South Sudanese women are ruling the fashion and beauty industries right now, from the runways in Paris to billboards in Times Square and even the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Flashback a few decades, and the women of South Sudan rarely saw themselves in ads for makeup or designer clothes. But models like Alek Wek and her niece Ajak Deng, refugees who escaped the country's long and brutal civil war, opened the door for women like Duckie Thot, a South Sudanese-Australian model who was recently named an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, and Nyma Tang, an influencer with almost one million subscribers.

Now, they're using their platforms to advocate for others, and bring much needed representation to an industry that has long excluded them. "I’m glad we’re at a point where I can see other women that look like me — that aren’t only me — modeling," Thot tells Refinery29. "The fashion and beauty industry has such an influence on everything happening today. To feel like you can see yourself, it’s the most important thing."

Beauty brands aren't just hiring these models to show off their existing makeup; they're also taking the time to formulate new pigmented products and rich base shades that work for them. And that's clear from the range of beauty products the women ahead are loving for fall. There are lipstick and eyeshadow shades that blaze against dark skin, a sunscreen that doesn't leave a white cast, and, of course, foundations that blend seamlessly into brown skin.

Ahead, four South Sudanese models and influencers tell us more about their approach to beauty and the makeup products they're buying right now.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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If you're already crafting an excuse to skip out on your friend's boyfriend's Halloween house party so that you can stay in with a bottle of Cabernet and a steamy bubble bath, the real holiday season has come early. Sure, that costume party might be fun for a couple hours, but will it leave you with baby soft skin that smells like a warm gingerbread cookie? No, it will not.

Luckily, for those of us who prioritize seasonal R&R over social interaction, Lush gets it. On October 5, our favorite shop for fun, fizzy bath balls and homemade shampoo bars dropped its full holiday bath and body collection — and it's everything a bath lover could dream of.

Not only are the newest limited-edition bath bombs more mesmerizing than last year, the scents — like zesty cranberry, golden pear, and spicy gingerbread — are especially mouthwatering. Not to mention, many of the soaps, lotions, and body sprays are both eco-friendly and give back to a good cause.

Ahead, shop our favorite picks from the just-launched Lush holiday line, because we're pretty sure the chic golden pear soap will sell out fast.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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So, You Want To Get A Bob...

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So, you want to get a bob. Who doesn't these days, right? Bella Hadid, Rowan Blanchard, Tessa Thompson — they've all got 'em, why shouldn't you? But like lipsticks or foundations, bobs are not a one-size-fits-all sort of deal. Instead, you've got to find what works for you, your routine, and your hair type.

To navigate the perfect bob haircuts, we turned to two top hairstylists for their expert opinions: Leanne Citrone, co-owner and stylist at Andy Lecompte Salon in Los Angeles, and Jon Reyman, founder of bicoastal salon Spoke & Weal. Both Citrone and Reyman categorize the trendy length as a shock-proof cut that won't leave you in tears, and might even inspire you to try more risk-tasking lengths in the future. Reyman likes to call it the "gateway drug" to different, more dramatic cuts.

And how do you know if you should take the plunge? "When you're ready, you're ready," says Citrone. Sound like you? Ahead, all the answers — and inspo — you need.

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Ivanka's schedule has not been made public, so each week, we will do our best to cover the public events and forums she attends, the meetings she has with lawmakers and government officials, and her social media presence.

Monday, October 1

Ivanka was silent on social media.

Tuesday, October 2

Ivanka praised her father's administration scoring a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico. She gave a special shoutout to her husband Jared Kushner.

"Your vision, conviction and persistence will deliver better jobs, higher wages and greater opportunities for American workers while increasing prosperity in the Western Hemisphere," she wrote.

Wednesday, October 3

Ivanka spent Wednesday visiting relief sites across North Carolina, which was hit by Hurricane Florence and its subsequent historical floods last month. She met with people displaced by the storm and volunteers at the recovery sites in the Mooresville area. She also spend time with members of the Mooresville Fire Department's search and rescue team, which played an important role in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. While in North Carolina, Ivanka took the time to visit the NASCAR Technical Institute to push the workforce initiative from the Trump administration.

Her husband also got a second shoutout on Twitter. "Proud of you, Jared!" Ivanka wrote in response to a short post thanking him for collaborating on the administration's trade deal.

There were also reports that Ivanka privately told her father that while she thinks Dr. Christine Blasey Ford had the right to be heard about the sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, she thought the nominee is a "good man."

Thursday, October 4

Ivanka shared a video of her visit to North Carolina on Instagram. She wrote: "I was inspired by the resilience of the people and their commitment to helping one another."

View this post on Instagram

Yesterday while visiting recovery sites in North Carolina, I was inspired by the resilience of the people and their commitment to helping one another. Thank you to the volunteers and first responders who have worked tirelessly to rebuild and renew hope in these communities. #USAStrong 🇺🇸💪

A post shared by Ivanka Trump (@ivankatrump) on Oct 4, 2018 at 8:27am PDT

She also praised the bipartisan effort to pass the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act, a $60 billion foreign development bill.

"Congratulations to legislators (on both sides of the aisle) for working together to pass the # BUILDAct," she tweeted. "This important legislation furthers the Admin’s commitment to reforming US development finance institutions + catalyzing private sector investment in emerging economies."

Friday, October 5

Ivanka celebrated the Labor Department's monthly hiring and unemployment figures, using the hashtag #Winning.

Unemployment @ 3.7%, lowest rate since 1969!

Women’s unemployment rate @ 3.6%, its 65-year low! #JobsReport #Winning https://t.co/291tENqZP4

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) October 5, 2018

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Here's a conundrum that would give Joseph Heller pause: You can use eye cream to tackle your dark circles and fine lines, or you can use concealer to cover them. But if you use the eye cream, you won't get instant gratification, and if you use the concealer, you won't get long-term results.

Of course, you could, technically, use both. But then that's an entire extra step to reckon with in your routine, and god, what a hassle that would be — especially when beauty brands have devised some very convenient ways to combine the two.

Click-pen illuminating concealers laced with moisturizing ingredients to swipe on skin care and swipe away dark circles in one single brush stroke, pots of pearl-infused cream with an added boost of pigment to color correct as you hydrate: These formulas are the best of both worlds, if one world is having good skin in the future and the other is having good skin five minutes from now. Ahead, seven easy ways to turn that double bind into a win-win...

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Welcome toMoney Diaries , where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.

We're going on book tour for our new book, Money Diaries: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Your Finances... and Everyone Else's. Next stop: Dallas on Tuesday, October 9! Grab your tickets here!

