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How to Match Your Foundation: 8 Tips & Tricks


Foundation is the rare makeup product you don’t want to be able to see. Ask any pro how to match foundation, and they’ll tell you the final result should be a seamless veil that makes your skin look like skin. But sometimes, despite your best efforts, what looks like a good match in the bottle ends up being a less-than-perfect shade once applied. Whether it’s because you misjudged your undertones or the formula oxidized, it’s easy to end up with a bottle that’s almost right, but not good enough for daily wear. To ensure it doesn’t happen, take a cue from those who apply foundation best: professional makeup artists.

There are a few factors to consider before you even buy the bottle that’ll guarantee you’re picking a shade that fully matches your face—and getting the most from the formula you choose. Below, we asked makeup artists to explain the best process for how to match foundation, so you find your perfect shade every time.

1. Determine your undertones.

“The most important thing is to figure out your undertones first,” says Jane Iredale global makeup artist Hannah Hatcher. “Once you have those figured out, it narrows things down and you can begin to swatch on your skin tyu find that perfect match.” Undertones fall into three categories: warm, cool, and neutral. Warm undertones are golden, cool lean more pink or red, and neutral is a mix of both. Look at the overall tones of your skin to determine which applies. It can be a confusing process, so if you’re not sure, there are a couple more tricks to try.

“Usually, it’s about the veins,” says celebrity makeup artist Robert Sesnek. “Blue veins are cool, blue/green are neutral, and green are warm.” You can also consider the clothing and accessories that suit you best. “If you look better in cooler-toned clothing, chances are you also have cool undertones,” says Sesnek.

2. Read reviews and look for photo references.

Experts agree that testing shades in-person is the best way to find a match, but it’s still worth it to compare online reviews of brands you’re interested in first. This is particularly true if you’ve had a hard time finding a shade that closely matches both your skin tone and undertones. Many sites like Amazon and Sephora let reviewers leave photos, so you can see what shades look like on other people, while others feature shade-matching charts and model references that help too.

3. Take the finish of your foundation into consideration.

Full-coverage foundations are great for covering acne or discoloration, but they’re also harder shade match. Instead, Sesnek recommends opting for a sheer foundation with a buildable finish, since it’ll allow for more margin of error. (His personal favorite is Catrice Cosmetics HD Foundation because it can easily build up to a high-coverage base.)

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4. Test shades on multiple spots of your face.

The most common advice you’ll hear is to swipe a small streak of foundation across your jawline (starting on your jaw down to your neck). Celebrity makeup artist Frederick Sanders recommends starting with two or three shades that look closest to your complexion and blending them all in fully. “The foundation should match the side of your face and your neck to prevent you from looking like you’re wearing a mask,” he says.

If you have a trickier time nailing down a shade though, pros recommend testing in other places too. “I swatch on multiple spots: jawline, cheek, forehead, and neck,” says celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng. “I’ll usually go with one that matches my neck and forehead the most because that’s where I get the most color.”

5. Test it for a few hours.

It’s worth taking the time to test and wear before you buy. “A foundation in the bottle in its liquid state is a certain color, and it can oxidize on your face and change color as it dries or sets,” says Troy Surratt, makeup artist and founder of Surratt Beauty. “It can also change depending on your personal pH and chemistry.” Seeing how it adjusts to your skin over the course of a day is absolutely key.





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Bobby Berk’s Best Cleaning Tips, from Dealing With Clutter to Vacuuming Like a Pro


My cleaning uniform is the same as my uniform in life: a black T-shirt and black shorts or sweatpants. I wear pretty much the same thing every day if I don’t leave the house; it’s one less decision to make.

What’s your cleaning playlist?

Lizzo. I turned her on about 10 months ago, and I haven’t changed the playlist since.

What’s one oddly satisfying cleaning technique?

I know I say “vacuuming” a lot, but there’s just something about it. Years ago, when I had retail stores around the U.S., I would go to do store visits, and I’d get to the stores before the store managers would. They would come into the store and find me vacuuming, and for new managers who didn’t know me very well, they’d call a manager at another store and be like, “Oh, my God, I got here and Bobby was cleaning my store. Is that a bad thing? Does he think my store is dirty?” And they’re like, “No, he just oddly likes to vacuum.” Vacuuming is like instant gratification, and kind of zen watching the dirt and filth just go away.

How do you think a clean space impacts one’s mental health?

