account, echoed this statement. "He harassed her for years, took advantage of her for years, I spent countless nights holding Ally close drying her tears about this monster for years," she wrote. "You deserve hell, you disgusting excuse for a human."

This murder happened amid an alarming rise in intimate-partner murders in the U.S. According to recent research by Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox, intimate-partner homicides increased every year between 2014 and 2017. Since 2010, gun-related murders of intimate partners have increased by 26%. Victims are overwhelmingly female; nearly half of all women who are murdered are killed by their partners or ex-partners, compared to 5% of male victims. On the same weekend Kostial was murdered, at least four other women were killed in Mississippi, one of them, Shayna Catherine Cline, allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend.

Mary Ellen Manor, who said she went on two dates with Theesfeld after meeting him on Tinder, described him as "odd, very sketchy, like shady," as well as creepily persistent, to WLBT 3. "It freaked me out," she said about learning that he had been charged with murder. "I was like, ‘What if that could have been me?’ If I was still hanging out with him, what could have happened to me... It just freaked me out. I’m relieved that I’m okay, but I can’t believe I hung out with a dude who could be charged with such a thing, and it just made me very wary."

The case also calls up questions of privilege. Theesfeld, who is from Fort Worth, TX, had attended a private boarding school and was said to brag about the money his father made. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, he was pretty much a daddy’s boy type, constantly had to reference his father’s money, how his dad could get him out of anything, just that attitude all the time,” Ravita told KMOV-TV.

Those tweeting with #JusticeForAlly asked news outlets to show Theesfeld's mug shot instead of photos of him in a bow tie or polo shirt, in order not to give him preferential treatment.

Since certain news outlets want to post pictures of this mf’er in bow ties, here’s his mugshot. I hope jail is worse than the darkest of hells for this piece of shit #JusticeforAlly pic.twitter.com/GguQoyaQdp

— Left Field Mask (@LeftFieldMask) July 24, 2019

Police said Theesfeld, who was suspended by the university after his arrest, had minor scrapes with the law in the past, including charges of public drunkenness and possessing a fake ID. Before a Twitter account appearing to belong to Theesfeld was suspended, the account retweeted Trump news, Ben Shapiro memes, violent and misogynist "jokes," and tweeted jokes about being an alcoholic.

Kostial’s friends and family remember her as a well-liked, social, and active student. She was attending summer school and teaching fitness classes at Ole Miss, was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, and had cofounded the school's golf club.

"Very spontaneous. She would do just about anything. She loved outdoors, she loved just hanging out with her friends, she was the person you always wanted to be around," her high school friend Sammie Martin told Fox 2 Now St. Louis. "When I was around her, I just felt like my spirit being lifted," Margaret Illig, another high school friend, told Fox 2.

“The thing about Ally was that she was so kind that I could see [her] being kind to even the most evil person. And not really seeing them for who they are,” Kostial's former roommate Lauren Riddick told WMC 5. “I think that’s how she could’ve gotten wrapped back up into the same situation over and over.”

Kostial's family has started a GoFundMe for her funeral expenses.

Ole Miss is a family and I am truly heartbroken over the recent events that have transpired involving Ally Kostial. I am praying for everyone involved to find peace and comfort during this time. #AllyKostial #JusticeforAlly https://t.co/QjKfxH01WL pic.twitter.com/7GJupMwj0N

— Sarah (@sarahravv) July 23, 2019

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Believe it or not, we’re almost in the throes of that magical season that we shopping enthusiasts refer to as “back to school.” Sure, we’re still a little ways off from the changing of the leaves, the dropping of the mercury, and the unearthing of the knitwear, but here in the land of fashion we’re always on the lookout for that upcoming shift — be it in seasons, environments, or trends — that will dictate a new mode of dressing. And returning to school — or work — is one of the most exciting changes that happens in the calendar year, bringing with it the need for one let's-get-down-to-business bag to carry it all.

If you’re someone who is returning to —or beginning their journey in — a scholarly milieu of any kind, your satchel needs are unique. What you need is a backpack, and it can’t be just any backpack. It has to have room for digital and analog learning devices (in other words, a laptop, notebook, and textbooks) and maybe even snacks, water, and gym clothes. It should also be stylish and polished, as you may find yourself toting it to a networking event, internship or (fingers crossed) a job interview. Click through to see the packs that deliver equally on style and functionality, and will hopefully keep you in a state of togetherness while you balance your grade point average with a healthy amount of ... um, socializing.

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. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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The Council of Fashion Designers of America is slowly making changes to make it more relevant to the industry it represents, and this week marks another step in that direction. After criticisms that New York Fashion's seven-day, eight-night format dragged on for too long, and that its CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund judges lacked inclusivity and diversity, earlier this year, very quietly, the CFDA added two new judges — plus-size model Paloma Elsesser and Vogue.com Fashion News Director Chioma Nnadi. On Wednesday, it announced a new condensed schedule, as well as which designers will be showing.

"Prompted by several seasons’ worth of feedback from domestic and international stakeholders, newly-appointed CFDA Board Chairman Tom Ford and the CFDA decided to shorten the official New York Fashion Week dates to five days and five nights beginning this September," a press release announcing the schedule states. "As a result, the Spring-Summer 2020 New York Collections will be shown from September 6 to September 11."

"New York Fashion Week needs an edit — a more tightly curated, recommended list of events," StyleZeigeist editor Eugene Rabkins wrote for Business of Fashion in 2017. "As the Chambre Syndicale does in Paris, and the British Fashion Council does in London, the CFDA should compile a tightly edited schedule of events and impose some form of curation, coordination and quality assurance."

In May, when Ford announced the switch-up initially, Hilldun Corporation financier Gary Wassner tweeted his agreement. Wassner's tweet echoed the sentiments of fashion editors and international buyers industry-wide who were exhausted by the extensive schedule that overlapped with London Fashion Week, often leaving them to scramble for the rest of Fashion Month.

