R29 babes, the week begins with the moon in Aquarius harmonizing with the final days of Libra Season, and there’s something refreshingly detached about the energy. Instead of getting pulled into every emotion, opinion, or little plot twist around you, you may find it easier to observe, stay present, and think more innovatively about the life you want to create next. Aquarius energy can help us zoom out without disconnecting completely, which is useful as we close out Libra Season and prepare to enter a much deeper emotional chapter.

On October 23rd, Scorpio Season begins and lasts for the next four weeks, immediately followed by Mercury retrograde in Scorpio on the 24th. That gives the start of spooky season a distinctly nostalgic undertone. Old conversations, people, habits, desires, or mindsets may circle back, but the point is to notice how differently you respond now. Scorpio Season is already introspective, and Mercury retrograde intensifies that tendency to revisit what has been buried or unfinished. Use the past as evidence of your growth, not an invitation to repeat the same cycle.

Then on October 25th, Venus retrograde leaves Scorpio after three intense weeks of shadow work and enters Libra, where Venus feels much more at home. The final stretch of the retrograde may feel noticeably lighter, especially in relationships, creativity, beauty, and the way we relate to pleasure. There’s still reflection happening, but the tone becomes less emotionally consuming and more focused on restoring harmony, reconnecting with what feels beautiful, and remembering that growth does not have to feel heavy all the time. It’s a welcome shift as we head toward next week’s Taurus Full Moon.

Read your horoscopes for your Sun and Rising signs for the most in-depth forecast.

Aries Sun & Rising:

Aries, the final days of Libra Season may help you see just how much your relationship patterns have been teaching you about yourself. With Venus retrograde in Scorpio happening in the background, partnership has probably felt less like a simple question of who you want around you and more like a mirror for deeper issues around trust, control, vulnerability, and reciprocity. You may have noticed where you rush to protect your independence, where you secretly want more reassurance, or where someone else’s behavior has been activating an older wound. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and pulls you even deeper into themes of intimacy, merging, shared resources, generational wealth, and emotional commitment. You may find yourself craving more depth than usual and becoming less interested in surface-level connections or half-hearted agreements.

Mercury retrograde begins in Scorpio on October 24th, intensifying that emotional depth with a strong return-to-the-past flavor. Old financial matters, trust issues, intimate conversations, or unresolved feelings may resurface, and the point is to understand what still has unfinished business rather than immediately reacting to it. Then on October 25th, Venus retrograde shifts back into Libra and returns the focus to partnership in a softer way. After weeks of Scorpio-level intensity, you may be ready to renegotiate, reconnect, or simply approach relationships with more grace and perspective. The weekend can feel like a reminder that intimacy works best when there’s both passion and peace.

Taurus Sun & Rising:

Taurus, the final days of Libra Season may leave you thinking less about productivity and more about whether your daily life actually feels good to live inside of. With your ruler Venus retrograde in Scorpio throughout this stretch, routines, work, wellness, and boundaries may have become surprisingly emotional topics. You may have noticed how much your body reacts when a relationship feels off, how resentment creeps into your schedule, or where you have been over-functioning just to keep everything looking calm. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and turns the focus directly toward partnership, making you much more aware of who feels safe, reciprocal, and emotionally substantial enough to move forward with.

Mercury retrograde begins in Scorpio on October 24th, adding a strong review period around relationships, agreements, and conversations that may not have been fully resolved the first time. Someone from the past could resurface, or a current connection may need a second conversation with more honesty than before. Then on October 25th, Venus retrograde leaves Scorpio and returns to Libra, which may feel like a small exhale for you. The focus shifts back toward restoring balance in your routines and taking better care of your physical and emotional well-being, so by the weekend you may care less about figuring everyone else out and more about getting yourself back into alignment.

Gemini Sun & Rising:

Gemini, the final days of Libra Season may remind you that pleasure is not supposed to become another task you optimize. Over the past few weeks, your romance, creativity, fun, and inner-child sector has been activated while Venus retrograded through Scorpio in the background, which may have made joy feel oddly entangled with work, health, responsibility, or emotional cleanup. You may have noticed that even when something exciting was happening, part of your brain was still making a spreadsheet about it. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and shifts your attention toward your routines, wellness, and daily responsibilities, encouraging you to take your energy more seriously and notice where your schedule has been helping or draining you.

Mercury, your ruler, stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th, so work patterns, health habits, unfinished tasks, or old responsibilities may need another pass before you can fully move forward. You could realize that a problem you thought was logistical is actually rooted in resentment, avoidance, or simple exhaustion. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, lightening the mood and redirecting some of your attention toward romance, creativity, and pleasure again. After all that Scorpio intensity, this can feel like the universe handing you back a little glitter and saying: “please remember you’re allowed to enjoy your life too.”

Cancer Sun & Rising:

Cancer, the final days of Libra Season may help you see your home and emotional life with a little more honesty than usual. While Venus has been retrograde in Scorpio, questions around romance, pleasure, creativity, and emotional vulnerability may have quietly influenced the way you’ve been relating to family, privacy, and what “safe” really means. You may have noticed that certain people or environments bring out a more guarded version of you, while others make it easier to relax and feel like yourself. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and shifts the focus toward romance, creativity, pleasure, and inner-child healing, making the next few weeks feel more emotionally vivid and personally expressive.

Mercury retrograde begins in Scorpio on October 24th, adding a nostalgic layer to that part of your chart. An old crush, creative project, hobby, or desire may come back into focus, and you may find yourself asking why it mattered so much in the first place. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, redirecting your attention toward home, family, and emotional balance. After a week of digging through your heart a little, you may feel ready to make your private world softer, calmer, and more supportive of the version of you that’s trying to emerge.

Leo Sun & Rising:

Leo, the final days of Libra Season may show you just how much your environment and conversations have been shaping your mood lately. With Venus retrograde in Scorpio working through your home, family, and emotional-foundation zone, even casual exchanges may have felt more loaded than usual, especially if there were unspoken tensions underneath them. You may have learned that keeping the peace is not always the same thing as feeling at peace. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and pulls your attention inward, toward home, roots, privacy, and the parts of your life that need more protection, repair, or emotional honesty.

Mercury retrograde begins in Scorpio on October 24th, so old family conversations, living situations, memories, or private concerns may come back around for another look. This is less about getting dragged backward and more about understanding what still has a hold on you. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, lightening the emotional atmosphere and bringing more ease to communication, socializing, and your immediate surroundings. You may find it easier to say what you mean without turning every conversation into a courtroom drama, which, frankly, is a gift.

Virgo Sun & Rising:

Virgo, the final days of Libra Season may leave you thinking differently about what actually makes you feel secure. Over the past few weeks, money, self-worth, and personal values have been highlighted while Venus retrograde in Scorpio stirred deeper questions around communication and the stories you tell yourself. You may have realized that some of your financial stress is tied to mental habits just as much as numbers, or that you have been undervaluing your time because you are too used to being the dependable one. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and shifts the focus more directly toward your mind, voice, learning, and immediate environment.

Mercury, your ruler, stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th, so conversations, paperwork, plans, or old thought patterns may need another round of attention. Something you said, heard, or decided earlier could look very different once you revisit it with more context. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, bringing the focus back toward money, pleasure, and self-worth in a softer way. You may feel more ready to reassess what is actually worth your time, your effort, and your coins — because being responsible doesn’t require permanently choosing the least enjoyable option.

