There are basics, and then there are trendy basics, and I'm here to talk about the latter, but you already knew that from this story's title. While I do think that every wardrobe needs its standard-issue white tees and blue jeans, today I'm here to rant about the basics that are a little more forward, a touch cooler, and 100% worth buying. Since I wear my basics constantly, I'm always on the lookout for trendier ones to update my closet with and I've landed on nine such versions that I alr...

As someone who has dealt with some form of hair damage most of their life, I recommend you take it from me: You need a good deep conditioner. I spent the majority of my teenage years heat-styling because I found my natural, curly texture just too difficult to work with on a daily basis. Little did I know that would cause some long-term damage that would be tough to repair.What really helped save my lackluster locks was choosing the right repair masks and switching out my shampoo and condition...

I used to think spot treatments for acne were complete hogwash. After trying practically every drugstore formula that claimed to zap, clear, bust, or essentially exterminate my acne with little to no avail, I threw my hands in the air and gave up. Clearly, I thought to myself at the time, spot treatments are a complete gimmick, a genre of skin products imparting false hope and existential doom to me and my breakout-prone skin. (Because, yes, many times when I would try a new treatment, my spotte...

If you’ve ever struggled with cystic acne, you know the feeling: one day, a spot on your face starts feeling extra tender, and the feeling gets worse and worse until you find yourself with a noticeable (and big) bump under your skin. Cystic acne isn’t like regular acne—it lives under your skin’s surface, and it typically doesn’t come to a head, which is why you may have also heard people call acne cysts “blind pimples.”The other annoying thing about cystic acne is that it’s extre...