Why The Internet LOVES Rare Beauty
Written by Kai Voorhees
In the past month, how many videos have you seen mentioning the brand Rare Beauty? If your FYP is anything like mine, your answer would be something like “too many to count”. I was never a Selena Gomez fan growing up. When I heard she was starting a makeup brand, I thought it would be just like all the other celebrity makeup brands. Crappy products you spend half a paycheck on only for the product to work worse than my WI-FI as I’m writing this. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case at all for Rare Beauty. From their accessible perfumes, to their constant donations to mental health organizations, it seems Selena truly knows what she is doing.
One thing she definitely has right is the Rare Impact Fund. Selena established the Rare Impact Fund in 2020. The goal of the fund is to donate $100 million to mental health organizations before 2030. So far, the fund has raised over $30 million.
Selena has been very open about her mental health struggles over the years. In her documentary My Mind and Me, she put this on display helping millions around the world. One Reddit user wrote, “I just watched Selena Gomez's documentary ‘My Mind and Me,’ and it really hit home for me. Seeing her journey through psychosis made me feel like I wasn't alone in my struggles. It's so powerful to see someone so well-known sharing their experiences and being open about mental health.” This further shows how Selena Gomez fans love how supportive she is about mental health.
Another thing Rare Beauty seems to be doing right is their marketing. They send out a variety of their products to influencers who consistently have nothing but good things to say. This is why you see the brand all over TikTok. When Selena released The Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, she sent out PR with all the shades to multiple influencers.
Now, Rare Beauty has just been out in Ulta Beauty stores around the world. When I went to my local Ulta, I was surprised they already had a whole Rare Beauty section.
The Rare Beauty stand at my local Ulta Beauty.
Overall, I can see the appeal of Rare Beauty and Selena Gomez. From Selena’s excellent marketing skill, to her incredible compassion, she’s a very likable woman. This is directly reflected in her brand. The question is, will you try Rare Beauty?
Sources:
I've Tried All 37 Rare Beauty Products—These 11 Are My Favorites
Rare Beauty’s New Perfume Is the Modern Take on Gourmand We Needed
PDA! Dancing! Benny Blanco Bidding Big! Inside Selena Gomez's Rare Impact Fund Benefit
Which Rare Beauty Blush Shade Is For You?
I Learned Guitar In 1 WEEK!
Written by Kai Voorhees
When a few of my friends wanted to make a band I was ecstatic. I had always been interested in being in a band, I just had never known anybody who was too. I offered to play guitar. The only problem? I didn’t know how to play.
Since my general motto in life is “say yes and figure it out later,” you can imagine I took this as another fun side quest I could take. So I started learning the next day.
A week later, I have mastered and can play three songs almost flawlessly on my electric guitar.
Here are four tips that I have found most helpful when learning guitar in a week.
1: Learn how to read tabs
This is a must when it comes to learning guitar. Especially if you want to learn songs fast. A YouTube video to learn a song is good, but if you can read tabs for songs and play it to the beat of the song, you’ll end up getting the same result faster.
There are many tutorials and articles out there about how to read tabs.
2: Do not learn notes
You might be thinking, “But don’t you need to learn notes to play guitar?”
And to that I would say “Not necessarily.”
When learning electric guitar, I thought that I would need notes to play every song. However, this is far from the truth. Most songs (especially in punk rock) can be played using basic tabs.
Most beginner songs are just a repeating pattern of just plucking one or two strings.
3: Find good beginner songs
Here are the first songs I learned:
Freaks by Surf Curse
Surf Curse used the album cover from their album“Buds” for the cover of their hit song “Freaks”
Freaks is very popular on TikTok right now. It sounds complicated but it really isn’t. This is probably one of the easiest songs on guitar I know. I once taught it to my friend (who had never touched a guitar before) in five minutes.
Deceptacon by Le Tigre
This song is also super popular on social media. It is a great vintage-sounding song that anyone can vibe to. This song is super easy to learn. I learned this in about two days.
The Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
This song I’m still working to master. This song uses the notes G, D, and C. However, I was not able to get good at it in 1 week due to the fact that you have to switch between the notes smoothly. There are easier songs, but this isn’t too difficult.
4: PRACTICE
Like they say, practice does make perfect. I practiced for seven days straight for at least an hour a day. This was not because I was forcing myself to, but because I was having fun doing it. Practice is necessary in order to improve your skills.
In conclusion, practice does make perfect. However, there has never been a recorded time in history where someone picked up any hobby and was perfect at it in a week. We all make mistakes and they are necessary if we want to grow and get better. You do not have to pressure yourself to learn in a week. All good things take time. Just have fun and enjoy the music.
Posted on April 1st, 2026
Is Gossip Girl Worth Watching?
Written by Kai Voorhees
Gossip Girl is a LONG show. It is seven seasons, and whether that’s long for you, I do not know. However, the longest show that I have watched before this was the (current) four seasons of Outer Banks. So, is watching Gossip Girl worth the time? Now, don’t fret. This article contains no spoilers beyond things in the first season. Such as my initial thoughts of the characters, and my ending thoughts of the show in very vague details. No crazy spoilers, but if you have watched the show, that’s even better.
I heard many of my friends talking about this show and how I needed to watch it. My one friend was so excited when she was watching it that she even spoiled half the show for me a few times.
But, one thing that I had heard online was that it was a show that people could not stop. People were saying they had been sat binging this show. I normally have a super difficult time sitting and watching shows. When watching I am either taking breaks every 10 minutes or on my walking pad watching the show. So I was curious to see how this show would hook me so much to keep me interested for so long.
I can say that this show had my jaw on the floor for %90 of the time. I was watching two episodes a night before bed while sitting down. I never needed a break. With crazy twists at the end of almost every single episode, I was always left wanting more. I was never left bored.
Never watched Gossip Girl? Wanting to know if it’s worth watching? Here’s what I thought .
The plot of Gossip Girl is essentially a bunch of school kids who live in the Upper East Side of New York. There’s lots of drama with many of the kids being in the spotlight of the media since their parents (and themselves) are pretty famous.The name of the show comes from the online blog (“Gossip Girl”) where the mystery person who owns the blog posts things about people. Two of my favorite Gossip Girl blasts are below:
“Nate thought he and Humphrey were thick as thieves... turns out Humphrey's a thief and Nate's just thick.”
“Ain’t karma a b*tch? We know Blair Waldorf is.”
My first impressions of the show were:
1. Blair > Serena
Serena is the main character of the show. Played by Blake Lively, she really embodies the “pretty rich girl” stereotype. The show paints her as the “IT Girl”. Everywhere she goes, someone is sending in a picture to Gossip Girl. After Blair was introduced, I was stunned. She is gorgeous but no one seemed to notice when she was next to Serena. The show paints the picture that Blair is the “uglier” friend.
Honestly, I don’t even know why Blair was friends with Serena. In my opinion, I think it was a pretty toxic friendship. Blair was a bad person, but at least she doesn’t hide it. Serena on the other hand, is a pretty bad person, but she hides it behind a sweet facade. So, my first opinion is that Blair is better than Serena.
2. Chuck is a horrible person and he really annoys me.
When Chuck said his first sentence “Good. Things were getting a little dull around here.”, I knew he was going to be a problematic character. His name might as well be Charles “Full-of-himself” Bass. I had heard that he had some crazy glow up and became a way better person in the end. Honestly, I really hoped it was real because I did not know how much more I could stand him being on my TV screen.
4. Nate seemed to be the only good person out of the whole friend group.
During the first season, I thought Nate seemed to be a good person. I first discovered this when I found out that he and Blair had been dating for a while. He seemed to be the least problematic character at the start. He often put people in their places when nessasary. Even though he was a nepo baby, it seemed he still worked for everything he had. This seemed like a good character tait.
