Update: Baby Foot recently launched a men's peel, which sounds like gimmicky marketing, except for the fact that these new booties can accommodate up to a size 14 — which is an improvement for anyone, regardless of gender, whose feet didn't fit into the original version.

This story was originally published on August 7, 2014.

Baby Foot is a chemical peel for your feet. Just know that going in. No ladylike eye cream stories this week, people. Things are about to stop being polite and start getting real — and really, really gross. But, the BEST kind of gross.

I've been wanting to try this crazy product ever since our beauty director used it and described, in revolting detail, the metamorphosis her feet went through. Baby Foot promises to rid your soles of the toughest, roughest calluses and reveal the smoothest feet you've had since, like, birth. We're talking about results that no pedicure can achieve and no cream can come close to, all for $20. Obviously, I was gonna do it.

We ladies have a tendency to put our feet through some pretty inhumane conditions (looking at you, heels). And, if you're an urban dweller, things can get downright gnarly. I walk 7,000 to 14,000 steps a day, and though I spend half my time in Keds, my feet had reached a critical point. While falling asleep one night last month, my boyfriend gave a yelp of actual pain. Had I stabbed him in his sleep? No. The ball of my foot had brushed against his calf.

Something had to be done.

I ordered Baby Foot on Amazon (having gotten permission to use aforementioned boyfriend's Amazon Prime subscription to get the stuff here immediately). I spent the following 48 hours maniacally Googling images of people using Baby Foot (HOLY SHIT), and dreaming of the day my talons would emerge, snake-like from their rough and heinous scales.

Photo: Courtesy of Baby Foot.

The box comes with two plastic-bag booties already lined with the magic gel, a combination of "17 types of natural extracts" according to the website. The ingredients list mainly fruit acids, but also the stuff you'd typically find in a chemical peel: glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids, as well as alcohol. This might be the one skin-care product you actually want to find alcohol in (for reasons that will soon become obvious).

The instructions were simple — almost too simple. According to Baby Foot, all you do is wash and soak your feet, apply the booties, wash off, then wait. In five to seven days, the peeling should begin. But, in sorting through the hundreds of old-pro user reviews, I picked up some useful tips, then set aside a Saturday afternoon for the big event. I set up the couch with necessities: laptop, socks, paper towels, phone. Then, I took a bath.

Baby Foot Tip #1: Soaking is mandatory.
Before using Baby Foot, wash your feet with soap and water, then soak them for about 15 minutes (hence, the bath). Next, dry your feet off and pop them in the booties. Use the provided tape to close loose ends. If you need to walk around, throw some big socks over the booties to prevent slipping. But, if possible, just stay put. (This is a great opportunity to get work done because it's virtually impossible to get up and do something else. Or just watch Homeland reruns. I'm not here to judge.)

Baby Foot Tip #2: Leave it on a little longer.
The box says to leave it on for an hour, and that may be enough for you. But, for many, Baby Foot is most effective when given an extra 20 to 40 minutes on your feet. I left it on for 80 minutes in total, but I leave it to your best judgment as to just how rough your feet are. Either way, an extra 20 minutes of these ingredients won't hurt your feet. Unless:

Baby Foot Tip #3: No open cuts allowed.
I certainly hope this goes without saying, but please don't put an acid peel on your feet if you have any open sores or cuts. I had a few little abrasions on mine, but nothing that would have prevented me from getting a pedicure. Use that as your rule of thumb. Also, if you're worried about warts and corns, don't — and don't get excited that this will cure them. The product has little to no effect on those skin problems. But, if you've recently used acid or freezing treatments on them, cover them with a bandage before using Baby Foot. Cracked calluses are fine. Bleeding is not.

Photo: Courtesy of Baby Foot.

Baby Foot Tip #4: Soaking is STILL mandatory.
When you're done with the treatment, wash and dry your feet then go about your business. Your feet will look and feel exactly the same, if slightly dry. I was dying with anticipation, but a watched foot never boils, so I satisfied myself with more disgusting-amazing ventures in Google images. As instructed by expert reviewers, I soaked my feet daily. The first two nights, I simply plugged up the bath while taking my shower and kind of kicked around in the puddle. Nothing. But on the third day, I took a bath and THAT'S when the fun began.

It started with my heels: After submerging for five minutes, giant swaths of skin separated from my feet and came off with just the lightest tug. Quickly, I got out of the bath and stared at the crazy patchwork of dead skin magically peeling away from my feet. It was so exciting that I took a picture. Then I texted it to five people. (I got mixed reactions.)

Soaking is what gets the peeling going and keeps it going. Soak 'em every night until the peeling is done.

Baby Foot Tip #5: Picking is fine, whatever.
The box says not to pull the skin off but you kind of have to. The dead skin will begin to separate from your feet, but you're going to need to actually pull it off. Alternatively, you can rub your hand along the soles of your feet (or rub the soles together), but that's not nearly as satisfying. This is the grown-up version of pulling dried Elmer's Glue off your hands, so why would you deny yourself this joy? (No, it doesn't hurt. None of the Baby Foot process hurts or feels like much of anything.)

Always do this right after the soak when the skin is softened. Don't pull skin that's not quite ready to come off — it'll be ready soon enough.

Baby Foot Tip #6: Timing matters.
Make sure to schedule your Baby Foot endeavor to properly avoid any embarrassing public displays of shedding. You'll want to do the deed before we head into wearing-sandals-every-day weather, so right about now is basically the sweet spot. Sure, a lot of the peeling will occur at home post-soak, but trust me when I say there will potentially be large rogue flakes that you probably won't want everyone at Starbucks seeing when you pick up your iced coffee. It's best to stick to shoes and socks for about a week.

Baby Foot Tip #7: No lotion.
Baby Foot suggests that if your feet feel uncomfortably dry then you can apply a very small amount of lotion. I suggest avoiding this, because moisturizing the dead skin will only make it slower to shed. Just let it dry and flake off, then moisturize the baby-soft skin that emerges.

It's been almost two weeks since my Baby Foot treatment and I am, frankly, devastated. Yes, my feet are more smooth and soft than they have ever been in my adult life. But, I long for the heady days of last week when I could look forward to the horrific and thrilling site of my feet emerging from their soak, shedding wondrous layers of dead skin so great I had to keep the vacuum on hand. Sadly, my soles are in such amazing shape that I fear it will be many months before I can justify another treatment.

But, if you decide to do it and need to send five people the pictures, can I be one of them? Just kidding, but only sort of.

Note: We judged Baby Foot process photos to be, well, not everyone's cup of tea. But, if you'd like to see one, scroll down.

Photo: Courtesy of Baby Foot.

I KNOW, RIGHT?

Curious to see what Baby Foot looks like in action? Watch our editors put it to the test in the video below. Warning: peeling ahead.

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Today's Facebook news is not that the social network is changing its community standards, the set of policies that govern what users can and can't post. It's that — for the first time — Facebook is releasing a much more detailed version of its standards to the public.