Libra Sun & Rising:

Libra, the final days of your season may feel less like a victory lap and more like a quiet audit of what this past month actually taught you about yourself. With Venus retrograde in Scorpio putting pressure on money, self-worth, and security, your birthday season may have come with more reflection than usual around what you value, what you spend, and where you still look outside yourself for reassurance. You may be ending Libra Season with a clearer sense of which comforts genuinely support you and which ones have been disguising insecurity. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and shifts the spotlight more directly toward finances, resources, and the deeper question of what makes you feel materially and emotionally secure.

Mercury retrograde begins in Scorpio on October 24th, so old money decisions, pricing questions, purchases, or self-worth narratives may need another look before you move ahead. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into your sign, which changes the tone considerably. You may become more reflective about appearance, attraction, relationships, and how you want to present yourself, but there’s also something much softer about having your ruler back in Libra territory. Think of it as a chance to refine rather than reinvent: you may not need a whole new identity, just a more honest relationship with the one you already have.

Scorpio Sun & Rising:

Scorpio, this week has phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes energy written all over it. The final days of Libra Season may have felt like a strange in-between chapter, especially with Venus retrograde moving through your sign and forcing you to confront what you still want, what you have outgrown, and which version of yourself you are no longer interested in carrying forward. Then on October 23rd, the sun enters your sign, officially beginning your solar season. In a Fire Horse year and a 1 year in numerology, there’s something especially potent about this birthday season feeling like a true restart. Even with retrogrades swirling around you, you may feel more alive, more determined, and more willing to reclaim parts of yourself that got buried beneath the emotional heaviness of the past few weeks.

Then Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th, adding an interesting twist to this rebirth: the fresh start may come through remembering rather than rushing forward. Old ideas, conversations, ambitions, or versions of yourself may resurface and show you how much has changed since you first wanted them. You may realize that something you abandoned deserves another chance, or that a past identity no longer has enough power to pull you backward. And then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, moving some of the emotional processing into a more private, subconscious space. The spotlight is officially on you now, but part of your transformation is learning that you don’t have to drag every old wound onto the stage with you.

Sagittarius Sun & Rising:

Sagittarius, the final days of Libra Season may leave you thinking more seriously about who still belongs in the future you’re building. Over the past few weeks, friendships, collaborations, and long-term goals have been highlighted while Venus retrograde in Scorpio quietly pulled you inward, making you more selective about where your energy goes. You may have realized that some social connections are inspiring you forward while others keep pulling you into old emotional patterns. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and shifts the mood into a much more private chapter, asking you to protect your energy, rest more intentionally, and make space for whatever’s been trying to surface beneath the noise.

Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th, and instead of simply making you “more introspective,” it may feel like your subconscious starts leaving little breadcrumbs everywhere. Dreams, memories, old fears, unfinished creative ideas, or even people you have not thought about in a while could start resurfacing with suspiciously good timing. Pay attention to what keeps returning; there may be something there worth understanding before you rush into your next big move. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, which can make the social energy feel lighter again and bring old friends, communities, or collaborations back into view. The vibe is less disappearing completely and more choosing your circle with much better discernment.

Capricorn Sun & Rising:

Capricorn, the final days of Libra Season may clarify which ambitions still feel worth the climb and which ones were built around someone else’s definition of success. Over the past few weeks, your career and public image have been highlighted while Venus retrograde in Scorpio quietly complicated the social side of things, making you more aware of who supports you, who competes with you, and which professional relationships actually feel reciprocal. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and shifts your attention toward friendship, community, collaboration, and the future you’re trying to build beyond your résumé.

Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th, and this can make your social world feel like a reunion episode with unfinished plotlines. Old friends, former collaborators, abandoned goals, or group dynamics may resurface, but the interesting part is seeing them through the eyes of the person you are now. You may realize that a dream you once shelved still has life in it, or that a connection you thought was over simply needed different boundaries. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, bringing your career and visibility back into focus with a softer edge. You may feel ready to refine how you present yourself professionally and choose opportunities that feel aligned with both your ambition and your peace.

Aquarius Sun & Rising:

Aquarius, the final days of Libra Season may help you see which beliefs, ambitions, or bigger-life plans still genuinely excite you and which ones you’ve simply been carrying out of habit. Over the past few weeks, travel, spirituality, and your broader worldview have been highlighted while Venus retrograde in Scorpio quietly stirred your career and reputation sector. You may have been asking bigger questions about whether the path you’re on actually reflects the person you’re becoming. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and turns the spotlight toward visibility, ambition, and the legacy you want to build.

Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th, but rather than just repeating the same career themes, this can feel like an opportunity to revise the story people know you by. An old professional idea, former collaborator, past ambition, or unfinished public project may come back into circulation, and you may suddenly understand how it could be approached differently now. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, bringing a little more air and perspective back into the picture. You may feel ready to reconnect with travel, learning, or a wider vision of your future, which can be exactly what helps you remember why you’re working so hard in the first place.

Pisces Sun & Rising:

Pisces, the final days of Libra Season may leave you with a clearer sense of what intimacy, trust, and emotional reciprocity actually require from you now. Over the past few weeks, shared resources, merging, vulnerability, and deeper emotional bonds have been highlighted while Venus retrograde in Scorpio kept pulling bigger questions about meaning, faith, travel, and your future into the background. You may have realized that who you trust is closely connected to what you believe about yourself and where your life is headed. Then Scorpio Season begins on October 23rd and shifts the focus toward expansion, perspective, education, spirituality, and experiences that help you feel more connected to something larger than your current circumstances.

Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th, and this may feel less like “going backward” and more like reopening a door you were too busy or uncertain to walk through the first time. An old travel plan, course of study, spiritual practice, or long-distance connection could return with new relevance, especially if it still feels unfinished. Then the week ends with Venus retrograde shifting into Libra, bringing your attention back toward intimacy, trust, and shared resources in a softer, more balanced way. You may feel ready to have honest conversations about what you need from others and what you’re genuinely willing to share in return.

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"Wedding season” is often associated with summer, but some of the most popular months to say “I do” actually fall later in the year. Maybe it’s the foliage or the welcome relief from the heat, but fall weddings are definitely a thing. While the colorful leaves make for stunning wedding photos, finding fall wedding guest dresses can be tricky. The goal: something elevated, seasonally- and weather-appropriate, and comfortable enough to carry you through hours of celebrating (and dancing).

Ahead, we’ve rounded up 21 statement-making fall wedding guest dresses that work for dipping temperatures (think: maxi lengths, long sleeves, high necklines, and rich fabrics) and every kind of venue (like luxe halls, breweries, and lakeside). Expect velvet gowns, autumnal printed midis, and ruffled minis (plus the occasional trendy red and fringe dress). So, whether you need an elegant gown for a black-tie affair or are craving a versatile fall dress for a casual ceremony, your perfect look is just a click away.

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Fall Black-Tie Wedding Guest Dresses

While floor-length gowns are a common go-to for black-tie weddings, luxe fabrications, intricate detailing, and statement silhouettes can make an ankle-grazing dress more intriguing. This season, look for high-neck gowns, flared sleeves, and festive fabrics like sequins, velvet, or lace. These picks will no doubt help you stand out from the crowd and land you on the best-dressed list.

