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SUCCESS
Harness the ‘Battery Effect’ to Transform Life’s Tensions into Your Greatest Strength
I believe our life capacity is determined by the skillsets we develop on this spinning rock we call Earth. By “life capacity,” I mean our ability to embrace and sustain joy.
But hold on—doesn’t that sound a bit hedonistic? Let me explain.
As someone who has traveled across continents, interacted with diverse cultures, and floated through countless experiences, I’ve been haunted by one persistent question:
What determines the capacity for joy in life?
This is no easy puzzle, but I’ve mustered the courage to chase an answer—or at least offer a new perspective to those of you with endlessly curious minds.
So, let me ask you: Do you want to know the secret behind the most peaceful and joyful people on this planet?
If your answer is yes, let’s begin.
The “If” Trap
Pause for a moment and think: How often do your thoughts start with “if”?
- If I had a fit body, I’d deserve attention.
- If I had more money, I’d deserve respect.
This kind of thinking traps us in a cycle where happiness is always just out of reach, tied to some future achievement or external factor. It’s like chasing a horizon that moves away as we step closer.
Now, consider the power of sentences that start with “despite.”
- Despite my toxic environment, I’m excited to create a new reality.
- Despite my finances, I’m grateful for the possibilities ahead.
Do you feel the shift? One mindset limits us; the other empowers us. One keeps us stuck; the other sparks resilience.
After years of living in the “if” spectrum and observing people thriving in the “despite” spectrum, I’ve realized that no matter the odds, we always have a choice.
The choice to live a happy life is ours to make, and unapologetically embracing that choice is a skill—a “battery”—that we can strengthen.
Cultural Batteries: East vs. West
Our ability to cultivate these batteries is often influenced by cultural frameworks. Let’s explore how different cultures shape our capacity for joy.
Western cultures often celebrate directness and emotional expression. Feeling happy? Shout it from the rooftops. This value system tends to emphasize individual autonomy and heightened emotions. But on the flip side, it can sometimes veer toward a pursuit of happiness that feels performative or superficial, tied to material success and external validation.
Eastern cultures, in contrast, often prioritize collective harmony and emotional restraint. In many Eastern traditions, openly expressing happiness or focusing too much on personal joy may be seen as undignified or even selfish. Instead, the emphasis is on balance, humility, and consideration for the group.
Having been deeply exposed to both perspectives, I’ve wrestled with these dualities.
For years, I felt guilt for my loud, expressive lifestyle, as if my joy needed to be toned down to align with collective values. Yet, I’ve also seen the beauty of moral discernment—the way it fosters deep empathy and strengthens communal bonds through intentional choices and mindful actions.
Neither approach is inherently right or wrong. Instead, the sweet spot lies in integrating the strengths of both. The battery of sustainable happiness requires both the Western drive for self-expression and the Eastern wisdom of balance.
The Unity of Contradictions
Life, as I see it, is a dance of contradictions.
Joy exists alongside sorrow.
Light exists alongside darkness.
To sustain happiness, we must embrace this duality.
Imagine trying to sustain joy without ever experiencing hardship. Without contrast, joy would lose its meaning. Similarly, attempting to avoid negative emotions entirely puts us on an exhausting pedestal of perfection.
Life is not about eliminating contradictions but about uniting them.
Take a moment to reflect on your own batteries. Are you charging only one side of your life while neglecting the other?
- Are you pursuing success while ignoring your emotional well-being?
- Are you focusing so much on inner peace that you’re avoiding external challenges?
To build sustainable batteries, we must learn to carry both the positive and negative sides of life. It’s about finding balance—the kind that allows us to fully engage with life’s richness without being overwhelmed by its complexities.
Practical Steps to Recharge Your Batteries
So, how do we cultivate this balance? How do we strengthen the batteries of our lives?
Shift from “If” to “Despite”
Start catching yourself whenever your thoughts begin with “if.” Replace these conditional statements with “despite.”
For example:
- Instead of If I had more confidence, I’d pursue my passion, try Despite my fear, I’m taking a step toward my passion.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to recharge your batteries.
- Each day, list three things you’re thankful for, no matter how small.
- This trains your mind to focus on abundance rather than lack.
