• Do Not Disturb silences your iPhone so you can have dinner, go to a movie, or sleep or work in peace.
• When in Do Not Disturb mode, all calls, texts, and notifications to your iPhone are stored silently. Your phone doesn't make noise and the screen won't light up as notifications arrive, though you can still check on notifications by turning the screen on manually. 
• Here's how you can turn on your iPhone's Do Not Disturb mode manually or set it up with various features for scheduling purposes.

Thanks to our iPhones, we're now hyper-aware of who is trying to communicate with us throughout the day. We see notifications for phone calls, text messages, social media mentions, and an exhausting list of pings from all sorts of apps and services.

Even if you mute your phone, you still see your screen light up with incoming notifications, making it hard to truly "check out" from the online world.

That's why Apple offers Do Not Disturb, a mode that silences your iPhone completely (with some exceptions – read on). When enabled, Do Not Disturb quiets all audible notifications and keeps the screen dark as well. Yes, the notifications are still coming in, and if you manually turn the screen on, you can see them. But left alone, the phone will give you a break from the online world.

There are two ways to use Do Not Disturb. You can switch it on at a moment's notice, such as when you're walking into a movie theater, or have it automatically turn on every day, such as at bedtime. See the two methods below.

Manually enable Do Not Disturb

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to pull up the Control Center. If you have an iPhone X or later, or have an iPad with iOS 12 or later, you should instead swipe down from the upper right corner of the screen to pull down the Control Center.
2. Tap the Do Not Disturb icon. Do Not Disturb is now turned on — and no notifications will bother you — until you return to the Control Center and tap the icon to turn it off.
3. If you want to further customize Do Not Disturb, deep press the icon when you turn it on. You'll have three choices: To enable it for an hour, until the evening, or until you leave your current location.
   
   
4. Tap the Do Not Disturb button to instantly turn the feature on – or deep press the button to get more scheduling options.

That's all you need to do – Do Not Disturb is now turned on. But there are a lot of ways to tweak what can sneak through the Do Not Disturb barrier, letting you see exactly how much you want. For details on how to do that, see Customizing Do Not Disturb below.

Automatically enable Do Not Disturb at a certain time every day

1. Tap the Settings icon and then tap "Do Not Disturb."
2. Tap "Scheduled" to turn on the scheduling mode.
3. Tap the From – To option and set the time you want Do Not Disturb to begin and end every day. For example, you might want it to begin every evening at 10 PM and end in the morning at 7 AM. Tap Back to keep those changes.
   
   
   
4. Make any other changes to your Do Not Disturb Settings (see Customizing Do Not Disturb below) and then tap Settings to go back to the main Settings screen. It's now scheduled to run daily.

Customizing Do Not Disturb

Your iPhone lets you tweak the Do Not Disturb feature in a lot of ways from the above scheduling page:

• Bedtime mode is Do Not Disturb on steroids. Turn it on and it'll keep notifications off the lock screen all night, so if you turn on your phone, you still won't see any notifications. (They'll still be in the Notification Center if you absolutely must check them at 2AM.)
• The Silence section is where you can also choose how silent your phone should be. Choose between "Always" (the phone will always be silent when in Do Not Disturb mode) and "While iPhone is locked" (it will still make sound if the phone is turned on and in use).
• The Phone section lets you decide who the phone will ring through. You can choose to allow calls from "Everyone" (which, if we may editorialize for a moment, kind of defeats the purpose of Do Not Disturb), "No One," or only people in your "Favorites."
• Do Not Disturb While Driving lets you set Do Not Disturb to automatically activate, as you might guess, when driving. For that to work, you need a car with Bluetooth capabilities.

Finally, there is one other Do Not Disturb option. It's called Emergency Bypass, and it resides in the Contacts app. If you enable Emergency Bypass for a specific contact, calls from that person will ring and vibrate even during Do Not Disturb times. To do that, open the desired contact in the Contacts app and tap "Ringtone." On the Ringtone screen, turn on "Emergency Bypass."

• Read more on iPhone:

• How to cancel subscriptions on your iPhone

• How to unlock an iPhone for use on a new carrier

• How to clear the cache on your iPhone and make it run faster

• How to reset your iPhone to its factory settings

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

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• Frances McDormand won her second Oscar last year, joining a club of actors who have won more than once.
• Mahershala Ali, Rachel Weisz, and more could also add to their total wins this year.
• Here are 41 actors who have won more than one Oscar.

