Today is a big day for Sex and the City fans. We finally got a real look at the HBO Max reboot, And Just Like That… Though, SJP has been giving us tiny tidbits for weeks. Sarah Jessica Parker even gave us a look inside her bag, revealing a skincare tool that’s actually pretty affordable. “Items. Must haves. Trailer/dressing room/tote bag haul. In preparation for 1st day of shooting,” she wrote on Instagram.

You can see a Beats by Dre speaker, three different books (“enough to keep me company through episodes 101-103,” she wrote), granola, Long Chips snacks and a Sundree Cooling Facial Globe. The brand commented on SJP’s Instagram post, excited to see their product in her bag. SJP responded by saying she’s bringing it to Elaine Offers Woulard, who is doing her makeup. “So good before makeup on those early mornings!” responded the makeup artist.

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

The Sundree Cooling Facial Globe works by helping decrease inflammation, soothe any redness, minimize puffiness and stimulate blood circulation. The hand-blown ice globes are made of borosilicate glass and filled with biodegradable gel. You can stick them in the fridge for an extra-cool shot to calm the skin pre-makeup. It’s especially nice to use with your favorite moisturizer or serum.

Sundree.

We can’t wait to see what else SJP shares with us throughout the entire filming of And Just Like That… One thing is for sure, they’re all going to have great skin, as well as fresh beauty looks for us to talk about for years to come.

One of the songs I have always loved is When I Go by Dave Carter and Tracy
Grammar, written two years before Dave’s untimely death at age 49.

Sigh, mournful sister, whisper and turn, I will rattle like dry leaves when I go
Stand in the mist where my fire used to burn, I will camp on the night breeze when I go
And should you glimpse my wandering form out on the borderline
Between death and resurrection and the council of the pines
Do not worry for my comfort, do not sorrow for me so
All your diamond tears will rise up and adorn the sky beside me when I go

We all have different beliefs about what happens after we
die. We also have different ideas about what should happen to our bodies.

Many of us have religious beliefs that guide us. It is
worth considering possibilities beyond traditional burial and learning about
the options. When we did, my husband and I immediately knew what our choice
would be. First, let me share a bit about some of the many options available
around the globe.

Cremation

Cremation is used by 99% of people in Japan and by 75% in
Britain. In the US, in 2016, numbers rose to slightly over 50% and continue to
grow.

Remains can be taken home in urns, spread in nature, or placed in crypts. Cremation is less costly and causes less damage to the environment than a traditional burial.

Green Burial
Sites

Green
burial sites are environmentally
friendly places where people can be buried while preserving natural habitats
and reducing carbon emissions.

People are not embalmed and are buried in a natural way in
shrouds without caskets. In some cases, a stone is chosen to identify the spot,
though GPS coordinates may be the family’s best bet.

Home Funerals
and Burial

In years past around the world, families kept their loved ones’ bodies at home. Many don’t realize that keeping a body at home is still legal in the US and many other countries. Families can keep their loved ones at home for a few days using dry ice as a temporary preservative.

Each locality and state has legal requirements for burial
with specific guidelines (e.g., New Hampshire states that the body must be at
least 3.5 feet deep, 100 feet from a dwelling, and 50 feet from water sources).

Other unique ancient and new
traditions include:

Burial at Sea

Some organizations specialize in natural burial at
sea (in a shroud), allowing
the body to decompose or be consumed by sea animals. Itis a natural burial if done in a way that benefits the environment
– and without formaldehyde.

Sky Burial

Vajrayana Buddhists in Mongolia and Tibet believe the soul
leaves the body and moves on. To return
the body to the earth, they chop it into pieces
and place it on a mountaintop, exposed to the elements and the vultures.

Coral Reef Balls

Cremated remains can be placed inside concrete
coral reef balls and become attached to a
coral reef in the ocean. The balls help repair damage to coral reefs and
regenerate the ecosystem, providing new habitat for fish and other sea life.

Burial Beads

In South Korea, due to limited space, a law requires
bodies to be removed from graves after 60 years. Cremation has become more
common, but some families choose to have their loved ones’ remains compressed
into gem-like beads, available in different
colors. They can be kept at home and displayed.

