When choosing the final location for our on-the-road tour of 29Rooms Turn It Into Art, we knew we had to find somewhere unforgettable. In the end, there was only one place that fit the part: the culinary crossroad of deep dish and dressed-up hot dogs, the midwest epicenter of culture and arts, the haven of beautiful summer weather (and, uh, some pretty treacherous winters). You guessed it: We’re bringing 29Rooms to Chicago.
From July 26 to 29, ticket holders can explore 29 sensational installations in one interactive funhouse of style, culture, and technology. We’re bringing back some crowd-favorite rooms, but we couldn’t leave everything the same.
Some of the exciting new installations you can look forward to at 29Rooms Chicago? Samsung ’s room of picturesque mirrored buildings (accompanied by a photo studio and concierge station), Clinique ’s bubble-filled playground, the bareMinerals clean beauty room (complete with an immersive waterfall), Queer Eye ’s colorful Fab Five thrones, Orange Is the New Black 's interactive typography wall art, LÄRABAR 's vintage bike ride photo opp, and a phone booth from PlanB One-Step, where you can listen to inspiring stories from real women. No ticket? No problem. Mastercard, the 29Rooms payment technology and ticketing partner, is giving cardholders exclusive access to a select number of last-minute tickets and exciting on-site perks.
This is your last chance to experience 29Rooms Turn It Into Art. Grab your friends, charge up your phones, bring your Mastercard, and have your tickets at the ready. Then keep your eyes peeled for our next 29Rooms tour — it may come quicker than you think.
When: July 26 through 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3 to 6 p.m., and 7 to 10 p.m.
Where: 1522 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60642
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In high school, there was one very simple way to discern who was in and who was a desperate loser: the Miss Sixty belt. This low-slung, hip-exposing, functionless phenomenon became the ultimate calling card in deciding the lay of the land on the savagest of social strata. It was simple: If you had one, you were part of the teenage sexual revolution — you were seductive, rich, a socialist — and if you didn’t, you were a nobody — deservedly pushed off the cliff of desirability.
Miss Sixty fever swept the world, uniforming every one of us in our late teens in a cork wedge and stonewash flare with structural seams that clung just below the hip, exposing the top of our favorite Topshop navy thong. Paired with a peasant blouse and denim bag with dark wooden handles that clacked when you dropped it after your ninth vodka, we’d spritz ourselves in perfume and venture into the night.
Miss Sixty was the heart of high school desire — in wearing it you’d graduated to a mature understanding that miniskirts were far too childish for someone who’s ready to have their first kiss outside of a game of spin the bottle. You had the gift of foresight, the understanding that the zenith of adulthood came in pricy Italian denim with a little red stripe of authenticity on that tiny pocket that had no function whatsoever, although sometimes you’d put your bus money in it and then have an awkward standoff with the driver as they held the bus while you scratched all the skin off your finger as you tried to retrieve the money your parents gave you before you went out.
But the most pressing question here — more pressing than "What’s going on with our shambles of a government?" or "No way was Dan Humphrey actually Gossip Girl?!?!" (a travesty) — is "Who really was Miss Sixty and where is she now?"
Was she the girl who fronted the campaign, who always bent her legs in the weirdest positions (Google 'Miss Sixty 2005')? Was she Sasha Pivovarova on a New York runway in a (frankly inspired) floral bucket hat with added denim shreds and a subtly glamorous lipgloss?
No.
She united the people in a radical act of equality, bringing us all together via the power of a better future based on socialist principles things made out of denim that you never thought should or could be made out of denim. Remember the frayed earrings? Remember the 2007 Too Faced lip gloss collaboration whose box was actually made! out! of! denim!? Genius.
While we shan’t look at the environmental impact of all that now defunct denim, instead we’ll take a second to have a little seance with our past selves to appreciate how, against the odds, we managed to make a low-slung bootcut jean with corduroy patches and a matching denim jacket with lapels that cut below the cleavage actually look good. Bravo to you and your bravery. Bravo to me and my lipgloss. Bravo to Miss Sixty: the only person for the job.
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You always want what you can’t have — especially when it comes to beauty products. That’s why we’re getting the inside scoop from your favorite retailers on what’s selling out right now, how to sign up for waitlists,andwhere to go to find the next best thing. Because if everyone’s buying it, you know it has to be good.
The archetype of an overachiever is someone who is detail-oriented, obsessed with perfection, and constantly fixated on exceeding expectations — much to the annoyance of those around them, who suddenly start to feel a little inferior to the Hermione Granger of their 10th-grade English class.
But in the real world, being an overachiever isn't a bad thing; there's nothing wrong with aspiring to be the best you can be... and sure, making everyone around you look mediocre by comparison in the process. Same thing for our beauty products — who isn't seeking perfection when it comes to finding the best mascara around?
Luckily, we found one that really does it all, and then some. Enter: Smith & Cult Lash Dance. With a curvy, hourglass-shaped brush and fluffy bristles that grab every last lash, it's the perfect equation for full, feathered lashes that won't wilt or flake all day.
The downside: This mascara is completely sold out. The upside: There are plenty of alternatives that'll keep you satisfied until this one is back in stock. Our favorites, ahead.
The key feature of this brush is its curved shape, which allows for the teeny-tiny rubber bristles to hug every one of your lashes — no matter how long, or short, they are naturally. With just one glide, your lashes will look like no-fuss falsies.
Smith & Cult Lash Dance Mascara, $28, available at Smith and Cult
The one thing YSL does better than just about anyone else in beauty: deep, dark pigment — and this mascara is no exception. Even better than the jet-black color is the curved wand that grabs every lash without leaving a single clump behind.
Yves Saint Laurent The Shock Volumizing Mascara, $29, available at Blue Mercury
Like most products from Juice Beauty, this mascara is simple, yet surprisingly effective. The formula has plenty of green, good-for-you nourishing ingredients, but it's still the wand that makes all the difference here. With an inverted curve (something that looks less like an hourglass and more like two stacked balls), this mascara adds believable volume where you're lacking.
Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments™ Ultra-Natural Mascara, $24, available at Blue Mercury
Adding to the benefit of this mascara's curvy brush are the uniquely-shaped bristles. Look closely, and you'll notice they resemble a pinwheel shape, ensuring that every last lash is covered. And in addition to the volumizing effect, this stuff lifts, thickens, and lengthens all at once.
Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara, $28, available at Blue Mercury
When in doubt about a mascara, remember this: The more oversized the brush, the more surface area it can cover. But beware, this formula is super wet. Be careful when brushing through or else you might end up with some pigment where you don't want it.
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara, $30, available at Blue Mercury
This one is also jumbo-sized and doused in inky pigment (and we mean that in the best possible way). As an added bonus, this mascara is formulated with a growth serum that treats your lashes while it coats.
By Terry Mascara Terrybly, $48, available at Blue Mercury
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With the glowy skin of a pre-teen, it almost seems like Jennifer Lopez is aging in reverse. Today, the multi-hyphenate actress/dancer/musician turns 49 years young — and she's using the occasion to give fans a piece of that elusive J. Lo glow.
As part of her birthday celebration, J. Lo's entire Inglot makeup line is 20% off. From her shimmery rose lip gloss to the bronzer and highlighter that give her that famous gleam, you can pick up all 70 products for well below retail price when you shop today, July 24. To save you time, we rounded up our five favorite items from the collection, ahead.
The next best thing to a tropical vacation, this sheer bronzer comes in three matte shades for the most natural effect.
Inglot Cosmetics Boogie Down Bronze Freedom System Bronzing Powder J211 Sunkissed, $17.6, available at Inglot Cosmetics
This shimmery gloss will have you feeling like a 2000s pop star — without getting stuck in your hair or leaving lips dry.
Inglot Cosmetics Lipglossy Lip Gloss J221 Soft Rose, $16.8, available at Inglot Cosmetics
If a walk to the subway has you working up a sweat like one of J. Lo's backup dancers, we recommend this water-resistant lengthening mascara.
Inglot Cosmetics Viva Las Lashes Mascara J555 Black, $19.2, available at Inglot Cosmetics
These pure pigment shadows come in five glittery shades that can be worn on their own for a sheer glazed look, or layered over another shadow for a metallic look.
Inglot Cosmetics Pure Pigment Eye Shadow J411 Blazing Rose, $20, available at Inglot Cosmetics
This illuminating powder strobes cheekbones, makes legs gleam, and gives eyes a shimmery finish you can spot from the back of the crowd. It's basically the J. Lo glow — in a teeny tiny pot.
