When the weather is hot and humid, foundation is usually the first thing we ditch. Since a full face of heavy makeup can sometimes feel too much, we tend to opt for a lighter skin tint. But when we caught wind of Benefit’s The POREfessional Foundation, $47, a new launch promising matte, pore-blurring coverage in a weightless formula, our curiosity was piqued.

If you’ve been doing your makeup for a while, the brand’s POREfessional Face Primer has probably made its way into your rotation at some point. This OG bestseller works overtime to minimize the appearance of pores, creating a smooth canvas for makeup. This new foundation — the youngest sibling in the POREfessional family — is powered by niacinamide, a buzzy skincare ingredient that helps to refine texture, hydrate, and improve skin over time.

To see if it lives up to its bold claims (and the POREfessional title), four R29 editors with different skin tones and concerns put the foundation to the test. Read ahead for our no BS reviews.

Venus Wong, senior writer

Her shade match: Benefit The POREfessional Foundation, $47, in 17N Ultra (Medium Neutral-Olive)

I normally love wearing skin tints in the summer, but since I have combination skin, some of my go-tos have been making my forehead and T-zone look too shiny lately — especially when I’ve applied sunscreen underneath. This mattifying foundation couldn’t have come into my life at a better time. The star ingredient, niacinamide, helps control oil production in the skin while delivering moisture, leaving my skin with a dewy (but not overly shiny) look. The medium-coverage casts a natural glow over my face, as if it’s been lightly retouched. The blackheads on my nose have all but disappeared, as have some of the discoloration and rough texture along my forehead.

But what I really can’t get enough of is the texture. Benefit claims it’s weightless — and I can confirm this is 100% true. I used a wet sponge to dab in the product, and it was almost strange to see my face looking brighter and more well-rested in real time when I can barely feel anything going on it, even over my normal SPF. The wear time was impressive, too. Once the foundation is applied, it clings closely to the skin’s surface and barely rubs off.

My final verdict? The POREfessional Foundation has become a front-runner in my summer makeup pile, which is unusual, given it promises fuller coverage. It does a beautiful job at camouflaging all the little spots I feel self-conscious about, while making me look (and feel) like I’m not wearing much makeup at all.

L’Oréal Blackett, Unbothered editor

Her shade match: Benefit The POREfessional Foundation, $47, in 28N Superb (Medium-Deep Neutral)

I’ve never been able to achieve the “baddie makeup” aesthetic. Between expectations of glamorous, bright under-eyes, carved-to-perfection contouring, and a matte, filter-like finish, I’ve always been intimidated and opted for easy, no-makeup-makeup instead. This foundation has permanently elevated my makeup game for the better. I applied a few drops on the back of my hand and went in with a sturdy brush. A little went a long way. The coverage is immediately blurring. Poof! No pores. Poof! No pigmentation marks. The smooth, airbrush-like result is so satisfying — Benefit really meant poreless. Friends and family said my skin looked “filtered” when I had this on.

This liquid foundation dries down fast, so I recommend working quickly when blending with a wet sponge. As for the color match, I picked medium deep shade ‘Superb’ (28 N). It’s classed as a neutral tone, but it does show up more orange on my skin than I would prefer. It did eventually oxidize to blend in better with my skin tone, giving me a rich, deep brown warmth. Next time, I will go down one or two shades, but I am glad there’s a choice between cool, warm, and neutral undertones (it’s a bare minimum ask for makeup brands at this point).

Jacqueline Kilikita, beauty director

Her shade match: Benefit The POREfessional Foundation, $47, in 4N Wonder (Fair Neutral-Peach)

I remember my friends loved Benefit’s Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation, but it was discontinued a couple of years ago. In other words, this new launch — The POREfessional Foundation — felt much needed for the brand.

Applying with a damp sponge is recommended, but I found it worked just as well with a large fluffy brush. The pigment really packs a punch. Just a pea-sized amount was enough to cover my entire face and neck, yet the finish was subtle. It’s more like a tint than a full-on foundation, but it brilliantly blurs redness, post-breakout marks, and dark circles. I even skipped concealer!

I usually never leave the house without powdering my T-zone — but this time, I forgot, and honestly, I didn’t need it. My skin glowed in all the right places (cheekbones, brow bones), and looked fresh in areas that would normally be oily. That’s thanks to additional skincare ingredient niacinamide, which supports the skin barrier and helps regulate excess oil production throughout the day. But make no mistake — it’s not drying or overly matte. There’s also glycerin, which keeps skin feeling quenched, while the addition of dimethicone (a smart silicone) makes skin look and feel smoother. I’m convinced that these ingredients make it last longer, too. At the end of the day, I usually need to top up in places, but my makeup looked more or less immaculate.

Karina Hoshikawa, senior writer

Her shade match: Benefit The POREfessional Foundation, $47, in 13W Champion (Light-Medium Warm-Olive)

As an oily skin girlie, I’ve always loved Benefit’s POREfessional range. I overwhelmingly prefer a soft matte finish with my foundation, and this one definitely fits the bill. It’s on the full end of medium to full coverage and a little goes a long way; one pump was more than enough for my entire face, and I didn’t even use concealer with it.

I have light olive skin, and the shade 13W Champion was a perfect match. My favorite way to apply it is with a damp Beautyblender, since it is quite pigmented and the sponge helps diffuse the coverage. (On days where I want more coverage, I use a dense foundation brush.) Even before I set with powder, the foundation alone definitely has the effect of making pores and texture disappear. My lone gripe is that there was a tiny bit of oxidation, as I went on with my day, but nothing too crazy. It also lasted all day, even without priming and setting!

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El Salvador might be the smallest country in Central America, but its creative scene is anything but tiny. Across fashion, art, beauty, and design, Salvadoran creators are pulling from their culture in ways that feel honest and textured: natural materials, bright colors, traditional techniques, and references to everyday Salvadoran life.

Some brands lean into nostalgia, while others focus on sustainability and craftsmanship passed down through generations. But they all have a deep connection to home — even if that home is sometimes felt from far away. From vibrant illustrations to handmade fashion and clean beauty, these are 8 Salvadoran brands you’ll want to know.

All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission.

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When Becky G recently went on TikTok and revealed weeks’ worth of grown out grays down the front and middle parts of her hair, I realized something: I couldn’t think of ever seeing another Latina celebrity around my age admit she has gray hairs. As the 28-year-old Mexican-American singer sarcastically talked about her “old age” and being a “viejita,” at least in the eyes of TikTok’s generally younger user base, she tilted her bouncy hair downward and ran her fingers through silvery strands.

“No, I do not care that my canas are showing,” Becky says in the video. “It’s natural. I call them my sparkles and so I need my sparkle gang to pull up, because I know I’m not the only one that doesn’t just feel bonita but is ‘stressita’ too.”

As a graying brunette, this helped me feel seen. I found my first silver strand in middle school and have been begrudgingly dying my grays since college. I found solace while scrolling through the thousands of comments on Becky G’s video as countless other people commented “sparkle gang,” shared their graying stories, and even replied with photos of themselves letting their grays grow out as well.

“Found my first gray at 14 years old,” Becky G wrote in her caption. “Could be that I am the eldest daughter of a Mexican-American household, started working at 9, the fight-or-flight response, which involves the release of norepinephrine, can contribute to hair graying, simply genetics, or ALL OF THE ABOVE. No pues como que no voy a tener canas guys, like be for real.”

It’s 2025 and still rare to see Latina celebrities open up publicly about having gray hair, let alone a Gen Z star like Becky G. In a Vogue “Beauty Secrets” interview, actress Salma Hayek also recently shared that at 58 years old, she doesn’t dye her hair. But when she does want to tame her “rebellious” grays, she swipes on some Benefit’s Roller Lash mascara. Latina creators like Heren Mercedes, behind Silver Curls, and Kat Lovelis are also making content to help other women embrace their grays at any age. Yet we know the burden on women to maintain youthful appearances isn’t limited to Hollywood or the online world.

The stigma held toward Latina with gray hair permeates across age, income, and the many cultures that comprise Latine identity. Latine beauty standards generally mirror, if not amplify, Western societal ideals, which discourage women from displaying any visible signs of aging. It’s not surprising women feel pressure to conform, given studies have found that women with gray hair are more likely to be perceived as less trustworthy and are likelier to experience ageism. These factors indicate that there’s a social cost of not following beauty norms, explains Katie M. Duarte, a postdoctoral fellow in Latinx Studies at Smith College and researcher on the natural hair movement among Dominican women.

“Because gray hair is associated with being ‘old’ and, therefore, supposedly incompetent or undesirable, women with gray hairs are socially encouraged to dye their silver strands for a youthful appearance to combat these stereotypes. This is true regardless of race or ethnicity, as many women deal with the beauty standard and social pressures of appearing young,” Duarte shares. “Women who forgo dying their gray hairs report that others consider them less competent in the workplace, more physically fragile, and less attractive. For some women, the decision of dying their gray strands comes from personal choice and preferences, while for others it is about avoiding these social stigmas of ‘letting go’ of their beauty and feeling socially invisible and, therefore, socially irrelevant.”

Duarte also calls attention to the role the media plays in reinforcing these standards. While beauty standards vary across Latine communities, generally, the ideal beautiful hair look for Latinas is understood as dark or blonde, long, straight or wavy (but not kinky), and it should be obviously styled, looking feminine and distinct from men’s hair. Think: Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Karol G, Shakira, and Selena Gomez.

While dominant beauty standards will continue to privilege straight over kinky textures and presumably youthful, dark or blonde hair over gray hair, Duarte notes that the growth of the natural hair movement — in which some Latinas, especially Afro-Latinas, are accepting their naturally kinky, curly, or wavy hair — and moments of vulnerability from celebrities and influencers can help other Latinas accept their graying hair.

“For Latinas that have embraced their natural hair, many have also wanted to stay away from chemically altering hair treatments, like hair dye,” Duarte says. “I believe there will be more Latinas accepting their naturally graying hair as those in the natural hair movement age into gray and silver strands.”

In Becky G’s TikTok, she added that viewers might notice her grays in videos because covering her grays was expensive, time consuming, and because, ultimately, they are natural. When she asked others to chime in if they also have gray hair, one commenter, Annette Greenham, left a photo of herself — smiling while rocking long, styled gray hair — and wrote that she started getting gray hairs as a kid.