I agree with the need to shorten NYFW. Too many shows. Too long. Adding men's to the front of women's was a mistake. Etc etc. My concerns regarding this decision are about selection. And opportunity. And the spiral into the rabbit hole of irrelevance.

— gary wassner (@gary_wassner) May 9, 2019

Telfar, the unisex brand established by Telfar Clemens in New York back in 2005 (Telfar is the 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner) with the slogan "It's not for you – it's for everyone" will kick off fashion week. Telfar's show has become an editor favorite, a mash-up of fashion's elite and cool kids. AND A NOD TOWARDS THE MOVE TO NON GENDER-SPECIFIC FASHION? Marc Jacobs will close NYFW the following Wednesday with Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Christopher John Rogers, Christian Siriano, Sies Marjan, Tom Ford, and Luar, among others, showing in between. Both 2018 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner Pyer Moss and Marchesa have returned to the schedule and will show in September, the latter by appointment only.

"We listened to feedback from both the domestic and the global fashion industry to tighten and strengthen the Official New York Fashion Week schedule," Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA said in the same press release. "I am excited for the strong September lineup which will continue to showcase and celebrate the creativity and diversity of American fashion."

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In 2016, it was muted monochromatic makeup. The next year ushered in a spectrum of sunset reds and dusty pinks, and 2018 was the year of technicolor highlighter. With bold beauty trends on the rise, it’s no surprise that 2019 has been declared the year of neon. Pinterest reports that searches for “neon eyeshadow” jumped a whopping 842% over the past few months. For fans, especially Gen Zers, the look is a celebration of fun, commitment-free expression: Daydream, create, wash it off, and repeat. But what happens when experimenting with the latest beauty trends could put your health at risk?

Numerous headlines from the past few weeks, coupled with posts on Estee Laundry, Temptalia, and Musings Of A Muse, called into question the safety of the colors used in many of the cosmetic industry’s most popular neon palettes. It turns out, numerous beauty brands have been routinely adding colorants to pressed powder palettes that have not been approved for use around the eye area by the FDA, the government agency that regulates cosmetics. What’s more, the products are still being openly sold by top beauty retailers thanks to clever marketing and labeling practices.

Cosmetics safety is serious, but the products in question aren’t counterfeits made by fly-by-night manufacturers, which are notorious for causing nasty reactions and infections from unhygienic conditions and toxic ingredients. Instead, we’re talking about trusted products from billion-dollar companies with a lot to lose. So why and how would these ingredients ever legally make their way into a product that consumers are using on their eyes? And are we really in danger from these products, or is this all being blown out of proportion?

We took our questions to the FDA, a trial lawyer who monitors legislation and litigation affecting the personal care industry, a cosmetic chemist, and an optometrist for answers — and what they had to say might surprise you..

Contraband... Color?

The FDA regulates color additives that go into things like food, medicine, and makeup under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, or the FD&C Act as it’s better known. Each color on the FDA’s approved cosmetics list — which have science-y names like D&C Red No. 21 — can be used on the face, but only some are approved for the eyes and lips.

“We want consumers to be aware that if color additives are not approved by the FDA for use in the area of the eyes, they should not be used for that purpose and cosmetics containing those color additives may not be marketed for that use,” a representative from the FDA told Refinery29. “Since the eyelids are delicate, an allergic reaction, irritation, or other injury in the eye area can be particularly troublesome.”

According to the FDA, this is one reason why imported products can be delayed or detained in customs and never make their way into the U.S., since regulations vary by country and many brands export globally. In 2017, U.S. customs rejected entry for the Lip Contour Duo lipsticks from Huda Beauty (one of the companies in the crossfire of the current neon controversy) for containing unapproved color additives. It’s just one example on a laundry list of products impacted by these laws.

According to cosmetic chemist Susan Raffy, who has been working in R&D for cosmetics brands for over 25 years, it’s been historically unusual to go against the FDA’s regulation over colors. “Most brands use only FDA-approved colors for all products including eye products,” she says. So why are some brands bending the rules today? One guess is that “you can not necessarily obtain some shades with just the approved colors,” Raffy says.

Enter: The neon dilemma. A trending rainbow of vivid, electric shades has taken social media by storm, but require so-bright-they’re-banned neon colors to really pop. For years, celebrity makeup artists have incorporated theater makeup — pots of creamy, ultra-pigmented face paint (not eyeshadow) — into on-set looks to get the daring shades the mainstream cosmetics companies just don’t make. But now, social media has created such a demand that makeup brands are racing to crank out consumer-friendly options.

FDA regulation blocks many neon shades from being used on the eyes; the government agency even has its own regulatory category for fluorescent colors, which are seen as an elevated health danger. But here’s where things get confusing: Many of the color additives currently on the FDA’s no-no list are allowed in the European Union, which is typically known for having stricter cosmetics regulations. You may have heard that the E.U. has banned around 1,400 chemicals for use in cosmetics while the U.S. has restricted or banned about 30. And yes, the color Huda Beauty got flagged for back in 2017 is allowed in the E.U. — even on the eyes. For global brands, that discrepancy either means reformulating for the U.S. market or seeking FDA approval to sell in the U.S.

So why are they considered safe for eyes in the E.U. but not here? It means that the “FDA has not received, evaluated, and approved information supporting the safety of these color additives when used in this way,” an FDA representative told R29. A color additive might be deemed safe by the E.U. but not by the U.S. FDA simply because it has not gone through the proper approval process to prove its safety. A brand dead-set on using a banned color in an eye palette may submit a color additive petition to the FDA to seek approval, which, according to the FDA, could include the brand’s own studies around safety to support the request. However, most brands opt for a different route.

