Be Your Own Fairy Godmother And Gift Yourself These 31 Useful, Lovely Products
A pair of gorgeous kitchen shears that are as functional as they are stunning — reviewers love these all-purpose, super sharp blades for cutting everything from meat and fruit to opening packages and wrangling with complicated wrapping.
E.l.f.'s Hydrating Core Lip Shine in the "Ecstatic" shade, which reviewers say captures the some magic as "Black Honey," the $25 ~universal shade~ from Clinique that's blowing up on TikTok at a fraction of the price. It doesn't shift colors as magically as the other version, but it's a perfect, nonsticky "go-to" lip to keep in all your favorite bags this summer.
A NeeDoh "Dream Drop," the latest drop from the *elite* Needoh sensory fidget toy line for anyone who wants to add more calm and focus to their day. This goo-filled, delightfully colorful fidget has a satisfying squish with a "slow rise" before going back to its original shape. Reviewers also love that it doesn't have the kind of stickiness that picks up debris and makes it hard to clean.
A Baccarat Rouge 540-inspired moisturizing body wash infused with white jasmine, red currant, and sweet amber that reviewers swear by for a cheap alternative to keep that delectably luxe scent on them all day long. Nothing wrong with smelling a lil' ~~expensive~~!
A two-slice slim toaster to fit virtually *anywhere* in your tiny kitchen, and to look gosh darn adorable doing it. Bonus — these long slots make it ideal for larger slices of bread, like your beloved sourdoughs.
An absorbent floral dish drying mat so lovely that you'll actually — gasp — look forward to doing the dishes? The "main character in a rom com" energy of this mat is too strong to resist.
A pair of waterproof wireless earbuds with AirPods Pro energy — except these feature a charging case that, bless its technologically savvy heart, has an LED display letting you know exactly how much charge is left. Reviewers also love how delightfully comfortable and sweatproof these are, making them a solid, affordable option for talking on the phone and exercising.
A beautifully packaged, travel-friendly Touchland Power Mist hydrating hand sanitizer for anyone who's like "mindfully practicing health and safety, but make it fashion." Unlike other sanitizer sprays, it's infused with aloe vera to keep your skin hydrated and has the most luxurious floral scents.
E.l.f's brand new Lash XTNDR Tubing Mascara, a GODSEND for anyone with thin or fragile lashes. This uses lightweight ~tubing~ technology to wrap around lashes and give them a natural-looking, smudge-proof extension so good it almost looks fake. The real boon, though, is how easily the "tubes" slide off in clean, easy swipes at the end of the day when you're washing your face — absolutely no smudging, over-scrubbing, or special eye makeup removal products required.
A copy of Burn After Writing, the TikTok-famous guided journal tens of thousands of reviewers swear by — through a series of questions and thought experiments, it encourages people to take time away from their screens to explore their feelings, both new and old, so they can embrace meaningful ones and try to let others go.
Plus the 2025 updated version of The Original Gratitude Journal, a science-backed prompt journal to help you cultivate more mindfulness, appreciation, and joy in your human existence by writing for just five minutes each day.
A bottle of Elizavecca hair treatment, an Olaplex-like repairing mask infused with collagen ingredients and protein extracts that will help restore hair health and reduce shedding. All you gotta do is apply it on wet hair after a shampoo, wait five minutes, and rinse it out.
A set of family-friendly pastel "unbreakable" deep plates perfect for anyone who needs to be practical, but doesn't want to sacrifice on prettiness. These chic plates are unexpectedly lightweight, making them easier for kids to use, but are still dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe for up to three minutes.
Our Place's new Splendor Blender, a super strong, ridiculously beautiful personal blender perfect for making smoothies and shakes on the go — particularly because it comes with an adorable personal cup and drinking lid set. Also, a moment for this aesthetic, please?? Our Place never misses.
A set of pastel glitter highlighters I saw on Instagram recently and NEARLY BLACKED OUT from the cuteness. If you like highlighting your planner pages, favorite passages from books, or lines from your journal, please do yourself a favor and purchase these subtle but oh-so-sparkly colors to jazz them up ✨.
