When I decided to take on Gabrielle Union's diet for a week, I knew it wouldn't be too hard because she allows herself the occasional indulgence. "I don't deny myself," she told Fitness Magazine.

I did find a few stipulations in her diet but nothing I wasn't already doing, kind of. Union is really big on drinking water and told ELLE she drinks a full gallon a day. She also eats a lot of greens, two things I figured I could do. 

Truthfully, my one worry about taking on her diet for a week was living up to her "cook at home" ideal. She has a personal chef, Richard Ingraham, who helps her out.

I'm not such a cook, and I'm pretty bad at planning ahead, especially when it comes to meals, so in order to make this manageable, I decided I'd cook one Chef Ingraham meal a day. Overall, gourmet cooking ended up being a pretty fun and tasty experience.

Day one: Lots of water and Asian sticky sesame wings for dinner.

Union Instagrams a lot of food photos and recipes of dishes Chef Ingragam makes, so I went through and chose the ones that sounded best. Now, full disclosure, I have two little kids and a very picky husband, so the biggest criteria in deciding what to make was if they'd eat it or not. There was no way I was making separate dinners for everyone, Luckily, it wasn't a problem.

Union also has a rather laid-back attitude about her workouts but when she is in the mode, she gets pretty intense. Luckily, I have a similar feeling towards working out. I usually get to my Crossfit gym once a day, but if for whatever reason I can't, I don't beat myself up for it. Crossfit workouts are pretty intense, so I figured I can keep doing them as well. So far day one is smooth sailing.

For dinner, we make Asian sticky wings, which end up not being as complicated as I thought. They did have a few random ingredients that I've never cooked with before so I had to stop in the middle and run out to the store. But it was all good, I now know what five Spice is and will incorporate it into more dishes.

Honestly, the hardest part of day one? Drinking all that water! I usually carry around a 24 oz refillable water bottle with me but I still forget to drink. I only managed to finish two full bottles that day.

Day 2: Braised lamb chops with smoked sausage, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am not much of a cook, I also had no idea what "braised" even meant before this. But, since we're all pretty big meat eaters I thought it would be a tasty dish to make. I ended up using rib steak instead of lamb chops though because lamb chops are kind of pricey. 

This time I prepared ahead and made sure I had all of the ingredients beforehand. I also started prepping earlier in the afternoon so that by the time five o'clock rolled around and my kids turned into crazies, I had dinner plated and served. It ended up working out better because this was a complicated dish. I'm all about easy prep and fast cook times, so I probably won't be braising anything again for a while.

Although it was complicated to make, I was really proud of myself when it was done. I sent the pictures to my family's Whatsapp group and they all asked me what takeout place we went to. 

Day 3: Preparing fancy feasts is tiring, tonight we have breakfast for dinner.

I decided to take it easy on myself and went with what I thought would be a simpler dish for day three, whole wheat oatmeal hotcakes with banana toasted almonds, blueberries, and chocolate hemp seeds. Don't be fooled by the long elaborate name, these were pretty simple to put together, it was basically making pancakes from scratch.

A little more detailed than your typical box mix, but they're healthier, too. I was a little nervous at how they'd come out because they're made with flaxseed, whole wheat flour, and rolled oats, I kind of pictured something chalky tasting, hard pancake but I was so wrong. These are delicious.

The recipe makes a huge amount so we ended up having leftovers which was OK because my 4-year-old literally ate them for breakfast and lunch the next day. Definitely going to make these again, Chef Ingraham knows where it's at.

Lately, it seems like it's never been more important to take a vested interest in being more eco-friendly. The planet's temperatures are rising, it seems like there have been more natural disasters than ever before, and the country is in a constant debate on the entire issue. While you as an individual can't save the world from climate change, you can make a huge difference by tweaking some of your habits to be more eco-friendly.

There's another benefit to being eco-friendly other than just helping out our planet Earth — it can often save you money as well. Some of the below tips might cost a little bit more money up front, but at the end of the day, it will save you cash, with the bonus of making you feel good about your decisions.

Start line-drying your clothes instead of using a dryer.

If you do your own laundry at home, chances are good that you have a dryer, and use it to dry most of your items. One small step towards being more eco-friendly is to line-dry your clothes instead of using the dryer. Some say that the dryer is one of the appliances using more energy than anything else in your home, and the California Energy Commission says that if you start line-drying, you could save about $85 per year.

If that's not appealing enough, consider this: researchers have found that dryers can essentially ruin your clothing. They lead to shrinkage, color-running, and they slowly destroy the fabric. Line-drying helps preserve your clothing, helping it last longer, and saving you even more money in the long run. A drying rack also doesn't have to take up a ton of space — this one from Amazon is foldable, so you can tuck it away when you aren't using it.

Use power strips with on/off buttons.

According to the US Department of Energy, we're all wasting a lot of money and energy by leaving things plugged in all the time. They refer to these as “energy vampires— evil ghouls that suck electrical power from your appliances when you aren't using them, taking a big bite out of your wallet.” The Department of Energy says that leaving things plugged in even when you aren't using them could add an extra 10 percent to your monthly utility bill.

It might not be logical to run around the house all day unplugging every single unused appliance, so instead, buy power strips that have on/off buttons, like this one from AmazonBasics— it's only about $10 and will save a lot more than that overall. With that, you only have to turn the strip on or off to get a bunch of energy vampires at once.

Switch to a hybrid car.

One bigger investment in living a more eco-friendly lifestyle is to switch to a hybrid car. This will be a lot of money upfront — most aren't exactly cheap — but it pays itself off in the end, and it's much better for the environment.

Hybrids use less fossil fuel, meaning less greenhouse gas emissions. The amount of money you'll save, however, depends on a few things: how much gas you typically buy, how often you drive, the cost of the hybrid, and the fuel economy of each model. If you almost never drive and you get a fancy hybrid, you probably won't end up saving money.

But if you drive a good distance every day and usually spend a lot on gas, then you will end up saving (you can use Edmunds.com's trade-in tool to get a better idea of the numbers for you particularly). And don't be turned off by speed — a hybrid like the Chevrolet Volt has surprisingly amazing pick-up, it charges quickly, and it has an onboard gas generator that automatically switches on when you're running low, so you don't need to stress.