The most popular alternative? Using colors that have only been approved for the face and adding a disclaimer near the ingredient list that says the product isn’t intended for the eyes — which is the approach Huda Beauty chose to take on its most recent Neon Obsessions palette, which passed customs with the same color that was rejected in 2017 because it’s labeled as a “pressed pigment palette” and not an “eyeshadow palette.” Many other popular brands, including Colourpop and Anastasia Beverly Hills, feature similar verbiage on their packaging, with some even calling out specific shades within the palettes as unsafe for the eyes.

That’s the reason there are so many neon products today that look like eyeshadows, feel like eyeshadows, and are modeled all over IG as eyeshadows, but have vague names, like “pressed powder” or “pressed pigment.” The word “eye” is purposefully left out of marketing materials and labels, despite photos that show the color swept across lids and waterline.

As for the brands that feature a disclaimer not to use on eyes, and then turn around and show models wearing the product on their eyes, Kelly Bonner, associate attorney at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia, had this to say: “All labelling must be truthful, not misleading, and contain all required information in a prominent and conspicuous place. Determining whether a label is misleading requires considering whether it contains deceptive representations, or leaves out material facts or consequences resulting from the intended use of the product.”

These mixed messages from brands are becoming more common. For example, Anastasia Beverly Hills has three shades in its Riviera Palette that feature a disclaimer (“not intended for use around the immediate eye area”) yet the brand's official video tutorials show it being used on eyes. These videos can be seen on the brand’s official Youtube page as well as on its e-commerce product page. The disclaimer about safety, however, can only be found on the back of the package, which begs the question: Is a consumer more likely to watch a Youtube video or read the fine print under the ingredient label after purchasing the palette?

Furthermore, would a jury consider modeling the products on eyes as an example of misbranding? Bonner says there’s a lack of precedent, so it’s anyone’s guess, but to even get there, a plaintiff would have to prove that they were injured from the product. The FDA’s public database of complaints shows reports of alleged adverse reactions to neon face paint and nail polish from various brands, but none from the palettes currently in question at time of publication.

To address the many brands that are both labeling products for eyes and using unapproved ingredients — which is prohibited by federal law and violates federal regulations — the most consumers can do is call on the FDA to take action. According to Bonner, “the FD&C Act does not have a private right of action, which means that members of the public can’t sue to enforce the Act’s provisions. Only the federal government can enforce the FD&C Act.”

Which brings us to perhaps the most important question of this whole controversy: What kind of risks are we really even talking about?

The Real Risks

To start, Los Angeles-based optometrist Kambiz Silani, OD, notes that a reaction to eye makeup of any color, whether it’s been approved by the FDA or not, is always possible and can include irritation, allergies, dryness, dermatitis, blepharitis (swollen eyelids), light sensitivity, and blurry vision. Those prone to these issues should be extra careful, and anyone with symptoms should immediately stop using the product and call their eye doctor for guidance.

Yes, this is all normal, cautious doctor messaging you knew was coming, but here’s the kicker about why the neon colors banned by the FDA could be more dangerous than an irritated eyelid: We just don’t know what they do to eyes. “We are mostly concerned about the products being absorbed by the delicate, thin skin around the eyes as well as the products entering the eye and causing eye symptoms,” Dr. Silani says. He points out that the long-term impacts of both luminescent zinc sulfide (an ingredient often used in Halloween makeup and not recommended for eyes or everyday wear) and fluorescent colors need further research to be understood better — and ultimately deemed safe.

Which means that every time you use a product with one of these banned ingredients you, in theory, risk both an immediate reaction and unknown issues in the future. On top of that, many bloggers have claimed that some of these unapproved colors can stain the eyelids for several days.

Once again, it points to a larger problem: The multi-billion dollar U.S. beauty market is moving light years faster than the government is staffed and funded to regulate, and it will take legislation to change how it operates. You may have heard about the Personal Care Products Safety Act, a bi-partisan bill that’s been in and out of the news. It was introduced back in 2017 — but stalled in the Senate — and is now back on the desk of senators like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

“If passed, it would be the first substantive update to the FD&C Act since 1938,” Bonner says.“[It would] strengthen the FDA’s ability to regulate cosmetic ingredients.” In short, the bill would empower the FDA to call for a safety review of numerous ingredients and contaminants each year and require companies to report serious adverse reactions from beauty products within 15 days of receiving the complaint. That’s correct: Currently, brands don’t have to tell the FDA when consumers report negative reactions, no matter how serious.

What’s more, it would increase transparency for online shoppers who don’t see warning labels until after they’ve ordered and opened the product. “Regarding labels, the PCPSA would require companies to label cosmetics that contain ingredients not safe for children or pregnant women, and to post complete label information, including warning statements, online,” Bonner says. This in itself would change the game by increasing the likelihood that warning labels are actually read and consumers have a fair shot to see ingredients before entering their credit card info.

Of course it’s proven incredibly difficult to get a cosmetics bill passed. Two similar bills, the FDA Cosmetic Safety Modernization Act and Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act, have also stalled in front of its Senate Committee. Those brought at a state level haven’t fared better, either. "Anytime there’s new legislation proposed to protect consumer safety, the industry being regulated will naturally push back against the changes," says Emily Rusch, the executive director of advocacy group CALPIRG who worked on the Toxic Free Cosmetics Act in California, which failed to pass in April. "I’ll continue to fight... because Californians shouldn’t have to worry about what’s in their mascara or in their daughter’s lipstick.”

Until things change, it appears that many of the brands cleaning house within this massively-lucrative and growing industry are choosing small package disclaimers over petitioning the FDA for approval. At the time of publication, the FDA did not disclose any petitions for new color additive approvals in process and every brand named in this article has declined to comment.

Without additional testing and research on the FDA’s banned neon colors, Dr. Silani says the best course of action is to only use them as directed — far away from the eyes — and to shop clean beauty brands for alternatives.

