3 Ways to Wow With Glitter Makeup at Your Holiday Parties

‘Tis the season to bust out those vials of glitter and get your dazzling eye game on! Now, glitter makeup is tricky business because with one wrong move you could easily go from a sophisticated sparkle to looking like an art project gone awry… on your face. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t necessarily need to wear it minimally or even be concerned with the right hue or pigment to best pop against your skin tone. Rather, focus on how to balance the sparkly flecks with the rest of your makeup, as wellas how to apply it the right way, in order to achieve a party-ready (and party-proof!) look. Here are three wearable + DIY-able approaches to glamming up with glitter this season.

Glitter Smokey Eyes + Berry Lips

Pair this glittering smokey eye with a berry lipstick that will give your look the perfect flirty balance. Even though the eyes and lips are both dramatic, the berry lip is muted just enough as not to distract from the glittering marvel on your eyelids.

2. On your brow bone and inner corners of your eyes and inner eyelids, apply a matte white eyeshadow like MAC’s Gesso ($23) using a flat eyeshadow brush. This will create a nice silvery reflection on the gold glitter (that’s coming up!) to give the illusion that you have two types of glitter on. #makeuphack

3. Using a fluffy brush, apply a deep brown eyeshadow likeNaked’s Buck ($54) across your lids.

4. Now go over the outer corners of your crease with a deep black shadow like Naked’s Creep ($54) on a fluffy brush. Make sure you blend really well to leave no harsh lines.

5. Using a flat firm brush, apply the same black eyeshadow, smudging it along your lower lash line and making the line thinner as you get closer to your inner corners.

6. The secret to keeping glitter in place is glitter glue — our product of choice is Glitter Glue by Too Faced ($26). Apply a thin layer to the inner corners and partially onto your eyelids using your finger.

7. Now gently tap on a gold glitter directly over the glitter glue using your finger. I used MAC’s Glitter in Gold ($45). Let the glitter glue completely dry for the strongest hold before you move on to the next step.

8. Now line your eyes with a black gel eyeliner. Use a fine point liner brush for precision.

9. Go over the liner with the same black eyeshadow as before on a small brush to create a more smudgy, soft (sexy) finish.

10. To really make this look pop, you want to apply a white eyeliner to the inside of your lower lash line. I am using Wet N’ Wild’s white pencil ($5).

11. Add a thin line of glitter glue underneath your eyeliner on the lower lash line with a thin brush, and then with the same brush, gently tap gold glitter onto the fine line.

12. Apply your favorite mascara to finish.

Stunning, we know.

This look has a subtle retro vibe to it, but with an unmistakable holiday twist. A classic cat eye gets even sleeker with a snowy outline. Pair with a classic red lip for a look made to be worn with an all-white ensemble.

Sparkle-Lined Cat Eye + Classic Red Lips

1. Start with a matte bronzed base face and bright red lip.

2. Begin by applying a cream-colored eyeshadow like MAC’s Vanilla ($27) to your entire eyelids, brow bones and inner corners of your eyes using a fluffy eyeshadow brush.

3. Use a black gel eyeliner and a fine point liner brush to draw on a thin cat eye.

4. Line the inside of your lower lash line with a white eyeliner like Prestige Waterproof Liner in Star ($6).

5. Here’s the punch: apply a glitter gel liner like Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Midnight Cowboy ($19) directly on top of your black cat eye line and on the inner corner of your lower lash line.

6. Apply your favorite mascara to finish.

There’s really no other way to wear a cat eye this season. Except maybe…

This is a great way for the naturalist — the gal who does not regularly wear a lot of makeup — to really shine without getting into anything too high maintenance. The best thing about this tinsel-lidded style is that you literally could apply chapstick to your lips to finish the look — and yep, it’s still majorly glamorous. That means once you’ve aced this eye application, you’re ready to hit the road. On dasher!