I think it has a huge effect—not just a clean space, but an organized space. When I walk through a house (and I’m probably a little extreme) and there’s stuff left out on the counter, it instantly gives me anxiety. I drive my husband nuts going behind him putting stuff away, and he’s like, “I wasn’t done with that yet.” I’m like, “Okay, well, you are now.” When there’s chaos around you, it creates chaos in your head. So mental health, cleanliness, and organization have an especially huge effect on us since we’re all home. Everything having its place really just brings you a sense of calm, and I didn’t realize how much it even affected me until I saw how everything in my current Airbnb has such a perfect, tidy, organized place–it makes my heart sing.

What is the dirtiest room you usually see in people’s homes?

Probably the bathroom. There’ve been nasty ass bathrooms where I’m just like, How?

What’s one life-changing home product you bought in the past year?

Aesthetically, things like brooms and dustpans are not pretty. And if they are, they’re usually ridiculously expensive for something you’re using to clean up dirt. Target has a line called Made by Design of brushes, squeegees, a refillable spray mop, dish and toilet brushes, etcetera—and they’re black, white, and gray, so they look superchic, sleek, and sexy in your house. I’ve always wanted to hide my brooms and dustpans, but now I don’t have to. I can hang them on a cool rack in my room and they actually look really pretty.

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If you were a cleaning scent, which one would you be and why?



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Now's the Time To Learn How to Sext: 23 Sexting Examples & Tips


Sexting example: “Tell me how the sound of my voice makes you feel.”

12. Make up a scenario.

Although creativity does score points when it comes to sexting, making up a scenario doesn’t have to be complicated, according to Stubbs. Even tossing out there the possibility of you just showing up at their house as a surprise can feel exciting.

Sexting example: “What would you do if I showed up at your house in nothing but a trench coat right now?”

13. Realize this could be practice for the real deal.

If you’re sexting with someone you’ve recently met on an app but haven’t been able to meet IRL, you could be practicing for the real deal—if you do want to meet after all this. This practice allows you to know each other intimately before that first, potentially awkward date.

Sexting example: “I guess if dinner and drinks feels awkward, we already know what we want in bed. Tell me again what you’ll do to me first?”

14. Take turns being the narrator.

“At its most basic, there are two central roles that you can take while talking dirty: the director and the narrator,” says Corrado. “The director is someone who is doing the telling, while the narrator is describing what is happening around them.” One role might feel more comfortable to you and to your partner, so you just might fall into them naturally. But this doesn’t mean you can’t switch it up.

Example of director: “I want you to use your vibrator on your clit, but you can’t come until I say so.”

Example of narrator: “I love it when you tease me that way.”

15. Get creative with language.

Honestly, there’s only so many times you can say “pussy” or “cock” before it wears thin. That’s why, according to O’Reilly, creative language is a must. “Consider crafting your messages with broad and vivid vocabulary,” she says.

Sexting example: “I wish you were here to feel how wet my treasure trove is.”

16. Keep the conversation going.

There’s nothing worse than getting all hot and bothered and then there’s a lull. Like, WTF. “Engage and try not to be unresponsive during moments when the sexting is consistent,” Saynt says. “There’s nothing worse than someone losing interest or getting distracted on either side, so try to be there for your partner and be sure to call them out when they seem to not be there for you.” 

Sexting example: “I’m not sure where you went, but if you haven’t come yet, let’s work on that together.”

17. Get all five senses involved.

“Your sexting partner isn’t there with you, so they only have your words (and their imagination) to figure out what’s going on,” Corrado says. “If you’re describing to them the ways that you’re touching yourself, make it a sensory experience.” According to Corrado, you want the person you’re sexting to feel like they’re right there, seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling, and tasting it all.

Sexting example: “The leather chair I’m sitting in feels so good on my skin right now.”

18. Role-play.

It’s exhausting always being the same person, isn’t it? Stubbs suggests setting up a role-play situation. This is another place where you can let your mind run wild. Did you just receive a text from a stranger that must orgasm ASAP to save the planet?! It’s totally okay to be silly while sexting!

Sexting example: “You don’t know me, but I’m from Venus and I’ve been given your number to make you wetter than you’ve ever been before.”

19. Communicate what you want.

Unless your sexting partner is a mind reader—or you’ve been together that long, you’re going to have to communicate and maybe even steer the direction of the sexting. “Want your partner to engage in a little fantasy play? Looking to have them say dirty things to you? Communicate what you want and ask for all the naughty things you know you deserve,” Saynt says. “Most likely your partner will be down to comply with giving you exactly what you’re looking for.”