“Natural cosmetics try to avoid any pigments made with petroleum or potentially harmful dyes,” says Merrady Wickes, makeup artist and head of content and education at The Detox Market. Don’t expect to find fluorescent neon powders in the clean beauty world, but brights are easier to source than you’d think, she says. She recommends the Zuzu Luxe Liquid Eyeliner in Azure for a vibrant pop of aqua-blue liner or the Aether Beauty Crystal Grid Gemstone Eyeshadow Palette for colorful purples and greens.

As for the products already in your makeup bag, you can check the ingredients and, if you find banned colors, let the brand know your thoughts. At the end of the day, consumer demand got us here in the first place — and consumer demand could very well get us out of it.

Huda Beauty declined to comment on this article. Colourpop and Anastasia Beverly Hills have not yet provided comments at press time.

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The global spread of K-beauty has served up a multitude of beauty trends, like just-bitten "blotted" lips and jelly makeup, but South Korea's strongest authority remains in skin care. In addition to buzzwords like glass skin, the fabled 10-step routine is widely considered one of the tenets of K-beauty. Thanks to magazines and social media, we've been led to believe that Korean women rigorously apply nearly a dozen skin-care products morning and night, to the tune of two cleansers (one oil and another water-based), exfoliator, toner, essence (a light pre-serum), treatments (ampoules and serums), sheet masks, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen.

But according to Brian Oh, CEO and co-founder of Korean-American scientific skin-care brand, VENN, the exhaustive skin-care routine is little more than a myth perpetuated by American marketing companies. He says that, if anything, Koreans are actually stripping back the number of skin-care products they use — and their skin looks better for it. "In the past five years, minimalism in skin care has become very popular in South Korea," he says. "With access to more information, people now understand that using multiple products is not always good for the skin, or even necessary."

Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, founders of cult skin-care brand Glow Recipe, agree. "The 10-to-15-step skincare routine is definitely one of those myths, maintaining the idea that the K-beauty routine is very complicated," Chang says. "From our perspective, this doesn’t represent the approach of women in Korea." For Korean women, she goes on to say, a skin-care routine is about listening to your skin and caring for it accordingly, just as you would your body. "If your skin is dehydrated, you'd use a hydrating mask. If it looks tired, you’d use an energizing serum, and so on," Chang says. "That type of customization and personalization is very common, and it’s about having a skin-care wardrobe to pick and choose from depending on how your skin feels."

How many steps are in the K-beauty skin routine?

So how many steps is enough? Maree Kinder, British-Korean founder of online boutique Beauty & Seoul, says, "I only take 4-5 steps in my morning and evening routine. Ten-step skin care is to show people that these are the 10 products you can have at your disposal to tackle any concern, but you don't have to use them all at once."

This begs the question: Which products are Korean women actually using on a regular basis? Firstly, cleanser is a must. "Most Korean women would never skip a double cleanse in the evening," Kinder says. "They typically use an oil-based cleanser to effectively remove any makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum thoroughly from the skin, followed by a water-based foam cleanser to remove any leftover residue." MiiN Cosmetics founders and The Korean Skincare Bible authors Lilin Yang, Leah Ganse, and Sara Jiménez second that, and recommend following cleansing with moisturizer and sunscreen in the morning. From that point on, you’d start adding steps to your routine little by little to see what your skin needs.

When it comes to other popular ingredients, you can forget snail mucus, another so-called K-beauty export. "It’s one of those 'exotic' ingredients that aren’t as popular in Korea as people think," says Chang. "If you look at a typical routine, Koreans take a very measured approach, incorporating proven actives such as hyaluronic acid, gentle AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic and lactic acid), and PHAs."

Of course, SPF is always a non-negotiable, especially if you're using acids. "We grew up with our mothers and grandmothers telling us to wear sunblock every day," Lee says. "Whether it rains or it's gloomy, you’re always exposed to UV rays. There has been a new wave of sunscreens in Korea that are very lightweight, so you can reapply them when needed."

What are the K-beauty skin trends to try?

Once you have your simple yet effective skin-care routine nailed, you might then want to add certain products and ingredients — but that all depends on preference and your skin's needs. For example, Oh has noticed a trend towards phytochemicals. "These are very powerful antioxidants," he explains. Plus, the perennially on-trend antioxidant cica (centella asiatica) is showing no signs of slowing down. "I just returned from Seoul on a business trip and it’s clear that it’s still trending," Kinder says. "Centella is rich in amino acids and is great for improving skin elasticity as well as boosting antioxidant activity. It’s known as a great ingredient for calming troubled skin as well."

Natural skin care is another key factor, says Lee. "Koreans have a real love of natural ingredients that have been traditionally used in skin-care regimens for generations," she says. "Watermelon is a key ingredient in Glow Recipe products, which was inspired by how our grandmothers would apply watermelon rind on our skin to reduce heat rash — a very common remedy in Korean families."

At the end of the day, K-beauty is all about pampering your skin and doing what's right for it, not just piling on the products. As with anything, finding the right routine for you might take some trial and error — but putting in the time to track down a few great essentials is a lot easier than applying 10 products morning and night.

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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Sure, cozying up with a hot toddy on a wintery night while a candle burns in the background is a great time. However, allow us to call summer bougies the sleeper hit of the season — they instantly vibe up any outdoor party and allow you to cheer up your apartment from the comfort of your AC. (Plus, they're a great gift to give and receive year-round.)

From candles that smell like a yummy piña colada to bright, citrus-y scents that remind us of balmy summer nights, we're falling hard for these fun-in-the-sun candles. Shop our favorites here, ranging from affordable Target finds to splurge-worthy buys— and everywhere in between.

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Investing in your first designer handbag is no small task. Finding the right one, especially if it's vintage, is a feat in and of itself — and that's before you even think about the price. Different from most cases of vintage shopping, buying a secondhand designer bag can cost more than double the price you'd pay if you bought it new à la Barneys. Why? There are a few reasons: first, if a certain style has come and gone, the only way you can purchase it is secondhand. Rarity, after all, doesn't come cheap. Then there's the case of the rising secondhand market. As vintage Birkins rise in value, they often overtake their modern counterparts. The reason that clothing and shoes rarely move with the same upward mobility is that, well, you wear them. Soles scuff, coffee stains your dress, or the worst: Aiden's dog eats your Manolo's. Bags, however, stay perfectly wrapped in a dust bag at the top of your closet (right where they belong).

