SLACK YOUR WORK WIFE
Tying the handmade knot. About 70% of engaged couples are currently planning sustainable weddings by using upcycled decor, recycled paper, and minimizing single-use products. May Mother Earth bless this union. |
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THINGS TO KNOW
Will you accept this rose?
TV: Get real… ok maybe not that real. Netflix just greenlit a Squid Game reality show and everyone who watched Season 1 is definitely wondering just how closely the new competition series is going to mirror the fictional one (or maybe asking who watched a deadly game show and thought, “Let’s do this IRL!”). The announcement is reflective of a growing trend in the industry, though: If something—anything—exists, it needs to be made into reality TV. There are shows about glassblowing, catfishing for cash prizes, dating while dressed in weird animal prosthetics, and basically everything else you can think of. (Petition to create one where contestants decide when an avocado is perfectly ripe?) That also means the genre is overflowing, as streamers are desperate to churn out as much content as possible (unscripted shows are cheaper to create than scripted shows, FYI). But is it really what the people want to watch? Audiences are shying away from certain reality shows that rely on producers orchestrating heartbreaks and emotional manipulations for views, while demanding the industry provide better aftercare for contestants after they leave. If the emotional whiplash of the show wasn’t enough, participants also have to deal with online hate and scrutiny of their private lives long after season finales have aired. Between Love Island contestant suicides and alleged sexual assaults on shows like Bachelor in Paradise, viewers just aren’t willing to ignore the ethical implications of their entertainment. This phenomenon is global, BTW, as Japan just made it illegal to cyberbully after Hana Kimura’s death by suicide after intense online harassment after her stint on Terrace House. Just remember that your favs (and least favs) are people, too. As our mothers always said, “If you’ve got nothing nice to say in the DMs, don’t slide in at all.”
See also...
HEALTH: You’ve heard of “you are what you eat,” but what about “you are when you drink?” Moderate drinkers average a couple of cups a week, but a new study says there’s actually a big difference between a daily chardonnay vs. 7 shots at Friday happy hour. Apparently, occasional binges (defined as 5+ drinks in a row) lead to a 5x higher risk of adverse effects like getting injured or feeling tipsy/hungover. And while that puts a wrench in our bottomless mimosa glee, so does needing 6 waters the next morning. So… maybe we can replace cocktails with kombucha at the next brunch? #FlirtyandFermented.
BEAUTY: Sugar, spice, and everything nice. We’re not the Powerpuff girls, but we are channeling their aesthetic with the latest beauty trend where you paint your nails with cinnamon, then bask in its abundance. At least that’s what Artist Elizabeth Bradford (@6d_art) revealed after sharing her secret on TikTok, where she mixes the sweet smell of fall with clear lacquer and coats her nails to help keep away stagnace, be intentional, and conquer the day. Author and color expert Walaa says this is totally a thing, too, and that the polish we pick “can have a real impact on our mood, energy, and relationships.” We’re not 100% sold, but maybe we’ll ask our nail tech to put the mani in manifest at our next app.
ANIMALS: Feline itchy? Maybe follow your cat’s lead because a new study suggests that she’s not rolling around in catnip just to get stoned—she’s also doing it to avoid getting bitten by bugs. Iridoids—aka the chemicals in plants that get cats high—also repel mosquitos and other pesky critters. The main repellent called nepetalactone is linked “to a receptor protein that triggers irritation in mosquitoes and related insects.” If we could irritate mosquitoes half as much as they irritate us, you’d find us rolling around in a human-sized pile of catnip every time we leave the house. (Just kitten… maybe.)
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We have a saying in Latin America: “Antes muerta que sencilla.” Translation? “Better off dead than boring.” To live by those words, I always embellish my look with jewelry no matter where I’m going. Below are the gorg pieces I’m frosting myself with this summer.
1. Bellezza Bronze Paperclip and Rope Chain Bracelet: As far as jewelry “basics” go, you can’t get more classic than a minimal two-rope chain bracelet. It’s truly the MVP for versatility in your bauble box—I’ll be wearing mine with a maxi dress to park picnics, and a cocktail dress to all the weddings I RSVP’d “yes” to. And it’s exclusive, honey—you can only snag this beauty on HSN.com.*
2. Kendra Scott Elyse Gold Ring: If someone flipped me off wearing this, I’d be like, “Omg, I love your ring. Where did you get it?” Except I wouldn’t be saying it sarcastically. The platinum, oval-shaped stone looks like it was dug straight outta the moon. And I love me a double band.
3. Studs French Twist Hoop: Baby you’re so classic—when you’re wearing these hoops, that is. The French twist is an instant passport to Paris circa 1980 that levels up any look. And they’re safe for sensitive ears, so they don’t infect our easily-irritated lobes. It’s 14-karat magic in the air.
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 | Kennedy, again! I know it’s technically summer, but it feels more like the season of shortages. The latest victim is tampons, and while it’s a huge bummer for us anti-maxi-padders, it’s also an opportunity to try what’s soon to be the future of menstruation: A plastic-free period.