Tinseled Taupe Cat Eye + Naturally Nude Lips

1. Start with a natural base face and a nude or glossed lip.

2. Add a deep taupe eyeshadow like Naked’s Buck ($54) to the crease of your eyes using a fluffy eyeshadow brush.

3. Using your finger, apply a deeper cool brown like Naked’s Darkhorse ($54) to the outer corners of your eyes. Using your finger gives it a really soft subtle finish.

4. The beauty of this next glitter product is that you don’t need a base for it to stay on! Apply MAC’s Pressed Pigment in Angelic ($21) with your finger to your entire eyelids by gently tapping over the shadow you already applied so you don’t rub it off.

5. Apply winged eyeliner using black gel eyeliner on a fine point brush.

6. Apply your favorite mascara to finish.

Add to the shimmer with an ear cuff or lariat necklace to really stand out from the crowd.

It's that time of year again when parents start getting teary, our fave #girlbosses give inspirational speeches and weekends become celebration central. Yep, we're talking grad season. After all that hard work, you deserve to look glam while you're walking across the stage. Scroll on for 10 DIY graduation caps you can totally rock.

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1. Mean Girls-inspired: With this iconic quote and hot pink design, you're sure to stand out. Not only does this masterpiece make for amazing photos, but your family and friends will have no problem spotting you in the sea of grads.

2. Simple and Sweet: We love how this grad tied her adventurous spirit into her cap. It's a perfect way to add some character to your graduation day look without going over the top. (via Polka Dot Chair)

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3. The Office-inspired: This is downright perfect for anyone who loves Michael Scott and is looking for some glitter action. You can totally make this graduation cap happen with some glue and washi tape.

4. Friends-inspired ($35):Friends and glitter: Do you really need anything else? We vote no.

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5. Floral: Show off your favorite inspirational quote with a floral cap that'll transform you into a DIY queen.

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6. Disney: We just felt a total rush of nostalgia thanks to this adorable Tangled graduation cap. Go all out in honor of your favorite Disney princess, and get a dose of inspiration at the same time.

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7. Spongebob Squarepants-inspired: School can sometimes feel like it's an eternity and this is a hilarious way to acknowledge your entrance into the real world.

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8. Dunkin' Donuts: Let's face it: This cap is way too relatable to many of us. Show everyone how much you love cold brew with this colorful design.

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9. Future Plans: It's the perfect time to thank those who have helped you attain your dream and celebrate your next stop. Deck out your graduation cap with your favorite shades, or go for your school colors for even more pride.

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10. All About That Degree: If you're super excited to start your new career, pick a grad cap that shows off your degree! We love how minimal and beautiful this blue cap is.

This graduation season, celebrate your hard work with a grad cap that has as much personality as you do. Whether you're totally into Disney or love glitter, these DIY graduation caps are sure to give you some inspiration.

Which DIY grad cap are you rockin' across the stage? Tweet us @BritandCo!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.

It’s pretty common for celebrities to go by a stage name or a different moniker entirely when they’re trying to break into showbiz. Take musicians for example. Before the world knew her as Rihanna, everyone in her life simply knew as Robyn Rihanna Fenty. And the same goes for actors as well. Did you know that The Office alum Mindy Kaling was born Vera Mindy Chokalingam?(Yeah, I was today years old when I learned that.) Even certain members of the British royal family have chosen not to go by their first name, given their high profile status. What if I told you Kate Middleton’s full name is Catherine Elizabeth Middleton? I know right, shocker!

Keep reading to learn more about the 22 celebrities who don’t actually go by their real name — and the reason why.

1. Emma Stone

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Real Name: Emily Jean Stone

Back when Easy A alum Emma Stone was trying to break into the industry as an actress, she chose to go by a different name because there was already a person with the same moniker in the SAG.

So, in a 2017 interview with W Magazine, the Poor Things star shared that she wanted to go by Emily J. Stone, but decided against it. “So to ask a 16-year-old to pick a new name is really an interesting process, because I was like, ‘I’m going to be Riley’... And so my name was Riley Stone for about six months,” she told the publication at the time. “I changed it to Emma because you know it’s closer to Emily, but most people call me ‘M,’ that know me well.” Honestly, I think you could've pulled off the J, Emma.