Luckily, online resale shops like Vestiaire Collective, Heroine and TheRealReal are taking the work out of vintage shopping. Instead of scouring every antique shop, vintage warehouse and overpriced curated boutique in town for a mint condition Dior Saddle bag that won't break the bank, you can browse thousands of thoroughly-vetted designer handbags online. But therein lies the million dollar question: Which luxury handbag are you going to buy?

We're all for making a split-second shopping decision on Zara sundresses and trendy trinkets from Amazon, but when the item you're ordering costs more than your rent, we suggest getting some background. Fortunately, the research team at Vestiaire Collective dug up everything there is to know about which bags are trending, which are worth the most right now and which will never go out of style (or decrease in value). In other words, they're doing the work for us.

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First up are the new kids on the block, a.k.a. the specific handbags styles that have made the most noise over the last six months. For those of you who spend a majority of your day scrolling through Instagram, the top spot probably won't surprise you. Dior's iconic Saddle bag has seen its value on the secondhand market increase by 191% year-over-year (YOY). To give you a real life example of what that means, I bought this exact handbag for less than $250 12 months ago, and now look at the price. That'll teach you not to wait on a deal. Fendi's 90s classic shoulder bag, the Baguette, comes in a close second, with its average selling price seeing an increase of 178% YOY. You can thank Carrie Bradshaw for that one. Gucci's Marmont bag is selling out right and left, with a 66% increase in new submissions on VestiaireCollective.com YOY thanks to every influencer and her assistant carrying one during Fashion Month.

For bags that are sure to maintain their value for years to come, Vestiaire says to go with Dior (again), Balenciaga or Louis Vuitton. More specifically, the Lady Dior bag has completely maintained its average selling price YOY and Balenciaga's City style has seen a steady 18% sales increase YOY. Louis Vuitton's Noé bucket bag on the other hand, is the one you'll find most on the site, with new submissions increasing by 148% YOY. That might sound like a bad thing, but in reality, an increase in Noé bags for sale means that their previous owners see an opportunity to finally make a profit off their old buys.

Lastly, there are the forever bags, the Birkins and (old) Célines of the bunch. Data suggests just what you'd expect, that these iconic styles will continue to be favorites among shoppers. After all, Birkins are said to be a better investment than gold. With a 71% increase YOY in new submissions, it's safe to say that fashion's most sought-after handbag is one splurge you won't regret. Following the Hermès classic are Céline bags, which have seen a steady increase of 12% YOY, and the Mulberry Bayswater bag, which has steadily increased by 11% YOY.

If my Saddle bag story, or all this highly-researched data for that matter, has taught you anything, sitting on this information is not recommended. So before old Céline bags increase in price even more than they already have (sorry, Hedi), take what you've learned and invest in a bag worth splurging on.

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If there's one thing I look forward to taking off at the end of a long day — besides my bra — it's my makeup. By 6 p.m. my face feels like an oil slick, so my favorite cleanser and creams make this simple task feel like a true self-care session. I even have makeup wipes stored in my desk drawer just in case I want to cleanse my skin of my inevitable shine if I'm working late. The point is, I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be sad to take my foundation off before bed...and yet here we are.

Last month, legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath invited New York beauty editors to preview her upcoming release: Sublime Perfection The System. This line includes a primer, two makeup brushes, face powder, and the star product, foundation. It's the brand's first face makeup product and was worn by Cardi B and Kacey Musgraves at this year's Met Gala. As if the celebrity nod wasn't alluring enough, I couldn't take my eyes off the bottle, which McGrath told us was inspired by her collection of vintage perfume bottles.

So how did the product perform? The liquid formulation, which has secretly been two years in the making and tested backstage on over 300 models, McGrath says, feels like a lightweight serum. So much so, that I prefer to apply it with my hands and dab on more with my fingers wherever I might need a little extra coverage. (PSA: Press on the pump lightly or it will shoot your foundation straight across the room.) The final look was a filter-like finish that left my skin with an unbelievable glow. Plus, my redness and small blemishes were also completely covered.

McGrath also assured us that the foundation only gets better through the day. What does this mean? For me, the glow became even more radiant and natural-looking as the foundation settled into the skin over a few hours. Suffice to say, I didn't want to take it off.

Half kidding, I played Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye" before bed as I wiped off the foundation — my boyfriend laughing in the background — and reached for my cleanser. If I didn't have white pillowcases I might have left it on to see how it looked by morning. But now that I own a bottle, there's no need to break the cardinal rule of not going to sleep with makeup on. Now if I could only find a bra to make me feel the same way...

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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As much as we'd like to make summer last forever, it's literally impossible — so we have to get creative. While some people may print out photos of their beach getaways to look at on days when it barely hits 60 degrees, we have another idea: Get a palm tree tattoo.

While there's no shortage of summer-friendly tattoos out there (think: wave and beach tattoos), it's the simple design of the perennial plant that we're loving lately. A quick glance at your tattoo, and you'll be transported from the office to somewhere far, far away — preferably on an island with an endless supply of piña coladas and no WiFi accessibility. Ahead, 15 palm tree designs we love.

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In Puerto Rico, young people have come of age in a time of constant crisis. Throughout a 13-year-long recession, thousands have been forced to flee to the U.S. mainland in search of better opportunities, while those left behind have fought to survive on a battered island.

When leaked chats between Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and his associates became public, sending the island into a frenzy, los jóvenes bet on mobilizing to oust him and every other official implicated in the scandal. They told themselves there was nothing to lose. And on Wednesday evening, an embattled Rosselló announced he would step down — a first for the U.S. territory.