5. Jenny has really good style.
When watching season one, I noticed that I loved Jenny Humphrey’s style. A Brooklyn girl desperate to fit in with the Upper East Siders, she dressed a lot like them (with her own twist). She starts out the show with very colorful, “baby-doll-like” clothes that really complement her light features. While most of her season 1 style is an attempt to fit in with Blair and the “minions”, she does feature some of her natural color palette through her darker accessories. Since it’s the first season, everyone's style is still developing. Among all the developing styles, Jenny’s stood out to me most. So, in my opinion, Jenny probably has the best style in season one.
6. I feel bad for the Upper East Siders.
With all the drama going on in the Upper East Side, I couldn’t help but feel bad for them. From people committing identity fraud, to getting into a planned car crash, the Upper East Side is not easy. With the parents always working the show feels like a seven season continuation of “Super Rich Kids” by Frank Ocean.
In conclusion, it is all about your personal preference in shows. If you’re not up to committing to watching a seven season show, then Gossip Girl isn’t for you. It also isn’t for you if you aren’t into shows with lots of romance, drama, and crazy twists. Personally, it isn’t a show I regret watching. So, will you give it a watch?
Blue is Making A HUGE COMEBACK
Written by Kai Voorhees
From the runways of New York to everyday streetwear, one color dominated this season: blue. I have seen this in the real world too. I don’t know about you, but I can’t go anywhere without seeing someone wearing at least one blue statement piece.
Since New York Fashion week just recently concluded, let’s take a look at some common themes I noticed.
We saw many models walking Coach wear everything from blue blazers and dresses to blue sneakers. They especially had a lot of denim blue. Pairing jeans with blazers was a common theme throughout the shows.
Models walking for Coach wore lots of denim jeans and blazers.
Sergio Hudson displayed many different blue dresses showing just how classy blue can be.
Cobalt blue seems to be the hottest type of blue right now. Paris Hilton was spotted in Cobalt blue at the beginning of the year. This seemed to only be the beginning of the fashion world's obsession with blue this year.
At the BAFTA Awards there were a lot of celebrities feeling blue. The event, which took place on February 22, 2026, had many celebrities wearing blue. Celebrities including Jessie Buckley, Carey Mulligan, and Erin Doherty, wore blue.
Jessie Buckley wore custom Chanel made by Matthieu Blazy to the BAFTA Awards.
Want to join the trend? Here’s a few simple ways to style blue this year.
For any streetwear style, try the viral “sandwich method”. That means matching your shoes to your top for a perfectly balanced outfit. A blue shirt or hoodie paired with some cool blue shoes is the perfect match. Or opt for a blue coat or sweater over a simple monochrome outfit for a pop of color.
Want to look like you’re walking for Coach? The denim jeans with a black blazer is the perfect way to make a lasting impression in any setting.
From the red carpet at the BAFTA’s, to streetwear in everyday life, blue has earned its spot in seemingly everyone’s closet. So, how will you wear it?
Posted on March 18, 2026
Sources:
Sergio Hudson New York Fashion Week
The Best and Worst Moments From the 2026 BAFTAs
How To Upgrade All Of Your Outfits With The 'Sandwich Method' Of Styling
"Is cobalt blue 'the new colour of 2026'?"
Crumbl Cookie’s NEW CONTROVERSY
It All Begins Here
Written by Kai Voorhees
In case you need a little catching up, Crumbl Cookie is a fast growing chain with stores all over America. It was founded in 2017 by two brothers living in Utah. It originally started as a “side hustle” for them to try to make the best chocolate cookie in the world. It blew up thanks to their amazing marketing tactics which seemed to be everywhere. Next thing you know, everyone is making videos trying it.
Along the way, Crumbl has been caught up in some controversies.