Inglot Cosmetics Livin’ the Highlight Illuminator Face Eyes Body J201 Radiant, $18.39, available at Inglot Cosmetics
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We're huge proponents of dedicating one night a week to meal prep (to avoid all those $14 lunch salads or last-minute food deliveries at the end of a long day), but even buying groceries for the week can get overwhelming and expensive. The key? Finding one star ingredient you can make work for all different kinds of delicious meals. Enter: beans.
Although they often take a backseat to other sources of protein, beans are affordable, incredibly healthy (they're high in fiber and antioxidants), and easy to whip up all year long — from summer to the dead of winter.
That's why, together with BUSH’S® Beans and chef Natasha Feldman of Nosh With Tash, we created five delicious bean recipes to give you a head start. Click through as Tash reveals how they're made, and prepare to never look at a can of beans the same way again.
Honey Jalapeño Black Beans "This is my go-to bean dish because it's easy to throw together and super versatile. They're a little bit spicy, really creamy, and the honey adds a nice hint of sweetness," Feldman says. "They also last really long in the fridge, so make a big batch, and mix and match them with your meals for the week. They're perfect for tacos, breakfast burritos, brown-rice bowls, and grilled fish with fresh lime juice squeezed on top."
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 jalapeño, minced 1 tbsp honey 3 cans of BUSH’S® Black Beans Juice of one lime 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium flame.
2. Once hot, add onion and a big pinch of salt. Let the onion sweat until it's translucent and aromatic.
3. Add garlic and jalapeño. Cook for 5 minutes or until all of the vegetables are soft.
4. Add honey and stir to coat all the vegetables.
5. Add beans. Give them a good mix in the pot, and reduce the heat to low.
6. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure that the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pan. They will slowly start to break down and take on the texture of refried beans. The more you stir the beans, the more "refried" the texture becomes.
7. Once the texture is right, squeeze in lime. Finish with cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.
Actually Delicious Vegetarian Chili "Sunday night is the perfect time to cook up a big batch of a hearty soup that you can portion out for lunches during the week. Veggie chili is a great one to throw into the rotation because it's really high in protein and it gets better as it sits. If you want more vegetables in the chili, you can add a few handfuls of spinach or baby kale just before serving."
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 jalapeño, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 carrot, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp tomato paste 1 can of BUSH’S® Mild Kidney Chili Beans 1 can of BUSH’S® Mild Pinto Chili Beans 1 14-0z can diced tomatoes 4 cups vegetable stock 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional for serving) 1 lime, cut in wedges for serving Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Heat a large pot over a medium flame, and add olive oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, add onion and a big pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent and aromatic.
3. Add jalapeño, garlic, and another pinch of salt.
4. Stir until vegetables are soft. Then add in carrot and bell pepper.
5. Stir well, reduce heat to medium low, and then pour in spices (chili powder, cumin, and oregano) followed by tomato paste.
6. Stir again, and cook until the tomato paste begins to darken.
7. Add in all beans, tomatoes, and vegetable stock.
8. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes until the chili has slightly thickened and the beans have started to absorb the flavors in the broth. The longer the chili cooks, the more flavorful it becomes, so if you have the time, let it simmer longer.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Fiesta Black Bean Enchiladas "Enchiladas may not be something you'd think to whip up on a regular weeknight, but this recipe will totally change that. This lightened-up version has just enough cheese and sauce to get the point across, plus plenty of veggies. Enchiladas also freeze really well, so I like to make a double batch, cooking one of them up and putting the other in the freezer for another week."
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil 1 small yellow onion, sliced into thin rounds 2 cloves of garlic, sliced 2 zucchinis, cubed 2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp sweet paprika 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 can of BUSH’S® Black Bean Fiesta™, extra liquid drained from can 8 oz spinach 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped Juice of 1/2 a lime Salt to taste 8 whole-wheat tortillas 8 oz Mexican cheese blend or shredded mozzarella 8 oz red enchilada sauce Sour cream, extra limes, and cilantro (optional for serving)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
2. In your largest sauté pan, heat olive oil over a medium flame.
3. Once oil is nice and hot, add in onion and sauté for a few minutes until it becomes translucent.
4. Add in garlic, followed by zucchini.
5. Cook zucchini for about 5 minutes until almost tender.
6. Toss in all of the corn and spices (cumin, paprika, oregano, and garlic powder), and mix.
7. Add in beans and spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted.
8. Sprinkle with cilantro and lime. Taste and add more lime, cilantro, or some salt, if needed.
9. Grab a 9x13 baking dish (or any baking receptacle you have with high sides), and put one tortilla at the bottom.
10. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of cheese into the tortilla, followed by 1/8 of your vegetable mixture.
11. Roll up the seam of the tortilla towards the bottom of the pan, and repeat until all 8 tortillas are in the baking dish.
12. Top with enchilada sauce and the rest of the cheese.
13. Bake for 20 minutes until cheese starts to bubble and turn golden.
14. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Barbecue Baked Beans & Charred Corn Salad "Baked beans and corn on the cob are classic sides usually enjoyed individually, but thrown together, they make a unique salad that's perfect for a summer BBQ. The salty, tangy, creamy beans counterbalance the crisp sweet corn wonderfully. If you don't have a BBQ on your calendar, they're also great with grilled chicken and a simple salad for a weekend lunch or dinner at home!"
Ingredients
5 ears of corn 1 tbsp canola oil 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste 1 can BUSH’S® Barbecue Baked Beans 1 tbsp red onion, chopped 2 tsp lime juice 1/4 tsp rosemary, minced
Instructions
1. Turn on your broiler to preheat.
2. Coat all corn cobs with canola oil, red pepper flakes, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
3. Put corn onto a baking sheet, and broil until one side is nicely charred, 3-6 minutes depending on your broiler. Cooking only one side of the corn ensures that it’s still nice and crisp, but if you like more well cooked corn, char it on two sides.
4. While corn is cooling, combine beans, red onion, lime juice, and rosemary in a large mixing bowl.
5. Cut corn off of the cob, and add it to the bowl.
6. Give all the ingredients a good toss, and add extra salt, pepper, lime juice, and red pepper flakes to taste.
Southwestern Style Pinto Beans with Garlicky Greens & Grilled Shrimp "If you're looking for an incredibly quick and simple summer meal, you can't go wrong using BUSH’S® Southwestern Style Pinto Beans as a base. The beans have a built-in seasoning that takes out some of the more time-intensive steps typically necessary to build a bold flavor. Just sauté the garlic greens, grill up a few shrimp, heat the beans, and — voila — you have a spicy, well-balanced summer dinner."
Ingredients
3 cans BUSH’S® Southwestern Style Pinto Beans 2 tbsp olive oil 6 cloves of garlic, sliced 2 bunches of broccolini, chopped into 1-inch sections 2 large bunches of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped 1 tbsp canola oil 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp brown sugar 24 shrimp, uncooked without the shell and deveined Lime wedges and green onions (optional for serving)
Instructions
1. Preheat a grill (or a grill pan) over high heat for the shrimp.
2. Put all beans into a pot, and warm them over a medium-low flame while you prepare your greens and shrimp. If you like a softer texture (more like refried beans), mash them with a potato masher while they’re cooking.
3. Add olive oil to a large sauté pan, and heat it over a medium flame until it’s nice and warm.
4. Cook garlic for only a minute until it’s aromatic, and toss in broccolini and a pinch of salt.
5. Give broccolini a good mix so that it’s evenly coated in the garlic, then add kale into the pan. If you have a lid that fits the pan, cover it to help speed up the cooking time.
6. Cook for 10 minutes until kale is soft and broccolini is tender.
7. In a small mixing bowl, combine canola oil, cumin, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and brown sugar. Give the ingredients a good toss and add in shrimp.
8. Coat shrimp thoroughly, and then toss it on the grill or grill pan.
9. After about a minute, turn the shrimp and cook for another minute (2 minutes per side if you like your shrimp well-done).
10. Once the shrimp is finished cooking, quickly remove it from the grill (it overcooks fast).
11. To serve, put the beans at the bottom of a plate or bowl, add the greens, and top with a few shrimp. Serve with a squeeze of lime or some chopped green onions on top.