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10 Healthy Hair Tips for Shiny, Damage-Free Strands


“My whole life, I have fought with my hair,” says New York City publicist Jenelle Hamilton. “I did quarterly Brazilian straightening treatments, colored my hair, blow-dried weekly, and flat-ironed my hair almost every day.” She was trying to force her 3C curls to be something they just weren’t, which seriously damaging them in the process. After years of trying to straighten and smooth her hair, it began to look over-processed and break.

Commit to a Long-Term Routine

Once you swear off straighteners, you’re not going to wake up to healthy hair instantly. “At the beginning of my hair journey, I would watch YouTubers and look on Instagram and think, ‘Why doesn’t my hair look like that? Why isn’t it growing faster?'” Hamilton recalls. “I was so impatient!” However, once she gave her hair months to heal, the growth eventually followed.

Look Products With Nourishing Ingredients

In addition to giving up heat-styling, Hamilton scaled her routine back to washing weekly. She counted on two products to nourish her dry, brittle hair: The LUS Gentle & Moisturizing Shampoo and TKO Ultimate Moisture Conditioner by Andre Walker Hair. The shea butter-infused shampoo “cleansed and moisturized” and “a little went a long way, so it was very cost-effective,” she says. Her conditioner, meanwhile, featured strand-strengthening Keratin, a protein that helps fortify and protect damaged hair. “I used it religiously and it helped a lot,” she says. A few other ingredients to look out for: coconut oil, argan oil, aloe vera, and spirulina.

If You Want to Smooth Frizz…

While she was growing up, Delilah Orpi, a beauty blogger in Miami, dreamed of straight hair. “I was picked on for my puffy hair as a kid and struggled to style it,” she says. “I envied the smooth, shiny hair that some of my friends had.” Her mom wouldn’t allow her to flatiron hers, so when she finally got the chance, she went all out, straightening her hair three times a week for 10 years. Cut to recently when she packing for a trip to Thailand. She couldn’t fit her hair-dryer and straightening products in her suitcase—so she decided this was the push she needed to quit. “I was done fussing with my hair,” she says. “I wanted to simplify my routine.”

Avoid Drying Your Hair With a Towel

A game-changer for Orpi has been applying her styling products, such as EVOLVh TotalControl Styling Crème, in the shower. “I apply them to soaking wet hair in the shower by scrunching, and never use a towel or a brush,” she says. The scrunching helps the curls clump, which leads to definition once it dries, and cuts down on frizz. “After lots of scrunching, I either air-dry or diffuse dry,” she says.

Preserve Your Style

Orpi only washes her hair two or three times a week. She stretches out the lifespan of her curls by covering them when she sleeps. “I protect it at night by wearing a scarf over it so that it lasts a few days and doesn’t get frizzy and tangled,” she says.



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How to Get Rid of Blackheads: 8 Dermatologist-Approved Tips


Along with why you got bangs and J.Lo’s skin care routine, how to get rid of blackheads is one of the great mysteries of life. Fine—maybe it’s not a mystery so much as a challenge. You can try and dig them out, but you risk traumatizing your skin in a way that makes a blackhead in question seem like NBD (think scarring or hyperpigmentation). Fortunately, there’s some middle ground in both removing and preventing blackheads. We called in the experts to get the scoop.

First, it helps to know what causes blackheads. (As Sun Tzu says, know thy enemy.) “Blackheads form when the opening of a pore on your skin becomes clogged with sebum,” says Deanne Mraz Robinson, M.D., a dermatologist in Westport, CT. “Dead skin cells and oils collect in the pore. And if the pore isn’t covered by skin, exposure to air causes it to turn black as it oxidizes.” Hence, blackhead.

Learning how to get rid of blackheads can be a game-changer, since they can stick around when left unchecked. “Some blackheads can persist for days, weeks, or even months if not extracted, while your body usually clears small whiteheads within a week to 10 days,” says dermatologist Laurel Geraghty. These tweaks to your skin care routine can help.

1. Wash With a Gentle Cleanser

Resist the temptation to launch a scrubby assault on your blackheads. In fact, your best bet is to use a mild cleanser. “It will not overly strip your skin of moisture, which actually can trigger the overproduction of sebum and further exacerbate the problem,” says Robinson. She’s a fan of those that contain glycolic acid, which clears out pores. Try SkinCeuticals LHA Cleanser Gel, which, she says, “marries glycolic acid and salicylic acid with glycerin and sorbitol, which act as humectants and help your skin retain moisture.” Win-win.

