If you've got a dry, itchy scalp, you might have an imbalance of the naturally-occurring fungus and bacteria on the scalp. Apple cider vinegar is known to to not just eliminate the issue but also restore the pH balance of your skin. This scrub combines the vinegar and sea salt with avocado oil and aloe vera to soothe your scalp, hydrate the skin and cancel out any future flakiness. And thankfully, there isn't a strong vinegar smell either.
Welcome to October, a month that most people in the U.S treat as one extended celebration of pumpkins. The Sun is in Libra, Mars is in Libra, Mercury Rx is in Libra and so too is the new moon this week. It’s a house party only a Libra can throw, inviting people who don’t really want to be in the same room and acting like as long as there’s a very nice meal and some nostalgic conversation, things will all work out.
Well, as Mercury-ruled Lauryn Hill once sang “everything is everything” and things will all work out — but, how they work out is anyone’s guess. Mercury retrogrades aren’t exactly a comfortable time for most people, even if they’re not that big of deal, all things considered. And, with Mercury making a trine to Jupiter on October 3rd, there’s a sense that while the small things might need more maintenance, our big dreams can and should be our guiding light. Maybe it’s true, maybe all we need is dedication. But, dedication might prove to be a challenge when Mars in Libra is combust with the Sun on the New Moon on the 6th while forming an uncomfortable aspect to Uranus. It’s easy to get irritated when you feel like your efforts aren’t amounting to much or when you find your gentle optimism dampened by overly practical naysayers.
It’s important to remember that what’s practical for you need not be what’s practical for someone else. There are humans out there who do the extra-ordinary every day, there are humans whose lives and family structures were once considered completely unthinkable. Pluto stations direct hours after the new moon, reminding us that the structures we build our lives around were never meant to be permanent. Within each of us is the capacity to renew how we envision our lives — not just the present but the past and future, too. The next day, Venus shifts under the stars of Sagittarius, a relief that moves through us and invites us to laugh a little — especially when crying is no longer the release it's meant to be. It’s the opportunity to get serious about play and be a little more playful about what’s serious.
Aries Sun & Aries Rising
By now you must know that Libra season has a lot to offer you, if you let it. Like the conditions for any great venture, an opposing energy can be a challenging blessing. It gives you the chance to encounter a different perspective, the opportunity to clarify your own intentions, and refine your approach. An opposing energy tests your investment and your ability to learn from your missteps. This week’s new moon in Libra is conjunct Mars, your ruling planet, and the Sun. The phrase “where there’s a will, there’s a way” doesn’t just come to mind, it’s playing on repeat in the room. Perhaps, a win in this case is less about fighting others and more about fighting for what you share. Are you willing to let go of one kind of win to make room for another? Illustration by Stefhany LozanoTaurus Sun & Taurus Rising
Sometimes it works like this: You find yourself making bold choices about your appearance and presence in the world. You tap into your very human urge to be free from whatever limiting contracts you have made with the mundane world. You make moves to terminate what no longer fits your vision of yourself, you pull out the Jenga blocks and if the tower falls, then it falls. But sometimes it works in a different way. Sometimes the work you are doing works on you. What begins as a daily rote task transforms into a ritual. And, even when it feels endless, even when you’re feeling underpaid or underappreciated, you’re coming alive in a way you couldn’t have predicted or planned. Because this way can surprise you, because it can feel out of your control, it can be hard to accept and harder to claim. Good thing that you’re not afraid of the hard way.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoGemini Sun & Gemini Rising
So much about being a mutable sign has to do with other people, what you learn from them and what they learn from you. The deep pleasure you receive from intellectual and interpersonal exchange is a source of energy for you, it’s a source of inspiration. Between your ruling signs’ retrograde in Libra and the new moon’s conjunction to Mars in Libra, you might find your attempts at connection a little more difficult, which can be especially disheartening if the feeling springs up between you and a creative partner. Try to remind yourself that, sometimes, the process of creating something beautiful together requires separation. Try to remember what your heart already knows: the creative magic possible between two or more people is made ever more potent when each person is given space and time to develop a private relationship with the uniqueness of their own self.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCancer Sun & Cancer Rising