“I started growing gray hair in elementary school. I felt embarrassed that I had them at a very young age,” Greenham tells Refinery29 Somos.

While growing up in a multigenerational Mexican household, she saw her family members covering and dying their gray hair every few weeks, but no one ever explicitly talked about it. As an adult, she started dying her hair almost every two weeks as she felt the pressure to maintain her look for holidays and get-togethers. But in 2022, she saw people grow out their hair due to the Covid-19 lockdown conditions and she decided to let hers grow out as well.

“I feel so much better now that I let my gray hair grow out. My mom has now even started to let hers grow out, too,” Greenham says. “I am happy with the decision of growing out my grays and I get a lot of compliments.”

We spoke with five additional Latina women who shared their journey toward accepting their own gray hair, how they have overcome cultural norms, and how this decision has impacted their relationships with loved ones and themselves.

Jacqueline Cordero, 34, California

I was around 12 years old when I became aware of my grays. Middle school was really stressful, but my mom reassured me it was my Puerto Rican father’s genetics. There weren’t many, but they definitely stood out against my long dark hair. Students and even teachers pointed them out. As I grew older, they showed up more. While I was in high school, I was no stranger to a straightening iron and quickly learned my grays were unruly. I could never really control them. Then in my 20s, as I began a career and real adult life, I had a mix of my hereditary grays and my stress-induced grays.

Society told me grays were a sign of stress and age and something worth hiding. My mother would always encourage me, saying they were gifts of wisdom. Still, she was influenced by U.S. beauty standards. Her face card has always been incredible, but societal pressures prevailed when it came to covering her grays. She allowed me to color my hair for fun, and even though covering her grays was a must, she never put that expectation on me for my grays.

As I’m navigating my new identity in motherhood and my 30s, I’ve thought about covering them up in an attempt to look more youthful. I’m grateful for my Trinidadian and Puerto Rican genes for prolonging wrinkles and other signs of aging, but the grays have become their own entity within my hair. My grays symbolize my heritage, my family. They represent all the growth I’ve made in my life. They are a reminder that I’m right where I need to be and showing up how I need to.

Anyuli Ramos Lopez, 33, Texas 

The first time I noticed I had gray hair was around senior year of college. I was 22. At first, I was embarrassed and in denial that I was graying early. I would pluck them out, dye my hair, or just style my hair differently to cover it up. Straight out of college, I started teaching in rural Texas and our salary was not one to be envied.  I was paying rent, bills, and bought a new car. I would go to a salon to get my roots dyed every six-to-nine weeks because of how fast my hair grew out and the price each time was $90. I tried to box dye my hair to help with the cost, but that was damaging my hair. Around the summer of 2019, I decided to embrace it and grow out my grays. I went to a salon and dyed a part of my hair that grew out platinum blonde so that it could “blend,” and when Covid-19 hit, I just let it grow out.

Even to this day, my 83-year-old grandmother still dyes her hair to hide her grays. My grandfather on my paternal side had a head full of grays, so when mine started growing out, my father would call them brillos. He was proud that I had inherited this from his side of the family. I lost my father back in 2020 to the pandemic, and I feel as though my hair is a part of him that I can carry with me every day.

I’ve come to truly love my grays. It symbolizes my individuality and how much I have grown in my own self-confidence. I’m not going to lie, I do smile and feel “cool” when I get compliments from strangers. I love that I have used less chemicals on my hair, so my natural curls and waves have been able to come back.

Kat Lovelis, 30, North Carolina

I noticed my first gray strands at 15 years old. I immediately yanked them out because I didn’t want to feel old. Growing up, I didn’t really hear much about gray hair because my mom would always dye her hair. The ladies in my family would encourage me to cover mine up. I guess they didn’t want to look old, and that pressure passed on to me, too. That sent an unspoken message that gray wasn’t something to be shown. I grew up watching my dad have full gray hair, but he would cover it up, too. My mom always dyed her hair. No one really embraced it.

I started going gray at 29 after I decided I no longer wanted to keep covering them up. At first, I didn’t like them, but as they grew longer, I started to love the salt and pepper look. Now, my family loves my gray hair and it has inspired my mom and sister to let their gray hair grow out. To me, my gray hair symbolizes loving all of me, even the parts that used to make me feel insecure. It’s a daily reminder to accept myself fully and not feel like I have to hide or change to be beautiful.

I love that celebrities like Becky G and Salma Hayek are embracing their grays and encouraging others to do the same. Embracing my gray hair has helped me gain so much confidence. I used to feel embarrassed and try to hide them but now, I show them off proudly. They’re part of who I am.

Samantha Carranza, 32, Texas

When I got my first couple of gray hairs at 28, I felt so confused. At 30, I noticed more grays coming in. I started to feel insecure when I realized I couldn’t pull my hair back without the grays being noticeable. As a little girl, I noticed my grandmother always dying her hair to cover up her grays. I never heard her complaining about it, but my grandmother never exposed her grays in public. My mother now does the same. Looking back, I think witnessing my abuelita and my mami dye their grays had influenced me to want to do the same.

I recently got my hair professionally done and instead of covering my grays up completely_, like I have in the past, I decided to blend in my grays with a new hairstyle. I had every intention to get my hair done and cover up my grays, but Becky G’s TikTok post really inspired me and made me feel less alone.

I want to break the cycle by embracing my grays. It symbolizes strength and resilience. It reminds me of being a mother and of going through difficult seasons but still pushing through. I want to be able to inspire other women to love themselves completely. I have vivid memories as a little girl of when my great grandmother would visit from Mexico and I would brush her hair or run my fingers through her beautiful thick white hair. I want one day for my granddaughter to run her fingers through my hair.

Dulce Maria Rodriguez, 32, Texas

The first time I noticed I had gray hair I was around 17 years old. I would pluck them out of embarrassment. Around the age of 20, it started to get more noticeable and no one in my family embraced it. Funnily enough, even my dad covered his gray hair. I started dying my hair black or dark red with box dye at home because it’s all I could afford. My parents didn’t understand why I dyed it, even though they did the same thing.

Growing up in a Latine household, I was told gray hair was caused by stress. But I never understood why I was getting gray hair so young if I wasn’t feeling stressed. Looking back, I realize all of the pressure I was under as a kid and understand I had grown used to underlying stress for things such as always needing to translate for my parents and getting scolded for not understanding everything. Hearing, “Entonces para qué vas a la escuela!”

At 21, I took a more subtle approach to my gray hair. Instead of dying it one color, I incorporated highlights to blend with my grays. At first it was a style that was “in,” but as time went on I started embracing it. Now, I feel like I have broken a cycle. Embracing my gray hair has been a journey. I am now 32 and I don’t feel like I need to be embarrassed about my hair. I am lucky to be able to enhance it with the help from my hairstylist, but I feel empowered now.

I wish younger me was as open about her struggles with gray hair as I am now, but I feel like it’s just the way we as women are. My advice to younger generations is to be open about your feelings about getting gray hair. It’s valid to feel insecure and the emotions have to be felt, but it’s hair. Speak to your family members and believe them when they say it isn’t a big deal because we are all headed to gray hair at some point, but a few of us get our sparkle sooner.

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Traveling has never been more stylish, thanks to a new, highly anticipated collaboration that’s loading on the tarmac. Viral luggage brand Béis is teaming up with reader-favorite brand Gap on a denim-dominated travel bag and airport outfit collection.

Co-designed and modeled by Béis founder, Shay Mitchell, the 25-piece capsule holds meaning for the actress. “I’ve been wearing Gap since I was a kid, so designing a collection that allows you to express your personal style while on the go feels like a full circle moment,” said Mitchell in a press release. “This line is for anyone who wants to look good, feel good, and travel in style.”

Since Béis is beloved for its chic luggage in trendy colorways, and Gap is known for easy, everyday essentials and effortless denim, the two brands have blended fashion and function for an ideal travel collection.

Some of Béis’ bestselling suitcases have been reimagined in a limited-edition light denim blue color, plus pieces like the weekender and travel backpack are available in actual soft denim. Meanwhile, some of Gap’s apparel styles have been dipped in popular Béis colorways like Berry Pink, and upgraded with details to make travel days more comfortable. Think: convertible cargo pants and even a hoodie with an inflatable neck pillow!

Mitchell stars in this campaign alongside her partner, Matte Babel, and their children, Atlas and Rome, to illustrate the “planning, chaos, and joy of travel,” according to the press release.

“Gap x Béis delivers a modern take on versatile travel wear, brought to life through a digitally led campaign that reflects the built-in memories of traveling with a family,” explained Gap president and CEO, Mark Breitbard, in the release.

So whether you have your own international family vacation planned for the summer… or a road trip with your best friends… or a solo hotel staycation, this collection of travel-ready outfits and bags will get you from A to Z in style.

Gap x Béis ranges between $8 and $128 for apparel and accessories, and $128 and $378 for luggage and bags. Shop the full collection on Gap.com — or luggage and select apparel on Beistravel.com — on August 1 at 9 a.m. EST.

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If you’ve ever double-tapped a photo of Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, or Hailee Steinfeld and thought, ‘Her makeup looks so good and natural; I wish I could get mine to look like that’, you are probably familiar with the makeup artist they all text for glam: Mary Phillips. And great news for all of us: she’s launching her very own makeup brand — m.ph beauty.

The “Mary Phillips” look can be broken down into three parts: A defined cheekbone, a blush that reads more like a sunburn, and a slightly exaggerated lip easily mistakable as very tasteful filler. But the real secret sauce is Phillips’ trademark application technique called ‘underpainting.’

Underpainting has exploded over the past few years. The technique is simple, which might be why it has been so widely adopted. Instead of using foundation as a makeup base, with underpainting, you apply the rest of your complexion products — color-corrector, concealer, contour, and highlighter — to bare skin and then brush a thin layer of foundation over top to blur the lines. The result? Skin that’s enhanced but not covered.

When it comes to makeup products for underpainting, Phillips has tried it all. “My whole career, I’ve been hoarding things that I love and keeping them in my back pocket, crossing my fingers that one day I’d do a line,” Phillips explained at a recent press event Refinery29 attended at New York City’s Greenwich Hotel.