Reformation Legacy Gown, $, available at Reformation

Lulus Strapless Bustier Maxi Dress

Lulus Strapless Bustier Maxi Dress, $, available at Lulus

Quince Catalina Stretch Satin Dress

Quince Catalina Stretch Satin Dress, $, available at Quince

Mac Duggal Mock Neck Long Sleeve Lace Gown

Mac Duggal Mock Neck Long Sleeve Lace Gown, $, available at Mac Duggal

Camila Coelho Sleeveless Polka Dot Gown

Camila Coelho Sleeveless Polka Dot Gown, $, available at Marshalls

Rat & Boa Solar Dress

Rat & Boa Solar Dress, $, available at Rat & Boa

Tibi Matte Satin Plisse Maxi Bias Dress

Tibi Matte Satin Plisse Maxi Bias Dress, $, available at Tibi

Cocktail Wedding Guest Dresses

Cocktail attire hits that sweet spot between formal and casual, which is why it’s one of the most popular special-occasion dress codes. This opens up your options to plenty of silhouettes, fabrics, and embellishments. For fall, try satin midi dresses, fringe and cape-sleeve minis, or even a convertible neckline design. Also consider fall-appropriate bat prints (yes, seriously!) or 3D roses. The styles ahead transition effortlessly from afternoon ceremonies to nighttime receptions with the right heels and accessories.

Dôen Félicité Dress, $, available at Dôen

Abercrombie & Fitch Giselle 5-in-1 Convertible Maxi Dress

Abercrombie & Fitch Giselle 5-in-1 Convertible Maxi Dress, $, available at Abercrombie & Fitch

Hutch Fringed Chevron Dress

Hutch Fringed Chevron Dress, $, available at Anthropologie

Selkie The Bats And The Bees Mozart Slip

Selkie The Bats And The Bees Mozart Slip, $, available at Selkie

Magda Butrym Cotton and Silk Flower-Detail Midi Dress

Magda Butrym Cotton and Silk Flower-Detail Midi Dress, $, available at Magda Butrym

Ten Fan Satin Dress

Ten Fan Satin Dress, $, available at Aritzia

Petal & Pup Naira Pleated Maxi Dress

Petal & Pup Naira Pleated Maxi Dress, $, available at Nordstrom

Fall Casual Wedding Guest Dresses

For casual weddings — especially daytime ceremonies and laid-back venues, like restaurants or breweries — you can keep things more relaxed without losing the festive touch. Think: mini or maxi dresses with textural ruffles, slightly sheer fabrics, or fall floral prints in versatile silhouettes that you can rewear for other occasions (like holiday parties... or even to the office).

Old Navy x Altuzarra Scarf Maxi Dress, $, available at Old Navy

Damson Madder Reed Ruffle Mini Dress

Damson Madder Reed Ruffle Mini Dress, $, available at Damson Madder

Free-est Marsai Maxi Dress

free-est Marsai Maxi Dress, $, available at Free People

Taylor Ruffle Hem Mini Cocktail Dress

Taylor Ruffle Hem Mini Cocktail Dress, $, available at Tj Maxx

Zara Flocked Asymmetric Dress

Zara Flocked Asymmetric Dress, $, available at Zara

Never Fully Dressed Poppy Spot Aria Mesh Dress

Never Fully Dressed Poppy Spot Aria Mesh Dress, $, available at Never Fully Dressed

Adrianna Papell Satin Lapel Stretch Tuxedo Mini Dress

Adrianna Papell Satin Lapel Stretch Tuxedo Mini Dress, $, available at Adrianna Papell

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For a generation of creatives, the Internet has become both a canvas and a launchpad. Bedrooms, timelines, and feeds have been turned into places where entire careers can begin. And sometimes, the work starts to stretch beyond the platform that first made it visible and the question becomes, “what happens when you want to build beyond the thing people first knew you for?” For the creatives who came up online, that can mean taking an audience into a new medium, turning influence into ownership, or simply giving themselves permission to become someone new.

We spoke with six Latine creatives working across poetry, music, entertainment, beauty, and brand-building about the leap from being known online to building something that can live beyond it. Their paths look wildly different, but the same thread runs through them: The work that lasts until the end comes from somewhere deeper than the digital binary. It comes from following what’s in your heart, trusting the parts of yourself that feel most true, and carrying who you are and where you come from with you as everything else changes.

Desi Perkins — Beauty Creator & Founder of DEZI and DEZI Skin

It all started as a passion project. I had no idea it could become a career. The moment everything changed was my first collaboration with an eyewear brand. It was the first product I had ever created to sell, and it did $7 million in 12 minutes. We completely shutdown Shopify and exceeded every expectation anyone had. I remember being genuinely shocked because I had no idea I could sell anything, let alone at that scale. Until that day, I don’t think I fully understood how much support I had behind me. That experience made me realize that I could take the community and trust I had built online and create something tangible from it. It also showed me the difference between contributing to something and owning what you’re building. I wanted more than my name attached to a product. I wanted a seat at every table — product development, operations, marketing, finances — and to build something where the long-term value belonged to me and my family. 

I wanted more than my name attached to a product. I wanted a seat at every table — product development, operations, marketing, finances — and to build something where the long-term value belonged to me and my family.

DESI PERKINS

An audience can help you have a successful launch, but it cannot guarantee you a sustainable company. I never wanted to create a product just because I knew people would buy it once. I wanted them to finish it, miss it when it was gone, and spend their own money to buy it again. Building DEZI Skin forced me to think beyond hype. Going slowly taught me that trust can get someone through the door, but the product has to earn the repeat purchase. Influence can create attention, but it cannot replace a strong product, healthy margins, good operations, or customer loyalty. People also underestimate how much creators learn by being in direct conversation with consumers every single day. We know what people are asking, the problems they’re trying to solve, what language connects, and when something feels forced. But understanding the consumer doesn’t automatically mean you know how to run a company. I had to learn forecasting, inventory, cash flow margins, retail partnerships, hiring, and operations—all the things no one sees in a launch post. 

I used to think longevity meant staying relevant. Now I think it means building something that doesn’t depend entirely on my relevance. Platforms will change. Algorithms will change. People’s attention will move somewhere else. I’m building brands with real products, real teams, retail relationships, and customers who may discover DEZI without knowing anything about my YouTube career. I’m also building equity. Something my family can benefit from long after a post stops performing. 

That ownership is personal to me in other ways, too. Being Mexican-American doesn’t look or sound one specific way, and there were moments when people made me feel like I wasn’t Latina enough. With DEZI Skin, I didn’t want to translate my identity into something more comfortable or marketable for everyone else. The Spanglish, the ingredients, the product names, and the stories are all connected to how I actually grew up. The goal isn’t to remove myself from the story. It’s to build [the brands] strongly enough that they can grow beyond me.

Katteyes — Creator & Recording Artist

I’ve always loved music. When I was very young, I went to singing academies, and when I was 14, I released a couple of songs and then deleted them because I was embarrassed. By the time I was 18, after already building most of my career as a digital creator, I decided to pursue music because it had always been a passion of mine, but I hadn’t felt ready or prepared before. I didn’t know how to release music or upload it to platforms, and I signed my first music contract without really understanding what I was signing. I come from a working-class neighborhood in Chile. I went to public school, and I had to learn almost everything on my own. I made a lot of mistakes, but because of them, I learned how to manage my career today. When I decided to focus on music, I basically had to start again from zero.

Having followers who watch you for 15 seconds on a social platform is completely different from getting someone to listen to your music for three minutes and then go find you on Spotify, Apple Music, or another platform. More than moving an audience from one place to another, I had to build a new audience. When I started releasing music, I stopped creating digital content for a full year and stopped accepting campaigns. My income dropped a lot because I was betting on this new project and taking that risk. I had to reinvent myself. Social media and music are completely different worlds, but I do think they can complement each other, and everything I learned from the speed of the digital world has helped me understand the artistic world, too. 