Oscar wins are hard to come by, and those actors who have won multiple Academy Awards are an exclusive club.

Frances McDormand entered the club last year when she took home her second Oscar for her performance as a grieving mother in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."

But McDormand still trails a list of actors and actresses with illustrious careers, including Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, and Katharine Hepburn. 

Mahershala Ali, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Christian Bale, and Sam Rockwell are the nominated actors this year who have won once before. Could they add another on Sunday?

The 91st Academy Awards air Sunday on ABC at 8 p.m. 

Here are the 41 actors who have won multiple Academy Awards in acting categories:

SEE ALSO: The 15 best movies of all time that weren't nominated for a best-picture Oscar, according to critics

Christoph Waltz — 2 wins, 2 nominations

Best supporting actor: "Inglorious Basterds" (2009), "Django Unchained" (2012)

Hilary Swank — 2 wins, 2 nominations

Best actress: "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), "Million Dollar Baby" (2004)

Kevin Spacey — 2 wins, 2 nominations

Best actor: "American Beauty" (1999)

Best supporting actor: "The Usual Suspects" (1995)

• Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont and newest presidential hopeful, made at least $1 million in both 2016 and 2017, primarily because of royalties from his books.
• One estimate puts his total net worth as high as $2 million.
• The 77-year-old lawmaker earns a $174,000 salary as a senator.
• Sanders has two homes in Vermont and a townhouse in Washington, DC.

Bernie Sanders, a self-declared Democratic socialist known for his harsh criticism of income inequality in the US, has joined the crowd of 2020 presidential candidates.

The Vermont senator is worth as much as $2 million, according to the financial website The Street — although his exact wealth is unknown.

Sanders earns a yearly salary of $174,000 as a senator, and his total reported assets were less than $750,000 in 2015. But he earned more than $1 million in both 2016 and 2017, primarily because of royalties from his books, financial-disclosure documents show.

Read more: Calls to 'abolish billionaires' raise eyebrows, but they've been a long time coming

The 77-year-old senator has been known as one of the least wealthy members of Congress. 

Business Insider reached out to the senator's office for comment on his net worth but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Here's what we know about Sanders' wealth and assets.

SEE ALSO: Calls to 'abolish billionaires' raise eyebrows, but they've been a long time coming

DON'T MISS: Here's the difference between a 'socialist' and a 'Democratic socialist'

Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont senator running for president for a second time in 2020, is worth as much as $2 million, according to one estimate.

Source: The Street

Sanders makes $174,000 a year as a senator, and his total reported assets amounted to less than $750,000 in 2015.

Source: Congressional Research Service, Politico

However, the senator's income has seen a jump in the past couple of years.

Source: Newsweek, US Senate Financial Disclosures

• Sir Richard Branson's new adults-only cruise line, Virgin Voyages, is officially open for business, with tickets for its maiden voyage in April 2020 available for purchase.
• Virgin Voyages is a joint venture between Branson's Virgin Group and Bain Capital.
• According to Branson, Virgin Voyages will do away with buffets, tips, and single-use plastics.
• The cruise line will provide free WiFi for all.

Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Group are getting into the cruise business.

The iconic entrepreneur announced last Thursday that Virgin Voyages was officially open for business, with tickets for its maiden voyage in April 2020 available for purchase.

Virgin Voyages, a joint venture with Bain Capital, will not only be Branson's first foray into the cruise business, but it will also be his first experience with cruises in general. Which means, expect Virgin to break with the status quo.

"I never want to go into a business unless we are going to radically alter it and radically create something that everybody who works for Virgin and everybody who come into contact with Virgin is going to feel really proud of," Branson said in an interview with Business Insider.

Branson has a love-hate relationship with the cruise industry.

"I've never been on a cruise ship — I've never fancied a cruise ship," Branson told reporters on Thursday.

And yet, starting an adults-only cruise line has been something he's thought about since he was 27 years old.

Read more: Richard Branson is building a luxury cruise ship for adults only — here's a closer look

Branson said the Virgin Voyages of today was not that far off his original vision.

"Basically, we want people who are sophisticated and young at heart, people who want to have a good time," he said.

