<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="15580" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Miley-Cyrus">Miley Cyrus</keyword> wore an eye-catching outfit while leaving a New York City hotel with her mom Trish Cyrus on Friday.</li><li>She donned a red coat, leather pants, a white shirt, and a towering top hat.</li><li>Cyrus also accessorized with layers of necklaces, a black face mask, silver sunglasses, and platform boots made from alligator-print leather.</li><li>In recent weeks, Cyrus has found numerous ways to mix rock-inspired <keyword id="6" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="fashion">fashion</keyword> with her glamorous <keyword id="7" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="style">style</keyword>.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/miley-cyrus">Miley Cyrus</a> has an eye for unique fall fashion.</p><p>On Friday, the "Midnight Sky" singer was photographed leaving a New York City hotel with her mom Trish Cyrus. At the time, she wore a red calf-length coat, a white scoop-neck shirt, and wide-legged leather pants with silver zippers across each shin.</p><p>Her <keyword id="23964" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="accessories">accessories</keyword>, however, stole the show. In addition to a black face mask, oversized sunglasses, and layers of necklaces, Cyrus wore a towering top hat with a wide rim.</p><p>She also donned black, alligator-print platform boots, and carried a handbag with what appears to be a cat-shaped handle.</p><div type="image" title="miley cyrus fashion" height="2000" width="1536" msid="78455226" hostid="261"></div><p>According to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stylishcyrus_/?hl=en">@stylishcyrus_</a>, an Instagram account dedicated to Cyrus' fashion, her standout hat was designed by Gucci. The fan account also credited her jacket to Saint Laurent, her pants to Chrome Hearts, and her silver glasses to Versace. None of the four pieces are available to purchase at the time of writing, though <a href="https://www.versace.com/us/en-us/women/accessories/sunglasses/medusa-halo-shield-sunglasses-onul/O2220-O10098741_ONUL.html?cgid=146000">a similar pair of shades previously retailed for $365</a>.</p><p>However, Cyrus' boots are currently available to buy from Christian Louboutin, where they <a href="http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/shop/women/izamayeah.html">retail for $1,395</a>.</p><p>Just two days earlier, the musician was photographed in New York City again, this time wearing denim from top to bottom. She paired a jean jacket with matching, wide-legged pants, as well as a shiny pair of black boots.</p><div type="image" title="miley cyrus style" height="2000" width="1333" msid="78455228" hostid="261"></div><p>Cyrus seems to be a fan a mixing rock-inspired fashion with her glamorous style.</p><p>At the start of September, <a href="https://www.insider.com/miley-cyrus-see-through-dress-2020-mtv-video-music-awards-2020-8">she wore a stunning, see-through gown designed by Mugler to the MTV Video Music Awards</a>. Cyrus also added some edge to her look with a choker necklace, red lipstick, sharp eyeliner, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/miley-cyrus-says-mullet-hairstyle-looks-like-tiger-king-2020-4">her now-signature mullet.</a></p><div type="image" title="miley cyrus mtv video music awards 2020" height="3000" width="2000" msid="78455231" hostid="261"></div><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/emma-roberts-floral-dress-maternity-style-2020-10">Emma Roberts made a statement in a $5 face mask and floral dress for her latest maternity look</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/rihanna-savage-x-fenty-fashion-show-best-looks-2020-10">38 of the best looks from Rihanna's Savage X Fenty fashion show</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/where-to-buy-celebrity-approved-face-masks-online-2020-9">11 stylish face masks celebrities have been wearing</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/bella-hadid-returns-rihannas-fenty-x-savage-show-2020-10">Bella Hadid wore a diamond belly chain and latex stockings for her return to Rihanna's Savage X Fenty fashion show</a></li></ul>

Miley Cyrus accessorized leather pants and a statement coat with a larger-than-life top hat

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky<p>Whether it's stylish sneakers to wear with any outfit or a review on the latest hairdryers, <keyword id="9054919" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-reviews">Insider Reviews</keyword> team offers recommendations you can trust. Our <keyword id="7" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="style">Style</keyword> and <keyword id="6354629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="beauty">Beauty</keyword> team - experienced style and beauty experts who have spent years covering the industry - tests and research hundreds of products, including men's and women's denim, shoes, workwear, swimwear, intimates, and more, as well as skincare products, hair tools, and makeup. While style may be subjective, our reviewers look for tangible elements like craftsmanship, wearability, and sustainability. </p><h3>What types of style products we cover</h3><p><strong>Sneakers: </strong>From <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-white-sneakers-for-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">white sneakers for men</a> to <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-white-sneakers-for-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sneakers for women</a> and all-around <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-stylish-sneakers-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stylish sneakers</a>, our reviewers stay on top of the latest trends. Our recommendations include a variety of popular and up-and-coming brands, from stalwarts like Adidas and Nike to newcomers like Allbirds. </p><p><strong>Basics: </strong>Whether it's underwear for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-underwear-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">men</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-underwear-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a>, t-shirts for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-t-shirt-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">men</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-womens-white-t-shirt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-leggings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leggings</a>, or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-lingerie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lingerie</a>, we love basics, especially those from brands like Everlane, Thirdlove, Spanx, and Dagne Dover. </p><p><strong>Jewelry and watches: </strong>Our coverage range from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-place-to-buy-affordable-fine-jewelry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affordable