
In the race to address climate change, technology often steals the spotlight—solar breakthroughs, carbon capture,…
The post Earth911 Podcast: Execnow’s Founders On Greentech Leadership & Strategy appeared first on Earth911.
In the race to address climate change, technology often steals the spotlight—solar breakthroughs, carbon capture,…
The post Earth911 Podcast: Execnow’s Founders On Greentech Leadership & Strategy appeared first on Earth911.
Taurus Season is officially in session, and honestly? Our nervous systems are breathing a sigh of relief. After all the emotional whiplash of eclipse season and Aries’ go-go-go intensity, this first full week of the bull’s grounded, sensual energy is here to remind us that we deserve stability, slowness, and softness. But don’t get it twisted — Taurus may be calm, but it’s not passive. This week’s transits ask us to slow down not to avoid our growth, but to actually integrate it. And that’s a whole different level of real.
The vibes kick off with a Last Quarter Moon on the 20th at 9:35 p.m. EST, which is basically the universe’s way of asking, “Are you really being honest with yourself?” There’s a subtle but potent invitation to stop sugarcoating our patterns and start lovingly confronting them — especially the ones we’ve been romanticizing as coping mechanisms. Add in the conjunction between Saturn and the North Node in Pisces on April 21st, and the air gets extra sobering. This isn’t about punishment. It’s about awakening. What are you still chasing out of comfort rather than alignment?
Then we move into the “dark of the moon” phase from April 23rd–26th. It’s moody, mysterious, and deeply introspective. During this time, the moon wanes into near- invisibility, mirroring the way many of us may feel energetically: low-key, raw, and reflective. Ego resistance is normal here, especially if you’re feeling pressure to “keep it together.” But what if this descent isn’t a breakdown, but a breakthrough?
And finally, Venus spends its last full week in Pisces, casting one last dreamy glow over our love lives, creativity, and connection to beauty. It’s a gorgeous time to pour your heart into a passion project, flirt a little harder (or softer), and remind yourself that romance doesn’t have to be perfect to be poetic. Get ready to feel your way into the new version of you that Taurus Season is asking you to embody.
Read your horoscopes for your Sun and Rising signs for the most in-depth forecast.
This week’s Taurus vibes are activating your sector of values and security, Aries, which might sound boring to your inner thrill-seeker— but honestly, it’s exactly the kind of grounding you need. You’ve been through a lot with the eclipses lighting up your identity and relationship zones, and now you’re being asked to find your footing again. What actually makes you feel secure? Not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually? Are you still seeking validation outside yourself, or are you finally starting to see your worth from within? This is the week to experiment with affirming routines: slow mornings, financial check-ins, or even taking yourself on a “self-worth” date where you let pleasure and peace lead the way.
Midweek, as Saturn and the North Node link up in Pisces, your sector of healing and surrender is activated, and it’s bringing all the feels. Don’t be surprised if you get hit with unexpected memories or dreams that stir up something unresolved. The dark moon enters your sign later in the week, which could surface insecurities you thought you already released during the solar eclipse in Aries. Instead of spiraling, ask yourself: What does this wound want to teach me? Your job isn’t to fix or rush yourself. It’s to hold space. Let yourself unravel, because the Taurus new moon on the 27th is ready to help you rebuild.
It’s your birthday season, Taurus, and the stars are handing you the mic. But before you step fully into the spotlight, this week is about reevaluating how you’ve been showing up for you. The Last Quarter Moon asks you to check in with the systems and structures in your life. Are they actually supporting your growth, or are you pouring all your energy into being productive, even when your soul is asking for rest? It’s giving “overachiever detox.” This is a week to clear your calendar just enough to remember your why. Get reacquainted with your body, your breath, your joy.
As Saturn and the North Node meet in your friendship and community sector, you may have a wake-up call around the digital noise you’ve been absorbing. Are your online spaces fueling you or draining you? Who’s in your circle for real, and who’s just there for the aesthetics? It might be time to hermit for a bit — not in a self-isolating way, but in a sacred-boundaries kind of way. The dark of the moon in Aries lights up your sector of spirituality, making you crave solitude and connection simultaneously. Paradox much? It’s okay if you push people away while secretly hoping they’ll reach back. Be gentle.
You’re preparing to blossom again by the 27th, when your annual new moon strikes.
You’re normally the social butterfly of the zodiac, Gemini, but this week, you’re kind of over it. The first full week of Taurus Season is activating your solitude sector, a.k.a. your cosmic off-grid zone. You’re in reflection mode, big time. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th could inspire a much-needed “digital detox” or emotional unfollow spree. You’re craving peace over performing — and that includes not feeling pressured to overshare every micro-thought online. Pay attention to your nervous system: are you creating content to connect or to cope? Real rest looks like logging off before you’re burnt out.
Saturn and the North Node’s alignment on the 21st activates your sector of career and legacy, and whew, you’re about to get real honest with yourself. Is your career actually feeding your soul, or just your wallet? This week could bring a breakthrough realization that guides you toward a path that’s more meaningful, even if it’s less conventional.
Maybe you’re fantasizing about a sabbatical, a new business idea, or scaling back to protect your energy. The dark of the moon in Aries moves through your social zone, prompting you to notice who feels like a real one and who doesn’t. Let the dead weight go. You’re not here to fake it.
You’re coming out of your shell this week, Cancer, but doing it slowly and intentionally — like stretching after a nap you didn’t realize your soul needed. Taurus Season lights up your sector of community, vision, and future dreams, helping you remember that you’re allowed to want more — more connection, more visibility, more alignment. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th could bring up some clarity around who you’re meant to build with and who you’re outgrowing. You might find yourself cleaning up your group chats, your LinkedIn connections, or even old dream boards. If your visions feel different now, it’s because you’ve changed. Honor that.
The Saturn–North Node conjunction on the 21st happens in your sector of truth, travel, and belief systems. Suddenly, things that used to feel far-fetched now seem like your next logical step. Are you considering going back to school? Planning an overseas move? Launching a spiritual side hustle? This aspect gives you the green light — but also the responsibility to really commit. And with the dark of the moon hitting your career zone midweek, old fears about visibility or imposter syndrome may try to creep in. Don’t numb it out. Let it rise, breathe through it, and remind yourself: you are safe to shine.