Fantasy Coffins

In Ghana, some people are buried in coffins
decorated and shaped to represent their work or
something they loved in life.

Our Choice:
Donating Our Bodies to Medical Research

When my husband Rito and I learned about the “willed
body” option, we immediately knew this
was our choice. As I have been grappling with cancer, I have been so grateful
for the medical advances that have kept me alive.

Everyone has received the gift of healing from medical
research, extending our lives with discoveries and interventions. The training
of our doctors and the research benefits greatly from bodies that have been
donated to science.

This is different from organ and tissue donation programs.
As seniors, we are unlikely to have organs in top condition to donate.

In the past, dubious methods were used to obtain cadavers,
including body snatchers and the sale of murder victims. Now, laws require
legal permissions and procedures.

Many hospitals and medical schools have body donation
programs. Uses include cadavers for training surgical students and research for
new technologies. Each “willed body” program has its own policies.

A simple process includes filling out and submitting online
forms, requiring only your signature along with those of two witnesses. Bodies
in nearly all states of health are accepted.

UCSF, our local medical university, picks up the body with
no cost to us. After use, they cremate and spread the ashes at sea, not
returning them to the family. In some programs, cremated remains are eventually
returned to the family.

Rito always said that he did not want remaining family to
bear the burden of funeral costs, so we liked the thought that our family
wouldn’t have any expenses. Also, I learned that there is a shortage of bodies,
which makes the contribution more significant.

Once we submitted our forms, we informed our children and
received cards to carry in our wallets. It is a good feeling to have made
informed choices together.

The Five Wishes:
Make Your Choices Ahead and Make Your Wishes Known

It is worth taking the time to consider your physical,
emotional, and spiritual needs in the event of sickness, during dying, and
ultimately after death.

Using a Five
Wishes Form with specific questions helps
you reflect on how you want to be treated. It also can be used to guide family discussions
and share feelings and desires.

I close with a quote from the Final Passages website:

“The nature of life includes the eventual miracle of death, a rite of passage that
deserves dignity and loving care.”

How would you like your body to be treated after death?
Have you considered the question? We would love to hear your thoughts about
your wishes and choices.

Fans of Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb, the non-sticky lip gloss favorite, are going crazy over the brand’s newest formula. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat is the first lip plumper from Rihanna’s beauty brand and a truly unique one at that. Plumping lip gloss is nothing new and there are some great ones on the market. But Gloss Bomb Heat has much more than just plumping action. Allow me to explain.

I love the hydrating Gloss Bomb formula so I was excited to try this new iteration. It has the same conditioning shea butter and vitamin E blend to help lock in moisture but the addition of ginger root oil and capsicum fruit extract (pepper) to instantly plump lips. I planned to use Gloss Bomb Heat as a topper on my usual lipstick shades, adding high-shine for a Hot Vax Summer vibe.

But it turns out, I’m obsessed with the non-shimmer color of Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Lip Luminizer + Plumper on its own. The Hot Cherry shade looks very red in the tube but when applied, is the perfect sheer hue. It’s not too pigmented, but just enough to add color to the shine.

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.

Fenty Beauty.

When I posted about Gloss Bomb Heat on my Instagram the most popular question I got was, does it hurt? I would admit that it does burn a bit but less than others I’ve tried. My favorite thing about this formula is that it’s not just the plumping ingredients that make your lips appear fuller. The shiny red color makes a big difference and the lush shea butter adds to the effect.

Source: Instagram

The color also lasts a few hours on the lips before you need to apply again, which is key for me when I’m out running around. Plus, when you apply another layer, you don’t get that dry, sticky texture that sometimes happens when one layer has dried. The formula is thick and hydrating enough to layer on as much as you’d like. If you’ve been wanting lip filler or just want to steal Rihanna’s perfect summer pout, this gloss is going to be your new favorite.

If you live in the northern hemisphere as I do, the summer season has fully arrived. To keep me cool and comfortable while temperatures rise, I’m wearing mainly cottons and linens. Although I tend to wear the same colors all year-round, I do have some summer-only clothes, shoes and handbags.

