Month: November 2022

TikTok Went Crazy Over This Dark Circle Treatment—& Even Reviewers Say It Fakes a ‘Great Night’s Sleep’


If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

One of my favorite ways of discovering effective beauty products is easily through TikTok—countless finds have been vetted by creators on the platform (including Hailey Bieber herself) from “weird foundations” to $5 mascaras that have sold out at multiple retailers. Plenty of beauty brands have been featured on the app more than once, including Versed Skincare’s affordable offerings; the brand carries a ton of popular targeted treatments that effectively conquer concerns.

The Versed Vacation Eyes Brightening Gel consistently graces the TikTok algorithm, and we can easily understand why. The eye gel immediately cools and calms stressed-out skin, giving tired eyes a much-needed refreshing effect. While you may experience a slight tightening feeling across the delicate area, it’s just coffee seed extract boosting circulation and removing excess fluid. In addition, a trio of brightening heroes (vitamin C, ginseng root extract and niacinamide) come to the rescue to de-puff and vanish dark circles. 

Versed Vacation Eyes

Versed

Versed Vacation Eyes Brightening Eye Gel

From its lightweight, fast-absorbing texture to the product’s cooling sensation that’s perfect for early mornings, reviewers can’t get enough of the $18 eye gel. As one person put it, “Totally thought a gel would be too thick but boy was I wrong. It’s so cool and soothing upon application and my skin drinks it up,” they commented. “Definitely notice hydration and brightness. Makes me look like I’ve had a great night’s sleep even when I haven’t!”

A second reviewer who typically sticks with cream-based eye treatments was also pleasantly surprised by the gel’s consistency. “This is such a lightweight texture that absorbs super fast which I enjoy and it’s now a staple in my a.m. routine,” they wrote. “What I love the most is that it has helped to tremendously reduce the amount of oil production on my eyelids (I live in a very humid environment and oiliness is my main struggle, especially in this area).”

RELATED: The 10 Best Gifts You Can Get at Amazon For Under $50, From Air Fryers to Sculpting Leggings

While the eye gel is a perfectly suitable base for makeup applications, the brand advises letting the product sit for at least a minute before diving in. Plus, allowing that tightening effect to take place will prep the area wonderfully for concealer overtop. Another tip from Versed? “Don’t forget to tap, tap, tap this eye gel from inner corners to temples when applying to help facilitate that drainage.” 

TikTok is no stranger to causing product sell-outs, so we’d advise getting a move on to secure your own Versed Vacation Eyes Brightening Gel before you’re stuck on the waitlist.

STYLECASTER | Ashley Benson Interview

Read More

What Is the True Meaning of Comfort?

true meaning of comfort

One of the blessings for many of us in our 60s and beyond is living a comfortable life. This does not imply riches. It means we have found a way to have ‘enough’. We have given our time to our work/profession and family. Now is our time to relax and enjoy life. We want to enjoy our comfort. We deserve to enjoy comfort.

Still, for many women there can be a yearning or dissatisfaction lurking just under the surface.

In my experience, these women are drawn to the idea of enriching and creating more in their lives. They sense possibility and are curious. Yet, the belief that change in their lives will be work and disrupt the comfort they have crafted stops them from taking action. Up until now, this has puzzled me.

The Lure of Comfort

Now that I have married my love, I feel full. Recently, I have faced my own complacency because life is so comfortable. So, now I have firsthand experience!

I am 74 and women in my family live to be in their 90s. Most of us will if we are healthy now. So, I sat with the idea of pursuing my outdoor activities, gardening and taking care of my new home and husband for those 20 years. Sounds like a full life, right? How did my inner wise woman feel about that?

When I tapped into my inner voice, I felt the edges of depression, some disquiet, as though a light in me was being overshadowed. There was sadness there. What was that about? Shouldn’t I be joyous that I created this love and abundance in my life? I am grateful. The clear message I received is to create from the wealth that surrounds me now.

Yearning Is Normal

Life is always seeking to express itself; it doesn’t stop at 65. In fact, you as a mature woman may be at your peak of self-expression. Think of plants and trees. Plants always are in process from spring growth to flower to seed head to the next season.

Trees appear to “rest” in the winter, but they really are preparing for spring. So, if you are breathing, you will have an inner urge to grow. The nature of this urge changes over time. I like to think of it as choosing the kind of flower I’m going to be next. My life may have brought me to become a sunflower right now. Perhaps your life has nurtured you to be a rose or a dahlia. You choose.

