If you want to shop for The Ordinary, you can head to Ulta or Sephora or of course, online. But there’s something so exciting about being able to get your fave products from The Ordinary at Target. Because who doesn’t want to go on a Target run, like, all the time? While you’re there grabbing cat food, paper towels, sparkling water and a crop top or two, you can now grab The Ordinary’s affordable skincare at the same time. What can’t you get?!

You can thank Ulta for bringing The Ordinary to Target. The Ulta Beauty at Target shop-in-shop has been announced, bringing skin, hair, makeup and fragrance to the retailer. According to WWD, the Ulta shops in Target will open in 100 locations next month and continue to roll out to 800 Target stores over the next few years.

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.

Source: Instagram

Now, this isn’t just some little display. Target stores will have more than 50 Ulta brands in a huge Ulta-branded space. If you’re worried about your Ulta Rewards points, know that you’ll be able to grab both the Target Circle and Ultamate Rewards when shopping. So, it’s basically a no-brainer. You’ll be able to grab The Ordinary’s stellar acne solutions, dark spot products and niacinamide-infused faves. But also prodcuts from brands including Anastasia Beverly Hills, Benefit Cosmetics, MAC Cosmetics, Nudestix, Tarte, Kopari Beauty, Peach & Lily, Sunday Riley and MORE.

Yes, all at Target! We told you it was exciting. For now, you can shop skincare from the links above, but we’ll update you as soon as they’re all live at Target.

We love subscription (or one-off) beauty boxes because you get to try best-selling products at a major discount. Sometimes they’re even full sizes. There are ones from Ipsy, Birchbox and Allure, each with different types of products at various price points. The Violet Grey Best Of Summer Violet Box is all about luxury. Are you surprised? The retailer stocks some of the best skincare, makeup, haircare and nail products on the market. Many can cost a pretty penny, which is why its limited-edition box is so clutch.

This specific Violet Grey box is all about getting your best summer hair and skin ever. You get a whopping $817 worth of products for just $408 and includes both best sellers and buzzy new products. That’s a 50 percent discount. They’re not messing around. Now’s your moment to try the products you’ve had your eye on for months. It also makes a great gift.

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.

Violet Grey.

Let’s get to the products because that’s what you came for, right? If you can’t get enough skincare, this box is for you. There are the Hailey Bieber-fave Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops to hydrate and refine pores, Mutha’s No. 1 Serum to even skin tone and protect skin against UVA/UVB damage and  MZ Skin Smooth & Smooth Collagen Activating Eye Complex for a moisturized and bright eye area. You’ll nab a stellar sunscreen, too, with RéVive Soleil Superiéur Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen PA++++, which also contains free-radical-fighting antioxidants.

If you’re showing more skin right now during the summer, you’ll love U Beauty’s The Sculpt Arm Compound, which works to de-puff the area and stimulate collagen production. For those annoying pop-up pimples, there’s also ZitSticka’s Goo Getter clarifying dots included with niacinamide, salicylic acid, vitamin C and tea tree oil. For hair that’s been in salt and chlorinated water, Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer Deep Conditioning Treatment adds shine and hydration to strands while you sleep.

There’s some summer-ready makeup, too. The Kjaer Weis Cream Blush Compact and Refill is a certified organic formula that adds a rosy glow to the skin, while Chantecaille’s Liquid Lumiére is the rose-tinted highlighter you’ll keep using way after summer.

The limited-edition Violet Grey Best Of Summer Violet Box is out now so grab it before it’s gone for good.

You’ve gone on 14 first meets and you’re done. You’ve had it. This
online dating thing isn’t working. It isn’t working and you’re fine with that.
You’ve got a life – a great life. Friends, grown kids, grandkids; you love
hanging out with them. You love the garden, your work, the occasional weekend
away.

You don’t need a man.

You Are Stronger Than You Think

Of course, a man would be nice. But. He has to be the right man.

You’ve tried. The result? Meh.
Your daughter’s favorite word, as if meh describes a person. You met 14 men, and got one second date.
Yup, Number Ten called and you went out with him again, so it counts as a Real
Date.