A retro-inspired pitcher from Tupperware's Vintage Collection so you can get dreamy nostalgic vibes as you sip your sweet tea and fresh juice and admire it sitting on the counter.
E.l.f.'s new sheer tint, hyaluronic acid-infused moisturizing "Squeeze Me" lip balm that comes in flavors like Vanilla Frosting, Honeydew, and Peach. We all work very hard and deserve an affordable way to perpetually taste like birthday cake!!
A RobeCurls heatless hair curler, which is the new BFF of anyone who worries about getting heat damage from hair appliances. You can easily wrap slightly damp air in the satin-covered rod at night and then wake up the next morning and pull it out to buoyant curls.
An adorable, roomy duffel bag that's practically *screaming* "take me on a weekend trip," — people compare this durable, water-resistant option to Herschel's duffel and love that it comes with long handles for easy maneuvering and a side panel to hook it to a roll-on suitcase. Bonus: it's small enough to use as a "personal item" on flights!!
And a chic structured toiletry organizer with a "window" so you can look inside and easily access whatever you need on the go. Reviewers especially love how the structure of it stops items like beauty products or medications from getting crushed inside (and that it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the $100 Truffle Clarity version).
A sleek one-button electric wine bottle opener because TBH, nobody has time to lament a cork getting stuck in their bottle and google a bunch of hacks to fix it anymore. This rechargeable beauty will safely pop it open without any of the hassle.
Unicorn Dreams Whipped Bath Soap and Shave Cream for anyone who wants to add a lil' bit of ️🌈✨🥰 to their beauty routine. This super creamy, lathering formula helps hydrate, moisturize, and clean skin all at once, making it a truly ~magical~ experience.
A set of farmhouse-style embossed shallow serving bowls that are not only a luxurious "Are we at a restaurant right now?" experience to eat from, but are also microwave- and dishwasher-safe. Get yourself an aesthetic plate that can do it ALL!!
Birdie, an indoor carbon dioxide monitor that — bless her dramatic heart — flips over and "dies" if the air quality in your home goes down, prompting you to open a window or run an air purifier so you can breathe easier. Once Birdie is happy with the air quality again, she'll pop back up!
A set of satin pillowcases that not only have a cooling effect, but are soft on your skin and create less friction for your hair so it won't get as tangled while you sleep.
A marble board wire cheese cutter to serve as half decor, half kitchen tool, and 100% the biggest hit at any wine and cheese night when you let guests slice their own cheese with it.
A deeply adorable retro-style portable Bluetooth keyboard you can connect to your tablet, phone, or computer to easily type on the go. Reviewers especially love the satisfying ~clickety clack~ feel of the keys!
A sleek time-marked water bottle that says "hydration, but make it chic." Reviewers love this bottle not just for the chic frosted, minimalist look, but because it's super lightweight, leakproof, and motivational re: keeping yourself fully watered.
A nonstick heart-shaped egg and pancake pan so precious that if breakfast wasn't already your favorite meal of the day, it's about to steal your literal *and* figurative heart now.
A set of gorgeous tortoise shell wine glasses for a warm, inviting, but delightfully bold statement in your kitchen.
The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power, a buzzy book that challenges readers to reframe "perfectionism" and use it to their advantage in life by recognizing where it comes from — depending on which of the "five types of perfectionists" you are — and how its driving forces can serve you.