To celebrate World Teachers' Day on October 5, Refinery29 is publishing a special theme week of Money Diaries featuring teachers from across America. Today, we have a teacher who makes $36,000 per year and spent some of her back-to-school money on markers. We asked the OP some questions regarding her back-to-school spending, and here's what she had to say:

"I spent about $100 at the start of the year, however I will continue spending money on my classroom as the year goes on when I replenish supplies. I also sponsor a club, so when we host our Christmas party and other events, I will have to shell out for supplies for those.I can expect to spend up to $500 by the time the year is over.

"At the beginning of the year, I bought supplies like markers, colored pencils, construction paper, etc. Yes, I am a high school teacher, but I still like to work in as creative an environment as possible! I also make a pretty elaborate bulletin board in my classroom each year because I think it's fun (maybe I should be an elementary school teacher? I don't know) so I bought supplies to put that together. I also bought notebooks for students who couldn't afford them, and I keep a snack stash because I often have kids asking for them because they're hungry. Of course not all of them are food insecure, but I still like being able to hook them up, so I make sure to have snacks on hand.

"A lot of people think high schoolers are insane, hormonal bullies, and they definitely can be! But when they're not being giant pains, they are hilarious and smart and generous. It's those moments of laughter and connection that help you remember what is so great about them during the times they're making you want to bang your head against a wall (like when they are misbehaving because it's raining, or it's not raining and so that's exciting, or it's a full moon, or there's an assembly later, or it's an early release, or someone makes a funny noise, and on and on)."

Occupation: Teacher
Industry: Education
Age: 23
Location: Missouri
Salary: $36,000
Paycheck Amount (Monthly): $2,303

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $600
Student Loan Payment: $0 (We paid off my student loans in a lump sum using my husband's savings so we wouldn't have to pay interest.)
Internet: $79
Phone: $80
Car Insurance: $128
Rental Insurance: $11
Utilities: $35
Water: $25
Savings: $500, plus anything we can put in from my husband's paycheck. He's a PhD student, so he is not making much. We use his salary to contribute to savings and fully pay off our credit card bill each month so we don't carry a balance.

Day One

7 a.m. — I wake up way earlier than I usually do on the weekend. Most of the time I try to squeeze every moment of sleep I can out of weekend mornings to recuperate before another week, but I am actually glad to be awake. I use this unexpected time to jump in the shower before Mass. My husband, C., comes to find me, and is surprised that I'm awake this early.

10 a.m. — After eating a breakfast of toast and strawberry preserves, I wander into our guest bedroom that doubles as my husband's office to inquire about his plans for the day. He is pounding away at his keyboard, doing research for his dissertation. He usually sets aside his work on weekends to spend time with me, but he also likes to capitalize on my sleeping time to work a bit. We debate going to Mass, but a slow start to the day just sounds nice. We decide to wait and go on Tuesday evening instead if he can make it back from teaching in time.

1 p.m. — Our two dogs are out of pretty much everything they need, so we head to Walmart to restock the doggy staples. We buy dog food, flea chews, and tick spray. Living out in the country means they pick up unsavory critters quite frequently and, after much trial and error, I have found that these medicines do the trick. Still, the flea chews are pricey: 30 chews for $54. I give each dog half a chew three times a week, which makes them last longer. Our dogs are small. We also grab some stuff for my husband, including deodorant and a planner, since he will start teaching at his college soon and one of his goals is to be more organized. $100

2 p.m. — After Walmart, we hit up Aldi for groceries for the week. We may live in a small town (and, in my case, teach in an even smaller, adjacent one!) but there's an Aldi, so when I start missing living in the city, at least I can rejoice in the fact I have a place close by where I can pick up German treats and Winking Owl wine. You do what you can. But seriously, I would never move to a town that didn't have an Aldi — it's a big selling point. We pick up sweet potato chips (I could eat my weight in them), granola bars, pretzels for weekday work snacks, zucchini, sweet potatoes, baby carrots, red potatoes, hummus, a big tray of chicken thighs that are on sale, hamburger meat, buns, white rice, green beans, corn, prepackaged potstickers, and salad, and I talk my husband into a variety pack of Wild Grove ciders. Ciders are my weakness (okay, one of my weaknesses!), and they're perfect for fall. $83

6 p.m. — After a dinner of pot stickers and salad, I finish up lesson plans for the week and settle in on the couch to watch a movie with my husband and the dogs. We love movies, especially older ones. One of the small perks of my husband working at the college is his access to their rather extensive movie collection where he can check out selections for free, so he is always bringing home movies for us to watch. Tonight we watch The Thin Man, a charming and funny 1934 mystery/rom-com. Everyone is lavishly rich, and I love the ex-detective's wife. I want to be her when I grow up (and once I come into my millions).

9:30 p.m. — I lay at my clothes for tomorrow, set my alarm, and head to bed. I fall asleep while thinking about school tomorrow, as I usually do.

Daily Total: $183

Day Two

5:40 a.m. — My alarm goes off, and I snooze it once until 5:45 before getting up. My husband gets up to let the dogs out of their room (they sleep in the laundry room) and start the coffee. He doesn't work today, so he'll spend the day writing and making sure the dogs get plenty of human time. I put on makeup. I don't use much, just cover up, mascara, and a bit of blush. I put my hair up and put on a dress. My husband sticks my breakfast in my purse (just a granola bar and a clementine) so I can eat it at work. I don't like eating this early, so I save it until I'm in my classroom. I head out the door around 6:20.

7 a.m. — After my 30-minute drive to work, I'm in my classroom prepping. I eat my granola bar and make sure I have everything ready for my lessons. I teach 10th and 12th grade English and this is our second full week of school, so we're just starting to get into the meat and potatoes of the curriculum. I make last-minute copies as my students start to arrive.

12 p.m. — Time for my 22-minute lunch break! I taught my four morning classes and have three more to go after this. The students have been well-behaved, but they're groggy since it's Monday. We are still in the honeymoon phase of the school year where students are, for the most part, trying to be the best versions of themselves, and I remind myself to enjoy it while it lasts. I eat my pretzels and hummus packed from home. Towards the end of my lunch break, a student stops by to ask if I want to buy a first aid kit for a fundraiser. I can never say no to fundraisers — the kids are always so sweet, and I'm pretty sure they see "sucker" written across my forehead from a mile away, so they're always hitting me up to buy stuff. At least this fundraiser is practical, and I'm pretty sure I don't own a first aid kit, so I put my name down for one. I buy the smaller version that's less expensive, but still feel glad contributing. $15

3 p.m. — School's out! My eighth period is usually a great way to end the day — they are one of the few classes that find all my jokes funny (teaching is one part instruction and three parts theater, or however that quote goes) and we click well. I used to stay until at least 4 every day last year, but I am trying to leave earlier this year.

