I hate the term “girl boss.” Shouldn’t it be woman? Or just boss? If there are two female entrepreneurs I’d call bosses, it would be Katie Sturino and Sarah Gibson Tuttle. It makes perfect sense they would team up for the Olive & June x Megababe collection. In one cute-as-hell fanny pack, you get Gibson Tuttle’s Olive & June nail polish and Sturino’s Megababe natural deodorant. Oh, and a lot more.

The two beauty brand founders met back in 2019 and are finally making this epic collab happen. Now that masks are being removed (yay vaccines!) and summer fun is actually happening, chances are your nails need a little bit of TLC. (Just me?) This collection gets you three new Olive & June nail colors: Rosy Tips, Megababe Blue and You’re a 10. You also get the Super Glossy Top Coat.

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.

Olive & June.

Fans of Olive & June’s nail stickers will love these new ones, made in larger sizes to keep inclusivity in mind. The stripes will make people think you hit up some trendy salon. And if you’ve been wanting to try Megababe‘s natural deodorant—or you’re a fan and need a travel-size—know you also get a Rosy Pits Mini Daily Deodorant in a perfect to-go size. Finally, there’s a cute travel fan for those ultra-steamy summer days and the limited-edition fanny back that extends up to 57 inches.

To keep up the inclusive messaging, the duo threw an open casting call in NYC to be a part of the campaign. As a surprise, everyone who showed up got to be involved. How cute are these pictures?

Olive & June/Megababe.

The entire collection has a $54 value but it’s only $44 on the Olive & June and Megababe sites. Hurry and grab it to inspire your #hotvaxsummer plans.

Maybe I should have been a little more cautious before swiping the inside of my mouth with a DNA kit and handing it to my UPS guy. But I wanted to do a full Know Beauty review for everyone. So, off it went in the name of science and great skin. My Skin DNA Kit was headed over to Know Beauty, Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer’s new skincare line to find out how genetic factors impact might impact my dermis. Then, they’ll send me a personalized routine with their new products. Pretty cool, right? Here’s how it went.

First, you might be wondering how Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer teamed up for this project. Beer was friends with Hudgens’ younger sister Stella, so there was a family-friend connection. The duo has been in the public eye since they were young. They have both struggled with specific skin concerns and wanted to start brands of their own. So, they teamed up and enlisted chief medical officer and dermatologist, Dr. Karen Kagha.

Know Beauty.

Now, let’s get to giving up my DNA. While you can purchase their skincare online now, if you want a more personalized routine, you can do the confidential DNA Kit ($95 at Know Beauty) and analyze seven core genetic categories, such as skin sensitivity, collegan quality and pigmentation. Then you’ll fill out the (free) Skin Diagnostic Quiz to help the brand get to know your diet, stress level and other lifestyle factors. Finally, you’ll get product recommendations, taking the guesswork out of skincare.

Elizabeth Denton.

Here’s a peek inside my DNA summary. The higher the number, the heathier your skin. As you can see, I’m at low risk for fine lines and wrinkles. “Your results indicate that you carry minimal genetic abnormalities that may speed up the collagen decline process,” reads my report. Yay! But look at that Skin Elasticity number. “Your results indicate that you carry a handful of genetic variations and may be prone to reduced skin elasticity,” my report says. Oops. Each result gave me specific skincare ingredient reccomendations. You can learn a lot from these reports, not just about yourself but about what each ingredient can do for your longterm skin health.

Elizabeth Denton.

My Skin Diagnostic Results are a little more embarassing to look at. These are based off my answers to the quiz so you can see I desperately need to start working out again. I also don’t sleep enough, eat too much sugar and have too much stress. Can anyone else relate?! At least I eat fruits and veggies and stay hydrated.

Based off these two tests, Know Beauty sent me a personalized skincare routine. The company sent me the products for free for this review but you can decide which to purchase from your routine. The collection ranges from $20-$30, so they’re pretty on track with other big skincare brands. (Maybe even more affordable.) Each is cruelty-free and formulated without phalates, sulfates, mineral oil and parabans.