The spotlight’s shifting this week, Leo, and even though you usually love center stage, Taurus Season is challenging you to reimagine what true success looks like. With the sun moving through your sector of career and public image, you’re being asked to slow down and zoom out. Is your work actually aligned with your soul, or just your resume? The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th is a powerful day to get real about burnout, boundaries, and what you’re trying to prove to whom. There’s a difference between ambition and people-pleasing. Where can you take your power back?
Then comes the Saturn–North Node meetup in your sector of merging and depth on the 21st, and things get a little deeper, a little heavier — but also more potent. You may be confronted with a truth about a financial entanglement, shared resource, or emotional attachment that no longer feels sustainable. Are you holding on out of fear? The dark moon in Aries moving through your expansion sector later this week makes you question what you actually believe — especially about commitment, intimacy, and freedom. It’s okay if you need to go off the grid for a minute. Take a solo sunset walk. Write a letter you never send. Sometimes clarity needs stillness to land.
Virgo, Taurus Season is activating your sector of expansion, education, and new horizons these next four weeks, and you might be feeling the itch to break out of your comfort zone — softly. You’re not trying to uproot your whole life, but you are wondering what it would look like to live more boldly, more soulfully. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th invites you to release outdated routines or expectations that are holding you back from taking a risk. Whether it’s signing up for a class you’ve been eyeing, booking a trip, or simply dreaming out loud, this week wants you to stretch yourself — without snapping.
Saturn conjunct the North Node in your relationship zone could trigger a “wait… what are we doing?” moment in a romantic or platonic partnership. You might notice where someone’s energy feels more like obligation than inspiration — or where you may be the one holding back emotionally. Either way, clarity’s coming. The dark of the moon in Aries highlights your sector of shadow work and surrender, and it could stir some deep feels around past betrayals, insecurities, or fears of being seen too intimately. Instead of shutting down, lean in with compassion. You’re shedding old stories to make room for reciprocity.
Libra, Taurus Season activates your sector of intimacy, rebirth, and emotional merging these next four weeks, which sounds deep (because it is), but also hella transformative. This week is about being honest about what’s actually fueling your connections: is it love, control, comfort, or fear of being alone? The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th is a moment of truth. If you’ve been avoiding tough convos about money, boundaries, or emotional needs, the universe might lovingly nudge you to stop bottling things up. Whether you’re navigating a relationship, business partnership, or just your own shadow… know that this is soul work.
Saturn and the North Node meet in your wellness sector on the 21st, lighting up the connection between your routines and your wellbeing. Are you burning out because you’re trying to do it all perfectly? Are you taking on everyone else’s problems and calling it love? If so, it’s time to stop. This transit could inspire you to restructure your workflow, delegate more, or just say “no” with your whole chest. And when the dark of the moon in Aries rolls through your sector of relationships later in the week, it may stir some core fears about being abandoned or misunderstood. Don’t panic. Stay present. You’re learning how to love from wholeness, not wounds.
Taurus Season is lighting up your relationship sector, Scorpio, and that means it’s time to slow down and actually feel your feelings. Yeah, even the vulnerable ones. This week isn’t about playing it cool or keeping people at arm’s length — it’s about practicing the art of letting people in without losing yourself. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th may highlight some tension between your personal goals and your shared connections.
Have you been too self-sacrificing in the name of love — or too self-protective to let love in at all? This is your sign to recalibrate, especially as we approach this Sunday’s new moon in Taurus which will bring forth a period of renewal in your intimate relationships.
The Saturn–North Node conjunction on the 21st hits your sector of pleasure, romance, and creative expression. Translation? You’re being called to take your joy more seriously. What if you stopped treating your dreams like hobbies and started structuring your life around them? This could be a week where a creative idea gets real legs, or where a romantic spark turns into something more grounded (yes, even if it’s just romancing yourself). Later this week, the dark of the moon energy in Aries might make you hypersensitive to criticism or “not doing or being enough,” but don’t spiral. Rest is part of the rewire. Let yourself bloom in divine timing.
You’ve been in main character mode for a while, Sag, but this week Taurus Season is asking you to pull a subtle switch: step into supporting lead energy by focusing on your wellness, balance, and the little habits that keep you grounded. With the sun lighting up your sector of daily routines, your spirit is craving more structure — not the boring kind, but the “wake up and feel good” kind. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th might illuminate where your current schedule or lifestyle isn’t actually supporting your bigger goals. Time to tweak and simplify.
Saturn and the North Node link up in your sector of home, roots, and emotional foundations, which could stir some big revelations around your living situation, family dynamics, or inner child healing. Are you craving a deeper sense of belonging, or maybe needing to finally move on from a past chapter that still lingers in your space? The dark of the moon in Aries brings a release point in your sector of love and play. You may feel a creative block or emotional letdown midweek, but don’t force clarity. Rest, cry it out, journal it. The Taurus new moon on the 27th will reignite your spark with more intention.
The first full week of Taurus Season is reminding you that life’s not just about climbing mountains — it’s also about stopping to enjoy the view. With the sun in your sector of pleasure, romance, and creative expression, you’re being called to reconnect with your inner artist and lover. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th could highlight where you’ve been putting productivity above passion. Are you working so hard you’ve forgotten how to play? This week is your permission slip to romanticize your life again. Cook your favorite meal slowly. Wear something that makes you blush. Make art just because.
The Saturn–North Node conjunction in Pisces on the 21st hits your communication zone, which could bring a reality check in how you speak (and listen) to others. Maybe a conversation you’ve been avoiding finally finds its moment — or maybe you realize you’ve been saying “yes” when you really meant “no.” Either way, clarity wants in. As the moon wanes in your fourth house of emotions and home life, you may feel extra tender, nostalgic, or in need of a sacred space to land. Let it be okay to cancel plans and tend to your heart. The Taurus new moon will help you reset your joy frequency.
This first full week of Taurus Season hits sector of home, family, and foundations, Aquarius, and it’s slowing you all the way down. This week is less about wild reinvention and more about remembering what truly grounds you. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th might bring up tension between your public presence and your private needs. Have you been showing up for the world but ghosting your inner world? If your space feels chaotic, rearrange it. If your boundaries feel shaky, reinforce them. You’re building the emotional security you need to thrive — and that starts from the inside out.
