Netflix’s adaptation brings back the original cast from the Broadway play, led by Washington and including Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan, and Eugene Lee. Taking place in a South Florida police station, American Son closely examines race by following the story of a mother (Washington) determined to find her missing son from four different perspectives.
“I have kids too,” Officer Larkin (Jordan) says in the trailer.
“Any of them Black?” Washington’s Kendra snappily replies.
The play was a New York Times critics pick, and does not pull any punches.
“With its unrelentingly high tension on every level — maternal, marital, societal — it’s more like a slice of a nightmare, with few contours despite its surprises,” the NYT review of American Son reads. “Its abrupt ending doesn’t even offer a chance for catharsis; it just spits you out.”
It’s likely Netflix’s take on the story won’t be any less brutal. Watch the trailer below.
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The moment felt like an off-script moment that Tyrion Lannister would be proud of — although the Emmys’ producers were surely less amused. To those at home, all that could be heard was the beginning of a speech, a long “BLEEP,” and then a “Hey, it’s over, I don’t care,” followed by a shrug. So, if you were confused, here it is, according to The Wrap: “10 years of absolute sweat, but 10 years of the most talented, mother fucking people…Hey, it’s over, I don’t care.”
But the Emmys can’t be too mad at Dinklage because he has the show’s equivalent of a “Get out of jail” free card. He’s won this award three other times, making his fourth win officially history-making. Fuck yeah! He added: “I count myself so fortunate to be a member of a community that is nothing but all about tolerance and diversity because no other place could I be standing on a stage like this.”
Later in the program, Game of Thrones would go on to win Best Drama — a full-circle moment for one of the biggest shows in the history of TV. Good-bye Game of Thrones and Peter Dinklage. We’ll miss you.
Just kidding — we’re about to get 1,000 prequels.
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Welcome to Refinery29’s Feel Good Diaries, where we chronicle the physical and mental wellness routines of women today, their costs, and whether or not these self-care rituals actually make you feel good. Have your own Feel Good Diary to submit? You can do sohere!
Today: A woman who believes in a balanced wellness approach that encompasses spiritual well-being and both physical and mental health.
Age: 31
Location: Smyrna, Georgia
Occupation: Nonprofit Marketing
Salary: $50,000
Day One
4:30 a.m. — I wake up super early most days to drink coffee and start my morning routine before I go to the gym. Most of the time, I read a devotional from She Reads Truth ($1.99 per month), which gives me a curated daily scripture reading plan. I try to fit in at least 10 minutes of meditation with Headspace ($7.99 per month, paid annually). I’ve discovered that taking 30 to 40 minutes in the morning to set my brain for the day greatly impacts my mood and productivity. Next, I head to a kickboxing class at Burn Studios. I love how strong and powerful I feel when I box, and I find myself pushing really hard on the cardio intervals today. I pay $119 per month for Burn, which has all the classes I love, great amenities, and instructors that I’ve started getting to know personally. Finally, I’m off to work. I call my mom on my way so we can catch up.
8:30 a.m. — I get to work and answer some emails before I eat my breakfast. I typically have oatmeal, blueberries, and peanut butter, plus a cup of green tea. This keeps me full until lunch, when I eat a faro and chickpea bowl from Hello Fresh. I’m trying meal delivery with an $80-off coupon, so I’m paying $40.66 per week for groceries right now. So far, I’ve been really impressed with all the meals. I try to bring my breakfast and lunch from home as often as possible.
6 p.m. — When I get home, I like to unwind by reading, cooking dinner, and indulging in a little self care. I talk myself out of ordering stir fry on Uber Eats and instead make homemade ramen with tofu and broccoli. It really hits the spot, even though I know I’ll feel a little bloated from the sodium tomorrow. To wind down for bed, I spend time journaling and reading a new mystery (part of the Jade Calhoun series by Deanna Chase) that I found free in the Kindle store (the Kindle was a gift from my dad). I also spend some time on the phone with a good friend who just got engaged, and I feel all the happy after I talk to her. Then I wash my face with Alba Botanica Acnedote Deep Pore Wash — I’m 31 but apparently still get zits like a teenager ($11.99). Next, I use Lush’s Eau Roma Water as a toner ($10.49 for a big bottle), followed by Tarte’s Drink of H2O moisturizer, which I ordered at 30% off ($26). I take a Sprouts multivitamin every day ($7.49), then I’m in bed by 9. I make a gratitude list and read a little more before I turn the lights out at 9:30.
Daily Total: $225.61
Day Two
5:30 a.m. — I do my morning devotion, prayers, and meditation while I drink two cups of coffee. Today is a rest day from the gym, so I take my time getting ready for work, and I put some extra effort into my makeup. I love how a good winged eyeliner makes my eyes pop behind my glasses, but I rarely feel like putting in the additional time to do it when I’m getting dressed at the gym. I head out the door and get stuck in terrible traffic behind a bad wreck. By the time I get to the other side of town for work, I’m grumpy and treat myself to some Starbucks egg white bites and a skinny vanilla latte to cheer myself up ($8.37).
6:30 p.m. — Every week, I lead a women’s Bible study through my church. I’m so fortunate to have a really great group of women around me. I’ve been able to talk through job transitions, dating, and family relationships, and it’s been transformative in my spiritual growth. This week, we’re doing an interactive self help program from Andy Stanley called Address the Mess($6.99 for the leader’s study guide), and I’m already loving the discussions we have about judgement, both internal and external.
Daily Total: $15.36
Day Three
6 a.m. — This morning I’m taking a strength and circuit training class at Burn called CrossBurn. The class alternates between strength exercises (dumbbells, kettlebells, bodyweight, and TRX), and rounds on the boxing bag. I leave sweaty, and I can tell that my legs are going to be sore tomorrow from the pistol squats.
10 a.m. — I’m getting coffee with my old boss, who works in a different department now. I buy what’s basically a knockoff of Starbucks’ Medicine Ball tea ($4). At the check-out counter I notice some locally made lip balms from an artisan I’ve seen at the farmer’s market. I’m almost out of the balm I keep at my desk, so I grab a tube ($3). My old boss and I have a great time catching up, and I show her pictures from my recent trip to Barcelona. She tells me that she’s proud of how much I’ve grown since we worked together, and I walk the half-mile back to my office feeling uplifted.
7 p.m. — I can already feel my legs falling apart from this morning’s workout, so I decide to soak in the bath with a sheet mask. I love the Pacifica Beauty’s sheet masks ($4 each). This time, I smoothe on their Disobey Time Rose and Peptide mask , and bask in the glory of some lavender bubble bath I received as a gift. I read the first part of the next book in the mystery series I started this weekend, which is on sale for $3.99 on my Kindle.
Daily Total: $11.99
Day Four
6 a.m. — It’s back to Burn this morning for a spin class. I push myself really hard and get my highest power score ever! My legs are a little wobbly when I get off the bike, but I head to work feeling satisfied and accomplished.
8 p.m. — At least once a week, I attend a free support group for mental health in my area. Contributions to the group are voluntary, but I try to give a few bucks every time I go ($5). The group is facilitated by a rotating group of volunteers, and we cover various topics around keeping ourselves mentally and spiritually fit, including resentment, honesty, humility, and fellowship. This group has been an integral part of my life for years, and it has truly transformed how I live on a day-to-day basis.
Daily Total: $5
Day Five
6 a.m. — I go Burn’s second location to take a spin class with one of my favorite instructors. Her playlists are infectious, with lots of early 2000s hip hop that takes me back to high school. She almost always plays “Lose Control” by Missy Elliott and Ciara. I push really hard again, and I think I’ve got to have topped my score from yesterday, but the two classes are dead even. This location just upgraded their changing rooms, so I take a few extra minutes perfecting my hair with their new Chi flat iron.
6:30 p.m. — Every Friday, my best friend and I go to a Mexican restaurant by her house to catch up. This little tradition is an extremely important part of my week, and seeing my BFF isn’t something I’m willing to compromise on unless it’s absolutely necessary. We split a cheese dip, but my friend picks up the queso this week. I get a quesadilla and much on chips and salsa ($7.25, including a 30% tip). This week we’re mired in some friend group drama, so we also run to Sweet Hut for pastries and bubble teas for TLC. I get my favorite strawberry croissant and a caramel boba tea ($8.50). We take our desserts back to her house and spend the rest of the evening chatting and catching up.
Daily Total: $15.75
Day Six
8 a.m. — In addition to spin, circuit, and kick, Burn has yoga classes, too. This morning, one of my favorite instructors is teaching Yoga Sculpt, which involves plyometrics and weights. I drag myself out of bed at 6:30 on a Saturday to do my morning routine before class, even though I really don’t want to. I’m a little drained, so I take it easy in class and lower the weights and take out the jumping. Afterwards, I run to the store to pick up a few things for breakfasts and snacks. I spend $25, including a green juice for my post-yoga breakfast.
10 a.m. — I stop at European Wax Center on my way home from the grocery store for an eyebrow appointment ($25). It’s been a while since my last treatment, so my eyebrows are looking rough. The technician does a great job, and we talk about some of our favorite makeup products while she works on me. I leave feeling so much better, and go ahead and make another appointment for next month on my way out.
4 p.m. — I’m flying through this new mystery series, so I buy the third book on my Kindle ($4.99). For the past year or so, I’ve been really focused on reading books for self-improvement, but I’d forgotten how amazing it is to just get lost in a fun fiction novel. Reading has always been an escape and release for me. For the rest of the night I sit around with my page-tuner, do my laundry between chapters. I make a (delicious!) baked pasta parmesan dish from Hello Fresh. I don’t have any plans tonight, so I turn in early.