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My mother grew up in a generation that believed thin was everything; you were either skinny, or trying to get that way. As a child, I watched her go on diet after diet, struggling with standards that, as a Latina woman, were totally unrealistic. Seeing my mother struggle with her weight confused me: I looked at her and thought she was beautiful, she was my mom. And this woman, who I looked up to everyday, couldn’t see her own beauty? I watched her become so fixated and stuck on being a certain jean size, on being thin and not too curvy, that she was always waiting to be skinny, waiting to fit into that dress, waiting to be happy.
And that's what really struck me: I didn’t want to wait.
It wasn't until I started going to acting classes and getting involved in my community through the arts that I really found myself and my voice: the voice that would tell me that if you can dream it, you can achieve it. I studied acting, dance, and singing, and those skills and talents fulfilled me and lit a fire in me. Eventually, I followed this voice to California at the age of 18 to become an actress.
It was in Hollywood that I understood you don’t become an actress real quick. I was repeatedly told by different casting agents and directors: 'Oh, if you just lost 10-15 pounds, you’d be perfect for this part.' Too tall, too short, too curvy, too sassy. If I had tried to fit their molds, we’d all still be waiting. I just couldn’t believe that my craft, my brain, and my tenacity were being overlooked because of my size.
But I’m not one to let someone else change me. Hollywood would have to wait while I set my sights on something else. As a creative at heart, my next path was in makeup and beauty, and that was where I was discovered as a model. One day, a photographer asked me if I'd ever modeled before and if she could take my photos. There I was thinking, 'This woman is crazy.' I couldn’t see it. I kept thinking ' I’m too short; I’m too curvy,' but I ended up agreeing to the project, and the rest is history. It only took one voice, one woman, to change my path. And the more I shine, the more I can help others shine too.
Now, I am a mother myself. Nowhere have I felt so much awesome responsibility than when teaching my daughter that there is no wrong way to be herself — to be a young woman, whatever her size. I know how early these ideas are instilled in each new generation, and it’s my job to be that voice; to tell her that she is beautiful and that she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to.
It’s been a long time coming, but my mom has finally embraced her beautiful body, too. While I definitely think my career and my successes have played a part in that, I’m even happier to think this change has come because people all over the world are finally speaking up about body positivity. It helped her. It helps all women. And we need to keep talking and encouraging women to feel like they can be themselves — inside and out.
An 18-year-old Black woman died after a man allegedly stabbed her without provocation Sunday night on a Bay Area Rapid Transit train station in Oakland, CA.
Nia Wilson and her sister Letifah, 26, were traveling home from a family event when they were reportedly attacked by John Lee Cowell, a 27-year-old white felon with a history of violence, at the BART MacArthur Station. Both Nia and Letifah were stabbed in the neck, but only Nia's wounds were fatal. She died at the scene.
"She's just yelling my name, ‘Tifah, Tifah, Tifah.’ And I said, ‘I got you baby, I got you,'" Letifah told ABC7 News. She added: "I'm her protector and I feel like I didn't protect her."
Cowell was apprehended by police on Monday evening. The authorities still don't have a motive for the crime.
"Everything that we’ve uncovered up to this point, we see no altercation," BART police Chief Carlos Rojas said at a press conference Monday. "We don’t have any information that there was any type of dispute. It looks like it was an unprovoked, unwarranted, vicious attack."
Rojas told reporters there's no evidence at the moment connecting Cowell to "any type of radical group or to a white supremacist group," but authorities are exploring all possible angles.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets Monday to pay tribute to Nia and demand justice for her killing. Even though authorities haven't found whether the women's race played a role in the attack, many addressed the racial dynamics of the crime: Cowell, a young white man, attacked two young Black women.
Daryle Allums, Nia's godfather, made a plea to the community to stand down while the investigation goes on.
"We don’t know if it’s racist, we don’t know if this was random. We don’t know what it was, but we’re asking the African American community to stand down right now," he said at a press conference. "Let’s get this information to find out what really happened."
In a statement, Mayor Libby Schaaf sent her condolences to Nia's family and addressed the fears the attack might have been racially motivated.
"As the Mayor of Oakland, it’s important I acknowledge that this horrific crime has a context, she said. "Although investigators currently have no evidence to conclude that this tragedy was racially motivated or that the suspect was affiliated with any hate groups, the fact that his victims were both young African American women stirs deep pain and palpable fear in all of us who acknowledge the reality that our country still suffers from a tragic and deeply racist history."
A memorial was enacted outside of the station with calls for justice for Nia.
Check out the huge memorial to 18-year-old Nia Wilson who was stabbed to death at the MacArthur Bart station in what the police chief is calling the most vicious attack he’s seen. pic.twitter.com/d6QvReZDSo
Nia had just graduated from Oakland High School. Her family said she was interested in pursuing a career in criminal justice or law. She was also a lover of makeup and dance.
A a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $9,000 was set up to help Nia's family. It had raised $22,000 as of time of publication.
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If you're guilty of picking at your pimples, or have battled cystic bumps since your teenage years, chances are you've been plagued by an acne scar or two. The dark marks and crater-like indentations linger, taking weeks — sometimes months — to see themselves out.
Although makeup is the easiest way to hide these dreaded spots, certain products and application techniques (like swiping motions) can draw attention to them rather than minimize their appearance. To avoid that — and anything else that will make our scars stand out rather than blend in — we tapped makeup artists Jamie Greenberg and Andre Sarmiento to share their best tips for dealing with acne scarring: what to use, what to steer clear of, and the one step you should never skip. Check out their advice, ahead.
Prime Time Before you apply so much as a drop of makeup, you should always prime to smooth over any indentations. Sarmiento relies on this one by Too Faced when he's working with clients who have acne scars. "This primer is incredibly smoothing and seems to fill in the scarring while brightening the whole face," he says. Greenberg also highly recommends primers for scarring — she swears by Smashbox's whole line.
Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer, $30, available at Ulta Beauty
This primer goes one step further to infuse skin with moisture as it diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smooths uneven texture, minimizes pores, and creates the perfect canvas for makeup. The blurred, soft-focus finish is so good, you might even be tempted to go foundation-free.
Lancer Skincare Studio Filter Pore Perfecting Primer, $58, available at Lancer Skincare
For a drugstore option, look to this celeb makeup artist favorite: it blurs, fills in pores, and helps makeup go on smoothly.
L'Oréal Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother, $24.99, available at Ulta Beauty
Don't Go For The Glow "Makeup formulas that have a lot of luminosity, dewiness, or a high shimmer content tend to bring out texture and really emphasize the difference between the flat skin and the raised skin," says Sarmiento. Lesson: Avoid. Anything. Glowy. Sadly, this includes highlighters.
On the flip-side, matte products are the best because of their ability to absorb light and soften the appearance of the textured areas. If you're looking for a high-coverage, super-matte, and ultra long-wear base, Sarmiento recommends Kat Von D's Lock-It Foundation. "If you have oily, pigmented acne-scarring, then this might be your holy grail," he says.
Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation, $35, available at Sephora
Try this super matte, medium coverage formula. It's light on the skin and doesn't feel like a heavy base so you don't have to worry about it looking oily throughout the day.
L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation, $12.99, available at Ulta Beauty
This foundation is called "Comfort Matte" for a reason. It's creamy, blendable, and never looks dry or cakey on our skin.
Too Faced Peach Perfect Foundation, $36, available at Too Faced
Selectively Highlight That doesn't mean you have to throw out all your glow-giving products. According to makeup artist Wayne Goss, even those with visible scarring and acne can make use of highlighter — you just need to apply it sparingly. Rather than dusting a highlighting powder all over your face, stick to areas you really want to accentuate like your cheekbones. Just remember: Don't put highlighter on any areas of your face that you don't want to draw attention to.
Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator, $26, available at Laura Geller
If a powdery finish makes you cringe, try adding some illuminating drops to your foundation, or just use them on their own.
Algenist REVEAL Concentrated Luminizing Drops, $38, available at Sephora
Stipple, Don't Swipe Sarmiento says to stay away from "wispy" or buffing strokes, as they can cause the scalier bits of skin to become more prominent and leave a "grainy" effect.
"When I’m working on acne scars, I find myself focusing on stippling or pressing motions to really meld the product with the skin and fill in any of the deeper scarring," says Sarmiento. "I love to press on the foundation into the spots that need the most coverage with a Smashbox Foundation Brush #13, and then take the larger end of the It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7 to blend the product into place with a bouncing motion."
It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7, $48, available at Beautylish
Not a fan of brushes? A BeautyBlender is a great alternative. Use the same strategy as Sarmiento suggests on the previous slide, but whatever you do, don't forget to wash your sponge after each and every use so it doesn't trap bacteria.
