A new set of stars has joined Urban Decay’s Global Citizens collective, which means it’s time for a new “Pretty Different” campaign. Normani, G.E.M. and Camila Mendes look incredible modeling the also new Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet Eyeshadow Palette. The bold purple hues pop against each of their skin tones. According to a press release from the brand, these women “personify the brand’s founding DNA,” challenging “the status quo by celebrating differences and embracing unapologetic individuality.”

Last year, Lizzo, Ezra Miller, Joey King, Karol G, and CL starred in the first “Pretty Different” campaign, alongside the launch of the Naked Honey Palette. This year is just as gorgeous and a bit more colorful. Each of the three women is wearing a blend of purple hues while blowing a purple bubble: singer Normani, Hong Kong singer-songwriter G.E.M. and actress Camila Mendes. We have to say, these are perfect choices for the campaign.

Image: Urban Decay.

Want to get their look? Same. The Naked Ultraviolet Eyeshadow Palette contains 12 ultra-pigmented purples and neutrals and a vegan, double-sided brush. There are metallics, mattes and shimmer finishes that are totally wearable even if you don’t have these ladies’ beauty skills.

Image: Urban Decay.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Though travel is invigorating and inspiring, sometimes we can’t travel as much as we’d like. No fear, we can still enjoy the flavors of other cultures from home through baking.

For me baking is invigorating as it involves more than just the next meal. Indeed, baking almost always includes a sweet, savory, flaky, and mouth-watering creation that you made from scratch. What could be more empowering than that?

The Tradition of the Alps

Today, I am going to share three recipes inspired by the culture of the Alps. This magnificent mountain range covers nearly 750 miles across France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovenia.

Because the high mountains are remote in nature, Alpine culture is strongly dependent on living off of the land via farming, cheesemaking, and woodworking. Think of the cool smell of crisp, clean air, grassy pastures, and car-free villages (yes, such towns do exist). This visualization is the epitome of the Alps.

The Alps are rejuvenating and peaceful. No wonder creating a recipe inspired by the lofty mountains would design an aurora worthy of your time.

I thought I’d share three of my favorite Alpine recipes so you can get away when you can’t get away.

Zoph

Zoph is the traditional Sunday Switzerland milk-and-butter bread. Why Sunday? Most bakeries are closed on Sundays so many Swiss people make their own zoph on Sundays.

Ingredients for 2 loaves:

1 ¼ cup milk

½ cup butter

1 tbs. yeast

1 ½ tbs. salt

1 tsp. sugar

2 eggs – 1 to mix in the dough, 1 to brush on top of loaves before cooking

4 cups of flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Put milk and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and warm the milk and butter, mixing the ingredients incrementally until well blended.

Add the yeast and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Add in the salt, sugar, and egg and beat together well. Finally, stir in the flour ½ cup at a time.

Once the dough is formed, spray cooking oil over it, cover with plastic, and let it rise for 30 minutes. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it well. Add more flour if needed, but keep in mind that the dough should feel slightly tacky (sticky).

Separate the dough into six portions, and roll each one into a long roll. You will need three rolls for each braid. Once both loaves are braided, place them on a cooking sheet.

Brush the loaves with a beaten egg for a shiny, golden brown finish. Place the loaves in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Let the bread cool and enjoy it plain or topped with butter and fruit preserves.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Lavender is native to the Southern Alps and grows plentifully there due to the high elevations of the slopes. According to Provence and Beyond, Provençal peasants of the 16^th century produced lavender oil to heal wounds and expel intestinal worms.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

¼ cup sugar

3 tbs. honey

2 cups flour

⅛ tsp. salt

2 tsp. dried lavender

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar, and honey together. Add the flour, salt, and lavender until combined. Divide dough in half and roll into two logs or loaves. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the cookie dough from the freezer or fridge. Slice into ¼- to ½-inch cookies and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake the cookies in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Let them cool and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Carac Pastries

Carac pastries are a popular dessert in the Alps. They take time to make but when time passes in the Alps, it is time well spent.

Ingredients for 12, 2-3” carac pastries:

Pastry

1 cup flour

⅓ cup almond flour

3 tbs. powdered sugar

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup butter; cold, cut into chunks

1 egg yolk

1 tbs. cold water

Filling

¾ cup heavy cream

8 oz dark chocolate; high quality, broken into pieces

2 tbs. butter

Topping

¾ cup powdered sugar

1½ tbs. heavy cream or water

¼ tsp. almond flavor

2 drops green food coloring (optional, but traditional)

Directions for Pastry:

In a food processor, mix the flour, almond flour, sugar, and salt. Drop in the butter chunks and pulse briefly until crumbly. Drop in the egg yolk and cold water and pulse briefly until it forms a dough ball. Wrap and chill until firm; about 30 mins.

