Signs Of Coronavirus: The Phone Call Goes Back To College

A recent New York Times article proclaimed “The Humble Phone Call Has Made A Comeback.” Citing reports from telecommunications giants like Verizon and ATT, the Times notes that while more internet use was expected during the coronavirus pandemic, what wasn’t anticipated was an even larger upswing in voice calls, a form of communications that’s been steadily declining for years.

According to the Times, “Verizon said it was now handling an average of 800 million wireless calls a day during the week, more than double the number made on Mother’s Day, historically one of the busiest call days of the year. Verizon added that the length of voice calls was up 33 percent from an average day before the outbreak. AT&T said that the number of cellular calls had risen 35 percent and that Wi-Fi-based calls had nearly doubled from averages in normal times.” By contrast, internet traffic was up between 20 to 25 percent over the average prior to the outbreak of the virus.

Ever since colleges and universities across the nation sent most of their students home for the remainder of the spring semester, they’ve turned to new forms of technology to try to recreate the teaching and student services that were formerly integral parts of their campuses. The result: huge increases in online classes, webinars, videoconferencing and remote meetings. Welcome to the new campus normal: the world of Zoom, Cisco Webex, Google Hangouts and BlueJeans.

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But like the rest of the pandemic world, colleges are rediscovering the many advantages of the old-fashioned phone call as a trusted and personal way to connect with the people who mean the most to them - students. That old ATT jingle - “reach out and touch someone” - has found a renewed resonance among admission officers, college administrators, counseling center staff, students and their families.

A telephone call has a unique psychology. It’s intimate in ways that a chatbot cannot duplicate for the simple reason that in a phone call two people actually talk to each other, and just each other. You hear another human voice. When it’s whispered, it can still be heard. When it’s shouted, you remain at a safe distance. It’s a real conversation where emotions are conveyed along with information. Feelings can be hurt, but they also can be soothed. On the phone secrets are shared, promises made, anxieties eased.

Top Trends In Sustainable Fashion Today

The fashion industry is the world’s second largest contributor to pollution. Talking about ethical commitments has become an expectation for brands, but many in the industry are secretly wondering if consumers are willing to put their money where they mouth is.

While climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg may be Time’s Person of the Year, fast fashion retailer Boohoo expects its revenues to grow over 40% in 2020. Consumers are more skeptical than ever, and are weary of greenwash and female empowerment messages created in boardrooms full of men.

The topic of sustainability in fashion is full of contradictions. Fashion, by definition, is ever changing, whereas to be truly sustainable, you would not buy anything new at all.

Yesterday, I chaired a panel on making fashion sustainable for Enty Live with people who have the power to make genuine change.

Many people want sustainably made clothes and ethical working conditions, but they also want cheap prices. Since organic cotton is around 30% more expensive than the stuff covered in pesticides, the decision to buy sustainable clothes really does hit the pocket.

While some consumers are devotees of the green message, most put style first, with sustainability as a pleasant addition. Hugo Adams, CEO of the Frugi Group, an organic cotton brand, says the company has two distinct customer types: the dark green and the pistachio green.

                                                             

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Everything You Need To Know About CBD Skincare

Whether its chocolates, cocktails, candles or clothing, CBD is everywhere and in everything you can possibly think of. And now the buzzy ingredient is taking over the world of beauty and skincare.  From serums and sunscreen to chapsticks, creams and cleansers, there is an array of hemp-infused products popping up in beauty supply stores everywhere.

According to a recent Market Watch report, the global CBD cosmetics market is estimated to be valued at over $580 million, with North America leading the way. And it's expected to hit $1.7 billion by 2025, predicts Grand View Research. Safe to say, the CBD trend isn't going to die down anytime soon.

If you're considering hopping on the CBD bandwagon too, but are unsure about where to start, here's a primer on all things CBD skincare:

First of all, what is CBD?

Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, is a naturally-occurring chemical compound found in cannabis plants (eg: marijuana and hemp). It's one of the two primary active ingredients of cannabis, the other one being THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

Unlike THC, pure CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, meaning it doesn't make you feel high.

Research shows that CBD may be effective in alleviating anxiety, chronic inflammation and pain, insomnia and some rare forms of childhood epilepsy. Moreover, a long-term study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that CBD may help prevent cognitive decline. In addition, according to a review published in the Neurotherapeutics journal, CBD may also be effective in treating substance use disorder.

Why Sustainable Fashion Matters

Summer is over and professional woman are falling back to the work routine. Whether you're shuffling between boardrooms or attending your nonprofit's annual gala, most of us struggle to find tailored clothes for business environments that are sustainably made. Whether you are dressing for function, durability, or comfort, it is important to find pieces you can be proud to wear that still meet your sophisticated lifestyle when commitments call.

