Ariel Baker

There are plenty of makeup techniques that are put forward on the internet as legitimate hacks, but few actually qualify as such. In my eyes, hacks are supposed to save you time, introduce you to a new way of doing something, or utilize a product in a fun and unintentional way. When I recently came across a new setting powder eyeliner hack on TikTok, I was pretty skeptical. In the video, influencer Melis Cifcili loads up a triangular powder puff with some loose setting powder and rubs the tip of the tool in bronzer. When she sets her concealer, she simultaneously uses the puff to add a sultry lower-lash eyeshadow, creating a smoky eye in one go. For my lifestyle, my beauty looks have to be quick and convenient - ideally completed in less than five minutes - so if there's a way that I can cross off two things in one go, sign me up. Keep reading to see how my version of the hack looked. To start, I gathered my products: the Make Up For Ever HD Skin Setting Powder ($43), the Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder ($40) in shade 06, and the Beauty Blender Power Pocket Puff ($18). After applying a skin tint and some concealer, I dipped the puff into the setting powder and rubbed the tip into my bronzer. As I usually do, I set the area with small tapping motions to press the powder into the skin, keeping the tip directly under my eye to avoid getting bronzer in the middle of my cheek. The results blew me away after doing just one side. My lower-lash line looked sultry but daytime-appropriate, and the shadow brought out the chocolate color of my eyes. I am typically someone who only accentuates my eyes using black eyeliner, so I was shocked at how much I liked the softness of the brown eyeshadow under my eyes. I completed the hack on the other eye using even more powder and bronzer to see if the technique would work the same for baking, and I can confirm it does. However, that negates the beauty of this technique: combining two steps of your makeup routine using one tool. As you likely gleaned from the grin on my face and the glee in my eyes, this hack is completely worth the hype. The results make you look like you put in much more effort than you actually did. If you're like me and have a hectic schedule, this time-saver is a must. Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.

If you've been keeping up with the coquette hair trend, then you've likely noticed a recurring style pop up: pigtails. From intricate, editorial-like braids to simple low ponytails secured with bows framing each side of the face, the hairstyle has become synonymous with the TikTok-famous aesthetic. Pigtails aren't a novel hairstyle by any means - in fact, you may have worn the style throughout your youth because it was quick, easy, and incredibly adorable. However, today's pigtails are anything but elementary. " Usually they are lower and braided, but they can be higher on the head as well, akin to Baby Spice's signature look from the '90s," Devin Toth, hairstylist at Salon SCK, tells PS. In 2024, they are elevated and, dare we say, chic AF. Ahead, Toth explains how to style your pigtails to make your hair the envy of everyone that you come across. You're welcome. Why Are Pigtail Hairstyles Trending? Pigtails are perfectly positioned as the coquette aesthetic takes over our social media feeds. "They're trending right now because they're easy and can be done on dirty hair without hot tools," Toth says. "Plus, they give a '90s vibe, especially if you pair them with a center or zig-zag part." Much like the other styles within the coquette trend, pigtails can be cute while also being reliable - it's a look you can fall back on when in a pinch. How to Style Pigtails on All Hair Types Pigtails can work on any hair type. "There are really no rules for pigtails when it comes to hair texture and length," Toth says. "You can work with what you have or you can alter the texture of your hair with products and thermal styling tools or add extensions for wiggle room if you have a shorter cut." Curly and coily hair tends to be more voluminous than its counterparts naturally, so play around with the positioning of each puff to ensure your curls are on full display. "Whatever the texture or length, the style will still tap into that iconic pigtail look and vibe if it incorporates the signature two parallel ponytails," Toth says. "They can be stubby, bubbly, smooth, slightly bumpy - it doesn't really matter. The best part about pigtails is that there are endless variations of the same look." Are you on the hunt for your own version of the trend? Keep reading for some inspiration.