Beautyblender the original beautyblender®, $20, available at Sephora
Matte It Up Just like with your foundation, you should opt for a cover-up that's both matte and highly pigmented. Sarmiento is a huge fan of Make Up For Ever's cult Full Cover Camouflage Cream. "It's super-opaque and matte, and it does an incredible job smoothing out the unevenness in the skin texture," he says. "It seems to fill in the deep parts of the scarring." To apply the concealer, Sarmiento dots it onto specific areas with a flat Jane Iredale Camouflage Brush, which allows him to press the product into the skin seamlessly.
Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer, $34, available at Sephora
This concealer, which is actually meant to go on your zits, is infused with witch hazel, tea tree oil, and zinc oxide.
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout™, $28, available at It Cosmetics
Color-Correct For more stubborn marks that still show through a layer of concealer, give color-correcting a whirl. You can layer a peach-toned concealer like this one under your regular concealer to cancel out any dark spots.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid, $29, available at Sephora
This orange corrector makes covering dark spots on darker skin tones a breeze.
Koyvoca Orange Color Corrector, $12, available at Koyvoca
This color-correcting treatment protects, hydrates, and minimizes any redness or dark spots, thanks to the lightly-tinted formula. It works great under concealer or foundation, but also diffuses discoloration alone.
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair ™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment, $52, available at Sephora
Set Your Work To keep all your hard work in place, set your makeup with a setting spray like this one from L'Oréal. Not only will it extend the life of your base, but it won't leave a dry, powdery effect on the skin like many pressed and loose powders do.
L'Oréal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray, $16.98, available at Ulta Beauty
No need to have a makeup meltdown: This setting spray keeps powder, cream, and just about every other formula in place for hours. Your complexion will look smoother than ever.
Urban Decay Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray, $32, available at Urban Decay
If you simply cannot give up setting powder, reach for one that's won't accentuate uneven texture on your skin. This one from Glossier is super silky and never looks powdery.
If you're looking for something a little more translucent, opt for this 100% silica formula from RMS. It reflects light, but never draws attention to spots you don't want noticed.
RMS Beauty "Un" Powder, $34, available at DermStore
You Can Always Airbrush For a seamless, foolproof application over scarring, Greenberg swears by airbrush makeup. "I love using Temptu airbrush, because it covers really [naturally]," she says. "It lies on the skin, but still looks super-natural." Don't feel like investing in a whole airbrush system?
Temptu Deluxe Signature Kit, $235, available at Temptu
Don't feel like investing in a whole airbrush system? Try a bottled version, like this one from Dior. Sure, you're spending almost $70 on a bottle of foundation, but when you notice just how long this water-resistant formula lasts, you'll be convinced it's totally worth it.
Dior Dior Airflash Spray Foundation, $62, available at Sephora
Or opt for this option from Sephora that's a bit cheaper, but just as effective.
Sephora Collection Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation, $28, available at Sephora
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In our seriesMy Salary Story, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions, and job loss, with the hope it will give young women more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.
Been in the workforce for at least eight years, and interested in contributing your salary story?Email us here.
Previously, we talked to a 35-year-old department supervisor in film and television who learned late in the game that she could negotiate in her industry. Today, we hear from a 29-year-old product manager who says she was denied a raise based on her age.
Age: 29 Current Location: San Jose, CA Current Industry & Title: Senior Product Marketing Manager, Tech Starting Salary: $33,000 (2011) Current Salary: $170,000 base with a $15,000 yearly bonus Number Of Years Employed: 8 Biggest Salary Jump: $50,000 Biggest Salary Drop: $0 (Technically, I was making more hourly in college, but I was not working full time.) Biggest Salary Negotiation Regret: "Letting management tell me my age was the reason I couldn't get more money." Best Salary-Related Advice: "Work really hard, build a reputation, and then fight for the money you are worth. I am still blown away by the fact that I am making $185,000/year at the age of 29. However, I have come to realize that building a reputation within your company and the industry you work in as a whole adds major value. I am proud of my journey over the past eight years and will continue to strive to be the best at what I do. Dedicate yourself fully to whatever role you are in (or want to be in), educate yourself to get ahead, and don't be afraid of hard work and standing up for yourself."
"I was recruited into this job out of college because of my involvement in my department's honor program and graduation status. At first, they offered me $15/hour to work as a contractor (with no benefits, job security, etc.), but I countered with a request for a full-time role with benefits — though I did not ask for a specific dollar amount.
"My prospective manager agreed and offered me $33,000 for a full-time salaried position with benefits. I accepted because I was excited to start a career!"
"I came into my position with absolutely no technical background. During my first year, I dedicated myself to learning both the technology and my role with help from two different mentors. I worked my butt off (60-80 hours per week including worldwide travel) and knew that I needed to ask for more money. I had also acquired a few industry certifications and more advanced technical knowledge.
"I did not come into my review looking for a specific dollar amount, so when my manager offered $45,000, I accepted."
"By this point, I had earned a great reputation at my company and was constantly asked to help in the field, speaking at industry events and sales meetings. I discussed a title change and raise with my manager prior to annual reviews and she offered me $60,000 with a $5,000 spot-bonus. I accepted."
"From 2013 to 2014, I continued my hard work and traveled almost every week for business. My already small team had dwindled to two people (including myself) and the team's workload did not decrease as members left. I was extremely overworked and getting burned out.
"Around this time, I found out that a male colleague on my team who had recently left had been making $20,000 more than I was. He was also offered $40,000 more than me to stay after he put in notice. I was extremely disheartened by this and immediately raised my concerns with my manager. My concerns were escalated up the chain and I was told that I was 'too young' to receive more money.
"My male colleague was only three years older than me and I had far more technical knowledge and success in the role than him. I continued to raise the issue and was promised a new specialized role and more money. Months went by without any change, so I put out feelers in the industry for a new job.
"The director at another company contacted me and asked me to come in for an interview. After an additional series of interviews, they asked how much I was making in my current job. I told them I was looking for a base salary in the $100,000 range, and they offered $90,000 base, a $10,000 yearly bonus, and a $15,000 signing bonus. After doing research on the role and company, I countered. This time, they offered a $100,000 base, a $10,000 yearly bonus, a $15,000 signing bonus, and stock options. I giddily accepted and was so proud of myself for standing firm."
"Once again, I worked extremely hard to build a reputation at my new company, and after my first year, was offered a $20,000 raise with a promotion to a senior title, a $10,000 bonus, and more stock. I accepted."
"After another successful year of output and continued technical education on my part, I requested another $20,000 raise with more stock and it was granted. I found out that I was making the same amount of money as the older colleagues on my team.
"I am extremely lucky that my manager believes in me and fights for my worth with upper management. I never expected to be making $150,000 (if you include my $10,000 bonus) before I was 28 years old."
"At my annual review, I was offered a $10,000 raise. Although I was happy with a $160,000 base salary and a $10,000 bonus, I had been getting a lot of recruiting offers from competitors over the previous six months — and had even done a few interviews to keep my skills sharp. (It is important to practice marketing yourself to other companies and testing your skills and ability to answers interview questions, so you don't get complacent in an existing role.)
"Two of those companies gave me verbal offers of ~$180,000-$200,000 with bonuses and title changes — but I never felt like a move was the right fit. Before I interviewed with anyone else, I always mentioned that I was happy in my existing role and not explicitly looking to change companies. (That made me more comfortable backing out of the process at any time.)
"I feel that I have a very good relationship with my manager, and brought these offers up. As I learned from my previous company change, you often have to leave an organization to get a larger salary bump or promotion. After a tough negotiation, I was able to get up to a base salary of $170,000/year with an annual bonus of $15,000. I was also given a larger stock grant than in former years."
"As if I didn't have enough to do, I also accepted an offer to tutor a neighbor's child in math for $25 per hour. This only amounts to ~$200 extra per month, but I feel better about spending that extra money on self-care."
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Like clockwork, every few seasons athletic trends pop back up, throwing a wrench in the wardrobes of thousands and leaving a devastating wake of feminine dresses and ruffled wrap skirts behind. From biker shorts to chunky sneakers, it's near impossible to go without seeing at least a dozen athleisure-clad Instagrammers every time you scroll through your feed. And after so many sightings, it's hard not to fall victim to hopping on the bandwagon.