After years of formulating and testing, Phillips’ makeup line, m.ph, will launch at Sephora in August. The collection includes an underpainting palette, cream blush, lip liner, tinted lip balm, and brushes. When Phillips pitched the concept of m.ph to Sephora, she says, they signed on immediately: “At our first meeting with them, they interrupted us and were like, ‘Yes, we want this.’”

Ahead, R29 caught up with Phillips to learn about m.ph and exactly how to underpaint.

The following conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Refinery29: Congrats on the line, Mary. I’m a huge fan of your underpainting technique — it changed the way I do my makeup. Can you explain underpainting and why it works for you? 

Mary Phillips: For me, underpainting is like creating the bones under the skin. I like doing all the creams first as the ‘bones’ of the makeup. Then, applying a light layer of foundation over the top is like laying the skin over the bones. I’ve never been a ‘start with the eyes’ person. When people start with eye makeup, I can’t see their vision. So I have to start with the skin. If the skin doesn’t look perfect, we have to start over.

R29: How has your makeup routine changed over time?

MP: As I’ve gotten older, my technique has changed so much. I used to be so into carving into the cheekbone. Now I want to lift everything.

R29: Tell me about the m.ph Underpainting Palette and how you use it.

MP: I know underpainting can be overwhelming for people, so I wanted to make it as easy as possible. There’s a light, medium, and deep Underpainting Palette, with shade extensions coming next year. All the palettes have a color corrector, two highlighters, and two contour colors. My process is: color corrector first, then contour, then highlight.

The color corrector goes right in the half-moon shape under the eyes, just where you get those blue or gray tones. Then I use the contour shade, starting right at the eye and lifting it into the hairline, giving that pull. It’s not like you’re contouring your forehead, but you’re giving it that little bit of a lift. Next, I take the highlight shade and go over the color-corrected area to add more brightness. To me, highlighting is like good lighting. It’s like adding that little bit of radiance.

R29: How important are makeup brushes? The ones you made are very small and precise— why is that?

MP: Tools are so important. We have an amazing dual-ended underpainting brush with two sides, which are modeled after two brushes I’ve used throughout my career. I’ve noticed that people use big brushes when they’re doing underpainting or contour, and I don’t think you need one that big. I think it should be a little bit more precise.

R29: What kind of foundation would you use to layer over top of the underpainting?

MP: I would use any light to medium foundation. Nothing too heavy — you don’t want to cover up what we just did. Even sometimes I’ll use my tinted sunscreen with a drop of foundation if it’s daytime and I don’t want too heavy of a look.

R29: Beyond the Underpainting Palette, you’ve also created a beautiful cream blush. Is it matte or dewy? How do you apply it?

MP: Texture-wise, this blush is on the matte side, but if you don’t use powder over it, it will become glowy on its own. I don’t like blushes that are too glossy because I feel that when I turn my back for a second, it’s gone. So I wanted this cream blush to be a little more matte.

I know that people are going to apply this straight from the stick, but it’s so much better to use a brush. When it is distributed evenly throughout the whole brush, you get a better application. When you go straight on your cheek, I feel like you’re roughing your face up when you’re trying to blend it in. I brush it in an upward motion, creating a flush. I also like a little bit on the forehead and a little bit on the chin, and then over the eyelids. If you’re in a rush, this is all you need. That and a little bit of mascara.

R29: Can we talk about lips? What is your process? Do you overline?

MP: I’ll mimic the natural shape of the lip and a little higher. I like that babydoll mouth; I love overlining. This m.ph pencil has good precision. I wanted a wooden pencil that’s super sharp. Every week, I have a new favorite shade of lip pencil. Right now, I think it’s French Exit, a rosy nude. We have a tinted lip balm, which we’re calling a Lip Ciggy because it reminds me of a skinny cigarette. My favorite shade is called Love Bites; it’s a brownish red, like a post-makeout when your lips are a little raw.

R29: What’s an underrated makeup tip that you think everyone should know?

MP: If you’ve been wearing your makeup all day, and you’re running home to get ready for dinner, and you feel like your makeup is a little dry, you don’t have to start all over. My favorite thing to do is dab a little bit of moisturizer on the back of my hand and use a fluffy brush to wash it over my makeup, just to rehydrate it. You don’t have to wipe everything off!

m.ph will be available on Sephora.com on August 15th and in stores nationwide on August 25th.

Prices: Underpainting Palette, $64; Dual-Ended Brush, $38; Blush, $36; Blush Brush, $36; Lip Pencil, $25; Lip Ciggy, $26.

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What do you get when you combine two beloved fashion items? Sometimes greatness (see: the skort, the jort, and the entire concept of athleisure), but often it results in bizarre flash-in-the-pan moments (remember the coatigan? No, neither did I until writing this piece). Thankfully, the latest hybrid trend taking over the fashion world sits firmly in the former camp. Say hello to the sneakerina, a mash-up that balances all the signature grace and poise of the classic ballet shoe with the comfort and grip of your favorite functional trainer. It’s a dream come true for those of us with fond memories of the 2010s twee phenomenon, but an adult need for more arch support.

Unsurprisingly, we can thank the queen of high femme fashion, Simone Rocha, for kickstarting the sneakerina trend back in spring/summer 2020 with her “ballet tracker” platforms. Since then, she’s been joined by both luxury designers and sports brands alike — from kitten heel sneakers at Miu Miu to satin-topped, trek-soled Aura flats at Rombaut, to sold-out collaborations between Sandy Liang and Salomon, Cecilie Bahnsen and Asics, and Onitsuka Tiger and Patou.

This year, the trend has truly exploded, fueled by several much-hyped launches: Adidas’ Samba Mary Jane and lace-up Taekwondo Mei, Puma’s Speedcat Ballet, and Louis Vuitton’s LV Sneakerina. According to fashion search engine Lyst, searches for “sneakerinas” are up 1300%, while StockX, an online marketplace for sneakerheads, has seen a 119% year-on-year increase for “ballerina”. The coolest celebrities are also fans — both Bella Hadid and Charli XCX have been spotted in VIVAIA’s satin Sneakerinas, while Chloë Sevigny is a repeat wearer of Ecco’s Biom C-Trails (a hiking shoe base with ballerina-style laces).

There are many different variations of the trend to satisfy every style — from dainty, satin slipper designs with grippy rubber soles to sportier versions with mesh panels, top-stitched detailing, elastic straps, turbo-charged platforms, eyelet lacing, and toe caps. Naturally, these come on the foot of last year’s coquette trend and, before that, the rise of balletcore, but they reimagine the hyper feminine look to be more functional. These shoes are made for city streets and long days on your feet. Essentially, it’s the viral “wrong shoe” theory in motion, wherein you purposely wear shoes that might be considered antithetical to your outfit to create a more interesting look. This time, though, it’s the shoe itself that is the contradiction.

Have I convinced you yet? If not, perhaps this selection will — all the best sneakerina shoes on the market at every price point.

 Mary Jane Ballet Sneakers

Prim and proper or punk and platform, the humble Mary Jane has had quite the moment in recent years, and that isn’t changing anytime soon, thanks to these sporty trainer-infused styles. Puma’s Speedcat Ballerina in particular is the third buzziest product of early 2025, according to the Lyst Q1 Index Report, and has the seal of approval from Dua Lipa and Emily Ratajkowski. This design is the perfect balance of both styles: a classic ballerina silhouette adorned with sporty, racing shoe signatures (complete with an embroidered Puma logo). Opt for the silver colorway to tick off another key 2025 sneaker trend.

For a similar vibe, I found plenty of slim-fit options, from the luxury (Miu Miu) to the more affordable (Bershka). Alternatively, if you prefer a chunkier shoe, Ash’s Rolls Sneakers come out on top. They’re just like your typical techy, Y2K dad sneaker, but with that strappy, Mary Jane twist.

Lace-Up Ballet Sneakers

If the name doesn’t give it away, Adidas’ Taekwondo Mei Shoe (first introduced in 1988) is a reinterpretation of the original martial arts footwear. Functionally, taekwondo and ballerina shoes have always been very similar: slim-fitted with a slightly pointed toe, made with super-soft leather that molds to the foot, and designed to keep your soles close to the floor. Where this version differs from a modern-day ballet flat is that the rubber outsole better protects your feet from the ground, and the slightly padded, textile-lined insole adds more cushioning and support. Throw in the combination of lace-up fastenings and the brand’s iconic three-stripe design, and you have the ultimate all-occasions shoe that works equally well with a dainty dress for date night or with sweats when running errands.

Adidas isn’t the only destination for stylish, functional lace-up styles. From Axel Arigato’s chunky stompers to Lazy Oaf’s delicate treads, there are options out there for everyone — and you don’t have to opt for a lace-up-the-leg look either. JW Pei has created a stylish alternative that even the biggest ballet flat skeptic could love.

Mesh Ballet Sneakers

Mesh footwear was at its peak last summer, and it isn’t going away soon. This season, the light, airy, and breathable style lends itself perfectly to the sporty sneakerina trend. Unlike 2024’s sheer organza versions, many of this year’s designs feature a heavier, net-like weave.

Platform Ballet Sneakers

Adopting the statement soles and extra inches you usually find on chunky Y2K sneakers and utilitarian trainers, these sneakerina shoes give you all the boost you need, without compromising on comfort.

Satin Ballet Sneakers

Satin ballet shoes are perhaps the most archetypal of the style — conjuring up images of prima ballerinas performing in full costume as princesses, swans, and sugar plum fairies. It’s a tactile fabric that nods to luxury and glamour, and when paired with practical, sporty elements, it creates a pronounced juxtaposition. When choosing your outfit, let these satin sneakerina shoes do the work for you — they’ll make a statement no matter what.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

32 Best Ballet Flats for a Sweet Summer Look

29 Summer Fashion Must-Haves R29 Editors Swear By

Metal-Embellished Sandals Are Trending

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: a project coordinator who makes $94,800 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a tuxedo T-shirt with cleavage (it’s not every day you buy one of those).

If you’d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we’re not able to reply to every email.