In recent years, sustainability has become a buzzword and turned a few heads. Just as consumers today are taking a closer look at the food they consume and the chemicals they put into their bodies, they are also shifting their purchasing decisions to create a cleaner environment through the clothes they wear.

Today, professional woman are savvier than ever and not only pay attention to the quality of their garments, but also the entire supply chain, production processes, and product afterlife. They are more aware that a hang tag using the word "sustainable" does not mean the retailer is using clean processes to develop that garment.

One of the biggest culprits in the fashion industry is "fast fashion," or clothes made cheaply to meet demands for the hot new styles. However, fast fashion is putting our future planet at risk.

After nearly 25 years in the industry, Melissa Nataadiningrat has over a dozen patents and immense product successes under her name, not to mention her extensive knowledge on sustainable fashion.

"What so many of us forget or perhaps don't realize is that sustainability is not just about using bamboo based fibers and slapping the term 'sustainable' on the hang tag. True sustainability comes when the entire supply chain of that bamboo is sustainable.

I've picked bamboo because it's so prevalent in the marketplace and we're told about the benefits of using bamboo-based materials. However, we haven't truly achieved an ecosystem of true sustainability when we're still reading about deforestation, water contamination and shortage, and big business farming putting small farmers out of their livelihoods.

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Highlights From Milan Fashion Week

By now you know that Jennifer Lopez ruled Milan Fashion Week. That she reprised the barely there Versace jungle dress, which helped launched her into the celebrity stratosphere, for Donatella Versace’s spring 2020 collection. (This time around the dress lost the sleeves and featured more beadwork). You’ve also probably read in news reports that on their (Lopez and the jungle dress) first time out 20 years ago, the overwhelming searches on the internet for a photograph of Lopez led to the creation of Google Image search. It’s a compelling fashion digital age story.

Second time around, it still broke internet barriers. Wasn’t your Instagram feed flooded with images and videos of Lopez strutting on the Versace catwalk as it was happening and immediately thereafter? Even those who weren’t present at the show were compelled to regram the moment on their Instagram accounts so as not to miss this fashion moment. It was a major fashion statement, so major in fact that it eclipsed the entire collection. Google Versace spring 2020 collection and the overriding image will be Lopez and the green tropical print dress and not much else.

And speaking of prints, there were so many to be had at Marni and Salvatore Ferragamo, all in exuberant colors. Where at Salvatore Ferragamo the shapes where more conventional, at Marni there was more experimentation. Marni and Salvatore Ferragamo are currently headed by relatively new creative directors, Paul Andrew and Francesco Risso respectively.

But the young gun making all the waves is Daniel Lee at Bottega Veneta who has been expounding on the house’s basketweave intrecciato technique. He’s made it oversized and slouchy. He’s used it on trousers and coats in sumptuous ways. He’s also poised to make Bottega Veneta handbags hot again with his take on clutches.

Miuccia Prada delivered one of her best collections in a long time for spring 2020. There was a quiet beauty to the clothes especially the tailored jackets that borrowed their shapes from the 70’s as well as the easy muslin-like dresses that were free of any sort of embellishments. But it wouldn’t be a Prada show without prints and patterns and the most successful were those that reworked Prada’s geometric prints.

                                                               

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Meet Rebecca Hessel Cohen, A Female Founder in Fashion

"People are wanting that connection to something that feels like a happy path and story," says the fashion designer and entrepreneur, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, about LoveShackFancy, the womenswear brand she started 6 years ago. Cohen's line of modern, vintage, victorian-meets-edwardian-meets-floral collection were born at her wedding. She designed dresses for the bridal party that would be easy to move in, easy to dance in, and easy to live in. The result was a chiffon halter—feminine but flirty, sexy but demure. It was the dress that, proverbially, launched a thousand dresses.

Cohen and I are at her family summer home in Watermill, New York where she hosted a dinner in collaboration with milliner, Nicolas Fouquet. It's golden hour and the property is bathed in late summer shimmer laced with a light, warm breeze.

The home, where she spent her childhood summers and where she was married, is a 19th century farmhouse sat within an orchard and framed with rolling country gardens. A small gardening shed with walls comprised of antique french doors is coming slightly undone with perfectly peeling paint. The shed contains one of the two dinner tables at the party and is set with linens new to the LoveShackFancy collection. Whimsical floral centerpiececs of dusty pink roses and lavender decorate the tabletops, and the property is scattered with oversize pillows and blankets in the grasses for lounging. It's magical.