Daily Total: $54.99
Day Seven
7 a.m. — Most Sunday mornings, I meet up with a few girls from my small group who use ClassPass for kickboxing at Burn before church. The studio owner usually teaches this class, and it’s a cardio killer. We’re all out of breath and covered in sweat by the end. I love starting my Sunday with exercise — it helps me feel productive and motivated for the week ahead. We all get dressed for church at the gym, then stop by Panera Bread for bagels ($5.50) before the 11 a.m. service.
6 p.m. — I’ve been doing chores and cleaning my condo all afternoon, but I hold Sunday evenings as a sacred time. I use them to reset for the week ahead and make sure I can get off to a running start at work. I take time to journal, make a longer gratitude list than normal, take a bubble bath, and spend time away from technology. Then I pack my lunch and my gym bag for Monday, and get ready for bed. I read a little bit more, and it’s lights out by 9 so that I can be well rested tomorrow.
Daily Total: $5.50
Weekly Total: $334.20
Reflection:
Prayer, meditation, and group therapy have combined to truly transform my life. On the flip side, I’ve realized that I’m not always the most adaptable when I get out of my routine, so I’m working on finding more flexibility in the morning and at night so that I can have a little more spontaneity in my days. Fridays with my best friend are often the highlights of my week. I love spending time connecting with someone who’s so close to me — plus, chips and salsa!
Refinery29 does not test out the services or products in this series, and does therefore not necessarily endorse them.
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On Monday, September 23, day and night will be equal length, and autumn will officially begin. It’s the fall equinox, and along with being the official start of Libra season, it’s a spiritually significant day for many.
“It’s a very potent time for magic and manifesting, because the gateway between both the spiritual and physical world will be unlocked,” astrologer Lisa Stardust tells Refinery29. “During the height of the harvest season (which is when the equinox occurs), we have a witches’ ‘Thanksgiving’ of sorts by eating seasonal fruits and honoring the Earth.”
“Mabon signifies the start of fall, a time where the veil to the other realm begins to become more thin, and we’re meant to reap all the benefits of our hard work we’ve put in through the spring and summer months,” Blue June, host of the Mystic Witch podcast, tells Refinery29. “In olden times, that meant a feast of livestock and crops that have been harvested. These days, we are more prone to think of pumpkin spice lattes and the only thing we’re harvesting is bags of candy, but there are many modern ways in which to celebrate Mabon, while still connecting to traditions.”
June suggest throwing a bonfire party with friends, “celebrating each others’ accomplishments throughout the year and passing a cup of water around in a circle, sharing our achievements. You should try to do this as the fire is dying to signify that this is a time for slowing down, and when the last person has been congratulated we use the cup of water to put out the fire.”
Bri Luna, owner and creative director of the Hoodwitch, suggests taking some time for reflection, even if you can’t have a big celebration. “On the day of the Sabbat [holiday], it’s important to take just a moment out of your busy schedule to honor Mother Earth,” she says. “Spend time meditating on what you have accomplished in the past months, and write out a list of all you have to be thankful for. Keep your list posted where you can see, just in case you start feeling ‘Grinch-y’ as the coming winter months begin.”
As you unpack your sweaters from storage, take a moment to reflect on the end of the season and the good things in your life. As Luna says, “Gratitude is powerful medicine!”
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Tonight is Emmys night, and for all you TV stans out there, it's shaping up to be a night worth remembering. The hot topic of the moment, a.k.a. the final chance for Game of Thrones to take home the prize, is bringing everyone's favorite cast together in a room on the red carpet for one last time. Will Sophie Turner live up to our expectations in Louis Vuitton? What about Gwendoline Christie? What effervescent gown will she show up in this year? Only time will tell.
On top of that unstoppable cast, there's Killing Eve, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Pose, Veep and more to think about. Maybe Rachel Brosnahan will don another Oscar de la Renta original. Will Regina King continue her streak of show-stopping looks? We already know Billy Porter will dress to impress. Whatever our favorite TV stars (or more likely their stylists) select for tonight's festivities, this year's Emmys red carpet is sure to be one for the record books.
We can’t wait to watch along as the actors/actresses who fill our nights and weekends with tears — the happy ones and the sad ones, alike — are given a much-deserved pat on the back for their cumulative accomplishments this year. But first, let’s take a look their outfits. Click through for our best dressed roundup from the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
Zendaya in Custom Vera Wang Collection
I think I speak for everyone when I say that Euphoria star, Zendaya just dropped the mic on the Emmys purple carpet. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.
Sophie Turner in Louis Vuitton
The Queen in the North is already a winner in our hearts thanks to this Louis Vuitton blush pink gown.
Viola Davis in Alberta Ferretti
Viola Davis can get away with anything (i.e., murder) when she's wearing this black and white off-the-shoulder dress. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.
Maisie Williams in Custom J.W. Anderson
GoT star, Maisie Williams is killing more than just the Night King in this lace-y black number. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Gwendoline Christie in Gucci
Did Gwendoline Christie just win the Game Of Thrones? We’re thinking hell yes. The fact that her dress is straight from Gucci's Resort 2020 runway only guarantees her #1 spot. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Sandra Oh in Zac Posen
Only Killing Eve star, Sandra Oh could make Pepto Bismol pink look chic.
Joey King in Zac Posen
The Act star, Joey King, might be just 20 years-old, but she's doling out some serious retro Audrey Hepburn vibes in this red Zac Posen gown.Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.
Jodie Comer in Tom Ford
Jodie Comer is killing it (much like her Killing Eve character) in this white hot Tom Ford gown.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Angela Bassett in Antonio Grimaldi
Even if the carpet was red, Angela Bassett would still stand out in this off-the-shoulder red jumpsuit from Antonio Grimaldi Fall 2019 couture collection. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.
Emilia Clarke in Valentino
Daenerys may not have made it past Game of Thrones' final battle, but she proved her Khaleesi status in this low-V Valentino gown.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton
When does Michelle Williams not look statuesque on the red purple carpet?Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Taraji P. Henson in Vera Wang Collection
Empire star, Taraji P. Henson, is singlehandedly making capes cool again in this pink and red sheer gown. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
Rachel Brosnahan in Elie Saab
Aren't you looking marvelous tonight, Mrs. Maisel.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Naomi Watts in Dior
Naomi Watts is bringing us the gothic princess look we've been waiting for courtesy of Dior.Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.
Regina King in Jason Wu
American Prime actress, Regina King just upped her already sky-high color game in this baby blue gown.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Oscar de la Renta
What's that they say? Dress for the job award you want? Veep star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is doing just that tonight on the Emmys purple carpet. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Christina Applegate in Custom Vera Wang Collection
Dead To Me star, Christina Applegate looks drop dead gorgeous in this sheer silver Vera Wang original.
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Billy Porter in Michael Kors Couture
Billy Porter's striking his best Pose yet in platform Rick Owens sandals and the cowboy hat of our dreams (courtesy of Steven Jones).Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Lena Headey in Brock Collection
Lena Headey's look of the night combines our two favorite things: Brock Collection's SS20 collection and Game of Thrones.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Eris Baker in Tadashi Shoji
The lace crown, the Euphoria-esque eye makeup, the tulle Tadashi Shoji gown — this look on This Is Us breakout star, Eris Baker, is so us. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.
Dascha Polanco in Christian Siriano
Whoever said Orange Is The New Black hasn't seen the bubblegum pink sleeves on Dascha Polanco. Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Eliza Scanlen in Miu Miu
Sharp Objects star, Eliza Scanlen, isn't resembling her dark character at all tonight, instead, debuting a very bright and shiny pixie cut paired with a bow-embellished tutu dress by Miu Miu. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.
Carice van Houten
We're bowing down to the Red Priestess, a.k.a. Game of Thrones' Carice van Houten tonight. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
Kathryn Newton in Ralph Lauren
We'll join whatever Society Kathryn Newton leads — that is, as long as she does it while donning this Ralph Lauren two-piece set. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.
Jameela Jamil
The Good Place might be over, but at least we have this image of Jameela Jamil to stare at when we're in need of a little Tahani Al-Jamil in our lives. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.
Susan Kelechi Watson
A new season of This Is Us, a new fiancé and a new role alongside Tom Hanks — it's no wonder that Susan Kelechi Watson is glowing on tonight's purple carpet. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Laverne Cox in Monsoori
As per usual, Laverne Cox is making a statement on the red carpet. This time, though, it doesn’t have anything to do with her dress. Instead, she used a rainbow Edie Parker clutch with "Oct. 8 Title VII Supreme Court" embossed on it and A.C.L.U. lawyer, Chase Strangio as plus one to support the incredibly important cause.
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Greta Lee
Welcome to the 71st Annual Primetime Slimetime Emmys. Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Mandy Moore
This Is Us star, Mandy Moore, is bringing us some serious Old Hollywood vibes in this off-the-shoulder pink and red gown.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
Chrissy Metz
This Is Us star, Chrissy Metz is a glowing Joan Of Arc in this metallic, off-the-shoulder gown. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
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On September 23, the fall equinox arrives and Libra season officially begins. The seventh sign of the zodiac is associated with balance, beauty, and sociability — especially when it comes to networking. Over the next month, we’ll all feel Libra’s influence, until we move into Scorpio season.
“From September 23 to October 23, the sun moves through action-driven Libra, ruler of the realm of partnerships,” Narayana Montúfar, Senior Astrologer at Astrology.com and Horoscope.com, tells Refinery29. “By the time the sun enters Libra, both Venus (Libra’s natural ruler) and Mercury (communication guru) are already there, getting us accustomed to the light-hearted, romantic, and artsy vibe of this sign.”
While Libras might feel the effects the most, “No matter which our sign is, for the next four weeks, we will all feel the need to seek balance in our lives as we channel the network-savvy and diplomatic ways of this sign — in other words, we all become a little Libra-like,” Montúfar says.