4 p.m. — My husband has skillet potatoes, zucchini, and hamburgers ready to eat when I get home. (He does a lot of the cooking and is, in my opinion, a world class potato chef.) We eat between 4:30 and 5 pretty much every night like we are 100 years old. I am usually pretty hungry after a day of teaching and the scant lunches I pack. After dinner we take the dogs for a walk and watch Frasier.

9:30 p.m. — I watch an episode of Gilmore Girls(my comfort show) before bed while my husband types for his dissertation. I say goodnight to him, lay out my clothes, and head to bed. My husband doesn't need nearly as much sleep as I do to keep both eyes open, so he will probably crawl into bed sometime around 11.

Daily Total: $15

Day Three

5:40 a.m. — Alarm goes off and this time I don't snooze it. My husband gets up to start the coffee and tend to the dogs. He is working today, so he joins in the morning hustle as I put on makeup and get dressed. I grab my breakfast and lunch, and then we put the dogs in their room, give them each a milk bone and a kiss goodbye, and head out together. I say goodbye to C. and he drives to his college while I head to school.

10 a.m. — I get a text from C. that his therapy went well. He tells me about the expense, since I am paying for it. I thank him for letting me know and continue teaching for the day. $100

4 p.m. — Home again. C. is making dinner again, since he beat me home. (He's a saint.) We stand in the kitchen and talk about our days and whether we want to go to Mass. Usually we go to Mass at least once a week, but with our school years starting back up, we've been feeling a pull to stay home when we can. We feel somewhat guilty and decide to go on Sunday, no questions asked. The Catholic guilt is real. I jump in the shower, and then we eat salads with avocado and grilled zucchini when I get out.

6 p.m. — We wander around outside with the dogs and watch our puppy chase birds. Don't worry, she never gets anywhere close to them and I'm pretty sure the birds land in our yard so they can laugh at her as they fly lazily away out of her reach. I go inside to get my book. (I'm rereading The Lord of the Rings series and I'm currently on The Two Towers.) I usually don't read on weeknights since, after a day of teaching high schoolers, staring at the wall often sounds much more preferable, but I want to take advantage of the cooler weather outside and make some headway on my book.

Daily Total: $100

Day Four

5:40 a.m. — Alarm. Dogs jump on me while I put on makeup, husband helps me pack my breakfast (yogurt today, woohoo!) and lunch, and I'm out the door.

7 a.m. — The curriculum director stops by my classroom to ask how it's going with the new online book technology we got this year for the sophomores. She wants me to teach the other English teacher how to do it, and I am happy to — once I figure out how to use it myself! I tell her I will meet with the teacher later in the week after I have a couple days to play around with it and try out the website in my lessons. I don't consider myself technologically savvy, but I love learning how to use new educational resources, especially when they help students access and enjoy text more. Less moaning and groaning from students whenever they hear the word "read" = happy teacher.

12 p.m. — Lunch time. I quickly eat my pretzels, hummus, and leftover skillet potatoes while I reflect on the morning. My classes were a bit of a wash today, and the majority of our time was eaten up with setting up the online textbook. It's disappointing to spend so much time navigating technological difficulties, but we got it figured out.

1 p.m. — Drama class. The students are practicing a scene today, and they are very unfamiliar with blocking and stage directions. We laugh and fumble our way through the script as students try to figure out how to say their lines and move around the stage at the same time. We reflect on what to do better for next time and call it a day.

4:30 p.m. — Arrive home, and C. has chicken tempura made. We eat and watch Fraiser. After dinner, we pack lunches and dinners for the next two days. C. works Thursday and Friday each week, so he stays overnight Thursdays in his office. In an effort to save money, we pack him lunch and dinner for Thursday, and breakfast and lunch for Friday. I pack his Tupperware and check with him to make sure he thinks he has enough to eat. Luckily, C. is totally willing to eat leftovers, so we make it work.

9:30 a.m. — C. and I go to bed at the same time, since he has to drive first thing in the morning tomorrow.

Daily Total: $0

Day Five

5:40 a.m. — We are both up and moving. We grab our breakfast (granola bar and clementine again for me) and Tupperware lunches and head for the door after putting the dogs in their room and giving them their bones and a couple extra kisses. I won't see C. again until our weekends start, so I am a bit sad to see him go. We're still adjusting to this schedule.

12 p.m. — Lunch time of pretzels and hummus. When I was a student teacher, a teacher told me about the educator diet, where you barely eat during the day and then get home in the evening and inhale your refrigerator. I am definitely following that pretty closely.

3 p.m. — Final bell. I breathe a sigh of relief. I have this theory, developed last year in my first year of teaching and substantiated since then, that Thursdays are in fact the worst days for student behavior, not Fridays. I guess they can smell the weekend on the wind and are resentful that it's going to take them two more days to get there. I can understand that at least, but still, Thursdays are sometimes pretty rough.

4 p.m. — I rush home to let the dogs out since my husband won't be home. I have $20 burning a hole in my wallet, and I am so tempted to stop and get extra treats for my weekly Gilmore Girls binge that I partake in when my husband isn't home, but I resist and remind myself I have ice cream in the freezer.

6 p.m. — My Gilmore Girls binge is in full effect. I eat spaetzle and drink a cider. My dogs hang out with me on the bed and my puppy watches the TV. I think she has a crush on Logan.

8:30 — Asleep surrounded by dogs (but no husband) at 8:30. Whoever said the life of a teacher wasn't glamorous?

Daily Total: $0

Day Six

5:55 a.m. — I sleep in a bit, since today is a short day with the kiddos.

6:30 a.m. — Out the door with my trusty granola bar and clementine for breakfast. It's drizzling a bit, and then as soon as a I get about 15 minutes into my drive, the sky opens up with torrential rain, hail, and whipping wind. I slow way down and wonder if I am going to die while also realizing I didn't bring an umbrella. The rain has not let up at all when I pull up to school and I sprint for it while my shoes fill up with water.

7:30 a.m. — I help a student who came in early while attempting to dry my shoes with paper towels. Still soaking wet.

1 p.m. — The kids are let out early, and I rejoice. The flooding and the impending weekend had them so amped up that it was a ton of work to contain them. I head off to an afternoon of professional development.

