If you’re anything like me, you reuse Glossier’s pink bubble pouch products come in until it won’t close anymore. It’s a great way to ensure the plastic you receive isn’t just single-use. But it only holds so much. Now, the brand has launched the big sister to the Pink Pouch: the Glossier Beauty Bag. It’s obvious a lot of thought went into the ultra-durable—and cute as hell—bag. Just wait until you see all the compartments.

The cotton exterior features the Glossier logo, as well as a front pocket. There’s the big zippered main compartment (tall enough to stand up Glossier skincare) and also a felt interior pouch with pockets for extra organization. Yes, that means your new beauty bag won’t be a black hole where it’s impossible to see what’s inside. This baby will keep you super organized so each Lidstar and Boy Brow has its place.

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.

Glossier.

The Beauty bag is also a great option if you want to cut down on plastic and skip the pouches altogether. When you check out, just select Limited Packaging at checkout. Or, use the pouches for any leaky products (sometimes I lose the caps!) and slip it right into your bigger bag. You’ll be so organized, you won’t even recognize yourself.

For a limited time, grab The Beauty Bag as well as The Makeup Set (Lash Slick, Boy Brow and Cloud Paint) as a bundle that’s $18 off retail. You can’t really beat that deal.

As children, we were often reminded of the importance of good posture. Our parents told us to sit up straight at the dinner table, and our teachers asked us to stop slouching at our desks. But, for many reasons, as we age our posture typically begins to worsen.

Most of us know that better posture can help us maintain better blood flow and stave off back and neck pain. But did you know that good posture can also boost your mood? Upright posture is proven to increase self-esteem and mood and can even build resilience.

Read on to learn more about why our posture and mood are so closely related, and how to improve your posture with two easy exercises. Plus, you’ll discover how the link between posture and mood can affect your bone health.

The Poor Posture Prognosis

First, let’s start with what I mean when I say “poor posture.” Typically, at the Save Institute for Natural Health, when I talk about poor posture, I am referring to kyphosis. While every spine curves slightly in the upper back, kyphosis is a condition that causes the spine to become more aggressively curved.

You may have heard kyphosis referred to as a dowager’s hump, roundback, or hunchback. It can occur at any age; however, it is most common in older women, and in some cases can cause a neck hump to form.

I would be remiss not to also mention the impact that technology has had on our posture. Today, many people have a “modern” postural disorder known as Forward Head Posture (FHP) or “tech neck.”

This is a condition where an individual’s head is positioned such that their ears are in front of the body’s vertical midline. FHP is often a result of increased amount of time a person spends hunched over a smartphone or computer.

Thankfully, kyphosis or a neck hump are not an inevitable part of aging. We can combat poor posture with simple exercises and practices. And, because, as you’ll soon discover, posture impacts our mood, by improving our posture we can boost our mood and reduce any negative feelings and emotions we may experience.

Changing Your Posture Can Change How You Think… And How Others Think About You!

Posture has been scientifically proven to have a direct impact on how we feel throughout the day. In one study conducted at San Francisco State, students had to walk down a hallway. One group was asked to slouch as they walked while the other was asked to skip and swing their arms.

The skipping and swinging group reported feeling energetic and happy while the slouching group expressed feelings of sadness, loneliness, and isolation.

In another study, conducted by Harvard Business School professors, 62 students were told to stand in either a high power pose (expansive and open) or low power pose (contractive and closed) for two minutes before an important event.

Participants sat in either a high-power pose (expansive posture) or low-power pose (leaning in, with legs crossed) for two minutes. Those in the high power pose group reported better recall, outcomes, and higher performance.

Good posture doesn’t simply impact how you feel and act, though. It also impacts how others perceive you. Studies have shown that people often respond to you based on your posture.

Good Posture Helps You Fight Stress…

We know posture can impact how we feel, and our feelings can impact how we experience stress. So, it is not surprising that posture and stress have been shown to be related. While there are many tips and tricks to help us manage the stresses of daily life, one of the easiest (and cheapest) is simply changing your posture to sit or stand upright.