2. If You Must Squeeze, Never Use Your Nails

If you’re DIY-ing the extraction, “the key is to be gentle,” says Geraghty. “Every day, I see patients who pick, scratch and extract spots on their skin, and this puts them at risk of permanent scarring.”

Here’s a primer: Start with completely clean hands and remember not to place your fingers too close to the blackhead. “Widen them out a bit so that the blackhead will be extracted easier from a deeper level within your skin,” says celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau. While squeezing, relocate your fingers to make it easier and to avoid creating marks. “For example, position fingers at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, and then 5 o’clock and 10 o’clock, then 2 o’clock and 7 o’clock,” she says. Do not use your nails, lest you risk puncturing your skin.

3. Exfoliate Regularly

For exfoliation, opt for acids. “I much prefer a chemical exfoliant to a physical one, which means turning to chemical peels and alpha-hydroxy acids versus a scrub,” says Robinson. “They can cause microtears in your skin.”

Specifically, she likes salicylic acid, which can dive deep into your pore and the dissolve the sebum that’s causing the clog. “It essentially keeps pores open and clean,” she says. We love BeautyRx Skincare Dermstick for Pores, since you can use it to exfoliate smaller, blackhead-prone areas like your nose.

And if you’re wondering about pore-clearing devices, proceed with caution. While they’re largely safe, “some of the at-home vacuum-based tools can actually cause other problems, ranging from temporary bruising to long-term broken capillaries,” says Robinson.

4. Use a Pore Strip

An oldie but a goodie, these help get rid of blackheads in the most basic way: by plucking it out. “It’s essentially putting a band-aid on your nose,” says Robinson. “So if your skin has been adequately prepped with warm water and the pore is open, the suction from removing the strip will lift the trapped debris to the surface.” That said, they’re not really treating the blackheads; they’re just removing the uppermost (and visible) portion. Bioré Charcoal Deep Cleansing Pore Strips pairs its clearing power with charcoal, which has detoxifying properties.

5. Make Sure to Moisturize

Even though oil is a contributor to blackheads, avoiding it will only backfire. In fact, keeping your skin’s oil levels balanced (versus nonexistent) is key to minimizing blackheads. While some heavy oils, such as avocado oil, can clog pores, a lack of it causes skin to produce more—which leads to, you guessed it, more breakouts.



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How to Get Over a Broken Heart: 16 Tips from a Psychologist


Also, know that feelings of rejection and diminished self-worth could trigger unhealthy responses like over or undereating or substance abuse, which could lead to a depressive spiral, says Porter. “Exercise, nutrition, and proper sleep will raise the floor on how bad you feel,” he adds.

8. Don’t judge the length of your healing process.

“Don’t equate the time of healing with the time of your relationship,” says Hendrix. Even ‘almost relationships’ can cause enormous heartbreak, says Huerta.

“A lot of times people are like, Well, I was only with them for six months. Why am I devastated?” says Hendrix. “Because you fell for them in six months and you’ve gotten super attached and you started spending every day and night together for a while. Your six months is like somebody else’s two years. So whatever you feel, honor that.” In truth, how long it takes to get over an ex depends on a variety of factors, including the narrative you tell yourself.

9. Don’t internalize the breakup.

In the aftermath of a difficult split, avoid thinking, I’m not good enough, there’s something wrong with me, says Porter. Instead, situate the problem in the relationship (if not in your partner), he says.

10. Identify and eliminate unhealthy behaviors.

Try to understand any impulses you may be having, like texting your ex, checking their Instagram every hour, or replaying every damn detail of your last weekend together. These urges are part of the natural withdrawal process that happens after heartbreak, but don’t let yourself overindulge in obsessive behaviors (like analyzing every aspect of your relationship until 4 a.m.), says Hendrix. If you find yourself spending significant time in this frame of mind, it might be wise to reach out to a coach or therapist for support.

11. Create new routines.

Realize that the breakup is likely going to cause voids in your life. Say you and your ex always went to the movies every Friday, says Hendrix. Now your Friday nights are wide open, but instead of wallowing alone, proactively call your friends and make plans.

12. Explore old—and new—interests.

Say you really enjoy the outdoors, but your ex didn’t, so while you were together, you cut back on your weekend hiking habit. Now that you’re single, give yourself permission to reconnect with that interest and also explore new hobbies. “The universe meets us at the point of action, and if we’re trying to heal, we have to take steps to heal,” says Hendrix.



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