Having followers who watch you for 15 seconds on a social platform is completely different from getting someone to listen to your music for three minutes and then go find you on Spotify, Apple Music, or another platform. More than moving an audience from one place to another, I had to build a new audience.

Katteyes

As an artist, I’ve realized there can be a lot of anxiety and frustration around always asking, “What’s next?” Instead of chasing viral moments or trying to copy-and-paste the same successful song, I believe in following your essence and making what you actually love, what fills your heart. That’s what brings results because you’re making something unique and authentic. I want everything I do to feel 100% mine, whether I’m involved in the choreography, the technical production, the visuals, or every detail of a show. And no matter how international my music or image becomes, I always want people to know I’m Chilean. I carry Chile with me everywhere I go. More than visibility, I think what builds something lasting is not being afraid of rejection, of being laughed at, or of looking ridiculous. You have to show yourself authentically. That’s how you create a fandom, a family that can follow you for years because they connect with who you really are.

Kathleen Lights — Beauty Creator & Founder of Lights Lacquer

I think [what has allowed my career to last] has been my ability to stay relatable and authentic. I’ve been pretty open about my struggles with anxiety and have shared a lot of my life with my audience, the good and the not-so-great—and I think people resonate with that. Makeup was what brought us together, but those conversations allowed the connection to become more personal. I’m also very honest in my reviews, and my audience appreciates that. People are spending their money based on something I recommend, and I take that seriously. When I started my channel, I was mainly looking for community. I was excited to gain subscribers, but I never imagined it could turn into the business it has become. Working with brands helped me realize how much I enjoyed product development and showed me I could do more than review products; I could help create them. But having an audience and building a business are very different things. I’m incredibly grateful that my community gave me a place to start, but I don’t see their support as something I’m automatically entitled to. I wanted to create products people would genuinely enjoy, not something they would purchase only because they wanted to support me.

Having an audience and building a business are very different things. I’m incredibly grateful that my community gave me a place to start, but I don’t see their support as something I’m automatically entitled to. I wanted to create products people would genuinely enjoy, not something they would purchase only because they wanted to support me.

kathleen lights

Ownership and creative control are everything when you’re attaching your name to a brand. Having your name attached to a brand and having the ability to shape its direction aren’t necessarily the same thing. That’s why I launched Lights Lacquer on my own. I wanted to be closely involved in the products, the stories behind the collections, and the experience we’re giving our customers. I’ve loved being able to build a brand with my audience in mind, but ultimately, I want someone who has never watched a KathleenLights video to discover Lights Lacquer and love it. My audience helped give the brand its beginning, but the products need to give people a reason to come back. [My Cuban-American identity] is woven into so much of it because it’s how I grew up and I hope another Latina can see that there’s room to build something without separating yourself from where you come from. After more than a decade online, my definition of success has become more personal. I don’t want to measure everything by whether I’m getting more attention than I was yesterday. If I’m making work I’m proud of, maintaining that connection with my community, and feeling okay in my actual life, that means a lot to me. 

Laith Ashley — Creator, Model, & Actor

It’s quite interesting, especially thinking retrospectively about how far social media has come in the last 10 to 15 years. Instagram was still in its infancy. It had not developed into the content creator market that we see today. For the most part, I was posting myself, my friends, and my family. When a photo of mine suddenly went viral overnight, it felt like I was thrust into the public eye and was unprepared for what that came with. I was fortunate enough to receive overwhelming support after the initial backlash. As opportunities began coming my way, I told myself I had to take them despite my fear, and I am glad I did. I have tried my best [to expand beyond what people first discovered me for], but it’s hard to break free from the boxes you are put in based on how you’re perceived, especially if you’re POC. There are moments I have struggled to be seen beyond my body, especially as I age. I have, however, realized that all I am and can be are also tools I can use to further my career. I cannot control every aspect of how I am perceived, and that isn’t my job. People are going to believe what they want to believe. I spent a long time trying to convince people of one thing or another. That was exhausting, to say the least.

I have tried my best [to expand beyond what people first discovered me for], but it’s hard to break free from the boxes you are put in based on how you’re perceived, especially if you’re POC.

Laith Ashley

I’m not ashamed of my transness. When I’ve spoken about wanting to be recognized beyond it, it was because every single thing I did was punctuated by it, even if it had nothing to do with gender identity. I knew that at the time visibility was important, and it still is. The issue I had was that I wasn’t allowed to perform beyond it. At this point in my life and career, I feel like I am rediscovering myself, my passions, and what brings me joy, and that has also been a lot of work. Messy work! My relationship with social media has changed tremendously, too. There are moments when I feel like I have aged out of social media or have lost interest altogether—maybe I’m just tired. [My advice is to] have fun, be yourself, and stay informed. I spent so much time chasing this idea of success that I missed out on living in the moment and enjoying those small victories and time spent with really amazing people.

Maleni Cruz — Creator, Comedic Actor, & Recording Artist

I don’t think I ever realized my audience could become something bigger. Even now, I don’t know if I fully realize it. The moment that really hit me was when people started naming their kids after me. I was like, “okay, if y’all are naming you’re kids after me, I can’t fail you!” When people tell me they’ve been watching me for so long that they feel connected to me, that connection is never going to go away. When people grow with you and experience life with you, that’s how you know they’re going to support you time and time again. I think what has helped me build that is how authentic I am. People relate to me so much, they think they’re talking to their cousin, their sister, their homegirl. When they see me, they feel like they’ve known me for years. Before content became my full-time career, I was still working in dance, and I got to a point where I couldn’t give 100% to that job and 100% to myself. I had to bet on myself. I had to ask, “Are you picking yourself or are you going to neglect you?” It was time to really pour into myself.

I’m still building what I want my career to look like. I want to do more acting, more comedy, even action comedy. I want to be recognized for my talent because I really see myself as a performer and an entertainer.

maleni cruz

I’m still building what I want my career to look like. I want to do more acting, more comedy, even action comedy. I want to be recognized for my talent because I really see myself as a performer and an entertainer. But I’m also a firm believer that whatever door is in front of you, take it. You really don’t know where those doors are going to lead you. That’s how I’ve been my whole life, even before social media. Being from New York and being Dominican are things that are always going to walk with me. That’s just who I am. My advice to anyone starting out is to do whatever makes you happy and post whatever makes you happy. Don’t think too much about what someone else is doing, how many views something has, or how many comments it gets. If you follow what your heart wants to do, regardless of what everyone else thinks you should or shouldn’t be doing, just do it.

Orion Carloto — Creator & Author

It’s funny how often I reflect on [those early years online], and how it always comes down to the belief that the Internet saved my life in some strange way. I found little corners in the world where I could create a shrine of everything I already knew and loved, which inevitably led me down rabbit holes of shinier obsessions. You could shape a world and let a new world shape you. There was fear in letting people into the real me, so it was natural that I went out seeking kindred oddballs. Growing up in a predominantly white town, it was also the Internet that led me to love my identity in more ways than one. It was in this strange absence of closeness (to others) that I went looking for communities more like me.

I just wanted an ear, and I’m grateful that people are kind enough to still keep listening.