Save for the curly afro that she was wearing when announcing her hair-care line, Cécred, Beyoncé has rarely worn her hair in its natural state while out in public. Though her signature honey-blond color has come to be somewhat of a staple for the star, it has never stopped fans from wondering what Beyoncé's natural hair is after decades of watching her switch in and out of updos, curls, and short hairstyles with ease. After giving us a glimpse of her big chop back in 2013, where she opted for a pixie cut, over time, it's actually been Beyoncé's go-to hairstylist, Neal Farinah, and her mom slash everyone's favorite corny-joke comedian, Tina Lawson, who have given fans some behind-the-scenes looks at the singer's natural hair when she's not on stage. Back in 2017, Farinah shared images of Beyoncé's natural hair in a half-up, half-down style on Instagra ahead of a Sports Illustrated event where she presented Colin Kaepernick with the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. Captioning the photo, "MOOD," the singer's hair was slightly tilted, making it look like the sideway ponytail that was popular in the '90s. Also in 2017, Lawson, who's a professional hairstylist, posted a picture of Beyoncé's natural hair in a low ponytail a few months after she gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir. Like many postpartum parents, the singer likely experienced hair shedding after birth, so Lawson was ecstatic at the growth. "INCHES!!!!" the caption read in part. "So happy my baby's hair grew back !! She is going to get me." While Black women are entitled to wear their hair however they choose, it's always empowering to see Beyoncé's natural hair on display and watch the star embrace her coils. We can't wait to see more of the singer's natural looks, but in the meantime, take a look at some of our favorites she's worn over the years.

Image Source: Getty/SeventyFour If you've experienced acne, you're probably familiar with the host of oral medications and topical products that promise to treat breakouts. There are the more common prescription-grade options - like spironolactone, tretinoin, and isotretinoin (commonly known as Accutane) - but there is also a relatively new treatment that everyone seems to be talking about right now: Winlevi. "Winlevi is a prescription topical cream approved to treat acne," dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, FAAD, tells PS. "It is structurally in the same family as steroids, but it does not have the same steroid effects that cortisone creams have, and it also does not have those side effects." Since Winlevi was only approved in 2020 for the treatment of acne, it's still less widely understood. Ahead, dermatologists break down everything you should know about the acne-fighting cream, including how much it costs, how it helps with acne, and potential side effects. What Is Winlevi? Yes, Winlevi helps to stop the development of acne, but how exactly does it work? "[Winlevi] is an antiandrogen," Dr. Zeichner says. "This means that it blocks the effects of androgen hormones on the oil glands." When it comes in contact with the skin, Winlevi blocks sebaceous-gland activity (these are tiny glands in your hair follicle that secrete sebum, or your skin's natural oil) and decreases oil production as well as inflammation that can cause acne. As you might have gathered, this prescription acne treatment is applied topically. "It comes in the form of a moisturizing base; for most people, an additional moisturizer is not even needed," Dr. Zeichner says. What's more, Winlevi is so highly regarded by dermatologists because of its ease of use. "Winlevi is a very important medication for acne patients because we are finally able to target oil production, which is one of the root causes of acne, with a very tolerable and easy-to-use cream," dermatologist Ted Lain, MD, FAAD, tells PS. One of the biggest barriers to results in dermatology is patients not sticking to their prescribed routines, so the cream's ease of use is one of its biggest selling points. Winlevi Side Effects Though Winlevi is technically similar to a steroid, it doesn't have some of the side effects that they do, like topical steroid withdrawal or rosacea. Instead, "the most commonly reported side effects [of Winlevi] in clinical trials were skin peeling, redness, and itching," Dr. Zeichner says. "However this was not common and I find the drug to be very well tolerated. As always, it's best to talk with your dermatologist if you notice any adverse reactions." On the flip side, experts say Winlevi can safely be combined with other acne-fighting formulas. "The best way to treat acne is to combine medications that address as many of the causative factors as possible," Dr. Zeichner says. "In practice, I am combining drugs like Winlevi with other prescription medications that contain ingredients like topical retinoids, topical antibiotics, and topical benzoyl peroxide for the most efficacious results." Winlevi Cream Price It's important to note that Winlevi is only available via prescription from your dermatologist, and prices may vary. "When covered by insurance, Winlevi usually costs around $20, but in some cases, there are rebates that bring down the copay to zero dollars." However, if your insurance does not cover the cream, it can cost upward of $200. Winlevi Before and After View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jennifer Edwards (@derm.vip) Now that you know all there is to understand about Winlevi, if you're still on your journey with acne, make sure to mention it to your dermatologist the next time you go in for a visit. Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.

