4 Breakfast Hacks That Will Jumpstart Your Morning

Liner Revival

The lip liner trend for spring 2025 embraces bold definition with a fresh, modern twist. This season, it's about pairing rosy nudes with soft, lighter lip colors and rich, warm tones with deep browns and cherry reds for a sculpted, high-impact look. City Lips Defining Liner is our favorite new lip liner. It prevents color fading, smudging, and feathering, so you can keep your look intact all day or night! It’s available in two pretty shades: Blush, a soft, rosy nude that pairs beautifully with pink hues and lighter lip colors, and Willow, a rich, warm-toned nude that complements brown tones and deeper shades.

Multitasking Makeup

The trend toward skincare-infused makeup is making your beauty routine work harder with nourishing ingredients. City Lips Defining Liner features vitamin E, helping to keep the lip line smooth while subtly enhancing its shape for a fuller, more defined look. For the ultimate plump and polish, pair the pigmented liner with City Lips Plumping Gloss — a duo that gives you a naturally voluminous pout, plus extra hydration.

Pastel Pop

From butter yellow to sage green, this season’s nail trends are embracing soft, yet statement-making hues that bring a fresh pop of color. Alongside these chic shades, almond-shaped nails are offering a sleek, elegant look that flatters your mani aesthetic.

'90s Nostalgia

A softer, smudged take on the classic cat-eye is making waves, with eyeliner staging a bold comeback in full, effortless sweeps. Blue eyeshadow is also back and better. Expect a nod to cool-toned, ’90s grunge eyes, a trend that lends itself to easy, minimalist lines, like a single, clean swipe of liner, proving that less can truly be more.

Lobs, Bobs & Natural Manes

Haircut season is in full swing, and lighter, fuss-free bobs at all above-shoulder lengths, plus natural curls, are making their way in and out of salons for spring. We couldn't be happier for the low-maintenance 'dos!

Satin Skin

This understated look highlights healthy, natural skin with a soft-matte finish — radiant, yet never flat or overly glossy.

Glossy lips, instead, shine this season. Upgrade your lip routine this spring with City Beauty’s new City Lips Defining Liner and lip glosses for a refreshed look.

In this segment, Paige Wiese, founder & CEO of Tree Ring Digital in Denver, CO, walks us through some of the ways she encourages clients to double down on marketing when business is slow. Paige built her business as a solopreneur graphic designer to a team of 15, helping clients with SEO, online ads, and social media management. Here’s her Take 5, plus more tips for surviving the business lulls below!

What's a recent small win for you and your business?

Paige: A recent small win has been just seeing business pick up again. I am seeing businesses start to engage with their marketing efforts and really trying to get to the root of why their website might be underperforming. We look at what they can be doing to see their money actually go to a place that it should be going.

What's a big piece of advice that you give to your clients?

Paige: A lot of them want to back off anytime there's a little bit of scarcity. I really think that's the time to double down, whether it be your digital presence, your website, or just adjusting how you're spending your money. But instead of just saying, ‘Hey, we're going to stop [investing in marketing],’ ask ‘How do we double down in the correct way and make sure we're seeing measurable results out of it?’ I do it myself anytime business is a little slow. I think we have to either change or we need to be doubling down. A lot of clients come to us when the pipeline is already dry and money is tight and they’re hoping for a quick fix. Marketing, unfortunately, isn't a quick fix.

See more tips for surviving business lulls below!

What's an unexpected business challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?

Paige: I think one of the bigger challenges that we've run into has been more on the employee side, some of the retention or the hiccups that come along the way and then just learning from them. So how can we be a better, stronger company coming out of this and how do we use it as a growing opportunity?

How has the Verizon Small Business program helped propel your business forward?

Paige: I learned about the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). It's a free resource that’s self-paced and very digestible. The variety of topics it covers is a large gamut for any size business. The Selling with Storytelling course, especially, was really valuable to me, just really getting your messaging out there. I laugh that I sometimes enjoy the marketing ones a little bit more just because it is a refresher or another take on how we do this.

Thanks Paige!

Here Are More B+C Tips For Surviving The Small Business Lulls

1. Refine Your Strategy
   • Review your business plan and goals. Are you on track? What can be improved?
   • Analyze customer feedback and sales data to spot trends and areas where you can grow.
2. Boost Your Marketing Efforts
   • Refresh your website or social media profiles. Verizon Small Business Digital Ready’s free Put Your Website to Work course will help you get started with best practices for building your business website.
   • Create engaging content through blogs, videos, and newsletters. Verizon’s free Creating Compelling Content course can help you create consistent, quality content for your target customers.
   • Offer promotions or limited-time discounts to attract new customers.
3. Invest in Learning
   • Take an online course related to your industry, like Verizon’s free Planning for the Unexpected course for building resiliency in your business.
   • Stay updated on industry trends and innovations.
   • Engage with customers too. Send personalized emails to loyal customers or clients. Ask for reviews!
4. Improve Your Processes
   • Streamline operations or explore new tools to increase your efficiency.
   • Organize your workspace and declutter your digital files.
5. Self-Care and Rest
   • Take advantage of the slower pace to recharge. A refreshed mindset is exactly what you need to bring forth fresh ideas!