These standards are provided to the company's 7,500 community operations employees, who are in charge of reviewing content that is reported or flagged as a potential violation. Facebook's moderators decide whether to leave those posts up or take them down based on the standards. The policies address everything from posts with instructions for making explosives (which is a violation, "unless there is clear context that the content is for a non-violent purpose") to posts showing uncovered female nipples (also a violation "except in the context of breastfeeding, birth giving, and after-birth moments, health, or an act of protest ").

If you read The Guardian 's exposé on Facebook's leaked content moderation policies last year, some of the information made public today will look familiar. However, this is the first time Facebook is releasing its standards in full — and making a promise to continue updating them publicly as changes are made internally. Additionally, Facebook announced a new appeals process, that will allow you to ask for a second look at any posts removed for violating the company's nudity, hate speech, or graphic violence standards.

Monika Bickert, Facebook's VP of Product Management says the company has been working on providing greater transparency to its standards since 2017. Still, the timing of today's release coincides with Facebook's recent efforts to regain user trust post-Cambridge Analytica.

Ahead, some of the most interesting and bizarre takeaways from the policies that govern what Facebook does and doesn't allow.

There Are Some Strange Allowances For Content Featuring Public Figures

Some of the most important policies, including ones relating to bullying, do not apply to public figures. Facebook cites open conversation as a reason, saying, "We want to allow discourse, which often includes critical discussion of people who are featured in the news or who have a large public audience."

Public figures come up again in the section on adult nudity. Posting "images of real nude adults, where nudity is defined as visible anus and/or fully nude close-ups of buttocks" is a violation, "unless photoshopped on a public figure."

There Are Mentions Of Fake News

Surprisingly, Facebook does not remove fake news. The company again references freedom of speech as the reason, saying, "We want to help people stay informed without stifling productive public discourse. There is also a fine line between false news and satire or opinion."

As an attempt to curb fake news, Facebook will instead "significantly reduce its distribution by showing it lower in News Feed."

What does this mean for election interference? There is currently only one specific mention of elections in the standards: You cannot post "any content containing statements of intent, calls for action, or advocating for violence due to the outcome of an election."

Posts About Crisis Actors Are Forbidden

One inclusion under the "Harassment" section feels especially relevant post-Parkland: You cannot post things that "target victims or survivors of violent tragedies by name or by image, with claims that a person is lying about being a victim of a event; acting/pretending to be a victim of a event; or otherwise paid or employed to mislead people about their role in the event."

A Lot Of Disturbing Content Remains, So Long As It Has A Warning Screen

Under the "Graphic Violence" section of the policies, Facebook explains it does not allow "imagery of violence committed against real people or animals with comments or captions that contain enjoyment of suffering, enjoyment of humiliation, erotic response to suffering, remarks that speak positively of the violence, or remarks indicating the poster is sharing footage for sensational viewing pleasure."

However, if those comments or captions are not included, there is a lot of imagery — everything from photos showing dismembered animals to videos that show child abuse — that is not removed. That content is covered with a warning screen and limited to adults:

"We allow graphic content (with some limitations) to help people raise awareness about issues. We know people value the ability to discuss important issues like human rights abuses or acts of terrorism. We also know that people have different sensitivities with regard to graphic and violent content."

You can read the full version of Facebook's updated Community Standards online.

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Scott Barnes is a celebrity makeup artist with 26 years of experience in the beauty industry. Among his many celebrity clients, including Julianne Moore, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Celine Dion, he is widely regarded as the man behind J. Lo's glow. This story was told to Kelsey Castañon and edited for length and clarity.

When I first started in makeup, I didn't want to do celebrities. At that time, it was all about Cindy and Linda and Christy. I was like, Ugh! Celebrities keep calling me. It was boring. They would be like, "I just want to look pretty," and that's not exciting for an artist. My opinion changed completely when I met Jennifer.

It was 2000, and we were shooting an InStyle cover. This was before the J. Lo boom really took off. So she walks in, and she's got on jeans, a turtleneck, and aviator sunglasses. She had her hair pulled back in a bun and not a stitch of makeup on, and she looked stunning. I was like, How am I going to make this girl look prettier? We tried something new: a glow-y skin look. Everyone loved it.

It was one of those weird photoshoot days. Nothing was working — the lights broke on set and everyone was running around trying to fix them. Meanwhile we were sitting on the white floor in the studio. We were just kind of staring at each other, because there was nothing else to do, and listening to her new album, J. Lo. She just goes, "I like you." I said, "I like you too." Then she was like, "What are you doing on Friday?" This was a Wednesday. Even though I was supposed to be working with Kim Cattrall, I said, "Nothing," because I just thought, This woman is so beautiful, I have to work with her. She said, "I'm shooting my album cover. Wanna do it?" Two days later, we're on a plane to Stockholm. Eighteen years later, here we are.

The Day-To-Day Hustle
At the beginning of her fame, it was exhausting. It was the perfect storm of the most beautiful woman in the world, who's on the rise to superstardom, and a makeup artist who's also on the rise. We were constantly on the go, but it was fun. She would pull references from old Liz Taylor moments, and we would just create. It was like playing dress up. We lived in our own fantasy world in the dressing room and everyone else would watch what we came up with.

But it's just as exhausting now. In the last 48 hours, we did her All I Have show in Vegas, got on a private flight to Los Angeles after the show at 1 AM, got in at 2 AM, started a music video at 8 AM, shot until 3 AM, then went home and slept for three hours before we got up and drove to Vegas before she flew in so I could have her glam room ready by the time she arrived.

My job doesn't stop when the show starts either. Jennifer does 12 costume changes, and she does makeup changes, too. A minute and 30 seconds is the longest we have. Backstage, it looks like we're on speed — I'm running after her and reapplying her makeup really fast or blotting away any sweat or oil. But Jennifer is a showman; she loves the art of entertaining and taking you out of your reality. For two hours, you are watching this woman work. She gives her all to everything she does, whether it's beauty, clothing, a movie, music, anything.

Creating A Beauty Icon
Jennifer has always been beautiful, but when she first came to me, her makeup wasn't amazing. It's like anyone first starting out — we were trying to establish her signature look. I used light, oils, and moisture to let her skin shine through, almost like watercolor. I treated makeup like a stain; you didn't see where things started or where they stopped. It wasn't harsh and it wasn't heavy. That became her signature.

Not every moment in the beginning was good. Every time I see her makeup at the Angel Eyes premiere [in 2001], I cringe. I made her eyes white because I was thinking "angel" and Oribe made her hair really curly... it was just bad. Jennifer still says, "I think it's pretty." That's what's so great about her: She allows you to take risks and trusts the process.