It is proven that sitting upright can help you better manage and minimize any stress that you may be experiencing. In a 2015 study published by the American Psychological Association, 74 individuals were assigned to either slump or sit upright in a chair throughout the day.

The participants’ backs were strapped with tape to hold this posture, and then a stress test was performed to induce stress in the participant. The individuals who were sitting upright reported higher self-esteem, better mood, and lower fear.

Upright participants were less self-focused and less negative (using fewer first-person singular pronouns and negative emotion words) than those who were slumped. Researchers concluded that body posture could help individuals modulate reactions to stress.

…And Helps You Recover from Negative Feelings Faster

Bad moods are sometimes an unavoidable part of life. But our posture can help us recover from a bad mood, faster. Scientists have discovered that individuals with stooped or slumped posture actually stayed in bad moods for longer than those with straight posture.

What’s Good for Your Mood Is Good for Your Bones

One of our primary goals at the Save Institute is to help our community improve their bone health. Poor posture and bone health are inextricably linked.

I’ve mentioned that weakened bones and weakened spinal muscles can negatively impact your posture. But weak bones don’t simply cause bad posture, they can be a symptom of increased stress. This is because stress increases the level of cortisol in your body, which can negatively affect bone health by breaking down bone tissue.

On the other hand, when you maintain good posture, you’re able to breathe more deeply which helps alkalize your blood – a critical factor in preventing and reversing any bone loss.

Two Exercises to Improve Your Posture

Now that you know the benefits of good posture are myriad, you might wonder what you can do to improve your posture. Because poor posture can lead many of our muscles to shorten or weaken, it is important to strengthen and lengthen muscles that help us maintain good posture.

I love the Chest Opener and Shoulder Adductor exercises because they help improve posture by increasing shoulder strength and opening our chest muscles. Even better, these exercises take less than five minutes and can be done right from the comfort of your own home.

Exercise #1: The Chest Opener

Poor posture usually means our shoulders are rounded forward. This causes our chest muscles to tighten and our back muscles to round forward. The Chest Opener stretch lengthens our chest muscles to prevent this rounding.

• Step 1: Stand with your feet at hip-width.
• Step 2: Raise your arms to shoulder height, then rotate your hands so your thumbs face the ground.
• Step 3: Drop your arms behind your hips and clasp your hands together. It’s okay to use a band or towel if you cannot interlace your fingers.
• Step 4: Keeping your arms straight and interlaced behind your back, slowly lift your arms up away from your hips, bringing them even with your tailbone.
• Step 5: Keeping your head and spine straight take a deep breath and hold for six to eight breaths.
• Step 6: Release and relax.
• Step 7: Repeat this exercise 10x or as many times as it feels comfortable for you.

Exercise #2: Shoulder Adductors

As shoulder muscles strengthen, it becomes easier to keep your spine straight and head in alignment. The shoulder adductor is a move that is easy to do anywhere to strengthen and tone your shoulder muscles.

• Step 1: Sit cross-legged on the floor or in a chair that does not have armrests.
• Step 2: Hold your arms at shoulder height parallel to the floor in a “T” position with palms facing up.
• Step 3: Slowly move your arms backward and forward for 30 seconds without arching your back.
• Step 4: Repeat this exercise 10x or as many times as you can without excessive strain.

If you’d like to correct your posture, build bone and prevent osteoporosis, check out the SaveTrainer on-demand video workout class platform.

How can you describe your posture? Do you think you’re starting to develop a hunched back? What’s the main culprit? Have you tried exercising for posture? Please share your thoughts and stories with the community.

Teresa Giudice’s Yellow Lace Up Bathing Suit in Lake George

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 11 Episode 4 Fashion

Teresa Giudice’s yellow lace up bathing suit in Lake George on tonight’s episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey looks perfect on her. And while in the previews she may be embarrassed as Jennifer Aydin hollered at at 20 something guy on her behalf, I’m fairly sure he would have come and hung out. Just like I’m about to hang out with Teresa’s totally sexy swimsuit.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Luli Fama Swimsuit in 4 Colors

Originally posted at: Teresa Giudice’s Yellow Lace Up Bathing Suit

During my modeling career in the mid-1980s, Elite Models moved me to Paris, France, for two years to work. I was 16 years old, (where was my mother, you ask? A story for another article…) and fresh from growing up on a farm in Washington State.

