It must be awkward enough watching your ex post makeout pics with their new bae, but Alex Rodriguez had to do it while vacationing in the same exact town.

On July 24, Jennifer Lopez celebrated her 52nd birthday by posting makeout pics with Ben Affleck, recreating that steamy “Jenny from the Block” yacht scene, and basically having the time of her life. But she wasn’t the only one celebrating a birthday in St. Tropez.

According to Page Six, A-Rod was also on a yacht off the shores of the French coastal town where he was also celebrating his upcoming 46th birthday, which lands on July 27. “He’s with family and friends and people he works with,” a source previously told People. “He’s doing great and celebrating his birthday and Minnesota Timberwolves sale.”

While Lopez practically broke the internet on July 24 when she went Instagram official with Affleck, Rodriguez had a boat post of his own to share that same day:

A few days earlier, he posted a photo from the yacht to kick off his “#EuroTrip.”

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez officially called off their engagement in April. “We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” they told Today in a statement. “We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and one another’s children. Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have to say is thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support.” 

Despite the copacetic statement, Rodriguez reportedly hoped to “get her back,” while Lopez quickly moved on with Affleck, her ex-fiancé from the early 2000s. Ever since then it’s been all about Bennifer. According to a source who recently spoke to People, the couple is “madly in love” and consider themselves “the loves of each other’s lives.”

A separate source told the publication, “Even though their split many years ago was devastating for Jennifer, she has never had a bad word to say about Ben. She believes that it just wasn’t meant to be then and feels like they’ve been given a second chance.” 

On Notarnicola’s cruise, passengers were only allowed onboard with a negative COVID test, and were tested again on the second-to-last day. The cruise was at less than half capacity, and buffets were reduced and helmed by servers. Guests went mostly maskless, though every worker wore a mask. When people gathered in large groups, Notarnicola remembers, they were politely asked to disburse.

No one minded. “I did not see one upset person on the cruise the entire time,” she laughs. “Everyone was just beyond excited to get back on the ship—we just wanted to be together and have fun.” Notarnicola is a millennial, and she runs a cruise-themed YouTube channel with her boyfriend. Her identity as a cruiser, says Susie Flores, a longtime travel advisor, isn’t far outside the norm. “There’s a stereotype, ‘It’s only for old people’—you think of retired people playing shuffleboard and bingo,” she says. “But I think cruising has evolved. This aspect of it being formal—it is not.”

Flores, who is 44 and a devoted cruise-goer herself, works with plenty of multi-generational families, parents with kids, and retirees. But there’s been a shift. “Recently we’re seeing an increase in millennial travel,” she says. Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines have implemented studio-style cabins, a departure from many years of suites and staterooms meant for families and couples.

Part of the draw of cruises, and the shift in clientele, is that for many people while cruises are definitely a luxury, they’re also much more within reach than, say, just flying to a tropical destination and camping out at a hotel for a week. “Cruises in general end up being so much more cost-efficient,” Notarnicola says, explaining how one upfront cost covers accommodation, travel to multiple destinations, activities, and three meals a day. “It’s just everything you need in one place—there’s nothing like it.” Flores agrees. “It is an appetizer sampler of a vacation.”

In this sense, cruise culture is a little bit like Disney-culture, or Broadway culture, or certain popular luxury brands. For a long time, they were mostly available to the ultra-wealthy, which made them seem glamorous and refined. Now these things are somewhat within reach of middle class people. Every person I spoke to who lives in the world of artisanal goods and upscale minimalism talked about going on a cruise in the COVID age as sloppy and stupid. But those same people plan to travel on planes, eat in restaurants, and take public transportation. To me, it seems like a class issue—judging people who enjoy a popular activity as not only having poor taste, but also worse judgment.

Flores isn’t concerned over vacation snobbery. She loves cruise culture—the kind people, the ease of travel, the connections with workers from around the world. “There’s also something very therapeutic about being out on the open sea,” she says. “You leave your worries on land, and it’s just you and the ocean. You open up your balcony door, smell the salty sea air, and there’s just nothing but blue all around.”

Slowly, cruise ships are lowering their gangways. Restaurants are filling; summer camps are teeming with children. The country is “not out of the woods yet,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cautioned this week, pointing to a rise in infections and hospitalizations among unvaccinated people.

Some people will go on cruise ships, others will turn up their noses. But we are all, one way or another, out to sea.

Shameless actor Emmy Rossum revealed on Instagram July 25 that after she got vaccinated against COVID-19 while pregnant, her healthy baby girl now has antibodies to fight the disease. She then shared the sweetest mother-daughter picture.

In the photo—the first Rossum’s posted of her daughter with husband Sam Esmail—the baby’s face is turned away from the camera, and Rossum is planting a kiss on her cheek. A truly sweet moment. She wrote in the caption, “When I was pregnant I got vaccinated. Not only did we have a healthy, beautiful baby girl but we also just learned our daughter now has antibodies. In short, stop being an irresponsible idiot and get the vaccine.” 

See Emmy Rossum’s post, below. 

