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“Buy now, pay later” is more popular than ever. It may cost more than you think

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NEW YORK (AP) – More shoppers than ever are on the right track to make the most of this service “buy now, pay later” plans. in the course of the holiday season because the choice to spread payments seems attractive at a time when Americans are still feeling the lingering effects of inflation and have already got record high bank card debt.

Data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more using “Buy Now, Pay Later” this holiday season than they did last 12 months. The company forecasts that shoppers will make $18.5 billion in purchases through third-party services between November 1 and December 31, including $993 million in purchases on Cyber ​​Monday alone.

Buy now, pay later may be particularly attractive to consumers who’ve a low credit rating or no credit history, akin to younger customers, because most corporations providing this service only perform soft credit checks and don’t report loan and payment history to credit bureaus , unlike bank card corporations.

During the vacation season, buy now, pay later users may also feel more confident if a transaction goes fallacious. In May CFPB said ‘buy now, pay later’ Companies must comply with different regulations regulating traditional credit, akin to providing the power to request a refund and dispute transactions.

To make the most of a buy now, pay later plan, consumers typically enroll with checking account or debit or bank card information and conform to pay for purchases in monthly installments, normally over eight weeks or longer. Loans are advertised as interest-free or low-interest, or only charge contingent fees, akin to late payment fees. Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm are the three largest buy now, pay later corporations.

But consumer advocates warn that shoppers who enroll for bank card payment plans could possibly be hit with higher rates of interest and charges. This is because the client is opening himself as much as interest on bank card payments in the event that they accrue from month to month, along with any late fees, interest or penalties resulting from the buy now, pay later loan itself. For this reason, experts advise against using a bank card to pay for these plans.

Consumer watchdogs also say the plans lead consumers to overextend themselves because, for instance, not paying the complete price upfront means, at the least in the client’s mind, more money for smaller purchases. They also caution consumers to fastidiously monitor their use of many “buy now, pay later” services because automatic payments can add up and there is no central reporting like a bank card statement.

“Buy now, pay later can be an innovative tool for purchases you’re going to make anyway,” said Mark Elliott, chief customer officer at financial services company LendingClub. “The challenge is that it creates overspending.”

For sellers, this is a part of the appeal. Retailers have discovered that customers they’re more prone to have larger stroller sizes or go from browsing to checkout when buy now, pay later is available. One report of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York there are studies cited that show that customers spend 20% more with buy now, pay later.

“The reality is that increased costs of living and inflation have put more and more people in a position where they already rely on revolving credit,” Elliott said. “The psychographics of ‘buy now, pay later’ may be different – people don’t see it as debt – however it is.

If a consumer fails to make a payment, she or he may be charged fees, interest or may lose future use of the services.

Emily Childers, a consumer finance expert at personal finance technology company Credit Karma, said internal data shows member bank card balances have increased by more than 50% for Gen Z and Millennials since March 2022. when the Fed began raising rates of interest.

“Young people are entering the holiday season already in the red,” she said. “And from what we see in the data, they continue to stick their heads in the sand and spend money.”

Missed a black girl's day off? On December 2, celebrate National Black Women's Day of Rest

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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How to find the right wedding makeup artist to create your dream wedding look

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Sisi Niké, Sisi Niké makeup artists, bridal makeup, wedding makeup, How to find a makeup artists, how to hire a wedding makeup artist, Black bridal makeup, theGrio.com

With a background in chemical engineering and a passion for beauty, Niké’s journey into the beauty industry began when relations recognized her talent for applying makeup and adding style to every thing she did. Although she worked in technology consulting, Niké began blogging to express her creativity.

Sisi Nike (Photo: Tamara Fleming Photography)

That expression was entrepreneurship and he or she was soon booking family weddings, eventually constructing a large network of wedding clients in the New Jersey and New York areas. She now boasts a successful beauty company with a various portfolio of national and international editorial work and clients, reminding Black women in every single place to trust their journeys and take a leap of religion to bring their ideas to life.

While Niké’s personal story is inspiring, her knowledge is particularly useful for engaged couples and married couples who need beneficial advice on how to find a beauty skilled they will trust.