fine jewelry</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/where-to-buy-cheap-jewelry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jewelry on a budget</a> to high-end pieces like luxury watches. We consult experts about the best watches for both <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-watches-for-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">men</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-watches-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a>, as well as tips for buying Rolexes online and storing your watches. </p><p><strong>Workwear: </strong>Brands like ADAY and M.M. LaFleur top our recommendations for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-to-shop-for-womens-workwear-clothes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">workwear</a>, whether it's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/everlane-washable-silk-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">washable silk</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-loafers-for-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stylish loafers</a>. </p><p><strong>Bags: </strong>From <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-work-bag-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bags to bring to the office</a> to <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-crossbody-bags" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crossbody bags</a> for the weekend, our team knows its way around a good carry-all. We judge <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-backpack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backpacks</a> and other bags by how well and how much they can carry, as well as style because you don't have to sacrifice utility for fashion. </p><h3>What types of beauty products we cover</h3><p><strong>Subscription services:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-beauty-subscription-box" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beauty boxes</a> are a great way to test out a lot of products. Our recommendations include Alltrue and Birchbox, as well as services like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/function-of-beauty-review-custom-shampoo-and-conditioner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Function of Beauty</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/prose-personalized-shampoo-conditioner-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prose</a>, which customize products for you. </p><p><strong>Skincare: </strong>We consult dermatologists about everything from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-retinol-cream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retinol cream</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-face-sunscreen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facial sunscreen</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-eye-cream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eye creams</a>. We test both luxury and drugstore products and put each category through its paces. </p><p><strong>Haircare: </strong>We utilize a large group of testers and experts to provide recommendations across hair types. Whether you need a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-hair-dryer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hairdryer</a>, a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-conditioner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conditioner</a>, or a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-leave-in-treatment-curly-hair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leave-in treatment</a>, we recommend brands like Prose, Dyson, Pantene, Carol's Daugher, and more. </p><p><strong>Makeup: </strong>Not only do we regularly test <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-mascara" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mascara</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-drugstore-eyeliner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eyeliner</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-drugstore-foundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foundation</a>, and more, we do our best to provide the top picks for whatever your mood. We swatch for pigment, and test for things like how long a product lasts, whether it flakes, and whether it lives up to claims of water resistance and longwear. </p><h3><strong>How we test style and beauty products</strong></h3><p>We test both style and beauty products by wearing them for weeks and months. For clothing items, we make sure to wash them a few times to make sure they hold up. We also use products the way people actually use them: we throw leggings in the dryer, apply multiple coats of mascara, and stuff our bags full of everything we need to hold to ensure it truly can carry it all. And when we can't recommend a product objectively, like the best tube of red lipstick, we pull recommendations from experts and stylish pros to give us their suggestions.</p><h3>Meet our expert style and beauty team</h3><p>Our style and beauty team has nearly 30 years of combined experience testing and reviewing products. Each editor and reporter is an expert in their beat and offers reviews and recommendations that are backed by actual testing and research. Meet the style and beauty team below:</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 448px;" border="1"><tbody><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 47.2726%; height: 22px;">Our writers</td><td style="width: 52.7274%; height: 22px;">Bios</td></tr><tr style="height: 382px;"><td style="width: 47.2726%; height: 382px;"><div type="image" title="Maria Del Russo slide image 4x3" height="822" width="1097" msid="85316243" hostid="261"></div></td><td style="width: 52.7274%; height: 382px;"><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/maria-del-russo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maria</a> is the senior style &amp; beauty editor for Insider Reviews. She leads the style and beauty team, as well as an army of freelancers, and helps produce guides and reviews on everything from hot tools to sustainable sneakers. Maria has been in the style and beauty industry for a decade, and her writing has appeared in publications such as Elle Magazine, Bustle, InStyle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, Refinery29, and Playboy. She also served as a beauty editor at Refinery29, where she produced beauty editorials featuring makeup artists and hairstylists such as Pat McGrath, Dick Page, Orlando Pita, Sir John, Mario Dedivanovic, and more.