Given that I actually just ordered these $35 Who What Wear Jacey mules for Target for myself, I thought it would be a fitting time to round up some of the best ways to wear them this season. After all, even when a shoe is as affordable as this, it’s nice to still know that you’re buying something versatile in case, say, you ran out of closet space seven pairs ago—or something like that.
Anyway, back to the looks you’re about to see. Not surprisingly but much to my delight, a solid four out of 10 include jeans (my personal favorite wardrobe staple for anyone who didn’t already know that). Even if summer denim is not your thing, you’re still covered with outfit ideas that involve shorts, skirts, and more. To see them all for yourself then shop the shoes and more affordable pairs from our collection, just keep scrolling.
As I’m sitting here writing this, I’m annoyed. After getting a lovely gel manicure about a week and a half ago (on that was still going strong up until about two seconds ago), my thumb just ripped in two. Or to be more specific and less dramatic, my thumbnail caught on something, ripped, and I couldn’t resist going rogue and completely tearing it off so that my left thumbnail is about half the length of the right. (Sorry for that sordid visual.) Of course, this probably wouldn’t be a problem if I wasn’t a nail addict who polishes and lacquers up weekly like it’s going out of style, never picks up a cuticle oil even though I have countless gorgeous elixirs sitting on my night table, and notoriously peels off gel. (If you don’t know what that last part is, we’ll enlighten you below—it’s not good.)
Just as we know a well-balanced diet rich in protein and healthy fats is great for our skin and hair health, the same goes for our nails. According to Hanna, one of the most important steps to rehabbing brittle nails is to make sure you’re getting enough nutrition and protein, which thankfully, can be as easy as adding some grilled chicken to a salad, vegan protein powder to your smoothie, or reaching for a high-quality protein bar in lieu of pretzels come 3 p.m. “The best way to keep nails and cuticles strong and healthy is to start from the inside out,” Hanna explains. “It’s important to maintain a diet that is nutrient dense and high in protein. Staying hydrated and taking supplements geared toward keeping your nails healthy and strong also make a big difference.” (More on that below.) Sorry, we know that nutritionists, celebrities, and other health experts sound like a broken record when it comes to preaching exorbitant water intake, but for the actual record, there’s a reason. It works. Even though it may sound obvious, drinking an adequate amount of water is a basic necessity and encourages life—aka nails—that grow fast and strong. That said, even though drinking water will help encourage happy and healthy cells and nail growth, soaking your nails too long in the stuff can weaken them and lead to premature brittleness. (Just some food for thought.)Hair, skin, and nail supplements aren’t breaking news (in fact, far from it), but if you choose the right formula, these types of supplements can help supplement and strengthen your nails. And, you can only imagine my satisfaction when I realized Hanna and I have the same favorite. “As far as supplements go, I’m obsessed with Killer Nails from Hum Nutrition,” she shares. “I noticed a significant difference in just a few weeks of using it.” Um, same. “My Amethyst Infusion Cuticle Oil is one of my favorite hand and nail multitaskers—especially if you’re trying to strengthen your nails,” says Hanna. “Not only does it help cuticles heal and stay hydrated, but you can also roll it over hands and knuckles for deep hydration that quickly soaks into the skin. The amethyst also aids in breaking bad habits like biting and picking.”Yep, they exist! Swapping out your normal polish for less toxic or nutrient-embellished versions will do your long nail game good in the long run. “For nail polish, I’m obsessed with Orly’s Breathable Treatment + Color Collection,” Hanna shares. “It’s infused with argan oil, B5, and vitamin C. It has a base and top coat built in, so in just two coats you have the perfect long-lasting at-home mani that will nurse your nails back to health. My favorite color for growing out damaged nails is Sheer Luck.” As convenient as gel manicures are (They look fab! They last!), they’re just naturally harder on your nails, and a regular polish will be a better bet for keeping nails strong and healthy. That said, if you can’t resist the temptation of gels or have