Jennifer has worked with some of the most amazing makeup artists in the world — Kevyn Aucoin, Pat McGrath — so she knows beauty. That's what makes her makeup collection with Inglot different from other celebrity makeup brands. She's not just slapping her name on a product. I asked her the other day, "Why did you create this cosmetics line?" And she said, "I don't like makeup that feels like a mask. I find Instagram interesting, but it doesn't look real. Real women don't look like that." Her message has always been to love yourself the way you are, and that's what she's doing with her beauty line.

Owning Her Glow
Everyone wanted to stick the Latin girl in a red lip; it was so tired. So we stuck to the bronzed look. The first time I did a red on her was for the Met Gala in 2004. She went with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana and wore this gorgeous black gown. Oribe created a Frida Kahlo-looking braid and I did a bold red lip with a naked eye, and that was an exciting moment for us — no one had ever seen her in a red lip before.

Fashion has changed a bit since then, so we don't shy away from the red lip anymore. For the TIME 100 Most Influential People cover, I chose to use the Inglot lipstick in the shade Besame. Her dress was white; her hair was very blond. There was something so ethereal about it, but I was like, Not all angels are flouncy. She is more like a powerful angel. There was something strong about it, and it tied in nicely with the red TIME border.

Beyond The Makeup Chair
Jennifer is more than a client to me; she is my friend. In the last 18 years, we've been through marriages, divorces, and babies together. Just the other day, I was at [her kids] Emme and Max's 10th birthday party. I said to Emme, "It's so funny, I did your first magazine cover ." I pulled up the People cover I did with Jennifer when she was one year old. It's been amazing to see them grow up. But Jennifer doesn't let them get caught up in this weird celebrity world. She never loses perspective on what's important. And that is a beautiful thing.

Travel and accomodations were provided to the author by Inglot for the purpose of writing this story.

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This story was originally published December 26, 2016.

Three months ago, my coworker Alix Tunell turned me on to a safety razor after listening to me bitch about ingrown hairs for far too long. After I gave up waxing about a year ago (both for financial and holy-shit-that's-painful reasons), I began suffering from ingrown hairs along my bikini line. So I got hooked up with a single-blade safety razor, and figured everything would come up roses.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The first time I ever used it to shave my vagina (yes, I know the technical term for the outer genitalia is 'vulva,' but that doesn't have the same ring to it), I nearly sliced off half my labia — and screamed bloody murder the moment it happened. I then realized that while I'd been taught by my mother and health class how to properly remove the hair from my pits, legs, and eyebrows, no one had ever covered exactly how to wield a razor around my vagina. And if any region needs a manual, it's that one.

So I called up Jodi Shays, owner and founder of Queen Bee Salons in California, and asked her a series of increasingly personal questions about how to shave my favorite body part bald without risking stitches. She was up-front about the fact that she isn't a huge fan of razors near the vulva, but, she acknowledged, "I completely understand why it has to happen, whether you need to be shaved all the time for work or you simply can't afford a wax." Fair enough.

Ahead, find the guide your mother never gave you for how to shave your vulva. (Be warned — the following images are anatomically correct, so this may be NSFW.) It's a tricky business, but don't worry. We're here to help.

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Everything You Need To Know Before Starting Your Locs

It's a simple concept: Clothes that are tried on and tested by real women across an array of sizes and body shapes are, in turn, going to be a real representation of women's clothing needs. Yet somehow the fashion world is still trying to figure that out. Luckily, And Comfort is the latest brand to push through the stigmas and dated sizing methods of industry's past.

Launching as a capsule of "thoughtfully designed and aesthetically interesting essentials," And Comfort is a new, inclusive-minded label that focuses on what it's describing as a community-driven approach to product development. The company focuses on simplistic styles and fits tested by 18 women of different sizes and body shapes. And the collection of wardrobe staples, which currently consists of four products, but will be regularly updated with new styles, caters to sizes 10-28. Plus, the brand is sustainable, crafting its products from natural fabrics.

And Comfort's founder, Karine Hsu, spent her former life at a financial company, where she was tasked with several plus-size fashion accounts. After seeing an opportunity to provide the plus-size community with better options, she dove head first into And Comfort. That risk paid off, since its new launch already comes with a hoard of devotees, including plus-size fashion influencers Kelly Augustine and Mona Seddeek. Seddesk shares: "And Comfort is what happens when minimalism gets an epic and modern upgrade. Believe it or not, as a plus size customer, it can get exhausting finding essential pieces for my wardrobe that I know I’ll wear time and time again. And Comfort has really stepped up to the plate and catered to that need that I and a lot of other Plus women have and have done it in a sustainable way as well."

Shop the first launch of And Comfort ahead.

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By now, there are countless apps that boast the ability to help you save without the "you" part: Set a goal, like your friend's upcoming summer wedding, and watch the cash flow in without lifting a finger. These automatic saving apps are great, namely because stashing money away voluntarily can be so hard.

While saving apps have become a mainstay in fintech, companies and countless surveys have found that for Americans with high-interest credit card debt, saving just isn't top priority. With the national credit card debt at a record high of over $1 trillion, it's no wonder that paying off that debt comes first. This dilemma is what Digit Pay, a new feature of the savings app Digit, is aiming to help its users with.

On Digit Pay, all you have to do is set a credit card debt reduction goal, and the app does the work for you by automatically taking money from your checking account (based on what you can afford), and making small payments to your credit card each month. Digit found that over 75% of its users have credit card debt, many of whom use their Digit savings to make payments toward their credit cards anyway, which is what makes Digit Pay such a logical next step for the app and its users.

"Having credit card debt is expensive and it steals from our future selves. Credit card companies give out these pieces of plastic that can buy anything at anytime, but offer no built-in protections for consumers who use them. It’s irresponsible on the part of these financial institutions," Ethan Bloch, founder and CEO of Digit, told Refinery29 over email.

In many ways, it makes so much sense for Digit to enter this territory. The app has had great success in helping its users save: In the three years since it rolled out, Digit has helped users save a collective $1 billion. This interest in alleviating credit card debt is unique to Digit Pay – and is, notably, one that banks and credit card companies do not share.

"[Credit card debt] is a pervasive issue, and it’s one that banks aren’t set up to solve. Banks don’t exist to improve the financial health of their customers. They exist to take deposits and make loans. They want to make money on your money, so solving the issue of credit card debt doesn’t make business sense for banks," says Bloch.

Digit, being an app, doesn't have these limitations. It charges a $2.99 monthly fee, but when you save for three consecutive months, Digit automatically gives you a 1% annualized Savings Bonus, paid out quarterly.

It's commendable that Digit is taking on the task of addressing the national credit card debt problem. Digit Pay marks a new frontier in an industry committed to streamlining processes and prioritizing consumer ease while minimizing user effort: Dating, food delivery, dog-walking, and now, helping you pay off credit card debt bit by bit. There's an app for that.