"They've taken everything from us. We have nothing to lose if we create a revolution. What else could we lose? The local government has no money, many times young people are forced to leave the island because they have no opportunities, we live paycheck to paycheck. We needed to fight," Tatiana Hornedo Santiago, one of the hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans who peacefully protested over the past two weeks calling for Rosselló's resignation, told Refinery29. "Young people are politically conscious, and we know democracy is not limited to every four years when we cast a ballot. Democracy happens every day. At the end of the day, it's the people who have the power."

Puerto Ricans will tell you that the historic movement was born out of so much more than the misogynistic, homophobic, and classist remarks made by Rosselló and his associates. Unlike their elders, the millennial and Gen Z generations have only known precariousness: Puerto Rico has been in a recession since 2006, the effects of the 2008 financial crisis trickled down to the island, former Gov. Alejandro García Padilla announced in 2015 that the government was facing a debt of $72 billion, and then Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, devastating the island. These events have led two generations to reject the status quo — and Rosselló, the son of a former governor and someone people feel has failed Puerto Rico at its most critical moments, embodied exactly that. The leak also followed a series of high-profile arrests of former top officials in the Rosselló administration who are facing corruption charges.

For people like Hornedo Santiago, who lost her dad in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the chats were la gota que colmó el vaso — the last straw. She said: "We are not the same we were 50 years ago." Every day she marched, she did it for her father, who passed away in her hometown of Coamo in October 2017. He was one of nearly 3,000 Puerto Ricans who died as a consequence of Hurricane Maria and the insufficient response at the local and federal level. Hornedo Santiago said her dad received inadequate medical care after suffering a fall. At the time, hospitals were understaffed, struggling with the impact of the island's power grid being shattered and limited access to clean water and medicine.

In the leaked chats, one of Rosselló's associates, Christian Sobrino Vega, made fun of the bodies that piled up in morgues after the storm. He ended up resigning from his role as Puerto Rico's chief fiscal officer. Sobrino Vega was one of the first officials to fall like a domino.

THE MOMENT. 🇵🇷
They huddled around their phones and then the crowd ERUPTED.
Ricardo Rosello leaving office Aug 2.#RickyRenuncio @WFTV #PuertoRicoSeLevanta pic.twitter.com/hZrXQqLuEc

— Nancy Alvarez (@NAlvarezWFTV) July 25, 2019

When the protests began, the Rosselló administration and their allies tried to paint the protesters as just a handful of troublemakers. Before falling out with Rosselló, House Speaker Carlos "Johnny" Méndez said the protesters were " los mismos de siempre " — the same people as always. But it soon became clear that was not the case. People on the ground also say the protests happened organically. "This was not organized by one person or by one institution. It was the people," Alexandra-Marie Figueroa Miranda, campaign and activism coordinator with Amnesty International Puerto Rico, told Refinery29. "People would just show up. ... A regular person would say something on Twitter, and everyone would follow through."

The recent demonstrations were not the first time Figueroa Miranda took to the streets. But what she saw during the past two weeks was unlike anything she's seen before as an organizer. "This is historical. We've joined the handful of countries that have democratically ousted corrupt politicians. This is, without any doubt, one of the most beautiful experiences I have had the privilege to share con este pueblo," she said, her voice breaking. "There's something incredible in standing in our streets filled with history, on the largest highway of Puerto Rico, and being surrounded by thousands of others who are there with you. People who don't know you, but still treat you like family."

Celebrities like Ricky Martin, Residente, Ile, and Bad Bunny joined the protests. But everyday Puerto Ricans were the true stars. For two weeks, thousands of boricuas surrounded the governor’s mansion. While your average protests might look like people holding signs and chanting slogans, Puerto Ricans did so much more: They organized performance art protests, motorcycle protests, scuba diving protests, horseback protests, kayaking protests, yoga protests, cacerolazos(protests where you bang pots and pans), prayer protests, and even a perreo combativo protest where people twerked like their lives depended on it as reggaeton blasted through the streets of Old San Juan.

Aliana Margarita Bigio Alcoba, a student who runs the gender equality project Con(Sentimiento), was one of the people who decided to use art as a way to call for Rosselló's resignation. Immediately following #TelegramGate, in which the governor called former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito a " puta " (whore), Bigio Alcoba got together with other women and sat in front of the governor's mansion with their mouths taped. Every day since, the words written on the duct tape changed. First, it was the violent language used by Rosselló and his cronies. Other times, it was simply: "Resign."

"It was empowering. We were not asking him to resign — we were demanding it. Our attitude was: You have to face us. We're the people, and we're the ones that call the shots," the 21-year-old told Refinery29. While Rosselló's last day in office will be August 2, Bigio Alcoba says the fight is not over yet. "The issue does not end with Rosselló; this is just the first part of challenging a system that has been broken for a long time. I don't think Puerto Ricans will go back to what they were before. No one can say protesting does not work. We're seeing the results of people demanding the government do the right thing," she said. "What is coming next is going to be spectacular. There'll be change. It will be hard and exhausting, but it's our job to hold these elected officials accountable."

Protesters are also already calling for Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez, who is likely to be Rosselló's successor, not to take the job amid concerns that she has engaged in unethical and corrupt behavior as well. Even after Rosselló's resignation, people have continued to fill the streets of Old San Juan and organized events in other parts of the island. For people like Carla Margarita Pérez Mélendez, the massive protests that led to Rosselló's ousting signal a new era in Puerto Rico. "For the past two weeks, we were one. That sense of impotency people felt for so long was canalized into something beautiful," the 25-year-old told Refinery29. "I think Hurricane Maria woke us up. We were able to realize our strength and that we are our own leaders, doing the work day in and day out. I’m a little bit in shock, still. I never thought something like this movement would happen. It was magical."

