It occurred to me that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming Oprah interview is likely being used as a convenient excuse to condemn the Sussex family. While the Windsors and the UK media are all super-mad about the interview in and of itself, I have been wondering if those people are angrier about the fact that Meghan is expecting again. Meghan’s first pregnancy was the start of so much bullsh-t, although at the time, I thought it was more about Meghan and Harry’s massively successful South Pacific Tour. The two issues – the successful tour of two massively popular royals and Meghan’s pregnancy – were combined though, and it was during that period that the racist bullying campaign to slander Meghan and force her out of the country really began. Those people – you know who – were really upset that she got pregnant so quickly. And those same people are mad that she’s pregnant again. But the Oprah interview is “easier” to attack, so those people won’t look like they’re directly harassing and abusing a pregnant woman. So what’s new? I enjoyed this hissy fit:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should have had the ‘common courtesy’ to tell the Queen about their upcoming ‘nuclear’ TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, a royal expert has claimed. The couple reportedly did not inform Her Majesty in advance that they were planning to participate in the 90-minute special, where they will discuss why they dramatically stepped down as senior royals last year.

Appearing on Lorraine today, royal editor Russell Myers claimed that while the couple have no obligation to tell the Firm of their plans, it woud have been the right thing to do.

‘If you’re going to set off a nuclear bomb like this, doing a huge interview which will no doubt garner attention across global networks, the decent thing to do would be to tell the Queen, tell your granny you’re going to do it,’ he said. He predicted the royal family will be ‘horrified’ with their plans to attract global media attention, and called the choice a ‘funny change of tact’ for a couple who have ‘complained about privacy and intense media scrutiny’.

‘We know they have gone alone and set this path for themselves, the very fact is they are separate from the royal family now’, said Myers. ‘Palace aides were saying look they didn’t need to tell us if they didn’t want to but one would think there is common courtesy.’

Sources close to the Sussexes told the London Evening Standard yesterday that the couple still had a good relationship with the Queen, the Duke’s grandmother.

[From The Daily Mail]

Imagine being this mad that a 36-year-old man didn’t tell his petty, 94-year-old grandmother that he would be doing an interview. It boggles the mind. I do wonder if the British media system understands that they’re saying this sh-t out loud, and printing it on the internet for all to see? It’s been clear from the start that people like Russell Myers are playing to their narrow, fussy British audience. But I have to imagine that far beyond the parochial feudalism of Britain, media complexes far and wide are balking at how badly the British press has played this whole mess. I’m not even talking about the American media solely – although the American media’s reaction has been interesting – but Commonwealth countries, Australian media, European media. People see that the whole UK system is full of amateurs, right?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

In 2017, Salma Hayek wrote a NYT op-ed detailing the years of harassment, abuse and threats she faced from Harvey Weinstein. Because of Salma’s friendships and professional relationships with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, that meant she often worked on films where Weinstein was the producer or distributor. The abuse ramped up around the production of Frida, with Weinstein leveraging his power to make Salma’s life a living hell on a daily basis. I bring this up because Salma has faced some really odious harassment and abuse during her career, but I’m not sure her story about doing a love scene in Desperado is one of those stories? I mean, it’s not great, and Salma takes pains to say that everyone was professional and lovely. But the story is kind of… ugh.

Salma Hayek on Monday went into detail about her experience shooting the love scene in her breakout film, Desperado, making it clear her trauma had nothing to do with the director or the star. The Oscar-nominated actress dropped by Armchair Expert, the popular weekly podcast hosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. Among the topics they discussed was Hayek’s first big break in Hollywood, 1995?s Desperado, directed by Robert Rodriguez and starring Antonio Banderas. Hayek has previously noted she struggled with the love scene but opened up about the situation to Shepard and Padman.

Thrilled to land the role of the tough-as-nails Carolina in the Columbia Pictures film, Hayek said there was no mention of a love scene between her character and Banderas’ El Mariachi in the script. It was brought to her attention after production began. Telling Shepard and Padman that Rodriguez was her “bro” and his then-wife, producer Elizabeth Avellán, was her “best friend,” Hayek agreed to do the scene on a closed set. It would just be the four of them.

“So, when we were going to start shooting, I started to sob,” Hayek said, adding she kept saying to the other three people, “I don’t know that I can do it. I’m afraid.” She continued, “One of the things I was afraid of was Antonio — he was an absolute gentleman and so nice, and we’re still super close friends — but he was very free. It scared me that for him, it was like nothing. I started crying, and he was like, ‘Oh my God. You’re making me feel terrible.’ And I was so embarrassed that I was crying.”

