When I first heard Kate Beckinsale was going to be a face of a skincare brand that uses blue scorpion venom in its products, I was intrigued and also a little freaked out. But take one look at Beckinsale’s background — and her social media — and you know she 1) wouldn’t hurt an animal and 2) doesn’t partner with many beauty brands. So, for Beckinsale to work with MRVL Skincare, there had to be something to it. It turns out, there is and the story of how this skincare came to be is pretty fascinating. As is Beckinsale’s thoughts on why people are so concerned about women asserting their intelligence.

First, let’s get to the beauty products. MRVL Skincare was founded by entrepreneur Rick Langley who is also the founder of the world’s largest Blue Scorpion farm. These types of scorpions don’t have dangerous venom, so there are no concerns there. Langley developed what he calls Blue Scorpion Peptide (BSP) that he promises helps to stimulate natural collagen production, fight free radicals, help regenerate symptoms of damaged skin and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The first batch of products is out today on the brand’s website.

I sat down with Beckinsale to find out her must-have items in the line and how she really feels about all that IQ backlash.

How She Got Involved With MRVL Skincare

Beckinsale was happy to become a spokesperson for MRVL Skincare because, well, the products just worked for her, something she says is most important when she’s going to be supporting a brand. “They sent me some of them, and they were such nice products and I really liked what they did to my skin,” she says. And when we learned the photoshoot was going to be in Turks and Caicos with dogs, the animal-rights activist was all in.

Of course, she made sure the Blue Scorpions aren’t hurt when “milked” for their venom, something I asked Langley as well. “I don’t want that to be involved with something that’s not kind,” she says. “But then also once I met them, I’m like, these last people to hurt an animal.” In fact, it was that Langley is also an animal-lover that attracted Beckinsale to the project.

Her Must-Have Products

Beckinsale likes to keep her routine pretty simple with an oil cleanser to remove makeup. As of late, she’s adding in her favorite MRVL Skincare products, too. “I really am a massive fan of the retinol cream particularly,” she says of the Retinol Repair Night Cream that contains combines retinol with the BSP. She uses it a few times a week but applies the Super Rich Eye Cream every day. When her skin is feeling dry and sensitive, she incorporates the calming, rich Arnica Recovery Cream.

MRVL Skincare.

How Her Cats Feel About Dressing Up

Switching gears, I have to ask Beckinsale about the cats on her Instagram always dressed up in the type of outfits my own cat would murder me for putting on her. Her cats are incredibly chill about it. “Well, Clive, the older one is 17. He actually really enjoys an outfit and he’s got certain things he just likes,” she says. “He loves tule and he loves ribbon and he’s really predictable. We adopted Willow from somebody else who couldn’t take care of her. She was kind of skittish and not the sort of cat that’s wanting to wear a pair of pajamas. But actually the longer she’s been with us, she’s like, I guess that’s how it is around here.”

Source: Instagram

Why She Thinks People Have Trouble With Intelligent Women

This past October, Beckinsale was a guest on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show, when the host pressed her for her IQ. She called her mother to find out and revealed it to be 152, which is considered to be “highly gifted.” She told Stern that having a high IQ wasn’t “helpful” to her in Hollywood, saying, “I just think it might be a handicap, actually.” This led to numerous headlines criticizing the actor for “bragging” about her intelligence.

“If I was bragging, I would have said it earlier than this,” she tells me. “This would be a thing that I would have mentioned. It’s not something I think about, it’s not something I think is a particularly good marker of intelligence. Actually, I don’t think it’s that relevant.” She says she was just asked so she answered the question. “I think women if you say ‘I’m intelligent,’ or ‘I’m anything,’ frankly, it’s immediately bragging even it’s just a fact,” she continues.

Beckinsale took to her Instagram to express her frustration with the response. She sites studies that show girls often “play dumb” with boys to appear more feminine. Growing up in an all-girls school, Beckinsale didn’t have this experience. She might not have felt confident physically but she knew she was smart — and wasn’t taught to hide it. “I did not grow up feeling particularly confident about what I looked like,” she says. “I was very short and my feet grew to this same size they are now. I wasn’t one of these kids that had an amazing middle school time. That still doesn’t feel like my big strength. But I’ve never ever had to feel like I’m not smart.”

Source: Instagram

How She Feels About the Backlash

“Once I started thinking about it after this whole thing came up, finding all these articles about women dumbing themselves down and women, especially on dates, dumbing themselves down and thinking ‘God, this was just sorry,’” she says. “This says more about men actually, you know. But having said that, a lot of the people who jumped on me were women. I think people, in general, don’t like a woman to take up too much space. I don’t agree with that.”