Think Puerto Ricans are tired of protesting? Think again. They’re back at the governor’s mansion. Police are gone. This is our house now. #GritoBoricua pic.twitter.com/10ij9AU4Aw

— Yarimar Bonilla 👩🏾‍💻 (@yarimarbonilla) July 25, 2019

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“Just come with your hair washed,” were the directions actress KJ Smith received from a director before shooting a commercial a few years ago. “My natural hair wasn’t styled, but I came to set equipped with a clean wig — just in case,” she says. “I showed up and they insisted that my natural hair was fine, but I felt like they were telling me that my hair looked good because they didn’t want to deal with styling it.”

For many Black actresses in Hollywood, Smith’s story is a daily reality. "There are two ways to describe how it feels to sit in the hair-and-makeup chair on an unfamiliar movie or television set: terrifying and high-anxiety," says Smith. The actress, who has appeared on NCIS: Los Angeles, Black-ish, and Madea's Family Funeral, says she always comes prepared with her own brush, gel, or wig to pick up the pieces from an inexperienced stylist on set. Michelle Mitchenor, who plays Detective Sonya Bailey on Lethal Weapon, can relate. "Picture walking into a hair salon for the first time and being placed in anyone's chair — without knowing their background or work," she says. "That same anxiety is how it feels walking on set."

Earlier this year, Black actors and actresses, including Natasha Rothwell‏, Yvette Nicole Brown, Malcolm Barrett, Yahya Abdul-Mateen, and Gabrielle Union, took to Twitter to discuss the many horror stories of what they referred to as #ActingWhileBlack. Scroll through the thread and you’ll see hundreds of tweets about poor hair-and-makeup experiences at work. “Most Black actresses come to set with their hair done or bring their wigs and clip-ins with them,” Brown wrote in a viral tweet. “It’s either that or take a chance that you will look crazy on screen.”

With a disproportionate number of stylists in the industry unfamiliar with the intricacies of Black hair, many actors have to bring their own styling kits to work. "I've incorporated wigs and weaves into my set life because I can't rely on set stylists to be trained," says Smith. "Sometimes I bring four to five different options to set to make sure that I’m covered."

In some cases, actors have sought out hair services on their own prior to taping. "A lot of the time, myself and other actors go to our personal stylists before going to work. That way we don't have to worry about someone messing up or not knowing how to properly style our hair," Smith says. Actress Gabourey Sidibe tweeted that if production doesn't have a budget to hire a Black hairstylist to work with her on set, she asks the directors to consider protective styles for her characters, which she can install ahead of filming. “If they don’t have the budget to hire a Black hairstylist for me, or won’t, I just get the director to agree that my character should have box braids or Senegalese twists,” she wrote.

With films like Black Panther and movements like #OscarsSoWhite, there is no question that Hollywood has witnessed a seismic shift in diversity and inclusion over the past few years. But despite the long overdue focus on Black talent and inclusiveness on-screen, there is still a blatant lack of diversity and skill behind the camera. On top of institutionalized bias, one of the biggest barriers for entry reportedly comes down to union requirements, an observation brought up time and again on the #ActingWhileBlack thread. “What a lot of non-industry folks don’t realize is that you can’t just use your normal hair stylists/barbers/makeup artists on a union job (most jobs are union),” actress Gabrielle Union shared with her four million followers on Twitter. “Those artists have to be in the union and getting them in has never been easy or smooth. Ever.”

Getting Into The Union

Nearly all of the crew — actors, camera operators, and lighting technicians —who work small-screen and motion-picture sets are represented by unions. Local 706, or The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild, is the official labor union for makeup artists and hairstylists in film, television, stage, and digital media in Los Angeles. Local 798 is the official labor union for hair stylists and makeup artists across various East Coast locations like New York and Washington, D.C.

These unions provide necessary protection for hair and makeup artists to receive fair pay, treatment, breaks, and other important workplace necessities, like pension plans and family medical insurance. Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, owner of TSD Hair and a professional hairstylist who works with Kerry Washington and Willow Smith, has been a member of the Local 798 union for nearly 14 years. “The benefits are — hands down — the most vital part of the union,” she says. “Because of this, my children’s health care is covered and I am able to receive a pension.” Celebrity stylist Lacy Redway agrees that worker’s protection on set is important. “As a freelance artist, I know there’s a need for a system that helps us when we have issues at work," she says. But getting into the union in the first place is complicated, they say.

"I've incorporated wigs and weaves into my set life because I can't rely on set stylists to be trained."

The IATSE Local 798 union website breaks down a detailed, multi-pronged application process. It includes providing proof of 180 days of paid work, proof of 18 months in a Local 798 jurisdiction, in-person interviews, and a $3,500 initiation fee upon invitation to join. Local 798 Secretary and Treasurer John Curtin tells Refinery29 that paid hours only qualify if they’re comprised of film, television, or commercial work, or live theatrical events. The Local 798 website states that print, editorial, photo shoots, weddings, and salon work — which is how most makeup artists and hairstylists get their start — are not considered jobs covered under union contracts.

These stipulations have made it difficult for stylists — who have established strong freelance careers in fashion, magazines, on red carpets, and with private celebrity clients — to break into TV and film. Nakia Collins, hairstylist to Beyoncé, Tia Mowry, and Yvonne Orji, says that many of her clients have outsourced her for styling prior to working on union sets. "I’ve had clients fight to have me on their sets and get shut down because I’m not a union stylist," she says. "I've also been brought on to sets that are unionized and have been told to sit in the trailer since I physically couldn’t be on set.”

With most film, television, commercials, or live events being unionized, it creates a catch-22 for artists who need to log 1,440 hours to qualify. "Recently, I've consulted on a few films and I am having issues getting proper credit for establishing certain looks because I am not in the union," says Redway. She explains that if an actress comes to her prior to taping, the department head on the film will ultimately get onscreen credit for the look. "You almost need a celebrity or producer to champion for you to help your chances of getting in," she says. In the past, some artists have been able to join the hair and makeup union by "star request," in which a director or celebrity provide a written request to have a stylist join a particular set.