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Praise be! Just as we were beginning the search for the perfect replacement for American Apparel — that stretchy Spandex empire left behind — the retailer is back from the dead. Well, kind of. After two bankruptcies, Gildan Activewear bought the company, saving it from yet another foreclosure before shutting down all of its stores. They did promise to return online soon, but no one knew when.

Well, the website is up and running, backed by a brand new design, production, and distribution operations that Gildan built from the ground up, according to Racked. As for what’s featured, no, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you: the clothes look exactly the same as the original. Racked reported that the reboot “will be based on pieces that American Apparel has historically sold,” which may explain why there's tons of bodysuits and cropped hoodies.

Ahead, click through to see the pieces we’ve already added to cart, including one pair of leggings that could be dupes for Kim Kardashian's.

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There's a royal phenomenon that's been dissected and discussed for years known as the "Kate Middleton effect." That is, the Duchess of Cambridge's unique ability to instill retail fever in adoring fans around the globe. It's been almost two decades since Middleton stepped into the public eye and she's continued to sell out dozens of items, from the Reiss dress she wore to meet the Obamas to the Zara coat she wore out and about in London.

"The Kate Effect may be worth £1 billion to the U.K. fashion industry," Newsweek reported back in 2012. Clearly, the international public wants a slice of the royal pie — or at least the look. However, while all eyes have been on the Duchess' wardrobe, we've turned to analyzing her beauty signatures.

After all, Middleton has been known to accessorize everything from gowns to casual riding ensembles with the same glam: barrel curls, nude lip color, and heavily-rouged cheeks, but it goes a lot deeper than that. For one, she never wears a sharp hair part, always has her bottom lashes lined, and we've yet to find a picture of her signature bun positioned above her ears. It's calculated, to say the least.

Middleton takes this look — which reminds some of classic pageant beauty — and adds her own flair. We've rounded up five things she always does so that you, too, can get that royal glow.

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I'm four years old. I've yet to grow into the teeth that will one day take up a third of my face when I smile, just like my mom. I can understand that daddy grew up in Cuba, though I absolutely cannot listen to the story of him getting strip-searched in the airport on his way over to the U.S. without giggling.

When I look in the mirror, all I see in the reflection is a very small person. But that's okay, because I know another small person: my abuela, a feisty Latina woman with box-dyed hair that matches the gold tequila she drinks and a silver plate on her upper right lateral incisor tooth. At 4'11", she stands only a foot or so taller than me then, as my dad often points out, but it is very clear that she makes the rules in this family. I can barely understand Spanish, let alone speak it to her, but at her house — where I strut around in her heels, wearing her favorite pink Estée Lauder lipstick, and Celia Cruz blasting in the background — I feel it: Being Cuban is a good time.

For the 23 years that followed, I would wear my Cuban heritage like a badge of honor. I mentioned it in countless beauty stories. I proudly enunciated my last name (Castañon, emphasis on the ñ) in job interviews. I did a happy dance when President Obama loosened the travel restrictions to the country, which meant I could finally visit my homeland. Technically, I knew I was only half-Cuban, but because my mom was adopted and doesn't know her background, I accepted it as my whole identity.

Then, all of a sudden, it wasn't.

Part I: Mistaken Identity
The news came on a random Thursday over the holidays last year. I was at my dad's house back home in Kansas, sitting across from my parents, who were looking especially anxious, in the living room. They had something important to tell me — and I could tell it wouldn't be about winning the lottery or getting a new dog.

My dad turned to me and, in that gentle, honeyed tone people use to soften the blow of bad news, said, "I was there the day you were born, and I will be there until my dying breath. But genetically speaking, we do not share the same DNA." Bam! Right to the gut. The admission sounded well-rehearsed, like he'd been marinating in it for 27 years or something.

He wasn't sharing for no reason. My older sister's husband had gifted her a 23andMe kit — a fun means of exploring her background. She spit in a tube, sent it off for analysis, and weeks later, learned the truth: 52% Irish, 26% French and German , 15% European, with the remaining 7% scattered in other regions that weren't the Caribbean or Central America. She kept those statistics — and all the pain, confusion, and fear that came with them — a secret for months, so that my parents could tell me and my younger brother in person. I don't know how she did it.

My father, a man I love and my one and only link to Cuba, isn't really my biological father after all. My mom began explaining through sniffles their struggles with infertility. "We tried everything," she said. "I had reproductive surgery; your dad had surgery. But nothing worked." Eventually, after learning that it was my dad who couldn't have children, they decided to go to a sperm donor. The first sample they implanted in my mother, to create my sister, came from a fertility doctor's practice in Las Vegas. But the next two times around, for me and my brother, he wasn't available. They went to a different sperm bank in Los Angeles, and used the same donor for the both of us.

That night, I went to my bedroom, locked the door behind me, powered off my cell phone, and desperately sobbed into my pillow. In the grand scheme of things — like finding out one of them had developed a rare form of cancer or was headed to prison for embezzling millions or any other irrational fears I have around my parents — this didn't seem to meet any End Of The World qualifications. But it did confirm one thing: I am not Cuban — and that means I don't know what I am. So I let myself cry my eyes out for three straight hours before finally, mercifully, drifting off to sleep.

Part II: Identity Crisis
The months that followed were a bit of a haze. You know when you spend the whole day at the beach, and then when you get home, you feel like you can still hear the ocean in your ears? That's what it was like. On the outside, I was completely impervious: "This happened, but it doesn't really change anything!" was my go-to line. In reality, it was a little more complicated. I wanted to be angry, if not only because my parents kept yet another secret — an even bigger one than my father coming out as gay 10 years ago — from me, but I mostly felt scared. Scared of who I would be without my Cuban badge; scared that it would never feel like enough now.

I thought about a Refinery29 Intersection of Identity Study, which found that 56% of women of color consider their ethnicity a key component of their identity. Forty-seven percent said their ethnicity makes them feel proud. I started to wonder, What does it mean if I'm no longer part of that number? Instead of dealing with it, I relentlessly avoided the truth. "I'm not ready to talk about it" became part of my weekly dialogue. Cuban restaurants triggered me in that can't-look-at-you way I imagine some people feel about pickles or mayonnaise. And I stopped going on Facebook unless I was prepared to scan every last inch of family photos, searching for answers.

Shortly into 2018, I asked my mom to contact the sperm bank in L.A. for my file ("for medical purposes," I offered, but yeah right). There were nine pages of information in total on my biological father, from his favorite sport (soccer) to his best subject in school (math), but the intel I really wanted was scribbled right at the top: Mexican, Spanish, and Italian. I found odd comfort in the fact that I was still Hispanic, but felt a deep pang of guilt that, at least biologically, my sister was not.

Simultaneously, I was also awaiting the results from my very own 23andMe test. After the news over the holidays, my dad offered to buy the $139 kits for me and my brother. The same day I got the box in the mail, my saliva sample was back on its way to the test lab.