Not many people can say they work in the field that they are most passionate about, but thankfully, I am one of those lucky few. Since first discovering the world of makeup on YouTube in the mid-2000s, my obsession with all things cosmetics has only grown over the years. As a result, I have tried almost every formula on the market, and while that initial excitement has not waned, at this point, it takes something truly innovative to really turn my head. Enter: the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint ($42). Available in 16 shades, the balm is described by the brand as a serum-boosted tint that provides sheer-to-light coverage. Though I have oily skin, I'm a sucker for complexion products that leave a light dew to the skin. So, of course, I had to give it a try for myself. Keep reading to see if the balm should be added to your makeup bag. About the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint The balm comes in 16 shades and is housed in a twist-up plastic component. The blurring balm offers light coverage and a dewy finish to the skin. Standout ingredients include shea butter, fatty acids, and marula oil, which respectively help to soften, protect, and nourish the skin. What I Like About the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint While I initially liked the packaging of this product, I didn't think it would actually be functional. Spoiler alert: I was so wrong. Oftentimes, products with this rectangular shape tend to skip around when you apply them to the slightly more flat but curved parts of the face, like the forehead and between the brows. The way this balm hugged every inch of my face made me feel like I was in sensory heaven - it was like rubbing aloe vera all over my face (which makes me feel like I should keep this in the fridge; applying the cold balm on a hot summer day would definitely feel like magic). Additionally, I was impressed by how buildable this balm is. It does stay true to its sheer-to-light coverage promises, but after the initial swipe, I went over a few more areas that still had some dark marks peeking through. Once the second layer was added, they were significantly more blurred. Additionally, while this product only comes in 16 shades, the balm shades are equally spread between fair to dark skin tones, with four colors in each category, which I appreciate. Because the balm offers such light coverage, the shades are much more flexible than something like Huda Beauty's Faux Filter Foundation ($42). How to Use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint The packaging makes this balm extremely easy to use. All you have to do is twist the product up and swipe it onto your preferred areas. If you want a bit more coverage, go over areas with blemishes once more, and then set your face with powder if you want to dial down the shine. What to Consider About the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint This product is a balm in the truest sense of the word. It feels extremely emollient on the skin and doesn't dry down, so if you have oily skin, beware. However, as someone who prefers a more dewy complexion but who also has combo-to-oily skin, I just did the rest of my routine and added concealer under my eyes before setting the balm, then added powder bronzer on the outer perimeters of my face. These steps added a nice velvety finish to the balm while simultaneously helping to keep it in place. For the areas that this method leaves untouched, like the lower cheeks, you will still feel that balmy consistency, but you can set that with a lightweight skin-tone powder like the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder ($48). Where to Find the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint You can buy the beauty balm at Sephora.com, AnastasiaBeverlyHills.com, Ulta.com, and Nordstrom.com.

Image Source: Getty/Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Contributor On March 30, Doja Cat revealed the cover of her forthcoming album, which she hinted at being set to debut on April 5. With a caption that simply reads "ASC," fans didn't have much to work with other than the picture used to accompany the announcement. In it, we see a close-up of the rapper's coily, blond hair, allowing followers to see each ringlet up close. Shortly after, she turned the comments on the post off. In an Instagram Live, Doja Cat went on to explain the reasoning behind the decision, and it signals just how far we have to go still when it comes to the way we discuss natural hair. "I had a photographer take a picture of the top of my head, and we blew it up and made it so that my album cover is my hair," she said in the live. "My hair . . . to describe it, it's 4C hair texture. I was seeing a consistent pattern in my comment section with people asking is my hair pubic hair, is it carpet, or is it sheep's wool? It's not even questioned, some people are [adamant] that that's what it is." Though representation in media has made strides over the last decade, we would be remiss not to acknowledge the fact that looser hair textures have somehow become the standard for natural hair. A movement that was supposed to be inclusive somehow still manages to exclude primarily Black people with tighter, coily textures, in turn underscoring decades-old notions that type four hair is less beautiful than its counterparts. Part of this stems from natural hair culture itself. At the height of the natural hair movement in the mid-2010s, it was the influencers with big, bouncy, type-three curls that were the ones gaining large followings and marketing hair products toward this demographic of people, which left many of those with tighter coils wondering where they fit in with the community but feeling ashamed to admit it out loud. As a result, it's not uncommon to see people using multiple products to "enhance" their curly textures in an effort to make their hair look more defined and, ultimately, different from its natural state. On top of that, the amount of work that it takes to style coily hair feels like a dirty secret to admit out loud - as if embracing your natural hair and recognizing how extensive caring for it is can never coexist. "We gotta move forward," Doja Cat continued in her live. "Let's grow. Pubic hair? Really? That's where we stand?" Though truly addressing the anti-Blackness that is at the root of this issue will continue to take work, a small action item that anyone can start today is to stop unfavorable comparisons of a Black woman's natural hair. It's rude and tasteless, and this harmful rhetoric can leave a lasting effect. Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.