2. Lady Gaga

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Real Name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Turns out, the Bad Romance singer wasn’t gaga for her real name when she decided to break into Hollywood. Before entering the music industry, Germanotta chose her stage name “Lady Gaga” after she was apparently inspired by the 1984 Queen single “Radio Gaga.” Huh, who would’ve thought?

3. The Weeknd

Wagner Meier/Getty Images for Live Nation

Real Name: Abel Makkonen Tesfaye

Years before the world knew him as “The Weeknd,” Tesfaye chose his professional name when he left home at a young age. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything segment, the singer revealed, "I left home when I was about 17 dropped out of high school and convinced [my friend] Lamar to do the same.”

He continued, “We grabbed our mattresses from our parents threw it in our friends sh—ty van and left one weekend and never came back home. It was gonna be the title of HOB [House of Balloons]. I hated my name at the time though so I tried it as a stage name. It sounded cool. I took out the “e” because there was already a Canadian band named the weekend (copyright issues).”

4. Gigi Hadid

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Real Name: Jelena Hadid

In case you didn’t know, the proud mom went by “Gigi” early on in her childhood. (FYI: Gigi was also her mom’s childhood nickname too.) But in a 2015 interview with Vogue, Hadid shared that everyone started calling her “Gigi” once she started grad school.

“In first or second grade, there was a girl named Helena and it got confusing with the teacher who had to call out our names, and so the teacher asked my mom, ‘If I needed to call Jelena a nickname, what would it be?’ And my mom was like, ‘I call her Gigi sometimes,’ and the name stuck,” the supermodel explained at the time.

5. Millie Bobby Brown

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Real Name: Millie Bonnie Brown (Bongiovi ;))

Millie Bobby Brown revealed in a The Electric State interview that her name is actually Millie Bonnie Brown, and that she created the stage name for "sh—ts and giggles."

"It's not Bobby," she says. "It's Millie Bonnie Brown...I've never told anyone that."

6. Brad Pitt

Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images

Real Name: William Bradley Pitt

Apparently, Brad Pitt is another celebrity who likes going by his middle name. But, according to Page Six, the longtime actor actually prefers introducing himself by his first name when he’s flirting with women.

7. Marilyn Monroe

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Real Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson

We're throwing it back with this celebrity name! Fun fact: Mortenson took the name Dougherty after her first marriage. But how did she come up with the name we're all so familiar with? Per Time, the beloved actress chose to say goodbye to her last name after a 20th Century Fox studio executive thought that there would be too many mispronunciations with her last name. So, she decided to drop her last name in exchange for her mom’s maiden name: Monroe. In addition, the exec gave her the name “Marilyn” because she reminded him of a 1920s Broadway star named Marilyn Miller.

8. Natalie Portman

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Real Name: Neta-Lee Hershlag

Originally, Portman was given a traditional Hebrew name before immigrating to the United States in 1984, where her family changed their surname to Portman. Then, the actress’s first name, Neta-Lee (which was her maternal grandmother’s maiden name) later became Natalie.

9. ​Cardi B

Catherine Powell/Getty Images for MTV

Real Name: Belcalis Almanzar

Though everyone knows her as Cardi B, her diehard fans can attest to the fact she was given a different name at birth. Born Belcalis Almanzar, her stage name is actually short for Bacardi (you know, like the rum). While appearing on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the rapper shared the origin of her pseudonym.

“My sister's name is Hennessy,” the rapper told Fallon. “So everyone used to call me Bacardi, and I started calling myself Bacardi, which eventually was shortened to Cardi B.”

10. Chloe Bennet

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Real Name: Chloe Wong

While promoting her new show Interior Chinatown, Chloe Bennet sat down with Brit + Co and shared why she felt the need to go by a different name than what she was given at birth, which is Chloe Wong. “Early on in my career, my mixed race seemed to be so much more of a thing than I ever understood it as growing up,” the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D alum explained. “I come from a very diverse household and my dad is Chinese. I think I felt more Chinese than what the world perceived me as and that was a weird concept for me.”