Part III: Born (Again) Identity
Back in New York City, I began therapy, and learned that it's entirely possible to mourn the loss of your identity. After the shock came the denial, during which I retreated to a familiar behavior I learned directly from my father: avoidance, pretending everything is okay so that the world will (you hope) only see you how you want to be seen. That's the thing about identity — for so long, I thought it was something you are born into; that your identity chooses you. I didn't realize how much you choose it. Identity manifests itself in ways you aren't even aware of, and at the end of the day, how you let it define you is a choice.

Three weeks ago, a lump formed in my throat as I opened my inbox to find an email from 23andMe. The subject line: "Your 23andMe Analysis was unsuccessful - Action Required." As luck would have it, the laboratory attempted to analyze my saliva sample but the "concentration of DNA was insufficient to produce genotyping results." Not to fear, the prompt assured me, all I needed to do is request a replacement kit.

The box has been sitting in a dusty corner of my closet ever since. Maybe one day I'll send it in; maybe I won't. I've realized — after going through some dark, messy, and lonely places — that I don't need the confirmation of 23 chromosomes on a piece of paper to tell me who I am. I can still see my dad and abuela when I look in the mirror, even if biology tells me I shouldn't. To steal a line from one wise man's speech: My Cuban heritage has been there from the day I was born, and it will be there until my dying breath.

Welcome to MyIdentity. The road to owning your identity is rarely easy. In this yearlong program, we will celebrate that journey and explore how the choices we make on the outside reflect what we're feeling on the inside — and the important role fashion and beauty play in helping people find and express who they are.

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Thousands of students across the country turned out for the National School Walkout on April 20, calling for gun-safety measures like universal background checks that would help protect them at school. While it's perfectly legal for kids to exercise their first amendment rights at school, administrators do have a right to discipline them for being absent from class.

On the day of the walkout, some school districts were more supportive of the young activists than others. In some schools, just a few students walked out — at times, just one brave soul. Lindsay Henning, an 18-year-old senior at North Penn High School in Lansdale, PA, a large suburban school just north of Philadelphia, was one of three students to walk out last Friday. Her tweets got supportive responses from all over the country, as many students found themselves in the same situation. This is her experience, as told to Natalie Gontcharova.

It was in a group chat a little while back where Dakota Drake, one of the two girls who protested with me, mentioned the walkout. I was exuberant and said, “Sure, I’ll do it!” but wasn’t sure of the seriousness of the situation. I had gone downtown to Philly and joined the March for Our Lives a month ago and had also gone to other protests like the Women’s March, so this wasn’t a new thing for me.

It was at 6:56 a.m. on the day of the walkout that I got a follow-up text from Dakota saying, “Will you really do the walkout with me?” Being me, I was definitely up for it. Dakota, Brittany Crosson (the third girl), and I met in the art room that morning. Our signs were made, and we all had emailed today’s teachers, letting them know that we were not going to be in class. Some people had asked what we were doing and they told us that they might join us, but as far as we knew it was only going to be us three.

This is a nationwide protest that is blasted out on social media, which sits at the fingertips of all 3,000 kids that go to our school, so we thought maybe a few others had made arrangements like we did. At this point, the reality was that the school was going to treat it like we were cutting class. All of us respected that and were ready to face our consequences even though it was so close to both prom and graduation.

When 10 a.m. rolled around, it was time to leave. Thankfully, my teacher had no comment on the subject. But Dakota’s teacher started threatening her that she was going to write her up and said to make sure the administration knows if she leaves class. Nonetheless, we picked up our signs and headed to the front of the building. Security warned us that they would not be permitted to let us back in once we walk out those doors, but that did not scare us. Later, the security guard told us our principal said we can go back in and use the bathroom or go to class if we wanted to. I’m pretty sure it’s because they realized that we weren’t disrupting anything and we were respectful.

And so, we took a seat on the bottom step of our school’s front entrance and sat there until the end of the school day. The first half hour was brutal and we all thought, "How are we going to sit here for another four hours?" But by the end of it, we were all kind of surprised by how time flew. One of the teachers even ordered pizza for us. It was most definitely worth it.

Hey hey, ho ho, there’s only 3 people at my schools walkout today but the NRA has got to go! #NationalSchoolWalkout #neveragain pic.twitter.com/DsTGrhMJhM

— Lindsay Henning (@Niallsdaises) April 20, 2018

Each of us had our own drive to sit there in the cold that day, and we happily explained it to the many people who asked what we were doing. Dakota said to me, “A lot of people commented on how brave we are, but I don’t really see it as being brave. It’s taking a stand for what we believe in.” This wasn’t something I was shaking from the nerves of doing, and it definitely didn’t feel like I needed much outstanding courage to do so because it was what felt right in my soul. At times, especially when someone I knew to be more popular than me or someone I thought was cute walked past, I felt a small amount of anxiety, but then I remembered instantly that they are the ones not out here fighting for what they believe in and my confidence rose up again.

Brittany said, “I was thinking I’d be the only one out there. I was still determined to go.” I know many people may say that we only did this to get out of class, but that was not it at all. In fact, we all had our books out at some point, doing something or catching up on something that we missed.

We live in a small suburban town outside of Philadelphia, but our school district is pretty large. There are about 1,020 kids in our graduating class and our area is not very conservative; it's actually pretty moderate. We had a much larger walkout on March 14, where most of the school participated while we stood for 17 minutes of silence for the 17 victims at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. That had been approved and organized very nicely, and much more professionally, but, as Brittany said, “We organized [this one] amongst ourselves and not the teachers, [so] it didn’t get [as much] publicity.”

It is also the end of April, which means prom and graduation are right around the corner, and I know a lot of kids don’t want to have to miss one of those because of an unexcused absence, or they’re keeping their record sharp for colleges. I respect that, especially since in the beginning it was pretty much set in stone that we were going to get detentions or some other consequences for walking out. Many kids are very codependent on what their friends are doing in situations like this one, and I can’t say that if it was just me going out there that I would have done it.

A lot of people commented on how brave we are, but I don’t really see it as being brave. It’s taking a stand for what we believe in.

At this time in our lives, politics are put on the back burner because we are getting ready to start a whole new life that we haven’t experienced before, but to me, and I know for the other two girls, this is a situation that is going to affect our adult lives and we wanted to take as much action as we could.

I have felt an incredible amount of support from the staff and teachers. I know it is not only our lives that are vulnerable in these situations, it is theirs, too, and I understand that they are not permitted to leave and join us because their jobs and careers may be at risk. I also didn’t hear anything negative from the students; most of them were very supportive and stopped to talk or read our signs on the way in and out.

I feel that there needs to be more gun control in this country. I'm not saying we should ban all guns and take them away from everyone, but we need to get a grip on it because it is getting worse and worse every day. I just hope the next time I see this in the news, it is because something is changing, and not because another tragic event has occurred.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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Beauty with Mi, hosted by Refinery29's beauty writer Mi-Anne Chan, explores the coolest new trends, treatments, products, and subcultures in the beauty world. Follow along on her wild beauty adventures here.