To save you from having to try and come up with ways to style skin-tight, cropped leggings and sneakers you and your dad might be twinning in, we're highlighting an athletic trend that 1) you probably already own, and 2) is comfy as hell. Dig deep into your overflow drawer for those oversized, drawstring athletic shorts. Yes, we're talking about the shorts mandated by your 8th-grade soccer coach. You were right to keep them around, if only just to sleep in, because nowadays, they look cool paired with a pastel-colored silk blouse and mini heels, or dressed down with a graphic tee and chunky sandals. No matter the will or the way, we're convinced the 16 options ahead will have you embracing athleisure — but not too much because what goes around eventually comes around.
There’s a lot of product out there, some would say too much. No doubt this has left you with an overwhelming set of questions about the latest must-haves. Luckily we’ve got answers. At Refinery29 we are here to help you navigate this epic world of stuff. All of our editorial market is independently selected and curated by the team. But if you buy something we link to on our site Refinery29 may earn commission.
While Chanel and gym shorts don't exactly have a lot in common, when combined, they're strangely compatible.
When it ain't broke, why fix it? Stick with their roots and style your athletic shorts with a crew neck and sneakers.
There's just no limit to this trend. Even going the complete opposite of athleisure passes with flying colors.
We're breaking the stigma against wearing heels with shorts for good.
Post-sweaty session with your trainer, but make it fashion.
This has got to be the summer's easiest-to-style trend.
Stay calm, cool, and collected by pairing your drawstring shorts with dad sneakers and a classic button-up.
As if we didn't already love lime green enough, here's some gym shorts. Count us in.
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In 2014, five friends launched the Curly Girl Collective, a marketing group that has led the natural hair revolution in challenging the status quo, celebrating Black women, and bringing much needed representation to spaces that have been lacking it.
Every year, the group's mission comes to life through CurlFes t, a natural hair festival in Brooklyn, NY complete with food, music, games, and shopping galore — imagine Coachella meets AfroPunk, sprinkled with a generous dash of Essence Fest.
As you can probably expect, 30,000 attendees showed up and showed out with coils, twists, locs, braids, and more that celebrate the beauty of natural hair. We were there at Prospect Park to capture all the Black Girl Magic — which you'll definitely want to check out, ahead.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: Butterflies are the hair accessory of summer.
Photographed by Laurise McMillian.
Blue spirals electrify this fierce, braided Mohawk.
We saw a lot of creative parts, but this heart shape went to the TOP of our Pinterest boards.
Photographed by Laurise McMillian.
We couldn't get enough of this cotton-candy colored, hi-top fade. To prevent damage after dyeing your hair, do a deep-conditioning treatment once a week.
Photographed by Laurise McMillian.
Now, this is what you call "coiffed to perfection."
Photographed by Brianna Arps.
Rainbow yarn and gold twine are clutch for adding a personal touch to your protective styles.
Photographed by Laurise McMillian.
CurlFest founders Simone Mair, Tracey Coleman, and Melody Henderson took a break from the excitement to show off their killer 'dos.
Photographed by Laurise McMillian.
You know what they say about the higher the hair...
Many of us reach for deodorant or antiperspirant on the daily, so it's no wonder we're becoming increasingly aware of the rumored implications of well-known ingredients such as aluminum chloride — a popular sweat-blocker found in many products — for our bodies.
But it's a well-known, if unfortunate, fact that natural deodorants and antiperspirants can be hit and miss. Many work well to neutralize odor but are ineffective on sweat; some require a little too much effort by applying with your fingers; others are packed with so many essential oils they can sometimes be too harsh on sensitive skin. Of course, there are many effective natural deodorants out there, but one in particular is getting a ton of attention right now. Enter: Megababe's Rosy Pits.
You might already be familiar with the brand's Thigh Rescue Anti-Chafe Stick, which took social media by storm last year for a) looking super cute and b) actually working a charm to stop the dreaded summer thigh chafe. But it's their Rosy Pits deodorant which is making waves this time around — and 5,000 people and counting have joined a waiting list for it to come back in stock.
So what's so special about it? Well, aside from the millennial-friendly packaging, the $18 stick deodorant ditches aluminum, alcohol, and baking soda — which can sometimes irritate sensitive skin — for a more pit-friendly combination of coconut, green tea, and vitamin E, as well as sage, sandalwood, and horsetail plant, which have antibacterial properties and the power to stop odor in its tracks. The product doesn't claim to be an antiperspirant as such, but the formula contains corn starch to help absorb moisture. (That said, Megababe mentions that, as with all aluminum-free deodorants, some wetness is normal.)
According to Megababe's website, the product has a five-star rating, with comments ranging from, "It just works," to "Rosy Pits is a life changer." One customer wrote, "I love this deodorant. The smell is great but not too strong (I’m fairly sensitive to smells) and it actually works," while another said, "I haven’t smelled a day since using it for 2 months now in all conditions — nervous sweats, workout sweats, humidity sweats, it cures all! I tell anyone and everyone about it, let’s just get it back in stock."
The brand is working on it as we speak — in fact, a limited restock of Rosy Pits will be released today on the Megababe website. You'll be able to pick it up at J. Crew again too in the very near future; after its online and in-store launch earlier this month, it sold out in eight minutes. Who knew a natural deodorant could ever generate this much buzz?
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Are you ready to put those tequila-shot nightmares to bed? Yeah, we are too. There are plenty of easy recipes out there that will help you take your cocktail game to the next level. So swap out those shot glasses for martini glasses, tumblers, and popsicle molds. These are the fast and refreshing tequila drinks of your dreams! Mix it up and sip away.
Aperol Tequila Cocktail Summertime's trendy cocktail gets a tequila makeover.
Cantaloupe Fiesta Cocktail Looking for a festive way to use up the rest of that sweet summer cantaloupe? Just blend a few melon cubes with tequila, lime, agave, and sea salt for a refreshing fruit cocktail.
Breaking Bad Blue Margarita All you diehard BB fans out there (or just lovers of the color blue), get ready for the drink of your dreams! The Breaking Bad margarita takes it to the next level with blue salt AND blue ice chips.
Tropical Tequila Sunrise Poptail Who says popsicles can't be for adults? One lick of these passion fruit and tequila poptails is all the proof we need.
Grilled Pineapple Margarita Let this tequila cocktail instantly transport you from Netflix and chill to aloha and luau — it's like a cup of sunshine, with a little salt.
Final Versions: Branded - Short Cuts - Dyson: Morning Routine
Nothing — and I actually mean nothing — in this world gives me a confidence boost quicker than a fresh, bouncy blowout. I could be rocking a groutfit with a fever and body sweats, but as long as my hair looks like a million bucks (or, precisely $45 plus tip), I feel brand-new. My bank account, on the other hand, isn't quite so hyped. Until recently, I had no faith in the possibility of mimicking a salon-caliber blowout in my own bathroom. But thanks to the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer featuring the fastest motor around, this tutorial had me changing my tune. Don't believe it? Press play on the video above to see how to recreate a blowout that rivals your hairstylist's handiwork — and pocket that $45 plus tip for your next mani-pedi.
Step 1. Mist a leave-in conditioner all over damp, towel-dried hair. Step 2. Using your Dyson Supersonic ™ hair dryer and the smoothing nozzle attachment, begin rough drying hair all over. Step 3. Next, separate the top portion of your hair and secure with a clip. Step 4. Using a round boar-bristle brush, curl the side section of hair underneath towards your head, then apply heat all over with the styling concentrator attachment. Pro tip: The dryer's intelligent heat control feature (which temperature checks every 20 seconds) helps shield hair from extreme heat and protects shine. Step 5. Once the section is dry, gently unravel hair, twisting in an outward motion to avoid tugging or pulling. Step 6. Repeat this step on each section until hair is completely dry. Step 7. Give hair a quick tousle to add volume, and you're ready to go.
For even more hair inspo — including hair tips, tricks, and more — check outthese stories curated in partnership with Dyson.
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Eyeliner is especially tricky during the summer months, when it's more likely to end up everywhere but your lash line. But there's a new trend that won't result in dark circles under your eyes or smudges in your crease, and everyone — from Rihanna to Margot Robbie — is trying it.
When it comes to pulling off white liner, Fenty global makeup artist Priscilla Ono says to treat it like any other bright shade and keep the rest of your makeup minimal. "Remember it's a bright color, so it actually really stands out; sometimes less is more," Ono says. And, rather than building up the color, be sure to choose formulas that go on opaque with the first swipe. "You want to make sure you're applying a very thin amount [which] will look nice and smooth. Don't go too thick with it because you can actually see texture more," she says.