The 32-year-old actress went on to share how she changed her surname to Bennet (aka her father’s name) on her resume and she started booking more roles. “I am still not Chloe Bennet. I am Chloe Wong,” she says in the interview.

11. Kit Harington

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Real Name: Christopher Catesby Harington

Many of us are taught how to pronounce our given name from a very young age. But for Kit Harington, the Game of Thrones star wasn’t told his first name until he was 11 years old. In a 2014 interview with Glamour, the British actor explained how his parents refrained from telling his real name because “they could see that I wanted to be Kit, but Christopher was a bit of a tradition.”

He continued, "My brother’s name is Jack, but his real name is John. Kit is traditionally an offshoot of Christopher, it’s just not used that often. My middle name is Catesby.”

12. ​Jamie Foxx

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Real Name: Eric Marlon Bishop

Did you know Eric Marlon Bishop chose his stage name “Jamie Foxx” when he first started doing stand up? Back in 2015, Foxx sat down with David Letterman and explained how he tried aiming for a “unisex name” when it came time for him to choose a professional alias.

“I noticed that like 1,000 guys showed up and only three girls, but the three girls would always get a spot,” the singer and actor revealed when recounting the time he signed up for a slot in the standup lineup. “So I went to the list and wrote down a unisex name…Jamie Foxx.” And it looks like the name just stuck.

13. ​Lana Del Ray

Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Real Name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant

Until the age of 25, Lizzy (aka Elizabeth) Grant reinvented herself and took on a new name when she tried breaking into the music biz—and that’s how Lana Del Rey came to be. According to The Guardian, she not only changed her name, but her entire persona and image. #Iconic

​14. Bruno Mars

Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

Real Name: Peter Gene Hernandez

Before he caught a grenade for us, the Finesse singer was called Bruno by his family because, when he was a baby, he resembled the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. But when it came to his last name, the Hawaiian-born musician thought it would be best to drop it and adopt the Mars surname. “Your last name’s Hernandez, maybe you should do this Latin music, this Spanish music...Enrique's so hot right now,” he jokes in a 2013 interview with GQ.

​15. Demi Moore

Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Paramount+

Real Name: Demetria Guynes

Long before she starred in The Substance, the longtime actress (born Demetria Guynes) tied the knot with rock star Freddy Moore at the age of 17 and took his last name. Though the marriage ended after four-and-a-half years, she’s been known as Demi Moore ever since.

16. ​John Legend

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Real Name: John Roger Stephens

Tonight’s the night that…you’re going to learn how John Legend got his stage name! In a 2008 interview with MTV News (via People), the EGOT winner shared the story behind how he came up with his professional name. “John Legend is a nickname that some friends started calling me, and it kind of grew into my stage name,” he said at the time. “‘Legend’ is something that I never would have chosen for myself originally. It grew to the point where more people in my circle would know me by that name than by my real name.”

17. Miley Cyrus

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Real Name: Destiny Hope Cyrus

Don’t worry, Destiny Hope Cyrus can buy herself flowers! As it turns out, the Grammy-award winner’s stage name dates back to her childhood, when her family would call her “Smiley,” which ultimately turned into “Miley.” And the rest is history.

18. Halsey

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Real Name: Ashley Frangipane

Turns out, Halsey’s stage name is not anagram of her first name, Ashley. Back in 2015, the singer sat down with VEVO and revealed that she was inspired by Halsey Street in Brooklyn, where she would spend weekends making music with her friend.

19. Meg Ryan

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Real Name: Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra

Apparently "Meg Ryan Fall" isn't a totally accurate moniker because Meg's real name is Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra! Meg is a common nickname for Margaret, but she got Ryan from her maternal grandmother's maiden name.

20. Nina Dobrev

Francois Durand/Getty Images

Real Name: Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva

Originally born Nikolina in Bulgaria, our favorite Vampire Diaries star (and recent fiancée!) adopted "Nina" for her stage name because she reportedly figured it would be easier for fans to remember.