Saturn and the North Node sync up in your sector of money and self-worth on the 21st, spotlighting any lingering scarcity mindsets. Where are you undervaluing yourself or playing small just to feel safe? This is your wake-up call to stop settling. Later this week, the dark of the moon in Aries brings introspection to your communication zone. Don’t be surprised if you feel a little misunderstood or out of sync in convos. Instead of pushing for clarity, focus on listening deeply and journaling your truths. What you learn now will lay the groundwork for a powerful Taurus new moon reset on Sunday the 27th.
You’ve been swimming through some deep spiritual waters lately, Pisces, and this week the universe is tossing you a rope of grounding and clarity. Taurus Season activates your sector of communication, ideas, and learning, so your mind is buzzing, but in a beautifully embodied way. The Last Quarter Moon on the 20th helps you get real about how you use your voice. Are you speaking from truth or from performance? Are you being heard the way you long to be? This is a week to declutter your mental space, unfollow the noise, and speak softer but truer.
Now let’s talk Saturn and the North Node, aligning in your sign on the 21st— yes, your sign. This is a major karmic moment. You’re being invited (or dragged, depending on how open you are) into a version of yourself that’s more self-respecting, more soul-led, and less self-sacrificing. Your old ways of being won’t cut it anymore. As the dark of the moon in Aries moves through your value zone, it might stir doubts about your worth — but that’s just your ego detoxing. Keep tending to your inner garden. The new moon in Taurus on the 27th will bloom fresh clarity, but first your focus is about composting what you’ve outgrown.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Spoilers ahead. Hailee Steinfeld never fully understood her African American roots. She knew her father was Jewish and her mother Filipino, but Black American? Never crossed her mind — until Sinners came along. In writer-director Ryan Coogler’s vampiric horror, Steinfeld plays Mary, a white-passing woman in the Mississippi South straddling her feelings for her childhood-friend-turned-long-lost-lover, Stack (Michael B. Jordan) and her mixed racial identity. To bring the role to life, Steinfeld had to dig deep into herself and generations past.
“It’s not often necessarily about yourself all the time. It’s about the character,” she tells me ahead of the film’s release on April 18. “But with Sinners, I was constantly thinking about my situation, my family, my ancestors, my grandfather in each [scene] we were in and talking about.”
Steinfeld says she spent hours speaking with her mom, learning about their family history, particularly her maternal grandfather’s racial identity as half Filipino and half African American. But it wasn’t just his identity that she uncovered; it was also his upbringing, his parents, and the broader lineage of her ancestors. It was a process she hadn’t realized she needed — one that helped her make sense of things in her own life. “This role has brought me closer to myself, to my family, and my family history,” she says.
It also helped that Coogler fostered an environment that encouraged this exploration. The essence of Sinners, Steinfeld tells me, is community. For Mary, it’s the absence of community that drives her arc. But it was the cast and crew that made Steinfeld feel truly accepted on her own journey. And while Steinfeld may not personally relate to Mary’s struggles, she damn sure plays her racial complexity well. A compliment she attributes to ongoing conversations with Coogler, who helped guide her in portraying the tension of not being Black or white.
“A lot of [my portrayal of Mary] had to do with Coogler,” Steinfeld explains. “The way that he wrote her and the conversations he had [helped] guide me to play this character that lived in both worlds.”
In Sinners, Mary is introduced as heartbroken and beaten down, grappling with her mother’s death, the white folks who terrorized her mother for being the child of a mixed-race couple, and the surprise return of Stack. I liken Mary to Juliet from the Shakespearean classic. There’s a sweet, aching pain to her. It’s not just the loss of her mother or her mother’s failing marriage that defines Mary, but the profound sense of disconnection she feels. It’s a subtle, poignant nod to the concept of “passing.”
The thing about “passing,” as Stack subtly explains in the film, is that how well you blend in white society depends on who’s looking at you. In the ‘30s, even the smallest hint of Blackness changed everything from where you lived to where you worked and who you could date. These days, things have changed — thanks to landmark civil rights cases like Loving v. Virginia and more mixed-race families from all over the world — but this racial caste system still very much exists.
Sinners also offers a contemporary look into this racial dichotomy by subtly addressing the one-drop rule — a 1662 legal doctrine that declared anyone with any Black ancestry, regardless of how small, to be considered African American. Mary’s character is a reflection of how hypodescent dictates personal autonomy, notably the consequences of being subjected to it. No one would ever mistake Mary as a Black woman, but that doesn’t mean she’s white, either. Being a quarter Black means she’s caught “in the middle” of this rigid racial classification and that none of her choices are truly her own — not the way she moves through society, not how she navigates relationships, not even the way she sees herself.
Even Mary’s transition into a vampire is a direct metaphor for how multi-racial individuals toe the racial line. Her transformation comes from a seemingly innocent (in her eyes) conversation when white partygoers try to enter Stack’s bar. Since she is the only one in the room able to move seamlessly through white society, Mary offers to decipher the intentions of the white patrons — whether their approach is friendly or, as it often is, far more insidious. And it is insidious because just 10 minutes into the conversation, she’s bitten. This privilege of “passing” ultimately becomes Mary’s undoing. And her white privilege is the downfall of her Black community.
This privilege of “passing” ultimately becomes Mary’s undoing. And her white privilege is the downfall of her Black community.
That’s not to say vampire Mary is some unfeeling, cold monster bent on devouring every human in sight. Her emotional wounds aren’t erased by her transformation; in fact, they’re only amplified. It’s this deep, unresolved grief and hunger for connection that drives her to turn Stack and try to bring others into the fold. “She’s not out to kill,” Steinfeld says. “She’s just out to connect and to be closer. Her desires haven’t changed.”
And though being a vampire allows Mary to regain autonomy — after all, who’s going to tell the woman with superhuman strength and razor sharp fangs she can’t be with a Black man in the 1930s South? — it’s not necessarily a happy ending.
Or, at least, Steinfeld doesn’t think so. “[Immortality] is a daunting thing,” she admits. I concur — neither of us declares we want to live forever. But for Mary, immortality means she can be with Stack, even if it means never seeing her mother or her best friend, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku).