But he didn’t call for a third date.

And now you’re done with online dating.

“It’s enough to make you wonder if there’s something wrong
with you,” says Jill Whitney, a licensed marriage and family
therapist. She reminds her clients they have strengths and positive
qualities.

Write It Down

Whitney suggests that if you tend to forget your good points, make
a list. Take a piece of paper and write down everything you’re good at, and all
the ways you’re a good person.

If that’s hard for you, ask friends for suggestions. Once you get
going, it’ll get easier. Keep the list to review at times you’re feeling
discouraged about dating.

“It’s okay to take a pause from online dating at times,”
says Whitney. “It takes stamina to keep putting yourself out there, which
means you’ll need chances to rest and restore yourself. Give yourself
permission to step back.”

She suggests to do fun things with friends, clean out your closets,
do jigsaw puzzles, go to the movies. Then, when you start to feel like getting
back out there, you’ll have more energy and bring your best, happy self to the
process.

Talk to Everyone

Use online dating as a back-up to meeting someone new in real life,
rather than concentrating all your energy on a dating site. 

No matter where you go, chat with people. Sure, you’d rather meet
someone at Home Depot or in the supermarket. Or at that cute place downtown
where they have a band on a Friday or Saturday night. Or at a Meetup.

Or maybe your friends Carol and Danny will introduce you to… a
friend of Danny’s? (They met online and they’ve only been married three years,
so who knows? Danny may have a single buddy.)

Friends are a valuable and mostly untapped resource. 

Don’t Let Your Past Block Your Future

Don’t let your break-up or divorce get in your way.

Whitney explains that some people feel they’re “doomed” in relationships because their previous marriage didn’t work out. “There’s just no truth to that,” Whitney says, because marriages end for all sorts of reasons.

Take a deep look at what went wrong in your previous
relationships, including whatever role you played in the problems. Learn from
that. Bring that hard-earned knowledge into this next stage of your life, where
it can help you build a better relationship this time around.

Be positive. It can happen to you.

He could be right around the corner.

If you never give up.

A Few Real Life Pointers

In my novel, my main character does a lot of online dating, and
her best friend, an experienced dater, tells her how tough it is out there.
“Get a helmet,” she says. “Strap it on.”

Do you need a helmet? In a way, yes, a metaphorical one.

You need to believe in yourself, that you are worthy of love, and
have the self-confidence and life experience to prevail. You’ll want to try
online dating when you’re feeling strong and resilient. Don’t try it if you’re
going through difficult times or have serious health challenges.

Here are 10 concrete ways to up your
chances of connecting with a guy who gets you.

Find New People

Write one new candidate 4-6 times a week. Get a rhythm going so
you’re writing almost as regularly as you brush your teeth. If you limit
yourself to one or two emails (at the most) it won’t be such a chore.

Experiment with Photos

Post a new photo. Get your friends to take pictures of you riding
your bike. Cooking in your cute kitchen. Playing with your spaniel. Or your pet
lizard. (OK, I’m kidding.)

You get the idea. Yes, put makeup on for your photo. Wear a hot
pink top that makes you think “Hot men will soon be checking me out.”
What’s wrong with a little fantasy?

Know Your Best Qualities

Get your friends to tell you what they most enjoy about you. Write
down what they say and use it in your profile. Make them go for specifics –
none of that, Suzy is a fun person. 

You need more like, “My friends say I can make a meal from
dry toast and parsnips,” or “My friends tell me I’m the one they want
with them when the elevator stops on the 29th floor, and we’re there all
night.” I’m not kidding. These comments are gold.

No Generic Emails

When you’re writing Mr. Cute, personalize your email. Just do it.
Yes, it takes more time, but it’s worth it. No one really goes for those
generic, ho hum emails.

Learn More About Their Hobbies

Connect to an activity or a passion he mentions in his profile. If
there is nothing, why are you writing him?

No Fear of the Online World

Many women fear online dating. Don’t. Tell yourself, “The Internet
is my friend.” Mean it, even though it’s corny.