Below is the routine I’ve been using for about two weeks. So far, I’m really liking the line and feel like it is right for my skin type. I can see this saving money in the longterm since there’s less wondering if a product will be too heavy or greasy or drying. You can shop my products now and the rest on Know Beauty’s website.

Know Beauty.

Purifying Cleanser

This cleanser is great for those with balanced/dull skin and who live in warmer climates. (I live in Los Angeles.) It removes dirt and impurities from pores with grapefruit and prickly pear, while hyaluronic acid locks in moisture and Lotus stem cell controls excess sebum.

Know Beauty.

Reviving Day Eye Cream

This hydrating cream contains hyaluronic acid and squalene, as well as vitamins A and E.

Know Beauty.

Hydrating Lip Mask

There’s only one lip mask and it’s this ultra-softening formula with shea butter, safflower seed oil, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Know Beauty.

Glowing Collagen Mask

You know how I had a high-risk for poor skin elasticity? This mask contains collagen to support skin elasticity, as well as hydrating and plumping amino peptide and squalane.

Know Beauty.

Energizing Day Moisturizer

With broad-spectrum SPF 30 I get the sun protection I need, while anti-inflammatory green tea and brightening basil extract boost my skin tone and glycerin hydrates.

Know Beauty.

Rejuvenating Night Serum

This serum contains a retinoid to resurface the skin, as well as vitamin C to brighten and E to nourish.

All over the world, the Squat
is used by countless people in pursuit of their health, fitness, and wellbeing.

It is sometimes referred
to as “The King of Exercises” for being a discipline that – particularly if you’re in a hurry and have limited time – not only works your legs, buttocks, and lower back, but
stimulates the rest of your body too. Consequently, it is also sometimes termed
“Metabolic Accelerator.”

Barring clinically
diagnosed orthopaedic or medical factors revealing it to be unsuitable, the
Squat is an excellent bone density developer, so putting it into your
Osteoporosis wellbeing routine is a wise measure.

The guidelines in this
article are the safety barriers that will protect you. However, we are all
uniquely different biomechanical units, so there may be additional fine
adjustments within those guidelines that can render the Squat even more
beneficial for you.

Wherever you are in the
world, you’ll need to get your personal Biomechanics analysed to make that
extra level of benefit possible.

The Right and Wrong Way

The Squat is,
unfortunately, an exercise that is regularly and often performed “the wrong way,”
leading to negative consequences to the knees in particular. These consequences
do not set immediately but happen covertly underneath the surface.

This kind of “sub clinical
micro trauma” builds up under your awareness, to the point of imminent pain. The
continuous performance of such squatting can make your knees feel miserable,
and down the line cause damage that can only be reversed surgically.

The Internet is teeming
with squatting advice that loudly and clearly indicates poor knowledge in
Exercise Biomechanics, so tread carefully among the legions of “advisory”
videos out there.

With the highly
significant male and female biomechanical differences at play, it’s wise to
ensure that ladies perform female friendly squats, done within their gender
biomechanical channels.

If you take this approach,
it’s a pretty certain bet that there’ll be no pains, unwelcome sudden “creaks,”
or stabbing pains in the knees popping up at some point in the future.

After my half a century worth
of experience in exercise practice and biomechanical analysis, I still see acclaimed
institutes and accredited organisations claim they know the proper way to
squat. They even post images and videos on their websites.

The problem is that many
of those images do not observe some of the very basic clinical absolutes in
Biomechanics, and that’s not a happy or safe situation for any mature woman who
wants to keep herself in shape.

The Forces at Play

When you squat down, your
knees and thighs move forward, which is the first place things can go wrong. The
purpose of your kneecap (Patella) is to cushion friction at the junction of
your thigh (femur) and two lower leg bones (tibia and fibula).