Hayek made clear several times that Rodriguez and Banderas “were amazing” and that Rodriguez “never put pressure on me,” but nonetheless, the moment was very traumatic and she recalls it vividly.

“I was not letting go of the towel,” she said. “They would try to make me laugh. I would take it off for two seconds and start crying again. But we got through it. We did the best with what we could do at the time.”

In the film, the love scene is done in quick cuts. Hayek said that was the best she could do among the starts and stops. “When you’re not you, then you can do it. But I keep thinking of my father and my brother,” she explained of her hurdle. “And are they going to see it? And are they going to get teased? Guys don’t have that. Your father will be, ‘Yeah! That’s my son!’”

[From THR]

The thing I’m catching on is that there was no love scene in the script, and then they asked her to do a love scene – with nudity!! – when the production already started. Even back then (the ‘90s), there were all kinds of contractual clauses and negotiations between agents, directors, producers, etc. It would have been completely and totally inappropriate for Rodriguez to go to Salma one day once the production had already begun and ask her to do a love scene like that. I know that’s not the point of her story – the point of her story is that it was her first love scene and she panicked and no one mistreated her that time. But WTF was going on with Rodriguez, the producers and her agent? Hmmm.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

It’s kind of inevitable with these big royal feeding frenzies that I get a little burnt out on all of the shifting storylines, contradictions, hearsay and stupidity. I can’t even keep up with all of the insanity coming out of the House of Windsor and their loyal band of media sycophants. There have been American takedowns of the asinine sh-t that’s happened around the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before, by legit media outlets. I hoped that the NY Times would continue to press the issue, but instead, the Times has a piece up about the Sussexes’ Oprah interview, and it’s full of quotes from British royal commentators. Maybe there’s something else at play here – maybe the Times is actually exposing those commentators? But it doesn’t read that way. Some highlights from “A New Pregnancy and an Oprah Interview Refocus a Spotlight on Harry and Meghan.” Sub-headline: “Buckingham Palace is steeling itself for embarrassing revelations, and there’s griping afoot in the British press.”

The Queen’s move to strip the Sussexes of their patronages: “Anyone with any sense knew this was inevitable,” said Valentine Low, royal correspondent of the Times of London. “They’ve done these commercial deals with Netflix and Spotify. But this confirms the permanence of the split.”

Palace reaction to the interview: Palace officials are steeling themselves for embarrassing disclosures about how Meghan, a 39-year-old American former actress, felt isolated and unwelcome after her fairy-tale wedding to Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018.

The asinine comparison between Prince Andrew & the Sussexes: Ms. Winfrey is friendly with Harry and Meghan, so her questions are unlikely to be as probing as those posed to Andrew by the BBC journalist, Emily Maitlis. Still, their choice of arguably the most famous American celebrity interviewer for their big post-royal reveal has set teeth on edge in London’s media establishment. It also didn’t help that CBS announced the interview only days after the duchess won a legal victory in a privacy case against the Mail on Sunday. A High Court judge ruled that the tabloid had illegally published a letter that Meghan sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle. The decision was a victory over those who “create their business model to profit from people’s pain,” she said in a statement.

The British media hates the Sussexes: “They don’t have a huge reservoir of affection among the tabloids because they essentially declared war on them,” said Mr. Low of The Times. “There’s also a generational thing that goes on.” Younger people, who get their news from social media, tend to be more enthusiastic about the couple than the older people who read the tabloids, he said. For many, Meghan’s biracial background and acting career breathed fresh air into a musty institution. But to some older, more traditional Britons, the couple’s abrupt departure for California was a repudiation of the queen herself.

How dare the Sussexes want to engage with the media on their own terms! The British media was genuinely excited about Meghan’s pregnancy, particularly given that she had suffered a painful miscarriage last July, an experience she wrote about in stark terms in The New York Times last November. But the slick way this happier news was announced played into criticisms that the couple abhor intrusive press coverage, unless it is on their own terms.

Again with the “privacy” crap: “They left Britain ostensibly to get away from the relentless publicity,” said Penny Junor, a royal biographer. “They couldn’t stand the lack of the privacy; yet at every turn, they seem to have sought publicity for themselves.”

