Although we like to think we’re pretty thoughtful when it comes to buying new beauty products, we have to admit that sometimes crazy-cute packaging does draw us in. We can’t help it. M.A.C.s Kakao Friends Collaboration is right up there with the cutest we’ve seen this year. The six-piece lipstick line features the South Korean characters based on KakaoTalk emoticons.

Starting today, you can grab all six of the shades with Ryan, Apeach, Tube, Con, Muzi, Frodo, Neo and
Jay-G on the tubes. “The Kakao Friends collection makes the perfect gift to spread some love this season,” says Regan Rabanal, Senior Manager of Makeup Artistry at M.A.C., said in a statement. “I’m excited to be sending hugs to friends with the ‘Here’s a Hug’ lipstick and showing my appreciation with ‘Thanks a Million’ for all the care and support from loved ones far away.”

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.

MAC.

Both Thanks a Million (a hot pink lipstick inspired by Muzi) and Times Infinity (an electric red Powder Kiss shade inspired by Ryan) shades will be sold on M.A.C.’s website and the rest you’ll be able to grab from Nordstrom and Macy’s. These include Have a Good Day (a peach Powder Kiss for Apeach), Make a Wish (a soft rose Powder Kiss inspired by Neo) and Congrats (a warm rose inspired by Con).

Considering the fan base, these are sure to go fast. And you’ll be wanting a new lipstick for any moment you’re not wearing a mask this spring.

Ole Henriksen knows a thing or two about eye creams: its famous Banana Bright Eye Crème sold out quickly after its launch in 2017 and later became a best-selling eye cream at Sephora, with fans snapping a jar up every three minutes, according to the brand. So when the company debuted a new eye crème last week, OleHenriksen Wrinkle Blur Bakuchiol Eye Gel Crème, I was both excited and a little skeptical. How on earth could it top—or even match—the success of its cult-favorite eye brightener? The answer: by creating something so totally different, it doesn’t even try to compete with the original.

To start, Wrinkle Blur Bakuchiol Eye Gel Crème is made to target fine lines and skin sag, whereas Banana Bright has proven a Godsend for those looking to hydrate and brighten the skin under eyes. The sheer, airless bottle serves a spiral of lavender swirls. It’s a cool effect. But even more impressive is what the transparent bottle doesn’t show.

Inside are two formulas that are kept separate until they’re dispensed. One is marked by oil-soluble bakuchiol, the buzzy retinol alternative that’s both plant-based and is thought to be more gentle on skin than traditional retinoids. The other formula contains peptides, rice and soybean proteins, and orchid stem cells — all water-soluble ingredients that respectively work to constrict blood vessels and therefore, reduce puffiness. It also promises to reduce the look of dark circles and refine fine lines, as well as firm skin. The dual-phase formula not only extends the gel cream’s shelf life, but it preserves the potency of the active ingredients inside, according to the brand.

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.

OLEHENRIKSEN.

It’s hard to know in just a few days of testing whether the formula is working to minimize the baby wrinkles that lurk around my orbital bones and reveal themselves when I smile. But its immediate effects deliver as close to a spa experience as possible while using an eye product at home. For one, the dual-phase gel creme is engineered to release water upon contact with the skin—something that provides a cooling sensation (minus the prickly tingle that comes with ingredients like camphor or menthol).

What’s more, it carries the nostalgic scent of fresh lemonade. The brand touts the formula’s pale lilac tint as one that will color correct uneven skin tone, too. But I still find myself reaching for a concealer to do the heavy lifting there. Thankfully, the whipped gel immediately disappeared into my skin with zero greasy residue, something that allowed me to get on with my concealer application (or let’s face it, Zoom meeting) straight away.

But most crucial of all: the vegan formula proved to be extremely gentle on our sensitive eye area—even when I absentmindedly rubbed my eyes following a deskside application. And if a gentle eye gel can also give me retinol-like results, along with the kind of skin tightening that heavy eye creams are famous for? Then I won’t be surprised if it becomes Sephora’s next best-selling eye cream, too.