4 p.m. — I stop to get gas and then head home. C. won't be home for another couple of hours, and I'm not hungry, so I take the dogs out for a long walk. We walk along the gravel roads until we get to the creek, which is really full from all the rain. The dogs take advantage of it by wading around. I send my husband pictures of the flooding and he calls and says he's eager to get home and see it. I walk home hot and sweaty but I enjoy the feeling of stretching my legs. $25

6 p.m. — My husband gets home, and we eat grilled vegetables and chicken. Then we drive down to the creek again and meander around. We watch a train pass by and wave at the engineer.

9:30 — Like all good Friday night revelers, we turn in early.

Daily Total: $25

Day Seven

9 a.m. — Finally awake, I enjoy a more substantial breakfast of cereal and coffee while my husband and I watch Fraiser.

12 p.m. — My husband reads for his research, and I hang with the dogs and nap.

2 p.m. — We head to Aldi and get sweet potato chips, granola bars, avocado, salad, lemons, potato salad, hummus, pretzels, dish soap, and ice cream. $30

4 p.m. — We eat an early dinner of salad and Indian chicken, and I have ice cream for dessert (but my husband doesn't because he's lactose intolerant). We watch Funny Face while we eat. I've never seen it, but I love Audrey Hepburn because I am basic.

7 p.m. — Another long walk with the dogs, which they are very enthusiastic about. We walk and make plans for the rest of the long weekend (sing praise!) and stop the dogs from eating buggies (they are constantly trying to get extra "nutrition" this way). We get home watch a few episodes of Fraiser while I do some grading and brush the dogs.

Daily Total: $30

Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women's experiences 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.

Have a Money Diary you'd like to share? Right now, in addition to our ongoing diaries, we're looking for potential diarists along the following theme:

Your Spending In Your State: We want to run one Money Diary from a different state each week. Want to rep your state? Submit here! In particular, we're looking for diaries from Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Mississippi.

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Have you been working for at least 8 years and seen your salary increase or fluctuate? If so, fill out this form for a chance to be featured on our Salary Story series!

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here: r29.co/mdfaqs

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In Refinery29's Sweet Digs, we take a look inside the sometimes small, sometimes spacious homes of millennial women. In today's episode, Chinae Alexander shows off her luxe New York City home.

Do you live in Dallas or Austin and have some sweet digs you'd like to share? Submit yours here.

"Reasonable" is relative — especially in major cities, especially when talking about rent. For influencer, blogger, and social media wiz Chinae Alexander, "reasonable" for a New York apartment is roughly $3,300 for 1,000 square feet. It helps, she says, when she works from home, too. "I moved in May 2018," Alexander says. "I was living downstairs and wanted to upgrade into a bigger spot with more light."

The resulting home is one filled with art, soft mood lighting, and floor-to-ceiling windows — plus a spacious dining space for people to gather, mingle, and eat. "I love people, and having people feel like they have a space where they can come, be taken care of, and feel at home is just an amazing gift to be able to provide in a city like NYC," Alexander says. Watch the video above to tour her space in 360-degrees.

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Ever feel like you only own two types of shoes? Aka the worn-in, old reliables you brave your everyday commute in and the on-trend, pristine pair tucked under your desk for that quick office switch-up. While there's nothing wrong with compartmentalizing your footwear, in a perfect world, these two shoes would simply be one in the same: comfortable enough for you to forgo that emergency bandaid in your purse and chic enough for you to wear with that cool corduroy blazer you just scored.

With that top of mind, we've teamed up with Clarks to prove that you don't have to compromise when it comes to shoes that can offer both comfort and style — in fact, far from it. Elevate your aesthetic (and, in turn, your hustle) with footwear made for the girl on the go. Think: slip-on suede styles with rubber soles, lace-up leather ankle booties, and breathable burgundy boots ready for absolutely anything. Check out all the versatile styles ahead, and snag yourself some shoes that can do double duty.

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Jeremy Scott Just Teased A First Look At H&M x Moschino

Who Knew Raincoats Could Be This Cool?

Update: Ahead of the launch of Moschino's collaboration with H&M on November 8, designer Jeremy Scott offered a first look at the collection on Instagram. On Friday, Scott shared a photo of Gigi Hadid, shot by Steven Meisel, writing "I created this collection as a gift to my fans." A second image features models Imaan Hammam, Rianne Van Rompaey, Soo Joo, Vittoria Ceretti, and Stella Maxwell dressed head-to-toe in metallics, leather, and some over-the-top accessories (just look at those peace sign earrings). Given this is Moschino, though, we expect nothing less.

View this post on Instagram

SO EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE FIRST IMAGE OF MY H&MOSCHINO AD CAMPAIGN SHOT BY STEVEN MEISEL STARRING @gigihadid WITH HAIR & MAKE UP BY @guidopalau & @patmcgrathreal SETS BY @maryhoward_setdesign AND STYLED BY THE LEGENDARY @carlynecerfdedudzeele 🌟 I CAN’T WAIT AS I UNVEIL MORE OF THE COLLECTION PRIOR TO THE NOVEMBER 8 TH LAUNCH 🚀 I CREATED THIS COLLECTION FOR THE FANS AS MY GIFT TO THEM 💘 #HMOSCHINO @moschino 📺 @HM

A post shared by Jeremy Scott (@itsjeremyscott) on Oct 5, 2018 at 7:47am PDT

This article was originally published April 15, 2018.

If you are obsessed with Coachella fashion, then you've probably heard of designer Jeremy Scott. Friend to the stars and 12-time Coachella attendee, the creative director of Moschino is known for his over-the-top aesthetic and just-as-extra celebrity clientele.

In an announcement made by model Gigi Hadid at Moschino’s annual Coachella party (see what we mean), it wasn't his casual #nipslip that made headlines — the areola has its own Instagram, by the way — but the news that Scott was revealed as H&M’s latest collaborator, with a capsule collection dropping on November 8. A more formal statement was reported Sunday in Vogue.

For those familiar with Scott's work for Moschino and his namesake label, diehard fans probably saw this one coming: Scott has admitted to designing an entire collection using fashion inspiration drawn from the music festival. In fact, he considers Coachella “the most glam hands-down.” Part of Scott’s motivation to work with H&M was his desire to reach younger fans that can't afford high end fashion.

Of his reason for joining forces with the mega retailer, Scott told Vogue, “This collaboration makes me feel like I’m able to give something again. Lots of young people love my clothes...and we make phone cases and little things like that, but in order to have a ‘lewk,’ I love that this is now something that will be affordable."