Cut dough into four equal pieces; then cut each of those into three pieces. Using a muffin tin, or individual tart pans, press the dough in evenly all the way to the top edge.

Line the tarts with a tiny circle of parchment and place pie weights or beans on each. Bake for 10 mins at 350F. Remove weights and bake for 5 more mins until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely before filling.

Directions for Filling (Ganache)

In a 1 quart heavy bottom saucepan, place the heavy cream over medium low heat. Do not boil. When it is hot to the touch (about 110F), add the chocolate pieces. Remove from the heat and stir vigorously until chocolate ganache is completely smooth. Drop in the butter and stir.

At this point, while the chocolate mixture is still runny, you can spoon the ganache into the cooled pastries. You may find it easier if you pour it into a plastic zip bag, snip off the corner and pipe it into the pastries.

Reserve a bit for the traditional chocolate “dot” on the top. Allow filling to cool and become solid before adding the topping.

Directions for Topping

Combine the powdered sugar and liquid. Add the almond flavoring and green coloring as desired. Mix until completely smooth. Pour the icing into a plastic zip bag, snip off the corner and pipe it evenly onto the cooled and firm ganache layer. Take it all the way to the edge so that no chocolate is visible.

When dry, warm up the reserved ganache (warm water or brief microwave) and pipe a single “dot” into the center. Or you can get creative with a squiggly design. Allow the pastry to cool. It is best served on the day made (at room temperature), but caracs will last a few days.

There you have it. Dim the lights and put your feet up as you enjoy these three excellent, Alps-inspired recipes. Close your eyes as you take a bite and savor travel without having to travel far.

What is your favorite foreign recipe? Where you did first taste it? Have you tried to make it yourself? Which of these three recipes looks the most tempting to you? Please join the conversation!

Poor communication is often the source of unhappiness in a relationship. However, many couples in their 60s and over, who have been together for years, even decades, may not be aware that they even have a communication problem.

This is often due to over-familiarity and losing touch with the true person of your partner. The way to go forward is by discovering why your relationship may not be as good as it could be, and taking some steps in the right direction.

Why do so many long-term relationships and marriages fail? Some of the most common reasons include cheating, deception, and over-involvement with work, the children and grandchildren. But poor communication is often at the heart of all these issues.

Here is some advice to help you tackle your communication problems.

Make Time to Talk

When you’ve been in a relationship for a long time, it can be easy to take each other for granted. You may think you know your partner well and thus assume you don’t need to put too much effort to say much.

Never fall into the trap of believing you can drop the ball when it comes to communication. Make sure you take time out of your day to talk to your partner.

Whether it’s a simple comment to ask how their day is going, or a long conversation, they’ll appreciate it. If you get a one-word response like, “Fine,” bring up something that is of interest to them or something important that has recently happened.

Your attention will make them feel valued and let them know you’ve been listening.

Eliminate Distractions and Interruptions

Sitting next to each other watching TV isn’t communication. It’s more like being alone while you’re together. There’s nothing wrong with that, per se. In fact, being able to do this comfortably is a sign of a good relationship. However, you can’t let such activities take over your communication.

Distractions can be used as a tool to avoid each other, especially when you’re having a conflict. Eliminate any kind of distraction you can. This will give you the freedom to talk to each other without any interruptions.

If you are used to watching TV at a certain time each day, postpone it for 10 minutes or so and just sit with one another.

It’s important that you make sure you don’t interrupt. If you have a habit of butting in and taking over the conversation, take a step back. Always let them finish what they have to say before answering.

Are you really listening to what they’re saying, or are you just thinking about what you’re going to say as soon as they’ve finished? It’s something to keep in mind.

Don’t Bottle Things Up

When something’s bothering you, it can be tempting to keep it inside instead of talking to your partner about it. This might be because you shy away from confrontation to avoid upsetting your partner or creating a fuss.

You may even assume your long-term partner should know you well enough to sense something is wrong and ask you about it. That’s simply being stubborn.

If that is your strategy, you could be waiting forever. All the while, you’ll be getting more annoyed and nothing will get resolved. Remember, it is your responsibility to speak up about what’s troubling you, not theirs to second-guess and fix.

Making a habit of bottling things up can cause serious communication issues for your relationship, and they can end up snowballing into something bigger, or coming back to bite you in another conflict later down the line.

However uncomfortable, it’s best to raise an issue when it first starts to bother you.

State the Obvious

You might think that your partner knows you love and appreciate them, especially if you’ve been together for many years. Still, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t tell them from time to time. This is often something that your spouse wants you to do but won’t tell you.

A relationship needs to be nurtured constantly. Tell your partner every now and then how wonderful you think they are, and what you love about them.

Don’t Be Passive Aggressive

Giving your partner the silent treatment when they do something to upset you won’t solve anything. It will only fuel further conflict, causing the gap between you to widen. This is passive aggression and it can be incredibly damaging.