The event is a manifestation of what Cohen does so impeccably—she has a very specific vision from which she doesn't deviate, a vision which she executes down to every miniscule detail. It's why LoveShackFancy is what it is, because she is unwavering on its offering at every touch point, giving her consumers the opportunity to tell their own story, while being a part of the one she's created.

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Could This Be How We Make Fast Fashion Sustainable?

Fast fashion is synonymous with disposable low-cost fashion and as such faces, much of the criticism levied at the fashion industry for its environmental impact. Throwaway garments are currently contributing more to climate change than sea and air travel combined and it has been estimated that more than ½ of fast fashion items are disposed of within one year of purchase—all too often ending up in landfill sights.

Fast fashion also has a poor social responsibility reputation with claims of employee exploitation with workers struggling to survive on extremely low pay, suffering appalling working conditions, excessive hours and being denied basic human rights.

Whilst the fast fashion low priced wear once and throw away fashion items continue to be favored by Instagram obsessed teens and price-driven family shoppers seeking quantity over quality there is undoubtedly an environmental and social backlash brewing.

In much the same way that we have seen public backlashes drive change in other industries from disposable cups, to the reduction in the volume of red meat being eaten to the banning of single-use plastic bags I think we will see the same happen in the fashion industry as consumers start to vote with their feet.

Yet fast fashion as a process has much to recommend it—it relies on early identification of customer wants and a quick turnaround process to get these products into the market with data feedback loops ensuring that the correct volume of product is offered to meet customer demand and avoid stock-outs or margin crucifying discounts.

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Terroir In Craft Cannabis: Emerald Triangle Fashion

I am a fanatic for a little thing named terroir, no not terror, but terroir. In the study of wine, it's a French word that means quite simply, the taste of the place. The characteristics of the soil, the rock and the drainage. The way of the earth. In ultra-high end cannabis it's also the taste of the place. Hey, wait a minute, didn't I just say that in wine that terroir is the French word that describes the taste of the place, yet in cannabis it's the same thing? Well my friends may I suggest drinking wines from the same regions that cannabis is grown. You'll be astounded, just like I was when we started discussing appellations and the deeply sensual characteristics of the soil. Who knew that rocks would be sexy? (They are, especially with grape vines struggling out of the crushed stones and crystals. The taste of the place in wine is essential. Just like the difference between pretty label wines and true garragist wines. Then, organically our the conversation leaks into Biodynamics. Did you know that Rudolph Steiner developed the theories of Biodynamics in the late 1800's? Steiner saw himself as a clairvoyant of the earth. That the soil is a living thing and it requires self-regulating utilizing techniques of a purely organic manner? That different types of organic applications give the soil acidity but others make the soil sing its own song of renewal. That  Biodynamics teach me everything that I need to know about growing vegetables and cannabis. Preferably together, along with wild herbs. The taste of the place, the taste of the soil, the way things are grown. No chemical manipulations or augmentations are allowed, ever. We need to have this conversation about replenishing the soil with nutrients that add balance and structure to the growing process. That outdoor grown cannabis naturally tastes better. Less corporate. More passion. You may disagree with me. That's fine, the massive cannabis conglomerates are not worried about craft cannabis, just like the massive liquor manufacturers are not worried about craft spirits. They aren't even on the radar. Sure everyone wants to make money in cannabis. But corporate weed has no place at the craft table, just like speed rack quality whiskey can never be called Straight Bourbon. There is a difference in craft spirits as there is in craft cannabis. I'm absolutely positive that all craft cannabis growers want to earn a good living for their talent. By creating a workable format for an appellation,  these mom, and pop cannabis growers will raise their bar. Initially growers may doubt the path of an appellation, but with quality comes success. And organic success doesn't have to be corporate run to earn a very fine living for themselves. That's why in France, where appellations have contributed to the quality of life itself. Not a bad way to become known for utter quality over quantity.

Craft cannabis is my topic. I want to share with you real people who make a difference, doing what they love, getting the word out on what it means to grow the very best. People who are passionate about the soil and want you to taste what they've nurtured from the earth.

Biodynamically grown is not only the wine world or your vegetable garden. It's also the cannabis way. A Tao of truly gourmet cannabis, from a specific place, grown in a specific way with Biodynamics as the driving force.

Many thanks to Michael Katz and Justin Calvino for their deeply enriching kindness towards me. I can't wait to test my wine-centrist theory about your appellations. That is, you can taste the place in every puff!