Get ready for plenty of celebrity white liner inspiration, plus tips for wearing it, ahead.
A precise swipe of white liner made Bella Hadid's green eyes glow at an event in Monaco. Pro tip: Makeup artist Naoko Scintu started from her inner corners and followed her eye shape for the most flattering effect.
Photo: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images.
Rather than sticking to a tiny cat eye flick, makeup artist Pati Dubroff laid it on thick for Margot Robbie. Paired with pink and brown tones, the overall look is soft but makes a statement.
Photo: Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage.
If white liner on the lid seems like a stretch for you, you can still achieve the same eye-opening look by drawing it along the lower waterline. (We prefer this one from Urban Decay.) Alison Brie paired hers with pastel aqua shadow on the lids for a cool '60s mod look.
Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic.
For Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton debut in Paris, Rihanna let her eyeliner do the talking. Keeping the rest of her makeup minimal, the Fenty Beauty founder rocked a white, winged eyeliner, courtesy of Ono.
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.
Kristin Stewart paired another major L.A. trend, upside-down liner, with a white cat eye for extra definition.
Photo: Venturelli/Getty Images.
Tessa Thompson turned heads at the 2018 Met Gala with a white eyeliner that winged into a cross, which nodded to the theme: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination."
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.
Leave it to Willow Smith to pull off the trend like no other. The singer gave us a futuristic effect with bold, white paint drawn generously from corner to corner. We'd opt for a long-wearing cream, like Make Up For Ever Aqua XL shadow, for a look like this.
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.
Sasha Lane completed her celestial look with the perfect touch of white liner. To create this dreamy eye-opening effect, add the contrast of black liner on the lower lash line, as makeup artist Vincent Oquendo did for this look.
Presley Ann/Getty Images
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July 24th marks Self Care Day — a day to treat yo' self, as Donna and Tom would say (though, technically, Treat Yo' Self day isn't until October 13). In our fast-paced society, we rarely pause to take care of number one, and this day gives us an extra excuse to unplug and unwind.
In honor of the holiday, we're showing you our favorite products for treating our face, body, and mind. In the latest installment of our shopping series, One Click Wonder, our R29 staffers break down the best self-care essentials in beauty, fashion, and more.
Press play to learn more about our picks, then let us know your favorite self-care finds in the comments below.
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Ivanka Trump is shutting down her namesake fashion brand, more than a year after she formally separated herself from the company and became a White House senior adviser.
The ethics guidelines it had to follow in order to avoid conflicts of interest stunted the company's ability to grow, according to a spokesperson for the brand. "The brand wasn’t meant to tread water, it was meant to grow," the spokesperson told Refinery29.
The brand's 18 employees will be laid off and are receiving severances, said the spokesperson.
The growing controversy revolving around Ivanka's work on "hire American" workforce initiatives while her clothing is produced in Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia, has surely added fuel to the fire. Additionally, while her sales have reportedly been strong and she opened up a new store in Trump tower at the end of 2017, retailers including Nordstrom and Hudson's Bay have recently dropped the line, citing disappointing performance.
"We are incredibly proud of the brand we have built and the content and product we've developed for our customers," Abigail Klem, the brand's president, said in a statement provided to Refinery29. "Our platform has become an indispensable resource for our loyal community of women. We've seen strong sales since the brand's inception, which continued through this year with the successful launch of our rapidly growing e-commerce business."
After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington.
"I know that this was a very difficult decision for Ivanka, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have led such a talented and committed team," Klem continued. "When faced with the most unique circumstances, the team displayed strength and optimism. From the initial launch of the brand in 2014 to the recent expansion of direct-to-consumer capabilities on our website, I am thankful to the team for the great work they have done and to our outstanding partners who so diligently executed our brand vision."
In a statement provided to Refinery29, Ivanka Trump said: "When we first started this brand, no one could have predicted the success that we would achieve. After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington, so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners." Ivanka has been working on a paid family leave bill with Sen. Marco Rubio and others, as well as on workforce development, specifically promotion of vocational education.
The spokesperson said the decision had nothing to do with the brand's performance, but rather with Ivanka's decision to focus on her work in the White House. She said the company will continue to honor its licensing agreements and selling its products at Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Amazon, Zappos, and others.
She also said that any business endeavors Ivanka pursues in the future wouldn't be related to this brand. Ivanka has recently acquired several new trademarks in China for household items, paper products, and cosmetics, a move that her company has said is meant to protect her against those who want to illegally use the Ivanka Trump name. Attorneys will continue to protect the name, according to the spokesperson. "She will continue to file trademark application to protect others from exploiting it," she said.
G-III, the apparel group that manufactures Ivanka's brand, reported that net sales increased by $17.9 million during the year ending on January 31, 2017. The brand says revenues rose by 21% in 2016. According to e-commerce site Lyst, sales surged by over 700% in February 2017, compared to February 2016 — but significantly dropped off in the months after. But because the brand is privately held, it is not required to disclose this information. According to the spokesperson, Ivanka also received several lucrative offers to sell the brand before resigning from it, but chose not to take them.
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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 controls engineer working in maritime who makes $78,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on mozzarella sticks.
Occupation: Controls Engineer Industry: Maritime Age: 27 Location: New Orleans, LA Salary: $78,000 Paycheck Amount (Biweekly): $1,999.53
Monthly Expenses Rent: $1,625 (I live with my husband in downtown NOLA, but we don't have a combined checking account yet so we split rent.) Car Loan Payment: $400 (Paid to my parents. They paid for my car on their line of credit, and I pay on that.) Parking: $400 (Split with my husband. We pay extra for the valet garage because it's in the same building we live in. The total includes an upfront tip for the valets.) Electricity: ~$80 (split with my husband) Car/Renters/Personal Property Insurance: $200 Cell Phone: $80 Health/Dental/Vision Insurance: $139.25 401k: $390 Gym Membership: $108 Kindle Unlimited: $9.99 Spotify: $9.99 AMC A-List: $21.60 Sling: $25 (split with my husband) Neflix & Hulu: $0 (My parents pay for Netflix, and my husband pays for Hulu.) Savings: $400 (joint account with my husband) Credit Card Payment: $325 (It's 0% interest right now, so I'm planning to pay it off before September when I start being charged interest.)
Additional Expenses Amazon Prime: $99/year (split with my husband)
Day One
10 a.m. — My 10 year high school reunion is today, so of course I wake up with a headache. I realize I also have a migraine aura, and I hope it doesn't last into the evening. I take some ibuprofen to stave off the full-blown migraine, and go back to sleep.
1:30 p.m. — The ibuprofen didn't work, but I'm hungry. We have no food in our apartment, so my husband, C., goes out and picks up grilled cheeses from a local place. Since we don't have a joint checking account, most of our food and apartment expenses go onto a joint credit card that we each pay half of at the end of the month. We always pay it off in full, so I track my half of the spending as we go. My half of lunch was $11.90. I still have a headache, so I try the sleeping it off method again. $11.90
5 p.m. — I wake up again and am thankfully feeling better, so I start to get ready for the reunion. My best friend, H., and I decided to ditch our husbands for the night and go stag. C. is hanging out at H.'s house with her husband while she gets ready. The reunion is at 7, and I don't have enough time to wash and dry my hair, so dry shampoo it is. I decide to curl my very thick, very straight hair, which takes me about an hour and half, and somehow it's already 7. I do my makeup pretty quickly because C. is on his way with H. to pick me up. He drops us both off at the reunion so we don't have to Uber there.