The British media is still hoping that the Sussexes come back? “If they came back and did lovely shots for the press with their babies, I think the press could be very favorable,” Ms. Junor said. “Fundamentally, he was very much loved. But there are lot of people who think she led him astray.”

[From The NY Times]

“They don’t have a huge reservoir of affection among the tabloids because they essentially declared war on them” – excuse me? Meghan and Harry were slandered relentlessly for a full year before they filed their lawsuits. During that year, the British media was actively trying to harass Meghan into miscarrying. The UK press was BEYOND vile to the Sussexes. “They left Britain ostensibly to get away from the relentless publicity…They couldn’t stand the lack of the privacy; yet at every turn, they seem to have sought publicity for themselves.” They left Britain because they were being harassed, abused, slandered, and vilified at every turn, and now they’re… telling their own stories, in their own voices, after facing a barrage of bullsh-t. But the last Penny Junor quote is very telling, isn’t it? Come back, show us the children, give us free photos, show us that we own you, help us profit from you.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

At this time last year, Gwyneth Paltrow was still traveling. We really didn’t know! I believe Gwyneth went to Europe in February 2020 to check out some of the fashion shows. Around the same time, she posted an Instagram about mask-wearing and she warned people to wash their hands. Soon after, the pandemic came to Europe and North America in a huge way. While Gwyneth still shilled her goop-branded crap, I would like to point out that at no point did Gwyneth try to sell some snake-oil cure for Covid-19. Sure, she’ll shill stickers which purportedly cure cancer, but she didn’t f–k around with Covid. Gwyneth encouraged people to stay in lockdown, to wear masks, to social distance, and to take all of it seriously. As it turns out, Gwyneth still got Covid “early on.”

Gwyneth Paltrow is opening up about her personal experience with the novel coronavirus. In a new post on her Goop website, the 48-year-old actress revealed that she “had COVID-19 early on, and it left me with some long-tail fatigue and brain fog.”

“In January, I had some tests done that showed really high levels of inflammation in my body. So I turned to one of the smartest experts I know in this space, the functional medicine practitioner Dr. Will Cole. After he saw all my labs, he explained that this was a case where the road to healing was going to be longer than usual,” she wrote.

According to the star, she has been focusing on what she puts into her body since recovering from the virus, adhering to a flexible keto and plant-based diet and refraining from sugar and alcohol.

“So I’ve been cooking a lot, and some of it is really delicious: I made scallops with crispy capers and sage the other day, asparagus with bacon vinaigrette, and some little artichokes with stuffed herbs and garlic,” Paltrow wrote, explaining that she’s “been using lots of coconut aminos in my recipes.”

Paltrow also shared that she’s now taking supplements “in service of a healthier gut.”

“Everything I’m doing feels good, like a gift to my body. I have energy, I’m working out in the mornings, and I’m doing an infrared sauna as often as I can, all in service of healing,” she wrote. “A side benefit is my skin, which makes me happy—and makes me want to double down on skin care even more. Let’s make 2021 the year of never needing makeup, people!”

[From People]

Many, many people who had serious cases of Covid report a loss of smell and taste, but Gwyneth wants us to know that she’s not like those peasants. She still has her senses, but she’s in a Covid fog and very fatigued. Which has also been widely reported – this virus is exhausting and people can’t think straight. All that being said, I would be tired and foggy-brained too if I was on a Keto, plant-based diet. Of course Gwyneth Damn Paltrow is using her bout of coronavirus to go on an even stricter diet. That’s her answer for everything: go on a diet! Anyway, I do feel sorry for her a little bit. At least she wasn’t one of those people who minimized the pandemic. And… “Let’s make 2021 the year of never needing makeup, people” – doesn’t she have a makeup line? LOL.

Photos courtesy of Gwyneth’s Instagram.

Dear Gossips, Probably most of you know about Universal Music Group (UMG), considered to be the biggest music company in the world. If you’re a regular visitor to this site, you may be getting more familiar with Big Hit Entertainment, the biggest music company out of South Korea, known for producing…

Paris Hilton Is Engaged to Boyfriend Carter Reum: ‘I’m Excited for Our Next Chapter’? https://t.co/O9E03H6BzU

— People (@people) February 17, 2021

Paris Hilton had a fairly eventful Valentine’s Day Weekend. She jetted off for a private island to celebrate her 40th birthday, which was yesterday. While there, boyfriend Carter Reum asked Paris to marry him. She said yes, of course, and now these two kids are engaged, only one year after making their romance public. Oddly, Paris credited the pandemic for this romantic turn of events. She said COVID grounded her from all her exotic DJ gigs and forced her to stay home with Carter. After hanging out in the same zip code together, they figured they’d make it official. Although, I’m sure the fact that they’re trying to have a baby together might have influenced their decision too.

