Last month we told you about Sephora’s new sampling program, which gets you five or six “deluxe” samples for between $10 and $25 depending on the brands. Sephora rolled out the Luxe set first with the highest-priced products. Now, the Sephora Favorites Hello! Beauty Icon Set is here and trust me, it’s just as good. The set includes six, sample-sized products for $10, from brands you already know and love. It’s a really fun way to try out new skincare, makeup and haircare before you drop real money on the full sizes.

What do you get inside Hello!? A killer product for face, skin, hair and body. There’s a .05 oz Nars Lipstick in Tolède, .06 oz Nudestix Nudies Matte Blush & Bronze in Sunkissed, .5 oz Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser, .27 oz Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream, 1 oz Living Proof Restore Repair Hair Mask and .05 oz Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb. Plus, you get a 15 percent off coupon towards the full-size purchase of each product in the box.

Image: Sephora.

In addition to the Luxe and Hello! sampler sets, Sephora will also roll out Sephora Favorites Pop, which gets you six products for $15. All three sets switch up products periodically so you’ll be able to try new and cult-favorite goods. Although Sephora stores are open in some locations, it’s easiest to grab the Hello! Beauty Icon Set online and have it ship right to you. Grab it now before it’s gone.

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 and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

We’re used to seeing hair transformations, especially during this time of staying at home, but Cardi B’s back tattoo is a bit of a body transformation. She posted a video to Instagram showing off the colorful artwork over the long holiday weekend. “Okay guys! Soooo here it is! It took me several months but I’m finally finished,” she wrote in the caption. “This is my back tattoo! It goes from the top of my back to the middle of my thigh.” She thanked SoCal-based artist Jamie Schene in the post.

According to Schene, the ultra-colorful, huge tattoo took more than 60 hours in more than 10 cities. “It was an awesome project and a crazy experience,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thanks for the dedication, strength, and hospitality.” You can see the bright orange, purple, blue and red flowers. They’re so vibrant, they look like they almost glow. The detail of the tattoo is incredible. The butterflies scattered throughout the flowers look lifelike.

Source: Instagram

Cardi continued to show off the ink all weekend, including while wearing a neon green Fashionnova floss bikini. (She’s a spokesperson for the brand.) Fans are obsessed with the look. Musician Mariah the Scientist proclaimed “that tattoo so fye” and others commented on how she’s matching her hair to her purse. It’s true. Her blue wig perfectly matches her cobalt Hermès Birkin bag. There’s no doubt Cardi did this on purpose. She wore a pink wig with a lavender bikini on Monday. The girl knows how to accessorize.

We can’t wait to see how else she shows off the new ink.

Kyle Richards’ Black Crystal Embellished Sandals on Instastories

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Instagram Fashion 2020

Although we may be extremely jealous of Kyle Richards’ pretty quarantine pedicure in this pic from her Instastories over the weekend (um, how did she do that?!) thankfully there is no need to be jealous of her super cute black crystal embellished sandals. Because lucky enough they’re still in stock and totally ready for us to dip our much less attractive toes into this summer. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Mystique X Stephanie Gottlieb Sandals

Click Here to Shop Them in Leopard

Photo & Info: @KyleRichards18

Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Black Crystal Embellished Sandals

A couple of weeks ago we did a drive by for my grandson’s seventh birthday. It was the second grandchild birthday that I’ve had to miss due to the Covid pandemic. It was also the first time since quarantining that I’d actually seen any of my grandchildren in person.

We did the drive by and stopped and chatted for a bit with my son and daughter-in-law – all of this from inside of our car while they stood on their driveway. We said hi to the kids and watched them play. And then, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I said to my husband, “We’ve got to go.” I held it together, smiled, and waved goodbye to them all. But as soon as we pulled away, I began to sob. Ugly crying. The whole way home.

I told myself that I needed to calm down and stop the rivers because others have it much worse. People are sick and dying. Others can’t be with their loved ones who are sick. People are out of work. And I’m crying simply because I miss my grandchildren. How selfish of me.

Feelings Are Vital

The “I’m being selfish because I’m upset about ______ when others have it so much worse” mentality is a common one, particularly among women. What this mentality does is that it completely invalidates our feelings.

Our own emotions and feelings are always important and valid. And it’s healthy to let them out and be aware of them.

What is not healthy is to repress them because we feel that they’re not important enough to share – either internally or with our loved ones.

This Is Always the Case, But Especially Now

We are all living in a time when there is so much uncertainty. Most of us have never experienced anything like this. Anxiety levels are high even on a seemingly good day. So, when we find ourselves in an emotional situation, our breaking point is much more easily reached.

Here are 5 strategies to get you through those pity party times:

Don’t Keep Your Feelings Inside

Allow yourself to feel the feelings that are eating you on the inside and have a good cry.

Start a Journal

If you don’t do this already, start a journal – writing down your feelings is very cathartic.  Missing these kiddos so intensely has inspired me to start a “grandma journal” to help me feel more connected to them until we can be together again.

Take a Walk

Whether you choose the nearby park or the woods in your backyard, take a long brisk walk in the fresh air to clear your head and simply breathe in.