Occupation: Project coordinator
Industry: Local government
Age: 25
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Salary: $94,800
Assets: Checking: $2,290.94 (I always keep at least $1,750 in here, which is rent and an additional $500); savings: $23,967.61 ($15,000 is my emergency fund, $7,000 is for my Roth IRA for 2026, and the rest is my “discretionary” fun money); Roth IRA: $16,478.89; brokerage: $101.41; pension: $9,201.96 (which will be paid out to me as half of my average salary of my entire career. So if I stay with my job until I retire and my salary never goes up, that looks like $45,485.17 a year); 401(k): $1,589.39 (I just started contributing this year and I do it at the same percentage rate as my pension, which is 4.5%).
Debt: $28,126.42 in federal student loans.
Paycheck Amount (bi-weekly): $2,195.51
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: Rent: $1,250 (my roommate and I split this evenly, so our rent is $2,500 total).
Loan Payments: $0
Utilities: $40-$100, depending on the season and how much we are running our A/Cs.
Wifi: $24.99 (my roommate and I split this, and it is $50 total).
Phone: $88.12
Spotify: $19.99
Steaming: $0 (I get Netflix and Apple TV from my phone carrier, my parents give me access to Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ and my brother handles Peacock).
NY Times Digital Access: $4.34
Apple iCloud: $2.99
Every Dollar: $19.59 (this is a budgeting app).
Laundry: $60 (I load $30 onto a card twice a month).
Gym Membership: $22.99
Pilates Membership: $130.65 (this is for reformer Pilates. I do a work exchange program at a yoga studio for unlimited free yoga and mat Pilates classes).
Savings: I save around $800-$1,000 a month in my HYSA.
Pre-Tax Deductions: Health insurance: $73.96; paid family leave: $14.11; pension: $163.63; 401(k): $153.29; FSA: $12.50; commuter card: $66.
Post-Tax Deductions: Union dues: $25.45 (this covers vision and dental as well).

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I think the expectation was there, but my parents never had to push me in that direction. I always cared a lot about my academic success while my parents were pretty ambivalent. My mom barely graduated high school and didn’t pursue further education, and my dad went to local college for undergrad and has no graduate degrees. I went to a specialized magnet high school, took many APs and did many extracurriculars, and ended up going to a highly ranked school for my undergraduate degree. I think my parents are proud but also a little bit like, “What did you do all of that for?” I was able to pay for it with a combination of federal aid, federal loans, and a 529 plan from my parents. More on that below.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
My dad is supposedly pretty good with his money, although he shared absolutely no information with my brother and me. I didn’t know about retirement savings, investing, how much to save/spend, nothing. I think he just said not to spend it all at once, lol. Meanwhile, mom recently told me that she doesn’t even know how much her paycheck is. I was like, awesome! We grew up “middle” middle class and my dad was very frugal. More like, stingy. We never had allowances, just birthday and holiday money from relatives that we would use when we wanted something. My parents often do things as cheaply as possible, especially when it comes to their house. I thought we were poorer than we were growing up because our house is not well-taken care of. I now realize that both of my parents are not good at cleaning, both have slight hoarding problems, and see no point in investing any real money into their living space. Shoutout to all of the kids who never really had friends come over because their house was “embarrassing” — I see you. The first time I remember having a frank conversation about money with my parents was when I was deciding on colleges. My dad and I had a talk where he showed me my 529 account balance and said that I needed to qualify for significant financial aid to go to any of the schools I was dreaming of. Luckily, I ended up qualifying for financial aid that covered my entire tuition and I only had to pay for housing/food costs, which was paid for with my 529 account and federal loans.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I started teaching classes and getting paid under the table at the same place I did my main extracurricular when I was 14 for some spending money. The first W2 job I had was at a local swim club working in the snack shack, which my aunt and uncle helped me get. The only time I haven’t worked since then was my first year of college, since my original financial aid package had a work/study stipend and then they took it away right before I started school. I worked again starting the summer between freshman and sophomore year and haven’t been unemployed for more than a few weeks since that time.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I didn’t worry that we would not have food on the table or a roof over our heads, but I was told “no” a lot. My mom was a stay-at-home mom until I was in the middle of elementary school, then she began working different part-time jobs. She didn’t want to, but she has said that money was too tight for her to stay home. All of my mom’s money was for me and my brother to have fun things, like extracurriculars and nicer-than-basic clothes. I was involved in a very expensive extracurricular as a kid that my mom very much loved and was very involved in. My dad was always talking about how much it cost, and it made me worry that my extracurricular was hurting our family financially in ways I couldn’t see. Although my mom was happy to fund my extracurricular activities, if we ever went shopping and my mom bought me things but not herself, she would become agitated and say that she spends all of her money on me. This made me worry that we were really not doing well financially. I think my dad’s stinginess has always fueled my mother’s anxiety about money, even though things aren’t so tight anymore.

Do you worry about money now?
I do. Many of my friends grew up upper middle class or just plain old wealthy, and I know that they have a head start financially. I feel like I know a lot more about finances than my peers because I have to be really intentional with my spending if I want to thrive. I want to be able to buy property one day and I need to strategize how I would do that, especially if I want to stay in New York. At least once a week I look at StreetEasy and spiral about how much owning a home would cost. But I have my emergency fund and I am doing well with my retirement savings now, so it’s time to build that wealth that can hopefully become a down payment.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
Fully, at age 25. I got off of my family’s phone plan when I turned 25 last summer and got off of my family’s insurance plan at age 24. I was taking care of everything else once I moved to New York at age 23. I could definitely move back home with my parents if I needed to, but I don’t think they would give me money (because they just gave me a lot of money lol, more details below).

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When I was in college, my parents paid for my groceries, apartment and utilities when I moved off campus. I never bought my own car, I always got my mom’s old car (once when I first started driving and then again when she upgraded; the first car was sold and I took her second hand-me-down car). My parents always paid for the insurance and maintenance, as well as gas when I was in college. When I moved to New York, my dad sold my car and gave me part of the profit, which I think was $3,000. My mom paid the broker’s fee for when I moved into my current apartment, which was $2,000. Recently, my grandmother passed and my mom and uncle sold her house. My parents decided to give me and my brother each $2,000 from my grandmother’s life insurance and $50,000 each from the sale of the house. I received $25,000 this year and will receive $25,000 next year. This was an incredible, amazing, generous gift that I’m very thankful for — shoutout mom and dad. There is also a wedding fund set aside for me, although I don’t know how much it will be.

Day One: Wednesday

6 a.m. — Good morning! I flew back from a solo trip to Paris on Monday and I’m still feeling the six-hour time difference. I writhe around in bed for a little while before my cats realize I’m awake and demand attention. I get up to get ready, journal (Artist’s Way hive, rise up), and eat breakfast. I choose to wear a black mock-neck sweater, jeans, and platform black Doc Marten boots. Today it’s just Chobani yogurt and granola for breakfast because my roommate’s girlfriend, Z., is cooking breakfast for my roommate, N., in honor of her first day at a new job. We all chat but secretly I harbor resentment because I wanted to make scrambled eggs.

8:15 a.m. — I take the subway to work and use my transit card to pay for it. I read A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, which I bought at the Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore on my vacation. It’s a great window into what Hemingway’s life was like while living in Paris and trying to make it as a writer.

12 p.m. — I still have so so so many emails to get back to. Help. I heat up leftovers from lunch yesterday, which were from a knock-off Chipotle near my office. I had the energy to buy groceries before crashing on Monday, but not to actually cook anything yet. I crack open a cold one (a Black Razzberry La Croix) and work while eating. I graze on some other office snacks (mainly potato chips) to round out my sad lunch.

4”30 p.m. — I brought Pilates clothes to work so I could head straight to the class, but I forgot my Pilates socks so I have to stop home anyway. I use my transit card again for the subway. It’s a mad dash to get home, change clothes, and make the speedy seven-minute walk over to the studio.

6 p.m. — I grab some odds and ends groceries on the way home (strawberry vanilla Olipop, bread, broccoli, a shallot, Chameleon cold brew concentrate). I shower and then make a new dinner recipe that I found on Instagram Reels. It’s a Green Goddess pasta sauce made of broccoli, spinach, and silken tofu, and I made some chickpea pasta to go with it. Usually I make dinner with my girlfriend, R., but we’re taking some space right now. We haven’t talked for two weeks and yesterday we had our first conversation about what reconciliation might look like. It was hard and there’s still a lot to figure out. I reflect on all of this as I eat my pasta and watch Queer Eye. These gay men are very comforting in my trying times. $20.34

10 p.m. — N. and I make the gluten-free Trader Joe’s chocolate chip cookies and watch some of Queer Eye together before we both decide to turn in. N.’s new job is full-time in person, but I get to work from home tomorrow. I doomscroll on Instagram for 45 minutes and then pass out almost immediately after I turn off the light.

Daily Total: $20.34

Day Two: Thursday

6 a.m. — I wake up to pee and almost start getting ready. And then I’m like, why would I do that when I could sleep more? I go back to bed until closer to 9 a.m., which is when I log on when I work from home.

8:30 a.m. — That’s better. I do my morning skincare (rinse my face with water, Good Molecules hyaluronic acid serum, Vanicream daily facial moisturizer, my prescribed 1% clindamycin and 5% benzoyl peroxide cream, and Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica sunscreen) and then journal at my desk. I like to use my TV as a speaker and usually listen to music all day when I work from home. I put on Samia, since I’m going to see her tomorrow at Brooklyn Steel. I also make myself a coffee, which is just half cold brew concentrate, half water, and a little bit of oat milk.

11 a.m. — In a meeting and eating breakfast, which is scrambled eggs with avocado and hot sauce with peanut butter and banana on toast. I often eat late when working from home because I get distracted/lazy. I wear my headphones while in the meeting so I can putter around my apartment and clean things while I listen. I’m definitely the more clean roommate and do an entire top to bottom weekly clean of vacuuming, swiffering, cleaning the bathroom, etc. I grew up in a messy, cluttered, dirty home, and having any mess in my home makes me very anxious. My dream as a kid was to live in a home where you can put your hand on the kitchen counter at any time and not be touching a sticky surface with food on it.