• Attending a four-year university is more than agreeing to learn at an institution, it is a financial commitment than can last years after graduation. 
• Niche ranked the best colleges for your money based on net price and alumni earnings. 
• MIT, Stanford, and Harvard are the top three best value colleges in the US.

Deciding to attend a university is more than agreeing to learn and grow at an institution, it is a financial commitment than can stretch years after graduation. 

Student debt is at an all time high in the US. Americans owe over $1.4 trillion of student loan debt in 2018, according to Student Loan Hero. Finding a school that doesn't break the bank and helps you make bank after graduation is more important than ever.

Niche ranked the best value four-year colleges in the US based on net price, alumni earnings, graduation rates, student debt, and millions of student and alumni reviews. 

Net price is the average annual cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college. Alumni earnings is the median earnings ten years after enrollment, or six years after graduation. Net price and alumni earnings were recorded by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Keep reading to find out which colleges offer the best bang for your buck. We have included the annual sticker price of tuition, net price (average annual cost after considering typical financial aid amounts), and median earnings six years after graduation.

SEE ALSO: The hardest college to get into in every state

DON'T MISS: Companies from corporate giants to hot startups have begun offering perks and programs to tackle employees' stifling student loans

50. Michigan Technological University

Tuition:

In-state: $15,04

Out-of-state: $32,218

Net price: $16, 276

Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $64,700

49. Virginia Tech

Tuition:

In-state: $13,230

Out-of-state: $31,014

Net price: $17,190

Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $60,500

48. Clarkson University

Tuition price: $47,950

Net price: $31,181

Median earnings 6 years after graduation: $68,900

• American culture as it relates to food can be different from what you find in other countries.
• A LinkedIn software designer named Aniruddh Chaturvedi moved to the US from India in 2011, and listed what he found to be the most surprising things about the food industry in the US.
• He was struck by the huge portion sizes at restaurants, Americans' obsession with coffee on the go, and the phenomenon of free soda refills.

America's relationship with food can be a surprise for people who have never been before.

Aniruddh Chaturvedi, a senior software designer at LinkedIn, came to the US from India in 2011 and noticed several things about American food culture that were different from his native country.

Chaturvedi detailed his most surprising observations in a Quora post, drawn from his experience as a student at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University and his time working in the San Francisco area. He emailed additional thoughts to Business Insider.

Here are the things he found most bizarre, from the size of restaurant portions to the phenomenon of free soda refills.

SEE ALSO: The most surprising things about America, according to a Silicon Valley engineer who moved from India 7 years ago

DON'T MISS: 16 mouth-watering global dishes Americans don't even know they're missing

'Unfortunately, it is expensive to be healthy in America.'

"Rich people are thin/well maintained, poor people are fat. This stems from the fact that cheap food is fatty, rich people don't eat cheap food — they tend to eat either home-cooked food which is expensive or eat at expensive/healthy places. Unfortunately, it is expensive to be healthy in America."

'American serving sizes are HUGE!'

"American serving sizes are HUGE!"

I am by no means a small eater, but it usually takes me at least 1.5 meals to finish the entree."

Americans tend to 'waste a lot of food.'

"Americans waste a lot of food. It is very easy to buy in bulk because it's so much cheaper and as a result a lot of wastage occurs."

MoviePass' woes continue as it transitions to a new plan. It's currently limiting the number of movies and titles subscribers can see each day, and is in the process of converting annual subscribers to the new monthly plan.

MoviePass — a movie-theater subscription service that lets users pay $9.95 a month to see up to three movies a month in theaters — rapidly grew in popularity when it lowered its price last year. It seemed too good to be true, and now customers are finding that maybe it was.

Many subscribers regularly voice their frustration with the service, whether because of the lackluster customer service, the constant rule changes, or the limited amount of movies.

All of these factors might lead some subscribers to seek out movie-theater subscription alternatives to MoviePass.

Below are four alternatives to consider:

SEE ALSO: Nearly half of MoviePass' subscribers are considering canceling, according to a new survey

AMC Stubs A-List

AMC Theatres, the largest theater chain in the world, launched a new tier to its loyalty program in June called AMC Stubs A-List. 

The new plan costs $19.95 a month, but includes many features that MoviePass does not, such as being able to buy a ticket in advance; premium tickets (IMAX, 3D); being able to see the same movie more than once; and concession perks like free refills on popcorn.

The biggest differences from MoviePass is that you can see three movies a week, whereas MoviePass now lets you see only three a month. And you can use MoviePass in any theater that accepts it, whereas you can only use AMC Stubs A-List at AMC Theatres.

For more information, visit the AMC website.

Sinemia

Since AMC Stubs only works at AMC Theatres, Sinemia may be MoviePass' biggest competitor, even though it has gone under the radar compared to MoviePass.

Sinemia is currently offering a "summer sale" in which interested users can start their subscription at $3.99 a month for one ticket a month, or $7.99 a month for two tickets a month.

It also introduced a new $9.99-a-month plan on Wednesday that includes three movies a month and an advance ticket option with seat selection.

Right now, its "Elite" plan includes three tickets per month for $13.99, and that includes premium tickets. 

Sinemia also offers family plans, an advance ticket option, and a cardless feature — all features that MoviePass currently does not offer.

For more information visit the Sinemia website.

Cinemark Movie Club

Like AMC Stubs, Cinemark Movie Club only works at a specific chain, this time Cinemark Theatres.

The $8.99 a month membership gets the customer one 2D ticket a month, 20% off concessions, and eliminates online fees when purchasing a ticket. 

The "credit" also rolls over into the next month, which AMC does not offer. So, if you don't see a movie one month, the next month you could use your subscription to see two movies. Unused credits don't expire for members.

For more information, visit the Cinemark website.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Insider Pick:

• At-home waxing kits are an affordable and easy way to provide long-lasting hair removal in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

• Our top pick is the GiGi Brazilian Waxing Kit because this all-in-one kit comes with everything you need to achieve smooth, hair-free skin on every area of your body.