Balance Expression and Restraint
- If you’re naturally expressive, try incorporating moments of quiet reflection.
- If you lean toward restraint, practice sharing your feelings more openly.
Both are essential skills for navigating life’s ups and downs.
Accept Contradictions
Life is messy and unpredictable. Instead of resisting this, embrace it.
- Allow yourself to feel both joy and sorrow, success and failure.
- This acceptance will make you more resilient.
Invest in Meaningful Relationships
Joy shared is joy multiplied.
Surround yourself with people who uplift and challenge you, and make a conscious effort to nurture these connections.
Living with Full Batteries
In this ever-moving blue rock of ours, life is a blend of opposites.
- Happiness and hardship.
- Autonomy and community.
- Expression and moral discernment.
The most intelligent way forward is to embrace the unity of these contradictions, using them to charge the batteries of our lives.
Just like batteries require both a positive and a negative charge to function, our lives are shaped by both highs and lows.
Learning to navigate these fluctuations with awareness and intention transforms obstacles into stepping stones.
When we learn to carry both sides of life’s dualities, we unlock a sustainable joy that isn’t tied to fleeting circumstances. Instead, it becomes a steady force, empowering us to live authentically and unapologetically.
So, my final question to you is this:
Are your batteries fully charged?
If not, what’s stopping you from plugging in?
The post Harness the ‘Battery Effect’ to Transform Life’s Tensions into Your Greatest Strength appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.
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Healing Through Reparenting: The Greatest Act of Self-Love
“I learned that even though I have a very different personality from my parents, the way I treat my inner child is no different than how my parents treated me. I have unconsciously adopted some beliefs and habits from my parents. It’s as though they continue to live within me.” ~Yong Kan Chan
Reparenting is not for the faint of heart, but the journey can surely be described as the greatest act of self-love. It’s a gift—a chance to redo some of the painful aspects of childhood and adolescence, but with the awareness of an adult mind. It is also an opportunity to connect much more deeply with ourselves and those we wish to connect with in a more authentic way.
What is reparenting?
Reparenting is the process of unpacking childhood wounds and conditioning and getting in touch with our deepest needs, using them as a guide to create a life that’s intentional and aligned with our essence.
Unfortunately, many of us are born into families, or systems, laden with pre-existing programming, rules, and norms. On top of this, our parents often carry their own wounds, some unaddressed, which can inadvertently pass to us.
As impressionable children, what we need most is to be seen, nurtured, and loved, to receive guidance and attunement. Without these, conformity begins, shaping us into programmed versions of ourselves that align more with the expectations from our environment rather than our true selves.
This disconnection breeds inner conflict, leading us to adopt survival strategies to keep safe from perceived dangers like unmet parental desires or wounds. This process is entirely on a subconscious level, which is why it is so destructive.
When parents choose to bring a child into this world, the expectation is for them to nurture and guide this life in line with what the child needs, but that requires attunement and egos to be left at the door. Unfortunately, many parents live vicariously through their children or remain unaware of their nature, focused solely on their own survival. Worse than that, a lot of parents are emotionally immature and cannot embody true compassion or hold space for views that are different from theirs.
Curiosity and learning are not values at the forefront. This results in a child losing their essence over time in order to conform and stay safe and accepted in the system. With that comes the erosion of self and the birth of survival mode as we know it. The child loses some of their curiosity and zest for life, which in some cases is replaced with hard rules and expectations. In worse cases, it is replaced with abuse.
Reparenting is about rebuilding.
As my therapist vividly described, reparenting is akin to being a contractor, architect, and designer of my existence—deciding what parts of my past to keep, renovate, or dismantle entirely. This metaphor of remaking a house resonated deeply with me after years of suffering from patterns misaligned with my essence.
In the rebuilding process, I kept aspects of the “home” that I loved. I started to discern what did not fit, what was dated, and what needed a fresh coat of paint. In some instances, I took the proverbial sledgehammer to many walls and started again.
I started this journey after years of suffering—attracting people and circumstances that weren’t in alignment with my deepest self. I kept reliving childhood wounds because, as they say, “our wounding does the picking until we choose to heal.”