a job where perfect nails 24/7 are a must, make sure you get them removed professionally, and please, please don’t peel and rip them off yourself. In fact, Hanna says it’s pretty much the worst thing you can do if you’re in the process of trying to strengthen your nails. “Picking off gel, biting, and picking at cuticles are all recipes for disaster, but if I had to pick just one bad habit, picking off gel takes the cake for being the most damaging,” Hanna warns. “When you peel off gel, you are also removing layers of the delicate nail plate, which can lead to long term damage.” So again, reach for a normal (preferably toxin-free) nail polish and remove it gently at home with an acetone-free polish remover. We’re obsessed with the one above from Olive & June. This might be common sense, but wearing your nails shorter equates to less opportunity for breakage. Shorter nails are less likely to catch on things and are then far less likely to tear, split, or crack—all unwanted side effects that don’t make good for our dreams of bend- and breakage-free tips. “If you have damaged nails and are looking for a fresh start, your best bet is to cut them down and keep them short for a couple of months,” adds Hanna. “Short nails are super chic, and if you have an event that you want long nails for, press-ons have come a long way and are the best kept secret in the celebrity manicure world. One of my favorite brands for natural looking press-ons is Kiss—just make sure when you apply them that you use the glue tabs and not nail glue. And of course, don’t rip them off!”Give your nails a break, folks! Sure, there’s nothing as satisfying and sweet as having a beautifully fresh paint job, but letting your nails have a week or so to breathe in between manicures (whether they’re in-salon or DIY) will help your cuticles regroup and reclaim their health. Personally, I’m a VERY serial polish wearer and don’t feel completely human without nail polish, but when I started doing this, I couldn’t believe how many fewer dents and ridges my nails had. It was actually miraculous. A little sad, but miraculous. Instead, treat your fingers or toes to something else luxurious, like a peel or overnight mask. This pedi version from Barefoot Scientist is everything.Our nails are made of fragile and damage-susceptible cells just like our nails and hair, so it feels pretty unjust that we give them little to no TLC in comparison. So, instead, and as Hanna says, we should think of our cuticle care as an extension of our skincare routine, complete with oils, scrubs, and creams. Plus, it can become a weekly ritual that feels relaxing and meditative. “For an exfoliator, I love Oribe’s Cote d’Azur Refining Hand Scrub,” she shares. “It smells divine and leaves my hands feeling super silky and smooth. I use this as part of my nightly ritual a few times a week before hydrating with my Carnelian Infusion Skin Salve a few nights a week before bed. It has vitamin E, natural beeswax, shea butter, and meadowfoam seed oil, which all work synergistically to create a protective barrier on the skin while simultaneously working to repair damage caused by transepidermal water loss.”Well there, yes, but also on your hands when you’re handling any chemicals or are cleaning your house. Of course, we’d recommend that you do your best to switch over to cleaner, non-toxic household products, but depending on what you’re doing and what kind of elements you’re working with, rubber gloves aren’t a bad idea regardless. Plus, they’ll help protect a precious paint job! Chemicals will essentially weaken your nails (just like chemicals in coloring and hair products will weaken strands), so it’s best to avoid exposure and direct contact at all costs. Next up: I Paint My Nails Twice a Week—Here Are 9 Products I’m Actually in Love With
We can’t help it—there’s just something so captivating about French-inspired beauty. Not surprisingly, certain cult-loved brands like La Roche-Posay, Bioderma, Nuxe, Klorane, and so, so many more have gained momentous popularity here in the United States. After all, who doesn’t want to remove their makeup, apply sunscreen, or drench their strands in shine like a chic Parisian? (Thought so.) But, there is a but.
During a recent dinner and wine date I had with one of my very favorite women, Marie-Laure of Fournier PR+Consulting (who also happens to be French—surprise!), we got on the topic of French beauty—two words that here in the U.S. have slowly morphed into a sought-after aesthetic and, eek, don’t hate me, a diluted, debatably basic category of beauty product.