12:30 p.m. — I was assigned to do something annoying for work so I decide to make a second coffee. Once I already started making it, I remember I finished the oat milk earlier. I run to the corner store by my apartment and grab some more. Another reason I never want to leave my apartment is because I love this store — it’s 24/7, they have good hot food/sandwiches, and they’re basically a fully fledged grocery store. $4.99

2:30 p.m. — I heat up some pasta leftovers and eat some pineapple. I used to never eat fruit (maybe like, one apple a month) and in recent months I’ve forced myself to have at least a little fruit everyday. I employ my favorite work-from-home hack, where I set a timer for 30 minutes to work and then do one cleaning task in my apartment. It really helps me feel productive in getting some work and some chores done and keeps me moving. R. and I text a little and agree to get coffee and go on a walk tomorrow morning. I think it’ll be nice but I’m also a little nervous to spend time with them.

6 p.m. — Time for my yoga shift. A month after I moved to New York, a friend recommended that I do work exchange at this yoga studio and I was able to get a shift. I show up, do some laundry and cleaning, take a class, and then mop the floors after. In addition to taking class while on shift, work exchange employees can take unlimited classes at either studio location. I’ve also met some really great friends through this position and feel like I’ve created more community than if I was a paying member of the studio.

8 p.m. — I stay and chat with my yoga teacher a bit after I’m done cleaning. She’s become a good friend and I hope I’m as cool as her when I’m 40. I have no time but I run into Walgreens on my way home anyway to buy a new shampoo and conditioner. The one I have is just way too heavy for my fine hair and it’s driving me crazy. I land on the L’Oreal Elvive Hyluranic + Pure and find some digital coupons on my Walgreens app, which brings my total from ~$13 to $8.70. I wish I had the time, patience, and apartment space to become an extreme couponer. I think I’d slay at that. $8.70

9:30 p.m. — I finally make it to trivia with friends. I order a burger and fries and a ginger ale. Last time I was here, I didn’t let myself indulge in this bar’s incredible burger and I regretted it. It’s nice to hang out with everyone for a little while and catch up. One of my friends went on vacation with her college friends and had lots of drama to spill. We discuss how trivia always has questions about sports and boy movies and how we should host a trivia that only has questions about girl things. $23.78

11:30 p.m. — Did my nighttime skincare routine, which is CeraVe moisturizing face wash, Mediheal madecassoside blemish pad, Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre Moisturizer, Ilia bright start activated eye cream, and my prescribed clindamycin tretinoin cream. Read A Movable Feast and pass the fuck out.

Daily Total: $37.47

Day Three: Friday

7:30 a.m. — Good morning! Another work from home day. I get up and do my skincare routine and journal quickly before I meet up with R. I’m feeling nervous but also excited to see them and also to try this coffee shop, which has been on my list for a while.

10 a.m. — Just got back. The coffee shop was adorable — part of the space is a used bookstore, as well as coffee and pastries and fun unique snacks. I got a pistachio cream latte with oat milk, R. got an espresso tonic, and we split an almond croissant. I pay. We chat for a while and have some laughs. Walking back, we have a more serious conversation about where we’re both at. We agree that we want to continue going on these little dates and seeing how it feels as we go. We hug goodbye and it’s a little sad, but I’m feeling hopeful that we can work things out. I check my work email while walking home and realize I totally forgot to do something that was due for a meeting at 9 a.m., but my coworker covered for me. $19.33

12:30 p.m. — I make some scrambled eggs, avocado toast with pickled red onion, and some pineapple for breakfast. I work in my 30-minute spurts but instead of cleaning or doing other things around my apartment, I just lay in bed for five minutes on my phone before going back to my desk. Can’t win ’em all. I’m all caught up on my normal podcasts (Berlant & Novak, Binchtopia, So True with Caleb Hearon, Las Culturistas), so I put on the new Amy Poehler podcast. I put in a Chewy order for the cats (which will last for a month) of Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Rice formula, Arm & Hammer Clump and Seal litter, and a restock of chicken-flavored Greenies. Do Greenies actually help with a cat’s dental health? Who’s to say. $61.66

3 p.m. — I decide work is mostly done and I go do laundry. I load $30 on my laundry card twice a month, and I have enough on my card to do this load without adding more money. Once I switch my laundry to the dryer, I go to the gym. I do the elliptical for twenty minutes, do some of the leg machines, and finish with a Pilates abs video that kills me every time. I grab my laundry on the way back home and put it away while N. and I discuss dinner. Our friends are coming over for the concert soon and we decided that we’d provide a big family style dinner and ask everyone else to bring some wine/alcohol.

6 p.m. — Dinner time! This group is a mix of vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free, so we always have to be creative. We ended up making crumbled tofu, white rice, roasted carrots, radishes, oyster mushrooms, lettuce, and ramp kimchi with a sesame vinaigrette. It was banging. We drink wine and play two rounds of Code Names. Our last friend arrives with a handle of tequila (oof), so we all do a shot before we go.

8:30 p.m. — Some people got drinks from the bodega for the train ride but I don’t want one. I end up having to take sips of theirs anyway because we can’t finish the drinks before the concert. My head is already starting to hurt from mixing all of the different kinds of alcohol. N. gets one more drink at the venue, but I just get a water cup. We hang in the back for the concert, which I’m happy with. My friends and I chat during the show about what happened with me and R. and why we’re taking space. Their support means the world but talking about it makes me sad still.

11 p.m. — After the concert we try to go to a restaurant/bar where one of our friends works, but it’s super crowded. The group splits off where some people go to a bar but I decide to go home with N. and her girlfriend. My headache does not feel great. After we get home, I walk to our corner store and get my roommate a Blue Gatorade Zero and myself some mozzarella sticks, because I deserve it. We all watch Moonstruck in the living room for a little bit before heading to bed. $6.51

Daily Total: $87.50

Day Four: Saturday

9 a.m. — Good morning! My head is still hurting a little bit but I guess that comes with the territory. I haven’t mentioned this yet but I am on my period and I use a menstrual disc instead of pads or tampons. It’s really convenient and saves a lot of money on buying tampons every month. I do my skincare and then journal in bed listening to The Marías. I’ve been breaking out pretty badly, which usually means one of my acne prescriptions has expired and is not as effective anymore. I order a refill that I will pick up at Walgreens by my office. I make some breakfast of scrambled eggs, avocado, pineapple, and Evergreen peanut butter banana frozen waffles. I think the main demographic for the waffles are almond moms buying for their almond babies, but they are absolutely delicious. Just call me an almond baby.

11 a.m. — Time for heated mat Pilates class at the yoga studio! It’s the same teacher as my Thursday night shift and she’s always delighted when she sees me here. If you can’t tell, my current fitness/nutrition situation is that I work out often and eat pretty healthy when I cook for myself, but I also eat junk food whenever I crave it. Life is too short to be restrictive. There’s a meme that circulates every once in a while that’s like “My body type is that you can tell that I workout but you can also tell I never say no to a cookie”, and that’s how I feel too, lol.

12:30 p.m. — On my way home, I peruse the farmers’ market by my apartment but don’t end up buying anything. I shower and exfoliate and shave and moisturize. I think I’m the last lesbian on planet earth who shaves her armpits. I have ambitious plans to clean out all of my junk drawers/bins and sort through what I want and don’t want. Before I start, I heat up the last of my leftover pasta and put on a Spotify Jeff Buckley radio mix, which has lots of Big Thief, George Harrison, Radiohead… You get the idea. I also plug in my laptop so I can maybe take it to a coffee shop later. It’s a MacBook Air from 2018 but she’s already shitting the bed. Probably because I rarely remember to turn her off. I’m sorry, laptop.

6 p.m. — When we talked on Tuesday, R. and I decided to go on a proper date on Saturday. Dinner and a movie, very classic. Now it’s actually happening. We meet up and take a nice 20 minute walk to dinner. It was delicious — I had a nice glass of white wine and R. had a non-alcoholic beer. We split a radicchio salad, meatballs, and a huge serving of chicken parmesan with buccatini. I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a while and I’m glad it lived up to the hype in my head. We only cry a little bit at dinner, which is a win.

8:30 p.m. — We have some time before our movie and we decide to skip the restaurant dessert and get ice cream. It’s my treat, since R. got dinner. I get a scoop of the brownie s’mores flavor, while R. gets vanilla soft serve with peanuts. I tease them for having the taste palette of an old man. We talk and cry a little more on the walk from ice cream to the movie theatre, but it was a really productive conversation. I think we’re both feeling good heading into the theatre. $13.39

9:30 p.m. — Movie time! We both get club sodas with bitters, which are a great option if you want a drink at a bar but don’t want alcohol or soda. I pay for the drinks since R. got the movie tickets. The movie is supposed to be very serious but we both find it to be kind of ridiculous. We end up laughing through a lot of it, which was really fun. My favorite thing to do after a movie is read the Letterboxd reviews, and I read the best ones out loud to R. $10

12 a.m. — Finally back at my apartment. I totally didn’t finish everything I was doing before I left — absolutely devastating. I sort through the last of my things, do the dishes in the sink, and clean and refill my cat’s water fountain. N. is sleeping at Z.’s for maybe the second time since they’ve started officially dating, so I have the apartment to myself. It feels so good it’s not even funny. I get ready for bed and crawl under my covers around 1:30 a.m., and fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Daily Total: $23.39

Day Five: Sunday

6 a.m. — My one very cuddly cat wakes me up by headbutting me. I get up to pee, but I know I need more sleep to function correctly so I head back to bed. My cat likes to be the little spoon, so we both fall asleep like that.

11 a.m. — Oh my god nooooooo. I wake up again because someone rings our buzzer. I assume it’s my Chewy order from the other day, so I jump out of bed and run downstairs to let them in. I probably look insane with my bed head. It’s not my Chewy order, but N.’s new bedroom furniture that she ordered. Luckily the delivery driver is able to bring it up the stairs.