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Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Parents will do anything for their kids — even tracking down a Labubu
She first noticed the plush monsters with toothy grins dangling from kids' belt loops. Carly Anderson, 45, had discovered the Labubu craze. She was truly initiated into the obsessed fandom when she was gently laughed out of the Pop Mart store at her local mall for trying to buy one of the coveted toys in person. While she stood morosely by a Pop Mart vending machine, a "nice gentleman" gave her tips and a list of third-party stores where she might find a monster, she said. After 20 hours of legwork and around $180, she tracked down three of the little monsters at third-party sellers and local stores. What drove the obsession? Love. "Everybody jokes, 'Oh my gosh, who spends all this time looking for a Labubu?' But for me, this is much more about my daughter — seeing that she's excited about something, and I want to get excited about that thing with her," Anderson said. They've bonded and brainstormed over places they can try to acquire a Labubu, and have more time to devote to the hunt now that school is out for the summer. Anderson has also experienced a strange side effect afflicting other parents: She's grown to find the monsters endearing. "I have to say, at first I did not understand them at all and I thought they were so ugly, but somehow now I want one too," Anderson said. "I don't know what happened." Anderson is part of a new class of Labubu seekers: The parents, grandparents, and guardians conscripted into the hunt and became endeared to the little monsters along the way. Labubus first skyrocketed to popularity in Asia, where consumers clamored to get the snaggle-toothed monsters and adorn their bags with them. Their popularity has reached all corners of the globe, with Americans, Brits, and South Koreans all fiending to get their hands on the collectible. That's led to a feeding frenzy on the Pop Mart website, app, and reseller groups. To get a Labubu is no easy feat; it requires knowing when they'll drop on the app, on TikTok live, or — in very rare cases — if and when they'll make an appearance in a physical storefront. There's a whole online world of tricks for trying to get a Labubu. Behind those computer screens, Discord chats, Reddit posts, and Facebook groups are parents and grandparents desperate to get their hands on one of the fuzzy creatures. Some parents are now in the Labubu game for themselves: Lora Martin, 41, has been trying her best to get an authentic Labubu, but, in the meantime, acquired a knockoff, called a " Lafufu," that she's named Lil Debbie. "They're strictly for me. These collectibles are for me. I'm not ashamed to say it," Martin said. "It may sound selfish and weird, but I'm 42. I've worked hard and I love these kinds of things. I've been a collector my whole life; this is nothing new." She said that her kid, who also enjoys collecting things, isn't interested in Labubus; after all, as she noted, Labubus are explicitly marketed to adults. Her son, 5, is more interested in things like Bluey. Martin now has a Labubu from a reseller on the way. 'It's the crazy things we do for our kids' On the other end is Mia Ponzo, who used to hate Labubus. Then she found herself waking up at 4:30 a.m. every day for a week to get one. Ponzo is a grandmother based in Kuwait. She first became aware of the cultlike following that has sprung up around the fuzzy monster dolls through Hermes Facebook groups. She noticed that her fellow Hermes fanatics were posting about dangling the trendy creatures, which come adorned with a key ring, on their bags. "I initially thought they were the most disgusting things on earth, and I was like, 'who the hell would put this stuff on their bag, why would you ruin a beautiful Hermes bag with a Labubu?'" Ponzo said of the Hermes-to-Labubu pipeline. But then, "I don't know, the whole thing started to grow on me." Ponzo had been on the Labubu hunt for her granddaughter, who would only settle for a pink one. She woke up early to try to snag one when China-based Pop Mart drops a select few on its website; by chance, she ended up being able to order a full set of Labubus off of Pop Mart's Thailand website, but hasn't had success on the US-based site. In the meantime, she's gotten hooked on the thrill of the chase. She's now deep into everything Pop Mart and has three Labubus of her own, although she's drawn a line in the sand: "I would never put one on a bag. I don't think so. I don't even wear regular Hermes charms anymore." Meanwhile, Kellie Crawford, a 49-year-old mother in Pennsylvania, recently found herself conscripted into what she's deemed the great Labubu hunt. Her daughter went down a rabbit hole after encountering the monsters on TikTok, even going so far as to create an Excel spreadsheet and index cards on how best to acquire one. While her daughter was trying to game the system, Crawford found herself Labubu backchanneling: She posted on Facebook groups, tried to meet people locally, and did all that she could to secure a Labubu for her daughter's 16th birthday. "It was crazy. I think several parts of my life are just gone because of the time spent sitting trying to tap on a box and watching a clock tick down," Crawford said, referring to the Pop Mart virtual game that is often one of the easier routes to get a Labubu in a cart. She added: "It's the things we do for our kids. It's the crazy things we do for our kids." Finally, she found one on eBay for not too high of a markup, and bought it as a surprise. Before it arrived, her daughter finally purchased the exact same one through Pop Mart. Crawford had to come clean: The same one was already en route. "I was excited for her, but I felt like I burst her bubble a little bit," Crawford said. Then, they suddenly realized what this means: Now Crawford and her daughter could have twin "Labuskis" — the nickname her daughter has coined for the toys. "We have it dressed, and mine — I guess it's now my Labubu — is named Tilly Snack Pac Labuski," Crawford said. "She's the cutest thing, to be quite honest." jkaplan@