When the upper ends of
those two bones move forward toward the kneecap as your body lowers down in a
squat, the pressure in your knees increases dramatically.

Walking on level ground has
your knees contend with a load equivalent to 1.5 times your body weight, and
when you go up and down stairs (particularly going down) your knees deal with 2–3 times your body weight.

However, the biggest
demand is when you lower yourself right down onto your haunches to pick
something up off the floor or tie your shoelaces. In those cases, the pressure
goes up to 4-5 times your body weight!

So, it is wise to be on
high alert when it comes to applying biomechanically confirmed knee safety
measures when doing squats.

The Biomechanically Safe Way to Do Squats for Ladies

There are three important
factors you need to keep in mind when doing squats.

Natural Inward Movement

The first fact to understand
is that ladies’ knees will tend to move inwards toward each other, much more
than male knees do. So, when squatting, it’s very important to make sure that
you don’t allow your knees to significantly move inwards as you go up and down.

The easiest way to address
this issue is to keep your knees in line with your big toes and make sure they
don’t move inwards past that point.

Forward Knee Movement

Then, you should also try
to minimise your knees’ movement forward and out over your feet. Reducing this
movement will also decrease pressure in your knees and allow your kneecap
greater freedom to perform its anti-friction function.

Basically, you should
squat with the mental picture of sitting down. This will have you tilting
forward from the waist and pushing your bottom out behind you as you lower, helping
you to maintain your shins in a more vertical position as you go up and down.

The more your bottom is
out behind you, the less forward your shins will move, equaling to less stress on
your knees.

Using the Balls of Your Feet

The third point is related
to women’s natural forward tilt to the pelvis, which has you maneuver forward
more onto the balls of your feet than it is safe. You will need to counter
those negative forces in your squatting technique for painless results.

But how?

Try using the edge of the
sink in your kitchen. Hold the edge with a palms-down grip and hang back at
full arms’ length, while constantly looking straight across the room.

Keep your upper body
comfortably upright with your chest pushed gently out. Now push your bottom out
and then gently lower yourself down.

If you do feel yourself
dominantly on the balls of your feet as you squat, then you’re simply not
pushing your bottom out far enough behind you.

It’s good practice to make
sure that while you keep your upper body as upright as possible as you travel
up and down, it’s not to a degree that creates an excessively compressive
sensation in your lower back.

Your upper body will need
to tilt forward, because you’ll be pushing your bottom out behind you, but your
lower back should not make you feel uncomfortable.

Speed Is Not Your Friend

The key to good progress
is a nicely moderate and smoothly controlled speed, so that if someone shouted “Stop!”
at any point in your up or down phase, you could stop at that level immediately
without a problem.

Also, it’s a good and safe
idea, as you become well-practiced in your squat technique, to lower down a
little more slowly than going up. This will help you develop your strength,
although going down too slowly can be excessively catabolic and break
down muscle tissue instead of building it up.

If you keep your lowering
speed to an absolute maximum of 5 seconds, you’ll get all the goodies and no
nasties!

Happy squats, ladies!

How often do you do squats? Have you
been feeling knee or lower back pain when performing this exercise? Why do you
think that is? Would you be willing to adapt a new technique that can help you
exercise without the pain? Please tell us about it in the comments!

I wonder if you’re noticing the same trends I’m seeing about how people now view work. I’m seeing a changing definition of success. When I started working in the 70s, success seemed to be defined as how quickly you could climb up the corporate ladder and get a corner office.

I
now see more emphasis placed on having a balance between work and personal
time, with success defined as using your talents for self-development as well
as helping family, community, and your workplace. Workers increasingly want to have
a voice in decisions that affect them.

I see less emphasis on rampant economic growth and more value on conserving and protecting the environment along with a desire for self-expression and meaningful work.

Are you seeing this where you are?

A
few years after trading big city living for the laid-back West Coast lifestyle,
I discovered that lifestyle is the primary reason so many others have chosen to
live here.

What’s Your Career Anchor?

