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Tips to Try for Your Next Virtual Date During Quarantine
While quarantine has given us an extra excuse to be more introverted than usual, dating is still encouraged. Whether you’re sparking new connections through dating apps or quarantined in a different location than your partner, dating virtually can still be exciting. The only downfall? It’s unknown territory. We’re all clueless about everything from what to wear to how to do our hair and makeup. With physical dates, it’s easy to dress according to the location or activity, but what’s the protocol for virtual dating?

Start by focusing on the pros—virtual dates require the least amount of time, commitment, and effort. Not into it? Hang up. It’s really that simple. Gone are the days of spending hours getting ready, doing your hair and makeup perfectly, sitting in traffic to get to your destination, picking up the bill, so on and so forth. Now, you can get ready in no time—here’s how.
Outfit

There’s no reason you can’t be comfortable from the waist down—keep those sweats on if that’s your thing, but don’t forget to change your top. Opt for something that’s a bit more interesting like statement sleeves, an intriguing collar, or an overall flattering, eye catching print or color that’ll make it on the tiny square box.
Hair

Don’t overthink this one. Just spritz some dry shampoo and instantly add some oomph to your hair in seconds. Your date won’t be able tell it’s been days since you last washed your hair.

Beautylish recommends Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal Biotin Dry Shampoo or Bumble and bumble. Pret A Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo Mist
Makeup

A date, virtual or not, may be the perfect excuse to get ready like we used to on the daily. I personally have been looking for every excuse to get ready and feel like myself again—from farmers market runs to virtual happy hours. If you prefer the ‘no-makeup’ makeup look, try this foolproof, 4-step routine that’ll enhance your features and takes 5 minutes max.

1. Start with a skin tint to even out your skin tone.

Beautylish recommends Kevyn Aucoin Stripped N**e Skin Tint

2. Add a flush of natural-looking color with an effortless multi-stick.

Beautylish recommends Ilia Multi Stick or N**estix Nudies Matte Blush Bronze

3. Apply highlighter to the high points of your face for an ethereal glow.

Beautylish recommends Danessa Myricks Beauty Love and Light Beauty Oil or RMS Beauty Magic Luminizer

4. Finish with some no-fuss gloss to your lips.

Beautylish recommends Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre or Hourglass Unreal High Shine
Setting

Find a quiet, well-lit spot with a simple background for your next date. Just like in photos, lighting is key even in video chats. My personal favorite trick for all video calls, including work meetings, is to have either natural sunlight or a lamp facing me for a subtle glow. It may sound weird, but just give it a try.
Filters

When all else fails, filters will be your best friends. Zoom’s ‘touch up my appearance’ option instantly smooths out your skin for a more polished look. Don’t believe me? Go to video settings, check the box next to ‘touch up my appearance’, and you may not even need the 4-step makeup routine.

Briogeo Product Review: How I Found Hair Care That Actually Works

While quarantining for the past 6 months, surrounded by the clutter of times past, I kept hearing Marie Kondo’s voice echo in my head: “Does it spark joy?”

Although I’ve been following the master organizer’s work for a hot minute, it took a statewide lockdown for me to seriously heed her space-saving advice. It was time to embark on my own journey towards a lifetime of tidiness, starting with my overstuffed closet.

I Kondo’ed my wardrobe, as well as 4-years worth of old school supplies, my beauty arsenal and, saving the best for last—my hair care stash.

Here comes the part where you judge me for holding on to three-year-old bottles of ~smoothing~ conditioner that don’t stand a chance against frizz. I’ve been saving a $3 leave-in that makes my strands greasy…just because I like the way it smells.

After sifting through tubes of sulfate-riddled shampoo and ~moisturizing~ sprays that cause crunchiness, I decided that no joy could ever come from struggling hair “nourished” by subpar formulas. Toss!

Ever since I was a little girl, I carried around a halo of frizz—we were a package deal. The raised fuzziness emerging from my naturally curly hair followed me everywhere, and it was a source of laughter for many—including myself. Even after discovering hot tools, frizz always managed to ruin the fun in a matter of minutes.

Even though I’m still sheltering in place and have no reason to care if frizz overtakes my entire head, I decided to find a solution for those feeling lost when it comes to finding proper hair care for frizz-prone strands.

Without so much as a dime-sized amount of product on my mane, I began my search for hair care that actually follows through on its promises. As I conducted research, I focused on finding carefully curated regimens backed by clean ingredients with frizz-busting properties. That’s when I found Briogeo.