Orion Carloto

I just wanted an ear, and I’m grateful that people are kind enough to still keep listening. There’s a sense of entanglement I share with my audience that feels less like “an audience” and more like, “Oh, we just grew up together.” We’re all interested in the same things. For me, longevity has come down to being honest with myself. If your heart is in something, other people will feel that too. Feeling is extremely important to me. Documenting feeling. Documenting change. I’ll take the photo, I’ll write a poem, I’ll journal about the cicadas, I’ll pocket a spoon from an Amarillo Motel. I love road movies about nothing. My favorite genre of literature is reading about how someone felt about something. Anything. I’m interested. But I think we all are. The language is in the everyday, and the everyday outlives us all. Doing this has taught me that.

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Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

This week: An associate working in apparel who makes $53,000 per year and spends some of it on some kiwis (an out-of-the-ordinary purchase for me!).

If you’d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we’re not able to reply to every email. We are legally unable to publish any diaries that have been written with the use of AI.

Interested in taking our latest Money Diaries survey? We’d love to hear your thoughts here.

Occupation: Associate
Industry: Apparel
Age: 26
Location: Dallas, TX
Salary: $53,000
Joint Income/Financial Setup: n/a
Assets:
Savings: $793.62 (I recently went to Hawaii for vacation, and that wiped out a bit of my savings despite traveling on the cheap, staying in hostels etc).
Debt: $33,386.42 (My student loans plus credit card debt)
Paycheck Amount (2x month): $1,803
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $1,265 (I live alone in a one-bedroom apartment).
Loan Payments: $1,803
Utilities (electricity & water): ~$100
Nuuly subscription: $106.09 (I forgot to cancel it last month, oops!)
Gym membership: $95
Web portfolio: $8

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I got my bachelor’s degree from the same school my family’s three generations of women went to. When I received a partial academic scholarship, that was that! I’m currently paying it back with state and federal loans.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
Other than vague, dad statements of “you need to save!” etc., we didn’t really talk about actionable steps/financial literacy in our house. To me, money has always felt very stressful and confusing to navigate. I want to be “good” at saving, etc., but it can feel overwhelming. I loved writing this Money Diary as an exercise to track my spending, so hopefully it’s the start of better money habits.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I had a front-desk job at a country club during college (my cousin who had also worked there referred me). I answered phones, refilled water/coffee, managed schedules and was generally helpful. It was excellent money and a very low-stress job! My parents helped pay for my rent in college, but I was expected to pay for gas, groceries, and other needs.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I remember a couple of times growing up when I realized we were sort of “cutting back” as a family. But, fortunately, no dire circumstances. In terms of handling my own money, I remember wanting to give away any I had accumulated — this being maybe $20 at most, made from neighborhood donut stands or “cleaning” my grandmother’s room. I think my kid brain thought I’d be no good at handling it and/or sensing it would be stressful to manage. I just wanted someone else to have it and be done.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes, especially since I was recently passed over for a raise and I make the lowest salary within the company. I struggle to find a balance between accruing savings while paying off my student loans/credit card debt. I worry constantly about being the sort of person who is good at saving, good at spending, good at maximizing credit card points — I definitely don’t understand credit card points!

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became fully financially responsible for myself post-grad at 22 years old, when I got my first full-time job. I would say my parents are my “financial safety net,” although since my mom just lost her job — and they are helping pay back some of my brother’s student loans, which accumulated — that would be an absolute last resort.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
I received $5,000 from my aunt in her will and used the majority of it to pay off one of my credit cards.

Day One: Monday

7 a.m. — I roll out of bed, somewhere between my third and fourth alarm, and become a presentable human. Dress. Brush teeth. Curl bangs. Make coffee smoothie for breakfast. Assemble work bag. Mentally prepare for battle.

11:15 a.m. — I need a pick-me-up, stat! My desk mate and I walk a block over to the local 7/11 gas station. It’s run by a very down-to-earth family who remember their regular customers. They handle a lot of craziness (it’s open 24/7). I gather the makings of a gas station charcuterie board for lunch: pickles, meat stick, chocolate peanut butter energy bar and an energy drink! I finally signed up for the 7/11 app and plan to cash in on my points later this week! $11.93

5:20 p.m. — Post-work I head to grocery store and think about my co-worker who got fired — it’s very upsetting! I park, head in and realize I have had a stain on the back of my shirt all day! Ack! I hate that. Grocery haul includes kiwi, salami, turkey deli meat, kombucha, chickpea pasta, kale, beets, sweet potato, chicken breasts, chocolate, granola, orange juice, almonds, tortilla chips and salsa. As much as I love Sprouts, my neighborhood grocery store is definitely cheaper and the member deals make a big difference in total. $97.99

6:20 p.m. — I’m home now, so I feast upon salami, cheese, almonds, and peach kombucha while reading my book on my apartment’s outdoor patio.

7:00 p.m. — I start to get ready for the gym and decide to stop for a brief bang cutting interlude (slightly too short, but what can you do!) and then head out.

8:45 p.m. — Once home, I tidy up a little bit, “stain clinic” my soiled shirt and start a load of washing, while avoiding eye contact with the dirty dishes in the sink.

10:00 p.m. — Shower! Cozy and in bed, I pick up where I left off in my book: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. I’m considering art therapy as a potential career path and I love hearing the therapists POV on a therapy session.

Daily Total: $109.92

Day Two: Tuesday

7 a.m. — I wake up and make Laird Superfood coffee; it’s so good! I heat up frozen sausage, and chuck a yogurt in my bag. I quickly assemble a salad with cranberries, blue cheese, turkey, and greens for lunch (while genius-ly repurposing the kiwi box as my Tupperware container). I’m heading to the warehouse for work. It’s truly so dirty, but the people there are nice. I mentally black out for the rest of the day because I hate the warehouse.

5 p.m. — Eventually, it’s over and I head to my gym for my 6 p.m. workout class — the cost is included in my monthly membership. I get there early and work on my computer using the gym’s wifi.

8 p.m. — Workout class done *fist bump*. I drive to my parents’ house to work from home the next day. They live about 45-minute drive away. I get home in time to scavenge the leftovers of my parents’ dinner: chicken, rice, and beans from a local TexMex place I love. We veg in front of the TV and catch up.

Daily Total: $0

Day Three: Wednesday

7:55 a.m. — Since it’s a WFH day I wake up leisurely at 7:55 a.m. My mom goes out to get us Starbucks — egg bites and lattes. Mom pays!

12:00 p.m. — For lunch, we make chicken soup with salad and sip on tea. I coo over my cat, who is recovering from a bite wound. She’s 80% back to normal, but still limps around the house. I baby her and let her drink water from the tap when my mom isn’t looking.

5:00 p.m. — I head back to Dallas to meet a friend for a ropes climbing session at 6 p.m. We talk, catch up, and I climb my first 11c grade route! By the end of our workout, I’m dying for a Gatorade Lime Cucumber but it’s all sold out. Drat! I settle for boring lemon/lime flavor and charge it to my membership, like a fancy kid! $4

9:00 p.m. — I get home, shower, make chickpea pasta with olive oil and black olives. Nothing fancy but it works! Then conk the heck out.

Daily Total: $4

Day Four: Thursday

7:00 a.m. — Surprise, surprise, I’m headed to the dirty old warehouse! My boss will not be there today, so things will be a bit more lax. I munch on chocolate chip granola and sip kombucha from my grocery haul, hoping it will give me enough caffeine to last the day.