On the subject of getting the COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant, the CDC’s website reads, “Limited data are available about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for people who are pregnant. Based on how these vaccines work in the body, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a risk for people who are pregnant. However, there are currently limited data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people. Clinical trials that study the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and how well they work in pregnant people are underway or planned. Vaccine manufacturers are also collecting and reviewing data from people in the completed clinical trials who received vaccine and became pregnant.” 

COVID-related deaths are rising nationwide for the first time in months as masks have come off and group events have returned. “There is a clear message that is coming through: This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, said at a recent White House briefing, according to NPR.  “Our biggest concern is we are going to continue to see preventable cases, hospitalizations, and, sadly, deaths among the unvaccinated.”

A cat eye will always be classic and flattering—hence its enduring appeal. That being said, like anything else, eyeliner looks come in and out of style, and kitten eyeliner is the newest way to wing. 

Earlier this year it was all about smudgy, smokey liner—a throwback to teenage angst and a perfect way to wear our pandemic-induced rage on our faces. But now that things are starting to settle, crisp winged liner is back, with a twist. 

What makeup artists are calling the ‘kitten eye’—a subtler and daintier version of the classic cat eye— is the coolest way to wear liner at the moment. “Smaller lines are starting to be a trend because they are easier to execute,” says celebrity makeup artist Tarryn Feldman. “I also feel that people want a cleaner eyeliner look, and because the kitten eye requires less liner, it can be cleaner and easier to do.”

The kitten eye has become a staple in what I’m calling “TikTok face,” which is all about minimal makeup and glowing skin, with a focus on lifting the face. Staples include brushed-up soap brows, lots of “stacked” cream blush, and some fake freckles dotted across the nose. The kitten eye perfectly falls into this aesthetic, since it has a more natural vibe than a more dramatic cat eye, but lifts and elongates the eyes for a “snatched” look. 

While some eye shapes can be overwhelmed by a larger wing, part of the kitten eye’s appeal is that it’s universally flattering. “Kitten eyeliner looks good on everyone, it’s just a little pop,” says Feldman. “Overall, every eye shape can do many different types of liner so never get discouraged that you can’t rock a cool liner or try something new.”

The technique is pretty simple, especially if you already have a classic cat eye down-pat. The main difference is to start your liner in the center of your eye, instead of tracing all the way from the inner corner. Then use short, thin strokes to draw along your lash line, and give it a tiny flick at the end for a subtle wing. 

Feldman says using a black eyeshadow and flat liner brush is a pretty foolproof way to get it right if you’re not confident with a liquid liner (if you are, she likes Naked Poppy’s). Or for a more smudgey take, Feldman says to use a pencil on your lash line, and blend it up and out with a smudger brush. No matter what method you use, if things get too dramatic, just tighten up your wing with a little micellar water and some pointed Q-tips. 

Ready to give the trend a spin? Shop some of our favorite liners below. 

Naked Poppy Clean Liquid Eyeliner

$22

Naked Poppy

Reina Rebelde Rebel Eye Definer Liquid

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

Makeup by Mario Master Pigment Pro Eyeliner Pencil

$22

Sephora

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

$10

Maybelline

Shiseido MicroLiner Ink Eyeliner

$22

Shiseido

Lancôme Artliner Precision Felt-Tip Liquid Eyeliner

$31

Lancôme

NYX Professional Makeup Super Skinny Eye Marker Black Eyeliner

$10

NYX Professional Makeup

Gabrielle Union just cut off most of her hair, and she looks stunning. “So, I did a thing 🤗,” she wrote on Instagram alongside pictures of the new look. “The movies always show women cutting their hair when all is lost, but I wanted to know the feeling of making a change when things are gravy. It hits different and its’ foreign to me but I ❤❤❤ this new new.” She added the hashtags “#SummerChop #FlawlessChop #FlawlessCut” for good measure. 

Union is totally right: The trauma haircut is a common (and sometimes irksome trope) on screen. However, we play around with our hair all the time—even when things are going well.  

Check out Union’s post for yourself, below. In the pics she’s posing in a high-rise apartment and looking stylish and relaxed. Beauty-wise, she’s rocking a bold red lip, winged eyeliner, and she accessorized with hoop earrings and chain necklaces. Her black dress is sleek and perfect for summer, as well. 

Union’s comments section is overwhelmingly positive, with messages of support coming from her celebrity friends like Lily Aldridge, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashanti, Yvonne Orji, and Tia Mowry. Many used the heart-eyes emoji to show how much their digging Union’s new look.

It looks like Gabrielle Union has been gearing up for this transformation all week. On July 21, she debuted a chic, super short bob on the set of her new Netflix movie. So, does this new style mean filming is over, or will she wig it for the rest of production? 

Short hair is certainly having a moment this year. “I think 2021 will be all about structure. Out with the messy texture; in comes the polished structure,” Riawna Capri, co-owner of Nine Zero One in L.A, told Glamour a few months back.

“Considering the current climate, a lot of women are doing their hair at home, therefore easy, effortless looks will be the go-to,” says Naeemah LaFond, Amika’s global artistic director.