Here Are The Best Travel Insurance Apps For Your Next Trip

When Dary Merckens needed the name of a reliable doctor or the number for the U.S. embassy, he turned to an unlikely source: his smartphone's travel insurance app.

"It helped me out in numerous situations," says Merckens, the chief technology officer for a technology firm based in Las Vegas.

Travel insurance apps, which used to be simple programs that helped you contact an insurance company or file a claim, are coming of age. The best travel insurance apps for your next trip offer real-time access to medical and emergency travel assistance, extensive embassy and hospital contact information, and even the ability to buy insurance on the fly.

A stable and useful travel insurance app can make the difference between a bumpy trip and a smooth one. With the busy summer travel just underway, it's an excellent time to consider what may be an important feature of your travel insurance policy.

The best travel insurance apps could "literally be a lifesaver"

"All the travel insurance apps do a good job of helping someone keep track of their policies and helping claims get processed faster," says Kimberlee Leonard, an insurance analyst for FitSmallBusiness.com. "The better travel apps have additions for free, like where to find providers for medical attention or pharmacies, country emergency information, alerts, and other local travel aid information."

Leonard says one example of a travel insurance app that does more is the Allianz TravelSmart Mobile App.

"TravelSmart has a medical translation feature," she says. "Even if someone is fluent enough in a foreign language to get around, most people will not know complex medical terms and explanations. This tool could literally be a lifesaver when working with medical providers in emergency situations."

Exploring one of the best travel insurance apps

No one officially tracks the most popular travel insurance apps, but with more than 470,000 downloads, TravelSmart appears to be one of the most popular.

"One of the things people love about travel is the discovery of new places and people," says Daniel Durazo, a spokesman for Allianz. "TravelSmart helps travelers navigate unfamiliar territory and gives people the confidence to travel off the beaten path.

I'm a regular user of TravelSmart since I have an annual Allianz travel insurance policy. (It's free to download and available to anyone, regardless of whether they’re an Allianz customer.) Mostly, I use it to file claims -- I've had a few smaller ones earlier this year after suffering a minor medical condition on a trip to New Mexico and Arizona.

Everything You Need to Know About Permanent Makeup

My combined morning skincare and makeup routine eats up an hour of my life every morning—which is why the allure of permanent makeup is tempting. Not having to bounce my beauty blender on my dark circles, put on lip gloss, or re-do my eyeliner eleven billion times would make time for at least three extra cups of coffee in the morning (so necessary). Here's the thing: My pain tolerance is so low that I've cried while getting my teeth cleaned (I still blame the hygienist and not the fact that I hadn't flossed in two months). As for commitment? I can't even make up my mind about I want to have for breakfast in the morning.

Exactly how painful and permanent is permanent makeup, anyway?

I asked Dr. Jackie David—the microblading and permanent makeup expert at NYC's Jackie David Skincare—to breakdown the good, the bad, and the ugly about the four most requested permanent makeup services: Permanent eyebrows, permanent eyeliner, lip blushing, and permanent concealer.

"Microblading involves using a handheld, manual tool—either a blade or a rotary pen with different configurations of needles depending on what the client is going for," explains David. "If they want a soft, powdery brow then I like to use the rotary pen with the appropriate configuration of needles to deposit pigment, whereas using a blade creates sharper, more angular strokes. With the blade, you create slices in the skin, and in the slices you put the pigment on top and rub it in and let it sit. From start to finish, I like to give myself 1.5 hours."

Climax will leave you ironically dissatisfied

Have you ever been staggeringly drunk at a house party that was so noisy you thought you might throw up, and so out of control someone was literally peeing on the floor? Have you ever descended, like Dante, to the very centre of Hell? If you’ve never done either and are wondering what it might be like, Gaspar Noé’s newest should set you crooked.

First, a word on the title. Noé’s last film, 2015’s Love, was two-and-a-quarter hours that had critics pondering the line between art and pornography, and whether he’d blurred it, erased it, crossed it or strangled his audience with it. So it should be stressed that Climax does not contain an onscreen climax, in either the sexual or narrative sense.

It opens with documentary-style footage of a bunch of French dancers discussing their craft. We get to watch it on an old-style TV screen, flanked left and right by the kind of books and VHS tapes that a certain kind of poseur would have purposefully stocked his shelves with in university in the early 1980s; Kafka, Nietzche, Wilde, Bunuel and a well-worn copy of Suspiria.

Noé, who graduated from Louis Lumière College in Paris in the early 1980s, then presents the dancers performing in a 10-minute single-take shot that is the highlight of the film, the camera swooping up over their heads and back to the floor as they writhe and shimmy. And then they break apart into little groups to drink and smoke and discuss their sex lives. Climax is set in 1996, which means no one is texting. For this alone, I award one star.