12:30 p.m. — I didn’t bring lunch, so I drive over to a local cafe for my “usual”: fresh salad with cranberries, cheese, and chicken with a pink berry dressing, plus I leave a tip. I bring the food back to the warehouse and enjoy the breeze from the porch. $16.24

5:00 p.m. — I’m supposed to meet my cousin for tennis, but it’s just rained and the courts are likely wet. We reschedule and I head to the SMU Meadows Museum instead. It’s free entry on Thursday evenings. There’s a special Raimundo de Madrazo exhibit on display, which the art history student (my assumption) at the front desk recommends. The Belle Époque portraits are vibrant and really realistic! I feel so cultured.

7:00 p.m. — I get home and try to cook veggies in the oven but accidentally set off the fire alarm! I jump out of the shower and fan the fire alarm with a towel on and shampoo in my hair. I end up making a salad with turkey instead, blah! Then Venmo my friend who I have been meaning to pay back since our Hawaii vacation. $150

Daily Total: $166.24

Day Five: Friday

7:00 a.m. — Friday! I make a smoothie with banana, peanut butter, and coffee and saddle up for the day. On the way to the warehouse, I stop at a gas station to buy spring water and a macadamia nut Clif bar (arguably the best flavor!) My boss ends up bringing me an energy drink, and even though I’ve been trying to quit drinking these, my smoothie turned out to be gross, so I sip on it throughout the day. I become extra caffeinated. Cost: FREEEEEEEEEEEEE! $4.88

12:30 p.m. — My boss wants to eat off campus so we head to an outside food hall with a bunch of different stalls. I get a spicy pork bulgogi bowl and a yuzu lemonade (plus tip) from the Korean place. So, so yummy! We lunch al fresco and my boss talks about work. Fun! $28.12

4:30 p.m. — It’s a Friday miracle because we got out of work early! On the way home, I stop at Walgreens and purchase hand soap, bathroom tissue, and Lanolips lip balm. I thought it was on sale. It was not. I purchase anyway for my split lip. $56.73

6:00 p.m. — I meet my friend to climb and he’s gotten a haircut which totally throws me off. We climb and I pretend not to stare at his haircut the whole time.

8:00 p.m. — I driver over to my cousin’s apartment to help her make cookies for a luncheon tomorrow. We catch up, nibble on cookie dough, and make a frozen pizza for dinner then I head home!

Daily Total: $89.73

Day Six: Saturday

10:30 a.m. — I wake up at exactly the time the luncheon starts — oops! It’s informal but I hate that I’m immediately late. I text my cousin I’m on my way, and brush my teeth while simultaneously making coffee and dressing myself! The dress — courtesy of this month’s accidental Nuuly subscription — is a lovely, white linen thing with pink ric-rac trim and a back cut-out. I set out ready to seize the day!

11:00 a.m. — I arrive and munch on sugar cookies, sip coffee, and meet new people. I get third place in Bunco and leave with a set of party cups illustrated by an artist my mom adores (I’m mentally noting to gift these to her).

3:00 p.m. — By the time I make it home, I’m very hungry. I snack on buckwheat English muffins slathered in butter and peanut butter, a honey crisp apple, and finish my morning coffee. While passing the mirror, I realize you can sort of see my underwear through the dress! I bombard my cousin with texts, asking if she could see my underwear. She says no but I suspect she’s lying. The underwear was patterned with the Victoria’s Secret pink dog across my bum…

4:00 p.m. — It’s about this time of day that I find myself at IKEA (my happy place) and buy a summery green gingham bed cover, a sink brush, and cutting boards! Getting functional home stuff that excites me is one of the ways I motivate myself to clean/take better care of my space. I had been seriously eyeing some of their standalone kitchen islands (I have next to no counterspace in my apartment) but leave without making any big purchases. $57.34

5:00 p.m. — I stop at a nearby Whole Foods and buy snacks for when I’ll be working on my computer later at Half Price Books. I get a fancy lemonade and cocoa energy bites. $15.46

7:00 p.m. — After some productive writing at HPB and a little eavesdropping (my seat mates were having a very intense philosophical discussion) I head home. I want to make a casserole, so I boil chicken breasts for, I want to say, eternity? I set the heat too low! The casserole also calls for rice simmered in chicken stock, frozen peas, and cheese. It takes way longer than expected, but I enjoy the warm casserole for dinner, yummy! I then put the rest in the fridge.

10:00 p.m. — I finish my book and then hit the hay.

Daily Total: $72.80

Day Seven: Sunday

7:15 a.m. — I wake up and get dressed for church. I make my coffee and go to add a finishing splash of creamer. Only it’s too late when I realize I’ve poured chunky expired creamer in instead of fresh creamer. Nooo! (You might be asking why I haven’t thrown out the old one yet, but I just keep forgetting). I’m dismayed and put the chunky creamer back into the fridge. I sing along to “Lake Street Dive” in the car while I drive over.

10:30 a.m. — Church is over and I still have a hankering for coffee. I decide to try a Yemeni coffee place I read about in Eater Magazine. It’s designed beautifully with lots of white marble and I beeline to the colorful pastry case. I choose Oreo covered dates to go with my latte. When my coffee is ready, I see they’ve made a latte art camel! I’m very content as I sip my coffee and work on my computer. $11.51

12:30 p.m. — On the way home, I stop at a gas station where they have longhorns and donkeys corralled outside. I get gas and say hi to the animals. They hide from me instead. I step in a mud puddle in my flip flops, damn.

1:00 p.m. — Once home, I eat the second half of my pork bowl from Friday for lunch. I read my new book Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl (food critic queen!) and chill out. $68.14

5:30 p.m. — In the evening, I head to a local track and try sprints but gosh it’s been too long! I swear there’s someone there who must be training for the Olympics! Even though I make only a little progress I’m satisfied. I head home, shower, and make an omelet (olive oil, eggs, no frills) for dinner like I’m living in a Danielle Steel novel.

Daily Total: $79.65

The Breakdown

Conclusion:
I definitely mooched on other people for food this week, ha! I think my grocery haul set me up for success because typically I eat out a bit more for lunch, especially when working at the warehouse. I’d like to continue to be more mindful with my grocery purchases because that makes a big difference in spending — eating out is a nice treat but doing that almost every day certainly adds up. Another conclusion I came to is I’d like to become more financially literate. I’d like to find books or a course that could help me maximize my earnings/savings/cc points, etc.

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here.

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Thousands of beauty lovers, founders, makeup artists, hairstylists, creators, and people who can identify a lip combo from 20 feet away all gathered last Saturday for Beautycon University. There’s always another booth to visit, another demo happening, another product being swatched on the back of someone’s hand, which means in order for a beauty product to stand out it has to work pretty hard to hold anyone’s attention.

So when the same products kept coming up throughout the day, Refinery29 editors took notes. For this year’s Beauties, we’re highlighting the items generating excitement within our community on Threads, along with the beauty finds that surfaced throughout the full day of activations, demonstrations, panels, and those very unofficial but extremely persuasive you need to try this exchanges happening all over the Rolling Greens campus.

Some came from brands we already know well. Others made us wonder where they had been hiding. And a few solved beauty problems so specific that we immediately DoorDashed a Sephora order.

These are the products that managed to cut through the Beautycon noise, and earn a spot on our 2026 Beauties list.

The Skin Savior

La Roche-Posay

Sunscreen has one fairly important job, yet finding one you actually want to put on every morning can feel unnecessarily difficult. So Beautycon took the question straight to its Threads community: “What sunscreen would you recommend to someone who hates sunscreen?” Among a very crowded field of SPF favorites, La Roche-Posay came up more than once. One community member simply answered, “@larocheposayusa anthelios,” while another doubled down: “@larocheposayusa for sure! Sooo many options to choose from!”

