Refinery29

There's a particular kind of satisfaction in telling someone that this was only $65, especially after they've complimented your outfit. Because looking expensive has surprisingly little to do with how much you spend. More often, it comes down to knowing what to pair together.

Growing up, I tried my very best to take up as little space as possible wherever I was. I didn't want to be seen, so I minimized every part of myself. I covered the curves I was inheriting from my Puerto Rican mother under oversized sweatshirts during sweltering Orlando summers, and, not long after, spent years shrinking myself in ways that took a serious toll on my body and my life. I spoke softly.

At least once a week — let's face it, at least once every day — the writers and editors across Refinery29 discuss the latest and greatest products in our lives, from some cool new water bottle that's been absolutely saving our lives to a state-of-the-art sleep product that's changed our eight hours for the better. And gatekeeping isn't in our vocabulary, so we're here to share the wealth and highlight our favorite products, just for you, each month.

Sex education taught me what an erection was, but smut taught me about desire . Most of us got the mechanics, the risks and a condom on a banana. What we didn't get was anything about wanting , so many of us went looking for that in books and fanfics . Smut is fiction where sex is part of the story, but I think it can do something more interesting than simply give you something sexy to read. It can give you somewhere to figure yourself out. You don't need me to tell you smut is having a moment.

"Wedding season” is often associated with summer, but some of the most popular months to say “I do” actually fall later in the year. Maybe it’s the foliage or the welcome relief from the heat, but fall weddings are definitely a thing. While the colorful leaves make for stunning wedding photos, finding fall wedding guest dresses can be tricky. The goal: something elevated, seasonally- and weather-appropriate, and comfortable enough to carry you through hours of celebrating (and dancing).

Fall is one of those seasons that overwhelms the senses (sights, tastes, and smells). And because smell is the strongest of all the senses, it's tough to live our best autumn lives engulfed in a cloud of over-the-top fragrances. To avoid that fate this year, we hunted down the best fall candles filled with only the softest and coziest fall scents — not the ones that smell like a PSL fever dream.

It’s officially cozy season, and the fall weather has brought all its wardrobe favorites with it. In addition to leather boots and Victorian blouses, the transitional jacket is a beloved autumnal classic. The best fall jackets are lightweight enough for layering when the temps aren't quite cold enough — the Goldilocks of your seasonal closet, if you will.

There's a moment that comes for every woman when she looks around and realizes that she is, somehow, some way, the adult in the room. Hosts Sandy Pierre and Kathleen Newman-Bremang chat with actress and advocate Taylor Polidore Williams about what it takes to become the person you needed when you were young. You may recognize Polidore Williams from the hit shows Beauty in Black and Reasonable Doubt , but what you may not know is that she is a proud alumna of Clark Atlanta University.

R29 babes, this is a week of movement, even with all the retrograde energy still swirling around us. We're coming right out of the Libra New Moon, which asked us to imagine greater balance, peace, and alignment, and almost immediately the moon enters Scorpio and conjoins Venus retrograde there . That can pull buried emotions, unspoken desires, old insecurities, and complicated relationship or money themes right back to the surface.

I'll admit it. I'm one of those people who gets the itch to redecorate every time the seasons change. Something about the first hint of cooler weather makes me want to swap out every pillow, rearrange my furniture, and convince myself that I absolutely need another decorative lamp for that ill-lit corner. And while my Pinterest boards may suggest otherwise, my budget doesn't exactly allow for a complete home makeover four times a year.