theSkimm - Weekend: We Salute You, Glen Powell 🫡

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Sunday. To decompress this weekend, I’ll be rewatching this Oscar-worthy Sex and the City parody featuring Barbie dolls, contemplating Gen Z’s obsession with eye-color beaded bracelets (yes, those Y2K bracelets), and indulging in some retail therapy, which, thanks to Bella Hadid, may include a “girlhood trend”-inspired baby tee. And while I could use a new pair of flip-flops for the beach, unfortunately, Kylie Jenner’s $650 ones are slightly…out of my budget. Same goes for Blake Lively’s sequined-bra-and-tutu ensemble. Finally, I’ll be getting a much-needed manicure. Though I’m still deciding between Selena Gomez’s Orange Julius-esque polish or Hailey Bieber’s (surprisingly adorable) farmers market-chic look, I’ll probably pass on Megan Fox’s studded French tips. That’s one way to use your old Bedazzler.

— Taylor Trudon / Writer, Culture & Lifestyle / Brooklyn, NY

🍟 According to TikTok, Gen Z has a new insult they’re slinging at millennials. And we thought “cheugy” was offensive…

💉 “Notox” treatments might be in, but undereye concealer is supposedly out. Because who doesn't love to hear that they look tired.

☀️ Among this week’s perplexing influencer trends, millennial parents are trying to raise “‘90s kids.” Let’s hope Gen Alpha at least gets Tamagotchis out of this.

😮‍💨 Not “so Julia” enough to participate in “Brat Girl Summer”? Welcome to “Ben Affleck Summer,” where stress levels are high and the caffeinated beverages are unlimited.

Glen Powell might be the only thing the country can agree on these days. Blessed with the looks of a “youth pastor who is about to whip out a guitar” and the “most Congressman-sounding name” ever, the actor has managed to win over everyone from your mom to your teen sister. This week, he continued his charm offensive when he posed on the red carpet at the Twisters premiere with his extremely cute dog (naturally, Brisket has his own Instagram) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Powell’s hand placement caused quite the stir). He also took adorable selfies with his family members (megawatt smiles are apparently genetic), performed dorky TikTok dances (that would be criminally offensive from any other 35-year-old man), and this weekend, effortlessly shotgunned beers on stage with his fellow cast members at a Luke Combs concert.

Sure, you could say that Powell is laying on the rizz extra thick because he has a movie to promote, but this is hardly the first time he’s dazzled the internet. Whether it was his electric chemistry with Sydney Sweeney during last year’s Anyone But You press tour (which was so good it fueled dating rumors), embracing that viral capybara meme, or his playful interactions with his parents, the actor, often dubbed the next Matthew McConaughey, is a refreshing presence in a rather…icky climate. And did we mention he’s planning on going back to college to finish getting his degree? As one X user pointed out, “very hot behavior” indeed.

Like the character she plays in Lady in the Lake, Natalie Portman is stepping into new territory. The Apple TV+ series — which is based on the bestselling novel by Laura Lippman — is the Oscar winner’s first time producing and starring in a TV show. In the 1960s-set drama, Portman plays Maddie Schwartz, a Jewish housewife living in Baltimore who dives into investigative journalism following the homicides of an 11-year-old Jewish girl, Tessie Durst, and Cleo Johnson (The Queen’s Gambit’s Moses Ingram), a Black activist and fellow mother struggling to provide for her family amid the Civil Rights Movement. But as Maddie digs deeper into Cleo’s world, she creates a terrifyingly dangerous situation for herself. Described as “gritty” and “surreal,” the seven-part noir thriller is about two women who have big dreams — and the price they pay for them.

Why are people chanting “boots and a slicked-back bun”? The viral TikTok earworm, which has become an anthem for young women hyping each other up, actually began when three friends from London were getting ready for a night out, and one mentioned her outfit: “boots and a slicked-back bun.” Presumably after a few cocktails, the girls turned the phrase into a rallying cry and filmed it for a TikTok video that now has over 9 million views — and countless spoofs. (We’re partial to this pitch-perfect The Parent Trap one.) It even caught the attention of Amy Poehler — who posted her own version of the meme featuring comedy legends Rashida Jones, Rachel Dratch, and Seth Meyers. (Though Meyers appears both bun- and bootless.) We’ll start the petition to get the Londoners booked on SNL, stat.

Even though jelly sandals were once a status symbol on elementary school playgrounds, we still shudder to think about our sweaty, blistered feet and that pungent, plastic-y smell. So we can’t help but have complicated feelings about the jelly fashion movement that’s taken over this summer, featuring sold-out $900 (yes, $900) mesh flats from The Row (obviously millennial footwear icon Jennifer Lawrence nabbed a pair), translucent Dansko clogs, sky-high orange platforms, and studded toe ring sandals. But the jelly-ification doesn’t stop there. There are also jelly Telfar bags, manicures, and earrings. However, our real hesitation has nothing to do with aesthetics. According to Vogue, there’s a “darker side” to jelly shoes, namely, that they’re mostly made of toxic chemicals — so they’re bad for the environment and also you. Which is all to say, maybe some trends are better left in the ‘90s.

What's the leave-in conditioner we like?

You might know about the “skinimalism” movement, but if not, it’s exactly what it sounds like — using fewer products and letting your skin’s natural texture be what it is. We’re here to make a case for whatever the hair equivalent of that would be, starting with this multipurpose hair mist. One editor initially bought it purely as a detangler — and it does that job well on her long, tangle-prone hair — but she was pleasantly surprised to find that it also made her hair softer, less frizzy, and just easier to manage when it air-dried. This is pretty much all you need, but if you have 10 extra seconds to spare (rare), we like to follow it up with the JVN Air Dry Cream. Now move on with your life.

Hell hath no fury like a sports bra being applied to a just showered but not 100% dry body.

Listen up. Just in time for the Olympics, we’re launching Well Played, a sports podcast that will finally treat sports like the bingeable reality TV that it is. Because it’s time to honor the NARPs who walk among us. We’re fielding all the drama and covering the stories women care about most, from Team Mongolia’s runway-worthy uniforms to Angel City’s multimillion valuation and the Copa chaos that can only be described as heated. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts.

Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.

These comfy and stable earbuds have a cuff-like, open-ear design that make it easy to hear the world around you while you’re on the go — without pressing pause.*

You've heard of glass skin. Now, meet glass hair. To get that high-def shine, we use amika's Flash Instant Shine Mask — just apply it to washed hair, wait a minute, and rinse. Bonus points if you use the matching shampoo.

Anyone else seeing this cool water bottle popping up on their social feeds? If not, you will now. You're welcome.

PS: Want more product recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram.

Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.

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