Embracing Libra season means “embracing our innermost Venusian qualities,” adds astrologer Lisa Stardust. “This means dressing head to toe in the latest fall fashions and makeup, while embracing our artistic nature. Libra season is the ideal time to get your flirt on, swipe right, be social, and hit up trendy bars. We will all become sensual and chatty — even a little indecisive in making Friday night plans.”
This Libra season, Venus, Mercury, and the Sun form squares with Saturn and Pluto. This means that “as we strike to restore this equilibrium, a real commitment to do the work and the need to dive deep will be crystal-clear,” Montúfar says. “Simply put, restoring the balance and harmony will come, but only after a fair set of turning points and the necessary upheaval.”
There are two big lunar events to put on your calendar: the new moon in Libra on September 28 “could be deeply healing as long as we don’t hide from the opportunity it will be giving us to expand our horizons,” Montúfar says. And the full moon in Aries on October 13 will “shine a brave, courageous, and bold energy to help us reach out for something we have been desiring for quite some time.” All together, “Although Libra season will have a darker tone this year than in previous years, it offers a unique opportunity for healing and transformation.”
Stardust adds that with Venus in Libra, moving into Scorpio, we’ll see intensity and passions in our lives. “Don’t settle down until after the first week and a half of Libra season,” she says. But “when Venus enters Scorpio on October 8th, partner up for some heavy-duty bondage and role-playing.” She adds, “Libra season 2019 brings MAJOR change and transformation — so beware!!”
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: (L-R) Michael Douglas presents the Outstanding Drama Series award for ‘Game of Thrones’ to Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, and Sophie Turner onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
I’ll be honest: It’s hard not to have the best time at an awards show when your show is taking home twelve of said awards. including Outstanding Drama Series. Game Of Thrones cleaned up at the 2019 Emmys in honor of its 8th and final season, and the cast has the pictures, videos, and Instagrams to prove it.
The cast documented their experience from the beginning to the very, very end. For instance, Lena Headey hit the red carpet with a new tattoo, and Alfie Allen, who played Theon Greyjoy, kept everyone updated on the after-parties via his detailed Instagram Story. In between were hilarious and often heartwarming moments shared by the actors, who have spent eight years fighting dragons, climbing ice mountains, and resolutely not bending the knee.
Sophie Turner started her day watching The Devil Wears Prada. Who needs Joe Jonas by your side when you have Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep?
It also meant that once she arrived at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, she had rested up enough to give Kit Harington the biggest hug.
Ahead of the cast’s presenting gig, the Lannisters hung out backstage.
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 22: (L-R) Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage pose behind the scenes during the 71ST PRIMETIME EMMY® AWARDS airing live from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 22 (8:00-11:00 PM ET live/5:00-8:00 PM PT live) on FOX. (Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)
And with the entire gang backstage, Allen got this incredible selfie.
Somewhere in all this, Headey and Gwendoline Christie hung out with Naomi Watts, officially passing the torch to the star, who has been cast in the Game Of Thrones prequel, Bloodmoon.
At HBO’s official after-party, Turner hung out with RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Nina West.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Sophie Turner (L) attends HBO’s Official 2019 Emmy After Party on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)
According to Allen’s Instagram story, it’s also where everyone danced to Questlove.
Meanwhile, Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington were hugging it out at Netflix’s after-party.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: (L-R) Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke attend the 2019 Netflix Primetime Emmy Awards After Party at Milk Studios on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix)
We can only hope this means the two will co-star in a Netflix movie ASAP.
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Michelle Williams accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie award for “Fosse/Verdon” onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on September 22, 2019. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
“The next time a woman, and especially a woman of color — because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white, male counterpart — tells you what she needs in order to do her job — listen to her,”Fosse/Verdon star Michelle Williams said as she accepted her 2019 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series. It was a rousing statement that received boisterous applause from the audience at L.A.’s Microsoft Theater, where the 71st Emmys were held, and immediate social media support.InStyle, the Lean In organization, and Refinery29’s own Instagram all shared the speech, whether it was as a video or memeable text post.
Williams’ words put a fine point on a night that proved women’s stories aren’t just necessary — they’re exceptional. It’s unfortunate that the limelight didn’t hit every woman. When you zoom out on the evening, you realize women of color have still been left out in the Emmy cold.
These three series follow noticeably similar central characters. Their settings and circumstances might be different, but their broad strokes are not. Each one is a white woman with a chaotic interior life — due to a shocking divorce, bloodthirsty assassin lifestyle, or tragic guilt — who is still wildly resilient despite all that mess. Even after the arrests or priest seductions or elaborate stabbings, you root for them.
This is a trio of potent reminders that women don’t need to be perfect to be compelling. In fact, they’re all so much more interesting when they’re not pristine saints. After watching hard-boiled antiheroes power 21st century television — see: Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Walter White (2019 Emmy opener Bryan Cranston), every man in Deadwood, and every man on Game of Thrones— it has been refreshing to see women characters shed the restraints of the Likable Woman trope and entertain their darkest impulses. As someone who vocally loves all three of these shows, it’s easy to celebrate their well-deserved victories.
Nevertheless, it’s also necessary to consider who isn’t taking home statues and posing in the winner’s circles in their stead. Comer beat out co-star Sandra Oh, who plays Killing Eve‘s true complicated centeras the titular Eve Polastri. Oh was the first Asian woman ever to be nominated in this category in the Emmy’s 71-year history. Both the Outstanding Comedy race and Waller-Bridge’s Lead Comedy Actress category were all-white competitions. When They See Us’ Marsha Stephanie Blake was the only woman of color nominated in any supporting acting category across the board. Even Michelle Williams, who championed listening to women of color, took home the Limited Series Lead Actress trophy over two Black women: Niecy Nash and Aunjanue Ellis of When They See Us. Williams can’t control Emmy voting, but she does benefit from the current state of it.
When They See Us, which won just 2 Emmys out of 16 nominations,reminds it’s not that stellar storytelling from women of color doesn’t exist — it simply isn’t what Emmy voters believe is award-worthy. The limited series’ director, Oscar-winner Ava DuVernay, also lost her category, this time to a white man, Chernobyl helmer Johan Renck.
While undeniable talents like DuVernay and Nash were at least nominated, so many other women of color were snubbed entirely. Although Insecure’s stellar third season, which premiered in August 2018, may seem like eons ago, it was actually eligible for this Emmys cycle. It was solely nominated in the cinematography category, which it lost. That means Issa Rae could not find her way into the Lead Actress race, and her relentlessly funny supporting cast failed to get a single nod. Apparently, the fearsome power of HBO’s award show net does know some bounds. In that same vein, Asian actor Maya Erskine received a writing nod for her Hulu series Pen15, but was never even a whisper in the Lead Actress race. Anyone who has seen Erskine’s show can tell you she’s giving the fearless taboo performance of a lifetime as her horny 13-year-old self.
Pose, an Outstanding Drama nominee that seems destined for icon status, ran into similar problems. Billy Porter may have won the Best Actor race in a historic victory, but his co-star Mj Rodriguez, the beating heart of the FX series, wasn’t even nominated. Indya Moore, a femme non-binary performer and Pose’s breakout star, was also snubbed, as was the unforgettably sharp Dominique Jackson, who plays diva Elektra Abundance. All three got to go to the Emmys and clap while the people around them celebrated their actual nominations.
There are three outstanding Latinx, women-led series that could not even find a single road into the Primetime party.Jane the Virgin, a series that has managed to juggle delicate and important subjects like religion, abortion, and immigration with soap opera hijinks, has only ever gotten an Outstanding Narrator nomination, which it has lost every time. The CW series did not receive a single Emmy nod for its finale season. Netflix’s last season of One Day at a Timewon the editing race at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys, but was invisible at the big show that is the Primetime Emmys. Starz’s Vida, a dramedy that tackles Emmys-bait topics like grief, queerness, and race with a surgeon’s care, has never gotten a single major awards show nod over its two-season run.
Vida’s Starz sibling Outlander, which is led by two white actors, has netted four Emmy nominations and six Golden Globes nods. So, it’s not like award show voters are oblivious to the smaller premium network.
If network execs and TV producers are ever going to take actresses of color seriously about what they need to succeed, Hollywood has to deem their stories as vital as their white counterparts. Maybe next year — when Kerry Washing’s American Son, HBO’s beloved Black Lady Sketch Show, and One Day at A Time‘s much-lauded PopTV revival are all eligible — that can happen. Until then, everyone is waiting.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: Actress Zendaya is seen arriving to Marc Jacobs Spring 2020 Fashion Show at Park Avenue Armory during New York Fashion Week on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
Zendaya wasn’t nominated for an Emmy this year, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t steal the spotlight all the same. That’s exactly what the Euphoria star did, showing up in a custom emerald green Vera Wang gown, makeup that’s sure to inspire us for years to come, and a striking new red hair color we couldn’t look away from.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Zendaya attends the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
After the transformation, Zendaya took to Twitter to reveal that the inspiration for the red hair didn’t come from Ariel, but from original Spider-Man character MJ. “MJ homage,” she wrote, confirming the semi-permanent red transformation was a nod to Mary Jane Watson. Zendaya doesn’t rock red hair as her version of MJ in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but Kirsten Dunst did when she famously portrayed the role in the 2000s franchise.
As for this rich shade of red velvet, Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach insinuated that it was inspired by another comic-book great: Poison Ivy. Although Zendaya herself has yet to comment on the new look, Roach basically confirmed the inspo on Instagram last night by posting several photos of the Batman character. The green and red color combination is one of Poison Ivy’s calling cards — perhaps now it’ll be one of Zendaya’s, too.