This doesn’t mean our parents didn’t love us or that they did not do their best. It simply means that we will all be called to dive deeply and, at some point in our journey, ask: Who am I? Who am I without the labels, the roles, the expectations?
Trauma is not always obvious. It can be as simple as a harsh tone or an unmet expectation. That moment in time is frozen, and the young mind that has not fully developed may create a story that “I am not loveable.”
In the words of Gabor Maté, “Trauma is not the event; it’s what happens inside of you as a result.”
This quote captures the journey from trauma as a disconnection from self, toward healing as a return to self.
Academic pressures in my own life equated grades with worthiness, manifesting in the “good girl” persona. I carried that persona into adulthood, and it manifested in my codependent, people-pleasing ways. I learned to be agreeable and reasonable. That persona kept me ‘safe’—until it didn’t.
I shrank myself, silenced my voice, and accepted less than I desired. This caused deep unfulfillment and a lot of internal discord. Do not rock the boat was the theme of my life. Be likable and avoid conflict. Fall in line and make sure that what you do and say is seen as “acceptable.” I am exhausted from reading that. That was me for a very long time.
Tired of my compromises and yearning for authenticity, I wanted to bring my true self to life—no more diluted versions.
Reparenting begins with one powerful question: Who am I?
From there, we ask: What do I want to create? What are my values, needs, and deepest desires? These are not light questions and may take a while to answer, but we have to start somewhere. These questions guided me to explore my triggers—those disproportionate reactions rooted in the past. They serve as guides pointing us to our wounds.
As my therapist taught me, “If it’s hysterical, it’s historical.”
Triggers are “normal” responses to unresolved trauma, but they often cause us to react or shut down in ways that don’t serve us. We may never completely eliminate triggers, but we can reduce their charge and effect in our lives.
By observing my reactions and stories in my everyday life, I was guided to reconnect with younger parts of myself—the parts that had been rejected, buried, or disowned. “What do you need?” is what I asked over and over again.
I began to act like a loving and present parent with no shame, guilt, or judgment. I just started to listen. I learned about all the ways I needed to love myself more, where in my life I needed to rest, where I needed to speak, where I needed to play, and what I deeply wanted to experience in this life.
There were many tears and deep pain and shame. I allowed myself to feel it all. I had conversations with many versions of myself, and I vowed to gift the young me with a life built on truth—our truth.
I also had to get very comfortable with being uncomfortable. I knew that living in truth meant tearing down many delusions and speaking up. This would undoubtedly create chaos in places and circumstances where delusion is the preferred way to live. This meant that I would lose connections. which is a huge hit to our inner child, who will do anything to stay connected to others because it’s familiar, even if it means self-betrayal.
Inner child work involves acknowledging all of our parts with love and compassion while giving them what they need. This process brings us closer to wholeness and self-understanding. I now have a picture of a young me, who I connect with often. I promised her that I would keep creating a life in line with our core and desires.
To this day, one of my biggest triggers is anything that represents inequality and unfairness. This stems from many layers of my own wounding, which created a story that “what happens to me is unfair, and I am not worthy.”
I have learned that there are some battles that are not mine to fight. There are battles that belong to other people. When something affects me personally, I have learned to set boundaries and to express my displeasure in a mature way. I do not need to project my past onto my present or onto others.
I had to learn about boundaries—a hot topic these days.
Without boundaries, we cannot be real, nor can we create our best life because our energy is indeed finite. Our time and energy are precious, and we have the right to manage them in line with our values.
The inquiry begins with: What do I need in this moment given my current capacity? And how can I express that as gently as possible? In some cases, gentleness will not be possible, and in other cases, especially with intimate relationships, you may be called to explain why you are setting a particular boundary.
This is a highly nuanced process. It takes time and trial and error, and it is ongoing forever! It may feel uncomfortable at first as we get to reconnect with ourselves. Boundaries change over time as we dive deeper into our inner world and we make adjustments along the way. There are no hard and fast rules. But I will note that, to me, boundaries are not passes to act crass and reckless. They are not to be used as electric fences. That will cause more damage and isolation.
In some situations, a harsh boundary is appropriate when someone clearly does not respect you or what you are expressing. But on the extreme side of the spectrum, I see a lot of people just cutting off others and burning bridges in the name of “self-love.”