1 p.m. — It takes me a while to get my day started, but I do eventually make some cold brew, journal, and eat breakfast. I make scrambled eggs, a Trader Joe’s hash brown, and a little spring mix salad with balsamic and red onion. N. sends me her half of the rent ($1,250). I write the rent check for $2,500. I love that our landlord does old-school paper checks, mostly because my checkbook has baby animal pictures and I love it very much. I also order a new pack of sponges from Amazon. They’re expensive but they’re really good sponges that last. When you have no dishwasher, these things really start to matter. Z. does dishes at our apartment often (so sweet), but doesn’t wring the sponge out literally at all (drives me absolutely nuts). These sponges can withstand her habit of that and still take a while before they smell not so great. $16.32

2 p.m. — I go to the gym even though I don’t want to. I feel like I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t exert myself physically. Also my gym membership was charged today (listed as a part of monthly expenses), which reminds me that I have to actually go here to make that money worth it. I do the stairmaster for 25 minutes (going between levels three and six between warmup, actual workout, and cooldown), and do a 15-minute full-body dumbbell workout that I find on YouTube. It is hard. There is not a set of 10 or 12.5 pound weights to be found anywhere, so I use 7.5 pounds. I still feel the burn, so it’s okay.

4 p.m. — I shower and get my butt over to a coffee shop in the neighborhood that has decent lunch. I truly have zero groceries and N. and Z. are doing some elaborate cooking, so I couldn’t make something even if I wanted to. I order a hot latte with oat milk and a chicken sandwich. I pretend like the price of it is normal. I write this Money Diary, plan my groceries for the week, and search for a therapist. I haven’t been in therapy for about a year, but I’ve been doing it on and off since 2019. My first therapist was still my most impactful. I’m determined to find a therapist that does Internal Family Systems, and I’m also interested in EMDR and Jungian dream analysis. I have dreams that are very vivid and I think my subconscious is actually screaming things at me, but I don’t always know what they mean. $24.22

6 p.m. — I was texting R. about their plans for the rest of the evening and we both want to get groceries. We meet up and take the train to Whole Foods. First, we stop in Ten Ichi Mart and get a little bite to eat. We split a chicken karaage bowl, a milk tea and a side seaweed salad. R. pays. We eat and chit chat and then make our way around the store. R. gets more snacks and gets each of us a little daifuku.

9 p.m. — Finally done at Whole Foods! We really took our time. I get stuff for overnight oats as well as two easy dinner things. I’ll probably have to go to Trader Joe’s by the end of the week (a single tear rolls down my cheek). I get almond milk, strawberries (which were somehow $6.99 before coupons, but I only paid $3.99), sea salt and pepper no-shell pistachios, red pesto pasta sauce with mascarpone, kale and cheese tortellini, coconut water, Greek non-fat yogurt, broccoli, a banana, old-fashioned rolled oats, an Asian-inspired salad kit, and a can of chickpeas. When I get home, I make “PB&J”-inspired overnight oats. I also make lunch for tomorrow by combining the salad kit, roasted chickpeas and pan-frying some crumbled tofu. I literally feel like superwoman. If you’ve noticed that I cook almost entirely vegetarian for myself but I do eat meat, it is because I am scared of cooking meat and poisoning myself and everyone I love <3 $49.47

11 p.m. — I do lots of dishes, clean the whole kitchen, unpack the Chewy order that arrived, give the cats some Greenies, take out the garbage, do my skincare, and feel really tired and insane. Goodnight!

Daily Total: $90.01

Day Six: Monday

7 a.m. — I had the worst night of sleep in the history of sleep. I changed my alarm at 1 a.m. from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. so that I still had a fighting chance. The cats were fighting loudly and I was just filled with so much anxiety and dread. Does anyone else experience periods of depersonalization where they don’t feel real? I need therapy real bad. [Diarist’s note: this was a tough week, not knowing if R. and I would break up or not — and that just happens sometimes! I am totally fine now.] I do my skincare, journal, and get ready. I eat some of my oatmeal and it’s actually soooo delicious. I take the train to work.

1 p.m. — Helppppp. I’m tired and I have a headache. I end up microwaving my bagged salad, tofu and chickpea concoction while in a meeting. I need to pick up my prescription from the pharmacy by my office, but there’s no way to escape. At some point, I buy tickets for R. and I to see a movie at AMC tomorrow. I am deeply passionate about only going to see movies on Tuesdays because of the discount. $16

4:30 p.m. — The coast is clear and I barely took a lunch break, so I make my big escape. I stop at the pharmacy first and pick up my acne medication ($16.32, which I will get reimbursed from my FSA fund in 10,000 years from now). The pharmacist has to hand mix it for whatever reason, so it takes a while. I then go to Target to get some more toilet bowl cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and nail polish remover. I return a random Vaseline stick that I got this past winter that I found while cleaning things out, so my purchase total of $12.05 goes down to $4.55. $4.55

5:30 p.m. — My train is super delayed and I have to get home to drop off my stuff and go to clown class (lol, what?). I’m staying calm and reading my next book, Parable of the Sower. It is not a very calming book but it is engrossing, which keeps me from panicking about being late. Once I get home, I eat some tortilla chips and pack my “talent” for class. I take the train to class but only for a few stops. It only shaves about 10 minutes off of the commute to take the train vs. walk, but I have my prepaid transit card and I’m running late. I also noticed my landlord has cashed my rent check ($2,500, listed in monthly expenses).

10:30 p.m. — Take the train home with a couple of people from class. When I get home I realize that the only prepared food I have is the same thing that I had for lunch and that makes me want to scream and cry and throw up. I order food from the Greek place that is right on my block. I haven’t had food from them in many months because I had a traumatizing stomach ache last time. This time I am 100% fine and I eat every last bite of my chicken pita while sitting in bed. Heaven on earth. $9.80

Daily Total: $30.35

Day Seven: Tuesday

7 a.m. — I swear I’m usually a 6 a.m. riser, but I just can’t seem to sleep the past two days. I resolve that tomorrow night I will take one of my CBD gummies to knock me out. I have a big event that I’m in charge of at work today, so I skip journaling in order to get to the office earlier. I don’t need lunch since my work event will provide lunch. I realize that I said what I was wearing day one, but never did again. I’m wearing a black short sleeve button up shirt that I got at a boutique in Mexico City, Aritzia pants, and Miista clogs.

9 a.m. — In the office! I always bring my coffee in my Owala travel cup (it is the best), but today I wish I topped off with coffee before I left. I know I’m going to need it. My clown teacher said that we needed to wear something that made us feel silly/goofy for our class show. While in the bathroom, I scroll on Depop and find a tuxedo T-shirt that also shows some fake cleavage (I can’t imagine why someone designed this). I make an offer for $10.

12 p.m. — My workplace has their first Pride event of the season today, so I head over with my coworker to grab some snacks and Pride swag. I grab a bunch of Pride flags for everyone on my team. I also grab myself a slice of pizza, half of an oatmeal raisin cookie, a handful of grapes, and a little kale salad that was homemade. I see my roommate charged me for electricity ($47, listed in monthly expenses).

1 p.m. — Time for the event! I help my coworker grab food from the caterer and set it up in the conference room. The speakers arrive extra early, so I go down to grab them and we all mingle and get first dibs on the food before my entire team arrives. The presentation is about trans healthcare and how it’s being affected by recent legislation. A lot of other teams at my workplace know a lot about this topic, but my team is still at the level where we’re learning about why it’s important to share pronouns and why gender-affirming care is healthcare. Still, I think everyone got a lot out of the experience. There is a lot of leftover food, so I make myself a small plate to take home and maybe eat for lunch later in the week.

4:30 p.m. — Time to get out of here! The Depop seller accepts my offer and I order my tuxedo boob shirt. I also email a girl in my clown class to see if she wants to hang out sometime. Making friends is scary but I want to surround myself with people who inspire me creatively. I make the commute home, reading Parable of the Sower and wondering if I was weird all day at work or if it’s weird that I sent a social invitation via email in the year 2025. $16.89

6:30 p.m. — Time to see a movie! R. picks me up at my house and we head to the train. We go to Target and get poppi sodas and some mini peanut butter M&M’s (R. pays, it was around $10). We also pick up burgers and fries to eat during the movie (R. pays again, it was around $21). I get confused on which theatre we’re going to and we end up walking to the wrong theatre first, which is a 25 minute walk away from the right one. We power walk and still make it to the 8 p.m. start time with several minutes to spare.

10:30 p.m. — The burgers and fries were excellent. The movie was a horror movie that had some really scary body horror scenes. R. likes scary movies but is also really squeamish. I help out the vibes by whispering to them and making dumb jokes the whole time. We take the train and R. drops me off at my apartment.

11:30 p.m. — Did you know that watching a horror movie and then reading dystopian science fiction that feels really scary and realistic is not a good recipe for falling asleep? I toss and turn and put on my I Can’t Sleep podcast. I battle existential dread while I listen to the host explain what mochi is in excruciating detail.

Daily Total: $16.89

The Breakdown

Conclusion

“I think this is a pretty typical week of spending. I love to go see movies and go out for food and coffee, which is evident in this diary. I already track every dollar I spend with a budgeting app, so I’m pretty aware of where my money goes. Since writing this, I did start therapy, have bought more things on Depop (that are less weird), and I do still need a new laptop. R. and I are still dating (yayyyyyy) but there’s definitely a lot to work on and some wounds that are still healing.”

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here.

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The post Guest Idea: Decoding Your Energy Bill To Find Savings appeared first on Earth911.

This week is a cosmic reminder that healing and harmony aren’t passive, they’re intentional practices. As July winds down, we begin the week with the moon in Virgo syncing with Mars in Virgo on Monday, inviting us to connect the dots and fine-tune the details of our lives. If you’ve been sitting on information or intuitions that haven’t quite clicked, this Virgo moon-Mars meet up could feel like a eureka moment. Pay attention to what your body is telling you too: this is some of the most clarifying astro-weather we’ve had in weeks, especially when it comes to health, scheduling, and getting back into your flow.

From Tuesday to Thursday, the Libra moon steps in and shifts our attention to our relationships and the balancing act of give and take. Mercury is still retrograde in Leo though, and with Saturn and Neptune also retrograde in Aries, we’re being asked to not just speak, but truly listen. This is not about people-pleasing or suppressing your needs, but about recalibrating how you engage in connection, whether that’s romantic, platonic, or professional. Tension could arise if egos clash, but underneath the surface, there’s an invitation to practice softness, to apologize without conditions, and to notice where control is getting in the way of genuine collaboration.