Melissa Gorga’s Brown Square Sunglasses in Lake George

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 11 Episode 4 Fashion

Melissa Gorga looks fierce in Fendi sitting lakeside on tonight’s Real Housewives of New Jersey. And while I’d reserve my designer goods for perhaps a pool or the ocean, Melissa takes the cake when it comes to looks at the lake. So if you’re bank account isn’t already cleared from her looks in last episode, her brown square sunglasses are ripe for the taking.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Fendi Sunglasses

Click Here to Shop her Fendi Swimsuit

Click Here to See her Fendi Earrings

Originally posted at: Melissa Gorga’s Brown Square Sunglasses

Having been in a bad marriage for more than 30 years, I thought I was the biggest loser on the planet. I felt I was certainly not attractive and unappealing. I was overweight. I was not good at making money, but I was good at spending them. I wasn’t sexy at all and had zero sex appeal.

Guess what I have learned about myself in the last three years since I left my husband: there’s nothing wrong with me after all! That’s right, there is nothing wrong with me. I have a feeling that if you are reading this article, there is nothing wrong with you either. Amazing, right?

It took me a long time to get here, though. After years of being beaten up, figuratively, I left my husband and moved into a one-room loft. I was what I refer to as a hot mess. I was truly broken, and I thought I was all used up.

I felt that I was unlovable and had grown thorns on my body. I had definitely built a wall around me to protect myself from the unhappy life that I led with my husband. I honestly thought that the real me was gone, buried so deep that I wouldn’t get it back.

It took some time – a lot of time, in fact. And, while I worked to be content on the inside, it didn’t hurt when a man paid attention to me, whether as a date or a new friend. It felt good and made me think that “I still got it.” That is probably the icing on the “new-old Paula.”

Be OK with Yourself First

So, if you are in the position of having to start over, due to divorce or death, follow these steps and you will get it right.

First, you need to be OK with yourself. If your life is in transition, this is the best time to take stock of who you are and who you want to be. Figure out what changes, if any, need to be made.

In my case, I was in a business that I despised, and I needed to get out of it no matter the consequences. It did cost me, but I did it anyway because as long as I was trying to be something I was not, my life was never going to improve.

Getting out of that business allowed me to spend time thinking about what I wanted my life to look like moving forward. It gave me permission to dream. I was out from under a huge boulder.

I started thinking about what I used to like to do – before I met my husband, before I had children, and before I was Mrs. Harer.

My husband valued popularity – I know it sounds goofy, but it is true. So, in order to make him like me, I valued who I was on the outside. I wasn’t happy. Though I love being a party girl as much as the next person, constantly living in that lifestyle was not fulfilling.

Like many, I have a great time when I am with people, but this does not define me. I knit, I read, and I spend time on my own. Simply put, I am happy with myself.

When you can find that girl inside, the one you were all those years ago, I think it makes for a more grounded feeling. I know who I am, and I know what I like and what I don’t like, and I don’t have to change that. How empowering is that knowledge?

Add in What You Like to Do

At first, when I was living alone again, I joined every event I could in order to meet new people: neighborhood groups, a single women’s social group – though I think I would be more comfortable calling it a gang – a book club, and a couple other meetups.

I needed to feel connected. But, after a while, I began to dread some of the meetings and realized that they just weren’t me.

I did get to know more new people, but I wasn’t enjoying the activities, and the people weren’t necessarily a good fit for me. Lesson learned. However, I love singing in a citywide choir, and I love volunteering in that choir at the women’s prison near my home.

So, I have found out what I like to do and what I can live without, and I am making changes in how I spend my time. I don’t want to do what I don’t want to do anymore.

Take the Risk with New Relationships

Now, the hard part. Dating after 60 is horrible. There’s no other way to put it. It is simply horrible! But if having a man in your life is something that you want, and I do like having a man in my life, then you just have to put yourself out there.

Here’s how I look at it: I wasn’t going to meet someone by sitting at home and telling myself how gross online dating sites are. They are, it’s true, but they are what is available, so I just had to buck up and get on board.

Whatever method you use to meet a new partner or friend, you have to be proactive. When I was in my 20s, I didn’t have to be proactive. Those days are over. And sitting on your couch complaining about how there are no men doesn’t help either.