I didn’t know how to say please, thank you, or where is the bathroom in French, much less take the metro or navigate the complex world of modeling. I learned fast. What really blew my mind, though, was French women.

For the first six months living in Paris, I wore jeans, tennis shoes, t-shirts that had things like, Where’s the Beer written on them, and often forgot to comb my hair or wear mascara – the extent of my beauty routine.

French women, on the other hand, always looked like they were the height of fashion, taste, and money.

They fascinated me. Besides feeling the ultimate outsider, I loved it and aspired to take on their intricate skill set of looking current and put-together in the fashion capital without spending all my money on clothing and beauty supplies.

To that end, here are my top 5 ways to achieve the French Woman’s savvy:

Red Lipstick or Something Like It

French women don’t wear a lot of makeup; they just wear the right makeup. Minimalistic and simple, a strong lipstick color like the appropriate red, helps you look stylish and that you thoughtfully considered your appearance before leaving the house.

Simple Effortless Hair

Putting undue amounts of time into your hair is not only burdensome, it can look uptight; something French women avoid. What’s their trick? Get an excellent haircut that requires as little styling as possible, and keep it healthy and frizz free.

For example, in order to keep my ends not looking tortured, I get a trim once a month, and use coconut oil on my hair when it needs it.

Often, we negate the diligence of such things in replacement for time spent, but in the end, we look unkempt. Red lipstick, healthy hair and a great haircut, go a long way to help you look a step-above the crowd.

Wardrobe Is About Basics

Rather than spend money on statement pieces, focus instead on basics. For example, when you have a meeting, reach for your black slacks, crisp white button-down shirt, flats, and a gold necklace worn fitted around your throat area. Wham. You’re French. Well, almost, but you get the point.

Or try a little-black-dress (which isn’t for just evening wear) and a fitted to perfection blazer in a flattering color, heels, and small earrings. Whomever you’re meeting falls over as you walk in.

The point here is to use statement pieces, like colorful jackets, sparingly and focus on looking sharp with basics.

Here’s another idea: get a fabulous pair of dark wash jeans, a black, white, or grey fitted t-shirt, heels, and a chic cardigan or sports jacket. These three outfits can be mixed and matched to create another three to four outfits, and you look like a genius.

Pick Your Jewelry Wisely

Germans love to accessorize, but French women pick one item – whether it be earrings, a necklace, or bangles – and that’s their statement piece. In fact, most French women choose either gold or silver jewelry, and do not mix the two.

Personally, I mix gold and silver all the time, but the point is to make one item be your stand-out piece, and nothing else.

Take the jeans and t-shirt look above. You could make your red lipstick be the statement piece, or wear a quieter lip color and pop on large dangly gold earrings for effect. Therefore, you have your statement piece (the earrings), and it doesn’t compete with anything else you’re wearing.

Own It, Baby

Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned from French women is that they made no apologies. For anything. You can call this snobby, stuck up, and even rude. Take this as you like, but I grew up constantly apologizing for being inadequate, and no French woman would ever do that.

They own their sense of self, style, and contribution to humanity with flair and a subdued minimalism that makes them famous.

What would help you own your own beauty and style? You are a beautiful, stunning creation. What would help you look like you believed that statement? Take these lessons from French women in staying current and relevant in our complex and crazy world. Which one do you like the best?

Kameron Westcott’s Pink Silk Scrunchie in Austin

Real Housewives of Dallas Season 5 Episode 9 Fashion

Sure Carrie Bradshaw said on SATC that she wouldn’t be caught dead in a scrunchie, but maybe that’s because they didn’t have pretty, anti-hair tearing silk ones back then like the one we spotted Kameron Westcott wearing around her wrist in Austin on last night’s episode of RHOD. And if you “couldn’t help but wonder” where to get one at least three for yourself, well then you should probably scroll on down below. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Slip Scrunchie in a 3-Pack in Multiple Colours

 Click Here to Shop a 5-Pack

Originally posted at: Kameron Westcott’s Pink Silk Scrunchie