Wow Brows

plus, an unusual gift guide

Welcome readers, old and new!

Please hit the ❤️ above if you’d like to discover whether your friends and acquaintances are sharing more with you (and you with them) than you might think.

You may have noticed there hasn’t been a HNTFUYF gift guide, nor will there be. Unless you want to know what I bought for my granddaughter, M, whose lack of expectation for any gift continues to astonish me. In addition to an old-timey whoopie cushion and a nose whistle (to be sure her lovely custodians are entertained), I bought M a weeny-sized sofa, desk, and chair for her friend Squirrelita. If you’re interested in the gift guide phenomenon, as well as suggestions for a wide range of presents—including how to help a family in need—check out Anne Helen Petersen’s wonderful post.

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I’m in love with journalist, podcaster, mama, and all-around badass Kara Swisher. She recently partnered with e.l.f. Cosmetics to interview Tubi CEO, Anjali Sud, as part of e.l.f.’s campaign to increase representation and diversity in boardrooms. I’ve always been partial to e.l.f., as I like the company’s platform, and the products are inexpensive and fun, so I was pleased to see the collaboration. You can listen to Kara and Anjali here.

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Last weekend I agreed to provide foster care for two minuscule Medaka fish till M could bring them home. After she bid them goodbye in their small aquarium and entreated them to have fun at Fish Camp, she had only one admonishment: Don’t eat them, Grammie! 😧

YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT HERE’S A REMINDER: HNTFUYF is a payola-free, reader-supported zone. I get no cut from sales when I mention a product. My recommendations are offered without obligation, making HNTFUYF one of only a few places where you can get unadulterated beauty advice.

The beauty Q&A in this post sits quivering with excitement behind a paywall. For full access to all posts and the archives, please become a paid subscriber at the current rate of $40/year. Can’t afford a subscription? Write to me at valeriemonroe@substack.com and I’ll give you a comp. 🙏

Next up: A reader needs help with an eyebrow betrayal.