When it comes to hair removal many people find it hard to find a happy balance between spending a ton of cash on long-lasting high-end salon treatments or saving money by shaving your legs daily. Thankfully an at-home waxing kit is the perfect balance as it’s one of the easiest ways to remove unwanted hair for weeks at a time without breaking the bank.

In the past, the thought of waxing from the privacy from your own home might have sounded appealing the actual act could be downright terrifying, as the at-home waxing kits of the past could be dangerous if applied wrong. Thankfully burning yourself or ripping off your skin while waxing at-home is no longer a concern as modern waxing kits are now less painful and insanely easy to use.

Not only do at-home kits come with the wax and proper application tools needed but many kits now also come with numbing sprays and cooling gels to help lessen pain and prevent redness and irritation. Other kits feature waxes made from nourishing ingredients like olive oil and coconut oil to help soothe and hydrate the skin.

With so many at-home waxing kits on the market, finding the right one for you can feel overwhelming. So we did the research and trawled through hundreds of buyer and expert reviews to find the best at-home waxing kits. Whether you are looking for pre-made wax strips or want to try no-strip waxing, we've got you covered.

Here are the best at-home waxing kits you can buy:

• Best waxing kit overall: GiGi Brazilian Waxing Kit
• Best waxing kit with pre-made strips: Nair Wax Ready Strips
• Best no strip waxing kit: Bliss Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit
• Best waxing kit with wax beans: Yeelan Hair Removal Hot Wax Warmer Kit

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best waxing kit overall

Why you'll love it: The GiGi Brazilian Waxing Kit is an easy-to-use, professional grade, at-home waxing kit that works to remove both coarse and fine hairs.

GiGi has been one of the leading hair removal brands in spas and salons since 1972. The brand's at-home Brazilian Waxing Kit is an all-in-one waxing kit that was specially formulated to remove even the thickest coarse hairs on your bikini line, while still being gentle enough to use on sensitive areas like your face and underarms.

Each waxing kit comes supplied with a wax warmer, 14 ounces of hard wax, pre-epilation oil, post-wax cooling gel, 10 petite applicators, 10 small applicators, 10 large applicators, and even an instructional DVD. The no-strip hair removal system is easy to use and provides a spa-quality wax every time.

The wax’s main ingredients consist of soybean oil, which helps protect skin, and olive oil, which soothes and hydrates the skin throughout the hair removal process. After using the kit, you will be hair-free for weeks, though the brand recommends exfoliating the skin 48 hours after using the product to help prevent ingrown hairs.

The kit has a 3.9 out of 5-star rating on Amazon with almost 2,800 reviews. One reviewer named Nassira wrote, “This waxing kit has changed my life when it comes to removing body hair! It keeps the wax warm during the whole application and it comes with wooden spatulas and even a DVD. It can be messy for beginners but practice makes perfect, and this kit is worth a few trials! I highly recommend this kit if you want to get rid of your hair in the privacy of your house, at so little cost!”

When you run out of the wax, you can simply purchase a replacement container for $11.23 and continue to use the rest of the kit.

Pros: All-in-one kit, works on all skin and hair types, professional grade hair removal

Cons: On the pricier side of at-home kits

Buy the GiGi Brazilian Waxing Kit at Walmart for $34.78

The best waxing kit with pre-made strips

Why you'll love them: Looking to try at-home waxing with little to no mess? You'll want to pick up some Nair Wax Ready Strips.

The Nair Wax Ready Strips are ready-to-use waxing strips that need no warming or rubbing to activate. Made with 100% natural rice bran oil, the waxing strips will not only leave you hair-free but also with smooth and radiant looking skin.

The product has been dermatologist tested and results can last for up to 8 weeks. It also helps minimize future hair growth. The strips can be used several times each until they no longer adhere to your skin. Each box comes complete with 40 strips. Simply apply one strip to the desired area and pull the strip off in the opposite direction of hair growth.

The strips have a 3.47-star rating on Influenster with more than 1,000 reviews. One reviewer named Carrie L. wrote, “Nair Wax Ready-Strips are a must for pesky hair removal! I have always been one to get a professional wax job but, these are great for all of those in-between times. They do the job but are not at all hard on the skin. I have not once had a red/sore spot when using them!”

Some buyers did note the strips can leave behind some wax residue on your skin but each box comes with post wipes to help remove any unwanted residue.

Pros: Affordable, no-mess, all-natural, no warming or activation time needed

Cons: Can leave behind some residue

Buy the Nair Wax Ready Strips at Ulta for $7.99

The best no-strip waxing kit

Why you'll love it: The Bliss Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit is a safe, low-temp, no-strip waxing kit that will leave skin feeling soft with no irritation.

If you’re a fan of the iconic Bliss spa waxing services, give their at-home kit a try. The Bliss Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit comes with a microwavable cup and bright blue wax formula for precise application.

The wax is cruelty-free and made without parabens and phthalates. It is formulated to shrink-wrap on hair follicles making it easier to remove even the most stubborn hairs straight from the root. The chamomile oil in the wax makes it gentle enough for sensitive skin, while the apricot oil leaves skin moisturized.

The at-home kit is a fan favorite of customers and beauty editors alike. Refinery29 recommends it and it has a 4.36-star rating on Influenster.

One reviewer named Sandra wrote, “Love how easy this is! Comes with different size applicators that make it easy for different areas. Less painful to me than traditional waxing and the after waxing oil was so nice in soothing the area. Will definitely be repurchasing.”

Some buyers did complain that the wax dried quickly, so be sure to pay attention when heating up the wax to make sure it is at the right consistency before you start applying.

Pros: Affordable, spa-quality, microwavable, cruelty-free, paraben and phthalate-free

Cons: Can dry quickly if not properly warmed up

Buy the Bliss Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit at Ulta for $24

Next-generation environmental monitoring. Neural interface technology. Space catapults. 

These are some of the far-out visions being pursued by a promising bunch of startups that might just be the business titans of tomorrow.

In a recent research note circulated to clients, Goldman Sachs highlighted the ten "software and internet" startups that had raised the most Series A investment in the second quarter of 2018, based on data collected by venture capital monitoring firm CB Insights.