</p></td></tr><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 47.2726%; height: 22px;"><div type="image" title="Ashley Phillips slide image 4x3" height="900" width="1200" msid="85316244" hostid="261"></div></td><td style="width: 52.7274%; height: 22px;"><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/ashley-phillips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashley</a> is the style and beauty editor for Insider's Reviews team, where she spends her days monitoring the latest product launches, consulting experts on ingredients lists, and helping readers to identify which moisturizers and cashmere sweaters are worth investing in. Before joining Insider, she spent five years reviewing products as the style and beauty editor for Hearst's BestProducts.com, and before that, she was a copywriter for Neiman Marcus where she specialized in fine jewelry and accessories. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Town&amp;Country, and more. Prior to joining the editorial world, she was the owner and buyer of an independent-clothing boutique. </p></td></tr><tr style="height: 22px;"><td style="width: 47.2726%; height: 22px;"><div type="image" title="Amir Ismael slide image 4x3" height="900" width="1200" msid="85316245" hostid="261"></div></td><td style="width: 52.7274%; height: 22px;"><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/amir-ismael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amir</a> is a senior reporter for Insider Reviews. As a collector of sneakers and fashion, Amir is passionate about all things related to style. He's covered everything including the industry's shift to producing more sustainable clothing, the most comfortable loungewear, all of the best places to shop for affordable business casual attire, and more. He's used his expertise in footwear and the footwear industry to review all kinds of shoes from sportswear giants, well-known casual brands, and startups. Amir's coverage also includes eyewear, watches, and grooming products like electric razors and men's skincare. His writing has appeared in Complex Sneakers and Sole Collector, where he contributed to daily sneaker news and release dates, feature-length articles, and interviews with artists, designers, and athletes.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Read more about our teams</h3><p>If you want to learn more about how each team tests products and meet the rest of our editors and writers on the following vertical-specific pages, check out these pages:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/our-expertise-kitchen-insider-product-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kitchen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-insider-reviews-team-vets-deals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deals</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/our-expertise-in-tech-insider-tech-product-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tech</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/our-expertise-home-insider-home-product-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home</a></li></ul>

How we test style and beauty products at Insider Reviews

<ul class="summary-list"><li>We test out some of the most-hyped products of April.</li><li>Hits include the <a href="https://seph.me/3eEWirS">Melt Cosmetics Blushlight</a> and the <a href="https://bit.ly/3nytUMb">Pseudo Labs PHreckles Kit</a>.</li><li>The <a href="https://bit.ly/3374OuF">Milani Conceal + Perfect Smooth Finish Cream-To-Powder Foundation</a> was a miss.</li></ul><p><em>Following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>.</em></p><p><strong>Nico Reyes:</strong> There are so many new <keyword id="6354629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="beauty">beauty</keyword> products being released all the time, so we gathered some of the most hyped to test for ourselves.</p><p>This is definitely one of those TikTok-made-me-buy-it kind of products. This is the Pseudo Labs PHreckles Kit. It's nothing like any other faux-freckle product I've ever seen. You basically get the freckle liquid, which has a little round brush in it, and this little toothpick-looking thing that you use to flick the liquid onto your face to give you very natural-looking freckles. I knew this was going to be a messy process, so I tucked a paper towel in my shirt and just went at it. Am I freckly? [gasps] A little! Right away, I was obsessed with how the freckles came out. It's a strange and kind of messy process, but they do end up looking really natural and cute. But I highly recommend you do this topless or with a paper towel stuffed into your shirt.</p><p>I wanted to try the Milani Conceal + Perfect Smooth Finish Cream-To-Powder Foundation because I saw people saying this was a dupe for the KVD Good Apple Balm. It's not. That foundation is literally a balm, so it's very slippy and almost a little oily. This Milani one is very thick and kind of dry. I don't like the texture of this at all. I do feel like this did a great job of covering everything up, because it is full coverage, but it definitely emphasized a lot of my texture, and I don't love how it sat on my skin.</p><p>This is the <keyword id="10017604" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="colourpop">ColourPop</keyword> Feather Effect Styling Brow Wax. I got both the clear and the tinted versions. Also, please excuse my purple, stained fingers. This product is...a little strange. I do think that it gives your brows that fluffy, feathered look, but I had to keep dipping in over and over to get it to look the way I wanted it to. The texture of this is just very odd. Like, I had to keep checking my brush to make sure that there was anything even on it. If you're looking to this as a dupe for the ABH Brow Freeze, I don't think this is one. The Brow Freeze has a way softer texture and literally does freeze your brows. Like, they will not move. This one has way less hold, and it doesn't feel like it dries down. Also, I feel like there's zero difference in color between the tinted and the clear. So weird. Now let's talk about the blush of my dreams!</p><p>The <keyword id="11246858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="melt-cosmetics">Melt Cosmetics</keyword> Cream Blushlight. You guys, I didn't know how this was going to go because I had already powdered my entire face, but I took a risk and I just applied the blush on top, and oh, my God. This blush is so gorgeous, and it didn't mess up the foundation or powder underneath at all. I'm in love right now. And because I'm obviously a huge blush lover, I had to apply more and more and more, and it layered beautifully. It's totally buildable. I fully understand now why this has been sold out everywhere! That's good.</p><p>These are the <keyword id="11246859" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="danessa-myricks">Danessa Myricks</keyword> Beauty Colorfix Eye, Cheek &amp; Lip Cream Pigments. These are multiuse pigments, and they come in a bunch of different colors and finishes. Danessa Myricks, who is a wonderful <keyword id="29496" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Makeup">makeup</keyword> artist, always uses these on her models to create, like, the most beautiful looks, so I was dying to try them. These pigments are no joke. Literally one drop is all you need. I definitely used too much, but I'm so impressed not only by how pigmented they are, but how many ways you can use them. I used them for under-eye corrector, blush, eyeliner, and lipstick. Once these dry down, they're definitely staying put. This was not my best makeup work, but I was just having a good time playing around with these.