Being subject to the moon is its own bag of tricks, and certainly a new moon in Libra is no exception, especially if you’re a Cancer or Cancer rising between 7° and 19°. While new moons can be invigorating, this new moon’s proximity to Mars in Libra has a way of dampening your efforts and causing a lot of irritation in the process. The co-presence of Mercury Rx doesn’t ameliorate matters. In fact, for Cancer rising people whose 12th house is ruled by Mercury, mental suffering can be a common symptom. That said, the stars don’t spell doom and gloom, though it might sound like it. Rather, they illuminate what we feel and remind us of what we know. Stay gentle with yourself these coming weeks, and be honest with yourself about your social limitations. Sometimes the best way to be present for someone else is waiting until you can offer them your more present self. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLeo Sun & Leo Rising
As the influencer to end all influencers, the Sun knows that it's all about who you know. What better time to focus on the connections you've been fostering than Libra season? This isn’t some sort of prompt to start social climbing — although doing so is not a crime. This is about taking an honest inventory of the connections you’ve made over the year, the ones you’re drawn to nurture and the ones you tend to take for granted. There’s no use denying that we look for something in other people, no use pretending that there’s nothing to be gained even in a friendship based entirely on the past. Doesn’t that friendship anchor you to a self you’re not ready to let go off, for instance? Observe where you ritually pour your presence.. Is it reciprocal? Does it enrich you?Illustration by Stefhany LozanoVirgo Sun & Virgo Rising
I’m sure you’re more aware than most that Mercury is retrograde, what with Mercury having such an influence over you. Perhaps your awareness is what allows you to weather the usual Mercury hiccups without getting mercurial in the process. No sense in getting moody about changes in the plan when plans are always subject to sudden change. No need to get ready if you stay ready, as they say. While staying flexible might be keeping you collected, there’s no reason to compromise your ambitions. If getting all the small things in order is more hassle than it’s worth at the moment, pivot to something bigger. If there’s a meaningful project that’s been on your backburner, now is a great time to invest a bit more of your resources and your energy, perhaps pull in a trusted collaborator. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLibra Sun & Libra Rising
Happy Libra season, Libra. Are you finding the smell of the air affirming your inner mood? The past few months have probably put you through the ringer, a cardinal condition, and it’s unfair to praise that condition for the fortitude it built in you. But you know more than anyone that very few things in life are fair and what’s unfair can still contain a kind of beauty. In the northern hemisphere, living things prepare to die. Death, you know, is an end and a beginning, though people rarely say “this is the beginning” in the moment of letting go. And, people rarely speak of a new moon as an ending, but what if you did? What if every time you feared something new, gripping your chest, you soothed your heart and said “being afraid of ending is natural.” What if, every time you felt the tug of loss on your heart you whispered “this is the beginning” to your heart — “let it begin.” Illustration by Stefhany LozanoScorpio Sun & Scorpio Rising
There’s something about Venus in Scorpio that subverts the usual expectations. Something about Scorpio’s distaste for the obvious and affinity with extremes. Scorpio is rarely satisfied with what’s readily available on the surface. This dissatisfaction is a pervasive feeling, a hungry one, and it’s a hard one to put into words. In fact, you might find that as the nights lead up to the new moon in Libra, that there’s a buildup of language inside you, a desire to build closeness hindered by your own resistance to speak without fully understanding your own feelings. Try to remember that you don’t need to be 100% sure of everything you feel. Speaking your words into the air might illuminate them for you, might grant you the insight you keep reaching for in the private dark.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoSagittarius Sun & Sagittarius Rising
A big theme this Libra season is discomfort, how you deal with it, and how it can benefit you. Naturally, one shies away from discomfort whenever possible, especially if you have the means and the option of choosing what you’re familiar with. But sometimes discomfort is on the menu no matter what course you opt for because discomfort is a part of the experience. This week, you might find yourself in a social situation that challenges you, a conversation where your communication skills are put to the test, a part of a circle that requires you to take on a role you didn’t choose for yourself. While you might be tempted to wallflower your way through it, you’ll find that your initial discomfort can give way to a feeling of fulfilling connection with both the role you take on and your present company.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCapricorn Sun & Capricorn Rising