I have met many frogs. And it’s not like all of them call me back, so I’m a frog too. But, occasionally, I have met a nice guy: he might be a friend or might be more.

There are still a few great guys, but I would not have met them without taking the risk, without putting myself out there. So, if you want to meet a partner or a friend, put on your big girl pants and get out there.

Going through all these steps has helped me figure out that I am OK exactly as I am. If you are in the position of having to start over, you may need to find out that you are OK just as you are as well. When you do, you will be able to start living life the way you always intended it to be.

What are you doing to find yourself again? What has worked for you and what has not? Can’t wait to hear! Let’s have a chat!

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but as a self-professed dupe hunter (and bona fide bargain connoisseur), if anyone can find an under-the-radar dupe for pricey product—be it skincare, a chic pair of designer shoes, or even luxe exercise gear, it’d probably be me. While I love my high-end and luxury skincare products, I always love finding more affordable formula alternatives (because, why pay more if you really don’t have to?), but ever since I first slathered La Mer’s The Concentrate Serum on my face, I’ve been enamored, but oddly out of luck when it comes to finding something even remotely similar. It seemed my quest to find a La Mer The Concentrate Dupe to fill the void when my $350 bottle inevitably runs out (I am dreading this day very, very much) was decidedly doomed.

Alas, after a serious internet research session that yielded little to no help on tracking down alternatives with similar active ingredients, I decided to take matters into my own hands and open up my daunting beauty closet to start testing out some potential serum dupes. Hey, I’d been meaning to the below products anyway, and doing a side-by-side comparison before I run out of The Concentrate seemed like the best route.

Look, I could wax poetic about La Mer’s The Concentrate serum all day (yes, I also love the ubiquitous Crème de la Mer moisturizer, but it comes in second place for me), but it’s $200 for the smallest size (.5 ounces) and $390 for the standard size (one ounce). Clearly, it’s a costly habit, and while I’m not sure I can live without the superpowered elixir, tragically, I’m going to have to at some point. After testing out several products against the La Mer, the four formulas below proved to be the best matches. Read on to find out why each of them is a close match and some of the pros and cons of the dupes. TBH, none of them will truly replace La Mer’s magical Concentrate, but if its lofty price point doesn’t align with your budget either, these are the next things to try.

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.

Courtesy of La Mer.

La Mer The Concentrate

You won’t regret making the splurge if you can swing—I 98 percent guarantee it, at the very least. The serum is infused with La Mer’s proprietary Miracle Broth, (literally, the brand’s secret sauce) along with a few other cellular-repairing actives, including their hero ingredient, algae (a.k.a. seaweed), as well as pollution-fighting topical antioxidants like rosemary leaf oil. This magical potion feels like butter on the skin without being heavy or greasy and leaves your skin feeling velvety-soft—almost like a pore-filling primer’s been applied.

Courtesy of The Ordinary.

The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics Serum

While some of the ingredients in this Hyaluronic Acid serum are pretty different than the La Mer, if you’re looking for an ultra-cheap alternative, this one will get the job done. This cheaper dupe does, however, contain a blend of marine-derived ingredients on par with The Concentrate, including exopolysaccharides from marine bacteria (the’s the good kind of bacteria), Hawaiian red algae, and micro-filtered blue-green algae.

Courtesy of NIOD.

NIOD Survival Serum

This ultra-lightweight serum has a similar texture and consistency when applied as The Concentrate, and has a slew of similar free-radical-reducing shields to boot, including Purified Deep-Sea Algae (Alteromonas Ferment), which offers physical defense against both smog and UV damage.

Courtesy of MARA.

MARA Algae + Moringa® Universal Face Oil

While this algae-infused oil is more hydrating than The Concentrate, the nourishing formula never feels greasy and it absorbs quickly enough to apply makeup on top of it. It’s also infused with a slew of additional plant-powered anti-aging ingredients, including plankton extract and four superfoods to restore moisture levels and repair your skin’s barrier.

Courtesy of True Botanicals.

True Botanicals Renew Repair Serum

So, this isn’t exactly what I consider an “affordable” dupe, but $140 seems like chump change when you compare it to $390, and given that it may be the best-performing dupe with the most similar consistency to the O.G., I felt it should be included.