Series A funding is some of the very first investment companies will receive in their life-cycle — right after seed or angel funding — indicating that it's still early days for these firms. But these young firms still collectively raised more than $400 million in the last three months, in industries ranging from healthcare to real estate to aeronautics.

There's no telling yet whether they will all be able to achieve their heady dreams — but together they offer a glimpse at what the world's top investors are betting will be the technologies and products that will transform our world in the years to come.

Here they all are...

SEE ALSO: Meet 16 of Facebook's most important engineers, working on its biggest products and guiding its future

10. Caresyntax ($20 million) is providing clinicians with more data.

Caresyntax is focused in the medical space, and provides clinicians with data analytics to "identify deviations from benchmarks in processes and outcomes, "address workflow efficiency bottlenecks," and more. 

It was founded in 2013 in Germany by Dennis Kogan and Björn von Siemens before expanding to the US in 2017. In June 2018 it got a $20 million cash injection from healthcare AI investment fund Surgical.AI. 

9. Redaptive ($20 million) is improving customers' energy efficiency.

San Francisco startup Redaptive snagged $20 million in venture capital funding in April 2018 from real estate services and investment firm CBRE Group, as well as ENGIE New Ventures and GXP Investments.

So what does it do? Redaptive helps make corporate clients' facilities more energy efficient, billing itself as a "leading provider of commercial Efficiency-as-a-Service." 

"What makes our program unlike any other is that Redaptive makes the investment in your facilities, takes on all project execution and technology performance risk and covers maintenance costs, it says on its website. "Once we have designed and installed efficiency upgrades, you only pay for actual metered savings at a level that ensures you see immediate operating savings on day one."

It was cofounded in 2013 by Goldman Sachs veteran John Rhow, its co-CEO, and Ryan Martineau, SVP, Channel Sales.

8. Medici Technologies ($22 million) is building what it calls the "WhatsApp of Healthcare."

Medici Technologies is building an app that lets patients message their doctors from their smartphones — calling itself the "WhatsApp of Healthcare."

Based in Austin, Texas and founded by medical industry exec Clinton Phillips in 2016, Medici raises $22 million from a suite of private investors in June 2018.

• Chick-fil-A is introducing five new items this fall.
• Three will be added to the restaurant's regular menu, and two will be exclusively on the catering and online-order menus.
• The chain said the items were meant to help customers during the hectic back-to-school season.
• The additions include a grilled-chicken catering bundle and 30-count nuggets. 

Chick-fil-A is introducing five new items this fall for the back-to-school season.

Three will be added to the restaurant's regular menu, and two will be exclusively on the catering and online-order menus. The items were available nationwide as of Monday.

"We know the beginning of the school year can be hectic for families and we hope these new options help make life a little easier for our guests," Amanda Norris, Chick-fil-A's executive director of menu and packaging, said in a press release. "Many of our guests aren't aware we have a catering menu, so we're excited to introduce some new options that are perfect for an after-school snack or to entertain family, friends and co-workers."

The new items include a grilled-chicken catering bundle and 30-count nuggets. See what else has been added:

SEE ALSO: Dunkin' is dropping the 'Donuts' from its name — and people are freaking out

The 30-count nuggets are available at all stores nationwide and through the Chick-fil-A app.

Waffle potato chips were previously only on the catering menu but can now be purchased as a side. The chips are gluten-free are meant to be an alternative to the chain's waffle fries.

The fruit-cup mix has been altered based on customer feedback — it now has fewer apples and more premium fruit options, according to Chick-fil-A, with fresh strawberries, blueberries, red and green apple pieces, and mandarin oranges.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Insider Pick:

• If a lazy day in the sun is leaving you feeling more sun-kicked that sunkissed, you should treat your skin with cooling after-sun skincare products that will heal your skin.

• Make's Succulent Skin Gel is our pick for the best after-sun skincare product to cool down your crisped skin.

SPF is the foundation of skin health, but despite our best efforts, even the most careful among us have ended up a few stages past sunkissed after a day at the beach, and not all sunburn remedies are created equal.

While broad-spectrum UV protection should be part of everyone’s daily skin and body care routine, regular sun exposure strips the skin of essential oils, leading to dryness and flaking. Even worse? Sunburns create long-term changes to the skin’s collagen, which leads to fine lines and deep wrinkles over time and even a singular fun day of sun, chlorine, and salt can have negative effects.

The good news is that beauty companies have found more soothing skincare solutions than ever before. New herbal and calming infusions like cactus extract, watermelon, and Greek yogurt are here to jolt a wave of cooling comfort and hydration to irritated skin.

So if you’re feeling burned instead of bronzed, we’ve found the best after-sun skincare products from refreshing gels to vitamin-packed masks to help cool things down and begin the healing process. Read on for our top picks in every category, and remember: Rays today, raisins tomorrow.

Here are the best after-sun skincare products you can buy:

• Best overall: Make Succulent Skin Gel
• Best affordable mask: Sephora’s Watermelon After Sun Mask
• Best for sensitive skin: Coola Radical Recovery After Sun Lotion
• Best luxury mask: Peter Thomas Roth’s Cucumber Mask
• Best for immediate relief: Korres After Sun Greek Yoghurt Cooling Gel

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best after-sun skincare product overall

Why you'll love it: Like a greenhouse in gel form, Make's Succulent Skin Gel is the best option for replenishing skin quickly with gentle aloe and chamomile.

With discreet packaging and no discernable scent, Make's Succulent Skin Gel is an unassuming powerhouse for irritated skin. Packed with ultra-lightweight and non-sticky gel, it combines a bouquet of natural skin soothers like cactus extract, aloe vera, prickly pear, chamomile, and more with anti-inflammatory agents like amino acids and beta carotene.

This gel lived up to the test in my trials and became a staple in my beach bag after multiple long beach days in LA and NYC. The gel absorbed almost instantly into my skin without feeling sticky or oily, and got rid of that tight feeling excess sun can cause.

However, for the severely burnt, this formula will help to replenish your skin, but it will not provide immediate relief, as it doesn’t include the cooling agents that other products on our list offer.