On a global scale, single-use period products add 5.3 kg of CO2 and 200k metric tons of waste every year. But they’re not just hurting the planet, they’re hurting our pockets, too, since we’ll spend an average $6,360 over 40-ish years of menstruation. So whether you’re swayed by morals or money (no shade, sis, get that bag), reusable is the way to go.
I get the hesitation to ditch Tampax for good, which is why I tested all the buzzy sustainable products so you don’t have to. Cups, discs, panties—here’s my honest review of them all. (Spoiler: I gave all my tampons to my mom, so I’d say it’s 5 drops across the board.)
My Flow: Think Jennifer Hudson’s Heavy, because I go through super tampons in about 3-4 hours.
Period Panties
Lifespan: 2 years
I loathe pads. The smell, sitting in them, the fear of spillage—ugh. The worst part by far is the feeling of blood leaving my body. (I squirm every time and am waiting to be diagnosed with this niche form of anxiety.) With that said, Cora’s free-to-flow underwear ($30) was way better than pads. They absorbed liquid much faster, which helped with my comfort and the odor issue. And I didn’t have to find a big red blotch when I went to the bathroom, which makes the psychology of pulling them back up easier.
Granted, panties can’t fix that drip feeling, so they won’t be my #1 choice. However, I’m def keeping them around to double up with my tampons and do some light work on day 5. (Sidenote: Cora’s panty pads don’t go all the way to the back, so people with heavier flows or those who want to sleep/be active in them should try ModiBodi’s heavy-overnight style ($27). It feels more like wearing an extra-long pad, but also offers more protection.)
Now, the cleaning process was “eh.” You have to rinse them out in cold water, and it took multiple goes to feel like they were mostly empty. (I also wrang the hell out of them for safe measure, but I don’t think you have to go that far.)
TLDR: The panties take some work to clean, but it’s pretty easy and they surpass pads in every other way.
Menstrual Disc
Lifespan: 10 years
Next up is Cora’s menstrual disc, which is a shallow, silicone bowl that sits right under your cervix (diagram here). For the average person, it doesn’t get full for about 12 hours. I’m a veteran cup user, and inserting a disc was much more straightforward for me, so I got a nice seal on the first try. Unlike a cup, though, you can’t pull and tug it to know it’s properly placed. But as long as it’s all the way back and tilted towards your bum, you’re good.
I say that, but I was worried for a bit that I did it wrong because it felt way too loose—in a good way. I kept checking for leaks that weren’t happening until I accepted that the disc was awesome. Then I went to the bathroom and blood started gushing out. I was like, “Hmm, don’t love this,” but that’s just the “self-emptying” feature. Due to how your body is positioned when you’re using the bathroom, the disc automatically dumps its contents. That’s a plus for extremely heavy bleeders who fill the tray faster than normal. But, it did leave me wondering what would happen if I somehow got into the bathroom position while not on the toilet. I never did, but still: anxiety.
Taking the disc out was just as easy as putting it in since Cora’s version has a spot to hook your finger. Cleaning is straightforward, too. Dump it out, wash it in the sink, throw it back in.
TLDR: If you don’t mind getting your fingers a little dirty, the disc is a great alternative to tampons that last longer and can be worn during sex (which I didn’t test because #single).
Menstrual Cup
Lifespan: 10 years
So I can’t write this without bias because I’ve been a cup ride-or-die since college, but just know that I love them. There was definitely a learning curve with my DivaCup Model 2, so I had a lot of leaks in the beginning. But once you get the hang of which insertion fold works best for you (punch down, Thotiana!), you know it’s in there—which is a level of security I didn’t feel with the disc. (That could be because I’m just used to cups, so take that with a grain of salt.)
Similar to a menstrual disc, it’s fully inserted, needs to be cleaned between uses, and lasts for 12 hours. The main difference is that it sits lower down in your vaginal canal. It’s also not meant to be worn during sex, and you can’t wear it with a birth control ring (which I have), so it’s not as much of a jack-of-all-trades as the disc. Despite those failings, the cup has a special place in my heart (and my drawer).
TLDR: Menstrual cups have less functionality than discs, but I love them anyway.
Reusable Tampon Applicator
Lifespan: 10 years
Menstrual cups are my fav, but for days when I just don’t feel like getting “all up in it,” I turn to tampons. So, when I heard of Dame’s reusable tampon applicator set ($31), I “eek!”-ed. It works exactly the same as a regular plastic applicator, you just have to load in the 100% cotton tamp yourself. (Bonus: Instead of plastic, the tampons come wrapped in cellulose which biodegrades in 2-4 months.) It was very straightforward to use, and since it’s designed to be antimicrobial, all you need to do is rinse it off and keep dry when not in use. I also tried inserting the tampons without the applicator, which was a breeze as well.
There is one obvious downside, and it’s that you have to keep buying tampons. Yes, they’re organic and plastic-free, but unlike the other reusable options, it’s not just a one-time buy.
TLDR: This is a phenomenal switch from plastic tampons, but it’s still going to be a quarterly bill.
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ITEMS OF THE DAY | Anastasia Beverly Hills NORVINA palette
$60
| | | | Colourpop She’s a Rainbow palette
$40 | | |
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TODAY I WILL... Get creative with my at-home workout.
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