Many of the opportunities people get in life have a lot to do with who they know. And, while you might not exactly have the reputation of being a people person, you most likely have a keen sense of what it takes to appeal to others and maintain a useful connection. With this week’s new moon in Libra conjunct both the Sun and Mars, you might find that the people, or the opportunities, you were counting on don’t work the same in real time as they do on paper. That doesn’t necessarily spell disaster, dear Capricorn. While it may feel tempting to rely on implicit social conventions, you’ll find that advocating for yourself does a lot more for your ambitions. It can, in fact, prompt you to get clear what you bring to the table and what kinds of contributions you value from others. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoAquarius Sun & Aquarius Rising
No one ever said that being a fixed sign is smooth sailing but, when it comes to fixed signs, there’s no fixed sign more likely to go with the flow than Aquarius. Going with the flow looks different on Aquarians than it does on other signs. Just like Scorpios are very good at appearing extremely candid while remaining invulnerable, Aquarians are very good at riding an emotional wave without getting wet. Perpetual chill and self-sufficiency is a good look but it’s also an exhausting one. While securing your own flotation device before helping others is generally advisable, you might find that this week’s survival strategy involves a lot more teamwork. Maybe it takes more than one person to build a raft strong enough to carry you from one stormy shoreline to the next.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoPisces Sun & Pisces Rising
If you’re looking for it, Pisces, this horoscope is your permission to change your mind. Whatever it is you think you owe to someone else, whatever collaboration you said yes to, the consent you offered to a dynamic that no longer offers you what you need back, you’re allowed to reclaim your yes. More than allowed, you’re encouraged. While Mercury retrograde is hardly the time for cooking up a new proposal, it’s a fabulous time for reworking an existing one. Especially when it comes to your sexual relationships. But, coming to the table might require a kind of ceasefire, a surrendering of one’s weapons and weaponized grievances at the door. Here, you’re invited to feel into the power of your refusal — how good a yes feels when it’s true all the way down. Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
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Get Biotin for Hair Growth with These 8 Yummy Recipes!
By Jacqueline Samaroo
Biotin, vitamin B7, is one of the nutrients that contribute to healthy hair growth. Our bodies need biotin to assist with the production of beneficial fatty acids.
The good news is that we require only a small amount of biotin each day and this essential nutrient is available in many of the foods we eat. Plus, our bodies (bacteria in our large intestines, to be exact) make biotin for us to use.
Are you vegan and worried about getting sufficient biotin for hair growth? Don’t be! There are plenty of wonderful foods with biotin vegan individuals can enjoy. Just check out some of the recipes we have lined up for a few tasty ideas!
Here’s a list of the 8 biotin-rich recipes we’ve curated for you.
While it’s highly unlikely that any of us is biotin-deficient, it is good to know there are easy and delicious recipes we can get our biotin from. In our search for recipes with foods rich in biotin for hair growth, we focused on quick and tasty options. Six of these recipes are 30 minutes or less each!
Easy Overnight Oats
Banana Milk
Brown Rice Tabbouleh with Eggs and Parsley
Garlic Mushrooms
Roasted Cauliflower (Four Ways!)
Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
Irresistible Veggie Dip
Fried Chicken Liver
Easy Overnight Oats
Biotin foods: Oats and milk
Prep. Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
This is a nutrient-dense, tasty meal that takes ALL of the hassle out or morning-time breakfast prep. It’s fruity oatmeal you make from the night before that requires no stovetop time at all!
Start with oats, milk, chia seeds, yogurt, and vanilla, as well as a bit of honey or maple syrup. You can add some extras of your choice. That’s it! Stick it in the fridge, go to bed, and wake up to a jar of yummy comfort food.
Check the link for variations such as almond joy, apple pie, and peanut butter and jelly. Plus, get suggestions on how to make your overnight oats vegan, gluten-free, or sugar-free while getting all the benefits of biotin for hair growth.
Got two minutes? Got ripe bananas? Got milk? Awesome! You can make this amazingly quick, nutritious, and refreshing banana milk drink! It’s as easy as plopping bananas and milk in a blender but be sure to click the link to get ideas for spicy add-ins you can try.