As a
former career counsellor, I view the word “career” from a different perspective
than as strictly a job path. I see it as more of an internal drive that ties in
with our values, motives, competencies, and interests.

It’s
a path we want to take to learn and grow and to express who we are. Often, we
don’t get the opportunity to do this until midlife.

In the past I’ve given clients a quiz to discover what Edgar H. Schein identified as the career anchors people are drawn to express in their work or hobbies. I’ll briefly summarize each of the eight anchors Schein identified. It’s best to fill out his self-assessment quiz to identify your own career anchor.

As
so many of us make decisions based on the lifestyle we want, especially as we
age, let’s look at this first.

Lifestyle

If lifestyle
is the career anchor that drives you, you’d like to balance your personal life
with your professional life. A growing number of people want their work to fit
their lifestyle. This desire has grown as job security has eroded. Flexible
work hours have become popular.

If this is your primary drive, it’s important to
look at your second choice as well.

Technical/Functional Competence

If your
career anchor is functional competence, your focus is on being rewarded for
your expertise. You are a specialist in your field and want to test your skills
and abilities and be recognized for them. Working reduced hours in your
profession might be a good fit for you.

General Managerial Competence

If your
career is driven by general management competence, you’d like to be responsible
for major policy decisions. You don’t seek specialization as much as you’d like
to advance up to higher levels of responsibility.

You are comfortable absorbing the emotional strains of uncertainty, interpersonal conflict, and responsibility. This desire can be satisfied leading a volunteer work project.

Autonomy/Independence

If
you look for autonomy in a career, you’d like to set your own rules and do
things in your own way. You’re self-reliant and comfortable being responsible
for your own decisions.

You
work well without supervision and enjoy contract or project work with
clearly-defined goals and the freedom to complete the job in your own way.
Freelance work might be a good fit.

Security/Stability

If stability
is your career anchor, you want to feel safe and secure with job security and a
good retirement and benefit plan. You are willing to follow the rules of others
in exchange for stable, predictable work. In midlife, you may want a part-time
job.

Entrepreneurial Creativity

If your career anchor is creativity, you want to develop new products or services. You get bored with routine and require new creative challenges. Although your original efforts may fail, you keep searching for opportunities to try again and again. Self-employment based on a hobby may be a good fit.

Service/Dedication to a Cause

If your
anchor is supporting a special cause, you have a desire to improve the world in
a way that helps people, animals, or the planet as a primary focus.

You
want your work to be in alignment with your values and may be drawn to a
helping profession such as medicine, social work, or teaching. A position with
the Peace Corps might be rewarding.

Pure Challenge

If challenge is your career anchor, you like to seek out ever-tougher challenges that overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, or unsolvable problems. Like a professional athlete, you look for opportunities to test yourself against yourself or others. This might be a good time to train for a marathon.

Do any of these Career Anchors seem a fit for you?

Identifying
your career anchor can help you decide on a second career or hobby.

Creative Economy Is Growing Fast

Interestingly,
in 2013, the United Nations identified the Creative Economy as one of the
world’s fastest growing sectors for income generation, job creation, and export
earnings.

The
UN released a report that said, “the Creative Economy creates jobs, and contributes
overall well-being of communities, individual self-esteem, and quality of life,
thus achieving inclusive and sustainable development.”

After
retirement, many of us now have the free time to pursue artistic endeavors.

How Do You Want to Express Yourself in Midlife?

What
are your Values, Desires and your natural Skills?

It
often takes us until middle age to acquire the self-knowledge we need to gain
insight into the answers. We tend to be better at things we value and are
motivated to learn. We may find hidden talents we had no time to use or develop
earlier.

As
we age, we get a sense of what’s a natural fit for us and what isn’t. It’s not
unusual to discover we’re drawn back to the same skills and interests we had in
childhood. It was life events and responsibilities that took us down a
different path.

What
different path have you found in midlife? Are you looking for a second career?
What is your career anchor? Please share with our community!