If you’re wondering why you should rub a garden on your face, Adrienne Penna, Director of Technology and Trends for Make beauty told Well+Good that “these plants’ water-storing pads contain a gel that, when applied to the skin, offers powerful soothing and hydrating benefits.”

And according to Sarah Steifvater at Purewow“It’s rich in the amino acid taurine, which helps stop free radicals and muscle tissue damage, and it’s high in a rare form of antioxidants called betalains, which have hydrating and anti-aging properties,” so at a very reasonable $25, Make's Succulent Skin Gel is a lot of bang for the buck.

Pros: Lightweight; affordable; fragrance, paraben, and cruelty free

Cons: Does not include a cooling agent for immediate relief

Buy Make's Succulent Skin Gel at Need Supply for $25

The best affordable after-sun mask

Why you'll love it: For a wave of hydration that won’t break the bank, Sephora’s Watermelon After Sun Mask will calm burned skin with cooling bio-cellulose.

It’s hard to picture summer without watermelon, and this year, the cookout favorite is definitely having a moment in the beauty world with everyone from Refinery29 to Allure singing it’s juicy praises. So it’s no surprise that beauty mecca Sephora has jumped on the bandwagon and added the new Watermelon After Sun Mask to its expansive line of sheet masks. In addition to watermelon, the mask has a beach-ready twist with cooling agents and restorative bio-cellulose for after-sun cooldowns.

Though a few of the low reviews noted that the Watermelon After Sun Mask felt a bit “sticky” once removed, the sheet masks are meant to be left on for 15 minutes, and I found that when time was up, it was easy to massage the excess into skin and had no need for rinsing.

As a bonus, it also comes with an added decolletage sheet, which did a great job of soothing the often forgotten chest as well, and at only $5 it’s become a staple in my post-beach routine.

The mask has already earned over 14k saves on the site, and “In a consumer test on 22 volunteers, after 28 days of use, 100% of women said the Watermelon After Sun Mask had an instant cooling effect and 96% of women said the mask soothed their skin after sun exposure,” Sephora says.

It’s more than just the fresh scent or fun color that’s driving the watermelon trend. Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City told Fashionista that "watermelon is loaded with antioxidants, like vitamin A, vitamin C, and lycopene, and that “watermelon may be useful for preventing free radical damage from UV light and other environmental exposures, as well as brightening and evening complexions and promoting healthy collagen production."

Pros: Affordable and includes a soothing face and décolleté mask

Cons: It’s a one time use, so it’s not a long-term solution for multi-day irritation

Buy Sephora’s Watermelon After Sun Mask at Sephora for $5

The best after-sun lotion for sensitive skin

Why you'll love it: Made with organic ingredients and a range of soothing botanicals, COOLA's Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion is like green juice for easily irritated skin.

Though agave is usually thought of as a margarita ingredient and not a skincare element, COOLA's Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion has found the perfect blend of healing botanicals that even the most sensitive skin can handle.

Combining agave’s natural moisture binding with aloe vera with rosemary extract, lavender, sunflower, sweet orange, mandarin peel, and cedar wood, the mask is formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or even gluten to help calm redness and reduce inflammation.

Expert reviewers from Refinery29 to Conde Nast Traveler call this lotion a skin-saving must-have, it’s earned positive reviews across the board, with multiple users across Sephoraand Ulta noting that it prevented or reduced peeling caused by burns.

A few users noted they preferred the cucumber scent used in other Coola products to the more cedar-based scent in this product that is a byproduct from the oils used, but the calming effect of the natural ingredients outweigh the light fragrance.

Pros: Organic and formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates or gluten

Cons: The cedar smell might not appeal to all

Buy Coola Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion at Sephora for $32.00

"Destiny 2" is getting a big new expansion in less than a week, called "Forsaken." It looks fantastic.

The upcoming release will change many aspects of the game, but Bungie also changed how future "Destiny 2" content is priced from here on out.

Here's a first look at all the changes coming to "Destiny 2" starting September 4:

SEE ALSO: The next 2 weeks could make or break the 'Destiny' franchise

DON'T MISS: One of the best parts of 'Destiny' is now a punishing experience in 'Destiny 2'

"Forsaken" introduces a decidedly darker and grittier tone to "Destiny 2."

"We embraced that western, revenge vibe," Bungie said in a video revealing Forsaken.

Without spoiling much about Forsaken's story, Bungie says it starts with a prison break that results in the death of a friend and ally. It will be your job to bring the escaped inmates to justice.

• Kayla Itsines is an award-winning certified trainer and entrepreneur whose Bikini Body Workout program and SWEAT app has a following of over 20 million.
• Kayla Itsines's Bikini Body Guide 12 week program includes three 28-minute HIIT workouts, three cardio sessions, and two recovery days each week.
• I decided to give Kayla Itsine's BBG a try — here's what has happened so far at four weeks in.

When Kayla Itsines, an award-winning certified trainer and entrepreneur, was running one-on-one sessions in Australia, she was booked for weeks straight and had no way of helping clients from all around the world who reached out to her online. "This really frustrated me," she told Forbes.

So Itsines and her partner, Tobi Pearce, founded Bikini Body Training in 2013. In 2014, they released the Bikini Body Guide (BBG), a 12-week workout program that users could purchase as a PDF and use wherever, whenever.

Next, Itsines and Pearce developed their program into a top-ranking fitness app, Sweat, where users can find Itsines's curated workouts and other features like a nutrition plan, cool downs, a place to save progress photos, and your weekly workout schedule. Over 20 million women use Itsines's app, workout plan, books, and fitness equipment.

The weekly schedule (which ramps up slowly at first) consists of three 28-minute HIIT workouts — one session focuses on legs, another on arms and abs, and one on full body — three cardio sessions, one recovery session with guided stretches, and a rest day. You can mix and match the workouts depending on what works best for your body.

I decided to give the viral 12-week BBG program a try to see if I would have results like the hundreds of thousands who tag their before and after pictures using #BBGtransformations on Instagram— here's how I'm feeling one month in.

SEE ALSO: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been on the Supreme Court for 25 years today — here's the workout she uses to stay on top of her game

I am no stranger to working out.