Branson comes into Virgin Voyages, which was originally founded in 2014, with Bain's market research that found an "enormous" number of noncruisers were willing to give cruises a try if the Virgin brand were attached.

As a result, the goal of Virgin Voyages isn't to steal customers from mainstream cruise lines but rather to expand the industry's customer base.

Branson isn't entering this endeavor without some serious backup.

The former Disney Cruises president Tom McAlpin serves as the company's CEO, while Dee Cooper, the person responsible for the stylish mood-light-drenched cabins on Virgin Atlantic's airliners, is in charge of design and customer experience.

For passengers, the Virgin Voyages experience is designed to differ greatly from that of traditional cruise lines with free WiFi for all and no buffets on board.

Instead of buffets, more than 20 individual restaurants are included in the price of the cruise.

In addition, passengers won't be charged gratuities. Instead, the ship's crew will be paid a salary and won't have to depend on tips for income, McAlpin told Business Insider.

Virgin Voyages will also follow in Branson's focus on environmental protection. McAlpin announced on Thursday that the company was not allowing single-use plastics on the ships. The company hopes that by doing so it can limit the number of plastic water bottles, straws, stirrers, and individual serving packets that end up in the oceans."This is bold, this is costly, because companies make a lot of money selling water bottles, but we think this is the right thing to do," McAlpin told reporters.

Instead, the cruise line says it will offer free filtered and sparkling water at hydration stations around the ship.

Virgin is also working on sunscreen that it says won't damage coral reefs.

For Branson, being an environmentally sound cruise line hits close to home.

According to the longtime resident of Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, the lack of regulations barring the cruise industry from dumping human waste into its waters has caused sea life such as whales and dolphins to abandon the area.

"Because the Virgin Islands doesn't have a specific law against dumping the s--- in its waters," Branson said, cruise ships "have just been going not far out at sea and jump dumping their whole bilges just to save $15,000 when they get back to Miami to unload the s--- elsewhere."

"It's things like that," he added, "even if we were legally allowed to do, you'd never ever, ever catch a Virgin ship doing it."

Virgin Voyages plans to operate cruises from Miami with its first ship, Scarlet Lady, in 2020. According to Bain Capital, Scarlet Lady will be the first of three ships for Virgin Cruises. Each will displace 110,000 tons and is designed to accommodate nearly 2,800 passengers.

SEE ALSO: The $446 million Airbus A380 superjumbo is the largest and most expensive airliner in the world. Take a look inside.

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NOW WATCH: Take a look inside the 'Scarlet Lady,' Virgin's first adults-only cruise ship sailing to the Caribbean in 2020

• A seven-bedroom mansion in Atherton, California, is listed on the market for $27.5 million.
• The listing is the most expensive on the market in Atherton, which Forbes dubbed the wealthiest town in America in 2019.
• The home at 61 Faxon Road was listed in June 2018 for $32.5 million before a series of price cuts brought it down to the current tag of $27.5 million.
• But even with the price slash, the mansion is still the area's most expensive public listing. Take a look around.

There's a reason why Forbes listed Atherton, California, as the wealthiest town in America in 2019.

The town is nestled in the state's Silicon Valley, a region famed for its magnitude of tech behemoths like Google and Facebook, meaning that tech workers in the area make some of the highest salaries in the country.

And there's a decent chance that one such techie could become the owner of a newly-constructed, 13,014-square-foot residence at 61 Faxon Road, shelling out the asking total of $27.5 million.

That price tag was $5 million higher when it was listed in summer 2018, but in September of that year, the amount was slashed from $32.5 million to $29.5 million, according to Zillow. And just two months later the home saw another cut, this time lowering the price to $27.5 million.

Even by Atherton's standards, the price tag is a hefty one: According to Zillow, the median home value for the neighborhood is $6.57 million, four times less than that of the mansion's current listed price.

And despite the price cut, the home is still the most expensive listing on the market in the country's priciest zip code.

Take a look around.

SEE ALSO: A tech billionaire just listed his Palo Alto home for $100 million, the most expensive Bay Area listing in a decade — take a look inside

The estate at 61 Faxon Road spans 1.07 acres and went on the market in June 2018. It sits in the vicinity of the area's Menlo Circus Club, an exclusive social club for wealthy clientele.

The contemporary home is outfitted with black stainless steel, cedar, clear glass, and natural stone.