Go for Authenticity

Don’t create a profile of an ideal version of you that simply
doesn’t exist. Let the real you shine through – you’re beautiful just the way
you are.

Be Proactive

If you come to the profile of a guy you like, write him. Don’t wait around to be contacted.

Here’s an idea. Suggest a walk in your favorite park. Seriously.
Write Mr. Cute and be sure to pinpoint the exact corner where you’ll meet. Get
a breath of fresh air – so much better than sitting across the table from a
stranger.

Keep an Open Mind

Be open-minded. You don’t think he’s your type? He looks dopey in
his photo? He’s into Lee Child novels and you’re not? Open your mind, you’ll
never know until… well, read number ten, below.

Just Meet

Nothing counts. Except The Meet. Nothing. Emailing is a start, but
that’s all it is.

Please share your adventures in online dating. Did you wear your
metaphorical helmet? What worked for you? We’d love to hear your story.

We’re going to go ahead and squash the school of thought that last-minute Halloween costumes always suck—especially with the help of some totally killer skeleton makeup—but more on all of that a bit later. On the contrary, if your makeup is on point, your whole look will scream “I worked on this for weeks.” It’s true.

While you may not be able to throw together (or purchase) a super last-minute costume that comes across like you actually tried, but you can always use makeup and hair to for an instantly festive and ghoulish-glam look. One that’s sure to impress even the most staunch Halloween aficionados and costume enthusiasts.

For instance, a full face of black and white Halloween skeleton makeup can leave you looking drop-dead gorgeous (literally). Think a makeup DIY like this is super hard? Think again. Sure, skeletons may sound like a bit of an over-done and slightly cliched look for Halloween costumes—not to mention a dead giveaway (pun definitely intended) that you didn’t think about what to dress up until the literal very last minute, but the truth is that it’s really one of the most foolproof templates that allows you to customize the look and make it your own. Aside from that, it’s also as high or low maintenance as you want it to be. I mean, you kind of just can’t go wrong with the good old-fashioned and low-key chic skeleton get-up.

We’re breaking this costume down for you from head to toe—and it only takes about an hour to put the whole thing together, so it’s literally the perfect Halloween “costume” idea for all of my fellow lazy folks and extreme procrastinators out there. Get ready to go super spooky (and ultra-glam) this Halloween thanks to these helpful makeup tips courtesy of Nichole Ciotti, a San Francisco-based blogger along with some of our favorite skeleton makeup product suggestions below.

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.

Makeup Must-Haves:

wet n wild.

1. Liquid Foundation

Opting for a liquid foundation that’s slightly lighter than your regular skin tone is key to achieving this look. We love this affordable drugstore foundation because it’s also flashback-free, making it perfect for flash photography.

Buy: Wet n’ Wild Photo Focus Foundation $4.99

Maybelline.

2. Black Liquid Eyeliner

A good waterproof and fast-drying liquid liner will help your look stay put all night long.

Buy: Maybelline Ultra Liner Liquid Eye Liner $4.99

Ismine.

3. Black Powder Eyeshadow

Opt for a richly-pigmented and ultra black eyeshadow with a matte or satin finish and avoid formulas infused with shimmer or glitter.

Buy: Ismine Single Black Eyeshadow $4.99

Sigma Beauty.

4. Eyeshadow Brush

If you’re looking for a new eyeshadow brush lineup (old brushes simply won’t work as well for this look) Sigma’s trio is one of the best and highest quality options on the market.

NYX.

5. White Eyeliner

This opaque and ultra-precise white eyeliner is perfect for drawing in lines and creating sharp detail.

Buy: NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Mechanical Eye Liner Pencil $4.99

Vertex.

6. Angled Eyeliner Brush

These inexpensive angled eyeliner brushes each help you create a multitude of different looks.

Buy: Vertex Angled Eyeliner Brush Set $13.99

The Eyes

Step 1: Apply the foundation all over your face, including over your mouth.