What Is in Season

The key is to know what your heart desires right now, rather than thinking about it. If you don’t begin with your heart, intuition, or instincts then complacency is much more likely to prevail. Growing implies that some action will take place, like tending the garden with mulch, water and fertilizer so it can flourish.

What is in season for you? You may want to figure out how to rearrange or reallocate what you have in order to do more of what you enjoy and has meaning. A simple example is to reallocate funds from buying goods to having experiences.

For many of us, nurturing more love in life is a desire. Perhaps, you have a longstanding interest or something new that keeps surfacing in your life demanding your attention. Why not follow it? What might you learn? Create?

This may be a time in your life to focus on your spiritual development with whatever practices align with your experience and presence. Finally, you may want to feel more fit and healthy. It is time to acknowledge the call from within.

The Power of Growth

Once you discover what is in season for you, make it crystal clear. This is not only what it looks like, it includes how you feel when you create it.

Remember the idea that growth is hard, and you will be giving up comfort? If you allow yourself to flow with what is next for you, it will be easy. Not only will you still have comfort, but it will also be deeper and fuller comfort. Think about putting more feathers in your pillow so it is fluffy and comfortable.

Where you will end up is living with purpose – your purpose.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your relationship with comfort and growth? Do you embrace both? Do you have a rhythm of resting and growing? Is there a yearning in you that wants to be heard? I’d love to learn about what you desire to create.

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Robyn Dixon’s Black Croc Phone Case

Robyn Dixon’s Black Croc Phone Case FaceTiming Candiace

Real Housewives of Potomac Season 7 Episode 4 Fashion

Now I am no Crocodile Hunter, but I am a fashion/accessories hunter. And I managed to hunt down Robyn Dixon’s phone case. And crikey, it’s a cute croc embossed case! It’s also in stock and pretty affordable which means if you were on the hunt for a new iPhone accessory I think it’s safe to say case closed.

 

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

 

Robyn Dixon's Black Croc Phone Case F

Click Here to Shop Her Chic Geeks Phone Case

 

Originally posted at: Robyn Dixon’s Black Croc Phone Case

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Has Spain Lived Up to My ExPat Expectations?

expat expectations in Spain

We left the United States to dislodge ourselves from the inevitable third act doldrums. My post-career life began to show signs of the common societal memes associated with retirement. The tell-tale lack of energy. An inability to focus. Dare I admit, a slight depression.

The highs and lows of my highly active career had come to an abrupt end. And though planned well in advance, leaving my day job was a mic-drop moment that challenged what I thought had been a healthy balance between work and personal life.

There seemed to be few substitutes for the adrenaline rush provided by winning a lucrative new account. Or fighting the good fight with colleagues, laser-focused on a single goal: winning. What long-term, fulfilling happiness was offered by the win escapes me now, but I compare it to a neurotic need for Facebook Likes.

Though after departing from my day job I never reached the depths of without work, who am I?, my so-called gravitas took a serious hit. That, combined with a short-fused, unremitting referendum on well-established values in the U.S. (aggravating less from the standpoint of politics, and more about the downward trend of civilized political and social discourse), was over-the-top disheartening.

The Urge to Start Over in a New Place

In articles written for Sixty and Me during that period of time, I had offered this sage advice to retirees: It’s not about how you fill your days, it’s about the self-fulfillment awaiting to be discovered during those days.

I still believe that to be true. And as I became more acutely aware of my symptoms of inertia, and as our unhappiness with the swing of American culture grew more intense, Mark and I began to orchestrate a life more to our own specifications.

When human activity and purpose is measured on a graph over one’s lifetime, the depiction often takes the shape of an arc. On the horizontal axis, the line starts low at childhood, then jumps higher during college years, career-building, family development, and career success. It begins a downward trajectory close to and during the post-career years.

Moving to another country could seem like a drastic fix. It certainly isn’t for everyone. But we’d been focused on the idea of expat life for decades. Even before our life together. To us, it felt more like a sky’s the limit choice.

Man Makes Plans and the Universe Laughs

When relocation became a serious endeavor, we began a deep exploration into the Spanish lifestyle, its health care system, culture, climate, and cost-of-living. We hired an attorney to assist with immigration requirements. A relocation expert to help find suitable living accommodations. And a tax attorney to explain the systemic differences between the two countries.