Imagine this: You wake up, do your morning routine, and have breakfast. You've cleaned every part of your apartment except one - your beauty closet. Swallowing the dread, you put on your "Cowboy Carter" playlist and dance your way through a much-needed beauty-product declutter session. You can finally breathe a little easier, until you realize you have a new problem - half these products are untouched and it would simply be wasteful to throw them away. This feels like a universal problem for any and everyone who has ever referred to themselves as a beauty lover. The best part about cosmetics is that they are a relatively low-cost way to create a feeling of luxury in your everyday routine, but the downside is they can pile up fast - and don't last forever. Whether you're a collector of limited-edition packaging or you just need to try every red lipstick on the market, every product has an expiration date, so it doesn't make sense to hoard them. Thankfully, there is a solution for your mountain of rejected beauty products in need of a new home: donate them. There are a handful of organizations that can collect your new and unused, or gently used, products and give them to someone in need. From nonprofit organizations backed by L'Oreal Paris's Women of Worth initiative to organizations that help women dress for interviews, there are plenty of better alternatives to throwing your unused items into the trash. Ahead, check out exactly where to donate your beauty products - so you can declutter with a clear conscience.

Image Source: Courtesy of Carol's Daughter Coco Gauff wears many hats - tennis champion, daughter, and now, the new celebrity brand ambassador for Carol's Daughter. In a world where women's sports are more popular than ever, it's refreshing to see athletes like Gauff getting the sponsorships they deserve. "I was using Carol's Daughter's products for years before this opportunity came to me," Gauff tells PS. "As I've matured, I've started learning to embrace my hair more, and working with this brand felt like perfect alignment. It was founded by a Black woman with an emphasis on family and given how close I am to mine, this partnership just felt authentic to me." Like many Black women, hair plays a big role in Gauff's life - especially when she's on the court. "When I play, I like to wear protective hairstyles because I need low-manipulation looks," she says. "When I was young, I committed myself to showcasing Black hairstyles when I play and that's something that I take pride in. Whether it's box braids, twists, or my natural hair, it's a form of self-expression that I'm really proud of, especially because you still don't see it very often in our sport." It's important for Gauff to keep her natural hair healthy when she plays, so she has a go-to product to get her though long tournaments. "My favorite product for my protective styles, especially if they're goddess braids, is the Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner ($12)," she says. "I'm on the go all the time, so I just apply some onto my hair, rake it through, and then I'm off to compete." When she has some time to herself, Gauff loves fitting in some self-care. If she's not resting, she's probably getting her hair or nails done, or indulging in an elaborate skin-care routine. "I don't wear makeup when I'm competing, so I do my best to make sure my skin looks good," she says. She has a few go-to products that she reaches for again and again. "I really like the Rhode Pineapple Cleanser ($28)," she says. "My doubles partner, Jessie Pegula, also has a brand called Ready 24, and I've been really enjoying its Refreshing Lavender Mist ($24) and Daily Antioxidant Moisturizer ($40). I also love using Aquaphor ($6) as lip balm and moisturizer. It's my holy grail product." In the upcoming year, Gauff wants to continue experimenting with fun beauty trends. "I usually play with nails, and I really want to try a full chrome manicure," she says. "I also love anything Fenty Beauty so I'm excited to continue playing with more of its makeup." All eyes are on the athlete as she continues to carve a name for herself as a tennis prodigy, and with the star power she possesses, expect to see Gauff taking over more than just the court very soon. Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.