Briogeo founder Nancy Twine combined her grandmother’s homemade hair care recipes with scientific advances in clean beauty to develop all-natural shampoos, conditioners and leave-ins. You name it, Briogeo has the purest form of what you’re looking for. As a Black entrepreneur, Nancy creates with an emphasis on diversity and inclusivity that radiates through her products, all designed for a wide range of hair types.

Inspired by her mission and commitment to clean beauty, I decided to purchase her Farewell Frizz line, including shampoo, conditioner, blow dry crème, and conditioning spray. And since using, I haven’t had to buy a single extra product outside of this lineup—consider it a one-stop shop for those with coarse, curly hair who enjoy the occasional blowout (like myself).

Prior to washing with Briogeo’s shampoo, I had never used an all-natural shampoo. In fact, I wasn’t aware of any shampoo experience that didn’t include a gluey formula that transforms into an ultra-soapy lather. Farewell Frizz Smoothing Shampoo’s vegan formula feels more liquid-y with little lather. Infused with vitamin E, rosehip, coconut, and argan oil, this shampoo gently cleanses without further drying out strands.

Since my hair felt more quenched after using Briogeo’s all natural shampoo, I didn’t need to overcompensate with a pound of conditioner to regain softness. I only needed about a quarter-sized amount of the Farewell Frizz Smoothing Conditioner, which enveloped my whole head with a veil of milky moisture.

I was shocked that I didn’t even need an extra squeeze of product, this coming from the girl who used to pour out half the tube of conditioner to cover her thick hair. The vegan formula melted into my strands to break up pesky tangles, leaving me with relaxed curls after towel drying.

After drying, I applied the Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray and the Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Crème. When combined, these products deliver a quick one-two punch to fight frizz whether you’re heat styling or going au naturel.

With a non-greasy blend of essential fatty acids, frizz-diminishing argan oil and moisturizing vitamin E, the milk-textured spray provides lightweight nourishment. Although this spray is formulated for heat styling, I like to spritz it on my natural hair, comb through and let it air dry for weightless, virtually frizz-free curls.

For blowouts, I first apply the spray, and then follow with the Blow Dry Perfection crème. The slightly heavier formula instantly tames frizz while providing 450°F thermal protection. When I finished blow-drying my hair I noticed that my fuzziness was seriously diminished, cutting my flat ironing time in half.

My hair always smells incredible when I style with this spray and crème—I often find myself sniffing my strands throughout the day, it’s that good. And most importantly, the fresh-from-the-salon smell doesn’t dissipate after you style like other leave-ins do.

Sometimes it is difficult to avoid the stiffness that results from styling naturally curly hair. However, after flat ironing with the Farewell Frizz leave-ins, I noticed that my locks looked silky and reduced flyaway hairs while adding body and more movement.

Usually on humid days, spending a mere 10 minutes outside transforms hard-earned sleekness into a full-blown tumbleweed. During the recent SF heat wave, I decided to enjoy the warm weather with a short walk outside—that’s quarantine life for you! I entered the outside world (wearing a face mask of course), and I didn’t once feel like my hair was expanding. When I got back home, I was pleased to see that my mane held up with a minimal need for touch ups—I was ecstatic!

Although lockdown is less than ideal, it led me to find an empowering brand, get my hair health on track, and finally find a routine that works for my hair texture. My advice? Marie Kondo your space during your downtime. You just might find your next holy-grail beauty staple.

3 Gradient-Style Nail Looks Inspired by Fall’s Trendiest Colors

Autumn doesn’t officially begin until September 22 (sigh). If you’re counting down the days until you can bust out your fall décor and fuzzy sweaters, why wait?

Let’s commence the harvest season right now by switching out warm weather colors for foliage-mimicking hues—starting with your nail polish.

Sporting a pumpkin-spice colored manicure is festive and all, but I encourage you to experiment with smoky reds, chilling grays, and chocolate brown shades. This year, apply a different shade of polish on each nail to create autumn-inspired, gradient nail looks.
Look #1: Leaf-ing Summer

Are you honestly going to miss Summer 2020 at all? Ring in a new season with a gradient nail look that pays tribute to the changing leaves characteristic of October and November.
Shades Needed:

Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Mannequin Moves
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Color Me Curious
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Tang Bang
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Darjeeling Darling
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Bitter Bitch

Steps:

Apply Mannequin Moves or a caramel camel-colored shade to your thumb.
Apply Color Me Curious or a golden yellow shade to your index finger.
Apply Tang Bang or a burnt orange shade to your middle finger.
Apply Darjeeling Darling or a forest green shade to your ring finger.
Apply Bitter Bitch or a chocolate brown shade to your pinky.

