They’ve done it again. Just a few weeks after their Watermelon serum went viral on TikTok, Glow Recipe launched another product that’s set to blow up, too. The Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum was made for sensitive skin to soothe and calm redness, irritation and dehydration. Even if you don’t have dry skin, this can help repair a damaged moisture barrier that happens for all kinds of reasons and you might not even know it’s there.

All the acids we love, the BHAs and AHAs, the retinoids, can help unclog pores and smooth out the skin’s texture. But it can also leave your skin a little sensitized. That happens if you don’t use the right hydration with these types of products, or if you use them too often. Add in environmental damage like pollution and the sun and you’ve got a recipe for an effed-up moisture barrier.

Have you ever applied your normal daytime moisturizer or sunscreen and wondered why it stung? Yup, that’s that damage telling you it needs to be soothed. This serum can help.

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.

Glow Recipe.

It targets dry, irritated, itchy red skin with Ceramide-5 to prevent and repair any discomfort. There’s also avocado butter and avocado extract, which acts as an antioxidant packed with Oleic and linoleic acids to smooth and moisturize. The addition of Allantoin helps continue to moisturize and protect the skin, while K-beauty favorite rice milk soothes and hydrates.

The vegan and cruelty-free serum fits right into your nighttime skincare routine because it’s lightweight and has no sticky texture. You can easily apply it under your heavier moisturizers for extra hydration. If you have oily skin, you’ll love the light feel under an oil-free lotion that won’t clog your pores. Then you can really get some beauty sleep.

They’ve done it again. Just a few weeks after their Watermelon serum went viral on TikTok, Glow Recipe launched another product that’s set to blow up, too. The Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum was made for sensitive skin to soothe and calm redness, irritation and dehydration. Even if you don’t have dry skin, this can help repair a damaged moisture barrier that happens for all kinds of reasons and you might not even know it’s there.

All the acids we love, the BHAs and AHAs, the retinoids, can help unclog pores and smooth out the skin’s texture. But it can also leave your skin a little sensitized. That happens if you don’t use the right hydration with these types of products, or if you use them too often. Add in environmental damage like pollution and the sun and you’ve got a recipe for an effed-up moisture barrier.

Have you ever applied your normal daytime moisturizer or sunscreen and wondered why it stung? Yup, that’s that damage telling you it needs to be soothed. This serum can help.

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.

Glow Recipe.

It targets dry, irritated, itchy red skin with Ceramide-5 to prevent and repair any discomfort. There’s also avocado butter and avocado extract, which acts as an antioxidant packed with Oleic and linoleic acids to smooth and moisturize. The addition of Allantoin helps continue to moisturize and protect the skin, while K-beauty favorite rice milk soothes and hydrates.

The vegan and cruelty-free serum fits right into your nighttime skincare routine because it’s lightweight and has no sticky texture. You can easily apply it under your heavier moisturizers for extra hydration. If you have oily skin, you’ll love the light feel under an oil-free lotion that won’t clog your pores. Then you can really get some beauty sleep.

Over the past year, I have been magnetically drawn to false lash strips. Pre-pandemic, I only wore false lashes on “special occasions” like birthday celebrations and vacations—both of which I haven’t taken part in what feels like forever. Wearing masks is now a part of my somewhat daily routine, so full face makeup days are few and far between—however, false lashes are the one step in my makeup routine that I lean on these days—especially now that I’ve found the Eyelure Lash Adhesive Liner Pen to review (but more on that later).

I’ve never been a pro at applying lashes, but my newfound love for them has slowly but surely improved my skills. Lashes draw attention to my eyes even without a mask on, so it only makes sense to rock them when my eyes are front and center. My natural lashes are so short and thin that they’re barely even noticeable. False lashes make me look bright-eyed, which comes in handy on both zoom calls and Trader Joe’s runs. My growing infatuation with false lashes has led me to find ways to improve my lash application process and the discovery of my beloved Eylure Line & Lash Adhesive Pen. Seriously, it was heaven-sent. Eylure was kind enough to gift me this innovative felt tip lash adhesive and eyeliner and it has helped me apply my lashes seamlessly each time I’ve used it.

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 Eyelure.

Eylure Line & Lash 20-in-1 Felt Tip Adhesive Eyeliner

It’s just like applying a felt tip ink eyeliner.