How to organize a budget wedding without hiring a planner

Look for experiences related to your skin type and tone

In addition to visual examples, Niké emphasizes the importance of cultural competence. “It’s very important to choose a makeup artist who knows your skin – and on a deeper level, on a cultural level and its nuances,” she says. Wedding photos are a souvenir for all times, so it’s important that the makeup artist can create makeup that’s authentic.

Photo courtesy of FreePik (by EyeEm)

Know what you would like – or what you don’t need

Brides don’t at all times know exactly what look they need for his or her big day, but Niké says there’s still a way to effectively express your preferences.

“If you don’t know what you want, you know pictures of what you don’t want,” he notes. Sharing inspiration photos, even those of styles you do not like, helps artists guide you towards a look that can work. “If you choose the right makeup artist, they should be able to guide you so that you can co-create a look that makes sense and achieve it based on what you don’t like,” she added.

Niké also encourages brides to take into consideration the emotions they need their wedding styling to evoke. “Think about how you want to feel,” he advises. Whether you are going for a timeless, elegant feel or a daring, trendy, Instagram-worthy look, your makeup should match the mood and message of your day.

Beware of the wedding party

Navigating makeup costs for bridesmaids, relations, or others in the wedding party might be difficult, especially if the bride has high expectations. While you possibly can at all times encourage your bridesmaids and bride to are available in stunning attire or pay for an artist, Niké suggests finding a balance between your vision and the financial realities of your wedding party.

“If you’re one of those brides who thinks, ‘We’re going to Ibiza for a hen party’… pay the deposit somewhere,” she said, encouraging brides to concentrate on the financial burden their requests may place on others. “Remind yourself that women have their own lives and their own financial responsibilities,” she added. Whether it’s full sponsorship or partial makeup coverage, offering a reduction can go a great distance in showing your appreciation.

How to organize a budget wedding without hiring a planner

Simplify your timeline and revel in the moment

Plus, being realistic about logistics can prevent lots of stress. “Be honest with yourself about the schedule you create,” she advised, noting that overloading your schedule or cramming too many events into in the future can lead to unnecessary anxiety. “Make sure you plan a day that is stress-free,” she said.

Choose knowledgeable and trust him!

If skilled makeup is inside your budget and you would like to work with someone who can create flawless makeup under the pressure of your wedding day, take the time to find an artist who has been there before and is well-versed in your needs. Whether it’s cultural competency to recognize how to take care of brown skin of all shades or knowledge of Afrodiasporic customs (shout out to Asoebi’s Nigerian bridesmaids!), by selecting a makeup artist who understands your vision, skin and culture, your bridal look can allow you to have the dream day you deserve.

Why

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Jordan Chiles announces the release of her memoir “I’m That Girl” with a foreword by Simone Biles

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Jordan Chiles’ memoir might be officially released.

The 23-year-old Olympian announced that she is preparing to release her book “I’m That Girl” in spring 2025 with Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins. It will feature a foreword by fellow Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

According to People Magazinememoir will chronicle Chiles’ Olympic gymnast profession, which began when she joined Team USA at the junior level in 2013 at the age of 11.

In the memoir, she purports to debate the “mentally and physically demanding” realities of her sport, including the racism she faced as a black gymnast in the elite, predominantly white world of gymnastics, in addition to her experiences with body image and eating issues that she developed early in life. Chiles can even discuss her experiences competing at the Olympics, including taking Biles’ spots after she suffered a “bend” during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and through the controversial 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris when Chiles was stripped medal.

The statement comes after Chiles was ordered to forfeit her bronze medal on August 11. After an appeal by the Romanian gymnastics team, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found that coach Chiles tried to correct the gymnast’s result 4 seconds too late. In September, Chiles’ lawyers filed an appeal to the Federal Court of Switzerland to overturn that call, citing video evidence that contradicted this.

In the description of the book titled HarperCollins websiteChiles stated that the situation was “one of the most difficult moments of my profession. Believe me after I say I even have had many of them.

Earlier this month, Chiles spoke about the incident during an interview with CNN. “Things can be really difficult in your life and they can be taken away from you, and you’re going to have to deal with that and understand that you have to fight for what you’re fighting for,” she said. outlet.