Paris Hilton is engaged!

PEOPLE confirms the entrepreneur and DJ got engaged to boyfriend Carter Reum on Saturday, Feb. 13 after more than a year of dating. News of their engagement comes on Hilton’s 40th birthday.

“This past year with COVID has accelerated so many things. As someone who traveled constantly, I had a chance to stay home and reevaluate what was important to me. My relationship and the time I spent with Carter was a gift,” Hilton says. “I’m excited for our next chapter.”

Adds Reum, 40: “I have gotten the unique opportunity to get to know the real Paris on a daily basis just the two of us during these past 15 months and I couldn’t be more excited and lucky to have her as my future wife and partner. She shines with her kindness, work ethic, authenticity and her voice in making the world a better place and she will do the same as a future mother and wife.”

Reum popped the question — with a ring designed by Jean Dousset, the great-grandson of Louis Cartier — while the couple was celebrating Hilton’s birthday on a private island. For the milestone moment, Hilton donned a Retrofete dress and a Loschy crown while Reum sported an all-white suit.

After he got down on one knee, the lovebirds enjoyed an intimate celebration with family members, including Hilton’s sister, Nicky Hilton, and Reum’s brother, Courtney Reum.

[From People via Hollywood Life]

Since I didn’t hear about this until yesterday, I was going to credit Paris with maybe getting engaged for the right reasons this time. But then I saw the splashy premade Marry Me hut, the all-white engagement ensembles and the professional photographers hired to chronicle to event and realized that this was as calculated as all her other engagements. You can see the photos at Vogue, including the ring. They aren’t telling how many carats this one is, but it looks about the same as the last one. I think Carter probably is a decent guy and Paris has had to relive some real nightmares this past year so I’m not going to pile on too hard. But I’m also not going to fawn over the performative engagement with the demonstrative language that I’ve heard several times before. Maybe it’ll stick this time, who knows. I’ll believe when I see it.

What I am curious about is, if Paris is serious about having a baby, will the wedding be rushed so she can get on with her family planning? I doubt she’ll walk down the aisle pregnant. If she and Carter make it that far, this is either going to happen in a heartbeat or two years from now, all to accommodate a tailoring schedule.

A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton)

A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton)

Photo credit: Twitter and Instagram

It’s impossible to even keep track of the asinine storylines around the “one year review” of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. For the past year, the British papers have been clinging to the review and gleefully announcing all of the punishments which will be handed down to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The entire time, Harry and Meghan have behaved as if they said their final goodbyes to the Windsor clan last March, you know? For all of the gleeful pronouncements about kicking Harry and Meghan out of this or that, they’ve continued to do their work remotely. They’ve made it clear that if it was up to them, they would continue to work for their patronages, and that they have been treated unfairly.

The press is still obviously clinging to the one-year review – even though they admitted the review was cancelled just one month ago – and now the Palace is apparently quite desperate to make some big show of force against a veteran of war and his pregnant wife. Not only that, the Palace wants to make the announcement about which patronages Harry and Meghan are losing before the Sussexes’ interview with Oprah. The sh-tty PR coming out of the Palace continues.

The Queen is to imminently decide which members of her family will take over a host of royal patronages – as Harry and Meghan tell friends they are “resigned to losing them”. The monarch has ordered emergency meetings with royal aides, to draw up fresh plans over who will take over honorary royal roles she handed to her grandson and his wife, as a show of support to the couple.

Buckingham Palace is set to bring forward a series of announcements before March 31, the deadline set last year for a 12 month review of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to quit The Firm. A royal source said: “There has been much consideration for some time on these matters and they will be settled before March 31.”

Harry and Meghan – who announced they are expecting their second child this week – have brokered a deal for a “tell-all” interviewed by US chat show queen Oprah Winfrey, where according to friends of the billionaire media mogul “ nothing is off limits ”.

It is understood the couple will discuss for the first time their decision to leave the royal family, with sources suggesting Harry and Meghan were keen to bring forward the broadcast date “to make it appear to have in fact stepped down, rather than being stripped of their royal associations.”