I have run four half-marathons, completed the Physique 57 workout program and Ruth Bader Ginsburg's workout, and exercise regularly. I even finished one round of the Bikini Body Guide last year.

Regardless, I was prepared to be sore because the workout program is designed to target all of your muscles — including ones you didn't know you had.

I was up for the challenge, especially after scrolling through Bikini Body Guide Transformation pictures people proudly post on Instagram.

Speaking of Instagram, The Bikini Body Guide hashtag has almost seven million posts from a supportive community of women who leave encouraging comments and advice on each other's posts. They even plan local meetups to do the BBG workouts.

Each high-intensity plyometric training workout includes two series of four exercises that you complete in seven-minute circuits, twice. For each circuit, you do each of the four exercises as many times as you can in the seven minutes.

I often end up doing each exercise (for example 15 squats, 15 burpees, 15 sumo squats, 30 weighted step-ups) twice per circuit. There is a one minute break between circuits and a much-needed cool down to stretch when you're done.

It's tough … really tough. You'll be sweaty, and you'll savor the minute-long break between sets, but at least your hard work pays off. I find the abs day to be the most difficult, in part because I have scoliosis and can't do all of the crunches correctly. I make modifications, like doing regular crunches instead of full-body crunches. Listen to your body and don't be afraid to modify.

If you have the app, you can also check the alternative exercise to see if it works better for your body.

• Amazon hires fresh college graduates and those with decades of experience alike.
• Corey Salzer started working at Amazon Web Services shortly after graduating from the University of Washington in St. Louis in 2017.
• Below, she reveals some of the most important soft skills she learned in her first year at Amazon. 

Corey Salzer is a solutions architect at Amazon Web Services, the internet company's cloud computing arm that provides solutions for companies ranging from Unilever to Spotify to Comcast.

She's only been in the position for a year, but she told Business Insider it's felt like much longer. 

"I've seen how every type of company runs their technology — what questions they're asking, what types of things they're looking to do, whether it's machine learning or IOT or networking or database," Salzer told Business Insider.

And while gaining new insights on different companies has been fascinating, Salzer also said she's learned a lot about the soft skills needed to flourish in the workplace: how to balance confidence with humility, the value of getting involved, and more.

Here are the soft skills that this 23-year-old learned in her first year at Amazon:

SEE ALSO: Jeff Bezos runs Amazon with 14 defined leadership principles. Here's how a 23-year-old engineer leveraged 5 of them to land a job.

DON'T MISS: 19 soft skills every leader needs to be successful

Confidence is one of the most important soft skills

Though Salzer only graduated from college in 2017, she said she often has to talk with leaders of other companies or in front of whole audiences.

To be able to do that, Salzer said she maintains confidence in her abilities and shows it when she speaks.

"Speaking with authority is really important and having that confidence in your skills," Salzer said.

Fran Hauser, media executive, startup investor, and author of "The Myth of the Nice Girl," provided a few quick ways to instantly seem more confident in a recent Business Insider article: Maintain strong eye contact, have good posture, and avoid filler words like "um." 

But don't forget to be humble, either

Have you ever been told to avoid being the smartest person in the room? The idea behind that oft-repeated quote is that, even if you think you know everything, you still have a lot to learn — and other people can get you there.

Following that, "learn and be curious" is a key tenet at Amazon.

As Salzer said it's important for Amazon employees to "have an intellectual humility where you do know a lot, but you are open to being proven wrong."

"If you think you're the smartest person in the room and are not open to learning new things, then that's not something that fits at Amazon," Salzer said.

There are a few ways to get a conversation started that allows you learn something new.

Communications expert Danny Rubinrecommended reading up online on the background of who you'll meet before an interview or meeting. Then ask them something like, "I see you spent 15 years as a project manager at Honda. What was it like to work there?"

Remember to always listen

Customer obsession is one of Amazon's leadership principles, and it's truly important for Salzer's work. 

"We focus on Amazon's customers and always working backwards from what they need and what they're doing," Salzer said. 

To do that, look to the ever-important soft skill of listening: Be open to new opinions, resist jumping to judgement, and pay full attention when others are speaking. 

And if you come across a client or a customer (or anyone else, for that matter) who differs from you on an idea, try this phrase from authors Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen in "Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well":

"That's interesting. I would like to understand more about why we see this differently."

Dancing is "way more difficult than people think,""Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Hollywood Life.

And she's right. But for some celebrities who have tried their hand at dancing, it's been a little more difficult than others. We rounded up some of the celebrities who have gotten panned for their dancing abilities by critics and the judges alike. 

Not even the Worm and raising-the-roof could save Steve Wozniak.

The Apple co-founder really left an impression on the "DWTS" cast and crew.

"We cast Steve because he was the most left-field booking imaginable," former showrunner Conrad Green said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "He did the most distinctive inter­pretation of the Worm ever seen on any dance floor. [Judge] Bruno Tonioli is still shuddering at the memory."

Master P didn't exactly kill it.

The rapper was loved by the crowd — he was so popular, he made it four weeks despite receiving the lowest scores every single time he competed. But Inaba counts him as one of her bottom-three worst celebrity dancers in the show's history.

"I love him but his dancing… well, you know," Inaba told Hollywood Life.

Evander Holyfield couldn't quite float like a butterfly.

The boxer also made Inaba's list of the worst stars on the show.

"He gets extra points because he was the very first athlete on the show," Inaba told Hollywood Life. "He went for it and I give him a lot of credit for that."

With 23 major singles titles and four Olympic gold medals to her name, Serena Williams is well on her way to becoming the best tennis player of all time — or already there depending on who you ask.

At 36 years old, the Michigan native is showing zero signs of slowing down. In fact, Williams shocked the world when she announced her pregnancy less than two months after beating older sister Venus Williams to claim her record seventh Australian Open title.

Williams made a noble return to her first French Open since giving birth in a black catsuit. Following her match, Williams tweeted that she wanted to don the catsuit in support of other moms who had a tough road to recovery birthing their own children.

Ultimately, it was revealed that her French Open outfit also had health benefits, as the suit was designed to help prevent blood clots.

Last week, French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli banned Williams' catsuit, arguing that you "have to respect the game and the place."