Hairstylist Ursula Stephen complemented Zendaya’s refreshed hair color with a set of soft Hollywood waves. But how could someone’s hair look that luscious after a color appointment? Stephen depended on an arsenal of reparative and hydrating hair products, including a $7 hair milk from Love Beauty and Planet and Suave’s Natural Hair Curl Defining Cream that rings in under $5.
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Elizabeth Olson — not the actress — has been Senior Director of Brand Creative at Kate Spade for about two years. What does that entail, exactly?
“My job is to be the brand watch dog — I can’t think of a good, cooler word,” Olson says in this week’s UnStyled podcast. “The two teams that I oversee are the print team — any print collateral, and the digital team. That’s our emails, our social media.”
In other words, Olson is instrumental in shaping how the Kate Spade brand communicates with its customers. “It’s fun,” she tells Christene Barberich, Refinery29’s global editor-in-chief and cofounder. “It’s different every hour, so it’s really interesting.”
It’s also a crucial time for the global brand: last year, it both welcomed Creative Director Nicola Glass and, of course, mourned the tragic death of its beloved namesake founder and former co-owner.
For Olson, the newish role is both a career reset and a fitting distillation of how many media pros and content creatives’ jobs have dramatically evolved over the past two decades — from working in print, then digital, and then directly with brands in a retail environment. Olson, after all, has served as an Art Director, wrote her own fashion blog, Feels Like White Lightening, back in the day, and much more — and the focus wasn’t always just fashion.
“In my career, it’s been mostly publishing, but I’ve worked in publishing that does all kinds of things,” she tells Barberich. “I started at Details, which is men’s fashion. When I was at T, we did fifteen issues a year: food, travel, men’s, women’s fashion. I was a Creative Director at Afar for a few years, which was just travel. I’ve been in the mix of all these different things. Working primarily in women’s fashion I hadn’t done, and also working in a retail environment.”
Working at Kate Spade, then, “is so different. One day I might be talking about signs in a store, and then what the email is for tomorrow, and then what we’re gonna be shooting for our e-com photography for all of Spring 2020. Pretty wild.”
But Olson, as her cult-fave blog attested, has always had a sharp, unique point of point of view when it comes to fashion and self-expression. (Hint: She still loves the ‘90s.) Speaking with Barberich, she offered a crucial bit of advice about defining one’s style and expanding (or Marie Kondo-ing) your closet — particularly as it relates to self-care and comfort. “Recently, I tried to think back on moments where I felt really good or felt really confident,” she begins. “What was I wearing? Who was I then? Because I do feel like, in this period of [career] transition, I changed my style a little bit in the past five years. I’ve come back now, to where I was before. and I feel better in my own skin.”
Hear the rest of Olson and Barberich’s chat — they discuss the miracle that is Diane Keaton, the still-acute absence of Phoebe Philo and more — by listening to this week’s UnStyled and subscribing via Apple Podcasts today.
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While there’s never a bad time to find out your favorite beauty products are 50% off, the first day of fall is probably the most opportune. To celebrate the official shift in the seasons, Ulta Beauty is giving you a reason to shop — nay, haul — and fully restock your bathroom cabinet, makeup bag, vanity, and shower caddy before sweater weather hits.
Whether you need a fresh can of dry shampoo or a creamy bronzer to keep you sun-kissed through tailgate season, you’ll find it at Ulta’s annual Fall Haul event. The sale is officially live now, both online and in stores, and runs for the next two weeks, with discounts on everything — from makeup and skin care to haircare and bath-and-body top-sellers.
You can shop the sale through October 5th, but we wouldn’t wait that long. The current set of deals — including Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo for $2 and 40% off Maybelline SuperStay Matte Lipstick — will only last until Saturday, September 28th. That leaves a few days to strategize, at least until next week’s drop is announced.
Stay tuned for a full calendar breakdown of every discount you can find during Ulta’s 2019 Fall Haul sale.
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As models in head-to-toe white rolled out on a conveyor belt in a show space best described as airport terminal meets surgical room, it became clear that change is afoot at Gucci. Where was the drama? The Byzantine metallics, the abundance of botanics and plethora of color? Met with a fashion moment so in contrast to previous seasons, editors at Milan Fashion Week SS20 referred to creative director Alessandro Michele’s statement:
“Can [fashion] offer itself as an instrument of resistance? Can it suggest experiential freedom, ability to transgress and disobey, emancipation and self-determination? Or fashion itself risks to become a refined device of neo-liberal government that ends up imposing a new normativity, turning freedom into a commodity and emancipation into a broken promise?” Self-reflection and the desire for personal emancipation are clearly on Michele’s mind this season.
Arguably the most dominant voice in fashion – both within and outside the industry – everything Michele has presented since taking the helm in 2015 has been a resounding success, both in influence and from a business perspective (Gucci has doubled its revenue over the past four years). From the collectable accessories that became the brand’s bread and butter – think horsebit loafers, three-stripe trainers and interlocking GG belts – to wider aesthetic hallmarks like vintage, maximalism and a breakdown of gender boundaries, maybe Michele feels restricted by his own creations.
The models’ white uniforms certainly looked like straitjackets (perhaps the most shocking and controversial opening to one of Michele’s shows so far) but rather than a symbol of Michele breaking free from his globally-recognized aesthetic, perhaps they were posed as more of a sartorial palate-cleanser, a prelude to new beginnings. What he initially laid out as ‘freedom’ and ’emancipation’ (which blew the dominant normcore aesthetic out of the water, and which we’ve seen most recently in his Gucci Beauty campaigns, a ‘fuck you’ to established beauty standards) is perhaps the ‘commodity’ and ‘broken promise’ he talks of in his SS20 notes.
So what does Gucci 2.0 look like? The looks that followed certainly looked and felt like the Gucci we know, albeit more refined and considered. Michele’s maximalist trademarks were all there: jewel-encrusted insects, bug-like sunglasses, neon-hemmed lace slips and plaid-on-fringing-on-sequins. But where before there was no limit to what made an outfit, the pieces this season were given space to breathe. The most thrilling looks were the simplest: a green column dress offset with black tights and gloves, a ‘70s blouse tucked into flared denim, a rust-hued two-piece suit.
Perhaps most refreshing of all, with the SS20 collection, Michele has proved he can remove himself from the circus that is Gucci’s global brand by paring back, simplifying and streamlining – without losing any of his Midas touch.
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There is a story Aubrey Marcus likes to tell about the time he transformed into a triceratops. “You would think the most interesting part about being a triceratops would be having a big horn. But nope,” he began one Saturday last year, in front of a crowd of about 100. “The most interesting part was how full my heart felt and how connected to everything I felt. There was a complete absence of anxiety. I was so warm and open. And I was a dinosaur.”
His audience had gathered for the first day of the Aubrey Marcus Mastermind Weekend in a beige and frosty downtown Austin event space. Animal horn and moss centerpieces adorned tables of 10, where everyone sat rapt for much of the afternoon. But in response to the triceratops story, the group erupted in a knowing chuckle: Many of the people in the room, I will learn later, have also participated in an Ayahuasca ceremony, either in an illegal one here in the United States or in the jungles of Peru like Marcus. These ceremonies, which traditionally last several days, involve multiple doses of the drug also known as “the vine of the dead,” and are not recreational. In fact, they are often terrifying.
But as in Marcus’ case, the Ayahuasca experience can also be a valuable teacher. For example, when Marcus turned into triceratops that one time he learned that underneath it all, we are all that dinosaur — or at least, we can be if we risk the journey deep inside ourselves to discover it, Marcus says into the mic. The quest can be scary, and bizarre, but the trip is worth it because once you do, whatever you want to achieve will be right at your fingertips. Once you know how connected you are to everything and everyone, you’ll experience a deep knowing that it’s not the big horn that makes the man. What makes the man — even the *manly-men* who make up most of Marcus’ fanbase — is that which makes you human: that feeling that Marcus felt that deep knowing that we are all worthy of love, because we’re made of love.
This is the basic philosophy of the church of Aubrey Marcus, a popular podcaster, author, CEO of a multimillion-dollar wellness company called Onnit, and a new kind of spiritual influencer. Marcus’ central message is simple: Whatever you want to achieve is right at your fingertips, as long as you remember that we are all the same, and that being the best you can be is the path to changing the world. Remembering these basic truths are the roots of self-mastery and the way to success in business, in love, in life. And if you are having trouble remembering? Worry not, there are tools (so many tools!) that can shift you back to a higher consciousness, including Alpha Brain, a “revolutionary” plant-based nootropic available from Onnit, for $34.95. There’s also meditation, diet tweaks, exercise (Onnit tools like maces, gorilla kettlebells, clubs and battleropes can help), breath work, ice baths, various psychedelics (not for everyday use, mind you), and of course, the Aubrey Marcus Podcast, as well as his book Own The Day, Own Your Life, that will help you “optimize” your every second.
Marcus, 38, is tall and brawny, with a chin that’s so precisely chiseled he looks like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast (minus the ponytail). He is what incels would call a “Chad” — in fact, he even has multiple girlfriends, as normalizing open relationships is another of his pet causes. His interests in the gym, entrepreneurship, and mixed martial arts align him with the typical red-blooded American male. And yet, he is also one to categorize things as “high vibration” (good) or “low vibration” (bad). He does yoga, but is also into ax-throwing. His affinity for both cutting-edge biohacks, like intravenous IV infusions that supposedly support your mitochondria, and ancient wisdom, like the Toltec philosophy that ruled the Aztecs of Central Mexico, makes him a tough study. Is he a bro-version of Gwyneth Paltrow? A knockoff Joe Rogan? A wannabe cult leader? All of the above?