Carcinogens in your cosmetics? Welcome to Brexit Britain

How would you feel about putting a lovely dollop of formaldehyde on your nails? No? Well, perhaps I could interest you in a sprinkling of asbestos for your skin? Hmm, tricky customer, eh? OK, surely you couldn’t object to some coal tar on your eyelids, to really make them pop. Oh, come on, who wouldn’t risk a little light cancer for a really banging shade of eyeshadow? You wouldn’t? Too bad. In our brave new Brexit world, where EU legislation is no longer in force, and we are forced to accept trade deals on Trump’s terms, expect all these known carcinogens and more to be appearing on a beauty shelf near you.

Since 2007 UK consumers have been protected by the EU’s "precautionary principle". Essentially, the EU doesn’t think that chemicals that have been linked to cancer and birth defects belong in cosmetics, and so they are banned from use in consumer products. And who could argue with that?

Well, the US, actually, where a chemical is only banned if it poses an "unreasonable risk". Whereas in the EU there is no "safe" level of exposure to a proven carcinogen, the US system, is "steeped in quantitative risk assessment", says Mike Belliveau, executive director at the Environmental Health Strategy Center.

The result is a major disparity in the level of consumer protection from hazardous chemicals. The EU bans 1,328 chemicals from use in cosmetics – including formaldehyde, asbestos and coal tar – that are known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive harm or birth defects. The US Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), by comparison, has only banned or restricted 11.

Of course you could argue that adults can make their own choices about what to use on their own bodies. If I want to put asbestos on my face, then the American Dream says that I should be free to do so. Down with the nanny state!

The thing is that only works if consumers are able to make meaningful choices, based on adequate information. And in the US, they are not, thanks to the handy "fragrance loophole". This legislation, intended as a way of protecting trade secrets, in fact means that hundreds of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and hormone disruption can be smuggled into all sorts of personal care products under the catch-all, innocent-sounding "fragrance".

And don’t think you can bypass these chemicals by simply buying "fragrance-free" products: the FDA does not regulate the terms "fragrance free" or "unscented" and a recent study found that 45% of products marketed as "fragrance free" in the US were in fact not fragrance free at all.

The multibillion-dollar US fragrance and cosmetics industry hit back at such concerns, saying that it tests its products for safety. But those studies have never been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and the industry refuses to publicly release the safety data. So we just have to take an industry that has spent millions of dollars lobbying against more transparent labelling requirements on trust. Rather than, as in the EU, having a right to know what it is we’re putting on our bodies.

But this right is at risk if we lose access to EU data – a major concern given how reliant we have been historically on other EU countries doing chemicals testing for us. Even more worrying, our government has made no commitment to keep aligned with EU chemical rules, leaving us at risk of becoming a dumping ground for hazardous chemicals – a future that was heralded last month by a civil servant who explained that the UK would consider EU decisions, but also "look at what the US does". Welcome to Brexit Britain, where the chicken is chlorinated, and the cosmetics could be carcinogenic.

How to make your makeup last all day

Summer has well and truly arrived and you know what that means. Long, hot days followed by sizzling nights, sunshine, laughter and plenty of good times. Oh - and makeup that slides right off your face the moment you put it on. At least that's how it used to be, but follow the handy tips and tricks below and that particular problem will be nothing but a bad memory.

We love the summer season but the steamy weather can wreak havoc with our beauty routines. It needn't though, says skincare guru and founder of Paula's Choice Paula Begoun. In fact, Paula says as long you do the following your perfectly-applied makeup will stay right where it should.

Once you've cleansed apply your usual moisturiser and give it some time to absorb fully. Next, pop on a serum so that makeup has something to cling to. Try one that has oil-reducing properties or is designed to promote long-wear. We like Paula's Choice Shine Stopper Instant Matte Finish Primer

Next, apply your foundation.

Start with a thin layer, then build more coverage if needed.

"A thick layer of makeup is more prone to sliding off your face throughout the day because it just can't adhere as well to skin," says Paula.

If you have oily skin, try an absorbent shine-control product before you apply your foundation.

"This can go a long way toward keeping excess shine in check, so your makeup lasts (and looks better) longer. Also consider a matte-finish foundation for longer-lasting wear," she adds.

how to be terrifyingly on trend this Halloween

If you have left buying your Halloween costume until now, then you don't stand a chance in the shops. But if you are planning to celebrate (if that's the word) Halloween on the day and have only 20 minutes to cobble something together, fear not. This year, it's all about keeping your ghouls fictional and on trend, so you can wear something you already own.