"The brand is back and better than ever before." Those are the words of Gregg Renfrew, founder and CEO of Beautycounter. After briefly exiting the company in 2022, Renfrew has returned to continue the brand's mission of getting clean, efficacious products into the hands of everyone. First order of business? Launch a new fragrance line: Clean Eau de Parfum. For its first foray into the category, Beautycounter is dropping five scents that offer a little bit of something for everyone, no matter your olfactive preference. From the green, woody notes in Miles Away ($96) to the sweet florals in Hyper Rose ($96), you can scoop up the entire line starting today on the brand's website and at its retail locations. Of course, the cosmetics giant had to perfect the formula to meet its own comprehensive clean beauty standards, ensuring not to use ingredients from its Never List of 2,800 potentially harmful chemicals. Therefore, when picking a nose for the perfumes, they went to Clément Marx of the Robertet Group, a fragrance manufacturing company that uses naturally sourced raw ingredients. Read ahead to hear how Marx approached working with the brand while looking at clean fragrance in a new light. POPSUGAR: Tell us how your interest in fragrance began. Clément Marx: I've always had an affinity for scent. The aromas from cooking with my mom, sniffing wine with my dad - I just loved to smell things. After googling careers where I could just use my sense of smell all day, I ended up in perfumery. PS: What was the first fragrance you ever made, and what did the experience teach you? CM: One of the first few fragrances I created was the Lalique Glorious Indigo ($250). The experience definitely opened my eyes to the fact that fragrance is a community effort. It taught me that there is no universal nose and everyone can interpret the same fragrance differently. No matter how long you've been in this space, you need to keep learning and applying your knowledge in different ways. PS: What is the difference between making a fragrance for a clean brand like Beautycounter versus others? CM: When making scents for a brand like Beautycounter, you're going to go into a different set of raw materials. The brand's specific requirements pushed me to think outside of the box, because I could be using a natural, raw ingredient in many of my formulations and know its scent composition, but for them, if it contains molecules that are on their Never List it couldn't be used for their Clean Eau de Parfum line, so I had to go back to the drawing board. For example, cedarwood is a popular note in perfumes. When you extract cedarwood from the tree, depending on the specific species, some of them might contain molecules that are on The Never List. So it was a constant rediscovery of the ingredients that I was already familiar with, but in a new way. PS: There are five scents in the line. How did creating each of them vary, beside the scent profiles? CM: The process was more or less the same, but the difference was in the experience with Beautycounter. The first two scents we created directly was more of a partnership with the brand, where they made their expectations clear around the ingredients that they wanted used in the formulas. This allowed us to understand their specifications, and after those initial scents we took the rein with the last three. By the end we came up with the full lineup that is available: Second Skin, a floral amber perfume; Pacific Dreams, which is bright and aquatic; Sun Spill, made of fresh citrus notes; Hyper Rose, which has a burst of sweet floral notes; and Miles Away, which is a green, woody floral. PS: What are you looking forward to in regard to the future of the fragrance industry? CM: On a larger scale, this process really opened my eyes to how people think about about the products that they're using. As a perfumer, I like the idea of going back to the raw material before they're even introduced into a fragrance formulation. It allows people to ask themselves what each ingredient brings to a fragrance, whether it be safety, a special olfactive experience, or something else. Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.

You know the saying: beauty is pain. While that's often true, you don't always have to suffer through all of your beauty treatments - even when it's something like waxing. In order to avoid having a painful incident occur during your wax experience, many people choose to use a topical product like a numbing cream for waxing or a numbing spray to ease the pain. Although it won't take away the pain completely, numbing cream can certainly help make the experience a little more bearable. Wax strips, hard wax, and sugar wax all share a relatively similar level of pain. A few other factors can determine how much your wax will hurt, including the thickness of your hair and, of course, your personal pain tolerance. While numbing wax cream can help, there's a bit more you should know before you go slathering yourself all over if you're hoping to use this as a hack ahead of your next hair-removal session. Keep reading to learn more about applying numbing cream for a Brazilian wax, DIY at-home waxing, or any other wax-based hair-removal needs. Do Numbing Creams Work? Numbing creams for waxing do work and can reduce pain during the procedure, though you shouldn't make it a habit of using them too often, especially for smaller things like tweezing. "I wouldn't recommend using one for plucking, as the pain isn't usually severe enough in which you would need numbing cream," dermatologist Shari Sperling, MD, tells PS. Are Numbing Creams Safe to Use Before Waxing? Generally, yes, but only if used correctly and on skin that's considered safe. According to Sperling, the risks of using numbing creams for waxing can sometimes outweigh the benefits. "There have been reports of people using them on larger areas for a longer duration of time, which resulted in systemic absorption," she says. But that's not the only thing that makes it a bit of a gamble. Dr. Sperling says you should always be able to feel what temperature your wax is, especially if you're waxing yourself. "You want to be able to feel the heat of the wax," she says. "If the temperature is too hot, it could potentially burn you." In general, you should avoid using these products on larger areas of your body, like your bikini area. If you do use them, Dr. Sperling recommends applying them 30 minutes prior to your wax and rinsing them off immediately after. Best Numbing Cream For Waxing Whether you're waxing yourself at home or dreading going to the appointment you have scheduled, two numbing products Dr. Sperling recommends using to relieve some of the pain are Lidocane Plus Pain Relieving Cream ($15) and Aspercreme Lidocaine Pain Relieving Crème ($10). You can also try the Equate Pain Relieving Cream ($6) and Biofreeze Pain Relief Cream ($12), which has worked successfully for many of our editors. - Additional reporting by Renee Rodriguez Ariel Baker Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted. Fun fact: Ariel is a major lover of animals, especially her two cats, Cow and Chicken. Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for POPSUGAR. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for POPSUGAR's TikTok and Instagram accounts.