It seems every millennial on Instagram has an opinion on Glossier. There are the people who would go gaga if the brand launched toilet bowl cleaner next, and there are those who think it focuses on unattainable beauty standards and offers products fit only for people with already beautiful skin and sky-high cheekbones.

I've always felt I fall somewhere in between. I, too, have scoffed at the brand's ads, wondering if there was any way in hell I'd be able to look as good in seven products as Glossier model Coco Baudelle looks in just one. But still, I consistently pin the brand's posts on Instagram and get giddy over each new launch. So I decided I might as well actually try to learn how to get the Glossier look IRL. I enlisted the help of makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes — the woman responsible for the makeup in the Lidstar, Body Hero, and Haloscope campaigns — for help.

Hughes took me under her wing and taught me that the secret to getting impossibly dewy skin, glowy eyelids, and juicy lips is not necessarily having supermodel features (although that certainly helps), it's about knowing the right techniques. Above, check out all of Hughes' best tips for recreating the Glossier look, then keep watching to see me attempt it all by myself for the rest of the week.

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Since it launched in August 2016, Instagram Stories has quickly gone from just a Snapchat copycat to the place to see what friends, A-listers, and influencers are doing at that moment, IRL.

As Stories have risen in popularity, becoming as much of a draw to the app as the original Instagram feed itself, developers have been hard at work adding new ways for you to get more creative.

What started as a simple template — take a picture, add some text, and share it — has become a far more advanced tool for sharing your day. From different font styles to GIF stickers and live video feeds, here are 31 of the best features available in Stories.

This post will be updated regularly as new Instagram Stories features become available.

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A good winter perfume should always feel like the olfactory equivalent of your favorite wool sweater: warm, cozy, ideally not at all itchy. A good warm-weather fragrance should evoke just the opposite: exposed skin heated by the sunshine, bright and crisp or rich and intoxicating, the kind of scent that leaves a trail.

Your sense of smell can trigger all kinds of emotional associations, and the switch from the calm and comforting to the fresh and exciting is just one of them. Whether you're looking for the beach-friendly version of your year-round favorite or are ready to get spring started on the right (base, middle, or top) note with a brand-new scent, lose yourself in some of our newfound favorites, ahead...

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When news broke that producing one T-shirt requires the amount of water a person drinks in two and a half years, I think most people had a come to Jesus moment and realized that fashion is seriously straining Earth's resources. According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the textile industry emits more greenhouse gasses than international shipping and aviation combined. After years of being guilted into paying an extra fee to compensate for gasses when booking flights, has it become time for fashion to do the same? Should all wash instruction labels come with CO2 emissions numbers and amount of water polluted for the production of each garment? And should all consumers be charged extra for said numbers? It would certainly help consumers being more conscious in their choices which would snowball into forcing manufacturers to think twice before double dyeing a $5 top.

Or, can manufacturers and designers alike come to the realization that the planets resources can’t be abused without consequences and come up with new ways of producing fashion?

In the spirit of Martin Margiela and his groundbreaking concept of making haute couture from only repurposed materials (as it is well documented at the exhibition Margiela/Galliera, 1989-2009, currently on display at the Palais Galliera in Paris) as the first syndicated by Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, we're featuring a string of young designers who have chosen different ways of creating less environmental impactful garments without compromising forward-thinking and trendsetting design.

First up, Benjamin Alexander Huseby and Serhat Isik, the Berlin based-duo behind the two-time LVMH Prize-nominated brand GmbH.

How did you decide to start repurposing fabrics and garments for your collections? And what is the reason behind it?
"One reason was that it was cheap, and therefore made it easy to make our first collection. But, of course, we are very conscious that fabric making is the biggest polluter in the fashion industry. Also, conceptually we love the stories behind a pre-worn garment."

Did you experiment with repurposing already in school?
"Yes we did. For instance, Serhat once made clothes for his stuffed animals from his old black velour pajamas when he was six years old."

How does the used materials affect the designs? Do the materials inspire the design or do you find materials to match your designs?
"It’s really both, and a back and forth between the two. We always have ideas for garments we want to use, but also some materials lend themselves to specific purposes. Mostly the garments we use are the gateway to telling our stories because it brings up certain memories. The selection is very personal and only made by us — even for production."

If the latter is the case, how hard is it to find those materials?
"For reclaiming materials, we always research if it’s a kind of garment we can find enough of for production."

Does repurposing make the production chain less or more difficult?
"It makes it very artisanal, as every piece have to be hand cut and designed in our studio. The garments are never the same."

How do you quality check your garments?
"In addition to the factories test, mostly by us and friends wearing them."

How does it change the price point?
"The materials and hours to make the artisanal garments is generally very high. But recycled yarns and deadstock fabrics are generally cheaper."

Do you have any idea as to how much of your collection is currently from used materials?
"Reclaimed materials is about 10%, recycled materials is another 10 %, and then deadstock fabrics is about 40%."

Do you have plans of making your collection from 100% repurposed materials in the future?
"We're aiming to make it 100% from either reclaimed, recycled, deadstock, organic, or biodegradable materials."

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You may want to rethink the $9.99 you spend every month to subscribe to Spotify Premium.

To be clear, we're not suggesting you get rid of the stellar music streaming service altogether. Instead, consider switching to the free version which, in coming weeks, will get some major improvements.

Streaming Spotify for free has been an option, on both desktop and mobile devices, since 2014. But the Premium version has always been a more enticing option, with unlimited skips, the chance to play any track (instead of just shuffling songs), and, of course — no ads. While the new, free Spotify still comes with ads, the lines between the paid and unpaid models are blurring.

At an announcement today, Spotify's VP of Product Development, Babar Zafar, said the new, free version of the service aims to provide greater personalization and more control over the music you listen to, while using less data. Ahead a look at the best new features coming to Spotify for free.

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These days, there are a lot of ways to get discounts, from browser add-ons to codes to surprise sales on Instagram Stories, and even referrals from friends. And still, nothing beats a good sample sale. The only problem, of course, is when said sample sale is happening, well, somewhere you are not.

That's usually the case with the Acne Studios Archive, which has locations in Stockholm and Copenhagen. But starting April 24 — and for 48 hours only — you can shop the selection via AcneArchive.com. The site currently features a pop-up shop of handpicked Acne Studios classics, show pieces, and exclusive items from previous collections, all up to 75% off. In the women's section, you'll find sock sneakers, gladiator sandals, bucket bags, tees, dresses, outerwear, and beyond.

What's typically a must-hit shopping destination while visiting Sweden or Denmark is now opened up to all of us, and, needless to say, it's already going fast. (The slashed prices and limited quantity of each size mean you can't sleep on your "maybes"). Click ahead to shop our favorite picks from this limited-time Acne frenzy.