Tabbouleh is an Eastern Mediterranean dish traditionally made with bulgur (parboiled wheat kernels). This recipe uses brown basmati rice for a gluten-free variation.
Begin by cooking your rice with thyme and celery. Drain excess water from the rice and add in the rest of the ingredients. These include red onion and vegetable bouillon, along with both lemon zest and lemon juice. Add some parsley and pomegranate seeds then top it off with this dish’s biotin-rich food – sliced boiled eggs. Serve and enjoy all those mmm’s you’ll get in return!
If you like cauliflower, then have we got a treat for you! You can try the “plain” version, roasting your cauliflower with olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Or, kick the flavors up a notch (or two!) by going with the Italian, Indian, or Mexican versions of this dish. Why not try all four versions and serve them up as fancy side dishes for guests? No one has to know just how effortless they were to create!
The white meat of turkey breast is another good source of biotin.
To make this delectable dish, allow the oven to heat up while you get the turkey breast ready. Make a flavorful paste from garlic, mustard, rosemary, sage, and thyme, along with some salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Generously add the paste to the turkey breast, add some wine to the roasting pan, and place it in the oven.
Once it’s cooked through, allow it to rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve. Wait! What about all that lovely gravy in the bottom of the pan? Just spoon it on top – it’s lip-smacking good!
This recipe uses both parmesan and mozzarella cheese to create a decadently cheesy dip for your favorite veggies. Mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, and parmesan cheese. Be sure to include onion flakes, parsley, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and some other seasonings. Last in is the shredded mozzarella.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours so all those wonderful flavors can meld. Serve with your favorite veggies (a list of good choices is in the recipe!) The link also shares substitutions for some of the ingredients. Find out, too, how to make this recipe vegan, keto-friendly, or simply spice it up in different ways.
When it comes to foods rich in biotin for hair growth, organ meats are some of the richest. Chicken livers, onion, flour, and oil are all you need to start frying up these crunchy goodies. An important bit of advice, however, is to be careful with how chicken livers tend to splatter hot oil as they fry. This is the time when investing in a top-quality splatter guard is a really wise idea!
Menswear inspired pieces with exaggerated proportions are trending for fall, as seen on Diane Kruger, who sported an oversized blazer with relaxed-fit high-rise jeans while out and about in NYC.
Also worth noting: Her lug sole Oxfords, part of a family of rough and tough shoes that we'll be seeing all season (combat boots and platforms of all shapes and sizes are in this group, too).
While I don't see myself wearing this exact look, I like the idea of mixing hi-rise '90s "Mom" jeans with something structured and refined like a blazer.
The lug sole Oxfords add a bold yet playful element. I
Designers Esteban Cortázar and Christopher John Rogers are used to making history. At 17, the Colombian-American Cortázar became the youngest person ever to show during New York Fashion Week, while Louisiana-born Rogers dressed the United States’ first-ever female Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2021 Presidential Inauguration.
The two once again stepped into personally uncharted territory to design costumes for two new premieres during New York City Ballet’s fall fashion gala, which began in 2012, and has worked with designers like Virgil Abloh, Jason Wu, Iris Van Herpen, Laura Kim and Fernando GarcÃa of Monse, and Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton. For the 2021 show, Cortázar and Rogers partnered with choreographers Andrea Miller and Sidra Bell on two brand-new ballets for the legendary dance company, originally founded in 1948 by Georgian-American choreographer and dancer George Balanchine. While both Cortázar and Rogers are new to the world of ballet, it’s easy to see why they — who are both known for making colorful, theatrical clothes that are made for movement — would have a natural sensibility for the ballet stage. “It’s so great to be doing something so important, and so cultural, because this is really creating culture,” says Cortázar, referring to the historic night that saw the first woman of color composer and first Black choreographer to create a piece for the New York City Ballet.