When I first came upon Marcus on Instagram, I couldn’t identify the specific rules of his lifestyle ideology. Anyone who knows anything about wellness culture knows there are always rules, driven by one imperfect ideology or another. The thought behind Paleo is that eating like a cave man solves modern diseases; Marie Kondo’s dogma is that tidying up sparks joy. In the case of Aubrey Marcus and his Onnit associates (because duh, I had to start following them, too), there were plenty of kettlebell and “amrap” workouts, but then there were also posts about hyperoxygenating ice baths, marijuana, magic mushrooms, and open relationships? What?
His podcast wasn’t very clarifying either. It was heavy on both “human optimization” which is a fancy way of saying wellness, and psychedelic-induced self-actualization. It was Aubrey Marcus talking about psychedelics with the guy who started Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) or with business leaders about the “hero’s journey,” one of his favorite topics. So, when I signed up for the Mastermind Weekend (I was able to go as press because Marcus was promoting his book at the time, so I didn’t have to pay the $795 fee or for lodging in Austin), I was expecting to finally figure this whole thing out. I was sure I was going to learn a ton about the ketogenic diet and work out like a New Age Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But that’s not quite what happened when I got there.“Fundamentally, I think I’m a philosopher more than anything else,” Marcus told me, during one of our one-on-one interviews the Friday before the weekend began. “I’ve set out to solve a variety of different problems. Some of those solutions have turned into a business, some of those have turned into a book, some of it is a podcast, sometimes it’s a poem.”
These kind of Marcusisms pop up all over while I’m at the Mastermind. At Black Swan Yoga, the Austin-based chain of studios that Onnit acquired in November 2014, there’s an Aubrey Marcus quote on the wall: “Inhale truth, exhale fear. Perspire doubt, inspire growth.”
Marcus’ friend Kyle Kingsbury, the 6’4” former MMA fighter, and now director of human optimization at Onnit/fellow podcaster, spoke at length at the Mastermind about using the various tools of “wellness” not just to stay healthy or get ripped, but to find your way to a higher plane of existence. “There are many paths up the mountain,” Kingsbury said, as he took us through tactics like meditation, breathwork, movement practice, and being careful with the media you consume (Cable news: bad; thought-provoking interview-style podcasts: good).
But it was Christine Hassler, a spiritual life coach and author, who boiled down the Marcus effect the best: “Onnit is just a trojan horse for consciousness” she told me. “I don’t think Aubrey even realized it when he started it, but by starting with the gym and the supplements and just by his nature, he’s attracting this very macho, male audience and it’s a way to give them space to tap into their vulnerability.”
I didn’t become interested in Aubrey Marcus because of any particular fascination with men, and their state of being. I really thought this would be a fun story about yet another wild lifestyle-craze. But I definitely didn’t not notice that I was one of the few women there, and that there was something more going on here beyond your typical wellness fare.
To be sure, the gym, the daily Onnit primal pack of vitamins, getting “BAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLSSSSSS DEEEEEEEEEP” in ketosis as Kingsbury put it on Instagram once under a photo of his blood sugar numbers, are all pieces of the puzzle. But, as I quickly learned, the body isn’t really the point here. The focus on the body is just a means to the ultimate end: a higher awareness, a sense of connectedness with something bigger than themselves and with people on a similar path.
“How many of you are suffering?” Hassler asked to open her session, and hands shot up around the room. “Uh-huh,” she says, before asking for a volunteer to come up for some “live coaching.” The first person to throw up his hand is a former aerospace engineer turned entrepreneur named Joe Sheehey, age 28.
“I basically go from one addiction to the next,” he confessed into the microphone. “Coming out of college, I was addicted to drugs and losing my mind and partying. And then I went into body building and got addicted to steroids and got out of that. And now I’m addicted to working. I’m addicted to my business.”
For the next 20 minutes, Hassler examined him with questions that dug into the specifics of his problem: Why do you think you have this pattern? Whose approval are you seeking? What does approval even feel like? Have you ever felt proud of yourself? By the end, Sheehey is sharing that he’s an approval junkie, and that he never felt truly loved by his distant father, and Hassler is explaining that his father loved him in his own way and that the only way for him to solve his “addiction” is to love himself.
“How many people are receiving value from what he’s sharing?” Hassler asks the room, after Sheehey, eyes-welling, says he’s never really felt proud of himself. Hands go up. “How many more can connect or relate to what he’s sharing?” More hands go up. “Okay, so now is that something to be proud of?”
“Yes, yeah absolutely,” Sheehey says, holding back tears.
“So can you just be still for a second and be proud and let that in?”
The room roars in applause. “I love you all,” Sheehey says. “Thank you.”
A post shared by Aubrey Marcus (@aubreymarcus) on May 4, 2019 at 11:56am PDT
Marcus’ success at selling himself, his friends, and his experiences, as a pseudo-spiritual product shouldn’t be surprising in the context of America today, where traditional institutions are eroding and Marianne Williamson is a candidate for President. More than a quarter of Americans now identify as “spiritual, not religious,” according to Pew data. Some have flocked to other ancient wisdoms — the astrology explosion among young women comes to mind — while others have found other paths to community and purpose: niche fandoms, or political activism. (Still others have found themselves in the terrifying world of 4chan or white supremacist Facebook groups.) Fewer Americans than ever have faith in traditional religious institutions, at the same time that all the confluent factors of our modernity — changing social norms, social media, political polarization, increasing inequality — have left many people searching for something to believe in, or at least, hang on to. In response, Marcus is creating positive community around those most American ideals: individuality, greatness, entrepreneurial success, and self-actualization— and to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Marcus would argue that what he’s doing has nothing to do with gender, and in fact, I wasn’t the only woman in attendance. But what really interests me about him is that he is speaking to young men in a language they are interested in hearing, telling them that the culture wars, and especially women, are not to blame for their problems: They are, and only by taking responsibility for themselves, allowing themselves to be vulnerable, will they find themselves on the right track.
“I think there is a real crisis of masculinity in that men think to be a man you have to act a certain way. Be strong,” Marcus says. “It’s not about cowering, but it’s about not being threatened by a woman in her full power, or by anyone really. You can only be your authentic, true self and only by finding that can you be the type of person who isn’t threatened, isn’t afraid.”
As unique as he is, Marcus is actually just one of a larger ecosystem of a new generation of influencers making bank via their lifestyle optimization podcasts, coaching sessions, wellness product empires, and social media presences. These are the “podcast bros” as Molly Worthen, PhD, an associate professor of religion at the University of North Carolina, refers to them.
Marcus’ peers include the the 4 Hour Workweek’s Tim Feriss, the meditation teacher, Corey Allen, whose podcast, The Astral Hustle is about “how to live better with less suffering and more wonder,” and former arena football player Lewis Howes, who runs The School of Greatness podcast, who is also well-known for being open about surviving childhood sexual abuse and authoring the book, “The Mask of Masculinity.” It also includes the comedian and MMA commentator Joe Rogan, the most popular (and problematic) of the bunch. If you’re not into self-improvement or long-winded podcasts, you may have no idea who these people are, but the fact is they are very popular: Marcus alone has millions of downloads. Rogan’s podcast is regularly in the number one spot on iTunes.
“On the one hand it’s easy to make fun of these guys,” Dr. Worthen says. She got pulled into the podcast bros ecosystem and became fascinated in much the same way as I did. “There are aspects that are silly — the cold showers, the nootropic supplements — but there’s so much that’s worth taking really seriously,” Dr. Worthen says. “The popularity speaks to something human beings in the 21st century are really starved for: a sense of transcendence. Marcus and his colleagues really do provide this for a lot of people, both with this message that is often explicitly metaphysical, but also with what they offer in the routines. The cold shower, the meditation, all these things are a way to offer a daily liturgy. They make it possible for their members to feel like they’re part of this far flung secular monastic order.”
Marcus, especially, is the most “metaphysical” of all of them, Dr. Worthen explains. And this is exactly what Marcus’ fans like best about him. “I have so much respect for him,” Laura, one of the few women who joined the Mastermind told me during lunch on Day 2, right after a session of ecstatic dance, and right before the poetry-writing session that closed the experience. Marcus was the “catalyst” for her and her husband’s trip to Peru for a week-long Ayahuasca ceremony. “I feel a gratefulness to Aubrey. He could hide all this stuff. What’s so admirable to me is he could make this all about physicality, but he’s telling the world about psychedelics, about awareness.”
“I am broken. We’re all broken. But for me, when I started to be vulnerable is when I found people actually connecting with me, and I found actual true deep relationships with people, rather than surface-level bullshit,” Sheehey, the coaching volunteer, would tell me in a later interview. “That’s why I see a lot of myself in Aubrey. More than creating just a supplement company, he’s created something that helps people understand what is it that we are here to do?”
There are limits to this brand of awareness, of course. For starters, “human optimization,” which appears to me to just be the practice of constant self-improvement with an emphasis on the most cutting edge wellness trends, seems exhausting, expensive and some of the stuff (okay a lot of the stuff, from mushroom teas to nootropics) is experimental at best.
Beyond that, Marcus’ philosophy is oriented around the central idea that self-reflection and personal growth are the only things that can truly change the world. Unlike Jordan Peterson (who is also arguably a member of the podcast bros fraternity, and once a guest on Marcus’ podcast), Marcus isn’t interested in reinforcing social hierarchies, he’s interested in eliminating them, the same way a heroic dose of psychedelics does. The problem, however, is he doesn’t seem to realize those hierarchies exist. Gender and race are not real to him, so not worth obsessing over. He is proudly “anti-political,” and doesn’t vote anymore. “I think people get very distracted by this dark side of tribalism,” he says. “Let’s stop being liberals. Let’s stop being conservatives. Let’s be the best version of ourselves.” Instead, what is worth discussing is the hero’s journey, which he believes everyone of us has equal access to, even if our challenges look different on the surface. “Am I worthy of love? is the question we’re all asking, really. The truth is, you are love! We are everyone, because we’re all the same. And when we start living that way, that’s when shit starts to get really good,” Marcus says.