Step 2: Outline your eye sockets with your favorite black liquid eyeliner. The circles will look best if they’re actually *not* perfect, so don’t worry if they aren’t exactly the same shape.

Step 3: Fill in the eye sockets with black eyeshadow using an eyeshadow brush.

The Nose

Step 1: Using the liquid eyeliner, draw the letter M across the center of your nose. The sides of the M should wrap around your nostrils.

Step 2: Fill in the letter M with the black eyeshadow.

The Teeth

Step 1: Color your lips completely white (apply over your foundation) with the white eyeliner pencil.

Step 2: Using the liquid eyeliner, draw a line from the corner of your mouth toward your ear, about three inches, on both sides.

Step 3: Using the liquid eyeliner, draw a vertical line down the center of your mouth, from just above your top lip to just past your bottom lip.

Step 4: Draw six more vertical lines about half an inch apart to the left of the center line.

Step 5: Repeat on the right side to finish your teeth.

The Jaw and Cheekbones

Step 1: Using the liquid eyeliner, outline two hollow areas on the side of your face; one hollow area should be close to your teeth and the other hollow area should be closer to your ear, on your cheekbone.

Step 2: Draw a straight line that connects the two hollow areas.

Step 3: Draw matching hollow areas and the connecting line on the other side of your face.

Step 4: Fill in all four hollow areas (two on each side) with the black eyeshadow and darken the straight lines that connect them.

Step 5: Connect the last two top teeth on both sides of the mouth to the hollow area closest to your teeth.

Photo: Nichole Ciotti

The Details

Here are a few more tips to make your glam skeleton look really pop:

• Using the black eyeshadow, shade underneath your jawline and down your neck. Your neck will appear more emaciated if you concentrate the shadow on the sides of your neck while leaving a section of natural skin visible down the center.
• Lightly shade around the hairline with black eyeshadow.
• Using an angled eyeliner brush, pull the excess eyeshadow from the inner corners of your eyebrows up and into a curved line on both sides.
• Similarly, pull the excess eyeshadow on the outside of your eye sockets into several lines, toward your hairline.

And there you have it! Your super-easy and totally awesome Halloween costume is complete—just add some black leggings, a matching top, and some chunky boots and you’re good to go. Happy Halloween!

This tutorial was provided by Nichole Ciotti, a San Francisco-based blogger who shares her personal style, beauty tips, and adventures at nicholeciotti.com.

Originally posted October 2013. Updated August 2020.

If you leaf through your old high school yearbooks, you might be filled with nostalgia (“We were so young… and beautiful!”). Or, you might be mortified (“What were we thinking?!”).

Certainly, fashion styles change over the years. And we do too. But does our individual fashion style really change all that much? It’s a question worth asking, especially now that we are being released from the most extreme restrictions of the pandemic and want to ditch our sweats to step out into the world.

For those of us over the age of 60, many of the new style trends present a mixed blessing. We are thrilled to see all the joyous splashes of color and the breezy and playful vacation attire.

And yet, cropped tops, knit bra-like tops with their little matching cardigans, dresses with cut outs and slits, and the return of low rise jeans (gasp!) is making us feel… old. At least when we were all locked down we shared in the same sartorial misery.

What Changes and What Stays the Same?

You might feel that the pandemic has accelerated the changes you see in the mirror. If you haven’t seen your friends for a year, it can be a bit of a shock to discover just how much they might have changed. Recently, I wrote to check in on a friend to see how she was doing. She replied, “Well, I seem to have avoided the Covid 50.” (She was referring to the common side effect of the lockdown: weight gain.)

Weight Gain

But in general, it’s not uncommon for women to gain weight with age. Adding a few extra pounds plus the inevitable changes in hair color are certainly factors to keep in mind when you consider how to express your style at this stage in life.

Yet, even if you have put on a few pounds, your fundamental bone structure – the scaffolding for your body – does not change. What that means is that the silhouettes of the pieces that worked for you in the past will very likely still work for your body now. You might just have to size up.