The brand: Embyrolisse. The It product: Lait Creme Concentrate. It may have French origin, but this luxurious cream can surreptitiously be found tucked into every celebrity and makeup artist’s kit. (It’s actually considered the “star makeup base” for makeup artists—hence the inevitable cult celeb following.) It’s especially great for those with dry skin and is equipped with satiny ingredients like shea butter, soy protein, aloe vera, and essential fatty acids to keep your complexion’s moisture levels (and glow!) intact. The brand: Payot Paris. The It product: Pâte Grise L’Originale. Although it might look like your average drugstore jar of cold cream, this 70-year-old cult-classic ointment is the French woman’s secret for clear, blemish-free skin. (It’s their coveted acne secret.) Essentially, it works by bringing small, just-bourgeoning blemishes to the maturation phase while you sleep so you can wake up to less noticeable (or vanished!) breakouts in the days following. The brand: Le Petit Olivier. The It product: Hand Cream with Olive Oil. Smartly formulated with 98% natural ingredients, this olive oil–infused hand cream is the dreamiest send-off for beauty sleep or a long, dehydrating flight. It also features glycerin and shea butter, absorbs quickly and deeply, and never leaves your skin feeling greasy or sticky like other intensely hydrating formulas. The brand: Durance en Provence. The It product: Shower Gel in Blue Lavender. Everything from French skin and scent staple brand Durance is lovely, but its shower gels in freshly floral scents like rose, lavender, vanilla flower, and verbena are especially lust-worthy. Plus, what’s better than transforming your stateside shower into a French garden-inspired oasis? The brand: Institut Esthederm Paris. The It product: Adaptasun Body Lotion Strong Sun. As one of the brand’s best-selling products, this milky elixir might be the sole reason French women always look perfectly sun-kissed. By activating the skin’s natural pigmentation process, this luxe body lotion encourages a natural, faster-forming tan that will last and last and last. It also helps prevent symptoms of sun damage like photo-aging, dark spots, and cell injury thanks to the brand’s patented Global Cellular Protection Technology. All you have to do is rub it in 20 minutes before your sun time, taking care to reapply every 20 minutes or so. The brand: Thalgo La Beaute Marine. The It product: Reviving Marine Mist. Don’t even try to buy this mist from Thalgo’s website because it’s so beloved, it’s consistently sold out. (Luckily, Amazon totally has your back on this one!) Founded back in 1964 with the goal to manufacture top-notch algae-based beauty products, the brand has pretty much been a staple on French vanities since. This specific formula helps rejuvenate a tired, dull complexion with aid from French sea marine minerals, skin-friendly oils, and other radiance-enhancing fares. The brand: Sanoflore Laboratoire Bio. The It Product: Merveilleuse Essence Merveilleuse Anti-Ageing Regenerating Night Oil . The pure, organic skincare brand is not only chicly packaged (like, so pretty) it’s also prioritized in French women’s carefully curated beauty routines. Admittedly, I wanted to buy everything while scrolling through the brand’s hero products, but it’s this new night oil that I’m voting most destined for fresh cult stardom. It’s organic and vegan (as mentioned above) but also so fine and lightweight you’ll forget you’re wearing it when you tuck in at night. Of course, when you begin waking up with fewer wrinkles and more plumpness and luminosity, you’ll remember its magic. The brand: Ducray. The It product: Ictyane Moisturizing Micellar Water. Since 1930, Ducray has specialized in treating dermatological disorders of the skin, hair, and scalp, and it offers a plethora of results-focused antidotes. Though it’s hard to choose one product as your gateway elixir of choice, we’d recommend this hydrating and calming micellar water which, ahem, might be better than other (more well-known) formulas on the market. It’s great for those with normal to dry skin and won’t exacerbate sensitive eyes. The brand: Garancia Paris. The It product: Diabolique Tomate Enriched. As Marie-Laure told me, this specific cream is the cult-favorite product from Garancia Paris—a French-girl favorite. The iconic orange-tinted cream is a savior for parched skin, formulated almost entirely with natural ingredients (which, mind you, is the norm in France). It restores skin with 24-hour hydration, plumpness, and luminosity. The brand: Leonor Greyl. The It product: L’Huile de Leonor Greyl Pre-Shampoo Oil Treatment. Okay, so this brand you may have heard of (just because my fellow beauty editor Amanda Montell is beyond obsessed and it’s a tad bit easier to track down in the U.S.), but when it comes to French haircare, Leonor Greyl is the just it. You can’t go wrong with any of the products—we hoard everything and anything—but this pre-shampooing treatment smells like heaven encapsulated. Oh, and it also has this amazing habit of transforming even the most straw-like strands into the prettiest satin situation. You need it. The brand: Collosol . The It product: Eau de Lait. Micellar water gets a lot of attention and love when it comes to the French method of makeup removal, but this milky makeup-melter from Collosol is the real under-the-radar product catch. You can now also by the formula in wipe form, but there’s something ritualistic and luxurious about drenching a toning cloth or cotton ball with this iconic French pick. It removes makeup insanely fast and leaves skin soothed and velvet-soft. The brand: Talika. The It product: Eye Therapy Patch. Talika has been a French beauty staple since its inception in 1948, which is why we’re so frustrated it still flies under the radar in the States. The brand has amassed lots of best sellers and continues to dole out new amazing launches (hello, Vegetal Gold Mask), but its the masses—and countless celebs—love the 2001-born eye patches the most. (But again, this is sure to spark some debate among Talika lovers.) Infused with ceramides and shea butter for hydration and a meld of pretty plant oils including avocado, rose, and musk, regular use will revive and make over your under eyes so you look more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and less stressed and sleep-deprived. Want more French Girl-inspired beauty content? Here’s what you should buy at the drugstore.