You’re Not Alone

Reach out to a friend who “gets it.” You’re really not alone in this situation and mutually sharing your feelings can be beneficial for both parties.

Take a Different Perspective

While feeling guilty because someone else may have a worse situation than you is not a healthy place to be, being able to have perspective can help. Being aware that others are suffering, even as you are suffering, is not selfish.

In fact, it demonstrates a level of empathy, compassion, and selflessness. Having this perspective, as long as you are not denying yourself your real feelings in the process, can help you begin to practice gratitude. And being grateful and sad at the same time is real and possible.

We have to allow ourselves to feel our feelings and to validate them. We have to, these days more than ever, be kind to ourselves.

Have you had any pity parties for yourself during the pandemic? Did you feel guilty about them because others have it worse? What strategies are you using to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind? Please share with our community and let’s have a conversation!

These last couple of months sitting at home on the couch have eroded more than my waist line. My get-up-and-go is gone, too. How about you?

I admit there’s nothing wrong with a break from our overscheduled and distracted lives. I’m not suggesting we return to that. I’m proposing we restore some healthy momentum in the wake of binging on Netflix and potato chips. Momentum is our proof of life!

Oddly enough, momentum doesn’t build by filling up our calendars and frantically rushing out to make up for lost time. Don’t mistake a busy life for positive momentum. Healthy momentum emerges by slowing down, but in a totally different way than how we’ve been living recently.

Seriously? How can slowing down build momentum!?

We build momentum when we slow down to focus on the moments of our life.

If this seems a strange correlation, think of this: momentum is the 14^th century Latin root of the word moment. This speaks to me about their practical kinship. Unlike an instant, they are both ongoing, and a transition between our past and our future. Our moments are the secret agents of momentum.

Here are four momentum-makers to restore the life we deserve:

Your Ordinary Moments Can Be Extraordinary

It’s easy to remember the big, life-changing moments in our lives. But it’s equally important to see how the everyday ones are special too. The true meaning of our moments is more about how we orient our hearts and souls toward them. We can always find meaning in every moment if we choose.

Our seemingly unremarkable and barely noticeable moments can provide us with inside information about the meaning of life. Begin by raising your awareness of the feel-good moments of your day. Then create the habit of looking for them the next day.

Every night, take inventory of:

• What made you laugh and feel good?
• What stirred up feelings of love and life?
• Where were the moments of unexpected beauty?

Sure, make a plan. Set a goal. Work toward it. But in spite of your plans, look around and drink in the momentum-building moments of your life.

Create a “Life-List”

As an extrovert living in this slower world, I’ve been re-examining the concept of the bucket list. My problem with bucket list mentality is that it feels driven by the fear that time is running out. Yes, time is precious. But healthy momentum doesn’t thrive under pressure.

There were times in my life when I didn’t know if I’d live or die. I planned my recovery with promises to write another book, travel to Israel, and maybe raise llamas!

Last time I was in this life threatening position, something changed. I stopped thinking about what I hadn’t done and began to feel God nudge me to do what I was already doing, but differently. Rather than live like I was dying, I began to live like I was living. So:

• Stop pressuring yourself to make up for lost time.
• Don’t ask what you haven’t done. Ask what you can do better.
• Start using the phrase life list instead of bucket list!

Live as If You Have All the Time in the World

Momentum doesn’t mean living faster. It means living better. This concept may be hard to accept considering many of us give in to the warning: “There aren’t enough hours in the day.” We love shortcuts, express lanes, and rapid rewards. The problem is, an abbreviated life is less of a life.

If you live like you have all the time in the world, your life will feel more valuable. You will create the kind of momentum that carries you up and on, instead of exhausting and costing you dearly. For example:

• Instead of taking the fastest way home, take the scenic route home to rebuild your energy.
• Instead of eating in the car after driving through the shortest line, pull into a spot under a tree to feed your body and your soul.
• Instead of texting the abbreviated BFF, spend three more seconds to spell out the words, Best Friends Forever. Seeing these actual words will stir up a greater positive emotional experience.

Embrace What’s Familiar in an Unfamiliar Way

Familiarity feels good. When our brains recognize something familiar, they release a small hit of dopamine – the chemical source of feel good emotions. We know what we love and so we love what we know. We get hooked on this predictable, but dangerous, feedback loop.

New experiences can feel like lifting a refrigerator – risky and frustrating. But the way our brains work is pretty cool. When they sense something new, they stretch, which is a little uncomfortable. Our brain chemistry goes a bit crazy when it expands – as do we. So, we avoid uncomfortable new experiences.

Why do we need new experiences? Because they make us feel alive. They move us toward the purpose we’ve been created for. But here’s what’s important:

• You don’t have to chase completely new activities or meet new people and places.
• Simply change HOW you experience what’s already in your life, by paying attention to the quality of your life – not the quantity of your experiences.
• Finally, get going!

You need and deserve life-affirming and meaningful momentum starting this very moment.

Has this pandemic set your momentum down? Are you moving backward instead of forward? What do you think you need to start living in the moment and get your healthy momentum back? Please share your thoughts with our community!