Buy: Eyelure Felt Tip Lash Adhesive 11.99

As I mentioned, I’m not a lash application wiz—every false lash attempt is a gamble and makes me just as nervous as the last. From applying eyeliner correctly and adequately placing the falsie to my lashline, there are many odds stacked against your lashes looking flawless. So how does it work? Put simply, the Eylure Line & Lash Adhesive Eyeliner is a felt tip pen that makes applying lashes as simple as applying eyeliner. Recently, I’ve seen some lash wearers opt to use brush-on glue as eyeliner. While this hack stems from the same school of thought as the Eylure 2-in-1 pen, the latter a less sticky alternative that’s presumably a better option to use directly on your eyelids than actual glue.

You can purchase the Eylure Line & Lash Adhesive Eyeliner on its own or with a pair of natural lashes as a set. My go-to lashes are Velour Lashes in style “She-E-O,” so naturally, I tried the adhesive with my everyday lashes. Leave bad lash applications in 2020 with just simple steps.

Courtesy of Velour.

Velour Mink Lashes – False Eyelashes in “She-E-O”

My go-to lashes.

Buy: Velour Lashes $23

So here’s how you use the Eyelure Lash Adhesive Liner:

Line Your Lashes

It’s perfectly fine to go for a winged liner look, but I prefer to line directly along my lash line without extending into a wing. Eylure recommends applying at least three layers of eyeliner adhesive for the best results, and I concur. This will guarantee that your lash application wears all day without any mishaps.

When I applied just one glue layer, I noticed my lashes didn’t feel secure, and the gentlest tug was enough to remove my lash. When applying layers of the Eylure Line & Lash Adhesive Eyeliner, allow 10 seconds or so for the previous layer to dry down a little before applying more.

Courtesy of Mika Robinson.

As I briefly mentioned (the photo above shows my lashes without any product on), my lashes are a bit thin and short, so I need the black liner to make the lash band less noticeable. In my opinion, the clear option is best for someone who either doesn’t care for the black liner look or has thicker natural lashes that don’t need much help concealing the lash band of falses. Both formulas work the same way—it’s all a matter of preference.

Apply your lash to the lashline directly on top of the liner.

I know it may sound too good to be true, but it’s honestly that simple. The liner + glue duo serves as a guide to help you place your lash close to perfect on the first shot. I only say “close to perfect” because I’m a big believer in there’s always room for improvement, especially with anything pertaining to makeup.

Courtesy of Mika Robinson.

Voila! You couldn’t ask for a more straightforward way to apply false lashes. No matter your skill level, this product should be in your stash because working smarter, not harder, is always the name of the game.

Several years ago, I was visiting my sister in southern British Columbia, Canada. We spent the day in the former mining town of Kimberly, wandering the brick streets now lined with boutiques and shops.

In one of those shops I was stopped in my tracks by the glimmer of dozens of colorful drops of glass reflecting and refracting as they swayed and dipped gently in a patch of sunlight. It was a very good bit of display work for those of us who may be part magpie.

I chose one drop of glass and took it to the woman waiting at the counter. I remarked on the beauty of something so simple and she told me that her husband had made them! The artist in me was intrigued and I asked her, “How?!”

“Using a method called lampwork,” she answered. All that was needed was a torch and some rods of glass.

What?! I felt the little hairs on my arms stand up.

A few weeks later as I was scrolling through eBay looking for collector tea pots I happened upon a listing for a beginner lampworking kit. I couldn’t get my credit card out fast enough.

Working with Glass Is a Magical Process

Working with glass in the flame is a challenging art. It’s a magical process that serves as active meditation for me. The glass in the flame is mesmerizing. It is somewhat like winding honey onto the stainless-steel mandrel.

Beads are formed, then further designed with more glass. Blown shards of glass, crushed glass and pulled thin strings of more glass are used. Not to mention bits of precious metals. The possibilities are truly endless.

Once the manipulation is complete, the hot bead is put into a kiln to be annealed overnight, much like clay pots.

I’ve had countless disappointments since the glass is wilful. What it might look like when it goes into the kiln is sometimes a far cry from what comes out.

Turning a Craft into a Business

While I began by making beads for art jewelry designers, it didn’t take long for me to move away from that so that I could make beads specifically for my own line of jewelry. That opened up a whole new door for me that I still find exciting.

I found that my strongest talent is not in the bead itself. I’m not a glass artist as much as I am a jewelry designer bringing all the elements together. But of course, I love it all.

My introduction to lampwork, or flamework was many years ago now, but the beauty and the mystery of glass has never stopped wooing me. I hope I’ve sparked – pun intended! – the interest in someone out there looking for a new medium to play with!

Here are some examples of my work.

Have you ever tried to work with glass? What do you think about lampwork? What about jewellery? Have you or someone you know turned a hobby or craft into a profitable business? Please share in the comments.