The ban made headlines and, although the athlete appeared to be unfazed by it herself, Williams rocked a tutu at her next match, which fans interpreted as a pointed response.

Here are some of her best and most memorable looks from her 23 years as a tennis professional.

She made an entrance at her US Open debut.

At 16 years old, Williams made her US Open debut wearing a white number with black accents. At the beginning of her career, her and older sister Venus were known to sport colorful beads in their hair, and the yellow ones surrounding her face was perhaps our first look into the fashion icon we'd see for the next 23 years.

Williams brought street style to the tennis court at the 2004 US open.

Williams 2004 US Open ensemble edged the lines of athletic streetwear, cruising her way to the quarterfinals in a denim pleated mini skirt.

She was a vision in pink at the 2004 French Open.

Unafraid to incorporate color into her fits, Serena rocked a bright pink Nike two-piece at the 2004 French Open. Her number consisted of a skirt and a sleeveless crop-top. Let's not forget the finishing touches — dangling earrings with a matching belly button ring.

Netflix has a contentious history with film festivals, but the streaming service has been welcomed with open arms to this year's Venice Film Festival, which begins on Wednesday. It will premiere six movies at the fest.

The movies hail from respected and Oscar-winning filmmakers like Alfonso Cuarón and the Coen Brothers. In fact, Netflix no doubt has its sights on the Oscars this year: you don't finance films from such directors and premiere them at Venice if you're not thinking about awards season.

While the streamer's "Icarus" won best documentary this year (Netflix's only Oscar win so far), Netflix and the Oscars have been a controversial topic in the past. Director Steven Spielberg proclaimed that Netflix films deserve Emmys, not Oscars, because "once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie." Netflix also pulled out of the Cannes Film Festival after it introduced a rule change, in which any film without a theatrical distribution in France would be disqualified from competition.

But Venice has rejuvenated Netflix's Oscar hopes, and the Toronto International Film Festival next month will show seven Netflix movies, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

We've rounded up the six Netflix movies showing at Venice below (Most don't have official release dates yet, but are all expected to arrive on Netflix later this year):

SEE ALSO: 38 movies you shouldn't miss this fall, including 'Venom' and 'Creed 2'

"Roma"

Director: Alfonso Cuarón ("Gravity,""Children of Men,""Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban")

Netflix description:"A story that chronicles a tumultuous year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s."

Cuarón won the Oscar for best director in 2014 for "Gravity," and also shared a best film editing win for the same film. He's been nominated for two screenplay Oscars for "Children of Men" and "Y Tu Mamá También." He was nominated for best film editing for "Children of Men."

Watch the trailer here.

"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen ("Hail, Caesar!,""Inside Llewyn Davis,""True Grit,""No Country for Old Men")

Netflix description:"Saddle up for six tales about the American frontier from the unique minds of Joel and Ethan Coen, who wrote and directed this anthology."

The Coen Brothers have been nominated for screenplay Oscars for a number of films, including "True Grit" and "A Serious Man." They won for best original screenplay for "Fargo" and best adapted screenplay for "No Country for Old Men," in which they also won Oscars for directing and best picture.

"On My Skin"

Director: Alessio Cremonini ("Border")

Status: Coming to Netflix September 12

Netflix description:"Arrested in Rome for a drug-related offense, Stefano Cucchi endures a harrowing week in custody that changes his family forever. Based on true events."

Watch the trailer here.

In the 1970s and '80s, the Golden State Killerterrorized California residents. He broke into homes, murdered nine people, and raped 45 women. Afterward, he’d taunt victims with horrific phone calls and threats. For more than four decades, the serial rapist managed to evade capture.  

Then, last April, 72-year-old former police officer James DeAngelo was arrested in connection with the decades-old crimes. Investigators managed to track their prime-suspect down by matching crime scene DNA to the online genetic profile of one of DeAngelo’s relatives.  

Though it took investigators years to make headway in the Golden State Killer case, it isn't the only one that evaded authorities for years. INSIDER took a look back at some of the toughest cold cases that took years to crack. 

Editor's note: These stories contain graphic descriptions of violence and crime and could be upsetting.

Kenneth Hansen was sentenced to 200 years in prison.

For nearly 40 years, police could not track down the Illinois horseman who murdered three young boys in a stable. In 1955, the man picked up Robert Peterson, John Schuessler, and Anton Schuessler Jr. when they were hitchhiking after a day of movies and bowling. He took the boys to his stable, sexually abused at least one of the children, killed them, and then threw their bodies into a forest preserve ditch, according to The New York Times.

Investigators questioned a whopping 43,740 people but weren’t able to track down the killer, according to The Chicago Tribune. Then, in 1994, during an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of heiress Helen Vorhees Brach, several people had apparently implicated 61-year-old Kenneth Hansen in the disappearance of the boys. 

He was arrested on arson charges in connection to a 1972 fire. Later the same day, he was charged with the killings of all three boys, according to The Times. He was convicted the following year and was sentenced to 200 years in prison. He died in 2007.

"It closes it," John Rotunno, one of the special agents who helped convict Hansen, told The Chicago Tribune. "I just hung up with [special agent] Jimmy Grady. He said this is a fitting end to all this heartache. I'm glad he's dead."

John List died while incarcerated.

Police knew that John List killed his mother, wife, and three children. They just didn’t know how to find him. The killer shot his entire family in 1971 and left a confession note for his pastor, according to ABC.

In it, he explained that his financial struggles had become too difficult to handle and he thought he was doing his victims a favor by killing them. "At least I'm certain that all have gone to heaven now. If things had gone on who knows if that would be the case," he wrote.

Then, List fled the state. He changed his name to Robert P. Clark, took a job as an accountant, got remarried, and lived as a free man for 18 years in Colorado, according to ABC News.

It wasn’t until a former neighbor recognized a forensic sculptor's bust of what he would look like decades later on "America’s Most Wanted" that he was caught in 1989. List was convicted of murder and sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison. During his sentencing, he didn’t specifically mention his family but rather apologized for "the tragedy that happened in 1971."

List was incarcerated until 2008 when, at the age of 82, he died of pneumonia.