We talk about how things women like are often seen as silly or frivolous as if being into skincare or cats has anything to do with how smart you are. (It doesn’t.) “I tend to throw a cat [into photos] just to make it more fun,” she says. “And people will go ‘oh, well, this really shows your IQ.’  No, because if you’re smart, you don’t have to be going on about it all the time. You can put a fedora on a cat and still be smart.”

Amen.

Kyle Richards’ Green Floral Pajamas on RHUGT

Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Season 1 Episode 4 Fashion

Kyle Richards has been killing it in the pajama game for RHUGT. There was her tie dye set, her blue silk set, and now her green floral set. As you all know I am a big PJ’s girl so I for one am loving all of the pajama content. It’s a bummer this particular set is sold out, but that’s okay because there’s amazing Style Stealers below for all of us fellow ladies of leisure.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to See Her Karen Mabon Pajamas

Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Green Floral Pajamas

Melissa Gorga’s Green and Pink Floral Robe on RHUGT

Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Season 1 Episode 4 Fashion

Melissa Gorga’s green and pink floral robe while getting ready for the sleepover party was so cute. Melissa’s planned day/night would probably have been my favorite. Mainly because of the partying in your pajamas aspect. I just love a setting where I can wear cute and comfy clothes. Which this robe 100% constitutes as cute and comfy BTW. And you don’t even need a party to be able to wear it, all that you need is just a Style Stealer of it.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to See Her Show Me Your Mumu Robe

Originally posted at: Melissa Gorga’s Green and Pink Floral Robe

I was conflicted about turning 70 this past summer. Understatement. We all aspire to reach our 70s, or to reach what we consider old age. For me, 70 feels old, or at least, a lot! We take care of our health all our lives, so that we can have long lives. And then we arrive at this august age and say, “What the fudge?”

Be the Wise Woman!

Who am I now – now that I’m 70? What does 70 mean? How does the world perceive me at 70? Physical limitations are a reality. But I didn’t want to define myself by the things I can’t do anymore (skiing, for one). Yes, my energy level is lower. But why concentrate on the negative when there’s so much positive?

I now have new rights, responsibilities and privileges in the land of the old. Specifically, I have made the decision to be a wise woman, a crone. I truly believe the world needs me to be “out there,” more than ever before, to make a difference.

On my 70th birthday I made a resolution to do a few new things every year. I don’t want to become stale, uninterested. I want to keep expanding and exploring. By 70, we’ve done so many things, you might wonder, what’s next to do? Plenty!

Doing something I’ve never done before makes me feel new – and young. It makes me feel like an explorer, a conqueror. Doing something new is a happy pill. The challenge of doing something new is energizing.

Here are my five new things this year.

I’m a Political Activist

After years of never having the time (due to career, raising family, etc.), I finally have the time to be involved in critical, important issues that I deeply care about. It’s time to raise my voice! I’ve become an active and vocal feminist. I’ve become a passionate environmentalist. I’m interested in helping the suffering immigrant populations living in risk and uncertainty.

Choose your cause. The first thing you do when you want to become political is to educate yourself. Read a lot, watch videos, pay attention to the news. Do your Googling and find out about what different groups and organizations are doing and how you can join in.

If you can’t donate money, you can donate your time. I engage in postcard writing campaigns to swing states, and I work phone banks, calling voters on issues. Whenever AARP asks me to contact my Congresswoman about a specific issue, I take the time and do it. Being involved is a way to meet new people. More than that, being involved is an empowering feeling. I feel engaged and current.

I’m the Queen of Ice Cream!

When I started reading product labels of ice cream sold at the grocery I got outraged: cornstarch, carrageenan, maltodextrin, non-gmo corn oil, enriched wheat flour, sodium bicarbonate, mono and diglycerides, huge quantities of sugar… Really? Why? I didn’t want to put this gummy stuff into my body!

I bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker and am experimenting with piquant fruit sorbets made from “just” fresh fruit and water. I buy organic yogurt, toss in some fruit or jam and enjoy a creamy frozen yogurt. Then, there’s the real deal: ice cream made with “just” cream, sugar, vanilla and whatever natural flavor I throw in, chocolate, rum, raisins, pecans. I will be a welcome guest when dinner parties start up again.

My Urban Bicycle

Though I live in a city with good public transport, sometimes I wish I had a car – but then, not. I decided to invest in a Brompton, which is made for “those who live, work or play in urban cities.” It’s a London made bicycle which folds up into the tiniest thing. I store it in my flat, pop it into the elevator and off I go.

I go for rides or run errands and if I get tired, I can put it in the back of a Lyft, or on the bus. The Brompton is “my car” – I scoot around town, dash up to Whole Foods at six to pick up something for dinner, I can visit my daughter in 15 minutes instead of the usual hour of waiting for and riding the bus. The exercise benefits are obvious.