</p><p>Minimal, skinlike makeup is kind of like the norm now, and this <keyword id="3034509" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Fenty-Beauty">Fenty Beauty</keyword> Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint totally makes sense for the time. It's actually way less liquidy than I imagined it to be. And, as expected, the coverage was pretty minimal, but this skin tint is super buildable, so I just added more where I felt like I needed it. Highly recommend using a brush if you want to get the most coverage out of it. The finish is pretty nice, and it does dry down, so you don't have to worry about any tackiness. I am just so not a skin-tint kind of person, but this one gives you that your-skin-but-better look that I think a lot of people would be into.</p>

Testing April's most-hyped beauty products

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In the <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword>, lots of people are working and socializing from home. </li><li>Insider spoke with a range of <keyword id="29537" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="sex-workers">sex workers</keyword>, who are on camera frequently for their jobs, to see what works best.</li><li>All said that big-time lashes and focusing on glowing skin, plus buying a ring light, are your best bets.</li></ul><p>If you want to look good on a <keyword id="10296" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Zoom">Zoom</keyword> call, you're going to want to invest in some fake eyelashes. Just take it from porn performer Janice Griffith.</p><p>"Your eyelashes look like s**t on camera, no matter how long and beautiful they look in person," she told Insider.</p><p><a href="https://onlyfans.com/goddessgkitty">Goddess Gkitty</a>, a medical student, OnlyFans performer, and part-time financial dominatrix, agreed. "Fake lashes are a must for pictures!" GKitty said. "I use all sorts of different kinds, but <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fmakeup-eyes-eyelashes%3FN%3D1z141hwZ26yj1hwZ26yj" rel="nofollow sponsored">Kiss Lashes</a> are great."</p><p>In the midst of the pandemic, lots of people are on camera from home, including sex workers. And they have to look good.</p><p>Insider spoke with a range of sex workers to see what works best for the camera, and they said that big-time lashes and focusing on glowing skin, plus buying a ring light, are your best bets.</p><div type="image" title="ring light" height="1406" width="1874" msid="78129407" hostid="261"></div> <h2><strong>Porn studios have been eclipsed by the rise of the entrepreneur-driven sex industry </strong></h2><p>Griffith is one of many adult performers taking a relative sabbatical right now — she's not doing any studio work. According to Free Speech Coalition communications director Mike Stabile, his company's Performer Availability Screening Services (PASS) database fell from 2,000 workers before the pandemic to just a few hundred people, including adult content performers and <keyword id="29496" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Makeup">makeup</keyword> artists. </p><p>The platform OnlyFans, which allows people to produce and charge for their own content, <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/what-is-onlyfans-social-network-beyonce-a4433486.html">reportedly</a> has more than 450,000 performer accounts, and has <a href="https://www.insider.com/people-are-creating-onlyfans-accounts-after-losing-jobs-during-pandemic-2020-6">grown</a> during the pandemic.  </p><p>One OnlyFans performer who started in 2020, <a href="https://onlyfans.com/aylaakhbar">Ayla</a> Akhbar, said she loves using <a href="https://shop-links.co/1718178749347913935" rel="nofollow sponsored">Fenty products</a> and channeling inspiration from her favorite Bollywood actress, Rekha.</p><div type="image" title="ayla akhbar" height="1499" width="1999" msid="78129410" hostid="261"></div> <p>"As someone who spends a lot of makeup-less days in my pajamas, it only takes a bit of effort to remind myself I'm a bad bitch," Akhbar said. </p><p>Both she and Griffith said the most popular look, at least for appealing to male clientele, is a light and natural, even innocent, aesthetic. "My everyday style definitely reflects in my filming. I love anything with girlish candor and soft colors that hints at innocence with a wink," Akhbar said.  </p><p>"I'm doing a collaboration with Pornhub right now and wearing the <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patmcgrath.com%2Fproducts%2Fmothership-vi-midnight-sunight-sun" rel="nofollow sponsored">Pat Mcgrath</a> mothership eyeshadow palette and the <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patmcgrath.com%2Fproducts%2Fchromaluxe-hi-light-creamht-cream" rel="nofollow sponsored">ChromaLuxe hi-lite cream</a>," Griffith said. "I like extremes. I like fun and crazy looks that accentuate my features. That's where I draw a lot of the confidence and power from."</p><p>Stripper-turned dominatrix and OnlyFans performer <a href="https://onlyfans.com/hedonistlovers">Gemini Baby</a>, who has been working in the sex industry for eight years, said she prefers an edgy look for BDSM content. This often includes a smokey eye with black, winged eyeliner and red or black lipstick. Generally speaking, she said, makeup can be a tool to enhance any digital performance. </p><h2><strong>Glowing skin is everything</strong></h2><p>Across the board, the hardest part of looking great on camera, the performers told Insider, is complementing your unique skin. </p><p>"I'm on the medium-dark range of most makeup options, which is ridiculous," Griffith said.</p><div type="image" title="Gemini Baby" height="1332" width="1777" msid="78129412" hostid="261"></div> <p>Akhbar and Gkitty said they face the same issue when shopping for makeup. Finding the right products and layering them effectively requires both skill and research. Gkitty said some <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fbrand%2Frevlon2Frevlon" rel="nofollow sponsored">Revlon</a>, <a href="https://shop-links.co/1718178749347913935" rel="nofollow sponsored">Fenty</a>, and <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fbrand%2Ftarte%2Ftarte" rel="nofollow sponsored">Tarte</a> products are well suited to her complexion, while Griffith recommends <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patmcgrath.com%2Fproducts%2Ffoundationundation" rel="nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Skin Fetish foundation by Pat McGrath</a>.