The designer made a name for himself while working with icons including Björk, Beyoncé, Madonna, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and more, with his collections often inspired by American history and pop culture. Moschino’s fall/winter 2018 presentation, for example, was Scott's tongue-in-cheek take on an anti-Trump sentiment, where he questioned whether the late Jackie O'Nassis was an alien or an android.

In addition to Moschino, Scott has also designed for Adidas and Ugg and he's the latest in the growing list of notable designers H&M has enlisted to design their hit, one-off collections, including Alexander Wang, Maison Martin Margiela, Jimmy Choo, and Versace.

Moschino x H&M will include womenswear and menswear, with casual to dressier "lewks" ranging from $25 to $300. The collection stands to be a merge of the affordable fashion H&M shoppers have grown to expect along with the trendy fashion Moschino is loved for.

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We love a good sale. Which is why we're always on the prowl for a worthy steal a.k.a. ones that make you feel like a champion shopper, slaying style on a budget. Our brand new Sale Stalker collection is a shopping page devoted entirely to the best of the best on-sale finds, refreshed daily.

Weeding through the endless stacks of online sales can be an exhausting, and daunting, task — there's a reason it's called bargain hunting. So to save you the time and effort, we're tapping our editors to curate the top sale picks of the day that are worthy of adding to cart.

From the latest jewelry trend markdowns to the going, going, gone pair of boots you've been eyeing and more, Sale Stalker is here to make a stylish wardrobe more affordable with a round-up of our must-have discounted style buys. So spare yourself the headache of sifting through your latest overflow of e-mail promo deals and bookmark Sale Stalker, asap.

And once you're done scoping out your new outfit, be sure to stop by our Home Sale Stalker page, too, for all the best decor, tech, and furniture goodies.

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A post shared by CÉLINE (@oldceline) on Oct 4, 2018 at 10:25am PDT

Between Chanel's beach-themed extravaganza and Saint Laurent sending its models down a runway covered in water, there was no shortage of moments from Paris Fashion Week (and Fashion Month as a whole) that had us holding the "record" button on Instagram Stories. But if there was one moment that truly had people talking, it was Hedi Slimane's debut at Celine.

After Slimane's first collection, so many members of the fashion community were mourning the end of an era — the Phoebe Philo era. It was only a matter of time, then, before someone found a way to immortalize the designer's iconic tenure at Céline.

Toronto-based Gabrielle Boucinha launched Instagram account @oldceline in early September. Since then, Boucinha, who graduated in the spring from Ryerson University and aspires to work in fashion editorial, has gained a loyal following of fashion insiders (as of publishing time, it had over 55,000 followers and counting). The account, which is an ode to the creative director's time at the iconic French house, couldn't have come at a better time, as bloggers and publications shared their (often emotional, offended, frustrated) thoughts in book-long Instagram stories and captions, and even posting photos of their favorite Phoebe Philo pieces. Before we knew it, we saw the likes of Pernille Teisbaek and Nasiba Adilova tagging @oldceline, and it became a way for all of us processing this drastic change to come together. It highlights a singular, shared respect for what Céline once was — and is no longer.

Below, we caught up with Boucinha to talk about the most timely new Instagram account of fashion month and the end of Céline as we know it.

When did you start the account @oldceline?
"I launched the account on September 3, at the start of fashion month, and the following has grown rapidly since then. It was crazy to see so many of my favorite people in fashion following the account, from Virgil Abloh and Tommy Ton to Julie Pelipas, Camille Charriere, Pernille Teisbaek, Ezra Petronio, and Leandra Medine. I really want to work in editorial, so seeing my favorite writers and editors tagging and following the account was pretty special."

Can you tell us a bit more about why you started the account and the thinking behind it?
"For me, it was somewhat of a place to store all the images and inspirations that I love from Phoebe's time at Céline. I just wanted to start to get everything all in one place. I didn’t think the following would have grown into what it's at today — I just set out to do it for personal reasons — but now I’m very excited about what I can do with this platform!"

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A post shared by CÉLINE (@oldceline) on Oct 4, 2018 at 9:41pm PDT

What exactly did you love about Phoebe Philo?
"It may seem drastic, but I like to compare Phoebe Philo to Gabrielle Chanel. In my eyes, she's actually even better. Phoebe Philo empowered women, turning Céline into one of the most coveted labels.

"I had the Joan Didion campaign pages pinned above my desk during school; that campaign might be what inspired me most to ensure that I’m always pushing myself to think outside the box, and to one day use fashion to make a positive change. Phoebe changed the meaning of the word 'chic' and proved that an interest in fashion does not lower one's intelligence or keep her from having other interests. She designed for the modern woman.

"Phoebe’s Céline was all about being confident, strong, proud, and powerful. You can apply that ethos to everything in life, and I think Phoebe’s Céline had this empowering culture behind it. Her version of Céline promoted a less is more approach, and the idea of empowerment through natural beauty. It was very liberating to see a fashion house present women with what they actually want to wear. We don't want to wear a tight sequined mini dress. We want to wear a dragging-on-the-floor dress with sneakers. At least, I do. She challenged the meaning of sexy. Her combination of masculine and feminine designs that shouted female empowerment was truly iconic."

What is your vision for the Instagram account?
"I am almost done creating the website oldceline.com, where I’ll be posting the merch collection I’ve been working on. I’m very excited for it to be completed! I’d also love to sell secondhand Céline from the Phoebe era as well."

What are your thoughts on Hedi Slimane?
"He is a talented designer, of course. But Hedi has a very specific dark, rock and roll aesthetic. I don’t think it’s innovative to carry the same 'look' to another house, and especially not Céline. The pieces from his debut collection at Celine exactly mirrored some from his last collection at Saint Laurent. Where's the creativity?

"I was disappointed by his first collection, but nothing he did was surprising. It's not that I ever thought he could replace or live up to Phoebe, but this collection was the opposite of everything that the brand has stood for up until this point. These new designs don't even compare when looked at next to images of Phoebe's collections, which were strong, powerful, and beautiful with minimal effort. They were for women dressed for themselves and no one else (unlike Hedi's new pieces which still seem to dress women, well, for men)."

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A post shared by CÉLINE (@oldceline) on Oct 4, 2018 at 11:09am PDT

What do you hope for the future of your account — and for the future of Celine?
"I hope the future of the account provides a platform for all Philophiles worldwide to celebrate what we had with the old Céline. I don’t think there has been this level of backlash in a while, even despite how often creative changes happen in fashion. Old Céline had such loyal customers because it was truly unique and progressive and was exactly what fashion (and the world in general) needed. It’s not even about Hedi. It’s about what women wanted, and now have collectively lost."