Of course, a larger size in any type of garment might hang somewhat differently than what you are used to. So be sure to examine how the fabric drapes on your body. Check yourself in a mirror from all sides, particularly from the back. You don’t want the garment to pull or crease, or to cling to any area that you aren’t willing to emphasize.

Then There Is Coloring

As for hair color, this is a smaller indication of the colors you can wear now. Skin tone is a much more significant factor. About 80% of a person’s individual color palette is determined by their skin tone. Over the years, your skin tone may fade a bit or become less reflective of light. But the color undertone – whether it leans toward the cool end of the spectrum or the warm end or is somewhere in between – does not change.

That means that if you were able to wear bolder colors or brighter colors in your youth, it’s likely that you will still look attractive in them now. And if you have always tended toward warmer and earthier colors, or the softer and more delicate ones, those are still going to be the mainstays in your wardrobe.

However, it is true that you might find yourself favoring some colors more than others, even those you may have worn a lot in the past, and avoiding others. For example, I’ve noticed several clients who just stopped wearing red because now they no longer feel as, well, “romantic.”

If that’s the case, I want to encourage you to still wear your reds. Everyone can wear some shade of red. All of them – from scarlet to pink to coral – bring vibrancy and energy to the face. One clue to determining your best reds in clothing is to look at the shade or the range of that shade that you tend to wear in lipstick. You likely repeat it because it flatters your skin.

What Determines Your Style Now?

Unless you have undergone a vast transformation in your face, body, or in the way you speak, walk or express yourself, your overall style is not going to change significantly as you age. Also, it’s just the reality that nearly everyone is a delightful combination of style essences. Most people don’t fit into a single, narrow style archetype.

That variety of style qualities has a lot of benefits. It’s what gives you the freedom to play with new trends. So, although your style has not likely changed all that much, it is very possible that throughout your lifetime you might choose to express or emphasize different aspects of yourself through what you wear.

Maybe you don’t wear minis any longer. But you might still wear a pair of sparkly or playfully dangling earrings with a fitted white button-down and slim pants. That might be your new version of saucy!

Of course, environmental factors do play a role in how your style gets expressed. This is particularly true if you are retired, and especially if you have moved somewhere that has a very different climate and culture.

That would require considering how to adapt your fundamental style to what is the acceptable attire of a new locale. If you retire and remain in your own surroundings, you also have to consider whether your wardrobe is reflecting your new lifestyle and the activities in which you will engage.

Is a New Style Your Style… or Just One You Admire?

When it comes to new trends, how do you stay true to your fundamental style but not get stuck in a rut. And how can you be fashion forward without looking like you’re desperately trying to hold on to your youth?

Fortunately, we have some great role models now. We are starting to see older women featured in catalogs, magazines, and on the fashion runways. Unfortunately, these women are usually slender, tall, and have great bone structure. So it requires some honesty and self-analysis to determine whether a particular trend or style will actually suit you.

One way to determine that is a “mirror” check. If you see something attractive or interesting in a catalog, magazine, or online, or worn by a fashionable woman, look at the garment then look at your face in a mirror or at your reflection in a window. Then look back at the garment again and then back at yourself.

If you feel a sense of “energetic” connection between what you see in the garment and what you see in your face, it’s a pretty good bet that you will enjoy wearing it and it suits your style.

It’s not necessary to ignore a new fashion trend simply because younger people embrace it. Unless it’s really quirky or impractical, it actually might give you the chance to highlight your coloring or emphasize the best feature of your body in a new way. It might provide a refreshing update to your wardrobe.

Just tread carefully. New fashion trends tend to last about three years. If you love the trend, maybe just buy a couple of items and then make sure that they harmonize with what you already own. If they do, that indicates that it might be more of a “perennial” piece for your style and will last long beyond its trendy sell date.

Regardless of your age, regardless of where you live, or your weight, or your hair color, great style is all just a matter of maintaining congruence between the person you are on the inside and what you wear. This is true at any stage of life. It’s all about staying authentic. Authenticity is the basis of lifelong beauty.

Has your style changed over the years? What are you no longer wearing that you used to love? Why? And how experimental are you with your fashion style now?