One well placed insider said: “The Oprah interview has been discussed for a long time. Oprah had it in her sights since before she was invited to Harry and Meghan’s wedding and has been in discussions with Meghan about it ever since. It ramped up over the past year and now everything is happening very quickly. They are keen to get their side of the story out there and do things on their terms.”

Harry has told friends he is “upset” after the Queen ruled he should lose his honorary military appointments, including captain general of the Royal Marines which Prince Philip previously held for 64 years. Sources have tipped Prince William or Princess Anne for the role, appointments that would be widely accepted by the armed forces family.

Harry will also be made to step down from patronages of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League.

The Mirror also understands there are “huge differences of opinion” around Meghan being forced to give up her royal patronage of the National Theatre – which the Queen gifted in January 2019 after holding it for 45 years. Board members at the organisation are believed to be split over whether to ask Meghan to stay on or accept a new royal patron such as Prince Charles or the Duchess of Cornwall. A source said: “There was great excitement when Meghan took over from the Queen but now it’s tinged with a great deal of sadness over her lack of action for the theatre and the industry as a whole which has suffered so greatly throughout the coronavirus crisis.”

[From The Daily Mirror]

“…But now it’s tinged with a great deal of sadness over her lack of action for the theatre and the industry as a whole which has suffered so greatly throughout the coronavirus crisis…” Meghan is literally being blamed for the pandemic. How dare the National Theatre’s royal patron refuse to solve the pandemic! What the actual f–k.

And this also shows you that we’re not dealing with the sharpest tools in the shed: “Harry and Meghan were keen to bring forward the broadcast date ‘to make it appear to have in fact stepped down, rather than being stripped of their royal associations.’” The opposite is true. Harry and Meghan have taken pains throughout the past year to tell the public that if it was up to them, they would love to keep working for all of their patronages, but they’re being forced out of those patronages by the pettiest, stupidest, most sadistic people in the UK. The Sussex messaging is NOT “we’re leaving of our own volition, we’re thrilled about leaving our patronages.” The Sussex messaging is “this is something that’s been forced upon us by nefarious forces within the Windsor family.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner)

Kendall Jenner has been back in the news for about a week now, after going dark for several months following the backlash from her gross, maskless LA birthday party/Halloween party. First she was in the news because she posted some sketchy Instagrams where she made her body look like a Barbie doll. But the real story is this: Kendall has launched a tequila company, and it’s something she’s been “working on” for years. What in the Hilaria Baldwin?

Kendall Jenner is blazing a new trail within her famous family — diving headfirst into tequila … and is finally ready to introduce what she’s been working on. KJ announced her new tequila line Tuesday — which she’s dubbed “818,” the area code in Calabasas — while going on to explain the years-long journey she’s been on to get to make what she considers the best spirit.

She writes, “after dozens of blind taste tests, trips to our distillery, entering into world tasting competitions anonymously and WINNING (?) ..3.5 years later i think we’ve done it!”

Kendall added this too … “this is all we’ve been drinking for the last year and i can’t wait for everyone else to get their hands on this to enjoy it as much as we do! @drink818 coming soon.”

She attached a video of herself doing a taste test, which appears to have led to a final approval of her new product. There are also photos of her and friends downing her concoction, plus photos of a bunch of harvested agave plants.

This isn’t a total shocker, BTW — there’ve been subtle hints … especially based on photos she posted from a recent getaway down to Mexico.

It also looks like 818?s been in a bunch of tequila competitions recently (winning several) … but has yet to hit the market widely. Up until now, there was a ton of buzz over 818 — but no one knew how to get it, when it would officially launch or who was behind it. Surprise … it’s Kendall, bitches.

[From TMZ]

In 2018/19, it often felt like every celebrity woman was trying to launch their own makeup line out of nowhere – makeup lines were the new celebrity lifestyle blog or something. That entire time, I kept thinking “no, the money is in celebrity-founded liquor companies.” People were trying to emulate Rihanna instead of George Clooney, who founded Casamigos and then sold a majority stake in the company for, like, a billion dollars. The profit margins in liquor companies are HUGE, and I do feel like it’s a smarter business to start out of nowhere. That being said, Kendall Jenner starting a tequila company and calling it 818 after the Calabasas area code is pretty white.

Kendall Jenner starting a tequila brand, with zero knowledge on Mexican culture and calling it “818 tequila” is GENTRIFICATION. The 818 does not claim Calabasas. What about those smaller, family owned Mexican tequila/mezcal brands? They deserve the hype & support.