This is awildly optimistic way of looking at the world. It’s something only a financially successful, conventionally attractive, heterosexual, able-bodied white man born with nothing standing in his way except himself could believe. It is also pretty much par for the course as far as commercialized self-help goes: when you’re selling self-improvement — whether that’s in the form of a book, fitness, supplements, self-help retreats or all of the above, as Marcus is — acknowledging that structural inequalities exist, much less fighting against them, is not good for the bottom line.
“Someone said to me recently, ‘the problem is all the angry white men,’’” Marcus said in his closing remarks on day 1 of the Mastermind. “Angry white men? No, I don’t see that. This is one of the big challenges of our time: People who say ‘this is a white thing, this is a Black thing, this is a male thing, or a female thing.’ All of this is untrue. Don’t engage in it.”
I bristled at that. And yet. Depression, loneliness, a lack of meaning, these are real problems in our society, too. These are the problems I heard again and again from the ranks of Aubrey Marcus listeners when I asked what drew them to Austin.
Jake Kerch first came across Marcus on Tim Feriss’ podcast, and what hooked him was a story Marcus told about ending his relationship with Brown Sugar Poptarts. “I ate those every day for at least a decade,” Kerch says. But over time, after listening to Marcus’ podcast, and reading his book, his interest became more spiritual in nature. Over the past few years, Kerch has gone through some ups and downs — a breakup, a back injury, a cross-country move, all of which contributed to a pretty serious period of isolation and depression. Marcus and Ferriss (who is known in part for his openness about his own experience with depression and suicidal thoughts) were key to moving forward, he says. “It’s like look, I need to get my own shit in order. There are a lot of things I can be doing better, and I want to get every one right that I can get right,” he says.
So while it may have started with a ketogenic diet, it didn’t stop there. Then, he started meditating. When he couldn’t lift weights or workout like he used to due to his back injury, he started doing yoga. That led to experimenting with LSD microdosing on the weekends as a way to find a true calling. “I would have never have described myself as a religious or spiritual person beforehand,” he says. “But I definitely questioned that afterwards. I would have said this is bullshit hippie crap a few years ago. But now I will argue to my death that it’s powerful.”
A post shared by Aubrey Marcus (@aubreymarcus) on Apr 27, 2019 at 12:10pm PDT
Before Marcus stepped up to the microphone in Austin, I found my seat at an open table. Sitting in front of me on a place setting was a gray journal with the Aubrey Marcus Mastermind Weekend logo imprinted on the cover, and a copy of The Mastery of Love, “a wisdom book” by Don Miguel Ruiz. At my table were three late-20s best friends from El Paso, who came for an enlightened boys weekend. The trio had tripped on psilocybin together just the weekend before, an experience that one of them, a wild-haired entrepreneur named Jonathan, said showed him that he needed to stop discounting his personal traumas as insignificant.
There was also a coal mine engineer from West Virginia who shared how happy he was “to be able to be here, around like-minded individuals,” and a Youtuber who had traveled all the way from Singapore to get business advice and meet other entrepreneurs. Everyone was excited when Marcus himself is spotted milling about.
When it was finally time for the festivities to begin, Marcus stepped up to the mic in the center of the room. Those of us sitting with our backs to him promptly swiveled our chairs around, and opened our notebooks. After a brief welcome, he explained that we’re going to begin with an exercise that will help us connect with our “life force energy.” This simple practice first taught to him by his “kung fu master,” he said chuckling a bit at the mention, was one of the “first things that shook the cage a little bit,” when he was just a teenager, way before he felt himself transformed into a triceratops.
He then led us in shaking out our hands. Then 10 seconds of rhythmic breathing.
“Okay, now what you’re going to do is you’re going to imagine there’s a life force energy that runs through your body that’s linked to your breath,” Marcus explained. “Now take your hands in front of you, and get ‘em nice and close, and when you expand it’s going to be like a bellows, and you’re going to feel like you’re stretching the energy between your hands like taffy. And then as you breathe out, imagine you’re condensing that energy into a dense disk between your hands.”
“As your hands get close, it should feel like opposing magnets. Do you feel the tension?” he asked.
Reader, I felt it.
“Once you feel that energy, take that energy and then push it all the way up your Chakras from your root, all the way through your chest. Imagine that chi, that life force energy, straightening out the lining, strengthening and energizing all those systems in your body.”
Not gonna lie, 5 minutes of breathing and stretching my life force like taffy felt pretty nice.
“Dope,” Marcus says, as we opened our eyes. “Now on a scale of one to Dragonball Z, how did you guys feel? Could you feel it?” A sea of hands shot up around the room. “Good.”
“That’s really what started me on my path,” he continued. “That was my first moment of awakening and just feeling something that was beyond the scope of what I’d normally known.”
It was the moment that set him on a path toward finding the truth, he said. “When people ask ‘what happens when you die?’ Well, I don’t expect anyone to take my word for it, but I feel like I know. I’ve traveled there. I’ve seen it,” he says, with the certainty of someone pointing out that water is wet. And when I looked around the room it was clear that his fans found comfort in this assuredness about the magic inside of everyone—inside themselves. They too wanted to know. I can’t fault them for that.
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Along the path to saying “I do,” there will always be that one person who you can count on to toil over floral arrangements with you, hand you a filled champagne flute while you try on dresses, and adjust your veil so it lands just right after your trip down the aisle. That person is your carefully selected maid of honor, and she deserves some credit for helping to transform your nuptial dreams into a wedding day reality.
No two weddings are alike, and the same can be said about the people involved, from bridal party members to invitees. Perhaps you've bestowed a sister with the MOH title, or maybe it's a best friend or another relative. She might be a fitness fan, an accessories addict, or the type to indulge in some luxe beauty buys from time to time (you may have even gone the less traditional but equally meaningful route with a man of honor, in which case you'll probably need a different gift guide than what's ahead). Whoever this VIP is, you'll want to take this opportunity not only to say thank you, but to show just how well you know and appreciate them.
Click through for our roundup of 18 gifts ideas for your maid of honor. From candy trunks and face masks to sentimental jewelry pieces and even some CBD offerings, you're bound to find something she'll love.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
A candle is always a good idea, especially this hand-poured option from Boy Smells. It features a musky scent and comes in a glossy green glass tumbler.
Need Supply, needle supply company Scented Candle in Anjelica, $, available at Boy Smells
Any beauty lover will go nuts over this innovative tool that enhances the daily skincare ritual. The Luna 2 removes 99.5% of dirt and makeup residue, brightening skin in just 3 days.
Foreo Facial Cleansing Sonic Brush, $, available at Amazon
For the MOH with a sweet tooth, get her a trunk filled with candy. Plus, the box itself is a beautiful keepsake that she can cherish and use long after the treats are gone.
If you're getting married beachside, this straw tote means she can be prepared and store all her MOH essentials in style. We also love the fact that this brand works directly with rural women’s cooperatives to create high-quality products under the best working and environmental conditions.
Savanna Baskets Lace Straw Basket, $, available at Verishop
This cosmetics pouch is the perfect size for makeup, brushes, and other knick-knacks that she'll need on the wedding day and beyond. It can also be personalized for no extra cost with one line of up to 14 letters or numbers.
Mark & Graham Signature Leather Cosmetic Pouch, $, available at Mark & Graham
This gift unlocks access to all kinds of boutique fitness studios where the recipient can choose between bootcamp, cycling, pilates, yoga, and so much more.
Class Pass ClassPass Gift Card, $, available at Class Pass
As long as she hasn't already had enough flowers in preparation for your big day, pick out a special bouquet just for her to enjoy. This bundle contains hot pink roses and yellow calla lilies that were grown on eco-friendly, sustainable farms.
The Bouqs Co Road Trip Bouquet, $, available at The Bouqs Co
This 10-pack set of sheet masks is packed with natural herbal ingredients made to address skin concerns like irritation, acne, pigmentation, and dehydration.
Dr Althea Herb Therapy Velvet Mask, $, available at Soko Glam
Whether she's getting ready for your big day or in post-wedding recovery mode and lounging around her house, she'll love these exceptionally soft slippers for a next-level kind of comfort.
Flora Nikrooz Teddy Slippers, $, available at BHLDN
Whether she's already into the CBD craze or is just curious to try it out, this bundle is great exposure to the category. It includes bath salts and luxe products for a relaxing night in.
After all the work your MOH has put into this wedding, she deserves a little self-care. Treat her to a set of fluffy and absorbent bath towels which even comes with a natural soy candle.
If she's a seasoned traveler, she probably already has a trendy Away carry-on suitcase. Get her a complementary tote from the brand, which can even be customized with her initials for an additional $25.
Preserve the most special (and fun!) moments you shared leading up to the weddings with this timeline wall art. It has space for photos, captions, and dates so you both can remember every last detail.
Minted Custom Timeline Photo, $, available at Minted
It’s no secret that the cast of Game of Thrones had the most fun out of anyone last night at the 2019 Emmys. Between a major Outstanding Drama Series win, countless actors broadcasting backstage antics via Instagram Stories, and two stars — Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke — debuting tattoos on the red carpet, it was clear that, though this may have sadly been their last Emmys together as a cast, they were there to have a good time.
Although they all looked fabulous, there was one major breakout beauty star in the GoT cast: Sophie Turner. Wearing a pink satin Louis Vuitton dress, Turner’s glam squad seriously turned it out last night.
First, there was the hair. For the big night, Turner’s hairstylist Christian Wood used Wella products to style her golden blonde tresses into Hollywood’s current favorite hairstyle — the half-up half-down ponytail. The end result is the ultimate prom-queen-turned-princess look.
As for the makeup, her artist Georgie Eisdell took a note from that blush dress, using shimmery pink shadow on her eyelids and light pink on her lips for a monochromatic makeup look.