And options there are. The Anthelios lineup spans lightweight face formulas, mineral SPFs, tinted options, and higher-protection formulas, making it considerably easier to find one that doesn’t make applying sunscreen feel like a daily chore. When the assignment is convince someone who hates sunscreen to wear sunscreen, getting independently named-checked twice by the Beautycon community feels like a pretty convincing endorsement.

The Breakout Destroyer

Beautycon involves thousands of people, a full face of makeup, lots of touching things, and approximately 700 opportunities to wonder, Should I really be putting my hand on my face right now? Enter Personal Day’s hypochlorous acid spray. The mist is designed for acne-prone skin and gives you an easy spritz-and-go step when your face could use a refresh. Personal Day already has Beautycon history too: founder Lili Reinhart previously dropped by to discuss acne and the relationship between skin and mental health. This year, we spotted the bright-green bottle being enthusiastically pulled from an attendee’s Beautycon haul. Coincidence? Our pores think not.

The Body-Care Hero

Some lotions moisturize. Others make the boring act of hydrating your skin feel slightly more like you have your life together. SANTU’s Lima Mexicana Body Lotion is aiming for the latter. The silky formula popped up among the Beautycon haul discoveries we spotted after the event, and its lime-inspired proposition immediately stood out in a sea of face serums and lip products. Because your skincare routine technically does not stop at your neck, no matter how much your neglected shins would have you believe otherwise.

The Post-Shower Perfume

We love a product with an identity crisis when the result is this good. Despite being called a Body Splash, Her Fantasy Box’s Santal Driftwood is a hydrating body oil with a fragrance-forward sensibility (exactly the sort of hybrid product that makes getting out of the shower considerably more interesting). It also arrives during a major growth moment for the brand: Her Fantasy Box expanded into more than 4,000 CVS locations this summer and participated in Beautycon during ESSENCE Festival before turning up again among the products Beautycon LA attendees couldn’t stop talking about. If body care and fragrance are going to keep flirting with each other, we’re happy to third-wheel.

The Forever Glow-Up

Before seemingly every skincare product promised glass, glazed donut, dolphin, or some other variety of suspiciously reflective skin, there was Pixi Glow Tonic. The 5% glycolic-acid exfoliating toner has been around long enough to qualify as a beauty throwback, yet there it was again the superstar of Beautycon Universities student hauls. And maybe that’s the point. In an industry obsessed with whatever launched five minutes ago, there’s something deeply satisfying about a product that simply refuses to leave the group chat.

The Brow Freeze

If your brow hairs have independent thoughts, hopes, and travel plans, NYX would like to put an end to that. The Brow Glue Crazy Lift promises up to 24-hour wear, and its built-in styling comb is designed to give brows that brushed-up laminated effect without booking an appointment. It was another product staffers couldn’t stop talking about and a superstar in haul videos. For brows that constantly consider staying in place as a mere suggestion, class is officially in session.

NYX Brow Glue The Brow Crazy Lift Brow Lamination Gel

The Meal-Proof MVP

A lip combo can look flawless in the mirror. The real test begins when the appetizers arrive. So when Beautycon asked its Threads community, “What’s the lip combo that survives eating?” I had an immediate answer: “Anything that starts with Make Up For Ever’s lip liners.” Makeup artist Joslyn Spurlock cosigned the note with a heart. And Beautycon’s response? “Oooh!! Love!!”

And, yes, we stand by it. A good lip liner is the insurance policy of a great lip combo, giving your color a defined base before gloss, lipstick, or whatever else you pile on top inevitably meets a coffee cup, cocktail straw, or dinner reservation. Make Up For Ever’s liners have become the kind of beauty-bag staple we reach for when the goal isn’t merely a good lip. It’s one that has plans afterward.

The Dewy Delivery

There comes a point in a long beauty day when applying another layer of anything sounds exhausting. That’s when a mist starts looking very attractive. Anua’s PDRN mist delivers the kind of quick, satisfying skincare step that requires almost no effort: spray, bask in the dewiness, carry on. And at an event where everyone is moving between panels, activations, photo opps, and product discoveries, we’re especially appreciative of skincare that doesn’t require finding a bathroom mirror first.

The Pocket Treasure

Beautycon gave us plenty of elaborate routines to think about, but sometimes the product that wins you over is simply the one you keep reaching for. eos Cashmere Lip Butter takes the brand’s famously dessert-coded approach and shrinks it into something you can stash in a pocket, purse, or the increasingly chaotic bottom of a Beautycon tote. It’s a soft, sweet, uncomplicated beauty treat (and proof that not every award-winning item needs a 12-step instruction manual).

The Damage Controller

There is “my hair feels a little dry,” and then there is we need to call someone for professional help. UNOVE’s Deep Damage Repair Hair Mask is for the latter mood, no appointment required. The Korean hair-care brand’s treatment is built around intensive conditioning for damaged hair, making it especially interesting in a Beautycon lineup full of products devoted to styling, slicking, and asking quite a lot of our strands. We first spotted UNOVE among the mountain of product coming out of Beautycon VIP totes, but it kept coming up in the zeitgeist thanks to its fast-working ingredients. Consider this our apology letter to everything we’ve put our hair through before discovering UNOVE.

The Cutest Clean-Up

Hand sanitizer winning a beauty award? Hear us out. After a day spent swatching products, opening testers, grabbing freebies, shaking hands, and digging through tote bags, sanitizer becomes less of a practical afterthought and more like Beautycon survival gear. The Fruit Fusion verison makes the whole thing considerably more fun, which is why one attendee’s reaction to receiving it couldn’t go on without highlighting how cute the keychain it comes with is. Sometimes innovation is just as simple as making the thing you already need cute enough that you remember actually to carry it.

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What did the tree say to autumn? Leaf me alone! This joke is going to feel real in the upcoming weeks. Welcome to Libra season — a time of justice and fairness. The sun’s movement on September 22nd kicks off the Fall Equinox, which happens simultaneously, starting a new season. This year, the four-week Libra journey feels like it’s straight out of a melodramatic YA novel with a choose-your-own-adventure finish. 

September 25th is a day to notice and be aware of. The sun in Libra juxtaposes Neptune retrograde in Aries. The unrealistic expectations we may hold apply not only to others but to ourselves. It’s vital to comprehend that while our egos may be inflated or deflated, on September 25th, we embrace love in any form. Being sympathetic to everyone’s causes will be easy because it’ll be hard to resist their charms. We could easily fall head over heels and form enchanting entanglements that lead to whimsical trysts. Although these romantic rendezvous and interludes are met with the best intentions, the upcoming Venus retrograde may bring a fizzle to the sizzle. 

Saturn retrograde in Aries opposes the sun in Libra on October 4th. This transit matters because it can bring workplace issues to the surface. Frustrations with bosses, colleagues, or schedules may set us off, or vice versa. To overcome the obstacles of this astrological aspect, we must focus on the game and not dwell on the minimal consequences that ensue. We might be overly critical and cynical, particularly about how we are progressing compared to others. Instead of being judgmental, we should be understanding and offer kindness — especially to ourselves. The lesson is to embrace our imperfections and the messiness of life. 