</p><p>Another OnlyFans performer, Princess Rose, said she accentuates her dark skin by mixing a little highlighter in with her foundation before getting on camera. She's been on OnlyFans for less than a year, yet already discovered focusing on heavy coverage for the appearance of flawless skin works better on-camera than in her daily life. </p><p>"Our skin is radiant and turning it super matte doesn't let the camera pick up on that," Rose said of Black performers. "<a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fbrand%2Fwet-n-wildt-n-wild" rel="nofollow sponsored">Wet n' Wild</a>, surprisingly, has some very highly pigmented highlighters. Of course, I'm also a fan of <a href="https://shop-links.co/1718178749347913935" rel="nofollow sponsored">Fenty</a>."</p><p>Griffith said dramatic makeup with thick coverage is better for film, while softer makeup works well for selfies and photography. When GKitty photographs herself, she takes a biologist's approach to skincare. </p><p>"I swear by <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fbrand%2Fordinary-skin-care%3FN%3D1kqweidZ2707eidZ2707" rel="nofollow sponsored">The Ordinary serums</a> and <a href="https://shop-links.co/1718180437470955165" rel="nofollow sponsored">Belif</a> for facial moisturizer. They're both companies that use really clean ingredients," Gkitty said. "Things that will scientifically benefit your skin, i.e. aloe vera, squalene, etc."</p><p>She added that people should consider the ingredients in their products and how those chemicals interact with each other. Knowing which products work well together can be the difference between a dewy glow and a greasy sheen. </p><p>"We all have a pretty delicate skin pH, and makeup or even skincare that we think is helping can be doing something counterintuitive," she said. </p><h2>It's not all about skin above the collarbone </h2><p>"I can recommend exfoliating the bikini line. People with more melanin tend to have more issues with their ingrown hairs and discoloration and scars in the bikini area," Gemini said. </p><p>Veteran camgirl and findom expert <a href="https://onlyfans.com/haven_thegreat">Haven the Great</a> agreed. </p><p>"As someone with a darker complexion I deal with 'dark spots,' or hyperpigmentation, which picks up pretty drastically on camera," Haven said. "I usually color correct dark spots on my face and bikini line with a concealer."</p><p>Like Griffith, Haven prefers light makeup for photography and dramatic makeup for videos, even clips made with a simple webcam.</p><div type="image" title="haven the great" height="1292" width="1722" msid="78129414" hostid="261"></div> <p>"The most important tip I have to share with other performers is to blend! Lighting brings out all imperfections," Haven said. "Lighting also tends to make it a little hot so a good setting powder to keep your face looking matte and fresh is always a plus, too."</p><p>As for Griffith, her final tip for looking good on camera is to get dressed (or undressed) specifically for the occasion. She said it can feel almost like a mask, which helps people be more expressive on camera. </p><p>"For my everyday makeup, I've been using tinted <a href="https://shop-links.co/1718179433725236965" rel="nofollow sponsored">Kosas</a> face oil instead of a full coverage foundation," she said. "I want the hardiest, more serious products that are basically paint for shooting and more clean <keyword id="6354629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="beauty">beauty</keyword> for everyday stuff." </p><p>For many people working from home these days, makeup routines can offer a way to create ceremonial boundaries between work and their personal lives. It's a way of feeling normal and in control — in a world that's anything but.</p><p><em>Leigh Cuen is a reporter in New York City. Her work has been published by Newsweek, Teen Vogue, Al Jazeera English and many others. Follow her on Twitter at @La__Cuen. </em></p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/onlyfans-limit-tips-after-bella-thorne-earned-1m-2020-8">OnlyFans is limiting how much people can tip creators after Bella Thorne earned $1 million on the site in a day</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/people-are-creating-onlyfans-accounts-after-losing-jobs-during-pandemic-2020-6">A wave of people turned to OnlyFans to earn money when they lost their jobs due to the pandemic</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-skincare-routine-dermatologist-approved-2020-8">A dermatologist on why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 4-step skincare routine is so good</a></p>

How to look good on Zoom, according to cam girls and porn performers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NYX recently launched its <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyxcosmetics.com%2Flip%2Flip-gloss%2Fshine-loud-high-shine-lip-color%2FNYX_935.html935.html">Shine Loud High-Shine Lip Color</a>, an $11.50 <keyword id="50225" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="lipstick">lipstick</keyword> and lip-gloss combo that's said to be transfer-proof.</li><li>I tested three shades and found that the lipsticks didn't transfer, even after wearing a mask and eating fast food.</li><li>I also appreciate that the lip products are vegan, inexpensive, and sold in a wide variety of shades.</li><li>Though I wouldn't consider them my all-time favorite lip products, I would recommend them to people looking for long-lasting color.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/beauty">Beauty products</a> are always going viral on <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tiktok">TikTok</a>, but few have piqued my interest quite like the <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyxcosmetics.com%2Flip%2Flip-gloss%2Fshine-loud-high-shine-lip-color%2FNYX_935.html935.html" rel="nofollow sponsored">Shine Loud High-Shine Lip Color from NYX</a>.</p><p><a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyxcosmetics.com%2Flip%2Flip-gloss%2Fshine-loud-high-shine-lip-color%2FNYX_935.html935.html" rel="nofollow sponsored">According to the brand's website</a>, the $11.50 product is meant to create bold lip looks that are both glossy and smudge-proof. It's also vegan and meant to last for up to 16 hours. Though that description sounded too good to be true when I first read it, numerous <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> users have sworn in recent videos that the lipstick-lip-gloss hybrid delivers on its promises.</p><p>That being said, I knew I had to try it for myself. Here's how NYX's newest lip product worked in my experience, from wearing it while working to seeing how it held up after lunch.</p><h2>NYX recently released a glossy lip product that's said to be smudge-proof - and TikTok users can't get enough of it</h2><p>I first came across the Shine Loud High-Shine Lip Color at the end of December when <keyword id="29496" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Makeup">makeup</keyword> artist Stephanie Valentine <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@glamzillaxo/video/6908959448350330118?sender_device=pc&amp;sender_web_id=6891333958936954374&amp;is_from_webapp=v1ebapp=v1">reviewed the product on TikTok</a>. She first showed herself applying the matte lipstick and shiny, oil-infused topcoat, and later revealed that she was able to press her fingers against her lips without transferring any color.