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If you’ve kept with up the Kardashians lately, you’d know that Khloé gave birth to her first daughter, Kim is trying a cleanse, and Kourtney has decided it's time for her to get into politics. No, she's not running for governor (yet): The reality star and mother-of-three has announced her plans to fight for cosmetic-formulation reform on Capitol Hill.

According to The Hill, Kourtney is joining the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in D.C. today to speak for the crucial need to update our national laws regulating cosmetic products — but not before launching a brand-new makeup collaboration with sister Kylie Jenner. Starting today, you can snag three eyeshadow quads with shadow names you'll recognize from Kourt's IRL vocabulary, like Poosh and Slob Kabob, along with three liquid lip colors, in nude, pink, and red velvet finishes à la Kylie Cosmetics.

All things considered, it's perfect timing for Kourtney to kick off a buzzy publicity moment with an altruistic twist that has the potential to change the beauty industry forever. And to her credit, if anyone in the Kardashian family is a stickler for ingredients, it's her. Not only does she claim to have the EWG Healthy Living app on her phone, but there's an entire episode of KUWTK dedicated to Kourtney's strict (and only slightly exhausting) personal commitment to a gluten-free, dairy-free, and organic lifestyle.

So, Kourtney is showing up to fight for safer beauty products, but does her new makeup launch comply with EWG standards? From what we can tell, the ingredients list mostly checks out. But if she does plan on launching her own safe cosmetics company in the future, she may want to rethink using Teflon in her eyeshadows...

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The results are in: Global fashion search platform Lyst has released the latest installment of the Lyst Index Q1, its quarterly report charting and analyzing the most sought-after trends, brands, and items of the season. Business of Fashion broke down the data, revealing some interesting changes in brand popularity — and you may be surprised.

The most compelling news is that Gucci, which was the brand of 2017 according to Lyst's Year In Fashion 2017 report, has been kept in second place by the Demna Gvasalia-led Balenciaga for a third consecutive quarter. Gucci, under the creative directorship of maximalist Alessandro Michele, may be parent company Kering's multibillion-dollar baby, but these statistics prove that the industry-wide impact of Balenciaga's streetwear aesthetic is only growing. This could also signal a waning in popularity of Gucci's vintage-inspired prints-and-all look. You know the one. While the brand held four of the top five products sold last year, this has now dropped to just two of 10: its consistently searched-for Pursuit Striped Rubber Slides and GG Logo Belt.

And while you may have heard rumors of Vetements' downfall, sparked by HighSnobiety's March article, Lyst's data tells a different story (well, and so did Gvasalia). Climbing two positions to take third place, Gvasalia's own brand Vetements sits confidently near Balenciaga, arguably making him the most influential man in the industry today, inspiring a host of brands to take on the oversized puffer jacket and sock boot styles.

Virgil Abloh's appointment at Louis Vuitton – huge news as the French house's first African-American artistic director, and a designer with no formal training at that – has clearly had an impact on the popularity of his label Off-White. Coming in at number four, Lyst reports a 10% increase in searches for the brand on the day the news was announced in March.

Proof that streetwear reigns supreme comes in the form of Prada climbing 14 places to rank 11. Miuccia Prada's "return to her nylon roots" has seen huge success for her feminine-athleisure mash-up aesthetic of belt bags, gabardine track pants, bucket hats, and Tech-fly trainers. Consumers are also delving into pre-owned sites like Vestiaire Collective for archival pieces. According to Lyst, Louis Vuitton's classic Neverfull tote bag is the number one Q1 product – the first designer resale product to make the list and a clear indication of our lust for an 'iconic' piece.

A nice addition to the top product list is a Topshop staple that we're pretty sure every woman has owned at one time or another. The brand's high-waisted super skinny Joni Jeans may come in 18 colours now, but it's the classic black pair that ranks number nine in Lyst's top 10. Now, just to save up for some sock boots.

Here are the products and brands that Lyst found most popular in Q1 of 2018:

Top Products
1. Louis Vuitton Pre-Owned Neverfull Bag
2. Golden Goose Deluxe Brand Superstar Metallic Sneaker
3. Gucci Pursuit Striped Rubber Slides
4. Acne Pale Pink Clea Bomber
5. Gucci GG Logo Belt
6. Maison Margiela Paillettes Ankle Boots
7. Balenciaga Speed Trainer
8. Off-White Black Brushed Diagonal Hoodie
9. Topshop Black Joni Jeans
10. Loewe Leather Trimmed Woven Rafia Tote

Top Brands
1. Balenciaga
2. Gucci
3. Vetements
4. Off-White
5. Stone Island
6. Givenchy
7. Moncler
8. Dolce & Gabbana
9. Yeezy
10. Valentino

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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.

Today: a project manager who makes $92,000 per year and spends some of her paycheck this week on Topo Chico.

Occupation: Project Manager
Industry: Urban Development
Age: 29
Location: Bentonville, AR
Project Manager Salary: $68,000
Paycheck Amount (Weekly): $829.37
Airbnb Income (Monthly): ~$500. (My boyfriend, B., and I have an attached guest suite in our house that we list on Airbnb.)
Rental Duplex Income (Monthly): $1,500. (I moved to Arkansas from Dallas last year, but I kept my duplex there to rent out instead of selling it.)

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $1,149.74, plus $500 extra principal each month.
Student Loan Payment: $0. (I got a half scholarship and my parents paid the rest of my tuition.)
Electricity: $230
Home Insurance: $120.15
Phone Bill: $87.86
Wifi: $65.73
Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Subscription: $7.95
Lawn Mowing Service: $27.06
Coffee Subscription: $22
Water Bill: $56 at the Dallas rental, and $52 in Arkansas. (B. pays the latter bill.)
HOA fees: $24. (Paid by B.)
Car Insurance: $74.24
Savings: $500
401(k): $566.67
Democratic Party Of Benton County Donation: $10
Spotify: $10.81
HBO Now: $16.11
Hulu: $8.62
Blue Apron Subscription: $51.95
Yoga Membership: $88
New York Times Subscription: $8
Netflix: $10. (Paid for by B.)

Day One

7 a.m. — I wake up to do last night's dishes and feed the cat, who wakes us up between 7 and 7:30 every morning with her desperate need for attention and food. I make a breakfast of fried egg, avocado, and sliced grapefruit. B. makes a French press with coffee from our monthly subscription.

8:45 a.m. — I head to my first meeting of the day: a networking group that gets together for coffee every Thursday morning. I drink water, since I just had coffee at home.

11 a.m. — The meeting ends and I stop by another coffee shop before driving back to the office. I get a small cappuccino ($3.25) and an everything bagel ($3.10), since I figure this will be my chance to eat lunch. $6.35

3:45 p.m. — After typing away on a report that's due next week, I leave for a dentist appointment because I desperately need to get my wisdom teeth removed. It's just a consultation, so I'm not charged. I also stop for gas on the way. $24.62

5:30 p.m. — I get home and am hungry. I eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I was supposed to take for my lunch, and then go about getting the Airbnb ready for the guest we have checking in tomorrow.