While I won’t spoil whether Mary gets her happy ending (go watch the film and read our ending explainer to find out!), it’s clear that Mary is more than just a character to Steinfeld. And yes, Mary’s journey in Sinners doesn’t offer easy answers to audiences nor to Steinfeld herself. But what is clear is how the role helped Hailee understand her own identity — both the seen and the hidden parts of herself.
Steinfeld hopes her next role, whatever it may be, is going to be even more complex and layered than Mary. The actress is ready to move beyond familiar territory and take on challenging roles that push her boundaries. And honestly? I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Wunmi Mosaku Promises Sinners Has “A Happy Ending"
My nails have been through a lot over the past three decades. I was a compulsive nail biter throughout most of my childhood and teen years, and it wasn’t until college that I kicked the habit for good. From there, I’ve struggled with brittle, weak nails on and off depending on my anemia, stress levels, diet, and other factors. Even though I no longer instinctively chew my nails like I once did, I was still prone to picking if I noticed a scraggly edge or a hangnail. Until one day, I decided that I’d be a lot less likely to pick if I had a better alternative than taking matters into my own hands — literally.
I was first introduced to glass nail files a few years ago through Bare Hands’ Dry Gloss manicure kit, and ever since then, my natural nails have never looked better. Most manicurists have sworn by glass files for years, thanks to their ability to shape nails without snagging, but I had no idea that the right tool could actually prevent me from damaging my nails and help them grow. Recently, I was traveling and broke a nail; instead of picking at it, I ran to the closest beauty store and picked up a glass nail file to reshape and prevent further damage. The one I found? Ulta Beauty Collection’s version, which came in a travel-friendly sleeve perfect for keeping in a makeup bag or purse for on-the-go use. It also turned out to be the best impulsive buy for my natural nails. Read ahead for a deep dive into the benefits of glass files — and exactly why they’re worth the investment.
You might not think twice about the kind of nail file you’re using, but there’s a good chance it could be causing more harm than good to your natural nails. “Traditional emery boards cause microscopic tears at the tip of the nail,” explains Dr. Dana Stern, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of nail care brand Dr. Dana. “Glass files create a perfectly smooth edge that seals keratin [which nails are made of] and prevents splitting, peeling, breakage, and even premature polish chipping,” she adds.
According to Dr. Stern, glass files are best suited for filing the free edge (aka the “top”) of the nail to shape and shorten. Unlike other types of files, glass versions can be safely used to file the nail in any direction. With other, more abrasive materials, you are usually instructed to only file nails one way to avoid creating a jagged edge.
Happily, glass files are a sustainable, reusable alternative and can be cleaned between uses. “In salons, any porous item should be considered one-time-use as they can potentially harbor infectious material and cannot be sterilized,” Dr. Stern says. “Another advantage of glass tools is that they don’t dull and are therefore continuously reusable.” Keeping your glass file in a protective case will help shield it from chemicals and getting scratched (or scratching other things).
It may seem counterintuitive that a tool designed to shorten your nails can actually help them grow, but think of it as a long game strategy, like how regular hair trims can help avoid split ends. “Switching to a glass file is advantageous because the nail is less likely to peel, split, and break, so over time, you are more likely to achieve length with a glass file than a traditional emery board,” explains Dr. Stern.
For me, having neat, groomed nails — with or without polish or gel — discouraged me from picking at them, which would cause them to peel or break, and set my growth journey back to square one. I’ve been using the Ulta one several times a week since it lives in my bag and therefore accompanies me almost everywhere. I’ve found myself fixing my nails waiting in line at a coffee shop, or when I touch up my lipstick in the bathroom at happy hour. Despite the $9 price tag, it’s just as good as any other brand (including more expensive ones) I’ve tried; it’s lightweight but doesn’t feel flimsy or cheap. Plus, the grain is on the finer side, making it quite gentle on my nails. Within a month, my nails looked visibly better and were breaking and splitting less often. In the past, I swore by builder gel to achieve any meaningful growth. It’s been months since my last gel manicure, but with my wedding coming up, I’ll likely get one in the books soon — especially now that I’m set up for success with healthier natural nails.
It’s not required, but then again, pampering your nails is never really a bad thing. “Nothing needs to be done [after using a glass file] for the nail per se, but I always recommend keeping the cuticle well hydrated,” says Dr. Stern, adding that a healthy cuticle is foundational for a healthy nail. Her go-to? The Dr. Dana Nourishing Cuticle Oil, which contains indigo naturalis (an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for reducing inflammation), plus sunflower and jojoba oils to moisturize (yes — your nails need that too!) and support nail growth.
“When used regularly, cuticle oil will keep cuticles properly hydrated and allow nails to grow healthier and stronger,” Dr. Dana explains. I keep one on my nightstand as a reminder to use it at least nightly, but am trying to be better about using one a few times a day. I’m a fan of Olive & June’s Cuticle Serum pens, which absorb quicker than an oil for easier, grease-free use during the day.
Not all glass files are created equal, and Dr. Stern specifically notes that the level of abrasiveness can vary among glass files. What’s more, not all of them are meant for natural nails. (Grittier ones may be used as a first step to remove gel polish, for example.) If you’re simply looking to replace your basic emery board, something like my new Ulta find or the Dr. Dana Glass Nail File will be a major upgrade and gentle enough for regular use.
Glass files also come in a variety of shapes, which can lend themselves to other purposes besides filing. Germanikure’s Moonfile has a slight arched shape (hence the name), which is ergonomically designed for a comfortable hold, but is also great for pushing back cuticles and gently exfoliating dead skin on the sides of the nail.
In addition to using a glass file, I also like to use a glass polisher tool — namely Bare Hands’ polisher — to gently buff the nail surface. It works by removing the superficial layer of keratin (which will look like mini clouds of whitish dust) on your nails, resulting in a naturally shiny appearance. According to the brand, the polisher lasts for around six months if you buff once a week for your nails. With less frequent use, it can last up to a year. Mind you, I’ve had mine for nearly two years and it’s still in pretty good shape.
Using a glass buffer comes with a caveat, though: Dr. Stern is quick to note that a glass file is not the same as a buffer, which is safe for the nail plate. “Using a glass file at the surface can dislodge nail cells, creating an uneven surface that is more prone to peeling and breakage,” she says. “Also, filing or even over-buffing the nail surface can result in a nail that is too thin.”