What is 'Survival of the Thickest' about?

What happens when you face the worst breakup ever? You cry and find a way to revamp your life, according to Mavis from Survival of the Thickest.

The series revolves around her getting acclimated with being single again while juggling her floundering stylist career. She's got a supportive village, but that doesn't mean she's not prone to making mistakes or facing situations worth cackling about outside of her group chat.

Where does filming take place?

The show is primarily filmed in New York, but parts of Season 2 take place in Italy (via IMDB)!

Who's a part of the cast?

Survival of the Thickest has a sprawling cast that features some new and familiar faces. According to Marie Claire, here are the main characters who've appeared in Seasons 1 and 2:

1. Michelle Buteau as Mavis Beaumont

Mavis Beaumont may have started off as a heartbroken stylist's assistant in Season 1 of Survival of the Thickest, but she's since gone on to build a name for herself in Season 2. She's also trying to figure out if she's going to stick with her new love interest Luca or go back to her familiar ex Jacque.

2. Taylor Selé as Jacque

3. Tasha Smith as Marley

Marley's one of Mavis' no-nonsense besties who applies the same tenacity to her career as a finance executive. Her inspirational quips may come across as 'funny,' but she doesn't lie when she encourages those around her to move in excellence.

4. Tone Bell as Khalil

Mavis is surrounded by even more love with the addition of the creative Khalil by her side. He has a softer approach than Marley, but he still wants the best for Mavis and has no problem helping redirect her when she's ready to throw pity parties. If only he could apply the same principles to his own love life...

5. Liza Treyger as Jade

6. Garcelle Beauvais as Natasha Karina

Garcelle Beauvais may have left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but you can watch her break necks and hurt feelings in Season 2 of Survival of the Thickest. She plays former '90s supermodel Natasha Karina who becomes Mavis' client after an initial period of misunderstandings.

7. Anthony Michael Lopez as Bruce

8. Marouane Zotti as Luca

Luca's all about Mavis and that's the I like it. Not only is he eye candy, but he's got enough passion stored in his body that makes me feel he's the obvious choice for our love-worn protagonist. However, only time will tell if Mavis thinks she and him are endgame or not.

9. Peppermint as Herself 

Survival of the Thickest is all about making sure all voices, storylines and identities are championed. Having Peppermint as another close friend of Mavis rounds out her supportive village because she's big on bringing her fun-loving energy wherever she goes. And when Peppermint takes a brief break from performing to get married, Mavis is right there rooting for her.

10. Alecsys Proctor-Turner as Nala

My, how the tables have turned! In Season 2 of Survival of the Thickest, Mavis gets her own assistant in the form of the fashion-obsessed Nala. Though she has moments where her naive nature shines through, she helps provide even more comedic relief and moments of clarity.

How many seasons does 'Survival of the Thickest' have?

Right now, Survival of the Thickest has two hilarious seasons that are on my weekend binge-watch list.

Season 1's Episodes 

1. Keep Your Plants Watered, Bitch.
2. Be a Bad Boss Bitch, Bitch!
3. You Did What in Public, Bitch?
4. Are You Crying, Bitch?
5. It's Any Given Sunday, Bitch!
6. Do the Right Thang, Bitch.
7. Let it Out, Bitch!
8. For a Bigger Purpose, Bitch.

Season 2's Episodes

1. When in Rome, Bitch!
2. Dreams Do Come True at Afropunk, Bitch.
3. You Can Heaux Your Own Way, Bitch.
4. Mind Ya Business, Bitch!
5. A Change Gon' Come, Bitch?
6. The Category is Love, Bitch.
7. You Best Come Correct, Bitch.
8. It's Not a Mo'Ment, It's A Movement, Bitch!

Where can I watch it?

You can watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Survival of the Thickest on Netflix. Unlike shows like Severanceor Paradise, you don't have to wait a full week to see a new episode!

Watch The Season 2 Trailer For 'Survival Of The Thickest' 

The bottom line is that Survival of the Thickest is a relatable comedy that'll have you laughing, crying, punching the air, and kicking your feet in delight. So, get your charcuterie board and wine together because you won't want to budge once press play.