Be direct about your wants and needs in a relationship. Otherwise, how can you expect them to be met?

Have Empathy

Simply listening to your partner isn’t enough. You have to respond with empathy.

That means being attentive to their feelings and needs by trying to put yourself in their shoes. Consider how they might be feeling, and you’ll have a better perspective on how to solve your communication issues together as a team.

If you are not sure how to be empathic, you could try and express in words to them how the same situation might make you feel and ask them if this is the same for them. This shows you are trying to relate to what they are going through and also helps make a conversation flow.

Know When to Soften Your Words

Good communication means being honest and truthful with one another. However, there are times when you need to take care in the way you speak so as not to hurt your partner’s feelings. You can often soften blows in general conversation by changing “you” to “I.”

If you’re always saying things like, “You hurt my feelings,” or “You shouldn’t have done that,” you’re constantly directing blame and responsibility towards your partner.

This is an easy way to make them feel resentful or defensive, and it could shut communication down altogether. Instead, try to use phrases such as “I feel that…” more often. You’re likely to get a better response and have a more open conversation.

Be Happier Together and Rekindle the Romance

If you follow the above rules, you’re bound to have fewer communication problems in your relationship, and you are on the way to experiencing an enjoyable companionship within your relationship.

And if you are looking for further advice on how to rekindle that old flame, you can read more here.

What things do you do to create strong positive communication in your relationships? What things do you do to rekindle the romance in your love life? Please share what strategies worked in your relationship. Let’s have a chat!

Warmer weather means less clothing, which means more skin on display—and for some people, that means a fake tan is in order so as to avoid shining like a pale beacon when exposed to the light of day. But it’s 2020, folks, and we all know that baking our skin for real is out and the faux tan is in. Easy at-home self-tanner can be effective but runs the risk of turning your skin (and sheets) orange if you’re not cautious. With that being said, we’ve got plenty of spray tan tips, whether you’re leaving the application to an expert or doing it yourself at home.

Try self-tanner if you haven’t already.

Using self-tanner at home will help you feel comfortable going for the glow. Focus on either the face or another part of the body first to master the application. Once you decide you like the results, you’re ready to commit to a head-to-toe tan. Results will ultimately vary from person to person, but one self-tanner application will typically last two weeks before it starts to fade (or need a touch-up).

St. Tropez.

Shower and exfoliate first.

Remove your makeup and take a shower before applying a self-tanner or getting a spray tan. (Keep in mind that certain self-tanner products may require waiting a few hours after cleansing to apply. Remember to always read directions!) While you’re in the shower, use a body scrub to slough away any dry, flaky skin before so that the pigment will adhere smoothly for the evenest results (as in, least streaky). Additionally, avoid using body oil or lotions with oil prior to your tan, as it will cause blotches and prevent the tan from developing.

Think about your undergarments.

While many people decide to get a spray tan or apply self-tanner while wearing nothing (no tan lines!), if you do wear a bathing suit or undergarments, wear pieces you don’t mind potentially ruining with rogue tanning solution.

Wear polish to shield your nail beds.

Even if it’s nothing more than a clear coat, wearing polish will help to protect your nail beds from getting stained by tanning solution if that’s a point of concern. If you already have a full manicure, don’t worry about it getting ruined—you can wipe them off afterward, too.

essie.

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Apply barrier cream.

Naturally drier areas of the skin, like the elbows, ankles, and knees, will absorb more pigment, so always apply a protective barrier cream before the tan so that they don’t go too dark.

Pat, don’t rub, your skin dry.

To preserve your tan, pat yourself dry rather than scour with a towel after getting out of the shower. The idea is to not exfoliate for as long as possible so that you don’t slough off the tan. Avoid using loofahs or coarse washcloths for the same reason.

Be prepared to correct mistakes (especially if you’re a newbie).

The pigment that self-tanners or spray tans leave behind is meant to slowly fade as your top layer of skin regenerates, so it’s not the kind of thing you can just scrub off. That’s why it’s able to last up to a week or two—and why you should approach with caution to make sure you won’t be stuck looking unnaturally tan for a full 14 days. If you find you’re seeing patches and want to remove your tan, gently exfoliating your skin with a self-tan removing mitt will do the trick. There are also self-tanner remover products that require less of an effort.

Smooth Summer Tan.

Buy: Smooth Summer Tan Remover $19.95

Moisturize every day.

Keeping your newly tanned skin hydrated is the best way to make the color last longer because it won’t dry out and need to be exfoliated prematurely.

Remember the effects are more gradual than instant.

Self-tanner and spray tans will get darker from the time they’re applied and as the days progress. The color takes a little while to fully develop, so don’t be alarmed if you look in the mirror and feel like the results aren’t what you expected—it won’t be for long.

Originally published July 2016. Updated February 2020.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.