Look #2: Red-y for Harvest

Go for rich, smokey reds in honor of grape harvest season, which occurs between August and October in the Northern Hemisphere.
Shades Needed:

Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Love Lust Lost
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Smoke Red
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Bordeaux Lust
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Plum Noir
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Bitter Bitch

Steps:

Apply Love Lust Lost or an opaque rose color to your thumb.
Apply Smoke Red or a red wine-colored shade to your index finger.
Apply Bordeaux Lust or a rich maroon shade to your middle finger.
Apply Plum Noir or a deep red grape-colored hue to your ring finger.
Apply Bitter Bitch or a chocolate brown shade to your pinky.

Look #3: It’s a New Gray

Don an array of cool grays inspired by foggy fall mornings in San Francisco, where Beautylish is headquartered!
Shades Needed:

Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Sugarette
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in 5th Ave Fortress
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Unscene
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Doe My Dear
Smith & Cult Nail Lacquer in Stockholm Syndrome

Steps:

Apply Sugarette or an icy white shade to your thumb.
Apply 5th Ave Fortress or frosted gray to your index finger.
Apply Unscene or metallic gray to your middle finger.
Apply Doe My Dear or grayish taupe to your ring finger.
Apply Stockholm Syndrome or an elephant gray color to your pinky.

6 Clever Ways to Dry Your Nail Polish In Nearly No-Time

If you take all the time and energy to give yourself a DIY manicure, the last thing you want is for your hard work to be ruined by an inconvenient smudge. But let's be honest: No one likes to wait for their polish to dry—especially when multiple coats are involved. Sure, blowing on your fingertips might speed up the process a tiny bit, but it's not quite the same experience as sitting under the dryer at the salon.

To speed things up a bit, we talked to two nail experts for their advice on how to quickly dry nails. These tips are made for impatient people like us, so we can all spend more time going about our day, and less time waiting for our precious polish to dry.
How to dry nails fast:
Use thin, even coats of paint.

"I usually paint my nail polish in light, thin layers so each layer can dry," says Chillhouse's lead nail tech and nail artist, Molly Romah. The thicker your nail polish is, the longer it will take to dry, so using a delicate hand is key. "After each layer, allow one to two minutes for that layer to dry before applying the next layers," she says.

"It's also important to wait for the previous layer to dry to the touch before applying the next, says Annie Howley, celebrity and editorial manicurist for Orosa Beauty. "This ensures you're building color on a solid foundation." So, not only will thinner coats help your mani dry faster, but it will also provide an even color payoff and a smooth finish.
Select a fast-dry nail polish.
essie quick dry nail polish

"I always look out for nail polish brands that have 'fast-dry' in the name when I'm looking to make the drying process go quickly," says Romah. The formula for these polishes is essentially the same as regular polish, but they contain higher levels of solvents, which evaporate quicker and reduces the overall dry time. Some quick-dry polishes, like this 2020 Beauty Crush Award winner from Essie, boast dryness in just about 60 seconds flat. How's that for fast?
Apply a quick-dry topcoat.
Sometimes our favorite nail color isn't available in a quick-dry option, which is where a topcoat like this one comes in handy. This cult-favorite products cures the layers of your nail polish in one easy brushstroke, coating the nail and creating a hard, protective barrier that dries fast and won't smudge.
Spritz on a little cooking spray.

If your nails are taking forever to dry and you're pressed for time, spritzing some cooking spray on them is a quick an easy option that will temporarily prevent smudging. It won’t actually dry the polish, but it will work similarly to the oil drops you find in salons that create a slick, protective surface that won’t interfere with your polish while it's still wet.

For best results, spray the oil at least six inches away from your hands and wipe off your fingertips after as this can leave them a bit greasy.
Soak your nails in ice water.

Nail polish hardens when it is cold, so Romah says another great tip is to let your nails dry for about 60 seconds, then dip them in a bowl of cold ice water for one to two minutes. "Be careful not to let your nails touch the ice," she warns, since that could create smudging. "I like to use the cooking spray on my nails before dipping them in the water to protect the polish."
Blast your nails with cool air.

Another way to dry and harden your polish is with cool air. Though salons use fancy fans to do this, you can use your hairdryer for the same effect. Switch the dryer to the cool setting (not hot, as this will keep the polish from firming), then use it on your nails for 30 to 60 seconds to lock in the lacquer.