Key, of course, is your subject matter, and what exactly constitutes the 2018 "frightgeist". We have long retired the sexy cat – the only acceptable cat is Salem from Sabrina – and while political posturing via your Melania Trump outfit is all well and woke (especially now that our Instagram feeds double as a lesson in virtue signalling), it just feels a little bit … sincere. And as for dressing up as Philip Green, avoid it. You're in danger of trivialising a serious issue in the name of banter.

You would be surprised how much mileage you can get from what is alre ady in your autumn wardrobe. That faux-fur coat? Perfect for Tonya Harding's embittered mother. A pair of gloves? That's Theo Crain from The Haunting of Hill House right there. A navy jumpsuit? Pair with a sheet mask, and you're Michael Myers.

The character: Madame Blanc from Suspiria
The costume: a voluminous orange dress
Witches abound in 2018 culture, although fans of Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria remake will be familiar with a particularly unpleasant breed who pretend to be staff members of the Helena Markos Dance Co in order to carry out nastiness devised by the top witch Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). Getting Blanc's look is easy, thanks to the work of the costume designer Giulia Piersanti. All you need is something scene-stealing, voluminous and monastic in orange – the kind of dress Roksanda put on her catwalk. Pair with a centre parting, and a vague air of satanic doom.

Eco-friendly Halloween makeup

For the Halloween hype, parents can 'green’ the application of makeup. Masks have proven to be somewhat dangerous for vision; therefore, we have turned more to face painting. As we are becoming increasing aware of the harmful chemicals found in everyday cosmetics and personal care products, we should step back from the merriment to inquire about the ingredients in this colourful 'goop’. What’s more, when it’s time to retire the little goblins, witches, rock stars, and princesses, those chemicals get washed away and enter our water supply.
While children run down the street with their capes and fancy dresses hemmed so they don’t trip, you’ll want them to be equally safe with the makeup they choose to apply. To allow your little goblins and witches to be eco-scary, turn to homemade, non-toxic Halloween makeup. Safe alternatives can be found in your kitchen. A small bit of avocado can be used for greens and touch of ketchup for reds. For browns, cream up a little cocoa powder or use chocolate sauce. Mixing icing sugar with water would do for whites. A teaspoon of unflavoured gelatin in a cup of warm water makes a suitable hair gel.
To create warts and wounds, mix one ounce of plain, unflavored gelatin with two tablespoons of boiled water, stir and let sit for three minutes. Next, pour the mixture onto wax paper or a similar surface. Work quickly to shape the gelatin to form your wart or scar. Add a few drops of red food colouring for a wound or green for a witch’s wart. You can be creative by including a bit of corn syrup, oatmeal, coffee grounds or even some paint brush bristles. Once the mixture has dried, adhere by using corn syrup — but first let the corn syrup dry. These are best made on the same day that the costume will be worn. Children will also enjoy learning how to prepare the final touches to their costumes.
It is worth noting that neither cosmetic products nor their ingredients are re-viewed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It makes one wonder what chemicals are used in the cheap Halloween cosmetics designed for children. John Bennett, the former executive director of the Sierra Club, cautions further when stating, "Companies are not required to disclose that these products may contain dangerous chemicals and parents should know what they are putting on their children’s faces. Lead, nickel and pesticides are no part of Halloween fun."
Talk to your children about the risks of chemical exposure; informed youngsters will still embrace the mystery and fun of the night.
Halloween falls shortly after Waste Reduction Week (Oct. 15-21) when recycling councils promote a lighter carbon footprint. While children are in the habit of practicing the 3Rs, Halloween with all its activities provides a great opportunity to maintain the momentum. Even placing your jack o’lantern in a corner of your yard will allow it to decompose slowly, providing an excellent example of homeschool biology.

Life in the land of popstars

When people think of Kosovo, they probably remember the war-torn country in the late 1990s. What they probably don’t think of is the fact that there is no place in Europe that can boast as many popstars per capita as Kosovo.

Before telling you who those popstars are, let me emphasise that this was not the case when I first visited this country, back in 2004. Everything was different. It was five years after the war, most roads were broken or non-existent, UN-trucks and NATO-vehicles were ubiquitous, and Kosovo wasn’t even a state yet.

Which western company would invest in a place like that? Which tourist would be so careless as to enter this area? No one. It didn’t help that Serbia – with a large country like Russia having its back – tried to block everything that would bring Kosovo further into the public eye. Serbia was actively lobbying against the participation of Kosovo in UEFA, FIFA, the Olympics, United Nations, and so on. Trying to frame Kosovo as a land full of criminals and Muslim extremists was easy, since no one could really see the real picture.