8 p.m. — We arrive at the reunion, and my hair is already straight again. Thank you, humidity. H. and I go straight to the open bar to get drinks. There's a ton of “Hey! How have you been?” even though we all have social media and know how everyone has been. The whole thing is a little awkward at first, but it gets better after being there for a little while and ends up being a good time. I tip the bartenders for my drinks. $4
10 p.m. — The official reunion with the open bar ends, but everyone makes their way to another bar to continue the party. I start a tab for myself and also buy drinks for a couple of old friends. Most of my classmates come to the second bar, and even a couple people who weren't at the official party show up, so it's a fun time. $62
1:30 a.m. — The bar we're at is pretty dead now and most of our classmates have left, so H. and I decide to take a Lyft to another bar that we know will still be lively. I pay ($7.80). $7.80
1:45 a.m. — I buy a couple drinks for us at the second bar that we definitely do not need, and we proceed to drink and dance for a while longer. $17.50
4 a.m. — It's 4 a.m., the bar is still open, and in a move that I call “adulting,” we decide to call it a night. C. doesn't want to come pick us up from the bar and isn't too pleased about me calling, so we get a Lyft back home ($9.33). H. sleeps on my couch, and I almost immediately pass out. $9.33
Daily Total: $112.53
Day Two
11 a.m. — Even though I was out with high school classmates all night, I cannot tolerate drinking like I could back then, and therefore I'm incredibly hungover. I get up to go with C. to bring H. home and get food, and almost immediately turn around, knowing a car ride will make me sick. C. brings me back my favorite hangover food — a chicken burrito with chips and queso and a giant Coke. (I pay $15.69.) Then I pretty much just lounge around the apartment all day reading. We were supposed to go to the grocery store today, but that doesn't happen, so it's another week of eating out. C. is lucky that I don't ever fight him for the living room TV — he spends the evening playing Fortnite while I read on the couch, and randomly yell "look behind you!" to mess with him. $15.69
7 p.m. — C. wants dinner, so we order Uber Eats from a new place. I order chicken lo mein, and we share some dumplings ($17.52). There's limited street parking by our place, so one of us usually has to run down and meet the driver, but the food actually comes to our door this time, which pleases my hungover self. The food turns out really good, so we'll definitely order from this place again. I finally take a shower, change the sheets on the bed, and lay in bed playing on my phone until I pass out around 11. $17.52
Daily Total: $33.21
Day Three
7 a.m. — I snooze my alarm for about an hour before I finally get up and get ready for work. C. and I share the car I bought before we got married, since I have a commute and he can walk to work from our apartment. My commute is about 15 minutes, so I get into the office around 9 a.m., settle in, grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen, and get to work.
2:30 p.m. — The morning flies by. I forgot my leftover lo mein at home and am in meetings until 2:30. When I get out, I make a quick stop at the Wendy's drive-through because I'm starving, and get a chicken sandwich, fries, and an iced tea. $9.01
6 p.m. — I get off of work and go pick up C. from our apartment. We need to do a Target run for some essentials and decide to go see a movie while we're out. We're big movie goers, and we signed up for the AMC A-List program when it launched, so we don't have to pay for tickets.
6:30 p.m. — We head to Target and pick up cat treats, cat litter, toilet paper, dryer sheets, and paper towels. While we're there, we see there's a good sale on Coke, so we get a few different kinds. The dollar section also strikes again, and I end up getting a marshmallow skewer because I'm obsessed with s'mores. (C. bought me a kitchen torch for Christmas so I could toast marshmallows at home.) My half of the purchase is $44.43. $44.43
8 p.m. — Movie time! We share dinner pretzel bites and popcorn at theater. $15
11 p.m. — We're home, and I take a look at our card transactions. Today the second payment for our college football season tickets went through. I make a note of my half, and then head to bed. $137.70
Daily Total: $206.14
Day Four
7 a.m. — Same morning routine. I forgot to rinse my coffee cup out yesterday, so now I have to scrub it before getting my coffee. No meetings to steal my focus today, so I should be able to make some good progress on my current project.
12:30 p.m. — I get to eat lunch at a reasonable time today, so I run to a local place for a sandwich and iced tea for another caffeine fix. I get back to work, and since it's the day before a holiday, the afternoon totally drags. $12.21
3 p.m. — I let C. know I'm working late to make up some of the time I'm planning to take off Friday, and we make plans to go to dinner. He asks me if I left him a check for my part of rent, but I didn't because I forgot. I Venmo him for this month's rent and parking, minus his portion of the electric ($983).
6:30 p.m. — I leave work, pick up C., and we head to get Chinese food. We eat in, but I order enough so that I have leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow ($29). I'm really looking forward to doing absolutely nothing on my day off. We get home around 8ish, settle in, and commence our nightly routine of video games and reading. I end up reading my book until I finish it, and I finally go to bed around 3 a.m. $29
Daily Total: $41.21
Day Five
12 p.m. — I wake up and C.'s already left to go help his at his family's firework stand. I play on my phone for a half hour or so before I go and heat up some of yesterday's leftovers. I watch some romcoms on Netflix, and start binging The Good Place.
7 p.m. — Netflix inquires if I'm still watching. I am. I decide this means I should eat dinner. I heat up more of my leftovers.
9 p.m. — We can see the Mississippi River from our living room window, so I sit in the window to watch the 4th of July fireworks. I'm glad we're high up, because I did not put on pants today. C. comes home at around 10:30, and I've been successful in my day of doing nothing. I end up staying up late reading again and fall asleep around 3 a.m. again.
Daily Total: $0
Day Six
8 a.m. — I'm exhausted from staying up so late, so I end up waking up later than usual. I'm dragging so much, I decide to pick up an iced coffee before heading into work. I manage to make it in by 9:30 — thankfully, we have a flex schedule. $3.07
12:30 p.m. — I feel so gross from all the junk I ate this week, so I head to a local salad chain for lunch. I get a spinach, goat cheese, walnut, and chicken salad with fig balsamic dressing that I really love ($13.05). Then I walk next door to Starbucks and get a pineapple black tea. I refilled my Starbucks card last week, so I use my app to pay. I bring my salad and tea back to the office and eat at my desk. $13.05
6:30 p.m. — I leave work and pick up C.. We have tickets to see Ant-Man and the Wasp, so we'll be doing dinner at the movies again, but it's not until 9, so we kill some time shopping. I have some credit at Old Navy from a return I made, so we head there. I pick up a few blouses for work and a crossbody bag, which costs me $38.61 after my credit. $38.61
7 p.m. — There's still time to kill, so we go to Five Below, where I pick up a cute toy for our cats that looks like a fishing pole and an exfoliating glove ($6.93). $6.93
7:30 p.m. — We wander into TJMaxx, where I happen upon a springform pan that matches the rest of our bakeware, so of course it comes home with us. $8.73
8:30 p.m. — We go to the theater to get food before the movie, and I realize I have a birthday reward, so our popcorn and one of our drinks is free. We also get some mozzarella sticks and another drink. (My half is $6.86.) We both really enjoyed the movie and aren't too worried about getting home late, since we're both taking tomorrow morning off to go to the DMV. $6.86
Daily Total: $77.25
Day Seven
9:30 a.m. — I snooze my alarm for a while and then finally get up to renew my license at the DMV before it expires next week. C.'s expires in a couple months as well, so he's getting his renewed too. I take a little extra time getting ready so that hopefully I can take a nice picture. We get to the DMV and wait about an hour to be called. I pay the renewal fee ($38.37), and then take a new picture that does not come out nice and will be on my ID for the next six years at least. $38.37
12 p.m. — We leave the DMV and go grab some po'boys before C. drops me off at work for the afternoon. $11.60
2 p.m. — My friend texts me while I'm at working asking if I still want to go on a trip over Labor Day weekend with him, his boyfriend, and couple other friends. I check my bank account and realize it's probably not the best decision to go, but say yes anyway. I text C. to see if he's interested in going, but he doesn't have any interest in Texas wine country, so it'll just be a friend trip. I Venmo my friend for the super cute Airbnb he picked out. I have miles to cover my flight. $112.89
6:30 p.m. — C. picks me up from work, and we debate what to do for dinner, so we drive around uptown for a bit before inspiration strikes. We put our name in for a table at a French restaurant that's a bit pricier than we normally would go for on a last minute dinner, but I swear we'll get groceries next week. I grab a glass of wine while we wait for our table. $10
6:45 p.m. — They seat us quicker than I was expecting, so my glass is still full at the table. We split a French onion soup, C. gets mussels, and I get a crab meat and spinach crepe — all delicious. I get half of my entree boxed up to save room for dessert, and we split a dessert crepe that is to die for. My half of dinner is $45.50. We go home and watch a movie. I start another book after the movie, and read in bed until I get too tired that I can't anymore. I fall asleep around 2 a.m. $45.50
Daily Total: $218.36
Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women's experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29's point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.
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Have you ever been in a job you couldn’t stand but couldn’t quit? Did you write an elaborate quitting fantasy in your mind to pass the time? Maybe you’d finally tell your boss your honest opinion. Perhaps, you daydreamed of finally calling out your co-worker who takes credit for your ideas. If this is you, we want to hear from you! Email ushereto share your most elaborate quitting fantasy and how you actually quit.