7:30 p.m. — My boyfriend gets home and we go on a bike ride to enjoy the 72 degree weather and grab dinner out. He works at a bike shop and just built me a new bike, so we want to test it out. We talk ourselves into a fancy French dinner and share baked brie, Caesar salad, filet mignon, and red wine. I pick up the $120 check. We head home around 10 p.m. to pack for our trip the next day. $120

Daily Total: $150.97

Day Two

7:45 a.m. — We wake up, have a morning romp, and proceed to worry about the cat since she didn't wake us like she usually does, and we've been hearing coyotes in the neighborhood at night. She turns up shortly, though, and all's well. I make a breakfast of sweet potato hash and fried eggs. B. makes the coffee, feeds the cat, and loads up our bags for the trip we're taking this weekend. B.'s running in a race out of town.

9 a.m. — I hop on my bike to head to my first meeting at a coffee shop downtown. I order a Topo Chico since I just had coffee at home. $1.50

12 p.m. — I stick around the coffee shop to work for a while after my meeting, and then bike to the office. When I get in, I eat the peanut butter and jelly I packed for lunch (our fridge was looking pretty empty this morning), along with Thin Mints that a coworker brought.

5:30 p.m. — I leave work and stop at the grocery store for road trip snacks. I get fig bars, Snickers, and a few other things, and try to load it all in my bike basket. $15.59

6:30 p.m. — I arrive home just in time to throw our bags in the car, fill up the cat's food and water, and head to pick B. up from work so we can head straight to our destination. We stop in Tulsa for dinner at a nicer place since it's our first time checking out the town. I'm starting to feel guilty about my impulsive dining habits... $110.39

10 p.m. — We arrive in the town the bike race is in, get everything ready for tomorrow morning, shower, and pass out.

Daily Total: $127.48

Day Three

6 a.m. — We rise early so B. can get to his race in time. He eats breakfast at the hotel while I pack up our bags, and leaves to get his registration packet. I mosey into town and stop to get coffee and a breakfast sandwich on the way. $7.13

8 a.m. — Race starts, and that's my cue to explore. I find friends and head towards a coffee shop with the book I brought. I get a cup of tea. $2.94

11 a.m. — We leave to catch the riders at the midpoint, and I stop for gas on the way. $32.49

2 p.m. — I thrown B. his water bottle at the halfway point, and decide to go for a run. After six miles, I'm hungry but want to wait for B. to eat lunch. I stop at a convenience store for a Topo Chico and a bag of chips. $3.26

3 p.m. — I head back to watch the finish and pick up way too many celebratory beers at a local brewery. $30.04

4 p.m. — As I wait for B. to roll across the finish line, I scroll through Airbnb and book us a place for our trip to Atlanta for my sister's engagement party in a few weeks. $212.49

6 p.m. — The race is over and after cleaning up and swapping stories with friends, we grab dinner at a food truck. We each pay for our own meals. We pack up the car for the three-hour ride home and immediately fall asleep when we get there. $17.41

Daily Total: $305.76

Day Four

9 a.m. — We sleep in a little bit this morning, which feels good. I make a breakfast of red potatoes, broccoli, and fried eggs. B. makes the French press, and we drink it while watching episodes of Queer Eye. I think we've both cried during every episode.

12 p.m. — We finish cleaning up the house for the next Airbnb guests. I sign us up for a massage workshop at my yoga studio this afternoon for $25 each. $50

3 p.m. — Massage workshop is over and we run a few errands. We get groceries for a potluck we have later tonight ($25.42), and then stop at Lowe's for air filters and curtain rod holders. (We've had our curtain rod leaning up against my dresser for about three months because I got the wrong size holders.) $64.75

7 p.m. — I prepare the kale salad I'm bringing to the potluck and we head over. We hang around drinking wine and talking until 11:30, then head home, play with the cat, and pass out after sexing.

Daily Total: $114.75

Day Five

8 a.m. — I hit snooze a few too many times, so I don't have time to make breakfast, as I have a standing 9 a.m. meeting every Monday. I stop by the drive-through coffee place on the way for a cappuccino and a breakfast taco. $11.94

11 a.m. — Between tasks and meeting, I look up flights for our trip to Atlanta. They're still $345, so I hold off. I'm hoping the prices will go down, but I tend to wait for this to happen and usually all they do is get more expensive.

1 p.m. — I'm pretty involved in local politics, and one of the candidates in my district calls me to ask for support at a fundraiser she's hosting next weekend. I agree to give $250, and log in to her website to submit the donation. $250

2 p.m. — I use my lunch break to grocery shop, since we have friends coming over for dinner tonight. I buy two bottles of wine, ingredients to make jackfruit tacos for four, fruit for breakfast, and ingredients to make a big pot of veggie soup for the week's lunches. $94.98

6 p.m. — I arrive home, take a shower, feed the cat, and start dinner. Our friends arrive at 7:30 and stay until 10. We clean up the house and go to sleep.

Daily Total: $356.92

Day Six

7:30 a.m. — Woken up by the cat. I get up to feed her and get ready for work. I prepare a breakfast of yogurt, muesli, banana, and blueberries, and make the coffee this morning since it's B.'s day off. I head into work early.

12 p.m. — My lunch meeting gets cancelled, so I go home for lunch to eat leftover tacos.

5 p.m. — I'm home from work and sneak in a quick run and a snack of Fig Newtons before heading to a community meeting at 6 p.m.

8 p.m. — We're both home and I make a Blue Apron bucatini recipe with ingredients that have been sitting around for a week. We catch up on Sunday night TV and head to sleep.

10 a.m. — I have a meeting at a coffee shop with the crew that I organize an indie craft show with in town. I order a mocha and pick up my colleague's drink order, too. We expense it because we're doing pretty well this year. ($11.39 expensed)

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

7 a.m. — I wake up, get ready, and make breakfast tacos with corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, avocado, and salsa. B. goes into work later than me, so I ask him to finish up the Airbnb room before the guests get here at 2 p.m. It's beautiful out, so I ride my bike to work.

12 p.m. — I go home for lunch and eat a random assortment of food including toast with butter, marshmallows, and leftover black beans. As much as I want to say that saving money is my motivation for eating at home, I really love having the escape during the day, since working in an open office as an introvert really drains my energy.

6 p.m. — I head to the coffee shop for my 6 p.m. meeting. I order a Topo Chico and banana bread ($5). My friend and I are organizing a pop-up shop together, and I put the cost of our Squarespace website on my credit card ($144) while we're setting it up. Hopefully we'll make the money back. $149

8 p.m. — I come home and roast potatoes, cabbage, and carrots, and serve it with leftover chicken and a tahini kale salad for dinner. We watch the third Hunger Games movie and eat ice cream afterward.

Daily Total: $149

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