Many people assume travel is something you must forego if you are the full-time caregiver for another person. Not so! With a little creativity and willingness to reach out, not only can you take an occasional trip – you must. (If it helps, get your doctor to write a prescription for one!)

Travel has scientifically-proven health benefits for our bodies and brains. Some of these demonstrated health benefits include:

• reduced stress
• reduced risk of heart disease
• increased happiness
• improved creativity
• an actual boost in immunity!

For a full-time caregiver, travel can be just what the doctor ordered before, during, and after the trip.

Before

One study showed that just planning a trip boosts happiness, before even embarking on the trip itself. Planning a trip involves daydreaming and happy thoughts of what could be. This aspect is invaluable for caregivers, giving them something to look forward to when days seem long or difficult.

During

The trip provides a break from caregiving responsibilities, a change of scenery, and new experiences. Individuals are typically more active when on vacation, which is also good for our overall health.

After

The study on stress showed that as much as several weeks after returning home, individuals felt more relaxed, more invigorated, and better able to handle daily stresses. How important is that for a caregiver? 

One Leads to More

Another benefit is that a successful trip shows that it can be done, making it easier to consider planning another trip. Success breeds success! After a while, you might find that planning and taking a trip becomes a regular part of your self-care program.

Now Add the Benefits of Traveling with a Grandchild

One of the losses frequently experienced by a grandparent serving as a full-time caregiver is free time to enjoy grandchildren.

As a grandparent, you may know what you would gain from spending quality time with grandchildren, but research shows that children who have a close relationship with a grandparent are less depressed and more resilient as adults. It may be that your grandchildren need you as much as the loved one for whom you are caregiving!

All well and good, you may be thinking, but how do you pull this off when caregiving responsibilities are so demanding?

First of All, Ask

With enough advance notice, it is often possible for family members to arrange their schedules to cover for you. Often they are happy to do so – they just have to know what you need. (Don’t be afraid of being a “burden”!) 

Hire Help

It is also possible to hire a caregiver to stay with your loved one. In this case, it might be wise to hire them for several shorter stints in advance of the trip so they and your loved one become more familiar with each other. 

Adult Day Centers

Many families find the use of Adult Day Centers to be invaluable. Many have begun to re-open now that vaccinations have increased and numbers have decreased. Check if this resource is available in your community.

Family + Outside Help

Most likely a combination – an adult day center during the day, family help in the evenings and/or on weekends, supplemented by hired help – will provide the coverage necessary to make the trip a reality. Contact your local Area Agency on Agency, Commission on Aging, or similar organization. Sometimes they have certificates or scholarships available to cover care. 

Road Scholar is back in business after taking a break during Covid. They offer several hundred travel options planned specifically for grandparents traveling with grandchildren. They take care of all the details so you are not burdened with researching and making travel arrangements.

Their travel programs are well-vetted and reviewed. Your grandchildren have other children to interact with, while you can socialize with other grandparents (relieving you of having to entertain your grandchild/ren the whole time).

Their categories include STEM, Animals & Wildlife, City Discoveries, National Parks, and International Adventures. Best of all, they have caregiver scholarships available that can cover some or even most of the cost of your trip (some restrictions apply).

Group Trips

Riffing off the Road Scholar model, you could plan a trip with a friend and their grandchild of a similar age, splitting your time between activities with each other and peer time. It makes for a nice balance! Don’t forget: your trip doesn’t have to involve any exotic destination. Just spending time together, away from regular routines and demands, will create wonderful opportunities for making memories.

So don’t deprive yourself – and your grandchild! – of all the benefits of traveling together, even if you are a full-time caregiver. Can you make it happen? Yes, you can!

If you are a full-time caregiver for a loved one, how often do you get away for that much needed respite time? How have you been able to make the arrangements? Have you ever traveled with a grandchild, before or during your time of caregiving? If so, where did you go and what did you do? Please share some of the memories you collected!