Destiny Philips

159 articles published

Acne severity varies more than you’d expect

Almost everyone deals with a breakout at some point, but not all acne behaves the same way, and treating it as one uniform condition is often why treatment fails. Acne develops when hair follicles beneath the skin become blocked, usually by a combination of excess sebum and dead skin cells. That blockage creates the ideal…

ByDestiny PhilipsJuly 18, 20260Comments

Relationships

Dirty talk works better with practice, not a perfect script

Dirty talk has a reputation for being either effortless or terrifying, with little middle ground. For people who find it intimidating, sex researchers and therapists say the discomfort often traces back to a culture that still treats explicit language as something to suppress, even in private, consensual moments between partners. What dirty talk actually is…

ByDestiny PhilipsJuly 11, 20260Comments

Sex

My libido taught me the difference between two kinds of wanting

For years, my sex life followed a pattern I assumed was unusual. When I was dating someone I felt a real connection with, sex happened often, sometimes multiple times a week. When I was single or cycling through forgettable first dates, my interest in sex simply vanished, and I barely noticed its absence. It took…

ByDestiny PhilipsJuly 11, 20260Comments

Fashion

Polished style is a habit, not a gift

Looking consistently put together has less to do with luck or genetics than most people assume. A handful of small, repeatable habits, spanning skin, wardrobe and posture, tend to matter far more than any single expensive item. Skin as the starting point A polished appearance tends to start well before anyone gets dressed. A skincare…

ByDestiny PhilipsJuly 5, 20260Comments

Makeup

Mature skin makeup that glows without trying hard

There may be no clumsier phrase in beauty writing than mature skin. It carries the faint whiff of a marketing department reaching for something gentler than old and landing somewhere unconvincing instead. Alternatives exist, but none of them land any better. Vintage skin and seasoned skin were both floated during testing for this guide and…

ByDestiny PhilipsJuly 5, 20260Comments

Beauty

Beauty editor’s checklist for smarter makeup shopping

Serving as the resident beauty expert in a friend group tends to come with an unofficial job description. Product recommendations, late night texts about a cracked lipstick, and one recurring question show up on a near constant basis, and that question almost always comes down to whether something is actually worth buying. Why that question…

ByDestiny PhilipsJuly 4, 20260Comments

Beauty

Five makeup hacks to steal the show this season

Party season has a way of making the same red lip and winged liner combination feel a little tired by the third event in a row. A handful of fresh approaches to color, texture and shine are giving beauty routines a reason to feel new again this year. Prep work matters before the makeup Any…

ByDestiny PhilipsJuly 4, 20260Comments

Skincare

Meadowfoam oil is quietly taking over natural skincare

Most skincare oils come with a tradeoff. They either absorb well but deliver little lasting moisture, or they hydrate deeply but leave skin feeling heavy and congested. Meadowfoam oil, cold-pressed from the seeds of a white flowering plant cultivated by family farmers in Oregon's Willamette Valley, sidesteps both problems. It absorbs quickly, leaves no greasy…

ByDestiny PhilipsJune 28, 20260Comments

Fashion

Affordable luxury beauty and fashion finds under $50

There is a version of indulgence that does not require a designer price tag, and the beauty and fashion industry has spent the last few years proving it. Drugstore shelves sit alongside K-beauty imports and Amazon finds that, in many cases, outperform products costing three times as much. The gap between accessible and aspirational has…

ByDestiny PhilipsJune 28, 20260Comments

Hair

5 tips for healthy hair most people skip

Hair care does not have to be complicated. But for many people, the difference between hair that thrives and hair that just survives comes down to a handful of habits done consistently. Whether your strands are fine and flat, thick and coiled, or somewhere in between, the fundamentals stay the same. Genetics play a role,…

ByDestiny PhilipsJune 25, 20260Comments

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