Melissa Kacar

Ariana Grande's latest fragrance is such a dream! R.E.M is inspired by one of my favorite songs from her of the same title - it perfectly encapsulates all of the magic of that song in a bottle. All of Ariana's past fragrance releases are my all time favorites, so I was so excited when she announced she was coming out with another! R.E.M. is an Ulta exclusive in the US, but is coming soon to Boots UK and other worldwide retailers. In the US, it retails for $44 (1 oz), $54 (1.7 oz) and $64 (3.4 oz). There is also a travel size available for $22 (.03 oz). If you are planning on buying this, the best value would be the 3.4 oz bottle, but that's up to you to decide how much you're going to use it. If you're buying from Ulta, there is always ways to get discounts on your purchases, especially with the weekly coupons, member rewards, and gift cards. I bought the 3.4 oz bottle and it ended up being a really great deal if you take advantage of the discounts available.  The

Ever since Selena Gomez announced her brand new cosmetic line earlier this year, I have been anticipating the day I would finally get to try the products! Rare Beauty launched earlier this month and is exclusive to Sephora and the brand's website. They came in full swing with an extensive range of products (almost enough for a full-face of makeup!), paired with massive shade ranges for each category.  Selena is someone I have admired and been a huge fan of for basically most of my life at this point, so it was really exciting when I heard she was venturing out and creating her own makeup brand. The name corresponds with her latest album, Rare , which is a title that truly reflects the deeper meaning behind her music and now these products, as well.  "We empower our Rare Beauty community to challenge beauty norms by shaping positive conversations about self-acceptance and mental health. Our community is inclusive, welcoming and connected." Before I even saw any of the prod

With the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards being one of the first big in-person events to be held since COVID-19 hit earlier this year, the show definitely had a noticeable change of pace in comparison to previous years. In an effort to maintain social distancing guidelines, most of the performances were prerecorded and there was no live audience (just cringey fake cheering in the background). The parts of the show that weren't prerecorded were filmed in outdoor locations across all five boroughs of New York City with no audience.  I look forward to the VMAs every year to see the always memorable - and often outrageous - performances, red carpet fashion, and iconic pop culture moments. This year was very different in that regard because of the prerecorded aspect, which took away from a lot of the spontaneity the show usually has. In addition, there was really only a few big performances that were actually worth watching. The opening performance of the night was The Weeknd with "Blin