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Allow me to be the trillionth person to agree that the 21-year-old student and paid intern who recently shared a week of her spending choices with Money Diaries comes across as pretty privileged.
It’s not just that her parents pay all her bills; and that she receives still more money from her extended family; or that she lives in the West Village in New York City, an unrealizable dream for many. It’s that she enthuses, without apparent irony, about avocados, tofu, and the “amenities” of her fancy gym. The mishaps in her week included an Italian restaurant taking too long to seat her party, and not getting enough assignments at her paid internship. While nothing she recounted was massively out-of-the-ordinary for a college student, there are, it’s fair to say, one or two college students who have it way worse. Her tone is less greedy (a word that, to me, connotes some ambition) as it is complacent – the sentiments of someone...comfortable being extremely comfortable (#blessed). Which ultimately made for an uncomfortable read.
But the viral response to the story struck me as disproportionate, or at least just misdirected. Yes, the level of “unchecked privilege ” was impressive, but no, it wasn’t particularly unusual for a 21-year-old accustomed to spending time with others with similar advantages. Agreed, the expression “hard-earned money,” in the Money Diary header, didn’t apply as well in this case as it does in some other series installments. But it would be a stretch to say the diary entry itself was misleading about the source of this young woman’s funds. (Readers knew her family paid her way because… that was sort of the point. It wasn’t some kind of secret.)
While conversations about class privilege can be productive, this one, conducted mainly via Twitter and the comments section, failed in all the usual ways, focusing on the personal obliviousness of one privileged but not exactly powerful young woman, rather than on the bigger social injustices her story, in a roundabout way, illustrates.
I found myself drawn to the Money Diary — and its response — because I’ve spent a good amount of time researching just that dynamic. In my 2017 book, The Perils of “Privilege”, I wrote about the privilege conversation in feminist spaces online, from personal essays (with their requisite privilege disclaimers) to online spats. (Most memorably: a feminist blogger became that week’s Marie Antoinette for having admitted to eating takeout soba noodles.)
Where this Money Diarist erred wasn’t so much in her candor as her tone. She acknowledged her privilege, all right, down to minutiae of who’s paying for what. (The entry was one great big privilege acknowledgment!) But she didn’t go through the ritual of preemptively deflecting privilege accusations. She didn’t, that is, spell out how aware she is that not everyone has her advantages. Then again, the absence of disclaimers was precisely what made the entry so compelling...and probably so incensing. In everyday life, it’s precisely that obliviousness that makes privilege such a hornet’s nest of reactions.
Even the language of spending is gendered: Women “splurge” when they spend, while men “provide.”
It’s my sense that the people most candid about their privilege – sometimes thoughtfully, other times less so – are young women, who are privileged to varying degrees, but not all that powerful. Even the language of spending is gendered: Women “splurge” when they spend, while men “provide.” From the reaction, it’s clear that too much of the conversation about class privilege winds up focusing on the trappings of wealth and day-to-day consumption habits, often those associated specifically with young women. The purchases that come across as super-privileged aren’t even the unattainable ones, just the ones that seem the most predictably millennial. It’s meaningful, class-wise, that the diarist doesn’t have student loans. Whereas it’s whatever that she spent $6.99 on what sounds like a more than a day’s worth of iced coffee. A lot of the energy spent decrying the easy life and conventional tastes of the Money Diarist could be better spent looking at what her story says about the system itself.
If the aim is to punch up, why not aim higher? A college student and intern is not the pinnacle of society’s power elite. While it’s valuable to see the details of how anyone’s privilege plays out up close, I found myself wishing there were Money Diaries from society’s “most” powerful: wealthy, prestigiously-employed middle-aged men. People whose fates are secure, and who directly influence how the world is run — from politics to publishing. Where are the 50-year-old men sharing — even anonymously — how they’ve paid for their houses and gotten their jobs? (Why didn't the New York Times Real Estate section story about a writer and his Village mansion —a successful writer, yes, but also the son of tremendous wealth — go similarly viral?)
On Twitter, reactions to the diary entry often included a mention of a tweeter’s own scrappiness. Given that the diarist’s own scrappiness seemed nonexistent, the fun of declaring oneself relatively self-made – and the exhilaration of speaking out about unfairnesses we’ ve faced that she has not – could be shared by just about all of us. Myself included: Most of the luxuries the diarist lists like they’re nothing – Equinox membership, trips to the Hamptons, Uber – are things that I, even at 34, don’t find relatable. The sentence, “The girl squad gets ready to go out on my friend's boat,” comes from a world I can barely even picture.
I do not come from an especially scrappy background, but I know from personal experience what it’s like to be young in New York, and frustrated by the generally unspoken presence of peers whose parents (or trust funds) paid their way. But where I differed from the diarist at her age wasn’t just in funds or spending habits, but in my attitude – perhaps best described as guilt-ridden self-flagellation – towards the unearned advantages I had. (Specifically, parents who could help me financially while in college, and the knowledge that after graduation, I’d only need to earn enough to support myself.) But ultimately, what did my queasiness accomplish? Did it change the fact that in the U.S., college is massively unaffordable? Or did it just prevent me, personally, from winding up whatever the 2005 equivalent was of getting owned on Twitter? (Yes, the diarist is anonymous, but contrary to muchspeculation, Refinery29 confirms that this is a real person’s account of her spending. Somewhere out there is a real college student seeing herself declared, to thousands, “the worst person in the world.”)
The impulse, when reading what is, after all, someone else’s personal account, is to retreat into a discussion of the personal, instead of having a head-on discussion of the larger systemic issues. And the conversation about brattiness is ultimately easier (and, frankly, more fun) than one about entrenched inequality. Among the more than 1,000 comments to the piece at Refinery29, a pattern emerges: that the problem isn’t the situation itself, but the diarist’s attitude toward her good fortune: “I don't actually mind people's families helping them out as long as they can afford it, but the diarist seems so blase about her entitlement,” writes one commenter. Another: “I guess I’m baffled and confused as to how OP is taking these opportunities for granted and the privilege she has.”
While that lack of awareness grates, it should be a side note relative to systemic privilege itself. The issue inspiring outrage shouldn’t be that this 21-year-old is on her parents’ health insurance plan, but that the U.S. doesn’t have universal health care. (She – and everyone – should feel entitled to see a doctor!) That she takes over $2,000 a month in rent money from her parents says something about her sense of entitlement (and lack of resourcefulness, perhaps), sure. But mostly, it speaks to the housing situation in places like New York City, where rents are driven up in part by the number of families prepared to subsidize their adult offspring. Yes, as some noted, more affordable apartments do exist, but it says something that a shared one-bedroom plus den would be unaffordable to unsubsidized young adults.
The problem, then, isn’t that the rich are often clueless. It’s a society where it’s taken for granted and glossed over, not just socially but structurally, that everyone has a cushion of financial support, when the reality is that most of us do not. To look at that Money Diary as a story of high-end fitness classes and depilation rituals is to miss the larger phenomenon it illustrates – namely a society where it’s assumed a 21-year-old’s basic life expenses (rent, food, health care, and education) will be met by someone, and those without well-off parents or hedge fund jobs are left behind (or in massive debt).
The intern-student Money Diary that has everyone so riled up could still function as a productive starting point for conversations about class, assuming it inspires better questions than it has thus far. Rather than asking why the diarist isn’t sufficiently aware that not everyone shares her advantages, it would be useful to ask how to move to a society where everyone has, at least, more of them.
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You never want something until you can't have it. So, each week in The Sell-Out, we're getting the scoop from your favorite retailers on what's selling like crazy. Watch this space to find out what everyone's buying, sign up for wait lists, and keep tabs on restocks.
If you frequently shop at stores like Reformation or Zara, you know all too well how quickly a good dress can sell out. We're not even talking days or weeks — we're talking selling out in minutes. Such was the case with U.K. brand Kitri's Gabriella dress. Last time it dropped, it sold out in just 30 minutes. Currently, it has a 2000-person wait list, making it one of Kitri's most popular styles, ever.
Featuring an on-trend green with a subtle floral pattern, a pleated skirt, and a matching belt, this classic midi-length shirtdress hits just below the knee. It could easily be a work staple for just about any office environment and is one of those polished-but-practical pieces to wear while running weekend errands. Plus, while it looks expensive, it comes in at $215 (which, given its versatility, we say is well worth it).
Kitri tells us it's restocking the Gabriella on Friday, July 27, so get yourself ready to join the action. And if you just can't wait until then, click on to shop some similar — but just as stylish — options.
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