Even when the heat sets in, I still want to look fashionable whenever I leave the house. So, I’ve also shifted my jewelry to lighter pieces, in terms of colors, materials and motifs.

When I think of summer colors, I think of white, of course, as well as coral, turquoise, pale jade, spring green, yellow and other pastels. I also like red as an accent to lighter hues.

When I put together a collection of vintage jewels that reflect the lightness of the season, I focused on these colors. I also looked for pieces that just say “fun.” Let’s see if you agree.

Summer Earrings

These long, screw-back Art Deco earrings are from the 1920s. The pair on the left (2″ long) is made from Celluloid, an early plastic; the color is called “apple juice.” The red pair on the right is 3 ¼” long. Both pairs have lots of movement and are fun to wear.

If the length and style of these earrings don’t suit you, here are some more tailored ear clips comprised of “milk glass.” The elegant 1950s pair on the left by Hattie Carnegie has milk-glass stones embellished with diamanté and gold-tone wire.

On the right is a Miriam Haskell creation from the late 1940s with a Machine Age motif. The milk glass beads are connected to disks of the same material with rhinestone rondelles in gold-tone wire. This construction allows the elements to move, an essential characteristic of Machine Age designs.

Summer Necklaces

High-quality vintage necklaces that feature set stones and beads are generally heavy, if their components aren’t plastics (such as Bakelite, Galalith and Celluloid). Certain styles, however, are lighter.

Two of these Art Deco necklaces are lightweight because the decorative elements are limited to the front or are widely-spaced around the chain. The delicate fringe necklace with small coral glass beads (on the left) has a paper-clip chain, which was a popular style in the 1920s.

On the right, the spring-green glass beads alternate with lightweight chrome panels, balls and chain. The beads in the necklace in the center are molded plastic (probably Galalith) to simulate carving.

Summer Brooches

Some women shy away from brooches because they don’t know how to wear this type of jewel or because they think a brooch will damage their clothing. I try to address this first concern with my styling tips.

Thanks to a fashion blogger, I’ve just learned how to avoid the second: attach a foam makeup sponge to the inside of your garment as you’re putting the pin through it. That said, be sure the fabric can handle the weight of the brooch.

These two pieces couldn’t be more different. On the left is a 1950s gold-tone brooch with coral enamel and a faux pearl accent, by Hattie Carnegie. The leaves look as though they’re blowing in the breeze. This brooch comes with matching earrings.

The Art Deco piece on the right, with its colorful glass triangles set at jaunty angles around a square, is playful and guaranteed to start a conversation!

Summer Bracelets

Bracelets are an especially appealing jewel to wear in the summer because we generally bare our arms and/or wrists with sleeveless, short-sleeved and bracelet-length sleeved garments.

Of course, the cuffs of a long-sleeved piece can always be turned back to reveal a bracelet. Here are two that say “summer” to me.

The application of Bakelite to jewelry making in the 1920s–1930s allowed designers to create whimsical pieces in colors that Mother Nature never imagined. This brown-marbled Bakelite bangle with six yellow dots is just one such example.

The piece on the right is from the 1950s. It has molded turquoise-glass leaves interspersed with diamanté and woven onto a gold-tone mesh cuff.

How to Wear Summer Jewels

You can see these and other pieces styled with contemporary casual, office and evening wear in these blog posts: Have Fun with Summery Vintage Jewels and Navy Dress Accessories: 7 Ways to Adorn Your Little Navy Dress.

Do you have certain jewelry that you wear only in the summer? Do you wear different colors in the summer? Do you love to wear vintage jewelry? Do you have favorite pieces? Do you like a particular style or decade? Please share in the comments section.

As your children take that giant step of becoming parents themselves, what do you feel about how they are doing? Some grandmothers are highly impressed with the way their grandchildren are being brought up. Others are disappointed or even distressed.

Making Comparisons Is Natural

It is very difficult to avoid thinking about your children’s parenting skills in the light of your own – whether the comparison is favourable or otherwise.