— Jennie Molina (@jenjocelyn) February 17, 2021

Something about Kendall Jenner making tequila rubs me the wrong way..like the idea of white celebrities taking from local Mexican artisans and profiting off our traditions and agricultural business yet only visit Cabos and Puerto Vallarta for vacation spots…

— LaMesaQueMasApluada (@estyledesma) February 17, 2021

“They’re both strong but this is a little less strong”
-Kendall Jenner, catadora profesional de tequila.

— vol (@val_esmar) February 16, 2021

Kendall Jenner starting a tequila company does not sit right w me at all… she’s an unseasoned white privileged rich girl from Calabasas what the hell does she know about tequila?! couldn’t you have started wine company instead? pic.twitter.com/MmIwIfXsjr

— ?????? (@jjordanxS) February 17, 2021

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram.

It cracks me up when American media outlets – usually People Magazine – run positive, sugary, light stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the middle of a massive tantrum by the British media. People Mag does it all the time and it’s amazing. There will be a rash of nasty stories coming out of the UK and suddenly People Mag will drop a story like “Meghan and Harry went to the park with Archie to look at ducks!” There’s a strategy at play and it amuses me. This week, People Mag is helping M&H put the focus back on Meghan’s pregnancy.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are “overjoyed” for their rainbow baby. The couple announced on Sunday that they are expecting their second child — months after revealing that they suffered a miscarriage last July.

Meghan, 39, and Prince Harry, 36, were “hopeful that they would get pregnant again. And they were overjoyed that it happened so quickly,” a close source to the couple tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

Still, after the “devastating” miscarriage, “they were both nervous, and it took them a while before they could relax and fully enjoy this pregnancy,” the source adds.

The arrival of Meghan and Prince Harry’s second child will make Archie Harrison, who will turn 2 on May 6, a big brother.

“They always wanted for Archie to have a sibling close in age,” the source tells PEOPLE.

In fact, the couple’s firstborn was a centerpiece in their new baby announcement. “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,” a spokesperson for the couple told PEOPLE.

“They are besotted parents, and they can’t wait to share that even more with a second child,” a royal insider tells PEOPLE. “They are both so happy to have their little family.”

[From People]

The news about the Oprah interview came out less than 24 hours after the pregnancy announcement, so it felt like we didn’t even get a chance to really enjoy – and speculate about – the second Sussex baby, Lil’ Montecito. I didn’t even get to express my hope that this one is a girl! But it would be cute if they had another boy as well. I think they’re just happy that this pregnancy is going the distance. I wonder about “they were overjoyed that it happened so quickly” just because we can’t figure out how far along Meghan is! I think she’s probably about six months, at least? Which does mean that they got pregnant just a few months after the miscarriage.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN and Backgrid.

I bought the scrunchies and the hemp oil from Tuesday’s post and they’re coming today! I also got the KF94 masks from the listing below. We can always use more masks. Here are more things on Amazon that Hecate and I are looking at.

Pain patches that really work to alleviate soreness

From CB: My friend Zakia told me about these pain patches by SalonPas. They’re so affordable at under $10 for 60 patches. They come in three separate pouches and they’re small, but you can feel the effects of one or two patches in a larger area. I use them on my neck and back and definitely notice a difference. They have a minty smell from the menthol, which does not bother me. They have over 13,500 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say they work well for both chronic and acute pain. “I’ve found over the years that using several of these patches in multiple locations is very helpful. The ingredients seep in slowly and bring warmth at the same time and the pain recedes to manageable levels.” “After 10 minutes I had a strong cooling feeling that was surprisingly effective for my shoulder pain. They last 5-6 hours for me and stay in place the whole time.” “I have arthritis in my hands and these are wonderful.” These have a NSAID in them that is absorbed somewhat.

Black KF94 masks for stylish safety

From CB: We’ve talked about these KF94 masks before and people love them because they’re so breathable yet protective. I keep seeing celebrities with the darker ones and so I’ve ordered the ones in this listing. You get 10 individually packaged KF94 masks for about $15 to $18, it gave me different rates depending on if I was logged in with my Prime Account. These have 681 ratings, 4.7 stars and an A on Fakespot. Reviewers write “Pleasantly surprised by how good this mask is! It fits my big head/face much better than the standard KN95 masks. The folding/pop-open shape makes a good seal, and the stiffness keeps it away from my nose and mouth when I inhale.” One person says these masks are counterfeit. I did not notice that until after I ordered them and wrote this up. I looked through several listings for these and they have the best Fakespot rating, but you may want to skip them for that reason. Please double mask when you can.