Clarence Wayne Dixon was given the death sentence.

On January 7, 1978, 21-year-old college student Deana Bowdoin was found murdered in her Tempe, Arizona, apartment. There was a belt around her neck and stab wounds on her chest. Police discovered male DNA on her underwear but couldn’t find a match.

There were no leads for the next 23 years, according to ABC News. Then, Detective Tom Magazzeni took charge of the case and found that the DNA from the crime scene matched Clarence Wayne Dixon, a 52-year-old former gas station attendant who was already serving a life sentence for another sexual assault and had lived 500 feet from Bowdoin’s apartment.

Dixon was brought back to court on charges of murder and sexual assault. He was convicted of the crime and it took jury members a total of 20 minutes to decide that he deserved the death sentence, according to ABC. As of the 2017 article in ABC, he was still alive and serving his sentence. 

"We're very pleased," Bobbie Bowdoin, Deana's mother, told The East Valley Tribune. "We're very relieved, and it's something that at times we began to think would never happen."

Before booking any kind of travel, I always start in the exact same place: Kayak. 

The travel site has been my go-to for years, helping me book everything from business trips to vacations to quick weekend getaways. 

But as time goes on, I've started wondering: am I finding the best flights? Is there an easier-to-use site out there? 

I turned to Google Flights to test if Kayak should still be my top choice for booking travel. I use Google services almost everywhere else in my life — Maps, Gmail, Drive, Photos, Google Assistant, the list goes on — and I figured if anyone could topple Kayak, it would be Google. 

The services have a lot of features in common, the main one being that they both aggregate flights from all major airlines, and they both take you off their site to actually book your trip. But I was curious which had more standout features and, of course, which could find me cheaper flights. 

Here's how Kayak and Google Flights compare. 

SEE ALSO: I tried out Apple's largest iPhone — and it made me love my iPhone 6S even more

Let's start with standout features both services have in common. Both Kayak and Google Flights let you track flight prices over time.

If you're not ready to book yet, both Kayak and Google Flights let you track a specific flight over weeks or months. 

Both services will also let you know if they think it's a good time to buy, based on historical data. 

Both Kayak and Google Flights show you what they think are the best flights.

Google says it shows you flights that "give you the best trade-off between price and convenience, based on factors such as duration, number of stops, and airport changes during layovers." 

Kayak says its results are based on duration, price, number of stops, and carrier type. 

There are several key differences between the two services, though. For one, Google Flights is faster than Kayak.

Google loads almost instantly, but Kayak takes a few seconds:

As the year flies by, the list of canceled TV shows piles up.

While there's been somewhat of a quiet period since May, some networks are still cutting shows throughout the summer.

The most recent cancellation comes from USA, which just confirmed that "Mr. Robot" will end after its fourth season set to air in 2019. 

ABC also canceled the previously renewed "Roseanne" revival in late May, after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. However, ABC announced a spin-off called "The Conners" without Barr coming this fall.

The long-running "The Jerry Springer Show" is ending after 27 seasons and 4,000 episodes, and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" is ending after 12 seasons. NBC's "Timeless" was also canceled for the second year in a row. NBC had reversed its first decision to cancel the show last year after fan outcry.

We'll update this list as more are announced.

Here are all the shows that have been canceled this year, including those from networks and Netflix:

SEE ALSO: The worst TV show of every year since 2000, according to critics

Amazon

"Jean-Claude Van Johnson"— Amazon, one season

"I Love Dick"— Amazon, one season

• Tesla was briefly selling its own wireless smartphone charger on its online store, but the devices have already sold out.
• The $65 gadget supported both wireless and wired charging, and could also be used a portable charging pack.

Continuing to branch out from just car sales, Tesla recently introduced a new addition to its 'lifestyle' collection — a portable, wireless smartphone charger. But less than a day after debuting, the $65 device is no longer available to order on the company's store website, as they quickly sold out.

The portable charger has a 6,000mAh power bank, and supports 5W wireless charging and 7.5W wired charging if you need to charge a little faster. It's the latest addition to Tesla's branded smartphone chargers, which Tesla says are "powered by the same cell found in many of the batteries of our vehicles."

As The Verge noted, there are cheaper, non-Tesla options available that have larger power banks and faster charging capabilities — but Tesla chargers sell because of the Tesla brand, not their wattage. 

Here are some of the specs from Tesla's smartphone charger: 

• 5W wireless charging
• 7W wired charging 
• USB-A or USB-C charging capability 
• 21 hours additional talk time or 18 hours additional web browsing
• An internal battery that can be charged with a USB-A cable from any USB port. 

A Tesla rep confirmed that the chargers sold out, but could not comment on how many units were sold or whether they'll go back on sale. 

Here are some photos of the charger from Tesla's website, before the page was taken down: 

• The tiny village of Sagaponack is the most expensive zip code in the Hamptons.
• A study by GoBankingRates found that you'd need to make at least $853,738 to live there comfortably.
• The median price of a home in Sagaponack is $7.1 million.
• Celebrities and businesspeople, including talk show host Jimmy Fallon and billionaire investor  Ira Rennert, own homes in the secluded village.

The Hamptons, a series of beach towns dotting eastern Long Island, is well-known as a summer retreat for the wealthy and famous of New York.

Within these affluent communities, a tiny village of 491 people stands out as the priciest zip code — and by some calculations, the most expensive in the entire country.

Sagaponack, a village in the town of Southampton in the 11962, has been called home by CEOs, musicians, famous authors, and celebrities. 

In Sagaponack, a typical home is listed for $7.1 million, according to a study by GoBankingRates. In order to live comfortably in the Hamptons village, you'll need to make at least  $853,738 a year, according to the analysis.

Here's a look inside the exclusive Hamptons community.

SEE ALSO: How much you need to earn to live in the most expensive zip code in every state

DON'T MISS: 10 cities where you can make 6 figures and still feel broke

Sagaponack sits in The Hamptons, a stretch of affluent seaside communities on New York's Long Island.

Source: Google Maps

It's about a 2.5 hour drive from New York City.

Source: Google Maps

The median listing price for a home in Sagaponack is $7.1 million.

Source: GoBankingRates