Besides using a glass file on the free edge of my nails, I buff the surface once every other week at a maximum to avoid compromising their integrity, and I think it’s helped my nails not only look better (they have a natural luster, so sometimes I skip polish entirely), but grow in healthier. (Think of it as maintaining a healthy skin barrier — less is more!)
Ready to become a card-carrying member of the glass file club? Shop our favorites below.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
9 Ways To Wear The Green Manicure Trend For Spring
I write this story from one of countless cafes in Seongsu, a hip area that’s been referred to as “the Brooklyn of Seoul.” Lined with quaint boutiques and a revolving door of pop-ups for some of Korea’s hottest fashion and beauty brands, it’s become a top shopping destination for locals and tourists alike. As such, it’s also a great spot to see what’s currently trending. After spending many afternoons scanning the sea of shopping bags in people’s hands, it’s clear that one category of K-beauty is especially popular right now: fragrance.
Tamburins, Nonfiction, pesade, Borntostandout: They may not be household names—yet—but they are among the most beloved perfume brands in Korea right now. Below, let’s take a closer look at the world of Korean fragrance houses, including a few under-the-radar brands on the rise.
As if on cue, on my way over to the cafe, a girl handed me a perfume blotter advertising a pop-up nearby. I had never heard of the brand before, but the sample smelled so good, I had to check it out.
FRA 422 is centered around sustainability and scent. (The “422” in the name is a reference to Earth Day, which is April 22.) As an employee explained to me, the brand only uses extracted essential oils from plants that aren’t endangered or at risk — or they formulate closely matched synthetic substitutes that are indistinguishable from the original scents.
To that end, the line is tightly curated with just five core perfumes, including a leather and oud number called Won and a rose and oakmoss scent named Kim. My personal favorite is Hani, a fresh citrus that’s grounded in amber and musk and wears like a second skin.
Tamburins is perhaps the most well-known K-fragrance brand of the bunch, thanks in part to its affiliation with luxury eyewear brand Gentle Monster, and global celebrity ambassadors like Jennie from BLACKPINK and actor Byeon Woo Seok.
With architecturally stunning retail spaces filled with objets d’art and packaging that elevates the experience of using one of their scented offerings, it’s easy to see why people are instantly drawn to the brand.
Since debuting in 2017, Tamburins has expanded its extensive lineup to include perfumes housed in egg-shaped bottles, solid fragrances for on-the-go, scented hand creams, candles, lip balms, and even car diffusers in distinctive scents like Pumpkini, a sweet pumpkin and coconut milk fragrance cut with invigorating shiso leaf and ginger.
Nonfiction was the first perfume brand I purchased when I moved to Korea last fall. I walked into one of their bright, airy stores one afternoon and immediately fell in love with their Neroli Dream scent (a softer version of Tom Ford’s iconic Neroli Portofino IMO).
The brand’s messaging is all about finding calm in your days through sensorial rituals that connect you to your inner self. This ethos is reflected throughout the minimalist packaging and the fragrances themselves, which are formulated using plant-derived ingredients that are never too overpowering.
In addition to the perfumes in its current lineup, Nonfiction also makes body and hair care products, as well as hand creams, lip balms, room sprays, and candles.
If quiet minimalism isn’t your thing, give Borntostandout a try — honestly, the name says it all. Launched in 2022 by a former investment banker and lifelong fragrance fanatic Jun Lim, BTSO was created for those who “rebel against the standards” — but still want to smell really good.
The brand’s smooth white flacons nod to traditional Korean porcelain wares and have memorable names like DGAF and Fig Porn emblazoned across them in crimson typeface; the fragrances themselves are equally memorable, thanks to unconventional accords that range from basmati rice to banana bread.
Sure, some of the scents may throw you at first sniff, but they dry down into something softer and more familiar as they wear. This might explain BTSO’s rapidly growing fan base and L’Oréal’s recent funding, as the brand plans its expansion into the U.S. and European markets.
Just a stone’s throw away from Borntostandout’s Itaewon store is pesade, where the ambiance is decidedly more relaxed. From the sleek interiors to the structural tables that showcase the brand’s timeless scents, everything about pesade feels refined and classic.
The brand’s unlikely source of inspiration comes from dressage, a discipline of equestrianism. A pesade refers to a dressage move where a horse balances on its hind legs at a 45-degree angle from the ground. Per the brand, “This particular movement symbolizes the harmony of power and balance, which is deeply connected to pesade’s philosophy.”
The scents come in highly concentrated parfums ($210 for 100ml or roughly 3.4oz) and eau de parfums ($180) that last long after first spritz. With a diverse range of unisex fragrances to choose from, pesade is a place where one could easily find their 인생 향수 or “life perfume,” as the Koreans say.
Fans of Kinfolk will be delighted to know that the brand is still alive and well in 2025 — and has a physical store in Seongsu that has the same relaxed, yet dignified vibe of the indie lifestyle magazine.
The flagship space includes a flower shop, café, and the full range of Kinfolk Notes fragrances exclusive to Korea. Initially launched in 2022 with hand soaps, lotions, and creams, Kinfolk Notes has since expanded to include eau de parfums, diffusers, and candles.
With dreamy names like Splendor in the Grass, inspired by William Wordsworth’s poem and movie of the same name, and Blue Velvet (a reference to David Lynch’s neo-noir mystery), all of the fragrances in Kinfolk Notes bring the brand’s artsy sensibilities to life.
If you’re looking for more affordable K-fragrance options, I’d suggest W.Dressroom (which counts BTS’ Jungkook and Seventeen’s S.Coups among its wearers).
The brainchild of renowned designer Bum Suk Choi, W.Dressroom’s scents are uncomplicated in the best way. The straightforward names clearly indicate notes of the juice, and the comprehensive lineup includes everything from fruit-forward options to traditional florals and powdery musks. (Think: Bath and Body Works meets Grown Alchemist.)
My favorite is 97 April Cotton, a fresh laundry scent that I regularly douse on my clothes after sweaty dance classes. BTW, the brand’s “dress perfumes” have deodorizing and antibacterial ingredients in them to neutralize unwanted odors from clothes and spaces, making them great for a post-workout spritz or a smoky K-BBQ dinner.