Venus’s moonwalk in Scorpio lasts for over 40 days this time around (from October 3rd to November 13th). What makes it particularly pungent is that Venus is the planetary ruler of Libra, so when it’s retrograde during its moment to thrive and shine, it can have immense effects on us earthlings. Venus retrograde in Scorpio is going to make us question who is in our life, especially their value. If they aren’t adding anything positive to our aura or existence, then we might want to put them on ice for a hot minute while we work through our feelings. We may choose to stand back from situations, rather than be 100% in them. 

Mercury dives into Scorpio on September 30th, but the pre-shadow period of its impending retrograde commences on October 4th. Now we will begin to see the story unfold, and it will intensify during Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, which runs from October 24th to November 13th. There will be a lot of confusion and ambiguity about how we want to partner and commit because the Scorpio energy is going to be deep at this moment in Libra season. It’s a warning to slow down and take every moment in stride — even though the cosmos are pressuring us to speed up our decisions — and not push boundaries. Remember, haste makes waste, and stay in your lane. 

As you can see, Libra season isn’t the time to start new projects; it’s a month of reflection and contemplation as we map out our next steps and develop a strategy to move our plans forward. To benefit from the vibe, lean into major self-care, call out personal days that are due, and try to unwind. The energy will bring out the highs and lows of situations, so maintain an equilibrium. IKYK, no matter how the planets are playing and clowning around, Libra season asks us to find balance, and we shall! 

Important Dates for Libra Season:

September 22nd: The sun enters Libra, initiating the Fall Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.

September 26th: The Harvest Full Moon in Aries is a magical lunation to initiate change. 

September 27th: Mars moves into Leo, making us roar for power.

September 30th: Mercury swims into Scorpio, magnifying our intuition. 

October 3rd: Venus retrograde in Scorpio urges us to re-evaluate our romances and liaisons. 

October 10th: The New Moon in Libra defines who we spend our time with and how.

October 15th: Pluto turns direct, completing the retrograde cycle that began on May 6th. Growth is possible now more than ever. 

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For the first time in five years, no actor of color won a major acting Emmy during the primetime broadcast. It’s an awkward fact to sit with after a night of speeches about the importance of storytelling, artistic communities, and television’s allegedly limitless capacity to reflect the world back at us. The winners were talented, but that’s not the point. For an industry that has spent years promising audiences it is finally serious about representation, the 2026 Emmys delivered a familiar image: a parade of white acting winners accepting trophies while actors of color watched from their tables.

And yes, I understand the Emmys are an awards show. It’s built around expensive gowns, nervous clapping and television stars pretending they didn’t rehearse their acceptance speeches in the mirror. But awards matter. No matter how much glitter you throw at it, art will always be political. The same goes for the award shows celebrating it. They shape whose work gets remembered, whose career gets a jetpack and what kinds of stories studios decide are worth funding next time around.

This year’s result followed the least diverse Emmy nominations slate in a decade. By the end of the main telecast, the major acting honours had gone to Noah Wyle, Rhea Seehorn, Jean Smart, Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root. One thing they all had in common was that they were white. It was a rough outcome for a field that included performers such as Sterling K. Brown, Zendaya, Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Janelle James, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Chase Infiniti.

For an industry that has spent years promising audiences it is finally serious about representation, the 2026 Emmys delivered a familiar image: a parade of white acting winners accepting trophies while actors of color watched from their tables.

Simran Pasricha

The night was not entirely without politics, but it just felt oddly restrained considering the conditions surrounding it. Sally Field won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures and gave the sort of speech that made the room feel briefly connected to the actual world. The series was shot in Canada, which prompted Field to call the country “Blessed Canada! Our neighbours, our friends”. In another year, that might have simply been a location shout-out. Given the Trump administration’s trade dispute with Canada, it landed with rather more force (although still dancing on the line of palatable politics). Field continued, saying: “We’re the arts. We matter. Our voices matter. Our diversity, our unique storytelling, matters. We can’t let those voices be silenced or compromized or merged.”

The final word was doing some heavy lifting there, pointing to Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which continues to hang over Hollywood. David Ellison runs Paramount Skydance, but the deal is backed in part by his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who seems to be in a bromance with Donald Trump. The family’s links to the US president have attracted scrutiny, particularly because Trump has publicly said he would like CNN, currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, to end up in Paramount’s hands.

The deal is currently stalled by an antitrust challenge brought by a group of state attorneys general, led by California. If it proceeds, it would put major studios, streamers, cable brands, and news outlets under one corporate roof, meaning fewer companies and people would have a huge say over what gets made, who gets hired, and which stories reach an audience. That could have devastating consequences.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Rhea Seehorn, winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for “Pluribus”, poses in the press room during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

That backdrop made Stephen Colbert’s win for The Late Show feel a little heavier than the usual awards-show victory lap. CBS cancelled the program earlier this year, calling it “purely a financial decision”, and its final episode aired in May. Trump had made no secret of his contempt for Colbert or the show. When CBS announced the cancellation, he wrote on Truth Social that he “absolutely love[d] that Colbert got fired”, and later celebrated the final episode by calling Colbert “a total jerk”.

Colbert did not turn his Emmy acceptance speech into a long grievance session; instead, he spoke about the people whose jobs disappeared with the show. “The thing about these late shows is that, besides bringing a really good, steady job, is that they require so many people that they’re a fantastic incubator for young people to come in to learn to work professionally on a deadline in cooperation, in collaboration, and that is the future of our business that we have to look after,” he said.

No matter how much glitter you throw at it, art will always be political. The same goes for the award shows celebrating it. They shape whose work gets remembered, whose career gets a jetpack and what kinds of stories studios decide are worth funding next time around.

Simran Pasricha

That was the closest the Emmys got to reckoning with the people left exposed by an entertainment industry that keeps demanding fewer workers do more work, for less certainty, while executive suites pursue bigger deals. The Television Academy itself had already made that tension impossible to ignore. Before the ceremony, it moved five categories out of the primetime broadcast: supporting actor and actress in a limited or anthology series or movie, directing and writing for limited or anthology series or movies, and writing for a variety series. The Academy said it wanted “a fresh new take on the Emmys broadcast,” but SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, and the DGA criticized the move.

“The decision to eliminate these categories from the prime-time broadcast devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honour,” the guilds said in a joint statement. “An awards show dedicated to recognising excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning.”

It’s hard to argue with that. Last year, the Emmys had a much more visible political current. Hannah Einbinder used her win to say “Fuck ICE” and call for a “Free Palestine”. Javier Bardem wore a keffiyeh and spoke against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and several attendees wore Artists4Ceasefire pins. Television Academy chair Cris Abrego also used the stage to criticize Congress for voting to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Tramell Tillman made history as the first Black actor to win Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

This year Jean Smart made history by becoming the first woman to win an acting Emmy for every single season of a show’s run. However, this year there was also no comparable collective show of dissent from the stage or the red carpet, despite the genocide in Gaza continuing, the US media landscape becoming even more politically charged, and a major corporate takeover fight playing out in Hollywood’s backyard.

If I wanted to be generous, I’d say that absence doesn’t mean every winner owed viewers a geopolitical statement. People can accept an Emmy without becoming a full-time spokesperson for every injustice on Earth. But when the entertainment industry speaks so often about courage, community and the power of art, its biggest night can feel strangely hollow when so few people are willing to connect those ideas to the present tense.

Sally Field did. Alan Cumming did too, using his acceptance speech to say: “The time for talk is over. It is now time to vote, America.” There were flickers of urgency. Mostly though, the 2026 Emmys played it safe… and very white. And perhaps that is the clearest political statement of all.

From PEDESTRIAN.TV

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