21. Reese Witherspoon

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Real Name: Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon

Speaking of Jeane's, did you know Reese Witherspoon's name is actually Laura Jeanne? Yup, according to Vogue, the Legally Blonde star took on her mom’s maiden name early on in her career and the moniker Reese Witherspoon was born. It's also why she only calls Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern "Dern."

22. ​Lucy Hale

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

Real Name: Karen Lucille Hale

Lucy Hale has a secret…her full name is Karen Lucille Hale. As it turns out, the Pretty Little Liarsalum decided to ditch her first name and go by the nickname of her middle name: Lucy.

23. Meghan Markle

Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

Real Name: Rachel Meghan Markle

Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Markle simply went by her first name: Rachel. But now, she goes by her middle name professionally. Markle is rarely addressed by her first name in public. However, an exception was made in 2018 when The Sun reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II blessed Markle’s marriage with now husband Prince Harry and addressed the duchess by her full name.

Which celebrity surprised you the most on this list? Are there any celebrities that we might’ve missed? Let us know on Instagram and read up on the latest celebrity news on Brit + Co!

This post has been updated.

As much as we love a touch of sparkle in our cosmetics, adulting makes sporting glitter makeup IRL hard to pull off. But if you’re a true shimmer-lover, don’t let that deter you! There’s an art to creating beauty looks that fall between no-makeup makeup and Lisa Frank-territory. To master just the right amount of summer shine, turn to the mistress of making grown-up glitter werk, Katie Jane Hughes. Scroll on to view the celebrity makeup artist’s seven best subtle glitter looks for summer and the best products to get the look.

Nighttime Shimmer 

1. Give your smokey eye added edge with a neutral shadow that glitters.Blend powder in a smoldering shade into your lids, and then treat your lower lash line to a touch of sparkle. Brit + Co Pick: Nars Narsissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette ($59)

Glossy Lids

2. Use cream glitter pigments to add an iridescent touch to lids and cheeks. Remember to keep things tame by sticking to neutral hues or sheer shades that complement your natural skin tone. Brit + Co Pick: Bodyography Glitter Pigments ($23)

Superfine Shine

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Glossy

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3. Illuminate without overwhelming your face using products made with ultra-fine texture. The micro-fine pigment holds the key to a sophisticated, buildable hue. Brit + Co Pick: Rituel de Fille Celestial Sphere Eye Soot ($38)

Graphic Glitter Liner

4. The graphic liner trend gets a glam makeover when you add a bit of shine.Look for liquid formulas that offer smooth application and dry quickly for all-day wear. Brit + Co Pick: Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner ($17)

Halo Effect

5. Hughes’ signature look comes courtesy of an iridescent gloss applied down the middle of your lid.Use rich, bronzey hues to create a sophisticated style, and then add contrast with a matte black coat of mascara. Brit + Co Pick: Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss ($24)

All Over Dew

6. Create the trendy dew effect using a pearly highlighter in lighter shades than your complexion.Drier skin types call for cream formulas, whereas oily complexions work better with powder. Graze your cheekbones, chin, nose, and brow line for a soft strobing effect. Brit + Co Pick: Milk Makeup Holographic Face Gloss ($20), Persona Cosmetics Laguna Highlighter ($24)

Glitter Brows

7. This standout look may not be subtle, but it’s having a serious moment. If you go for the glittery colorful brow, steer clear of loose pigment that doesn’t stay put. Look for glossy formulas designed not to smudge in order to avoid sloppy spill-over. Brit + Co Pick: Skingasm Glitter Gloss ($24)

How will you get your glitter on? Tell us on Pinterest!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

As rumors about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner continue to swirl, Jennifer Lopez is apparently "furious." Sources spoke to Page Sixabout the "Lets Get Loud" singer's true feelings on this potential rekindling, and they're...not great. Here's what the rom-com queen reportedly feels about it all — plus, what's next for her, Ben or no Ben!

Scroll to find out how Jennifer Lopezreally feels about Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner right now...

According to Page Six, Jennifer Lopez is "not happy with constantly seeing photos" of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck together lately. The source explained that the photos are like “salt in the wound," and that she's honestly "furious" about them.