For a scented souvenir to take back from Seoul, make a stop at one of Granhand’s eight stores scattered throughout the city (though their original outpost in Bukchon Hanok Village is still my favorite). Granhand’s perfumes are unique in name and composition. Take Susie Salmon, for example, a juicy blend described as smelling like “a midday nap after eating sweet fruits” or Lumberjack, a clove bud and cedarwood scent that smells like “a sip of whiskey in front of the fireplace.”
The brand also offers complimentary personalization for each purchase, so you can add your name or initials (or that of a loved one) for an extra sentimental touch.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
I Created A Signature Scent — For My Wedding
Major spoilers ahead. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners isn’t an easy watch. That is, it will have you sitting up straight, shifting towards the front of your seat, squirming in terror, and holding your breath. It’s unflinching, enthralling and entertaining, a wild ride that never lets up and pushes you to think, to imagine, to feel. The first hour unfurls like the climb of a rollercoaster, inching you towards an exhilarating descent into madness. The anticipation of the drop is its own thrill, with the dread of the film’s inevitably gory climax looming over the quiet character development of its first half. In an era of the easy, throw-it-on-in-the-background slop movies streamers churn out, Coogler treats his audience with respect, delivering a smart film that takes itself seriously while still having fun. Reunited with his muse, Michael B. Jordan, Sinners is Coogler at his most free. It’s a meticulous and ambitious masterpiece. It’s challenging and provocative. It’s also surprisingly romantic. It’s packed with metaphor and meaning, religious allegory and racial commentary, complimentary and conflicting genres, breathtaking performances and stunning sequences that barrel towards an electrifying conclusion that requires processing and unpacking — I’ve been thinking about it every day since I screened the film weeks ago.
But let’s start at the beginning. As we meet Smoke and Stack (both played with thoughtful precision by Jordan), the prodigal twins of Clarksdale, Mississippi, their ambitions are clear: after spending years as enforcers for Al Capone and bootleggers in Chicago, the boys are back to open up their very own juke joint. They prefer the South, the devil they know. As they tell their cousin Sammie (newcomer Miles Caton is a revelation), “Chicago is a plantation, just with taller buildings.” Smoke is more reserved and pessimistic, the “bad cop” of the duo, while Stack is unrestrained and slightly more boisterous, the risktaking, jazz-loving lil’ brother. Their love interests also showcase the differences between the identical twins: Smoke’s former love is Annie (a wise, raw, and riveting Wunmi Mosaku), a spiritual medicine woman still reeling from the grief of losing their infant child, whose potions and hoodoo knowledge come in handy later. And Stack’s old flame is Mary (a saucy and unguarded Hailee Steinfeld), his white-passing childhood friend with Black ancestry that shows up in her relations, not her face, who is still pissed at Stack for ghosting her.
Through Annie and Mary, we get to know the brothers more. Stack is reckless enough to get involved with a white(ish) girl but smart enough to distance himself to protect her from the optics of their seemingly interracial union (it is 1932 afterall). Smoke is still in love with Annie but their loss broke him, and them, and he’s burying himself in his business with his brother to try to forget. It’s naive to hope for a happy ending for either of the two pairings, yet you find yourself rooting for one anyway. It’s a testament to Jordan’s insurmountable skill that he has rousing chemistry with both Mosaku and Steinfeld — with entirely different dynamics and mannerisms with each — but it’s his scenes with Mosaku that scratched my brain. Together, they are devastating. Smoke and Annie’s romance, the love story at the center of Sinners, is slow and sensual, rooted in history and heartbreak. From their first scene, the viewer is invested, and so was Wunmi Mosaku.
[When I read] the scene with Smoke and Annie in the shop, I had never cared so much about two people I knew so little about. I felt like I knew their whole world.
wunmi mosaku
“[When I read] the scene with Smoke and Annie in the shop, I had never cared so much about two people I knew so little about, but felt like I knew their whole world,” Mosaku told Unbothered’s Claire Ateku during the film’s press day in New York City. The moment is the movie’s sexiest, a stirring, intimate love scene starring a dark-skinned Black woman with curves, something you rarely see onscreen, period, let alone in a massive blockbuster. “I felt like I understood their hope, their love, their grief, their connection, their understanding,” Mosaku continued. “When I read those seven pages, I just felt so inspired. I was like, oh, people are making art that matters — that excites and fulfills. And I said to Ryan, ‘thank you for writing something that has gotten me [to fall] back in love with my craft.’”
Ryan Coogler’s love of his craft is on full display throughout Sinners. This is an artist who cares deeply about his medium, and you can tell through every exquisite detail: the entrancing and addictive score (Ludwig Göransson), the staggering cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the film was shot on IMAX 70mm cameras), the era-specific and intricate production design (Oscar-winner Hannah Beachler) and the impeccable costumes (thee legend Ruth E. Carter). But it’s in the storytelling where Coogler shines most.
After Smoke and Stack buy a building to turn into a juke joint from a shifty looking white man who swears the Klan doesn’t exist anymore (sure, bud), they each spend the day preparing for the grand opening that night. Sammie, also known as Preacher Boy, rides with Stack and they pick up affable drunk and local jazz celeb, Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo is as charming and enigmatic as ever) who will be the night’s headliner. Preacher Boy shows off his heavenly voice and affinity for jazz music, but his father, an actual preacher, rebukes the genre as the devil’s music, like most good Christians did back then. Preacher Boy seems to be loosely based on the legend of real-life blues musician Robert Johnson whose guitar was said to have been tuned by the devil at a crossroads, granting him musical prowess. In exchange for his soul, the myth goes that Johnson was given great guitar skills which launched him into blues infamy. In Sinners, Preacher Boy’s guitar is a hand-me-down from his cousins and the devil isn’t the blues, it’s a vampire in the form of a white man, Remmick (a terrifying Jack O’Connell).
While Smoke was on the other side of town securing food, booze, supplies and a sign from Chinese American shopowners Grace and Bo Chow (Li Jun Li and Yao) to create the perfect space for his community to convene and celebrate, Remmick is turning a couple (whose well-placed Klan paraphernalia proves that the KKK is alive and well) into his own clan of vampires and just after the sun sets, they go straight to the juke joint to rain on an uninhabited night of Black joy. Through its vampires, Sinners asks, “who should we let into our spaces? And how much of ourselves do we give up when we do?”