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We love a good sale. Which is why we’re always on the prowl for a worthy steal — a.k.a. ones that make you feel like a champion shopper, slaying style on a budget. Our brand new Sale Stalker collection is a shopping page devoted entirely to the best of the best on-sale finds, refreshed daily.

Why buy full-priced goods for your apartment when there are so many discounted finds to be scooped up from our favorite stores? Because keeping up with the home sale Joneses can feel like a second job. Instead of weeding through an overwhelming amount of sites, pages, and products to find that unique piece for the right price, now you can shop our top picks for the trendiest home finds on sale today.

We've scouted out everything your dream home desires: from funky furniture to unique decor and more, all with freshly-slashed $$$$ tags. In need of a boutique-quality rug for a fraction of the price? We'll find it. How about a bespoke apartment warming steal? Done. Making stylish spaces affordable no longer needs to be your night job — save that time and energy for your day gig by checking out our curated Sale Stalker home hit-list.

And once you're done scooping up all that new apartment swag, be sure to stop by our Sale Stalker fashion page, too, for the most stylish wardrobe steals of the season.

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At the start of a new season, especially one with as many buy-worthy new arrivals as fall, it's easy to get a little (okay, a lot) carried away. There are just so many options — and we want them all. Jackets, trousers, boots...and that's just the beginning. You still have to think about new colors, fabrics, and patterns to introduce into your freshly fall-ified wardrobe. It adds up. So to make the process a bit more affordable, we're keeping the most important fall essential (sweaters, duh!) under $100. Wanna know how? They're all from Zara.

Like everything else at Zara, their knitwear holds a special place in our hearts. Not only are the prices not too shabby, but we don't have to scrap on style just to save. Whether you're in the market for a cropped sweater or an oversized turtleneck, guaranteed it's somewhere in the mix ahead. So go on, splurge on those cowboy boots you've been eyeing or finally invest in a big faux fur coat. You deserve it after all of this responsible saving.

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In a time of great turmoil for women and marginalized populations, people are taking to the streets, to their congressional offices, and to their social media feeds to protest. While most women are making their voices louder, Cat Power is doing what she’s done with grace and casual virtuosity for two decades now: looking quietly inward.

On Wanderer, her tenth album, Cat Power explores the same sonic territory she’s occupied since 2003’s You Are Free; it is driven by straightforward guitar melodies, tambourines, and her whisper-quiet voice. Since her 2012 album, Sun, Cat Power, whose real name is Chan Marshall, has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and become the mother to a son. It’s also her first album since 1996 not to be released on her longtime record label, Matador. Creative differences led her in search of a new home, and she landed at Domino Records, home to the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand. For Marshall, there has long been a freedom in the male-dominated world of indie rock that has allowed her to write and produce her own records, which is also the case with Wanderer. If Marshall’s music tells us anything about how it feels to be a woman in music with autonomy, it tells us there’s a sense of peace to it.

Marshall does explore some of the day’s politics on the album. On “In Your Face,” the divisive nature of discourse among political ideologies (“In the age of military, you are engaged / With such fanfare activity / You let them do things as they please / In a grave, you’re accounted for / If you were red, you’d be spoken for / Your color blue is grey"). Empowerment, out of the ashes of a broken relationship, also gets a hard look from Marshall, in a duet with Lana Del Rey on “Woman” ("Your cage is like a weapon, / a tool to get me, shaped and fit for the other ones / Well my cage is a weapon, it’s perfect for me / It’s the one suit you seem to never see"). And even economic inequality bears mention, in the tale of “Robin Hood” (“Big fat cat, biggest piece of the pie, high top hat, leaves no disguise / Who robbing, he robbing you.”). Her cover of Rihanna’s “Stay” has probably gotten the most press, and is an imaginative reinterpretation of the song that makes it somehow slightly less morose but still terribly sad.

The gist of the album’s sensibility, however, can be found in the title track, which serves as both intro and outro; Marshall is a wanderer in the world who stumbles into the various scenarios and setups of the day, only to wander right back out. There’s a weary listlessness to both the music and the lyrics, that mimics my worst days in the current news cycle. Marshall captures the feeling of “it’s all too much” and somehow puts them into musical vignettes that are far more angst-ridden than her dulcet voice belies.

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Calling all R29 loyalists! If you've ever wanted a way to wear your love for our brand on your sleeve (or chest, or back), then we're stoked to share that we've officially launched a merch shop.

From our new Money Diaries book to the R29er tee, we're on a mission to take our Refinery29 DNA from the screen to IRL. Starting today, you can shop our new collection of comfy merch on Amazon. The unisex collection of hoodies and tees feature an array of in-house created designs and slogans that embrace our freak flag fly high mentality. Now you too, can be a part of #InsideR29.

Apart from our in-house creations, we also launched a special capsule based off our most recent 29Rooms: "Expand Your Reality," featuring exclusive designs by Shawna X. Find the entire Refinery29 collection at our #InsideR29 shop page.

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After my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to matchmake people with music they might like. So, I wrote a book calledRecord Collecting for Girls and started interviewing musicians. The Music Concierge is a column where I share music I'm listening to that you might enjoy, with a little context. Follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or leave me a comment below and tell me what you're listening to this week.

Jessie Ware "Overtime"

In 2012, for at least a full year, I obsessively listened to Jessie Ware's debut album, Devotion. It was full of songs inspired by late '80s and early '90s dance floor throwback jams of the sort that now litter Ryan Murphy's TV shows. She pivoted to a more ballad-y place for her last two romantic albums, but this new track from her? Back on that dance floor shit. And I am way into it, because I need to dance like a maniac to sweat out the anger the last few weeks in the news have made me feel. The track has strong Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam vibes, but as produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis working on some early Janet Jackson records —meaning: sultry af, but also pop af.

Sharon Van Etten "Comeback Kid"

You know what? For this track, I'm going to let Sharon Van Etten tell it to you in her own words: "I want to be a mom, a singer, an actress, go to school, but yeah, I have a stain on my shirt, oatmeal in my hair and I feel like a mess, but I'm here. Doing it. This record is about pursuing your passions." After a few listens, I'm feeling passionate about her deadpan delivery, fresh as the first time I heard it, and those great synth sounds on the chorus of this song. Another one for my dance playlist!

Justine Skye "Build"

What does the perfect man look like for you? Do you have a list in mind of things that always make you always swipe left? Do you have dealbreakers? Justine Skye eloquently runs down her list in this track, only to come to the realization that since she can't make the perfect man she'll work on making herself better instead. Probably the most progressive love song I've heard in a minute and with a hell of a beat — which sounds like something Raphael Saadiq would have wrought — driving it forward at a steady pace.