The source elaborated that the whole situation is “completely messing with her head” — and like, I get it! If My ex who split up with me went back to his other ex who he was with for over a decade, I would have all the feelings...and then some! Especially if I felt like we were "The Greatest Love Story Never Told."

These comments come after Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were spotted out together during a family paintball outing. While they've spent plenty of time together since the holiday season, this week the rumors that they may rekindle continue to pick up even more speed.

Still, another source told Page Six, “I doubt she has even seen these stories as she is consumed with the film. She has been fully concentrating on her life, her growth, and her happiness.”

Right now, Jennifer Lopez is working on an upcoming Netflix rom-com, Office Romance. Jenny from the Block is starring alongside Brett Goldstein in this exciting new movie, and TBH it makes sense that she'd channel all her energy into her work. This Leo has got to shine!

Looking for more celebrity news? Be sure to follow us on Facebook so you never miss a thing!

Severanceturns office culture on its head with it's eery sci-fi vibes, but I can't stop watching it. With only a few episodes left, I've been searching for similar books to read because I need more tales of looming conspiracy theories. It's the one thing that's keep me from doomscrolling so I'll gladly take fictionalized depictions of wild occurrences at the moment. Not to mention it's just fun reading different authors' ideas of secretive policies gone wrong and their effects on the people they're designed to keep in line.

Sounds like fun, right?

Here's the best books like Severance that are full of mind-bending conspiracy theories

Amazon

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Editorial assistant Nella Rogers has been longing to see a familiar face at Wagner Books because she's the only Black girl there. When she's not feeling lonely, she tries to ignore the sweeping passive-aggressive comments she often hears. In her mind, all her frustration would be erased if she had another black girl to relate to. Surprisingly, Nella's wish comes true when Hazel joins the Wagner Books team and they strike up a fun friendship.
But just as soon as Nella gets comfortable, Hazel becomes the new token girl and overshadows her. While trying to stomach that, Nella soon starts to receive threatening messages that make her fearful. Is her life in danger or is it all in Nella's head?

Amazon

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

Sara's been looking forward to going back home, but her anticipating is cut short when she's intercepted by the Risk Assessment Administration. According to them, she's on their watch list because her dreams alerted them of a future crime she'll be at the center at. To make sure she's not a real threat, they inform her she'll be watched for a little less than a month and then she'll be released.
Left with no other choice, Sara joins other women who have are begin held and she finds it odd how many of them haven't done anything wrong yet. What's worse is that the retention center keeps changing its policies which leaves the women imprisoned longer than they were led to believe. Their only hope? A rogue resident who's not afraid to ask questions and cause mayhem.

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I Who Have Never Known Menby Jacqueline Harpman

Similar to The Dream Hotel, I Who Have Never Known Men focuses on more imprisoned women. But this time the women are housed in an underground cage with no recollection of what's going on. It seems they're all suffering from the same case of amnesia and aren't even aware of the days or months. While the other women accept their conditions and try to adjust to them, one young prisoner isolates herself from them. They don't know it yet, but she'll be the one to free them all.

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Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

Cassie's role at a Silicon Valley start-up company is one she's come to dread. It's a cyclical incubus of overtime, supervisors without boundaries, and tasks she'd rather not do. Also, she's noticed that some of her other other colleagues' burnout causes them to commit suicide as they succumb to the weight of always be "on" for their jobs. The only thing that seems to keep Cassie company is an internal void that seems to feed off her emotions.
Between her unplanned pregnancy and harmful work environment, she'll have to decide if chasing the glittering promise of success is more important than her sanity.

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Tokyo Doesn't Love Us Anymore by Ray Loriga

In the future lives a drug dealer who specializes in things that erases his clients' memories. The company he works for knows that people are caught up in the throes of capitalism and leans on the expectation they'd liked to eventual forget the harsh world around them. As for the dealer, he moves aimlessly from country to country and engages in fruitless encounters with people he doesn't care about. Though he uses humor to as self-deflection, readers will be able to see the stark reality he lives in by the end of the books.