Having Leaders On Set

But this paints a larger picture of a trickle-down effect: When there are Black people in leadership roles (like Chris Rock), it opens doors for other talented Black individuals to work and make important decisions on sets — including who styles the hair of Black actors and actresses. But there’s still a long way to go in diversifying talent on- and off-screen. According to the UCLA Hollywood Diversity report, roughly one out of 10 film directors is a person of color and only 1.4 out of 10 lead actors in film are people of color.

There’s no denying that the outcome of hair and makeup on projects with a majority-Black cast is less of a gamble when led by Black producers. Case in point: Spike Lee, Jordan Peele, and Ryan Coogler, who all hired Black department heads to oversee hair styling on their majority-Black cast films. But Mitchenor points out that any producer — Black or otherwise — can influence the hair-and-makeup experience for Black actors. "My producer on Lethal Weapon, Jennifer Gwartz, has been really communicative and receptive to feedback from myself and my cast-mates of color," she says. "She really values us being comfortable, and we have an amazing stylist, Terry Hunt, on set who also happens to be in the union.”

Stylists like Hunt and Sturdivant-Drew are proof that there are Black artists in the union, but securing jobs on particular sets is still a challenge. "There are Black people in the union, but I think there's a disconnect because some of them might not know the right people to connect them on certain jobs,” stylist Camille Friend says. “This year alone, I helped staff three films that I was not department head on simply by connecting producers with people qualified to do the job well.”

Friend is a professional hairstylist who has been nominated by the Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards for her work in Black Panther and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2; she is also a member of the Local 706 union. Friend became a part of the organization while working on the set of A Thin Line Between Love And Hate(headlined by Black actors Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, and Regina King) in 1996. Since then, Friend has worked on many films and served as department head on major blockbuster pictures including Black Panther and Jordan Peele 's Us. In her department head roles, Friend has been able to staff teams of stylists who are qualified to work on all hair textures. "I hire people who can do the job and the hair," she says.

Providing Necessary Education

Friend acknowledges that a huge part of booking jobs is who you know, but she stresses that having the right skills is equally important. While there's no denying that Black people are typically more familiar with styling Black hair, stylists of all races and ethnic backgrounds should know how to work with any texture that ends up in their chair. "As an African-American stylist, I've been trained to work on all hair types," says Sturdivant-Drew. Friend agrees that it ultimately boils down to education. "If stylists — union or not — were more committed to continuous education and practice on all skin tones and hair textures, some of these issues could be eradicated," she says. To help stylists grow their skills to adapt to the changing faces of Hollywood, Friend created Hair Scholars, an education program that teaches people hair techniques for film and television.

Like most of the discussions surrounding diversity, Black actresses and stylists hope that the #ActingWhileBlack conversation prompts better education for aspiring and existing union stylists, inclusive leadership among directors and producers, and more job opportunities for Black stylists on television and movie sets. "This is a real opportunity for everyone to learn," Friend says. "Stylists young and old should look into classes and always be willing to learn new things. There is a solution to this problem, we all just have to be willing to learn."

It's also why Smith stresses the importance of being an expert at what you do. "If an actor still acts the same as he or she did 30 years ago, that isn't a good actor," she says. "I don't show up to work and fix the lighting or to do casting, I show up to act — and to do it well, and stylists should know how to effectively work with the cast. It's important that we are evolving, learning from our mistakes, and becoming better every day at what we do," she says. "Everyone can truly win if we put our best foot forward and support each other."

IATSE Local 798 & IATSE Local 706 declined Refinery29's request for additional comment on this story.

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Ever since my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to match people with music they might like. So, I wrote a book calledRecord Collecting for Girls and started interviewing musicians. The Music Concierge is a column where I share music I'm listening to that you might enjoy, with a little context. Get everything I've recommended this year on Spotify, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and leave a comment below telling me what you're listening to this week.

Icona Pop "Next Mistake"

If you've been patiently waiting for Icona Pop to drop the next banger that could compete with their Girls -approved single "I Love It," the time is neigh. The ladies are bringing back Euro dance, circa the early '00s, beats, a that move perhaps no one wanted but that I feel is too right to be wrong. Honestly, it's an enjoyable pop hit that will make you nostalgic for the heyday of TRL. And that "I'm not your baby" chorus is catchy as hell.

Alessia Cara "Ready"

Alessia Cara announced a surprise EP this week, dropping on September 6. The single she's released from it, "Ready," has echoes of the catchy rhythm promised in her debut LP, with just a hint of island vibes to make it ready for summer jamming. Much head-nodding will ensue — this song is more upbeat than anything about a boy not living up to his emotional potential has any right to be.

Alice Gray "Indigo"

Alice Gray does a great job of putting music to that feeling of being in couple hibernation. You know it: the time when you forget you have friends as you embark on a new relationship, and spend all your time cuddling and telling each other how cute you are. Or whatever people in love do. That underwater effect that SoundCloud has made so appealing in pop music plays a part in the overall texture of the track, as do her intimate-sounding vocals. If you were looking for the soundtrack to your own little piece of heaven, here it is.

Hope Tala "Jealous"

This dreamy little ditty is going straight to the top of my summer playlist. Yes, I love the bossa nova exactly that much. Give me a drum beat and some lovely, feminine vocals to sway around to while I drink my umbrella-topped cocktail in the sun. It's all I want.

Alexa Rose "Medicine for Living"

And now, for something downright haunting; this folk song will leave you dreaming about the quiet, dark corners of bars across the South, any one of which would be a great place to catch Alexa Rose playing while dust dances through dimmed rays of sunlight. Her voice is magical, and the arrangement on the steel guitar for this track will invade your brain. But don't overlook the acoustic guitar, which masterfully plays off the steel. There's so much to enjoy here.

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