With her face highlighted in just the right places to give her an overall glow and a subtle yet effective contour, it’s a beauty look we’re still thinking about — and plotting to recreate on ourselves — the next day.
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BACHELOR IN PARADISE – “Episode 506B” – In tonight’s deeply moving and equally surprising two-hour finale, airing TUESDAY, SEPT. 11 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), host Chris Harrison is joined by a live studio audience to watch as the love-struck couples still in Mexico spend their final moments of Paradise, uncertain as to what the day will bring. With the possibility of engagements, there is no doubt that tears will be shed, whether they are from heartbreak or joy. (ABC/Paul Hebert)
CHRIS HARRISON
Another Emmys has passed, and once again The Bachelor franchise is empty-handed. Not that anyone was holding their breath — The Bachelor, Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and host Chris Harrison have never been nominated for an Emmy. This might be surprising to hear, since the show and its spinoffs have been bringing us to our couches on weekday nights since 2002, just one year after the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program was minted, and a year before the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Competition Program was introduced. The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program category came along in 2008, and still, over 10 years later, both Harrison and the show remain empty handed, sans even a nomination. It’s not immediately clear why the Academy continues to snub a show that has proven itself a staple on the TVs of so many Americans.
The Emmys reality category is admittedly hard to parse, and since it’s never happened, it’s not certain which specific category The Bachelor would fall into. Outstanding Reality Program, presented at the Creative Arts Emmy Award ceremony, was split into two sections in 2014: Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and Outstanding Structured Reality Program. The Bachelor is definitely structured, but it’s technically a competition (even though Harrison would love for us to believe it’s all about ~love~). That would place it in the Outstanding Competition Program alongside shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, which took home the 2019 Emmy on Sunday, and other shows like The Voice and Nailed It!.
But even if that tangled web is a good enough excuse for the show’s snub, the snub of Harrison has no explanation. He, without a doubt, falls into the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program category, but his only Emmy nominations have been for his gig hosting Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
And even if we accept that The Bachelor franchise has never been Emmy-worthy, and that Chris Harrison doesn’t deserve something for successfully convincing us year after year that we’re about to watch “the most dramatic episode yet,” there’s one category that The Bachelor would undeniably dominate: editing. In our professional Bachelor-loving opinion, the franchise seems like a sure fit in the Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program, and its ability to create over-the-top first makeup montages and provide unspoken tongue-in-cheek commentary using cuts between contestants makes the show worth watching — even if you don’t like any of its stars.
The franchise has received some love, but its accolades are often relegated to less-prestigious, fan-voted awards. For instance, Colton Underwood’s fence-jump in The Bachelor‘s last season won Most Meme-able Moment at the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards, and The Bachelorette is up for the 2019 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Competition TV Show this November. If it wins, that’s all well and good, but surely the Television Academy knows its a cultural phenomenon. A photo of Dylan Barbour proposing to Hannah Godwin on Bachelor in Paradise flashed in the background during the Emmys. It has a name, TV Academy! We know some of you are in Bachelor Fantasy Leagues.
Next year, Television Academy, do America a favor and give The Bachelor your rose.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Gwyneth Paltrow walks onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Live TV is a spectator sport. So during the Emmy Awards on Sunday night, my Twitter feed put aside politics and instead pelted reactions to the ceremony we were collectively watching. Swoons about that dress, reactions tothat speech, joy about that win. GIF usage abounded.
As my transformed Twitter feed showed, the 2019 Emmys was for me — and for other people in a pop-culture obsessed subset of the population. Deadline reports that that only accounts to roughly 6.9 million viewers tuning into the Emmys — a record ratings low.
Like many live awards shows, the Emmys has struggled to draw a broader audience in recent years. This year’s ceremony on FOX was down 23% from last year’s Monday night show on NBC — and the 2018 show had already made history as Emmys’ least-watched ceremony to date. In 2018, the Oscars also reached its lowest viewership ever, before rising in 2019.
Sunday night’s dramatic drop in Emmy viewership is partially explained by its stiff competition. The show was competing against Sunday Night Football on NBC.
But the drop also fits into a larger pattern, bigger than football. Aside from a jump in CBS’ 2017 broadcast, the Emmys ceremony has been declining in ratings every year. The low numbers are kind of ironic for the Emmys, considering the Emmys is a TV show about TV shows.
In the face of a concerning downward ratings spiral, the Emmys creative team has tried new things — which explains this year’s hostless ceremony and Thomas Lennon’s cheeky (and occasionally controversial) commentary.
Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter how many people watch the Emmys, so long as the right people are watching the Emmys and can soak up advertisements. The Emmy audience – even if its numbers are dwindling — are America’s cohort of the TV-obsessed. This is the exact subset of the population that content networks and streaming services are targeting.
During the E! Red carpet pre-show and the ceremony, pastel-hued teasers for Ryan Murphy’s star-studded new show The Politician, premiering September 27 on Netflix, aired during nearly every commercial break. Amazon advertised its original shows, too, though the ceremony itself functioned as an advertisement, with Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Fleabag snatching up awards in several categories. Emmys broadcaster Fox paraded its crown jewel, The Masked Singer. And, thanks to the hostless ceremony, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel were able to make a joke about Alexa taking their jobs. That’s yet another plug for Amazon.
These streaming services know the people they’re catering to — and they’re all tweeting GIFs about celebrities at the Emmys and who’s winning what. Just like movie trailers premiere during the Golden Globes and beer commercials look sumptuous during football games, the Emmy Awards are a showcase for TV shows.
TV’s biggest night is about what to watch next. So long as there are award shows, there will be a place to parade next year’s potential nominees, and a way for networks to earn advertising revenue. And so the cycle will continue — ratings drop or not.
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Ulta Beauty just kicked off its annual Fall Haul event, and trust us when we say that this year, it's a doozy. As you might already know, this seasonal event offers weekly deals with up to 50% off beauty products both online and in stores. It's a two-part sale, running until October 5th, but the deals happening right now will expire this coming Saturday, September 28th, to make way for the second crop of discounts.
So, what's on sale during the first half? You can click over to the store's Fall Haul landing page now for the complete breakdown (it's a lot), or just shop our top picks ahead. We selected one product from each brand on sale — from Covergirl to Shea Moisture to Baby Foot — and loaded them into this slideshow. From Maybelline's SuperStay lipstick to a NYX brow pen that's sure to sell out in every shade, scroll through to check out our picks at Ulta Beauty this week.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Palette
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $12.60
BH Cosmetics BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Palette, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Ardell Lash Demi Wispies 5 Pair Multipack
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $7.19
Ardell Ardell Lash Demi Wispies 5 Pair Multipack, $, available at Ulta Beauty
NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil
The Deal: 30% off
Sale Price: $7.00
NYX Professional Makeup NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Full Coverage Concealer
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $4.20
Makeup Revolution Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Full Coverage Conce, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Covergirl LashBlast Volume Mascara
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $5.39
COVERGIRL CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Revlon ColorStay Makeup For Combo/Oily Skin
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $8.39
Revlon Revlon ColorStay Makeup For Combo/Oily Skin, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Almay Clear Complexion Make Myself Clear Makeup
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $9.59
Almay Almay Clear Complexion Make Myself Clear Makeup, $, available at Ulta Beauty
L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $2.99
L.A. Girl L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $9.59
Physician's Formula Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Lip Color
The Deal: 30% off
Sale Price: $6.64
Maybelline Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Lip Color, $, available at Ulta Beauty
The Body Shop Shea Body Butter
The Deal: 50% off
Sale Price: $10.50
The Body Shop The Body Shop Shea Body Butter, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Bliss Drench & Quench Moisturizer
The Deal: 25% off
Sale Price: $15
Bliss Bliss Drench & Quench Moisturizer, $, available at Ulta Beauty
TonyMoly Foot Peeling Shoes
The Deal: 30% off
Sale Price: $4.55
Tony Moly TONYMOLY Foot Peeling Shoes, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Pacifica Gem Water Crystal Infused Micellar Cleansing Tonic
The Deal: 30% off
Sale Price: $8.40
Pacifica Pacifica Gem Water Crystal Infused Micellar Cleansing, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Yes To Cucumbers Facial Wipes
The Deal: 50% off
Sale Price: $2.99
Yes To Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo
The Deal: 50% off
Sale Price: $2.99
Not Your Mother's Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Envy Perfect Curl Cream
The Deal: 50% off
Sale Price: $3.99
Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Envy Perfect Curl Cream, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Milani Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation + Concealer
The Deal: 30% off
Sale Price: $6.99
Milani Milani Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation + Concealer, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Ahava Mineral Body Lotion
The Deal: 25% off
Sale Price: $21.75
AHAVA Ahava Mineral Body Lotion, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Baby Foot Original Exfoliant Foot Peel
The Deal: $5 off
Sale Price: $20
Baby Foot Baby Foot Original Exfoliant Foot Peel, $, available at Ulta Beauty
No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream SPF 30
The Deal: 30% off
Sale Price: $17.49
No7 No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream, $, available at Ulta Beauty
E.l.f. Illuminating Eye Cream
The Deal: 40% off
Sale Price: $6.00
e.l.f. Cosmetics e.l.f. Cosmetics Illuminating Eye Cream, $, available at Ulta Beauty
I Dew Care Mini Meow Peel-Off Mask Trio
The Deal: 50% off
Sale Price: $9.50
I Dew Care I Dew Care Mini Meow Peel-Off Mask Trio, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Welcome toHype Machine, our hit-list of the top reviewed products across the web — according to a crowd of die-hard shoppers. Call this your 4-star & up only club, with entry granted by our devoted-to-the-goods shop editors.