Amazon

All Her Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

Ellice Littlejohn is a hotshot attorney in Atlanta who's earned her place in the law world. She even enjoys a friends-with-benefits situation with her supervisor, but that changes when he's found murdered in his office. Instead of attaching herself to the situation, she decides to fade into the background because her previous life would complicate things for her.

Miraculously, she receives a promotion that puts her in her former supervisor's shoes and it unnerves her. From discovering illegal deals to facing the biggest conspiracy theory of her career, Ellice will be forced to make decisions that have intense consequences.

Amazon

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Jason Dessen awakens after a stranger asks him a pivotal question about his life, but he can't remember what happened right before that. All he knows is that he's being observed by people in hazmat suits who seem to know more about him than he does.
It doesn't take long for Jason to understand the life he had before seemingly doesn't exist where he is now. That he's somehow not the man he remembers himself being. Now he's left to uncover if he's still dreaming or if this reality is one he created.

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Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

Gerald's mind is now attached to his PR firm's Slack channels which has somehow made him more productive than before. This comes at the time where employees are allowed to work remotely which makes some of his co-workers believe he's taking advantage of his job. For Gerald, this is alarming because he doesn't know how to get back to his body.

From a major PR disaster to the reality something's off in the office, Several People Are Typing explores a different side of hybrid and work-from-home life.

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The Circle by Dave Eggers

Mae Holland's just been hired by the Circle and feels thrilled because it's one of the most prominent internet companies. It works to create a continuous link between users emails and the rest of their lives so they don't have to assume different identities on the world wide web.

Having access to this modern company makes Mae feel like she's made it so she willingly partakes in the perks her job offers. From company parties to cute clubs, what could go wrong?

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Company by Max Barry

New hire Stephen Jones has just started his job at Zephyr Holdings and willingly accepts his place as another worker in the grand company. However things look from the outside isn't how they are behind closed doors because everyone from the receptionist to the sales reps partake in unusual behavior. Plus, the CEO still hasn't made an appearance. For Jones, this seems like an absurd reality that's hard to escape from.
But, what will he discover the longer he remains employed at Zephyr Holdings?

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Jennifer Government by Max Barry

Does author Max Barry know something we don't? Based on Jennifer Government, it seems like he does because he highlights the effects of having a private government.
Readers will learn what happens when employees take the last name of the job they're employed at which chains them to it like never before. However Merchandising Officer Hack Nike is put in an odd situation where he has to take lives in order to bolster interest in expensive sneakers. He doesn't realize this, but he's sealed his fate when Jennifer Government notices him.
Facing her own problems, she's sure he's the perfect mark that'll place her in the position she covets the most.

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#FashionVictimby Amina Akhtar

Anya St. Clair's a fashion editor who's crafting a life anyone would kill to have. She may know a thing or two about that because she's left several people behind in order to position herself to have success. The only person standing in her way now is Sarah Taft, the person Anya wishes she could naturally be.

The only way she'll be able to solve her problem is by pretending to be Sarah's friend and going in for the kill when the latter least expects it.

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Happy For You by Claire Stanford

Evelyn Kominsky Humamoto knows she should be excited about getting married soon, but all she can do is worry about her future contribution to the world. She doesn't even know if she's ready to embrace family life, but everyone around her seems fulfilled with the choices they're making.

Deciding to place her academic focuses on the back burner, Evelyn lands a job at an internet company that's developing a happiness app. But it's clear she struggles to fit in with Silicon Valley's bros or the demographic social media praises the most.

Just when she's at her wits' end, an interesting situation pushes her to decide what being happy looks like for her.

Amazon

Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby

When the staff of company crash land on an island amidst a well-deserved celebration, strange things begin to occur. It's not that the island is destitute because it's not. It's the perfect form of paradise and includes amenities that keep them satisfied.

However, chief emotional manager Kristen is having a hard time trying to stabilize her co-workers' emotions as they realize they're truly cut off from the world. Though she's usually great at her job, this remote island with it's glossy technology may prove to be deadlier than she and her co-workers imagined.

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