</p><p>In the following days, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@glamzillaxo/video/6908959448350330118?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2F&amp;referer_video_id=69089594483503301180118">I came across similar videos</a> from countless others, including makeup artists, <keyword id="6354629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="beauty">beauty</keyword> enthusiasts, and even skeptics who all tried and seemingly loved the product.</p><p>At the time of writing, the Shine Loud High-Shine Lip Color is sold in 24 shades ranging from simple nudes to bright blues and purples. All shades but two are currently sold out <a href="https://www.nyxcosmetics.com/lip/lip-gloss/shine-loud-high-shine-lip-color/NYX_935.html?dwvar_NYX__935_color=SHAKE%20THINGS%20UP">on the NYX website</a>, though others can be found <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fshine-loud-pro-pigment-lip-shine%3FproductId%3Dpimprod2020796%26_requestid%3D488318">through Ulta Beauty</a> and at stores where NYX products are sold.</p><h2>I tested three shades myself: a classic pink, a berry red, and a deep terracotta</h2><p><a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyxcosmetics.com%2Flip%2Flip-gloss%2Fshine-loud-high-shine-lip-color%2FNYX_935.html935.html" rel="nofollow sponsored">According to the NYX website</a>, you're meant to apply the matte lip color first, allow it to dry for 90 seconds, and then apply the glossy topcoat.</p><p>I did just that with <a href="https://www.nyxcosmetics.com/lip/lip-gloss/shine-loud-high-shine-lip-color/NYX_935.html?dwvar_NYX__935_color=CASH%20FLOW">the shade Cash Flow</a> and was impressed for the first 15 seconds or so. The lipstick originally felt smooth and comfortable, and it looked opaque and shiny on my lips. Unfortunately, the product became less pleasant as it dried. I couldn't even move my lips without them sticking together and creating creases in the lip color.</p><p>By the time 90 seconds were up, my lips felt extremely dry, sticky, and uncomfortable. Any cracks and fine lines in my lips had also become enhanced as the product settled.</p><div type="image" title="NYX lipstick review" height="2048" width="2048" msid="80260090" hostid="261"></div><p>Luckily, the glossy topcoat changed that. In my experience, my lips felt smooth and moisturized immediately after adding the second layer.</p><p>I then wore the lip combo for about 10 minutes, and eventually tested the transfer-proof claims the same way I'd seen so many others do on TikTok.</p><p>I pressed two fingers to my lips, and unfortunately found that lots of <keyword id="725359" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Lip-gloss">lip gloss</keyword> transferred. That being said, the pink color didn't budge, and my lips were still mostly coated in a nice shine, so I was impressed overall.</p><div type="image" title="nyx lip gloss review" height="2048" width="2048" msid="80260092" hostid="261"></div><h2>In my experience, the NYX lipstick really doesn't transfer - even after wearing a mask and eating fast food</h2><p>The next shade I tried was a berry red called Goal Getter. I made sure not to rub my lips together after the first coat had dried, and unlike my previous attempt, I found that the lip color looked smooth and opaque rather than cracked and dry.</p><div type="image" title="nyx shine loud review" height="1460" width="1094" msid="80260095" hostid="261"></div><p>From there, I grabbed a mask, hopped in my car, and went to buy some of the greasiest food I could find: McDonald's.</p><p>Though I was curious how the lipstick would hold up after a meal of french fries and soda, I was also interested to see how it would fare with a mask worn over it. In my experience, it did so perfectly. No lipstick or lip gloss transferred to my mask, and they instead looked freshly applied on my lips.</p><div type="image" title="nyx smudgeproof lipstick review" height="900" width="1200" msid="80260096" hostid="261"></div><p>I was even more impressed after eating. The lip product didn't transfer to my straw when drinking, and it didn't become patchy when eating lunch.</p><p>Some salt and crumbs did stick to the gloss, as they would with most lip products. But because the matte color is so transfer-proof, I was able to wipe off the food by using a napkin, and still not remove any color in the process.</p><div type="image" title="nyx review" height="1798" width="1348" msid="80260098" hostid="261"></div><p>My lips also had a slight sheen by the time I got home, though they weren't nearly as glossy as when I first applied the product. I added a little more product to my lips and continued to wear both layers until I removed my makeup that night.</p><p>In my experience, the lip color lasted from approximately 12 p.m. until 11:30 p.m., and the shine also held up for hours, only transferring when I ate or drank. </p><h2>There are a few minor problems with this popular lipstick</h2><p>The first two shades I tried - <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyxcosmetics.com%2Flip%2Flip-gloss%2Fshine-loud-high-shine-lip-color%2FNYX_935.html%3Fdwvar_NYX__935_color%3DCASH%2520FLOW2520FLOW" rel="nofollow sponsored">Cash Flow</a> and <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyxcosmetics.com%2Flip%2Flip-gloss%2Fshine-loud-high-shine-lip-color%2FNYX_935.html%3Fdwvar_NYX__935_color%3DGOAL%2520GETTER20GETTER" rel="nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Goal Getter</a> - worked like a charm. The shade <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyxcosmetics.com%2Flip%2Flip-gloss%2Fshine-loud-high-shine-lip-color%2FNYX_935.html%3Fdwvar_NYX__935_color%3DBOUNDARY%2520PUSHER20PUSHER" rel="nofollow sponsored">Boundary Pusher</a>, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to work with. Mine came with a bent applicator that made it difficult to apply the product evenly.</p><div type="image" title="nyx lipstick brushes" height="900" width="1200" msid="80260100" hostid="261"></div><p>Normally, I wouldn't make much of a small production error. After all, the product is still usable, even with a faulty brush. That being said, I've noticed others have faced the same problem.