To truly love, one has to take another person into account and try to work with that person’s edges to come to a place of acceptance. This, of course, does not apply to abusive situations. I am referring to personal relationships. We also have to remember that our truth is not the only truth.
Loving authentically means balancing our needs with others’, recognizing that we all deserve grace, and offering compassion in delivering our truth if the goal is true connection.
The goal of reparenting is a more authentic life.
It’s about forgiving our parents—not to erase the past, but to free ourselves from its hold. Forgiveness means releasing resentment, whether we maintain relationships with them or not, and choosing to focus on the life we are building. And where appropriate, we can extract the good that was passed on and capitalize on the lessons learned. Even if the lessons lead to the discovery of who you do not want to be. That has value too.
Reparenting involves loss—shedding old identities and relationships built on personas rather than authenticity. But it also involves immense gain—the freedom to align with our true desires and essence. In the words of Gabor Maté, “Healing is a return to self.”
This journey requires radical honesty and accountability. It means asking hard questions, releasing blame, and embracing connection with ourselves and others. On the other side of the pain lies authenticity, fulfillment, and a life that reflects who we truly are.
I can confidently say that because of this work I am gentler with myself, I use my voice where appropriate, and I am more authentic. In other words, I live in truth.
Where in your life can you begin to parent yourself? Start with the question: What do I need to feel seen, safe, and nurtured?
About Christine Rodriguez
Christine Rodriguez is a spiritual life coach dedicated to helping others transform beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that no longer serve them so they can create a life that’s aligned with their true desires and capabilities. To work with her, please visit miraculousshifts.com. You can find her on Instagram @miraculousshifts_christy.
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An Intentional Return to Beauty
In today’s fast-paced world, beauty routines are becoming more focused on health, balance, and holistic practices. Products and routines are progressively emphasising proactive, preventative measures, turning skincare into a ritual of self-care that nourishes both body and mind. In skincare, this has manifested in less invasive methods to improve appearance and a focus on hydrating ingredients. Simultaneously, the beauty world has seen new educational tools and services that help individuals understand their personal style and best features. These practices reflect purposeful additions to a daily routine, reflecting a more careful approach to beauty regimens. There is no definitive answer to “looking your best,” only new methods that can inspire and empower those looking to re-vamp their everyday routine.
Stimulate the Skin
As the body’s largest organ, the skin is often exposed to stressors on a daily basis. As a result, it is in a constant state of renewal to maintain a healthy state, with new cells forming in the deepest layers of the skin and gradually working their way to the surface. Stimulating cell regeneration is crucial in creating fresh, smooth skin as it helps to accelerate this natural process by shedding dead skin and encouraging the production of new, vibrant cells. This not only improves texture and tone but also enhances the skin’s ability to repair itself, fight off environmental damage and retain moisture.
While there is an abundance of topical treatments that can target uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, or acne, vitamin C is considered one of the best ingredients to stimulate cell production in the skin. According to Healthline, vitamin C acts as a chemical catalyst in the process of collagen production — the main protein that provides the skin with firmness and elasticity — which in turn supports the structure of new skin cells that have emerged. The SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic has been frequently declared as one of the best vitamin C serums on the market, by outlets such as Forbes, Byrdie and New York Magazine. Packed with a potent blend of 15 precent pure vitamin C, 1 percent vitamin E, and 0.5 percent ferulic acid, the serum creates an antioxidant shield on the face against skin-damaging factors like UV rays and diesel exhausts.
Another way to encourage skin cell regeneration is by physical processes — namely, microneedling. The procedure works by making small punctures in the skin with small stainless steel needles to activate the body’s natural healing process, resulting in refreshed skin. Health.com recommends the StackedSkincare Microneedling Tool, a beginner-friendly at-home dermaroller fitted with 0.2mm needles for gentle micro-exfoliation. However, since microneedling is considered a “minimally invasive” procedure, it is generally recommended to visit a dermatologist or licensed medical spas for regular treatments. Today, stimulating the skin has become a central focus within skincare, owing to the emphasis on preventative beauty routines. While products like hyaluronic acid and collagen face masks are still popular on the market, these ingredients ultimately deplete from the skin as we age and cannot be replenished with topical treatments. What is possible is taking proactive steps to enhance skin health over time, by training the body to renew itself from within.