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'There will always be demand for street buskers'
Buskers have entertained city-centre crowds throughout history, with many famous faces starting out on the streets. But with the music industry going digital, fewer consumers carrying cash - and increasing fears about safety – how is the artform faring? Last week, Jason Allan announced he was no longer setting up his pitch in Leeds after a number of violent incidents. He also cited the move from cash to card payments as a reason playing on the streets was increasingly difficult. "It was a couple of things that happened in a very short period of time," he said. "People have less money, you know it's gone from cash to card so I think it was difficult from the get-go but I could handle that, it was just more that when the threat of violence came in, that's when it became a little bit too much for me." Mr Allan's recent confrontation with some teenagers went viral last week with more than 17m views. While busking around the UK – including in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle – Mr Allan films his performances for his Instagram and TikTok pages. His approach as a musician is to use busking to promote shows inside venues and meet new people. "I give myself a month to promote the show," he said. "I'm meeting lots of new people on the streets, building a bit of a community, selling tickets, telling them about me and my music. "Leeds was a bit more difficult this time and I think that it's just become more difficult for all buskers." Bradford-based Jake Keating, 28, also busks in Leeds. But he does not stream his performances to TikTok and is "not looking for a viral video either". "I understand the way the music industry is geared up," he said. "A significant portion of breaking into the industry is in and around online content. "I busk to connect with people. I personally choose not to stream because I'm not looking for a traditional career in the music industry." Mr Keating is a leading member of Keep Streets Live, a community group set up to support and protect buskers. He said a lot of the group's work was about promoting the benefits of art in public spaces. "Performances in public spaces are a really important foundation and cornerstone of our national identity," he said. "I can see all aspects of society come together, whether it's people who are sleeping rough, people who are out on the town having a night out - they all come together and dance or party or enjoy an experience and a lot of people respect that and really appreciate it. "I'm really sorry to see the interaction Jason had and it wasn't a positive one this time around. "I want to reassure people that Leeds isn't a dangerous place. It's such a brilliant city and it's a safe city, it's a really welcoming city. " But on the streets of Leeds on Wednesday, busker Katie Gittins described a recent incident in which her takings were stolen. "He literally took everything I'd made that day and I'd only made like 15 quid," she said. "I was pretty hungry at the time and I was trying to get the money together for a gas and electric bill. "When it is most of your income, it does weigh on you a hell of a lot more. Buskers like Jason have the luxury of having income from another place." Ms Gittins has been busking for about three years, mostly in Leeds, but also in Leicester, Wakefield, Bradford, Newcastle, Sheffield and Richmond. While we're talking a busker approaches Ms Gittins to warn her that another performer has had their sound equipment stolen. "In the last couple of months, that's the second load of someone's musical equipment that's been stolen," she said. "This whole week has just felt weird. I don't know if that's the result of all the tensions that fizzled over during the heatwave. "But to me, the altercation I saw that Jason caught on video. Honestly, that looks like a regular Saturday night." She blames the increasing difficulty of busking on streaming and lack of music education in school. "Withdrawing the funding from the arts has meant young children are not introduced to music or taught to respect it," she said. "The modern streaming system means everybody can just download music for free. "A lot of my friends are independent artists. It just seems like they're not getting anything back for the effort they're putting in and it's not just them." A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said any safety concerns should be reported to the police. "We are proud to support busking as a vibrant part of our city's culture," they said. "Keeping people safe, and ensuring they feel welcome in the city, is a priority for us and our Safer Leeds team works in partnership with other organisations across the city, including emergency services, to achieve this." Nick Broad is co-founder and former CEO of The Busking Project, which is behind the busking payment platform allows performers to get tipped via Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal. "There