For Cortázar, who has 20 years of experience in fashion, the opportunity was a homecoming. The Colombia-born designer, who was raised in Miami, said that this experience transported him back to his childhood, when he dreamed about becoming a performing artist. Cortázar’s mother was a singer and his father painted, and so performing and art was always part of his life. “It all took me back to those moments in my childhood, being backstage in the theater, seeing the orchestra,” he remembers. “I had been away from it for such a long time, so this gave me the opportunity to connect with that again.”
“sky to hold” (World Premiere), Choreography by Andrea Miller, Music by Lido Pimienta, (commisioned by New York City Ballet), Costumes by Esteban Cortázar, Costumes supervised by Marc Happel, Lighting by Nicole Pierce. New York City Ballet, Fashion Gala, Thursday, September 30, 2021, David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center. Credit Photo: Erin Baiano
Rogers, however, had never been to the ballet before this collaboration; his New York City Ballet debut is the first ballet performance he’s ever seen. “I’ve never seen something on this level,” said Rogers. Due to the pandemic, the two designers hadn’t met their respective choreographers in person, or even each other, until a few days before the performance. They even had to start sketching samples before they had a chance to hear the music. It was all pure intuition — and a lot of Zoom calls.
Cortázar worked with Miller and Colombian-Canadian artist Lido Pimienta, the company’s first-ever woman of color to compose an original piece of music for the ballet, titled “sky to hold.” Drawing on the themes of freedom and vibrancy, Pimienta injected rhythms from Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in Colombia like vallenato and cumbia, while Miller, who comes from modern dance world, choreographed her first ballet on pointe while challenging the ballet dancers to perform out-of-this-world contortions that disrupted the traditional positions of classical ballet. To that end, Cortázar made costumes that felt organic and light: “I didn’t want to overcostume them,” said Cortázar. “It’s a gorgeous story that grows little by little and it has peaks and crescendos and lots of excitement.” Each part of the piece is marked by a different color, exhibited through lighting, set design, and, of course, costumes. To convey the emotions in each section, the designer created delicate, flowing dresses and bodysuits in ombre blends of orange, blue, and yellow that soared through the air as the dancers leapt and turned. One section, which focused on one-on-one human connection, contrasted the yellow-and-orange bodysuits worn by dancers on stage with their shadows blending through a projector in the background, an effect only made possible by the subtlety of Cortázar’s bodysuits.
Mira Nadon in “Suspended Animation” (World Premiere), Choreography by Sidra Bell, Costumes by Christopher John Rogers, Costumes supervised by Marc Happel, Music by Nocholas Britell, Oliver Davis and Dosia McKay, Lighting by Mark Stanley. New York City Ballet, Fashion Gala, Thursday, September 30, 2021, David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center. Credit Photo: Erin Baiano
“Everything blew me away,” Rogers said about seeing the costumes for the first time on the dancers. After months of collaborating with Bell, Rogers drew upon his reliable sense of color, volume, and proportion. Excited by the idea that costumes had to be a mix of comfort, fashion, and empowerment, Rogers applied his trademarks — layered tulle skirts, ruffled necklines, and balloon-shaped busts in bold and neon hues — for the stage. “I was afraid that it might be too much,” said Rogers.
But on stage, there was only fearlessness. During Bell’s piece, “Suspended Animation,” each dancer walked onto the stage one-by-one in a diagonal line wearing a color of the rainbow. It was a moment that could’ve easily happened at a Christopher John Rogers fashion show, but on a ballet stage, the catwalk was refreshing. “It’s certainly is something new for City Ballet,” Rogers reflected. “And maybe ballet in general.”
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“Home is sacred.” It’s an ethos that Victoria Adesanmi, the 30-year-old multidisciplinary designer and founder of Aesthetics Studios, weaves through her interior design work; it’s one that was born from her childhood home, through her mother’s eye for decor and her father’s DIY handiwork in their Nigerian household.
And yet, it was only four years ago that Adesanmi found her calling as an interior designer. After studying industrial design and textile technology at North Carolina State University, Adesanmi launched a career in fashion, working with major brands and cultural juggernauts, putting her mark on coveted drip and doing some change-making along the way. It took one pivotal moment — attending a concert in 2017 and recognizing how impactful the stage design was — that made her realize “her gift,” as she puts it, was less about fashion and more about decor.
