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Beach waves may or may not be supposed to look easy-breezy, but in all actuality, they’re really not that easy to achieve—at least not without the right products by your side. Using a curling iron or hot rollers will leave you with a look that’s a bit too polished and refined, but sleeping with braided damp hair tends to be pretty hit-or-miss. The best way to get that coveted textural bed-head vibe is using a sea salt hair spray with a bit of scrunching motions to get the piece-y, lived-in look without damaging your hair with heat styling tools. Sea salt texturizing sprays often get a bad rep for being sticky and leaving your look feeling hard and crunchy, but as is always the case, not all formulas are created equal. In fact, there are plenty of hydrating, sea salt sprays that leave your locks feeling touchable, yet defined. You can use these products on dry hair for a subtle effect, or apply to damp hair and use a diffuser on low heat for a more voluminous effect. Check out some o...

Whether you’re spending most of the day inside or outdoors for work or errands, sun protection is a must. I’ll say it again for the people in the back—wearing sunscreen is very important. Apply it every day, even when the sun is hiding behind the clouds; UV rays will find their way around them. And if you’re someone who forgets to apply it before or after putting on your makeup, invest in the best SPF tinted moisturizer or other coverage option. There’s plenty to choose from. This time of year—those months when cool spring days are sandwiched in-between humid summer days and a random day where it’s 40 degrees and raining— tinted moisturizer is the product everyone seems to be banking on. And while there are so many that target every and any concern, including dryness and acne , almost all of them include SPF (thank goodness). So which ones are the best? According to reviews (and a whole lot of scrolling and clicking on my part), these seven formulas are the hall-of-famers that act...

Maybe you’re quarantining alone and missing your partner, the occasional dive bar stranger makeout sesh or even those spontaneous late-night booty calls. Or, maybe you’re quarantined with your partner and after months of being together 24/7, you’re feeling the need to spice things up. Maybe you’re bored as can be and find yourself thisclose to subscribing to Tana Mongeau’s OnlyFans, if only to see what all the damn hype is about. Either way, there’s a pretty strong chance you’ve got Private Browsing Mode enabled on your phone or laptop at the moment—and you’re not alone. The coronavirus pandemic is normalizing porn and changing the pornography landscape in ways we might never have predicted. Kayden Kross might be a name that rings a bell, as the adult film actress is also an award-winning writer and director for Vixen Media Group , a luxury adult entertainment company founded back in 2014. VMG has multiple studio websites you’ve perhaps frequented, including Vixen, Blacke...

Generally speaking, one of the best ways to nix a breakout or heal inflamed skin is by simply letting it run its course without any interruptions. And when I say “run its course without any interruptions,” I mean lay off the makeup and up your water intake for a while. But it’s not always that simple, right? Sometimes you’re dealing with a condition that doesn’t necessarily go away after you’ve been makeup-free for a couple of days. Sometimes, you simply don’t feel comfortable or confident without your go-to makeup. For many, the ideal way to combat this all-too-common conundrum is with the best tinted moisturizer for acne -prone skin. So what is that exactly? Ultimately, it depends on your individual needs and skincare habits, but for the most part, sun protection , adequate moisture, and a couple standout ingredients (like vitamin C and retinol ) are helpful to most. With that being said, thankfully, a majority of tinted moisturizers come equipped with broad-spectrum UV protection...

On May 20, 2017, I had just one thing on my mind: college graduation. It was a blissful day of celebration, and at the time, I had virtually no idea I was just ten days away from surviving a life-threatening stroke. I had been looking forward to beginning a new chapter of life as a college graduate, not a stroke survivor —regardless, in seven days’ time I’d be both. On that day, I processed across Healy Lawn, the grassy front yard of Georgetown University, my four-year home, and received my diploma, the coveted piece of paper that symbolized the pinnacle of my academic achievement . I remember it all quite vividly, my splitting hangover a token of remembrance from the previous night’s bacchanal with the rest of the senior class. In my post-grad state of glee, I called to mind all the fun times I’d had in school, and dreamed of the amazing experiences I knew lay ahead. At the end of the summer, I was to move to Boston and start my career. I’d already found room...

Whether your signature blonding routine consists of a few balayaged accent highlights around the face or you’ve made the major commitment to be a bleach-and-toned platinum blonde, you know that keeping your color-treated tresses bright and brass-free isn’t an easy task—especially during the summer. As a blonde veteran, you probably also don’t need me to tell you how important using a good purple shampoo for blonde hair is to keep your color fresh and toned in between salon sessions. Whether you prefer an ashy, icy, butter or even silver blonde (and everything between) tone, keeping a violet-hued toning shampoo in your hair care lineup will protect your investment (because it’s also not exactly cheap to go blonde either) by cancelling out any yellow or orange undertones popping through, without having to schedule an appointment with your colorist every other week for a glaze or toner touch-up. However, not all purple and violet shampoos are created equal, and that’s not necessarily ...

Honestly, being blonde isn’t cheap. While there are some naturally blessed with golden locks, for the majority of us so-called bottle blondes, maintaining highlights, bleach and tones, and other “blonding” services can be not only an expensive endeavor, but it can also feel like a second job. Incorporating a purple shampoo for blonde hair is essential when it comes to winning the battle of brass because it will counteract the dulling effects of increased UV rays and hard water buildup. There are a number of purple-tinted shampoos designed specifically for platinum, grey, and blonde hair, which can help to beat brass, but there are also some options for those who prefer a warmer tone (as opposed to an icy or ashy tone) too. Even if you’re a natural “dishwater blonde,” looking to lighten your locks by just a shade or two, visiting a salon for a partial highlight or worse ⁠— opting for a risky DIY dye job ⁠— may not be necessary thanks to these advanced brightening formulas. Using a c...

Summer can wreak havoc on color-treated hair, whether you’re a balayaged, beachy blonde, a vibrant redhead, or a rich chestnut brunette. The summer presents the perfect storm of color-fading elements: increased sun exposure, chlorine, salt water, wind, and amplified heat. Incorporating a richly pigmented color-enhancing shampoo can help you push back frequent trips to the salon for color refreshes, saving you both money and time. There are a few preventative measures that will prolong the life of color by shielding your strands from environmental stressors, from wearing hats with UPF (sunscreen for textiles), keeping your hair conditioned with regular masks and treatments (color binds better to healthy hair), and investing in a good shower filter to remove hard water damage . However, adding a color-dispensing shampoo to your routine will make the most visible and immediate impact. Some tinted shampoos are so pigmented that the color payoff is actually pretty comparable to the resu...

It’s hard to remain patient when hair growth is your number one beauty focus. It seems no habit, oil, styler, or trimming schedule can add inches quick enough. Bad news—there is no magic fix. Nursing damaged hair back to health will always take time and if you also want your strands to lengthen, settle in because it’s going to be a long ride. Good news—there are certain products, like the best natural hair growth vitamins , that can boost your efforts a smidge while also improving the overall health of your skin, nails, and immune system too. Unless you’ve invested in a supplement whose one and only ingredient is biotin (the most popular option associated with hair growth), chances are you’re going to find a solution enriched with a wide-ranging list of multifunctional nutrients. For instance, vitamin C decreases hair shedding while also providing antioxidant protection to the skin and encouraging the production of cells that help fight off infection. Folic acid, collagen , and seve...