Know Your Colour Palette
As beauty becomes increasingly personalised, a preference for tailored routines and styles have taken on new momentum. Colour analyses, in particular, helps individuals discover the hues that complement their natural skin tone, hair and eyes, and has gained immense popularity as people seek to optimise their everyday routines. Although the process of colour analysis has seen renewed interest, the concept is commonly attributed to the 1987 book “Color Me Beautiful” by professional colour consultant Carole Jackson, who grouped shades into seasonal palettes for the most ideal combination.
Modern day versions of Jackson’s concept are seen in various ways, from in-person beauty studios to online iterations. Seoul-based colour analysis studios are especially popular, as a result of kpop stars like Hyeri and Blackpink’s Jisoo posting about their private colour analysis consultations. Color Place in Gangnam is one of the most prolific consultation studios in Korea, with a range of famous clientele like Twice’s Nayeon and Exo’s Baekhyun. The studio offers a full-service package of colour analysis, hair style, brow shape and eyewear recommendations conducted by a professional. Alternatively, apps like StyleDNA utilises AI to analyse photographs of individuals to determine the optimum colour palette, prints, textures and cuts for outfits. Meanwhile, Four Seasons Studio is a virtual consultation, where three professional stylists will examine a series of selfies and photos to create a colour analysis. Results and recommendations are sent to customers within 24 to 72 hours.
A prominent trend of today’s beauty landscape is the focus on personalisation and customisation. New York City-based psychotherapist Dana Dorfman told Refinery29 that the desire to know one’s colour palette, face shape, and overall aesthetic could be connected to our innate need for a framework in life. “Given the complexity of the world, a simplification or a boxing in of things can sometimes make life easier,” Dorman said. “It also helps with decision fatigue because it does the deciding for you and you get the reassurance from an expert that it suits you.”
The benefits extend beyond decision-making by helping to streamline wardrobe and makeup choices, reducing carbon footprints and learning to make mindful choices about what products should be considered long-term investments and what are just fleeting trends.
READ MORE: Clé de Peau Beauté Unveils a New Gold Standard of Radiance
Incorporate Adaptogen Ingredients
With stress being a major culprit behind skin issues such as acne and premature aging, holistic beauty practices have begun to gain traction. Adaptogens are usually a group of plant-based compounds like ashwagandha, ginseng and mushrooms that are believed to restore balance to the body from physical and mental stressors. The concept stems from Asian traditional medicine practices, where ingredients are revered for their ability to enhance the body’s conditions as a whole instead of targeting specific issues. This — coupled with the common antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of natural plants — creates a solution for improving the skin and enhancing overall wellbeing.
Although the use of mushrooms in Chinese medical practices has been ongoing for centuries, the ingredient has only now found its way into global skincare lines. Research firm Innova Market Insights estimated that there was 50 percent annual growth in the use of mushrooms in beauty and skincare launches from April 2019 to March 2024. Out of all mushroom types, snow mushroom (also known as tremella) proved to be the top ingredient, touted for its ability to outperform hyaluronic acid in moisturising the skin. For those suffering from dry skin, the Thayers Hydrating Milky Toner actually contains a blend of both snow mushroom and hyaluronic acid, which the company claims can increase moisture levels by 35 percent.
In the 2020s, the beauty and wellness industry continues to overlap. As the modern world grows more fast-paced and stress-driven, people are seeking ways to nourish not just their skin but their entire wellbeing — adaptogens fit this new outlook on beauty. Since adaptogens are rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is limited research in the efficacy of certain ingredients. The key to incorporating adaptogens is to do so in moderation, and pair these holistic ingredients with tried-and-true ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C. Adaptogens align with a broader movement toward purposeful beauty routines, where every product is chosen with intention to improve both skin and long-term health.