Lea Thomas "Upstream"

And now for a little shot of pretty: Lea Thomas reminds me of Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez. She's got that gorgeous, smooth voice and the picking fingers of a truly inspired artist. Thomas played nearly all the instruments on this track (and her whole album), which is impressive for any artist. It's not easy to go from this sort of intricate guitar work to a slide guitar to a bass to drums. But it is empowering.

Savannah Conley "Never Be Ourselves"

Savannah Conley is working out her Nancy Sinatra dreams and Dusty Springfield wishes with this video, but I'll be damned if her vocals aren't a head turner. That somber timbre in her voice is offset by a guitar line in a major key, creating the perfect wistful song in the country/folk tradition. Save this one for your next breakup playlist.

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To whom is the beginning of fall crueler: the kid who has to fill their backpack with heavy books and freshly sharpened pencils and haul ass to another first day of school, or the adult whose life is pretty much the same, just colder? On the one hand, shopping for new clothes and school supplies when you're 12 can bring about some fleeting sense of materialistic joy that will be long gone by the time the first Milky Pen runs dry; on the other, being an adult means... you don't have to go to school.

Anyway, both are bad — different, but bad. But if you're too old to get a kick out of the simple delight of a fresh three-ring binder, all is not lost: Shopping for fall skin care can have much of the same appeal (though wouldn't it be nice if your mom was still footing the bill this time around?). Ulta Beauty is teeming with new arrivals to kick off sweater season right — and, with many of the products ahead ringing in under $20, you can have your Milky Pens and your all-natural facial cleanser, too.

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Ever since the fateful 1999 Vogue feature that credited her with “The Return of the Sexy Model,” Gisele Bündchen has been a Very Big Deal. Nearly twenty years later, the Brazilian superstar has walked hundreds of runways, worn millions of dollars worth of incredible clothes, made a ton of money, and inspired countless women everywhere to beg their hairstylists for "beachy waves, just like Gisele's."

Gisele may have effectively retired from the modeling biz in 2015, but the A-lister has been spending a lot of time in the spotlight these past couple of months while doing the rounds to promote her tell-all memoir, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, which was officially released October 2nd. Perhaps Gisele's finest hour was not her mid-'00s modeling heyday — maybe it's happening as we speak. She's on her path; now she's ready to help you find yours. (Save us, Gisele!)

This week, we celebrate Gisele's completion of the path to published author. With that, we also celebrate all the beauty products she uses and the talented team of experts she employs, as well as the offhanded comments she makes once in a while that make you realize, Wow, she really did just wake up looking like that.

Ahead, a tribute to the unique approach one very beautiful person takes to becoming even more beautiful. Don't get too excited: This is not something you can just print out and take to your hairdresser.

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“You get authority from the stuff you put on the runway,” wrote Cathy Horyn in her joint review of the Maison Margiela and Saint Laurent collections at the recently-concluded Paris Fashion Week. Designers are not just arbiters of skirt lengths and bell sleeves; the most prominent ones can, through their clothing, encapsulate and influence female selfhood. Fashion can be approached as a delightful diversion, but it does not exist separately from the realities of what is going on in the world — and a lot going on in the world right now is unimaginably grim.

Over the course of this past Fashion Month, the runways unveiling the spring/summer 2019 collections featured some stereotypically "sexy" clothes — mini shorts, teetering heels, skin-baring pieces. Given the continuing conversations around misogyny, consent, and gender equality, contemporary identity is shifting — and so is the attire that goes with it. Diet Prada wrote, with not a little contempt, in an Instagram post: “Maybe there was something in the @thombrowneny show notes we didn't see, but we're finding it hard to grasp the need to show women literally bound and gagged on the runway at this particular moment in time. In an era where women’s accusations are consistently doubted and dissected at every step, this showing reads as tone deaf. If this was somehow a response to end the silencing of women, it missed the mark.” (Some of the hashtags to match: #metoo #registertovote #callyoursenator #mask #horror).

At Hedi Slimane’s Celine debut, Vanessa Friedman mourned — like many — the loss of Phoebe Philo: “She gave Celine an identity that for women meant a great deal, because it was clearly for them, not an image of them,” she discerned. It was, ultimately, “something that spoke more generously to those with multi-dimensional lives” (as opposed to, as she compared with a slight jab, the “pouty, infantilizing” looks by Slimane.) Slimane’s collection for the label instigated not just an aesthetic shove but a psychological one: sophisticated women were bulldozed for a more juvenile look. It was yet another instance of trivializing women when we want to be considered with more subtlety. “Slimane doesn’t seem particularly interested in addressing the mundane issues in a woman’s life,” Robin Givhan wrote. “His designs are about his vision.” “His vision” — ah, the bull-headed men thinking they’re the gatekeepers of what’s best for everyone, especially female bodies. It’s front row ostrich ignorance.

Viewing women’s sexuality through a masculine perspective is a problem. It’s time to parse with greater severity what is empowering to women versus pleasing to men. Not in order to police fashion, but rather to reach into the underbelly and ask: What do you want? The accent should go to the third word: What do you want? A woman wants to be desirable to a certain extent, but what does she want to say about herself? Being sexy might not look the same when that question is deconstructed with honesty. This is when we realize: MY GOD, put women in charge of fashion houses so they’re designing for their peers.

“Sexiness” used to be equated with bad taste — admittedly, in the present tense too — but it is now maybe considered, more than that, outside the zeitgeist. Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent’s creative director, pulled heavily from the well of YSL's 1960s and ‘70s louche archive, when women luxuriated in the sexual revolution. Friedman remarked that “showing the most leg, the most cleavage, the most sheer, made for a revolutionary statement back in the 20th century, but not a particularly nuanced or relevant one in the 21st… it was hard not to think that as women have moved on, so should the clothes that allow them to express their physicality.” Does a model outfitted in feathered pasties (see: Look 51 for Saint Laurent), or wearing two oversized little-girl bows across her chest (see: Look 41 for Saint Laurent) feel empowered? It would be somewhat surprising to hear. That's not to say women should cower or refrain from wearing whatever the fuck they want to celebrate their own bodies. “It’s that thing: whether you’d actually want to dress the way Vaccarello sees women or not, you have to defend the right of those who do,” wrote Sarah Mower in her review of the Saint Laurent collection for Vogue. Moreover, sexual assault is never triggered by what we a woman was wearing — that’s not its problem.