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@rosaspurgy/video/6912900985253924101" data-video-id="6912900985253924101" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@rosaspurgy" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@rosaspurgy">@rosaspurgy</a> <p>AYO NYXXXX <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp">#fyp</a> <a title="makeup" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/makeup">#makeup</a> <a title="nyx" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/nyx">#nyx</a> <a title="foryou" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou">#foryou</a> <a title="nyxcosmetics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/nyxcosmetics">#nyxcosmetics</a> <a title="ulta" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ulta">#ulta</a> <a title="nyxlipstick" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/nyxlipstick">#nyxlipstick</a> <a title="lipstick" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lipstick">#lipstick</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Rosa Spurgeon" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6912900958838164229">♬ original sound - Rosa Spurgeon</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>More frustrating than the brush, in my opinion, is the fact that you can't wear the matte lip color on its own. It feels far too sticky and uncomfortable without the gloss applied on top, making the product less versatile overall. And because I found myself touching up the gloss throughout the day, I worry that I'll run out of one product before the other.</p><p>The lipstick was also so transfer-proof that I had trouble removing it at the end of the day. A standard makeup wipe barely worked. Instead, it took an oil-infused makeup-removing balm to erase all the color.</p><p>While that wouldn't be an issue for me day-to-day - I don't typically use makeup wipes - I do worry that if I wanted to remove the lip product mid-day, I'd have to wait until I had access to a heavy-duty makeup remover.</p><h2>I can see why the NYX lip product has received so much hype online, even if it's not my cup of tea</h2><p>Overall, I was impressed with these TikTok-famous lipsticks. They delivered on the promise of being transfer-proof, and the oil-infused topcoat made my lips feel hydrated and plump. I also appreciate that they're vegan, costs less than $15, and are sold in a wide variety of colors.</p><p>Still, I'm not sure they're going to replace any of my favorite lipsticks or glosses. I prefer wearing one lip product at a time, and I personally found the matte lipstick too sticky and dry to want to wear it all day - even with a glossy layer on top of it.</p><p>As is the case with many beauty products, your personal makeup preferences will determine whether or not this lipstick and lip-gloss combo is for you. But personally, I think they're ultimately worth trying, even if only because they're unlike most lipsticks on the market.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/selena-gomez-rare-beauty-makeup-brand-review">I tested every product in Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty line, and it's one of the best celebrity collections I've ever tried</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nails-inc-speedy-gloss-quick-drying-nail-polish-review">One of the best nail polishes on the market costs $9 and dries in less than 2 minutes</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/patrick-starrr-one-size-makeup-dissolving-mist-review-2020-7">I tried a makeup-removing spray created by YouTuber Patrick Starrr, and it made my eyeliner disappear with one swipe</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/maybelline-liquid-lipstick-review-and-photos-2020-6">The best liquid lipstick on the market only costs $9 and it lasts all day</a></li><li><em>This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.</em></li></ul>

I tried an $11 lipstick that claims to be smudge-proof, and it worked so well that I had trouble taking it off

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The writer <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-writer-went-undercover-to-investigate-white-supremacists-online-2020-10">Talia Lavin</a> reflects on emerging from our <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid">Covid</keyword> quarantines with the same perceived flaws and insecurities as before. </li><li>What if the coming season is less "Hot Vaxxed Girl Summer" and more "Blob Girl Summer"?  </li></ul><p>As the petals drop to the pavement and shots slip into arms, we're rolling inexorably toward Hot Vaxxed Girl <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sextech-startup-summer-market-booming-2021-4">Summer</a>. We, the immunized, survivors of the plague, are supposed to emerge from our Covid quarantines without hesitancy. The problem with this is that I was never Hot in the first place and this Summer is no different. </p><p>It's still just me, blinking hesitantly and shaking a little, sweating under my shapeless clothes and knowing that there are still people dying at war with their own lungs. </p><p>The truth is I am a <a href="https://twitter.com/chick_in_kiev/status/1187113670603661313?lang=en">Blob Girl</a>. I am part of a vast middle sector of womanhood who are pretty bad at Being <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Women">Women</keyword> in the way that involves an arsenal of products and a wealth of knowledge to address every detail of our femininity with attention and care and perform it with the practiced grace of dancers. My <em>je ne sais quoi </em>is a literal translation: I don't know what it would take to have such a quality. </p><p>This summer, the humid air will press down on me like a sweaty hand and I, in the middle of it, will be as limp and unluscious as a two-day-old funnel cake. In a world of curation through layers of screens-in which even I, stale dough pinched into the rough approximation of a human woman, know my best selfie angles-it is difficult to admit it and still more difficult to hope that somewhere I have a tribe. </p><p>There is so much expectation, after more than a year locked inside. We were supposed to improve ourselves during our time away from the world. In a social milieu shaped by the bright relentless self-optimization of capital we are supposed to come out of our bedrooms-slash-workspaces thinner and shinier. </p><p>Except I didn't. For me, what's coming is Blob Girl Summer.</p><p>I know I am not alone, that there's a secret legion of grieving and unimproved femmes who have tried and failed to enter the halls of a kind of womanhood that is locked off to us. Somewhere there is a place, I imagine it to be not unlike the <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/547802">Temple of Dendur</a> in the Met, where the Hot Girls sleep at night in their sarcophagi. I could get my ticket my <keyword id="6360041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="life">life</keyword> would change, and since I can't, I live an unchanged life. The last time I tried to sit on a stoop on a sunny day I sat in dog piss and I didn't even know, for hours. </p><p>For years I have tried to enter the temple, but I haven't tried hard enough, and I have a big furrow in my brow and wrinkly hands. So much of what Being A Woman is supposed to be is the ability to transfix and enchant, glances sticking to you like cobweb.