It may seem a little on-the-nose to have blood-sucking, melanin-deprived vampires act as a stand-in for culture vulture white people who have pillaged Black land, music, and art for their own gain for centuries. But the metaphor isn’t hamfisted in Coogler’s hands; it’s perfect. Of course a vampire story is the ideal way to allegorize white supremacy, gentrification, and appropriation. Of course vampires come in and suck the life out of a Black celebration. Coogler brilliantly explores the different ways in which whiteness exploits and pilfers — violently, purposefully, and sometimes subtly. As the juke joint is thriving, hookups are happening and the party is raging, you’re left in suspense, wondering how it all falls apart and who is going to infiltrate this safe space. The answer is, of course, the whitest person Smoke and Stack know: Mary. She leaves to talk to the banjo-playing strangers who have asked to be let in. Whiteness is why she goes outside. Her proximity to Blackness is why she’s allowed back in. That, and Stack’s greed. Money, and his attraction to Mary, end up being his downfall.
Later, when Remmick has wreaked havoc and created monsters out of club goers, he promises freedom to Smoke, Annie, Delta Slim, Preacher Boy, and the other last-standing survivors — something he knows Black folks of that era are desperate for — and inclusion without the threat of racist violence, they just have to give up their souls… and succumb to vampire violence. So, to choose one life of bondage for another. Once again, Smoke picks the devil he knows. Remmick tries to convince him through a speech about how Black folks will never be free in the Jim Crow South, no matter how much money they acquire, using the racism of other white folks as a shield against the harm he wants to inflict (sound familiar?) and assuring love and acceptance. The lies Remmick sells can be read as a vampire just trying to lure his prey, but they are also the lies white supremacy sells to Black folks. Conformity, nor excellence, will save you. Like the cliches go, these vampires have fangs and hate garlic, but instead of sex, they are offering acceptance through assimilation. In Sinners, assimilation equals death.
When it’s revealed that Remmick just wants Preacher Boy’s voice — which we know can transcend time and space through the film’s more original, arresting, lyrical, and mindblowing scene (seriously, I gasped out loud in the theater) — the con comes into focus. Remmick isn’t a savior, he’s a leech. Not since Jordan Peele’s Get Out has a horror movie tackled the terrors of racism in such a smart and unrelenting way (though many have tried). And doing all that with jazz as the soundtrack and the beating pulse of the film is genius. White people stole the blues. Sinners isn’t just about reclamation, it’s about preservation and a radical reimagining of what it means to conserve culture, no matter the cost.
Sinners is more than just a Southern gothic horror flick like it’s been billed. It is that, but it’s also an enthusiastic musical, a consequential period drama, and an earnest romance. It’s the latter that piqued my interest the most, and its execution is swoon-inducing. I already knew Mosaku was a star, but in this role, she’s assertive, luminous and so damn sexy. Some will say the title belongs to Sammie, but Annie is the heart of Sinners. She’s also its hero.
“I like to think of Annie as Smoke’s other other half, like Stack is,” Mosaku said. “Stack is one side of him, but Annie is another side of him. She’s his protector, lover, mother, safe place. She is his sanctuary.” Annie’s knowledge of the spiritual world also saves everyone’s — including Smoke’s — asses. “She moves with purpose. She moves with strength and power. She has such an anchored spirit and is so in tune with the other stuff that we can’t see or feel or hear. She sees and feels and hears it.” Near the end, Annie is the one to tell the remaining humans not to let their friend and the night’s acting bouncer, Cornbread (Omar Miller), in after he’s been turned. She teaches them how to stake a vampire in the heart. She also puts them onto the good ol’ garlic trick. Through her spiritual practices, she becomes their first line of defense and sacrifices herself (she tells Smoke she would rather die than become a vampire) to be their savior, like so many Black women do.
“Annie was someone who I really looked up to and was inspired by, and I found parts of myself within her, parts of myself I didn’t know existed within her,” Mosaku, who is British-Nigerian, shared. “With hoodoo, I didn’t know about it. I’m now introduced to Ifá through the Europe Yoruba, a traditional religion I didn’t know about. And so now I’m introduced to my ancestry, my ancestors, parts of our strength and healing and our traditions. I didn’t know I was missing it. That was quite profound for me.”
I like to think of Annie as Smoke’s other other half, like Stack is… Stack is one side of him, but Annie is another side of him. She’s his protector, lover, mother, safe place. She is his sanctuary.
wunmi mosaku
That profundity is apparent in Mosaku’s performance, and in the film’s sublime ending. You could read it as tragic — Stack is a vampire and Smoke, like Annie, dies in a blaze of glory as he takes out the racist landlord and his KKK gang as they try to take back the juke joint the next morning — but you could also interpret the film’s end as hopeful and almost happy, like I did. As Smoke is dying, after being shot by the KKK, he reaches into the afterlife and sees not just Annie, but their child. Their family is finally together again. He delivers a final blow to the cowardly villains and succumbs to his fate, seemingly joining his love and their baby.
Mosaku agrees: “I think it’s a happy ending… Ultimately, [Annie] feels sorrow for anyone who was turned into a vampire. She says it perfectly, they can’t feel the warmth of a sunrise and they have to live amongst all this hate in this world,” she said. “These two are now connected in the ancestor world forever and by creating life together. This is the right way to join the ancestors. Is the right way everything else is to be trapped in a world of hate and pain and sorrow. So yeah, I feel like ultimately, [Smoke and Annie] are reunited.”
Smoke and Annie get to be together for eternity in the spiritual realm, while Stack and Mary stay together in the physical world as vampires. Preacher boy Sammie lives out his life as a musician and in a shocking post credits scene (a nod to Cooger’s Marvel tenure), he gets a visit from his immortal cousin and his white-passing undead partner. Stack may still be walking, talking, and breathing, but he died that day at the juke joint. Stack calls the day of Remmick’s attack the best day of his life, because it was the last time he saw the sunrise and the last time he saw his brother. “For a few hours, before the sun went down, we were truly free.”