I love Nordstrom as much as the next fashion girl, but my one complaint would be that it simply has too much to choose from (which isn’t really a complaint, but I digress). It’s one of those one-stop shops that basically has everything you could possibly need or want to fill your closet, beauty product collection, or home with. But most of what I purchase from Nordstrom is of the clothing, shoe, or accessory sort. (Shocking, I know.) So just for fun, I spent more time than I’d like to admit combing through the thousands of items on Nordstrom with the goal of finding only the best ones in the under-$50 price range.
My search proved to be fruitful, as I found a plethora of T-shirts, shoes, activewear, and accessories that I’d admittedly pay more than $50 for. I hope you have as much fun shopping these items as I had choosing them. Keep scrolling to let the aforementioned fun begin.
This is a really good white T-shirt, and I’m tempted to buy it in black, too. In case you’ve been living under a fashion rock, Tevas are in.As much as I love a fancy bra, nude T-shirt bras are the ones I wear the most.I love it when functional items become trends.I think I might need to cool it with the tie-dye, but I don’t care.Don’t mess with a classic.This rust color feels so sophisticated.This pretty little number went into my cart immediately.I’m so glad that I don’t have to say goodbye to cardigans just because it’s spring.Bonus: They’re waterproof.Celebs are wearing Dickies now, so I guess we’re all wearing Dickies now. I can’t believe they’re only $19 either.This makes my Nordstrom cart prettier.The bucket-hat trend gets the summer treatment.Time to start shopping for summer vacations.I love everything about these shoes.Nordstrom shoppers swear by Zella activewear. I also may need to cool it with pearls, but again, I don’t care.Nordstrom has the best selection of basics. Case in point.Just pair these with the Tevas, bucket hat, and tie-dye tee, and you’ll be the summer 2019 poster child.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions:
Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Heat olive oil; add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Stir in marinara sauce, beef stock and pasta; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions. Stir in basil and Parmesan.
Serve immediately.
Notes:
*Beef stock can be used for red wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
Did you Make This Recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.
The new arrivals section is always a place that I look to for inspiration about which pieces to add to my wardrobe, but no item speaks to me as much as the shoe section. Much like our favorite style icon, Carrie Bradshaw, I believe in the power of a great shoe, and the collection in my closet will speak to that. With that in mind, you can count on me to always have an eye on the best new shoe arrivals, which, right now, are heavily leaning into summer styles I’m ready to add to my vacation wardrobe.
Ahead, I’m breaking down the best shoes that have recently dropped at retailers. From strappy sandals to barely-there flats to nouveau flip-flops and more, these are the shoes you’ll spot fashion insiders—and our editors—adding to their closets now. Go on to shop my picks that tap into the biggest trends of the moment that will continue all summer long.
Jacquemus is the label fashion insiders can’t resist.Hello there, Staud.This yellow color feels fresh for summer.Hot pink is having a moment.Barely there flats will be one of the biggest trends this summer with newcomer Studio Amelia at the top of the must-buy list.I spotted A.Emery on the runway during Australian fashion week and immediately added them to my summer shopping list.These also come in nude.Mango just debuted its affordable take on the strappy flat.Cult Gaia can do no wrong.Gianvito Rossi can do no wrong.Simon Miller is always in the closets of fashion girls.Try the trend without spending a ton.These Bottega Veneta are available for pre-order (for delivery in October) and will be a cult buy among fashion insiders.Can’t get over this sculptural heel.A cool new take on the peep toe.A square toe and strappy sandal all in one.