Maintain Healthy Hair
Recently, haircare has followed the same ideology as skincare, with an emphasis on nourishing ingredients and consistent care. Yet facial hair like brows and lashes can often get overlooked, especially when they are subject to beauty and makeup procedures. While consistent use of brow gels or mascara should be safe for the health of facial hair, human error is usually the cause of thinning eyebrows or eyelash loss. L’Oréal points out a number of mistakes many makeup users fall victim to, including using eyelash curlers roughly, using false lashes too often and improperly removing makeup at night. When not done carefully, all of these practices can damage the hair follicles by exposing them to chemicals and leaving them dehydrated.
In response, an increasing number of brow gels and mascaras have followed the hybrid-makeup formulation, which fuses skincare ingredients into makeup products to deliver skincare benefits during use. Typology’s Serum Mascara utilises an oil-in-water emulsion formula, designed to hydrate and nourish while also enhancing the lashes’ appearance. Castor oil and pea peptides are infused into the formula to help stimulate lash growth, while keratin prevents breakage and promote healthy growth. Additionally, the formula is vegan and eco-friendly, with its black tint derived from vegetable and mineral origins. Hybrid formulas have also resulted in multi-use brow and lash serums. The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum contains four specialised peptides for hair growth, panthenol for moisturising, and red clover extract for fuller, thicker hair.
Investing in a brow or lash serum allows a more low-maintenance-high-impact type of approach to beauty routines. However, it is important to note that over-the-counter serums cannot make hair grow longer, they simply aid the existing processes and provide strengthening ingredients to the hair. Still, hair serums remain popular for its natural look, associated with the “clean girl” beauty trend that many prefer. Most importantly, lash and brow serums are a move towards products that help the hair and skin, rather than just masking imperfections.
Find Your Facial Features
Similar to colour analysis, finding and understanding your unique facial features has become a staple in the beauty community. It is not a new phenomenon, going back to the familiar ethos of knowing what styles, colours and haircuts would suit oneself. It has, however, gained more attention in recent years owing to an embrace of individuality, moving away from a one-size-fits-all ideal. Highlighting specific facial features — through methods like tailored makeup techniques, skincare, or haircuts — offers a way to create a beauty routine that feels authentic and effective.
@gracemchoi How to find your face shape! New filter and series on how to find your face shape as well as makeup and hairstyles guides for each face shape. #faceshape #faceshapefilter #faceshape #faceshapeanalysis #beauty ♬ original sound – gracemchoi
Although a well-known practice among professional makeup artists, advancements in technology have helped educate the masses on how to create a makeup routine that is distinctive to them. Augmented reality (AR) designer and Mink Beauty founder Grace Choi has gone viral multiple times for her creation of TikTok filters like “Cheek Contour, “Face Shape” and even skin “Undertone.” Speaking to Glamour, Choi said that the filters were meant to serve as “a personalised stencil for every viewer, [telling] them exactly where to place products on their face to achieve [the] desired result.”
The filters work by overlaying the face with a diagram of sorts, pinpointing parts of the face where makeup should be applied or drawn. A crucial aspect of Choi’s filters — which differ from beauty routines and hacks of the past, are the way in which the overlays fit to a person’s exact face — ensuring that every individual is seeing how the makeup would look applied to them.
@alieenor Réponse à @Ashleyvdk The best way you can feel like yourself when wearing makeup is understanding your contrast level #contrastlevel #highcontrast #annehathaway #maralafontan #inestazi #monicabellucci #highcontrastmakeup #darkhair #contrast #colorseasonanalysis @Mara Lafontan @INES TAZI ♬ son original – Alieenor
Since Choi’s virality, there have been a number makeup filters that have resulted from a new understanding and appreciation for tailored makeup practices. Other trends include determining your “animal type,” which sees users do their makeup inspired by the facial features of an animal they most closely resemble; and “contrast level” makeup, a theory that individuals should be looking at how the shades of their skin tone, facial features and hair colour differentiate from one another and use makeup to create a more harmonious look. What is most important to remember is not getting caught up in the technicalities. There is no harm in experimenting with different approaches to makeup, but it is not the be -all-end-all of a routine. Beauty writer Zeynab Mohamed warns that these filters could still be feeding into the endless “trendy makeup” cycle. Instead, emphasis should be placed on the way these new methods can help educate individuals on their facial features — and there is no right and wrong answer to this.