Chiles, who hails from Tualatin, Oregon, doesn’t hold back in shedding light on the grueling reality she faces as an up-and-coming gymnast. Her authenticity, perseverance and panache on the mat earned her fans the title “That Girl.” Her aptly titled memoir is ultimately intended to share how she got here to adopt this moniker.

Jordan Chiles speaks out for the first time since losing his Olympic bronze medal

Chiles also spoke openly about how close she has turn out to be to her fellow Team USA gymnasts, including Biles, whom she considers her “big sister.”

Speaking to People about the book, which is currently scheduled for release on March 4, 2025, Harper Influence senior vp and publisher Lisa Sharkey said: “From the moment I met Jordan Chiles, a few months before the 2024 Summer Olympics, ., I was impressed by her. heart, its authenticity, its enthusiasm and its storytelling power.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Did Zendaya’s viral moment at the 2015 Oscars start the CROWN Act? Law Roach thinks so

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Law Roach, Zendaya, Fashion Police, CROWN Act, dreadlocks, locs, Black hair, Black beauty, theGrio.com

Some may remember when Zendaya, then best often called a Disney star, arrived on the 2015 Oscars red carpet wearing an off-the-shoulder white gown by Vivienne Westwood and her hair in flowing fake curls. The look was elegant yet culturally significant, launching Zendaya into the conversation as a real tastemaker — but not in the way she and her longtime stylist, Law Roach, initially thought.

At the time, Giuliana Rancic, host of E!’s “Fashion Police,” caused a stir when she said on-air that Zendaya looked like she “smelled like patchouli oil or herbs.” Her comments resonated and, based on Roach, began a movement that led to the CROWN Act.

Recounting that moment nearly a decade later at the Teen Vogue Summit on Nov. 23, Roach explained why he’s ultimately glad the moment happened.

“This case actually changed the way Black hair was accepted in schools and workplaces,” he said during a panel discussion, based on People Magazine. “So even though we didn’t plan on making this big statement, because of the events that took place, the CROWN Act was really born out of this incident.”

Following Rancic’s comments, Zendaya didn’t hesitate to call out the veteran host via Instagram.

“There’s a fine line between fun and disrespect,” he says he wrote then in an in depth post.

“Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that blew my mind,” the Emmy winner added. “Not because I liked the rave reviews of the outfits, but because I was met with ignorant insults and a complete lack of respect.”

She continued: “Stating that an 18-year-old young woman with curls must smell like patchouli oil or ‘herb’ just isn’t only an enormous stereotype, but in addition outrageously offensive. I do not normally feel the need to answer negative things, but some comments cannot be ignored.”

After noting how many individuals in her personal life, including her father and brother, have curls, Zendaya also determined what number of extremely prestigious and successful people sport curls, including professors, authors, and Harvard director Ava DuVernay.

“There has already been harsh criticism of African American hairstyles in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair,” she said, adding that she wore her hair in curls that evening to remind Black folks that “our hair is sweet enough “.

Rancic faced immediate backlash for these comments, and the next day she even apologized on air, admitting, “Something I said last night crossed the line.”

“That’s how change happens,” she said. “And it made me think, ‘How can I always have a lasting impact on what people see and associate with people of color?’”

In the years since these comments, the CROWN Act, co-founded by Adjoa B. Asmoah in partnership with Dove and several other others as a part of the CROWN Coalition, was introduced and first passed in California in 2019. The CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender hair texture or style, was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. Versions of this bill are currently in effect in 27 states. Most recently, Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, passed a law against hairstyle discrimination in July.

No, Cynthia Erivo didn't make $14 million less than Ariana Grande for

As for “Fashion Police,” this moment also marked the starting of a run of bad luck for the show that ended later that yr. The show, where hosts scrutinized stars’ red carpet outfits, struggled to get well after Rancic’s gaffe, the departure of fellow host Kelly Osbourne in response to the incident and the death of longtime co-host Joan Rivers.

Since the show ended, celebrity fashion coverage has grow to be more comprehensive. Instead of harsh and sometimes offensive criticism, fashion journalists and red carpet hosts now often concentrate on what suits a star’s look, its potential cultural significance, and production that takes under consideration the creation of the look by the stars’ design teams and stylists.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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