are fewer street performers today because of cashless payments," he said. "The cost-of-living crisis and gentrification push struggling artists out of city centres and add to that the rising inflation, street performers need to be earning more than ever before but they are earning less." But despite backing the revolution in digital payments, Mr Broad is wary of encouraging buskers to push their art online. "I can't stand the digital landscape," he said. "During lockdowns people set up online and put time and money into looking good for Zoom concerts. That's all good but then we came out of lockdowns. "If you create music and upload it to platforms like TikTok or Spotify you're competing with an algorithm for views and it's not always about artistic integrity." works with artists in Australia, the US, Canada and the UK. And safety is not a concern Mr Broad regularly hears people complain about. "Busking is the one part of outdoor city life that has lasted from ancient times until now. The hawkers, market traders, kids playing games, news callers and so on have all been eradicated," he said. "Street performers are still there for a very good reason: there will always be demand for entertainment, and people will always be willing to support a good show." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Busker quits playing in Leeds to 'put safety first' Busker 'struggled' to keep Sam Fender gig a secret Keep Streets Live
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gen Z is swapping their smartphones for this retro alternative: ‘Need a social media detox'
Young folks are desperately trying to reconnect with the world around them. The method many have chosen? 'Dumbphones' — otherwise known as the millennial-era Blackberry. Ironically, Gen-Z is taking to social media — which isn't even supported on a dumbphones — to spread the word. For months now, users ranging in age from mid-20s to late teens have been demonstrating interest in 'retro' technology like Walkmans, iPods and digital cameras. But the latest Y2K craze has older generations positively baffled. A quick TikTok search under the keyword 'Blackberry' will display thousands upon thousands of videos of Gen-Zers purchasing shelved Blackberry phones off of eBay or digging them out of their parents' closets, decorating them with rhinestones and keychains, and flaunting clicky ASMR-worthy keyboards. For many, the Blackberry craze is a continuation of 2000s nostalgia-core, a time when aesthetics like Britney Spears-esque McBling, cyberfuturism and Frutiger Aero ruled the trends. 'We've come full circle,' declare dozens of comments under posts by TikTok content creators like @notchonnie, who uses her platform to show off her massive retro tech collection 'I'm so sick of Apple, I would give up just about everything for a BlackBerry!' one user wrote. Commenters also shared how they scoured sites like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Back Market in search of Blackberry phones to supplant their modern smartphones. For just a few hundred dollars, these tech-tired Gen-Zers purchase peace of mind — and plenty of questions from older generations who no doubt remember the spotty service, super-small keyboards, and less-than-intuitive user interfaces. Compared to the price of a new iPhone, which these days can cost upwards of a thousand dollars, and unlimited data plans that run users up to $70 a month, younger generations see the Blackberry as a no-brainer. For many, the growing anti-smartphone movement is also a way to genuinely embrace the offline world and be more mindful about content consumption. 'The smartphone is not a source of enjoyment anymore,' Pascal Forget, a tech columnist in Montreal, told CBC News. 'It used to be fun, but now [people are] addicted to it, so they want to go back to simpler times using a simpler device.' 'These are supposed to be the best moments of our life, but you look around and people are scrolling,' Sammy Palazzolo, a TikTok content creator who uses a flip phone part-time, told USA Today. Though they've grown up in the digital age, Gen Zers, and even older members of Gen Alpha, are starting to catch on — no matter where you look these days, everyone is glued to their phone. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center study on the subject, nearly half of teenagers today say they're online 'almost constantly,' compared to ten years ago, when 24% of teens answered the same. Some have even reported feeling the phantom buzz of a smartphone notification, and others have said that tapping the 'on' button is now nothing less than a reflex. 'It just basically created this pattern where I was anxious, and so I'd open my smartphone, and then I would hate myself for opening my smartphone, which made me more anxious,' Charlie Fisher, a 20-year-old college student, told USA Today. In facilitating his digital detox, Fisher ditched his iPhone for a flip phone, and according to him, he hasn't looked back since. 'I've been seeing things more like when I was a kid,' Fisher continued, elaborating on his newly-found phone-free lifestyle. 'You really see things for how they are in the physical world, and your emotions are really attached to that.' Flip-phones and 2000s-era tech like the BlackBerry aren't just cheaper. According to Gen-Z, they promote spending more quality time with family and friends, exploring other hobbies outside of doomscrolling and binge-watching, and finding a healthier work-life balance, which begs the question: are the kids actually onto something?