The most emotionally charged part of the week arrives on Wednesday, July 30th, when two major transits shake up the vibe. First, Chiron, the asteroid of inner wounds and healing, begins its retrograde in Aries. Over the next five months, we’ll be asked to revisit the parts of ourselves we’ve tried to “toughen up” or ignore. Chiron in Aries retrograde reminds us that vulnerability is not weakness… It’s where our strength is forged. That same night, Venus exits cerebral Gemini and glides into heart-centered Cancer, where it will stay for four weeks. Expect a collective shift from flirtation and detachment to craving closeness, comfort, and emotional security. But heads up: feelings may bubble up in waves, and passive-aggressive behaviors could rise if we aren’t expressing ourselves clearly.

Finally, we step into August on a deeply introspective note. The moon enters Scorpio on Thursday evening and stays there through Sunday, with a first quarter moon taking place Friday morning. This lunar phase pushes us out of reflection mode and into conscious action, but Scorpio’s energy won’t let us rush. Instead, we’re being guided to go deep before we go far. What are you truly committed to building this month? What are you done tolerating? As August begins, the cosmos invites us to get real with ourselves and trust that lasting transformation requires emotional honesty, courageous boundaries, and a willingness to evolve.

Read your horoscopes for your Sun and Rising signs for the most in-depth forecast.

Aries Sun & Rising:

This week, Chiron, the asteroid of inner wounds and healing, begins its five-month retrograde in your sign, Aries, joining Saturn and Neptune also currently retrograde in Aries. This cosmic trio is pulling your attention inward and asking you to examine patterns related to self-worth, self-sabotage, and your leadership identity. If you’ve been constantly charging ahead without processing how past wounds have shaped your sense of self, this retrograde invites you to slow down and listen. You may feel more tender than usual, and old narratives about being “too much” or “never enough” resurface. Instead of rushing to fix them, observe where they originated. This is a time to tend to yourself with gentleness and honesty. If you’ve been operating on autopilot, this transit reminds you that your healing is the most revolutionary act.

Venus enters Cancer on July 30th and shifts your focus to themes of home, roots, and emotional intimacy. Unlike the flirty, fast-paced energy of Venus in Gemini, Cancer energy is nostalgic, protective, and deeply felt. You might feel the urge to reconnect with family members or revisit childhood memories, or, alternately, to create new emotional foundations. Because Cancer squares off with Aries, you may feel tension between your desire to move fast and the need to soften and feel. But this tension can help you develop a more loving relationship with vulnerability. Let your softness be your strength, especially in love and when investing in your living environment.

Taurus Sun & Rising:

Taurus, this week Chiron begins its retrograde in Aries and activates a quieter, often hidden corner of your life: The space where your deepest fears, regrets, and unconscious habits reside. Over the next five months, you’ll be called to confront patterns of avoidance that may be holding you back from inner peace or self-compassion. Perhaps you’ve been keeping too busy to face certain truths, or numbing emotions that need expression. Saturn and Neptune’s retrogrades in Aries are also reinforcing this reflective energy, helping you build new spiritual muscles by acknowledging what’s real and releasing illusions. There’s medicine in your silence now,  and in your willingness to be present with it. This is a powerful time to journal, speak with a therapist, or return to ancestral healing practices.

When your planetary ruler Venus enters Cancer on July 30th, it brings sweetness and serenity to your communication style. Your words take on a nourishing, poetic quality, and people will naturally gravitate toward your grounded presence. Unlike Venus in Gemini, which had you multitasking and flirting with ideas, Venus in Cancer asks you to speak with intention and tenderness. You may receive affirmations or love notes from unexpected places, or feel called to share more vulnerably yourself. With Jupiter also in Cancer, this is an auspicious four-week cycle for manifesting abundance through heartfelt conversations, digital storytelling, or meaningful connections. Stay open to love coming through familiar or nearby places.

Gemini Sun & Rising:

Gemini, this week Chiron retrograde in Aries begins a five-month healing journey in the realm of your friendships and social alliances. You may realize that certain dynamics have become more performative than authentic, or that you’ve outgrown connections that once felt supportive. Alternatively, you may recognize how you haven’t always shown up as the friend you wished to be. This retrograde helps you redefine what loyalty, community, and support truly mean to you. It also brings insights into your digital presence: do your online interactions nourish you or drain you? With Saturn and Neptune also retrograde, you’re encouraged to take your vision for belonging more seriously, while letting go of performative expectations.

After four weeks of Venus in your sign boosting your magnetism and charm, Venus now glides into Cancer on July 30th, shifting your attention to security, self-worth, and material comfort. It’s time to take everything you learned during the past Venus cycle and apply it to your finances and sense of stability. With Jupiter also in Cancer, you’re entering one of the most prosperous periods of the year — but only if you’re aligned with your values. Be intentional with your spending, romantic commitments, and affirmations. Moodiness may arise as you navigate emotional attachments to money or love, so allow space to feel without rushing to fix.

Cancer Sun & Rising:

Cancer, this week Chiron, asteroid of inner wounds, begins its five-month retrograde journey through your career and public legacy zone. You may find yourself questioning your path or feeling more sensitive to criticism, especially if you’ve been chasing validation through external achievement. The universe is asking: do you still want what you once did, or have your goals evolved? With Saturn and Neptune also retrograde in Aries, you’re being asked to reconsider your long-term vision and remove any limiting beliefs or shame-based ambitions. This retrograde helps you heal wounds around feeling like you need to prove yourself. Be gentle with yourself if old fears about “success” or visibility arise.

Venus, the planet of love and beauty, enters your sign on July 30th, and with Jupiter already here, this transit marks a period of magnetic radiance and emotional receptivity. After the whirlwind pace of Venus in Gemini, you may find yourself craving softness, sweetness, and deep emotional intimacy. Romance feels more sentimental now, and even platonic relationships take on a more nurturing tone. This is a beautiful time to pamper yourself, revamp your personal style, or call in love that feels like home. But be mindful of mood swings or emotional codependency… the more you pour into yourself, the more love you’ll magnetize.

Leo Sun & Rising:

Leo, it’s time to expand. Chiron retrograde in Aries activates your spiritual, philosophical, and visionary terrain for the next five months. You may begin to unpack wounds connected to your worldview. Perhaps you’re realizing that a belief you’ve carried since childhood is no longer serving you. Or maybe you’ve been silently yearning for deeper meaning but didn’t know where to begin. This retrograde encourages you to question what you’ve been taught and to explore paths that feel truer to your evolving self. With Saturn and Neptune also retrograde, you’re entering a soul-searching chapter where your higher self becomes your primary guide. Pay attention to what inspires or unsettles you. Both are clues for your healing.

Venus shifts into Cancer on July 30th, guiding you to nurture yourself from behind the scenes. You may feel less socially extroverted and more emotionally introspective over the next four weeks. Venus in Cancer brings healing through softness, music, art, and spiritual retreat. It’s also a powerful time for dreamwork and energetic clearing. Romance may feel more tender, and old loves could resurface in dreams or memories. You’re learning to trust that emotional depth isn’t weakness, it’s your soul asking to be honored in ways you may have previously overlooked.

Virgo Sun & Rising:

No more hiding, Virgo. This week, Chiron retrograde begins its five-month journey through your intimacy, vulnerability, and emotional merging sector. You may be called to revisit wounds around trust, shame, or codependency — especially in relationships where you’ve either over-given or held back out of fear. With Saturn and Neptune also retrograde in Aries, the universe is guiding you to reevaluate how much emotional labor you give, and to whom. This retrograde invites you to reclaim your power in partnerships and recognize your needs without guilt. Sexual healing, shadow work, and financial reviews (especially shared assets) could also come into focus.

Venus enters Cancer on July 30th, lighting up your social and networking energy. Unlike Venus in Gemini, which had you focused on public perception and career moves, Venus in Cancer wants you to build connection with kindred spirits. You’re craving more heart in your friendships and professional collaborations. This four-week transit encourages you to let your emotional intelligence lead, and reminds you that your softness is your superpower. Be open to meeting new people or reconnecting with friends who feel like family. And if you’ve been dreaming of building a team or launching a group project, this Venus cycle supports doing so from a space of care and vision.

Libra Sun & Rising:

Libra, are you ready for a relationship review? Chiron’s retrograde begins this week in Aries, your opposite sign, placing your one-on-one connections under the microscope. This isn’t just about love, it’s about energy exchanges. Whether it’s romantic, platonic, or professional, any partnership that’s been out of balance will make itself known. What wounds are you still carrying from past entanglements? Over the next five months, you’ll have chances to unpack those patterns and release the pressure to fix or be fixed by others. With Saturn and Neptune also retrograde, accountability is the real love language. Take time to notice who energizes you vs. who drains you. Your own reflection may offer the deepest insight.

Professionally, your softness becomes your superpower. Venus enters Cancer on July 30th, illuminating your public image and long-term goals. After Venus in Gemini’s social whirl, this is a shift into soul-led ambition. People are paying attention to your presence, not just your performance, so let them see your heart, not just your highlight reel. You may feel called to pursue projects that feel emotionally fulfilling, or to nurture a new version of success on your own terms. Just be cautious of over-identifying with your career. You’re more than your job title. Let your inner world guide your outer climb.

Scorpio Sun & Rising:

Scorpio, it’s time for a wellness wake-up call. Chiron retrograde begins this week in Aries, pointing directly at your health and daily rituals. Where have you been running on fumes, ignoring the signs? Over the next five months, your body and mind will be asking for deeper care and slower rhythms. This retrograde isn’t here to punish — it’s here to restore. Whether through journaling, moving your body differently, shifting your diet, or setting better work/life boundaries, healing wants to become a lifestyle, not just an occasional reset. With Saturn and Neptune also retrograde, your spiritual alignment is just as important as your physical stamina. Be honest about what you need, even if it means doing less.

When it comes to love and abundance, your intuition is the key. Venus enters your fellow Water sign, Cancer, on July 30th, turning your attention toward expansion, travel, and belief systems. After four weeks of navigating intimacy and depth via Venus in Gemini, this is a breath of sweet emotional renewal. If you’re single, this transit might open romantic doors through cultural or intellectual connections. If you’re partnered, new adventures or heartfelt conversations will bring you closer. And if you’re simply focused on yourself, you’ll be craving experiences that nourish your soul, not just your status. Let love and creativity flow through new channels. Say yes to what stirs your wonder.