For those of us who take Halloweenreally seriously, the process of costume selection is nail-biting and often fraught with indecision. If you're unsure of what direction to go in and have little time to dawdle, may we point you towards a little site called Amazon? The mega-retailer is a one-stop-shop for everything from eyebrow-raising sexy Yandy get-ups to thousands of add-ons for homemade outfit completion.
If you need a good jumping-off point, the online marketplace’s treasure trove of product reviews can lead the way. So, for this special, spooky edition of Hype Machine, we hit Amazon’s Halloween section to find the highest-rated women’s costumes that the site had on offer. (We threw in a handful of our ridiculous favorites, too.) Disguises for men, women, and children alike abound; each product in our slideshow is accompanied by strong opinions and customer photos. Click through to see the most popular getups on the site — your 2019 look might be among the top picks.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
We dare you not to smile at the sight of a human-size hippo dressed in a tutu. Based on the reviews, this costume has been worn by women and men of all shapes and sizes. We know you want to join this elite group of Halloween enthusiasts who will stop at nothing to find the most grin-inducing getup.
The Hype: 4.2 out of 5 stars; 65 reviews
What They Are Saying: “This was my Halloween costume and I won a costume contest. The way it fits, you feel like a sexy hippo that you can over-exaggerate your hip movement in. It’s great fun and everyone loved it when I danced in it! I’m 5’7” and it was just fine.”
Rubie's Costume Co. Inflatable Ballerina Hippo Costume, $, available at AmazonPhoto: Courtesy of Amazon user Jenn.
Throw it back to the era of jazz and speakeasies with a classic, easy-to-wear flapper costume. We love this look for a combination of sophistication and freedom of movement. (Guess the original nightlife aficionados were onto something.)
The Hype: 4.4 out of 5 stars; 958 customer reviews
What They Are Saying: “I absolutely love this dress,” said user Sierra. “It was a showstopper and so lovely. I am 5’ 2”, about 230 lbs, and shaped like a lollipop, LOL. I ordered the 2X and prayed that it would fit — it slid right over me and skimmed my body just right, which is nice because I wasn't looking for a fitted dress. Got compliments all night!”
California Costumes Flapper Costume (Plus Size), $, available at AmazonPhoto: Courtesy of Amazon user Domaa J.
English nanny, eh? This getup looks suspiciously like one belonging to an iconic fictional heroine whose name rhymes with Pary Moppins, but whatever!
The Hype: 4.4 out of 5 stars; 66 reviews
What They Are Saying: “Practically perfect in every way,” said Amazon user Always Learning, who must have picked up on the same similarities that we did. “Supercalafragilisticexpialidocious!” raved MamaWalker. “I received several compliments on it and am extremely happy with the product and result.” Sounds like Halloween will be a jolly holiday with ... uh, the English nanny.
California Costumes "English Nanny" Costume, $, available at AmazonPhoto: Courtesy of Amazon user A. Barrett.
This $10.99 crowd-pleaser is one of the highest-rated items we’ve ever seen on Amazon. (And believe us, we’ve seen a lot.) Never has a chiffon-like layer of polyester paired with a stick-on mask brought so much satisfaction to so many people.
The Hype: 5 out of 5 stars; 105 reviews
What They Are Saying: “Beautiful product,” said user Liz. “Three women friends are going to a party as ‘social butterflies’! We were really impressed by the quality. They are even prettier in person, and even came with masks. They were also shipped and received in a very timely manner. No complaints here, and highly recommended.”
YXwin Butterfly Wing Shawl, $, available at AmazonPhoto: Courtesy of Amazon user A. Smith.
If you’re looking to get in the Halloween spirit without leaving your comfort zone too much, this easy-wearing dress — available in pineapple or strawberry iterations — offers up a whole lot of costume in a familiar silhouette.
The Hype: 4.8 out of 5 stars, 11 reviews
What They Are Saying: “The costume is cute and comfortable, which is what I wanted,” said reviewer Jenn. “Super cute,” echoed Shelby. Viviana claimed that it was “so cute and fit just right.” Sensing a theme here?
Fun World Costumes Women's Strawberry Costume, $, available at AmazonPhoto: Courtesy of Amazon user Jenn K.
We’ve all seen these gaudy-but-mesmerizing air-powered idols gyrating wordlessly outside carnivals and used car lots. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be one of these so-called “Tube Dancers,” now’s your chance to find out.
The Hype: 4.5 stars; 29 reviews
What They Are Saying: “Is ‘life changing’ too strong a phrase to describe what this costume has done for me?” pondered user Jay LaNunziata. ScubaKai answered this rhetorical question: “My life is complete. I’ve never enjoyed a costume as much as I’ve enjoyed this one,” they continued. “Fit great and everyone loved it. My neighbor made a joke from afar asking if I do this often, and I’m like ‘Every day’, with the most serious face I could make thru the blurry mouth hole.”
Spooktacular Creations Human Skydancer Costume, $, available at AmazonPhoto: Courtesy of Amazon user Hoyuky
We recognize that this is not a human costume, but we definitely did a double-take when we came across this listing and almost mistook Fido for an actual lion.
The Hype: 4.4 out of 5 stars; 414 reviews
What They Are Saying: “This was the perfect costume for our 160+ lb dog! We have tried several different lion manes, and this is by far the best. The ears make it look so real and the color is perfect! The looks on people's faces?! Priceless!”
TOMSENN Lion Mane for Dog, $, available at AmazonPhoto: Courtesy of Amazon user Brittney Roberts.
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There is nothing simple or understated about awards season. Between the custom couture gowns and $1,000 facials with elite estheticians, celebrities tend to spare no expense when they’re preparing to take home a gold trophy. Last night’s Emmy Awards was no exception, with one caveat: the manicures.
While Billy Porter’s fingertips were coated in crystal decals that probably cost more than your rent, other stars, including Mandy Moore and Laverne Cox, opted for under-$10 Essie nail polish to top off their looks.
Check out how celebrities put their own unique twist on the drugstore staple at the Emmys — and then shop the exact shades they wore for the big night, ahead.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore didn’t present or win an Emmy last night, but her beauty look was perhaps the most popular one on Twitter. While fans are still discussing her glamorous blowout and Brandon Maxwell two-piece gown, we're hunting down the Essie polish behind this classic mani.Photo: Courtesy of Michelle Saunders/Essie.
Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle
Nail artist Michelle Saunders is the genius behind Moore’s feminine nail look last night, noting in a press release that it was important to complement Moore’s flashier pieces — like her diamond jewelry and custom Maxwell ensemble — than stepping out in a louder polish. Essie's light-pink polish in Mademoiselle fit the bill.
Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle, $, available at Target
Viola Davis
Davis, who’s been nominated five times for her role as Annalise Keating on How To Get Away with Murder, rarely plays it safe on the red carpet — and last night was no exception. Instead of opting for a polish to match her custom Alberta Ferretti gown, the actress rocked an unexpected shade of burgundy.Photo: Courtesy of Christina Aviles Aude/Instagram.
Essie Nail Polish in Ace of Shades
Nail artist Christina Aviles painted the Emmy-nominated actress' fingertips in two coats of Ace of Shades, a burgundy polish from Essie's limited-edition Game Theory collection.
“We decided to go with this deep burgundy red for a contemporary twist against her overall classic look,” explained Aviles in an Essie press release. “It was an added bonus that it happened to perfectly match her makeup, too.”
Essie Nail Polish in Ace of Shades, $, available at Ulta Beauty
Regina King
We can't recall a time Regina King didn't top our list for most stunning beauty looks on the red carpet, but her bright-blue gown and contrasting fuchsia manicure really takes the cake.Photo: Courtesy of Desiree Abhiram/Frenchies Woodbury.
Essie Nail Polish in Jamaica Me Crazy
King's go-to shade for the night was Essie classic Jamaica Me Crazy. It's bold, it's beautiful, and just like King, it's a red-carpet showstopper.
Essie Nail Polish in Jamaica Me Crazy, $, available at Amazon
Joey King
King was nominated for her first Emmy last night for her role as Gypsy Rose Blanchard in The Act. Even though she didn’t take home the gold, her delicate nail art could have. From a distance, King’s pink polish looked like any other on the red carpet — pretty and sheer — but look closer and you'll see that manicurist Thuy Nguyen added dainty hearts to her pinky and ring fingers.
Essie Gel Couture in Bubbles Only
After painting King's nails with a sheer pastel-pink combo, Nguyen etched on the tiny hearts using Essie’s Gel Couture polish in Bubbles Only, a shade that matched the bold red hue of King’s Zac Posen gown.
Essie Nail Polish in Bubbles Only, $, available at Target
Julia Garner
If beauty looks could predict the future, then consider Julie Garner's gilded eyes and lips a crystal ball. Saunders painted Garner's nails in copper polish, the perfect shade to wrap around her Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
Essie Nail Polish in What’s Gold is New
Saunders used not one, but two glittering polishes to achieve Garner's memorable manicure. After coating Garner's nails in What's Gold Is New, she painted a subtle French tip in the sandy polish, Call Your Bluff. "The amber and gold tones against her striking purple dress made for such modern color combination,” explained Saunders in a post-show press release.
Essie Nail Polish in What's Gold Is New, $, available at Target
Laverne Cox
After spotting Cox's Edie Parker custom clutch that featured a poignant political message regarding LQBTQ+ civil rights, it was hardto avoid her sparkling manicured fingers anchored in crystal French tips.Photo: Courtesy of Eri Ishizu/Essie.
Essie Nail Polish in Topless & Barefoot
While you might not be able to find crystals that fit your budget, Cox's polish is available at any drugstore. Nail artist Eri Ishizu swept on one coat of Essie’s Mademoiselle followed by a layer of Topless & Barefoot, then topped off each tip with dainty crystals.
Essie Nail Polish in Topless & Barefoot, $, available at Target
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