In her review of Dries Van Noten, Friedman stated: “it is almost a shock to see a collection made with a three-dimensional woman and not a two-dimensional image in mind.” What a depressing sentence! Designers cannot dress the female body today as if the spike in feminist activity never happened. There are designers like Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior and the ever-odd Rick Owens who provide different templates that strengthen female identity instead of flattening it. It was nearly half a century ago that feminist British film theorist Laura Mulvey coined the term “male gaze” in an essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” She wrote: “In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact.” A twitch has been imposed upon the male gaze. A woman's erotic impact is not all she is.

The reclamation of anger in culture and pop culture means that the opposite of “sexy” is not “covered-up” or “demure” — it’s self-possessed. Women are requiring crucial, large-scale change. Expressing sexuality is our right, yet our priorities have shifted as lawmakers are coming for our reproductive rights, our political agency. We’re trying to redress just how starkly underrepresented we are professionally, across all industries. We’re ringing the alarm because we’ve been excluded and cast aside. Quintessential political subversions and revisions — from the energizing surge of Women’s Marches to deeply reported investigations of all-powerful predators — forced many women to pivot from their quotidian complacency pretty damn quickly. Those who feel unaffected and complacent within this context are not putting forth anything interesting (or capable of empathy, for that matter).

What does it mean to be daring today? Rebecca Traister wrote: “Women — 27 years after Anita Hill, 12 years after Tarana Burke’s Me Too, and one year into #MeToo — are refusing to stop speaking about their experiences, their perspectives, their memories. By doing so, they’re expanding the boundaries of what kinds of stories must be taken seriously — and bringing a much fuller picture of female humanity into view.” To be daring is to voice harrowing, previously-muffled realities about men who have silenced women, about business structures that have systematically paid women less despite doing good work. This exposure that requires risk is not skin-baring: It’s emotional luggage, exiting the strongbox of the psyche even at the risk of being pilloried by misogynists and trolls.

Fashion needs more anarchy. This is an industry powered by, and targeted at, women, and yet it still doesn't serve them well. It is an industry with a noxious amount of environmental waste and racism, and it keeps promising to do better while ultimately doing very little in practice.

There was no oracle to anticipate that Paris Fashion Week would dovetail with the debate over a Supreme Court nomination or as Bill Cosby was sentenced for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand. Moreover, these phenomena color a uniquely American political landscape: #MeToo is lived differently in Europe than in the United States, which has its own history and evolution about attitudes towards sex and sexiness. But fashion is a global industry, and rethinking female identity is not specific to one territory; it’s a cultural conversation that has been extending, and needs to extend, everywhere. There is plenty of local available realities to draw from — like the public sexual harassment laws on France’s own terrain — and mull over and utilize.

"Sexiness" on the runways doesn't reflect the way the world is evolving, and the collective industry needs to reconsider how it's conceiving and selling perceptions of women back to them. Hannah Gadsby is rethinking what comedy is; what art history is. Edward Enninful has recast who is featured in a magazine. Illustrator Jasjyot Singh Hans draws fashion illustrations that accommodate the bodies the runway still won’t. That is part of what gives a designer their authority: not just a presence on runways and through billboards, but re-considering how they can provoke new thoughts about what the heck is going on.

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While here in the States, we're sitting at the edges of our seats thanks to all the Kavanaugh news, Melania Trump seems to be having the time of her life traveling through Africa.

Currently, she's in Nairobi, Kenya, where she met with the country's first lady, Margaret Kenyatta to discuss maternal health and children's education, traveled to Nairobi National Park and played with baby elephants, and visited a home for children whose mothers have been imprisoned.

FLOTUS danced and sang with the children, which you can watch in the video below, and handed out Be Best blankets and teddy bears.

FLOTUS dances with orphans in Kenya pic.twitter.com/IhyHfMGtOJ

— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) October 5, 2018

I have covered @FLOTUS for almost two years and have never seen her smile and laugh more than she is now with these baby elephants 🐘 pic.twitter.com/Cmbt9HpV6k

— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 5, 2018

Melania really does look happier than we've ever seen her with these baby elephants.

Before Kenya, Melania visited Malawi, where she met for tea with first lady Gertrude Mutharika and watched traditional performances. She is the first U.S. first lady to ever visit Malawi.

"The American press was very excited to see the zebras meandering on what would be the Malawian equivalent to the White House lawn. The local press was chill," noted New York Times White House reporter Katie Rogers, who is embedded on Melania's trip.

There were a few protestors in Malawi, too (the pool reporter noted that they were all white). "A woman held up a sign that said #MELANIATOO, with the 'ME' in her name in bold black. Another couple held up a sign that said 'Welcome to Malawi. #NOTASHITHOLE!'" a reference to comments the president had made about African countries, which he has denied saying. Another sign said, 69 Days Past the Deadline to Reunite Families, a reference to the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy that resulted in the separation of thousands of children from their families.

Melania also visited a primary school and gave out Be Best soccer balls. According to the White House, some 8,000 children attend the school taught by 75 teachers. The average class size is 110. FLOTUS visited with second- and third-graders, touring a classroom and attending an English class.

The White House said it chose Malawi as her destination because of its high poverty rate and the difficulties girls have in accessing education. Melania learned about USAID's education initiatives in the country.

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Melania Trump sits in on an English lesson at Chipala Primary School. It has 8500+ students and 77 teachers (a ratio of 111 to 1) so most classes are huge and half of them take place outdoors. Locals told us many of the kids ask to take their textbooks home so they can help their parents learn to read. Mrs. Trump donated school supplies, frisbees and “Be Best” soccer balls. She’s the first sitting FLOTUS to ever visit Malawi.

A post shared by Monica Alba (@albamonica) on Oct 4, 2018 at 2:41pm PDT

Before Malawi, Melania toured Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, a large former slave-holding facility where slaves were held in cramped, lightless dungeons.

"It’s great. It’s very emotional," she said when asked about her visit. "This is a very special place. I will never forget the incredible experience and the stories that I heard from the [tour guide]. The dungeons that I saw...what happened so many years ago, it's really a tragedy."

She visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, where she watched a baby get weighed and learned about the vitamin supplements that are given to newborns. She also visited the NICU. She also privately had tea with Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the first lady of Ghana.

Meanwhile, the president was egging on the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation, calling protestors "very rude elevator screamers" in his inimitable way. "The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Don’t fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! #Troublemakers," he tweeted. (There's no evidence that any of the protestors are paid or professionals.)

The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Don’t fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! #Troublemakers

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2018

Very proud of the U.S. Senate for voting “YES” to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2018

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