READ MORE: Elevating Everyday Rituals: A Luxury Approach to Beauty and Wellness in 2025
Embrace Lip Care
One of the most popular items on the beauty market are lip cosmetics, with the worldwide lip market looking to achieve USD 22.90 billion in 2025, according to Statista. Self-care rituals have become a driving force for the popularity of lip care, with nourishing balms, exfoliators and plumping treatments now essential to many daily regimens. With lip products often being thought of as makeup rather than skincare, the recent intermingling of skincare and beauty routines have brought a new forefront of products to the market, celebrated for their ability to hydrate, protect and enhance our lips.
In 2022, the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask was the most renowned lip product on the market, introducing beauty-lovers to a product that effortlessly created the “plump, juicy” lip look that many desire. First released in 2018, Laneige’s lip mask took off in 2022 thanks to a bout of powerful celebrities like Kate Moss and Keke Palmer raving about its benefits. New York Magazine’s Tembe Denton-Hurst suggests that its reputation endures because of its ingredients. The mask is an ointment-type product formulated with vitamin C, antioxidant berries and hyaluronic acid to melt away dead skin and leave the lips feeling hydrated and smooth. Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Beauty also experienced commercial and viral success with their Peptide Lip Tints, a lightweight gloss that offers a subtle tint of colour. The tint is infused with a host of nourishing ingredients popular in traditional skincare, such as palmitoyl tripeptide-1 to promote skin healing and collagen production, as well as vitamins E, D, and A.
The quest for perfect-looking lips is never-ending in the beauty world. What is different now is the way the industry wants to achieve this. The Guardian reported that when Kylie Jenner dissolved her lip filler, clinics were bombarded by similar requests immediately after. While lip fillers and plumpers are not entirely out of fashion, lip products are now migrating towards beneficial products with skin-strengthening ingredients to achieve ideal-looking lips.
Include Facial Massages
The introduction of at-home beauty devices have given allowed skincare enthusiasts to experiment with facial massages. The practice, explained by Dr. Shari Auth for Byrdie, originated in Asia and Chinese aristocracy. In today’s climate, celebrities like Meghan Markle and Jennifer Lopez have praised the effects of a simple buccal massage. With its ability to stimulate blood flow and reduce puffiness, facial massages provide immediate and long-term benefits.
According to Medical News Today, it is common to wake up with a puffy face in the morning due to overnight fluid retention, where lying down in bed causes our body’s fluid to collect in the face. Eventually, the fluid will disappear once people start to move around. However, a popular way to ensure a sculpted and de-bloated face before stepping out is to add a facial massage in between skincare steps. Traditionally used in Chinese medicine, gua shas are a centuries-old massage tool usually made out of smooth, contoured stones. Its unique shape is designed to gently scrape along the skin to stimulate circulation and help with lymphatic drainage, and can be used all over the body. Face rollers are a quicker alternative to gua shas, similarly crafted from stones to gently massage the skin and reduce swelling.
It is also widely believed that gua sha can help sculpt the face into more aesthetically-pleasing shapes, with high cheekbones and sharper jawlines. The reasoning behind this is because facial massages can help circulate bloodflow and relax facial muscles, resulting in a glowing, lifted look. With consistent use, the belief is that the face will eventually become slimmer and more sculpted. However, multiple dermatologists and aestheticians have stated that this practice is a myth, as facial massaging cannot get rid of excess fat in areas of the face. Despite this, facial massaging still remains a well-liked skincare step as it supports healthier skin by releasing muscle tension, making it an essential step in achieving a glowing complexion.
Consider Hair Theory
A recent beauty practice to come out of TikTok is the idea of “hair theory,” which suggests that the way we style our hair can drastically change the appearance a person. It implies a similar-thinking to how outfits are put together, with consideration for what type of jewellery, shoes or bags can best complement a look. “Hair Theory” promotes more awareness of how hair can also play a role in crafting the perfect outfit, by experimenting with styles that factor in clothing cut, fit and function.
