Lil Nas X dropped his latest music video for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” Thursday night and phew, is there a lot to talk about. The rapper strums his guitar in a reimagined Garden of Eden with voiceovers to tell fans he’s not hiding anymore, himself or his sexuality. At one point, Lil Nas X’s video features him in multiple makeup  looks, while two denim-clad Lil Nas Xs drag a pink fur-wearing Lil Nas X to get chained up.

“Montero” is unapologetically queer, from the lyrics to the sweet note Lil Nas X wrote to his younger self, which he posted on Instagram. He doesn’t hold back with wardrobe, either. Makeup artist and KVD Beauty Global Veritas Artistry Ambassador Anthony Nguyen was responsible for the makeup. Two looks stand out: pink and blue makeup.

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.

YouTube.

For both looks, Nguyen used the TikTok viral Good Apple Skin-Perfecting Foundation Balm ($38 at Ulta). For the blue look, he mixed Super Pomade Vegan Eyeliner, Shadow & Brow Pigment ($20 at Ulta) shades White Out and Satellite to match the denim. He used the shade Graphite for Lil Nas X’s brows.

Source: Instagram

Dying over the pink eyeshadow? Us, too. Nguyen used Dazzle Vegan Eyeshadow Stick in Force Field ($22 at Ulta).

Source: Instagram

Of course, these aren’t the only swoon-worthy looks in the video. Wait until you see the red braids he rocks while on the stripper pole and giving Satan a lap dance. (Yes. It’s everything.)

Lil Nas X is a national treasure. When was the last time we got a video this artistic filled with symbolism, while the artist is also serving makeup looks and has a powerful message? Beyoncé is one of the only other artists to truly do the same. It’s worth watching the entire video, above.

Lil Nas X dropped his latest music video for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” Thursday night and phew, is there a lot to talk about. The rapper strums his guitar in a reimagined Garden of Eden with voiceovers to tell fans he’s not hiding anymore, himself or his sexuality. At one point, Lil Nas X’s video features him in multiple makeup  looks, while two denim-clad Lil Nas Xs drag a pink fur-wearing Lil Nas X to get chained up.

“Montero” is unapologetically queer, from the lyrics to the sweet note Lil Nas X wrote to his younger self, which he posted on Instagram. He doesn’t hold back with wardrobe, either. Makeup artist and KVD Beauty Global Veritas Artistry Ambassador Anthony Nguyen was responsible for the makeup. Two looks stand out: pink and blue makeup.

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.

YouTube.

For both looks, Nguyen used the TikTok viral Good Apple Skin-Perfecting Foundation Balm ($38 at Ulta). For the blue look, he mixed Super Pomade Vegan Eyeliner, Shadow & Brow Pigment ($20 at Ulta) shades White Out and Satellite to match the denim. He used the shade Graphite for Lil Nas X’s brows.

Source: Instagram

Dying over the pink eyeshadow? Us, too. Nguyen used Dazzle Vegan Eyeshadow Stick in Force Field ($22 at Ulta).

Source: Instagram

Of course, these aren’t the only swoon-worthy looks in the video. Wait until you see the red braids he rocks while on the stripper pole and giving Satan a lap dance. (Yes. It’s everything.)

Lil Nas X is a national treasure. When was the last time we got a video this artistic filled with symbolism, while the artist is also serving makeup looks and has a powerful message? Beyoncé is one of the only other artists to truly do the same. It’s worth watching the entire video, above.

Lil Nas X dropped his latest music video for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” Thursday night and phew, is there a lot to talk about. The rapper strums his guitar in a reimagined Garden of Eden with voiceovers to tell fans he’s not hiding anymore, himself or his sexuality. At one point, Lil Nas X’s video features him in multiple makeup  looks, while two denim-clad Lil Nas Xs drag a pink fur-wearing Lil Nas X to get chained up.

“Montero” is unapologetically queer, from the lyrics to the sweet note Lil Nas X wrote to his younger self, which he posted on Instagram. He doesn’t hold back with wardrobe, either. Makeup artist and KVD Beauty Global Veritas Artistry Ambassador Anthony Nguyen was responsible for the makeup. Two looks stand out: pink and blue makeup.

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.

YouTube.

For both looks, Nguyen used the TikTok viral Good Apple Skin-Perfecting Foundation Balm ($38 at Ulta). For the blue look, he mixed Super Pomade Vegan Eyeliner, Shadow & Brow Pigment ($20 at Ulta) shades White Out and Satellite to match the denim. He used the shade Graphite for Lil Nas X’s brows.

Source: Instagram

Dying over the pink eyeshadow? Us, too. Nguyen used Dazzle Vegan Eyeshadow Stick in Force Field ($22 at Ulta).

Source: Instagram

Of course, these aren’t the only swoon-worthy looks in the video. Wait until you see the red braids he rocks while on the stripper pole and giving Satan a lap dance. (Yes. It’s everything.)

Lil Nas X is a national treasure. When was the last time we got a video this artistic filled with symbolism, while the artist is also serving makeup looks and has a powerful message? Beyoncé is one of the only other artists to truly do the same. It’s worth watching the entire video, above.

It’s not like Nordstrom doesn’t have sales all the time. But there’s something about Nordstrom’s spring sale for 2021 that seems better than the rest. Maybe it’s the half-off beauty deals or the exclusive Nordstrom goodies that have us adding to cart faster than you can say steal. We’re talking luxe candles, makeup, skincare and haircare all up to 50 percent off.

This beauty sale has a great mix of essentials like foundation and shampoo, as well as hairdryers and tools. But there are also giftable sets (hello, Mother’s Day is around the corner!) and fun items you might never have tried before. Well, now is the time to grab them at way less than the rest of the year. When else can you get Stila eyeshadow and ultra-shine lipstick for $12?