Rock Concerts!

Back in the 70s, music was my life. I had music on all the time. Then, I started my career, got married, had a family, and music was not a priority for me. I don’t know what happened, I mean, I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t pursuing it.

Right now I’m holding tickets to three rock/pop stadium concerts. Me, standing in a stadium of 60,000 screaming fans? Who am I? Music has come back into my heart again with a passion. Music colors my days. I don’t like listening to “the oldies,” I find new music to be exciting and fresh to my ears. Music has opened my heart again and I am so grateful.

A New Home

I had the big family homes. All sold now. For a few years I’ve been renting a flat and loving the freedom of no responsibility. Then suddenly, I surprised myself with buying a condo. I finally walked into a place that made me say: I need to live here. It was intuitive. That was a huge surprise to me. I took the risk and here I am, packing boxes again, thinking about toilets and faucets and light fixtures.

It’s Got to Be Fun; It’s Got to Be Authentic

Turning 70 made me confront my priorities, my fears, my desires, my sorrows, my regrets, my passions, my unanswered questions. I made a birthday promise to myself to live in the present moment, to practice compassion, which the Dalai Lama says is the most important thing in life. I wonder what new things I will do next year!

This is the first in a series of articles called, “Life in the 70s.” I lived in the 70s, and now I’m in my 70s. Let’s live and learn from each other.

What are some new things you’ve done this year? Or, what are some new things you’d like to try? Please comment below and give us all some good ideas!

Whether you had a wild night out, consumed a boatload of Shake Shack’s salty crinkle-cut fries, or cried too much during the sixth episode of ‘Squid Game,’ you know what it’s like to have puffy eyes. When it seems like no amount of concealer can fix them, take a page from Kaley Cuoco. 

The actress revealed her secret to brighter eyes in an interview with Shape and unveiled her all-time favorite de-puffing product that’s shockingly affordable. The Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment is a nutrient-rich skin saver that just so happens to be 20% off at Nordstrom today and tomorrow only.

“I’ve tried so many under-eye creams, but I actually think that’s the best one,” Cuoco said. “When you have under-eye circles, I truly think it makes a difference. Like, I think it actually fills the crevice a little bit.”

RELATED: This Soothing Under-Eye Balm Makes Shoppers Look ‘Years’ Younger—Here’s How 

The eye cream has these powerful effects thanks to its super soothing formula that consists of avocado oil, beta-carotene, and shea butter. Nobody wants rough texture or dry fine lines under their eyes. Hydrated, smooth, and bright is more of what we like to hear when it comes to the delicate skin beneath our eyes.

We wholeheartedly trust Cuoco’s taste in eye creams, but you might just have to try this moisturizing treatment for yourself. Get it at Nordstrom for 20% off today and tomorrow only. And you might as well pick up a few other Kiehl’s products, since everything from the brand (except for holiday gift sets) is also 20% off right now. 

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 Nordstrom.

After staring at screens all day every day and perhaps not getting enough sleep, it makes sense as to why your under eyes might be looking and feeling less than ideal. We’re no rocket scientists, but a nourishing formula like this one is a surefire solution to your skin concerns. 

You’ll see visible results almost instantly after swiping this light green cream under your eyes, according to shoppers. The formula protects your eyes from digital fatigue (a.k.a. blue light), but it also delivers deep hydration with rich ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter. Kiehl’s says it might even help prevent early signs of aging, which is always a bonus for a skincare product. 

Another one of its unique abilities is that it can function as an amazing base for your under-eye makeup, blurring texture—or crevices, as Cuoco puts it. Plus, this cream works for all skin types, including those with sensitive skin, and is free of parabens, fragrance, silicone, mineral oils, and synthetic dyes. 

So many others agree with Cuoco and consider it the best eye cream they’ve ever tried. “I wake up with moisturized and refreshed under-eyes,” says one shopper who gave the product a five-star rating. “Avocado Eye Cream is a necessity for the dry winter months, but truly has become my year-round PM eye option.”

Another shopper calls it their “holy grail” eye cream after years of searching. “I have quite dry and wrinkled under eyes genetically, and many eye creams just settle into the wrinkles, while this doesn’t.”

They added, “Rather, it evens out my under eyes and moisturizes them and keeps them hydrated all day long! It doesn’t separate if rubbed (don’t we all love to rub our eyes) and doesn’t separate when worn with make up.”

At this point, we’re not quite sure what you’re waiting for. Head on over to Nordstrom’s beauty sale, where all Kiehl’s products are 20% off right now (excluding holiday gift sets).