A $7 Vitamin C serum for brighter, smoother skin

From CB: This Vitamin C serum by Eclat has over 17,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and a B on Fakespot. It’s 20% Vitamin C and also has hyaluronic acid and ferulic acid. Women say it really works to reduce sun spots and wrinkles and that it clears problem skin. It’s so affordable at under $7 for an ounce and has a 5% off coupon you can check! Reviewers write “I have definitely noticed that my fine lines have significantly reduced around my eyes and forehead as well as the roughness on my cheeks.” “So inexpensive yet so effective. My face skin is way healthier and it has a nice glow to it.” “This serum made a visible difference [in my acne] within a week.”

A set of 2 affordable soy candles in soothing scents

From CB: Mrs. Meyer’s aromatherapy soy candles come in four different varieties, Lavender, Lemon Verbena, Geranium and Basil. You get 2 pretty 7.2 ounce candles in glass jars for under $20, with two scents around $15. These have 6,400 reviews, 4.5 stars and a B on Fakespot. People seem to particularly like the basil and lavender scents. “I got the lavender and I really love it. I keep one in the bathroom and one in my living room.” “This candle is perfect for those who like a soft, but fresh scent that is not overpowering. The candle burns very clean, and burns pretty long, for the money.”

Strap on cleats for icy streets

From Hecate: Winter is looking to make a splashy second act (splashy – get it!). These cleats strap on over your regular shoes so you can walk to your car without falling on your keester. These are packable in case you travel to snowy/icy areas. These Yaktrax cleats come in four different sizes, all for about $20. They’ve received over 4,700 reviews, 4.5 stars and Fakespot gave them a B. They work for more than just walking, a few reviewers say they are great for walking the dog and others say essential for exercising, “These Yaktrax are my go-to for winter running.” Another said they are a really good idea for your folks too, “My parents, both in their 70?s, can’t stop raving about their Yaktrax. My dad literally stops strangers when he is out hiking in the winter to give them his Yaktrax sale pitch. He claims they’re a ‘game changer’” A lot of the reviews remind you to take these off before you go inside because they’d damage both carpets and wood flooring. These would also be great for muddy days too.

A wearable blanket for comfort at home

From Hecate: I saw The Comfy, a wearable sherpa blanket, and thought this is where I will spend the rest of my life. Apparently this was featured on Shark Tank. It’s a soft blanket that’s been fashioned into a slip on hoodie and I can only assume it makes all your problems disappear. I keep having to tuck my arms in while I read on my couch because my blanket doesn’t keep me warm enough. Granted I’m a wimp and only have thin knitted lap blankets because I live in Southern California where it’s never cold, but yes, I would wear this until June. It comes in both adult and child sizes and available in 15 colors. It normally costs $45 but is currently on sale for $40. Over 30,000 reviewers confirm this thing is awesome by giving it 4.8 stars out of 5 and ReviewMeta confirmed. Reviewers say if you want to lounge, The Comfy is your hoodie, “Super soft and well worth the money if you want something to lounge around that’s comfy.” And it works for everyone, “I purchased one for my 13-yr-old niece and one for my ever-cold 50ish husband. Yes, they look not exactly fashionable. However, they’re amazingly soft and warm.”

A travel sewing kit with enough supplies for basic repairs

From Hecate: When I worked weddings I made my own emergency kit, which had a sewing kit I put together. If this had been available, I would have ordered them in bulk. This kit is about 6”x4” but has over 120 pieces. And it’s only $13! A sewing kit is always a good investment, at this price it’s a great investment. Because a hotel would charge at least twice this for any small fix-it tailoring you needed. This has over 1,500 reviews, 4.6 stars and Fakespot gave it a B. Reviewers said it really has everything you need for small repairs, “The case is small enough to throw in a travel bag, keep in your car, or stow away somewhere in your home. It has everything you could need to fix the occasional mishap.” One reviewer said they got more than they expected for an inexpensive kit, “This kit includes pretty much everything you need for basic sewing by hand plus some added bonuses such as the Crochet hook, magnify glass and blue pencil. (Nice touch!) The needles are actually pretty good quality considering it is from a little sewing kit.” Even if you don’t need this, someone around you will at some point, and then you can be the hero!

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