A good night’s sleep seems to be hard to come by these days. More than a year into the pandemic, the anxiety, the lack of social interaction, less time spent out in the world and the absence of a regimented routine has affected many people’s sleep habits, including mine. If you haven’t been getting your eight hours, check out the best sleep aids.

I’ve tried all of the things that are supposed to help you sleep—exercise, a balanced diet, my silly little daily walks and putting screens away an hour before bed—and none of it has really made much of a difference, despite my best efforts. And I’m not alone. Experts have even come up with a name for my sleep aliment: “coronasomnia.”

It’s not my favorite word personally, but it is something affecting many people that I know. Sleep is important for staying healthy. If your usual tricks aren’t working, you should take the extra time to try to figure out where you’re going wrong. Sleep self-care and your mental health shouldn’t be short-changed right now.

I started to research some sleep aids to see if there were other things I simply wasn’t trying. The results of my experimentation are below. I’ve tried versions of all of these tools, products and methods. Some worked better than others. I am a light sleeper who can’t fall asleep if there is any sort of noise. I looked for both items that’ll help you fall asleep and items that’ll help keep you asleep.

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 Letsfit.

White Noise Machine

If you’ve got a noisy neighbor or need complete silence to sleep, you should opt for a white noise machine. This version has 14 different relaxing sounds, ranging from white noise to nature noises—and even some lullabies. It has built-in timers, so it’ll turn off after you fall asleep and a nightlight.

Buy: Letsfit White Noise Machine $19.99

Courtesy of Bearaby.

Bearaby Weighted Blanket

This blanket might just look like a chic throw, but it’s so much more than that. Cozy and buttery soft, this weighted blanket is 15 lbs. Some anxious people, especially those who toss and turn, fall asleep faster with some comforting weight on top of them. Think of it as a relaxing hug. Just keep in mind that weighted blankets are supposed to be no more than 10 percent of your body weight.

Courtesy of Beam.

Beam CBD Sleep Capsules

Melatonin, which is often what troubled sleepers reach for when they can’t rest, makes me feel a little woozy and groggy in the mornings. I tried these Dream capsules and found that I drifted off to sleep quickly and without any of the hangover effects of melatonin. If you have a sensitivity to melatonin or it’s not your bag, CBD might be a great alternative.

Courtesy of Amazon Basics.

Blackout Curtains

If the sun is waking you up way too early—thanks Daylight Savings—blackout curtains will help you sleep in longer. They’ll block all of the light out of your room in the mornings. These Amazon Basics curtains come in all sorts of sizes, colors and styles, so you can find one that matches your room’s aesthetic.

Buy: Amazon Basics Blackout Window Curtains $28.99

Courtesy of SLIP.

SLIP Sleep Mask

Channel Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and get yourself a luxe sleep mask. This one from Slip is made out of gentle Mulberry silk, so you can keep the sunlight out and prevent skin creasing at the same time.

Courtesy of Carlyle.

Melatonin Tablets

If you have an over-active mind and can’t calm down before bed, a melatonin tablet might help you. These fast-dissolving ones will ensure you don’t lay around staring at the ceiling for an hour after taking melatonin. There are 180 tablets in this set, so they’ll last you a while.

Buy: Carlyle Melatonin Fast Dissolve Tablets $8.99

Courtesy of REN Clean Skincare.

Sweet-Scented Pillow Spray

Spray your pillow with this soothing blend of essential oils, which includes lavender, Frankincense and hops. It’ll condition your brain to start to go into sleep mode. Plus, it supposedly helps reduce fine lines and face puffiness.

Courtesy of DavidsTea.

Valerian Tea

This valerian root tea is just what the doctor ordered if you’re looking for a more natural solution to sleep. It’s called “nature’s valium” and you can pour it into your favorite mug shortly before you go to bed. Even though it includes a root, it’s tasty, thanks to a blend of coconut, caramel, apple and sweet blackberry leaves.

Buy: DAVIDsTEA Valerian Nights Loose Leaf $26.98

Courtesy of Casper.

Casper’s Wind-Down Light

I’m cursed with a fluorescent overhead light in my room, so when it’s after 8 p.m., I switch to a softer lamp to try to convince my mind and body that it’s almost bed-time. The Glow Light gradually dims at night and gradually brightens when it’s time to wake up, so you can slowly enter and then leave sleep.

Courtesy of Alo Moves.

Meditation

Quiet your mind and slow down your breathing before trying to hit the hay. If you’ve never meditated before or want some extra guidance, Alo—who’s primarily known for cute workout sets—is here to help. Alo Moves is a subscription service that offers unlimited online yoga, mindfulness and fitness classes. They offer a free trial, if you’re curious.