@thanyaw_ Which hairstyle to which neckline
An easy-to-follow guide to “hair theory” originates from TikToker Thanya, whose three-part tutorial has garnered over 40 million views. The hairstyle-neckline guide determines the best hairstyle in relation to the your shirt’s neckline. WWD created an all-encompassing article for Thanya’s three-part series. Examples include wearing a high ponytail or updo for turtlenecks, wearing hair down for strapless dresses, and wearing a half-up half-down for sweetheart necklines and one-strap tops. The general rule, however, seems to be that hair up can flatter high necklines, and hair down can flatter lower necklines. Texture and length of hair can also affect the way that your overall appearance is perceived. Pinterest contains a host of hairstyle neckline diagrams that can also be filtered by hairtype, whether wavy, curly or protective.
Beyond its aesthetic role, hair is a powerful tool for self-expression, just as personal style is. Caroline Brooks, founder of The Glasshouse Salon and Spa, told Glamour, “The length, colour, style, and texture of hair can have an effect on how you feel yourself. Getting a fresh blow-dry can make you feel more confident, and a new colour can make you feel more refreshed, but a bad hair day can make you feel self conscious.” Brooks suggests that the popularity of “hair theory” is due to the universal appeal of personal expression through simple, easy-to-try hairstyles. It is yet another reminder of how much power a style can have, and is a new aspect to consider when wanting to revamp a look.
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AI Tools Are Getting Better, but They Still Struggle With Money Advice
As ChatGPT and its competitors improve their models, a growing number of people are relying on AI tools to answer everyday financial questions.
But is that a good idea?
When mainstream AI tools took the world by storm two years ago, experts cautioned that ChatGPT and other services were not capable of providing trustworthy financial advice, citing the risk of hallucinations and their limited access to real-time information. And despite improvements to AI chatbots in the time since, recent research indicates artificial intelligence tools still are not advanced enough to reliably answer many personal finance questions.
The team at Investing in the Web, a site that reviews financial services, conducted a test in November that looked at how well ChatGPT Search answered 100 questions about money. According to their scoring of the responses, ChatGPT was correct 65% of the time, “incomplete and/or misleading” 29% of the time and wrong 6% of the time.
The questions included:
- How much should I save for my retirement? (ChatGPT got this “correct,” providing key factors that determine how much an individual should save and explaining several savings frameworks that have been endorsed by financial experts.)
- What is the retirement age in my country? (ChatGPT gave an incomplete answer, failing to mention that the rules were changing in the user’s country of Sweden.)
- How to decide when to buy or sell an investment? (The response was graded “incorrect” because ChatGPT did not discourage the user from “timing the market,” arguably the most important point to make here.)
ChatGPT performed worse on questions involving shifting news and information, while performing better in areas of evergreen financial advice. Taxes and financial aid were particularly challenging subjects for ChatGPT.
In a report, Investing in the Web noted that ChatGPT appeared to source some of its answers from less-reliable personal blogs, which introduced errors into its outputs. Even though researchers found that AI wasn’t dependable for over a third of financial questions, the report concluded that AI may be used as “a good starting point when researching a topic.”
Financial advice, math and AI
Some chatbots appear to have guardrails limiting responses to sensitive questions, including those about money.
For example, Google’s Gemini responds to a request for stock picks by telling the user to consult a financial professional, saying that it is unable to recommend investments. Similarly, if you ask medical questions, you’ll be told to go to a doctor. Political prompts yield a message about restrictions relating to elections.
But ChatGPT — owned by OpenAI — will produce responses to many financial questions, and surveys have shown that a significant swath of Americans are turning to AI to manage their personal finances. This is potentially concerning, in part because AI tools often struggle with basic math.
In forums, internet users who’ve experimented with plugging financial questions into ChatGPT have pointed out that because ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM), asking it to deal with numbers and solve math problems often leads to problems.
A team of Apple researchers dug into this weakness of chatbots in an October paper that concluded “current LLMs are not capable of genuine logical reasoning; instead, they attempt to replicate the reasoning steps observed in their training data.”
Although they have many other uses, LLMs are not necessarily reliable or advanced when it comes to actually doing math beyond the grade-school level. Instead, their attempts to solve math problems “resemble sophisticated pattern matching more than true logical reasoning,” according to Apple.
The bottom line: AI tools may be able to answer some of your financial questions, but you should always tread carefully when deciding what to do with your hard-earned money or how to plan for your future. No matter where the advice you’re getting comes from — even if it’s a human — make sure to double check the main points with other sources.
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