Sinners is a sentimental exploration of love and loss, of faith and consequence, of the duality of humanity and the perseverance of spirit, and for the unassailable fact that Black folks will survive and persist — in the face of evil, of racism, of white supremacy, of mystifying hate and insoluble madness. Smoke and Annie chose to hold onto to their souls and to cling to love; the one thing that can never be taken.
Sinners hits theatres today, Friday, April 18.
For more of our interview with Wunmi Mosaku, subscribe to our newsletter for a special edition.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Tessa Thompson Says Creed III Is A PSA For Therapy
When you’re buying a house it’s hard to ignore highly visible elements like paint and…
The post Buying a Disaster-Resilient Home appeared first on Earth911.
Solar panels are changing the world, powering everything from cars and trains to blenders and…
The post The Surprising History of Solar Panels: A Kid’s Guide to Renewable Energy appeared first on Earth911.
In one of our best conversations, meet Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, which has developed…
The post Best of Earth911 Podcast: Caelux CEO Scott Graybeal on the U.S. Perovskite Solar Panel Supply Chain appeared first on Earth911.
At 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25, Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino was driving his partner to work in Skagit County, Washington, when he was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in plainclothes and an unmarked vehicle. Within moments, agents shattered the back driver’s-side window of Zeferino’s car. In an effort to de-escalate, he stepped out — only to be immediately handcuffed, placed in the agents’ car, and driven to a border patrol holding station in Ferndale. Later that day, he was transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, where he remains detained. Hundreds of people gathered in Tacoma later that week to protest his arrest.
Zeferino is a prominent organizer and co-founder of Familias Unidas por la Justicia, known for his decades of advocacy on behalf of farmworkers in Central Washington. His work has led to major labor reforms, including state-mandated heat protections for outdoor workers — who are now required to take regular water and cool-off breaks once temperatures reach 80 degrees — and the passage of a 2021 law guaranteeing overtime pay for farmworkers. Zeferino is also a volunteer organizer with Community to Community, a food justice organization. His supporters believe his arrest is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on activists and organizers critical of its immigration and labor policies.
“He’s been a really outspoken member of our community and an important member of our union,” Edgar Franks, Zeferino’s longtime colleague and friend, tells Refinery29 Somos. “We think that this was politically motivated to silence a lot of the organizing and the activism that has been happening to better the lives of immigrants.”
“We think that this was politically motivated to silence a lot of the organizing and the activism that has been happening to better the lives of immigrants.”
Edgar Franks
Just days before Zeferino’s arrest, immigration reform advocate Jeanette Vizguerra, an undocumented mother of four, was detained by ICE agents at a Target near Denver, where she worked. Vizguerra made international headlines in 2017 when she sought sanctuary in a Denver church for three years to avoid deportation during President Donald Trump’s first term. That same year, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. But on March 17, 2025, she was surrounded by ICE agents on a work break and taken into custody without a warrant. She is currently held at the GEO Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado, where supporters rally weekly to demand her release.
While ICE has been targeting organizers and participants of pro-Palestine protests in college campuses across the U.S., the detainment of Zeferino and Vizguerra indicates that the Trump administration is widening its scope of political enemies.
But this isn’t exactly new. There’s a long history of ICE targeting activists, according to George Carrillo, a political organizer and CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council. He cites the arrest of Elvira Arellano — founder of the immigration advocacy group La Familia Latina Unida and an advocate for asylum status for immigrants — in 2007, as well as the detainment of Maru Mora-Villalpando — who led anti-detention center protests — in 2017.
“ICE often denies targeting activists, but internal emails and the timing of arrests tell a different story.”
George Carrillo
“The pattern is hard to ignore,” Carrillo tells Somos. “Documents and reports, including from the NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic, highlight surveillance and arrests tied directly to advocacy efforts. ICE often denies targeting activists, but internal emails and the timing of arrests tell a different story.”
Tony Tian-Ren Lin, a sociologist and senior advisor at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, says this overt targeting represents a chilling evolution in U.S. politics. “Activists used to be targeted under cover,” Lin tells Somos. “We know that in America, the FBI was following and taping Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. We know the Black Panthers were targeted as well as the Young Lords. But what we are seeing today with ICE, they just arrest people off the streets, and that’s very new and very alarming.”
Lin also notes the contradictions in current immigration enforcement. “In the past, you could have said that [the U.S.] extracted the labor it needed and then, once they could not extract any more labor from you, they’ll throw you away,” Lin explains. “Now, when they still need your labor, and they could still extract labor from you, they’re throwing you into a Salvadorian jail. That’s the irrationality of it.”
“Activists used to be targeted under cover. … But what we are seeing today with ICE, they just arrest people off the streets, and that’s very new and very alarming.”
Tony Tian-Ren Lin
For Franks, activists are being detained because they are advocating for better working conditions and immigration reform. Their work is powerful and it threatens the status quo. “With how active I believe [Zeferino] has been throughout his whole teenage years to now, he’s always been out there, he’s a pretty public person, talking about issues that have to do with farmworkers and immigrants,” Franks says. “He’s been a really outspoken member of our community and an important member of our union and for workers.”
Carrillo sees a larger, systemic threat. “When there’s full party control across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, the essential checks and balances of democracy erode,” he says. “ICE targeting Latine activists goes beyond silencing voices. It raises deeper concerns about the rule of law.”
“All these detentions and deportations, they only make us want to organize better and more urgently.”
Edgar Franks
The targeting of Zeferino and Vizguerra, in particular, sends a message to immigrants not to make political stances or organize around the issues in their communities. But for Franks, this shows how successful Latine activists have been in advocating for immigrants’ rights. “I think Latino organizing, especially in the immigrant sector, has been really effective one way or another,” he says. “And it’s always been done through direct action, through policy, through marching. and protest. Despite a lot of the hardships, there were gains that were being made, so the targeting of organizers is being done to discourage people from pursuing those fights.”
But here’s the thing, Franks adds: “All these detentions and deportations, they only make us want to organize better and more urgently.”
Activists and communities aren’t backing down. As Carrillo put it: “While ICE’s actions challenge the resilience of Latine changemakers, the fight for justice continues, fueled by community solidarity and the unwavering commitment to protect those who speak truth to power.”
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?