For one, they were found having 14-15 year olds in multiple states at multiple locations operating dangerous machinery. On the U.S. Department of Labor site it states, “violations affecting 46 workers at Crumbl Cookies’ locations in California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah and Washington. Violations ranged from employing some minor-aged employees to work longer and later than the time the law allows to assigning others to operate potentially dangerous ovens and machinery.” However, this article is about Crumbl’s latest controversy. Or what I like to call the Crumbl Cookie Calorie Controversy.
Now, I want you to imagine this. You are on a diet and have been seeing these delicious cookies everywhere. Tiktok, Instagram, YouTube, any platform you can think of are filled with videos of people eating them. So you find a store near you, and go inside. You are immediately engulfed by the scent of warm vanilla, sugary confectionaries, and warm cookies straight out of the oven. You look at the menu and see a huge pink sugar cookie for only 130 calories. It seems almost too good to be true. And it is.
While Crumbl is going out saying their Pink Sugar Cookie is 130 calories, that isn’t the case. People on the internet found that one whole cookie is 520 calories. The internet exploded with hate towards the brand. One user on Reddit wrote “This is why Americans are FAT” under a post about the calories.
On Youtube, a Youtuber known as “paigeeastworld” posted a short form video with the title “Crumbl cookies should be ashamed” talking about this exact thing. In the video she says she heard about Crumbl Cookie and went to go check them out. In the video she says, “and I'm thinking, ‘wow! That’s great! So low in calories! I’m going to eat a bunch of these!’ Which I did.” When she found out the count was only for a fourth of a cookie, she went on to question the viewers, “Now who’s out here eating a quarter of a cookie?” Another YouTube user by the name thenutritionnarc went as far as to make a video called “Guessing the calories of crumbl cookies”. In the video he opens it with a plate full of store bought cookies side by side with a Crumbl cookie saying, “this is how many store bought cookies you can eat for the same calories as one crumbl cookie”.
Now let's take a quick dive to see which Crumbl Cookie has the most calories.
First, we must set the tone by seeing how many calories are in the classic chocolate chip cookie. This is a staple in the Crumbl Cookie menu and is a pretty basic one. On the website it says ¼ this cookie is 190 calories. To eat the full cookie, it is 760.
Now that we know what a normal chocolate chip cookie is, we can proceed to Crumbl’s most calorie cookies.
5: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
First, we have the “Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie” cookie. This was released for the week of February 17th, 2025. It is held at the number five spot because it has a calorie count of 1,100 per cookie. This is about ½ of the recommended calorie intake for a day.
4: Brownie Sundae
Crumbl released their Brownie Sundae cookie for the week of September 29th, 2025. It is 1,130 calories per cookie.
3: Double Fudge Brownie
At third place we have the “Double Fudge Brownie”. This cookie was released for the week of August 18, 2025. Although the names are similar, do not confuse this with the “Brownie Sundae” cookie. They are very different from each other. With the differences, comes a change in calories. This one, has earned itself the third spot on the chart. This is because it has 1,180 calories per cookie.
2: Cookies and Cream Brownie
At 2nd place is the “Cookies and Cream Brownie”. It has 1,200 calories.
1: Jimmy Fallon’s “Holiday Seasoning” Candy Cane Brownie
Crumbl partnered with Jimmy Fallon to release this limited edition “‘Holiday Seasoning’ Candy Cane Brownie” just before the holiday season in 2025. This cookie earned itself the number 1 spot on the chart for being a whopping 1,210 calories. This means it is 890 calories less than the daily recommended calorie intake.
Overall, a Crumbl Cookie is okay every once in a while, but over consuming them can be potentially dangerous. Buying the four pack and ranking them like every influencer seems to be doing is very unhealthy (and expensive!).
Posted on March 11, 2026
Sources:
Crumble Cookie ‘Might Promote Sugar Addiction,’ Nutritionist Warns
The Crumbl Cookie Controversy: Why Some Love to Hate
The Alarming Ingredients In Crumbl Cookies (Don’t Eat Until You Read This!)