Sagittarius Sun & Rising:

Sagittarius, your inner child is calling. Chiron begins its five-month retrograde in Aries, inviting you to revisit old wounds around play, creativity, romance, and self-expression. Have you ever felt like you had to shrink your joy to be taken seriously? This transit asks you to remember what it feels like to be fully alive, and to examine who or what made you question that in the first place. Creative blocks, fear of rejection, or past heartbreaks may rise to the surface. Let them teach you, not define you. With Saturn and Neptune retrograde too, this is a soul excavation. It’s not about rushing to produce, but about feeling safe to create again, for you, not for applause.

In love and finances, deeper intimacy becomes the theme. Venus moves into Cancer on July 30th, activating your emotional and energetic exchanges. After four weeks of flirtation and banter via Venus in Gemini, you’re ready to merge or move on. You crave connection that feels safe, sacred, and reciprocated. Your sensuality is heightened at this time, but so is your protectiveness. Don’t let fear of vulnerability keep you locked out of what you actually want. This is also a time to review your financial entanglements. Are you sharing resources with people who respect your boundaries? Clarity and compassion go hand in hand this season.

Capricorn Sun & Rising:

Capricorn, your past is resurfacing with a purpose. Chiron retrograde begins in Aries, opening a five-month portal to explore wounds connected to family, ancestry, and your sense of safety. Even if everything looks solid externally, your inner foundation wants tending. Where did your self-sufficiency begin as a survival tactic, and where can it transform into self-nurturing now? This isn’t a moment of weakness — it’s a period of recalibration. With Saturn and Neptune retrograde too, reflection will help you reconnect with younger versions of yourself who never stopped needing softness. Let this be the season where you finally release the pressure to hold it all.

Love gets sweeter, slower, and softer this week. Venus glides into Cancer on July 30th, directly opposite your sign, heightening your sensitivity to matters of the heart. Where Venus in Gemini had you thinking your way through love, Venus in Cancer invites you to feel your way through. You’ll crave safety, loyalty, and reciprocity more than ever. If someone feels like home, you’ll know it. And if they don’t, you won’t be able to fake it. This is also a powerful time for reconnection or recommitment in existing relationships. Show up with your heart open — but not unguarded. Boundaries can coexist with love.

Aquarius Sun & Rising:

Aquarius, communication is your medicine. Chiron retrograde in Aries highlights wounds around how you speak, how you’re heard, and how you listen. Have you been silencing yourself to keep the peace, or speaking too fast to be truly present? This retrograde helps you unpack the stories you’ve been told about your voice and rewire the way you share your truth. With Saturn and Neptune also retrograde, even the simplest texts or convos might reveal hidden layers. Give yourself the grace to pause, rethink, and revise. Not everything needs to be said, but some things do need to be said differently.

Your daily rituals and love life both want more tenderness. Venus shifts into Cancer on July 30th, softening your approach to routine, wellness, and affection. Where Venus in Gemini brought spontaneity and curiosity, Venus in Cancer asks for consistency and care. In your work and relationships, little acts of love will go the furthest: morning check-ins, intentional meals, handwritten notes. If you’ve been feeling scattered, this transit helps ground you emotionally. It’s also a perfect time to beautify your workspace or create rituals that feel like self-hugs. Let comfort become part of your schedule.

Pisces Sun & Rising:

Pisces, it’s time to rewrite your worth story. Chiron begins its five-month retrograde in Aries, illuminating how past wounds may be impacting your relationship with money, self-worth, and value. Where have you accepted less because you feared being “too much”? This transit is about healing the urge to prove your worth and instead standing in it, quietly and unapologetically. With Saturn and Neptune retrograde in your sign, the inner work is undeniable. Don’t shy away from financial planning or self-advocacy during this time. You’re building something sustainable, one boundary and one belief shift at a time.

Romance this week gets dreamier, but also a bit moodier. Venus glides into Cancer on July 30th, activating your pleasure, dating, and creativity zone. After the cerebral whirlwind of Venus in Gemini, you’re ready to feel deeply and express boldly. This is a powerful time to dive into love, art, or both — but with a Cancer twist: protect what you cherish. Your intuition is heightened, so trust the vibes. If someone, or something, feels like home, lean into it. Just don’t let nostalgia pull you back into cycles you’ve outgrown. Remember, Pisces: love doesn’t have to hurt to be real.

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How To Date, According To Your Star Sign

For Clueless costume designer Mona May, there’s a psychology to crafting a character’s wardrobe. “I think authenticity is one of the most important things when you design costumes, to make sure these characters feel real, and not just like talking Barbies,” she tells Refinery29. “You want the audience to leave the theater and feel like, ‘There was something about that character that felt like me.’”

For a film as far-fetched as the 1995 classic, starring Alicia Silverstone as a spoiled Beverly Hills high school student, grounding the characters in reality was crucial. Yes, these affluent teenagers had access to runway fashion and daddy’s credit card, but May also wanted to portray girls who loved the mall and were youthful and vibrant.

While May — whose book The Fashion of Clueless is coming out in October — had no idea what a cultural phenomenon the movie, which celebrates 30 years this month, would become, she knew the costumes were crucial to the storytelling. From the introductory shot — which showed a montage of glitzy high schoolers poolside, cruising in high-end cars, and shopping in their finest threads — fashion was the focus. “It was colorful, it was California, it was high-fashion, it was teenage fun. It had to immediately grab your eye,” she says.

Pulling together thousands of costumes — 63 of them belonging to Cher (Silverstone) alone — on a $200k budget was no small task, according to May: “[We had to find] every headpiece, every backpack, every pair of sunglasses, every piece of jewelry seen. I don’t even know how I did it, seriously, but we just went for it.” She emphasizes that the film was made in the mid-‘90s, before social media made it easy to discover and access fashion. “It was just the beginning of computers and cell phones, so my research was different. People behaved differently. There was a certain kind of innocence to the time as well,” she says.

Because of that, May felt it was important to establish sartorial social cues (ie: graphic tees for the skaters, exposed slip and stockings with runs for a scattered teacher, etc.), as well bring attention to culturally relevant designer labels (the Calvin Klein slip dress that Cher’s dad refers to as “underwear,” and “totally important designer” Alaïa dress) to the audience not privy to Melrose Avenue.

Because the cast was fairly unknown at the time, there were no giant “PR machines” sending boxes from fashion houses to dress the actors. Still, May enlisted luxury labels for looks such as Cher’s iconic yellow plaid skirt set by Jean Paul Gaultier, along with pieces from Fred Segal and Anna Sui. She also pulled pieces from secondhand stores, army surplus shops, and then-popular mall brands: Body Glove, Roxy, BCBG, Gap, American Rag, Esprit, Vertigo, and Wet Seal (RIP). By combining designer names with mall mainstays, May says she was able to bring out the multifacetedness of each character.

“Dionne [played by Stacey Dash] is a really good example of that. She wears a lot of different things, from high-end Chanel to the leopard jacket that was thrifted and the vinyl skirt that was from a rave store on Melrose,” May explains. Cher also embodied the juxtaposition, sporting preppy co-ords as much as she did cap-sleeved dresses, while also dipping into the soft grunge looks popular at the time, like her layered black sheer top and chunky jewelry. “She’s not just one kind of girl. She’s good-hearted, discerning, but can also be a bit of a mean girl, too.”

May believes the style holds strongly three decades later because, in many ways, the cult classic was ahead of its time. The movie was nuanced in its portrayal of teenage girls, who were fashion-obsessed and naive, but also quick-witted and opinionated. There was a complexity to them — one May felt a responsibility to translate through their clothing. “It was hard to make that movie,” she says. “[Director] Amy [Heckerling] said that many studios passed on it because they didn’t want girls to talk like this. They wanted movies about boys. It was important to introduce young girls speaking that way: being smart, being self-assured, and knowing what they want. Smart girls deserved smart clothes.”

May made sure that the outfits reflected each of the characters’ personalities: Dionne’s bold accessories and prints spoke to her spunky personality, Cher’s meticulously coordinated shoes and outfits spoke to her perfectionism. Meanwhile, Tai (Brittany Murphy) had an evolving wardrobe — which went from baggy flannels and graphic tees at the beginning of the film to Cher-approved plaids and finally a happy grunge-meets-girly medium — that spoke to her journey of losing, rediscovering, and coming into herself.

With so many characters to dress, the looks had to work together as well, like Cher and Dionne’s coordinated school looks. On one hand, it brought to mind a familiar scenario of phoning your friend to plan outfits the night before school and, on the other, it symbolized that the two were counterparts. “Throughout the film, I wanted to make sure that they were equally fashionable, equally important,” says May.

Given that the film was set in Southern California, May felt it was important to also portray the many subcultures, from the posh upper echelon to skaters, stoners, and the business-casual kids who took themselves too seriously. Though they were all living in this platinum credit card world, Dionne’s and Murray’s style, for example, was culturally relevant for Black American teenagers at the time, with the Kangol hats, leopard print, and gold jewelry. May accomplished this authenticity by working with each actor to build the character’s wardrobe together.

Dash, for example, was slightly older, from New York, and had a strong sense of personal style, which played a huge role in constructing her character’s look. In turn, according to May, “Murray [Donald Faison’s character] had to look really good too, because she would never date a slacker.”

The same care was extended to Christian Stovitz (Justin Walker), the suave transfer student from Chicago, who we later find out is gay. May wanted the clothing to lead with his personality and interests — like fashion, which resulted in him wearing hats, a blue tuxedo, and slicked-back hair — and not be a reductive version of what a gay character might “look” like (which wasn’t a given at the time for the industry).

The fashion in Clueless cemented May’s signature style across all her works — which later included other cult classics like Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion and Never Been Kissed — and gave the movie its staying power. It’s the reason why not a single Halloween goes by without a Cher and Dionne recreation, why clothing collections in 1995 and thereafter exploded with Clueless-inspired threads, and why 30 years later, we are still celebrating the film that introduced Alaïa into many of our vocabularies.

“It’s just incredible that this movie has lived in so many people’s hearts. It’s changed them and made them feel good. I’m so proud, I’ll have a pink bow on my grave.”

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