Were you one of those parents, like me, who felt inept and clueless when your children were born? Did you make it up as best you could as you went along? If so, you may now feel real pleasure and pride in seeing how competent they are in the same role. They have so many more parenting books than we had. They have websites where they can learn the latest ideas and social media platforms where they can exchange notes with each other.

Or you may have felt you were a good parent and are somewhat concerned about your children, or their spouses or partners, as parents. Times have changed, they may tell you, but you may not be happy with what you see.

Do they give their children too many things and not enough time? Are they too strict or, perhaps, not strict enough? Do they intervene too much in their children’s lives, or not often enough? Are they loving and calm or always tense? There are so many aspects of good or bad parenting that there can be no single point of comparison.

Children Go Through Different Stages

Because you have been through it all before as a parent, you know bringing up children entails a lot of different stages. You may think your son or daughter was great with a new born baby, for instance, but not so confident when it comes to a teenager.

It is when babies are first born that many patterns are set. You may find it particularly difficult to watch your children make what you see as mistakes in those early days. They may be too anxious about feeding their baby or establishing good sleeping behaviour. Perhaps they are not able to cope with the antics of toddlers or sometimes, not watchful enough.

It doesn’t really get any easier as children age. Are they relaxed about their children’s school reports or constantly pressing for better results? How much effort do they make to interest their children in new activities or to win new friends? The vexed issue of screen time causes many a family argument, what with electronic games, computers and the inevitable mobile phone.

Then there are so many decisions about what children are allowed to do and when, such being allowed to cross a road, go into town or, later, drive the family car.

I am not for a moment suggesting here what should be seen as good parenting, but raising issues on which you may have strong views.

And you may think they are brilliant at navigating all these difficult waters – better than you and better than ever expected. Some grandmothers feel there is a much more enlightened approach nowadays. My book Celebrating Grandmothers explores what it feels like to be a grandmother at this new time in history.

Ways to Offer Constructive Advice

However happy or unhappy you are, you will know there is always room for improvement. Offering advice is, to say the least, a difficult task to manoeuvre. Its success will depend on your tact, their receptivity and the nature of your on-going relationship.

It is generally easier when your grandchildren’s mother is your daughter. You have watched her grow up and you know each other well. You have commented over the years on her decisions. Perhaps you are best pals. In this case, it is so much easier to suggest ideas to her, even if it has to be done diplomatically.

But when the mother is your daughter-in-law (or partner equivalent), you will undoubtedly need to tread carefully. You may get on well, but you will always have that lurking spectre of the dreaded mother-in-law. It is no accident that this role is the butt of many an awful joke.

Just to complicate matters, with fathers taking an increasingly involved role with child-rearing, you may have equivalent issues with your son or son-in-law.

In any case, you know you don’t want to be annoying. Indeed, it is often counter-productive. It is, after all, the grandchildren’s interest which is at stake.

Be Sensitive and Diplomatic

You will undoubtedly try to find ways of offering advice in a sensitive manner. We all feel our way and hope to get the right formula early on. You can say the issues are difficult for everyone and give examples of your friend down the road. You can put your ideas as questions like “Have you thought of…?” You can note that if you were in this situation, you would tend to try a particular solution.

At all times, it helps to add something to the effect that, of course, it is up to them. If your relationship is good in the first place, such suggestions should be received with ease. If it is not, you may decide not to say anything at all.

And if they are not keen on your advice, stop for a moment and think how keen you were for parenting advice from your mother or mother-in-law.

There may also be times when you are genuinely worried about your child’s parenting, fearing that it might be close to neglect. This is another story and you may wish to call on professional advice regarding what you should do.

It has been said that every grandmother, to ensure that she keeps her mouth shut, should be issued with a zip! I’m not so sure, as I think your experience and wisdom may often be welcomed. Sometimes, a grandmotherly intervention can diffuse an awkward confrontation between parent and child. But family relationships are notoriously tricky and only you will know how to proceed.

Are you happy with the way your grandchildren are being brought up? Have you found good ways of offering advice to your children about their parenting approach?