Well, some could of course. Like me for example. In 2004, I found myself in a fascinating place with long summer nights, extremely safe streets, unbelievably hospitable people, beautiful mountains, beers for just one euro, and many charming and beautiful ladies (I was 20 years old back then, and single!)

Aside from that, I experienced a very moderate religious climate. Although most people are Muslim by faith, everyone cherishes the Catholic nun that received her spiritual calling in Kosovo: Mother Teresa.

To put it simply, I found this country enchanting. After my first trip, I went back several times, and decided to migrate there in 2012, together with my wife who works in healthcare. A lot had happened in this time: Kosovo became a republic, highways were being built, international companies were exploring the country, and NATO and the UN weren’t visible anymore in most places. The thing that stayed the same was the hospitable attitude of the people, combined with a pro-Western spirit. No country in the Balkans is as pro-EU as Kosovo, and probably no people in the world is as pro-American as the Kosovars. Realising that this place has the youngest average age in Europe, you can understand a little bit better how unique this country is. And maybe why it produces so many popstars.

Currently, in the Netherlands (where I’m from), Dua Lipa (pictured above) has been at number one in the pop charts for more than 10 weeks. She is a perfect example of the positive vibe of the Kosovan capital Pristina, combined with a western attitude (she grew up partly in the UK). Another singer, also originally from Pristina, is the female with the most number 10 hits in her country: Rita Ora. And because Will Smith sings the official World Cup song with Kosovan singer Era Istrefi, currently three ladies from this place are in the pop charts. Not bad for a country with only 1.8 million inhabitants, right?

Because I want to spread the word on how sweet this country is, I manage three international websites about Kosovo. I provide information about the economy, tourism, travel tips, and stories about sports and singers. And with my local company, I advise foreigners about doing business in Kosovo. Currently, Kosovo is number 40 in the global World Bank Doing Business Index. This makes them the second best of the Balkans. Just six years ago, they were number 119. Imagine that!

If you want to live and work in Kosovo, it is important to see all the small and big developments. From new city busses with air conditioning to new highways. From the first ever gold medal at the Olympics, to Lonely Planet naming you one of the top destinations of 2018.

There are always things to worry about, like the extremely high unemployment rate. But it’s a great pleasure to live in a place like this, and even a bigger joy to see this country growing.

Is Age Before Beauty getting a second series?

A spokeswoman said that there was "no news" and declined to comment on speculation that the way is still open for a return to the bed-hopping Mancunians.

RadioTimes.com understands from production sources that a second run is very much "on the cards", provided writer Debbie Horsfield finds the time in between finishing her scripts for Poldark series five.

And while ratings have been disappointing – under 3 million watched the penultimate episode on Tuesday night – it has attracted a loyal fan base who will be keen to see more.

And there is plenty left to resolve as the drama finished on with plenty of loose ends.

The Manchester family saga ended appropriately enough at a wedding – with Wes (James Murray) marrying Leanne – only for heaps of secrets to come tumbling out.

Puppetmaster Teddy's ruse to snare Bel – through the agency of Dante – was unmasked to everyone who mattered. As was the fact that he had had a vasectomy (which meant Leanne never got the kids she craved) and already had a child – who was Dante. Oh yes, and Wes' former girlfriend Lorelei had a baby as well.

But, extraordinarily enough, things seemed to pass off reasonably peacefully – except for Teddy who got a punch in the face from Leanne and spent the rest of the episode with some tissue up his hooter.

Beauty and cosmetic operators proving to be the best retail performers

Applying make-up is sometimes referred to as putting on war paint.
Given the way beauty and cosmetic operators have taken over as the best-performer in retail, they have not only won the battle but are declaring victory in the war. It is a category killer that will survive.

And it's big business. According to IBISWorld, the cosmetic and toiletry retailing industry is worth about $5 billion a year. For department store landlords, the average moving annual turnover is about $60,000 a year for their cosmetic sellers.

A 400 square metre stand-alone store in a prime CBD location, on average, turns over about $16 million a year, generating about $40,000 a year in sales - and growing.
These are figures that traditional apparel retailers dream of and reflect the changing mood of consumers.

Shoppers want an experience when they shop and beauty products offer just that. Instant gratification, a feel-good factor and getting a range of products that can be used longer than a pair of shoes that are usually worn once and retired to the back of the cupboard.
Sephora and Mecca have led the charge, with the South Korean Innisfree the new entrant.

Adding to sales, men are embracing grooming and manscaping with gusto.

