Author: Chavez

If there’s one thing growing up in the Twilight era of werewolf and vampire media taught me, it’s that the full moon can have major effects. Thankfully, I’ve never known anyone to grow fur, claws, and fangs—but just because we’re not witnessing full-on werewolf transformations doesn’t mean those Teen Wolf-style stories were pure fantasy. The full moon represents peak astrological energy, and each zodiac sign definitely feels it, especially with a moon as significant as the Buck Moon. July’s full moon, also known as the Buck Moon, isn’t bringing light, breezy energy; instead, it’s pushing you to reprioritize, refocus, and…

I started wielding hot tools and nail polish around the same time I started scribbling with crayons. I grew up in Texas and it’s part of our culture: At two years old you’re dropped into dance class, and with that comes learning to curl your hair and applying red lipstick. If you’ve watched DCC on Netflix, you can start to understand the ways of my people. The brutal weather gives an added challenge that makes honing your craft necessary. Even many years later and with my tutu far behind, my love for beauty products remains; if anything, it’s at an…

how she’s “finding her bliss” after going through “high highs and low lows”

Today is the first day of Amazon Prime Day, and given the thousands of pages of deals, odds are you might find sifting through them to be a bit… overwhelming. And I hear you—finding a great deal on Prime Day can feel like finding a needle in a haystack, especially when it comes to the best fashion deals. With selections from Madewell, Clare V., Levi’s, and many more, Amazon is stocked with the brands we know and love, with the added bonus of two-day shipping—and now, killer Prime Day discounts. I spent hours sifting through hundreds of pages of Amazon…

When it comes to BookTok, the word “excited” isn’t quite strong enough to describe just how hype the community gets about their favorite books. Case in point: I recently watched a review of a book that was 90 seconds of incoherent screaming (and yes, I did immediately add that book to my TBR). When the BookTok community gets behind a new book or author, the frenzied joy and excitement are inescapable, especially when it comes to fantasy books. But despite the online hype, you may find yourself drudging through the detailed world-building or complicated political plotlines with some fantasy books,…

Time and time again, I’ve had the narrative that getting your nails done at the salon is a relaxing, self-care experience thrust upon me by society. For a while, I played along, thinking that, surely, if everyone else was enjoying the experience, there must be something I was missing. But I’m finally ready to admit that sitting in a crowded room, unable to use my hands for an hour—just to walk out $100 poorer with a color that never looks quite the same in daylight as it did under those fluorescent lights—just isn’t for me. These days, I much prefer…

a challenge all about self-care? that’s hot.

Temperatures officially hit triple digits this week and the people have spoken: Real clothes are canceled. (Especially specially anything that requires assembling an outfit with multiple layers.) If your ask our editors, there’s only one acceptable outfit once the temperatures are above 75, and it’s a good old maxi dress. Maxi dresses are the definition of a summer wardrobe essential. They’re the one-and-done outfit that makes it look like you tried, even if the only real effort you made was choosing which sandals to throw on at the last minute. Whether you’re running errands, heading to dinner, or just braving…

If you’ve repeatedly deleted Instagram from your phone over the past few weeks because your feed incessantly reminds you of your lack of travel plans, I feel you. I’m not sure what it is about this summer, but suddenly everyone and their mother is taking off to Europe. While I love seeing my friends and co-workers have the time of their lives exploring new cities across the globe, I can’t help but feel a little FOMO and wish I had something exciting to say in response to the dreaded, “So, what are you doing this summer?” query. Luckily for those…

I’d say that the purest form of love is someone who has seen you at your absolute worst, and has still chosen to love you. That deep connection can come from someone you’ve known since you were an awkward kid, when acne and growth spurts were ever changing, and holding hands made your heart beat out of your chest. In adulthood, this kind of long-term intimacy and commitment might be harder to come by. Cliché or not, a high school sweetheart is a kind of bond that you can’t force or fake. A relationship that can survive silly arguments, awkward…