She took a few night classes at UCLA, where she learned the fundamentals of interior design. And now, Adesanmi is committed to building her studio with the sole mission to amplify the Black aesthetic. In partnership with Target, we spoke with the interior designer about how she’s making the home a sacred space for her clients, what she’s doing to pave the way for more Black voices and visions in the home space, and what homeownership means to the Black community.
Not everyone takes on the responsibility to push the culture forward through their work or uplift their community. What inspired you to take that on and to do it unapologetically?
“Someone made space for me, so I have to pass it down. Before interior design, my professional mentor D’Wayne Edwards took a chance on me because he saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. And for the last six years, he has just always advocated for me. So it’s not an option not to do the same for someone else. There's more than enough space for every one of us. And for me, I want to make sure that I'm creating space for other Black people to have opportunities.”
How are you uplifting your community and pushing the culture forward through your work?
“As a Black woman, especially within the interior design space, I'm challenging and redefining the current perspective. When you look at [mainstream decor magazines], of course, they're dope, but it's mostly detailing what design is from a white perspective. But how can I make Black people feel safe and secure in the spaces that they own? Because we define luxury and comfortability very differently.”
Why is it important for Black people to have a home (or living space) that reflects themselves authentically?
“We can’t control what’s happening around us, but we can control our own space, and that has always been revolutionary. Whether that's decorating with Black artwork, shopping Black businesses, or hanging personal family pictures, whatever makes you feel safe in your own home should be incorporated. I understand that creating a home that's reflective of you is also a privilege because not everyone has the means to do that. But if you do, why not feel comfortable in your own space? When you think about the history and culture of architecture, specific homes and even spaces within certain homes weren’t made for us. We know where terms like “master bedroom” derive from, so Black people ultimately making their living space reflective of their most authentic selves creates that haven.”
To that point, why is ownership necessary in the Black community?
“Ownership is our voice, our opinion. It's taking control of our narrative. Unfortunately, many things are being appropriated [from the Black community], and people are profiting from that, so if you know that you're capable of owning your ideas and creativity, why not do that?”
What does homeownership mean to you? Is this something you're hoping to achieve in the future?
“I would love to own a home. I remember my childhood home, and my parents were able to buy it, build it from the ground up, own it, and even sell it. We know the history of America and the barriers for Black people to buy property and land, so owning something and doing what you want to do within your own home and passing it on to your children or your children's children, that sets you up for the future. That’s building generational wealth. I hope to not only have one property but multiple properties. My goal is to have a house in L.A., a place in Malibu, and my own land in Joshua Tree to build a house, then Airbnb it and make that money back. These are ways to create income streams, have ownership, and push our culture and our communities forward.”
How does working with the cultural icons and brands continue to shape how you work and be who you are?
“To see cultural icons move across different disciplines showed me that I could be a multidisciplinary designer. I struggled with my artistry and imposter syndrome at the beginning of my career, but when I work with talent who are doing it, I know that anything is possible for me. There are so many things that I can do, and there’s absolutely no limit, and I want to make sure that I carry that within my design; that I'm doing unconventional things and against the norm. It's been rewarding to partner with huge brands and have that internal POV because it has given me a holistic perspective of how I want to pursue my work and build my studio. Many people get caught up in who they're working for and what they're doing, but I just want to do outstanding work.”
How can the home and design industries grow with more Black voices and visions?
“Black people are already so diverse, and it's important to highlight and showcase that we don't all have the same perspective. We don't all have the same design aesthetic.”
How are you hoping to inspire the next generation and change the landscape of interior design?
“I hope to inspire them to take risks and have the courage to try new things — even if that means possibly failing, as it’s all part of the process. There’s something beautiful about learning in real time that makes you resilient and adaptable. Through Aesthetics Studios, I hope to one day create a learning-by-doing curriculum for Black talent where the next generation can have access and visibility to the various careers within the design industry. I’d love to change the landscape of interior design by defying all the rules. I never wanted to silo myself into a specific design aesthetic, but rather design from my unique perspective and experiences. By using interior design as a medium to tell stories, I’m excited for the many untold stories that I get to tell by living out my passion.”
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