Matt Hudson, the national director and head of retail leasing at Cushman & Wakefield said cosmetics and beauty are some of the fastest growing tenants in the city and suburban malls.
''Cosmetics allow the consumer access to luxury brands and experience at an affordable price,'' Mr Hudson said.

''Beauty retailing is the backbone of department stores and offer some of the strongest sales per square metre for landlords. From a yield perspective, the returns are some of the best margins for the operator and landlord.''
In Melbourne, Mecca Maxima opened its latest flagship store at GPT's Melbourne Central mall on Friday. It will be a new-look 395 square metre site. MECCA was founded by Jo Horgan back in 1997 and started with just one Mecca Cosmetica store on Toorak Road in South Yarra.

Fast forward 20 years, Jo and her husband Pete now run a business with 90 stores across Australia and New Zealand, comprising of four store concepts, Mecca Cosmetica, Mecca Maxima and MECCA. There are plans to open a further 10 by Christmas.

Makeup Artist Violette Creates Flower Inspired YouTube Beauty Tutorial

Regardless of what your weather app says, we're officially three days into spring, which means that it's time to hit refresh on our makeup routines. And when it comes to inspirational, creative beauty looks, no one does it better than Violette, who took springtime makeup to a whole new level in her latest tutorial.
                                                 

The self-taught makeup artist says her source of inspo came from a bouquet of vibrant, pink blooms including anemones, garden roses, and tulips she spotted while on a visit to New York City's flower district with florist Nicolas Cogrel. "I want something that is between strong and soft, exactly like the beautiful flowers we picked today," she says in the video.

After applying concealer in key areas, Violette began the springtime color theme of rosy pinks and fuchsias with a swipe of pink blush, followed by face gloss as a highlighter. Then, she defined her eyes with a black eye pencil along the upper and lower lash lines, creating a subtle cat-eye shape before going in with eyeshadow. Ready for the fun part? She used Colourpop's She Pressed Powder Shadow Palette to apply a brick red shade over the smudged liner as a base color before layering a metallic bronze shade for a multi-dimensional look. Lastly, she added a petal-pink shimmer in the inner corner adds a "50 shades of pink" effect that perfectly echoes the vase of fresh flowers.

After swiping on a few coats of black mascara, Violette then revealed her secret tip for a natural glow: Apply an imperceptible line of gold glitter eyeliner on the cupid's bow and inner corners to create a subtle, is-it-really-there sparkle that evokes "the morning dew of flowers." Pink nude lipstick completes her look — and voilà.

Floral-inspired makeup can be tricky to get right — we're still not quite sure how we feel about the "terrarium eyes" beauty trend from last year. Needless to say, Violette's artistic reimagination is something we feel Miranda Priestly would most certainly deem as "groundbreaking."

How To Ensure Your Makeup Lasts All Day

Disappearing makeup is one of life’s little injustices. After exercising an almost inhuman amount of self-control by dutifully getting up early rather than hitting snooze, only for your painstakingly applied makeup to slide off by the time you grab your 4 PM snack, renders it something of a Sisyphean task. I don’t know anyone who’s not experienced this at some point – myself included. On the whole, my face can hold onto eyeliner (specifically Charlotte Tilbury Liquid Eye Pencil), mascara (Max Factor 2000 Calorie Curl Addict doesn’t crumble), and brow gel (Glossier Boy Brow can survive even the sweatiest of sauna sessions). Everything else? It’s a veritable Slip 'N Slide.
                                                 

Then, there’s the matter of setting sprays, which are pretty Marmite in the beauty community. Some people love them; others think they don’t really do anything. But Shareen says, "I’m a big fan of setting sprays – the Chantecaille Rosewater is great for setting makeup, or Cover FX Mattifying Setting Spray if you really need to lock in makeup. If you want your highlight to pop, spritz your face then apply powder highlighter while it’s still wet. It’s not a subtle look!"

Most of my makeup education came from my days working on the shop floor of a high-end beauty store. Being of a drier skin type, I used to avoid powder like the plague, but my colleagues showed me that a light dusting was the difference between your makeup looking like a Raphael or a Picasso after lunch. (I love By Terry Hyaluronic Powder, which has hydrating hyaluronic acid for ultimate smoothness).
"Powder is really key," says Shareen. "It’s the one thing most women don’t do enough of when it comes to applying makeup. It really doesn’t have to be cakey, just a light dusting of Chantecaille HD Powder over your face right at the end is all you need. I do my lipstick first, then once I’m done perfecting that a little, the makeup will have settled into my skin somewhat and I can concentrate the powder where it’s needed," she added.