Yet there remained a hoop of formality and regulations to jump through in order to reach the other side. Plus, the logistics required to tie up loose-ends stateside was steeped with a complexity we’d not considered. Whether on the side of emigration or immigration, it’s a strenuous, agonizing process, with a continuous onslaught of to-dos. You have to want it bad.

On a cool Los Angeles morning in September of 2021, we visited Spain’s Consulate for our final appointment. One hour later we were back in the car, with newly minted visas in hand. Both of us dazed by the reality, sporting oh crap, this just got real expressions.

Underneath the sudden concern, though, was a confidence that all prep work done up to that point – the strong planning, the mental gymnastics, the turning over of every possible stone – boded well for a successful outcome. What could go wrong?

Plenty. We could not have predicted the coldest, wettest winter in Spain’s recent history. A short-term rental with no heat and no hot water. A parasitic infection that nearly killed our 12-year old Doodle. My big, fat, Spanish hernia surgery. Cancelled health insurance. Bureaucratic bungling over resident status. Honestly, you can’t make this stuff up.

Dressed in our what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger winter coats, we plowed forward. And nearly a year into it (after one of the hottest, most humid summers on record), I can look back dispassionately to assess our progress.

It’s All About Context

Expats who willingly choose to leave their countries of birth, extract their lives from one envelope and slip it into another. We create an environment sympathetic to current ambitions and goals. It’s not a tossing out the past. It’s a world-building exercise riffing off curated experiences and accumulated wisdom. More of a custom fit. Context driving content.

It’s thrilling to walk down streets filled with centuries-old architecture. Dine out on tapas or explore diverse international cuisines. Cruise north to Barcelona or west to Madrid on high speed trains. Jaunt over to the island of Mallorca for a chill few days. But nothing compares to the exhilaration of living comfortably in one’s own skin.

So yes. Spain has met – and exceeded – our expat expectations.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you long to be an expat? When did this idea develop in your mind? Have you decided you will actually do it? Where would you expat to? What circumstances might make you leave your country of birth?

Read More

TikTok Went Crazy Over This Dark Circle Treatment—& Even Reviewers Say It Fakes a ‘Great Night’s Sleep’


If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

One of my favorite ways of discovering effective beauty products is easily through TikTok—countless finds have been vetted by creators on the platform (including Hailey Bieber herself) from “weird foundations” to $5 mascaras that have sold out at multiple retailers. Plenty of beauty brands have been featured on the app more than once, including Versed Skincare’s affordable offerings; the brand carries a ton of popular targeted treatments that effectively conquer concerns.

The Versed Vacation Eyes Brightening Gel consistently graces the TikTok algorithm, and we can easily understand why. The eye gel immediately cools and calms stressed-out skin, giving tired eyes a much-needed refreshing effect. While you may experience a slight tightening feeling across the delicate area, it’s just coffee seed extract boosting circulation and removing excess fluid. In addition, a trio of brightening heroes (vitamin C, ginseng root extract and niacinamide) come to the rescue to de-puff and vanish dark circles. 

Versed Vacation Eyes

Versed

Versed Vacation Eyes Brightening Eye Gel

From its lightweight, fast-absorbing texture to the product’s cooling sensation that’s perfect for early mornings, reviewers can’t get enough of the $18 eye gel. As one person put it, “Totally thought a gel would be too thick but boy was I wrong. It’s so cool and soothing upon application and my skin drinks it up,” they commented. “Definitely notice hydration and brightness. Makes me look like I’ve had a great night’s sleep even when I haven’t!”

A second reviewer who typically sticks with cream-based eye treatments was also pleasantly surprised by the gel’s consistency. “This is such a lightweight texture that absorbs super fast which I enjoy and it’s now a staple in my a.m. routine,” they wrote. “What I love the most is that it has helped to tremendously reduce the amount of oil production on my eyelids (I live in a very humid environment and oiliness is my main struggle, especially in this area).”

RELATED: The 10 Best Gifts You Can Get at Amazon For Under $50, From Air Fryers to Sculpting Leggings

While the eye gel is a perfectly suitable base for makeup applications, the brand advises letting the product sit for at least a minute before diving in. Plus, allowing that tightening effect to take place will prep the area wonderfully for concealer overtop. Another tip from Versed? “Don’t forget to tap, tap, tap this eye gel from inner corners to temples when applying to help facilitate that drainage.” 

TikTok is no stranger to causing product sell-outs, so we’d advise getting a move on to secure your own Versed Vacation Eyes Brightening Gel before you’re stuck on the waitlist.

STYLECASTER | Ashley Benson Interview

Read More