</p><div type="image" title="Talia Temple" height="3451" width="5207" msid="82314004" hostid="261"></div><p>I was built for gazes to pass over, an awning is more exciting than me, a hot dog cart is more exciting than me, the little creatures in the rainwater coming out of the gutter that you can't see with the naked eye are nonetheless more visually arresting than I am. Am I a woman still? I have tried to be. </p><p>So <a href="https://projects.thecity.nyc/covid-19-deaths/">many people</a> have died this year, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/global-covid-deaths-3-million-surges-us-brazil-india-2021-4">millions,</a> and I have survived to take into my body a miraculous shot that is the very flower of medical science, a code written in my genome to lock out the great threat. And I, imbibing this, have the temerity to not even be sexy. If Vaxxed Girl Summer is meant to be a kind of pan-cultural Rumspringa I ought to be someone that transcends schlubhood under its thrilling aegis. And yet.</p><h3>A SUGGESTED RITUAL</h3><p>The proof of my failure is all around me, entombed in the room I rent. Somewhere in my possession is a pale blue container of Tatcha's The Water Cream, a moisturizer that goes for $68 for 1.7 fluid ounces. Within the pale unguent, the advertising copy states, are wild roses, and leopard lilies found "on the cool hillsides of Japan." The cream is thick and white, and the luxuriant vessel that holds it is accompanied by a gold-colored spoon, with which to smooth the pricey goop onto your face. There is a "suggested ritual" to accompany the cream: Camellia Cleansing Oil, Rice Polish, The Essence - $286 worth of salves and scours meant to alchemize one's face and decolletage into youthful, glowing perfection. I bought it, all of it, in a manic phase in the last year of my twenties.</p><p>I was a Blob Girl convinced I could be a Hot Girl and so I was attuned to the chatter all around me about skincare routines. There were articles about it - The Cut runs a repeating feature interrogating how various women "Get Her Skin So Good" (most are very rich or very young or both). I wanted in, and I read the articles, bought the best, as far as I could determine, among a blizzard of beauty guides laden with an intricate web of affiliate links. For a few nights I bathed my skin in these things, titrated them drop by drop onto the bags under my eyes, the sallow tops of my breasts, my unspeakable neck. But I had no discipline; it was just another dilettante's sally into a kind of femininity I had no real business taking part in.</p><p>By now I've mostly mostly hidden the serums away, feeling a vague shame about the whole thing. </p><p>I'm now 31, and I grew up when Heroin Chic was still the ideal of womanhood, hipbones protruding from low-rise jeans. The belated acknowledgement that flesh belongs adjacent to bones came late in my twenties, too late for me, and I continue to await a great cultural reset that hallows a body that looks like mine--an overstuffed couch dropped from a great height, a knockoff Venus of Willendorf made of plasticine. Somehow and somewhere (many somewheres, or everywhere) I learned that a perfect woman is a mirror that shows you precisely what you desire.  </p><p>Nonetheless I stand in my sack dress and Walmart sandals and tilt up my bare, pore-heavy face with its incipient jowls and admit with chagrin and little grace that I am not among the blessed. I am a Blob Femme, a creature half-made of envy and shame, whose breasts are incidental and pendulous. A woman sure she is a woman, but sure of little else.</p><p>To be a woman and do it <em>properly </em>is a job that requires both effort and skill. It can involve cash, yes, but also work - testing and curation, a keen awareness of audience and effect. Much can be done with simple and cost-effective material, and while its primary cultural exemplars are wealthy, looking fantastic isn't solely the provenance of the bourgeois. There is value to this work: learning the mysteries of the contour, differentiating foundations, finding the just-right nook of bone that blush ought to be applied to; assessing one's palette, knowing hair milk from hair gel from hair cream. There is work in building looks each day out of the raw material of simple clothing, and it is work I admire, and at which I lack talent and initiative. There is unimaginable amounts of work involved in sculpting a beguiling figure out of simple flesh. I do not denigrate it; I long for it, strive for it when I'm flush in mad dashes of acquisition. </p><div type="image" title="Talia Makeup school" height="3006" width="4008" msid="82314013" hostid="261"></div><p>I never learned how to be flat enough, silent enough, to be all winking, passive chrome. During the pandemic I was lucky enough to be cloistered; this privileged solitude left me alone with a mind that wouldn't stop buzzing, alone with a body that kept manufacturing its own insistent and extraneous desires. I know that there are many women who excel at both the labor of performed femininity. Who lust and take with grace, and who are as skilled in attaining their own pleasure as they are at giving pleasure away. Still, after this wearing year, a year of morgue-trucks and uncertainty and pain, I am still a woman unskilled at womanhood, not new to its arts but still humbler than an apprentice: A supplicant at the door of the temple.</p><p>The world calls me out into the light of Hot Vaxxed Girl Summer, to be warm and poised and lush, but the spring is still cold and I am frightened and frozen at the threshold. Each step I take from an isolation in which my body, being alone, had no locus of comparison, is a step back into a world of all-too-familiar shame. Forgiving myself for every untoward fold and hair, every lemurish attempt at eyeliner, every clumsy waddle on thighs like boiled dumplings, forgiving myself for being me, or even just for being, is its own ongoing labor. </p><p>Having survived through a plague I want to live every inch of my survival, the world my oyster and I, its irritant little pearl, the gem at the lip of the mantle, to be plucked out and buffed to shining nacre. Instead I'm the oyster, all slime in the throat, eating grit. Still, I lived. My body allowed me to hide and survive and, surely, for this it has earned a little grace.</p><p>Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, undid her weaving each night to ward off suitors and buy herself time. I too have much to unthread each time I close my door on the world. From the poor material of myself, I have to spin patience and a little kindness. Hot Vaxxed Girl Summer is coming, and all I can do is set my fat hands to the loom.</p><p><em>Talia Lavin is a freelance journalist and author of the recent book "<a href="https://bookshop.org/books/culture-warlords-my-journey-into-the-dark-web-of-white-supremacy/9780306846434">Culture Warlords: My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy</a>." </em></p>

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