There are tons of deals to shop but if you’re not sure where to start, shop some favorites, below. Warning: they go fast.

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.

Nordstrom.

Laura Mercier Kisses From the Balcony Lip Glacé Lip Gloss Set

Get four gorge shades of Lip Glacé at just $7.25 each.

Nordstrom.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade Waterproof Brow Color

Choose from eight shades of this fan-fave pomade.

Nordstrom.

Illume Mojave Coconut Milk Mango Medium Glass Candle

Juicy papaya and coconut milk are infused with sugarcane and Tahitian vanilla.

Nordstrom.

Aveda Clove Shampoo

This huge bottle of detoxifying shampoo will last you forever.

Nordstrom.

Stila Suede Shade Eyeshadow

You’ll wear this velvety-matte eye color all the time.

T3.

T3 Cura Luxe Professional Ionic Hair Dryer with Auto Pause Sensor

This luxe dryer features negative ions that smooth the hair cuticle.

All Saints.

All Saints Sunset Riot Eau de Parfum

This gender-neutral eau de parfum has a yummy floral-woodsy scent.

We are heading into travel season, but sometimes a vacation is not in the cards. A great way to take a minivacation from the comfort of your home is to read books that have a strong sense of place.

Each of the authors I share below uses vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of a place and time. As you get wrapped up in the story, you will find yourself transported to foreign countries, or to days gone by.

These authors have written multiple books or series of books which will keep you happily reading for a day, a week or a season.

This is not a definitive list, but I hope that you will find new favorite authors to explore.

Jacqueline Winspear

Winspear is most known for the 13 books in the Maisie Dobbs series. We first meet Maisie Dobbs as a young girl and follow her as she transforms from maid to nurse to psychologist and investigator.

The books are largely set in England and France in the time between the world wars, but as the series evolves, Maisie finds herself in other locations as well. Maisie is a strong and fascinating character, and her stories are full of intrigue and the flavor of the places she lives and visits.

Barbara Kingsolver

Kingsolver’s books are worthy reads on many levels, but I especially appreciate her attention to detail in the descriptions of setting.

Try Flight Behavior for gorgeous descriptions of the Appalachia. The Bean Trees and Animal Behavior are books that bring the deserts of the Southwest U.S. to life. Or, try my favorite, The Poisonwood Bible, which is set in Belgian Congo in the 1960s.

Louise Erdrich

Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, is a highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning author. She shines brightest when she takes us into her ancestral tribal lands of Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.

Try my recent favorites, The Round House and La Rose, for a look into the culture of modern day reservations, or The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse for a historical perspective on life with native people.

Frances Mayes

Frances Mayes started a Tuscan revolution with her book Under the Tuscan Sun. The book is rich with descriptions of a small village in Tuscany, the crumbling house that Frances transforms, and the food and wine of the region.

Italy became all the rage, and those who couldn’t afford to visit Tuscany satisfied their desire for all things Italian by decorating their homes with Tuscan inspired décor or cooking some of the Tuscan recipes in her book.

Mayes followed her blockbuster with several more books which explore the landscape, food and wine of the Italian countryside.

Louise Penny

Louise Penny has written a series of detective novels featuring a homicide detective named Inspector Armand Gamache. Penny’s turf is a small fictional town named Three Pines in Quebec, Canada.

The town is a character in itself; as you weave your way through the series, you become well acquainted with Three Pines and its people. Penny has won the Agatha Award for best mystery book five times for books in this series.

Elin Hilderbrand

If you are craving a trip to the beach or looking for a book to read at the beach, Hilderbrand is your girl. Her books are set in and around modern-day Nantucket island, Massachusetts. Expect romance, beach parties, dune buggies and clashes between the summer people and the locals.

Light and readable, these are good choices for days when you don’t want to think too much but want to be swept away to an island.

Geraldine Brooks

If you would like an island setting with a little more complexity, Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is a great choice. The story is set in the 1660s on Martha’s Vineyard island and in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The book is loosely based on the real story of three young native boys who are educated by Puritans and find themselves at Harvard. Brooks brilliantly makes time and place come alive in this and other books such as Year of Wonders, in which she tackles the 17^th century plague.

Maeve Binchey

Ireland lost a treasure with the death of Maeve Binchey whose life’s works focused on Irish culture in the last 50 years. In her books, Ireland is depicted both as an island with stunning natural beauty and as a culture of people with human strengths and weaknesses.

The characters in Binchey’s stories are sometimes funny and sometimes gritty, but always full of the struggles of real life. Grab a cuppa tea when you read Binchey. Wherever you are, you will soon be in Ireland.

Diana Gabaldon

If Binchey transports you to Ireland, then Gabaldon will transport you to Scotland. Gabaldon is the author of the Outlander series, which was also made into a STARZ network television series.

It is difficult to nail down a genre for these books which involve historical detail, fantasy, romance and mystery along with plenty of adventure.

Claire Randall is a time-traveling nurse who finds her way through a circle of stones into 18^th century Scotland where she meets and falls in love with Highlander Jamie Fraser.

The author has Ph.D.’s in Biology, Zoology and Ecology. She most certainly knows how to describe the land she writes about. But be warned: the books are lengthy and there are many of them. Prepare to get lost.

Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is a masterful writer, and never better than when she is writing about small town America. She transports you to towns in Maine or Illinois that you have probably never been to and where you probably do not want to go.

You meet characters that are very much a product of their time and place. Change is a recurring theme and Strout often shows us how the changing nature of towns changes people. Take a look at Olive Kitteridge, Amy and Isabel, or The Burgess Boys.

This is far from a complete list of authors who transport you to another time and place. Who are the authors who have managed to carry you away? Let’s start a discussion and use it to build our reading lists!