Source: Keller Williams

It also has a casual five fireplaces ...

• Changing the language in a Google Chrome browser can be a quick and easy process.
• You can only change the default language in Google Chrome if you have a Windows or Chromebook computer, otherwise the computer's default system language will dictate your language settings.
• There is a work-around for Google account users on other operating systems, which we will also walk you through below.

When you change the language of your browser, it will impact every setting and menu within the browser. Whether your friend decided it would be hilarious to make your browser somewhat unreadable, or you're working with a computer that naturally "speaks a different language," it's the best way to get rid of your new linguistic headache.

Before you start, however, it's important to know that you can only change the default language of Google Chrome if you have a Windows or Chromebook computer, according to Google Support. For Mac and Linux users, the language will automatically show the default system language of the computer.

But there is a work-around, of sorts, for those who rely primarily on their Google account and still need to make their searches legible, which you can see in the last section of this article.

How to change language in Google Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Go to the settings by clicking the three vertical dots at the top right corner of the screen; this will open a new page.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Advanced."
4. Click the down carrot to open the "Languages" section (it will be the second heading you see).
5. If your preferred language isn't already listed, click "Add languages," which appears highlighted in blue.
   
   
6. The above pop-up will then appear. This is where you can search for and select your preferred language, which will show up in both the language that you have set as your primary language as well as the native language and spelling. (Some languages also have separate dialects, like Canadian French and Swiss French. If this is the case, select the proper dialect, rather than the plain version of the language — otherwise you may not be able to set it as the default language.) Once you find the right one, click, "Add" in the lower right corner of the pop up.
7. Click on the three vertical dots to the right of your preferred language's name, and select "move to the top" (it's the first selection that does not have a checkbox) to give that language the highest priority.
8. Once you move the language to the top, click the three dots again and click "Display Google Chrome in this language." (This will be the first checkbox in the series.)
9. Restart Chrome (otherwise the changes will not take effect.)

An alternative for Mac and Linux users with a Google account

If you're unable to change the language in Google Chrome, you can still change the language in your Google account and thereby update your searches to your preferred language. (Just be aware that, unlike the directions above, this alternative will not impact the language of the settings or menus within the browser or your Google account.)

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Navigate to the Google search bar.
3. Search for something — it doesn't matter what, you just need to get to a search page.
4. Click "Settings," just below the search bar at the top of the page, then click, "Languages" (it will be the second option in the drop down).
   
   
5. You will then see a screen that first asks you what language Google products should use — if it isn't set to your preferred language, go ahead and select the right one. The second part will dictate the language for your search results, and it's automatically updated to whichever language you chose for the first section, if you changed that. If you would like these to be different, you'd proceed by clicking "Edit" (which appears next to your current search-language selection).
6. Click "Save" (this will be the blue button at the bottom right of the screen). The changes you've made will then be applied wherever you sign into your Google account, and you will get a notification to that effect.

Once you've gone through the process, you will be able to search and read results in the language of your choice, which should make navigating your browser easier. However, it's important to note that going through this process will not change the language of your Gmail or any of the settings sections in your Google account.

• Read more on Google:

• Google built a tiny Street View car to map out one of the world's largest model cities, and the results are incredible

• I just tried Google's brand new augmented reality Maps on a one mile walk through San Francisco, and I miss it already

• The 15 most powerful women at Google

SEE ALSO: Google just made a hilarious programming joke when it paid out a guy for finding bugs in its software

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TheInsider Picksteam writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out our coupons page.

1. Save $30 when you spend $150 or more at Nike

Whether you're an athlete in need of new performance gear or you're just shopping for casual sneakers and clothes, Nike is running a promotion that you won't want to miss. Now through February 23, you can save $30 when you spend $150 or more by using the promo code "SPORT30" at checkout. For more deals and coupons on Nike, check out our coupons page here.

Shop the Nike sale now. 

2. Save up to 60% on Ray-Ban sunglasses at Nordstrom Rack

Ray-Ban sunglasses are a timeless fashion mainstay, but they can be a bit expensive. For a limited time, Nordstrom Rack is changing that with a huge flash sale on Ray-Ban shades. You'll find styles like the popular Wayfarer and Clubmaster up to 60% off. For more deals and coupons for Nordstrom Rack, check out our coupons page here. 

Shop the Ray-Ban sale at Nordstrom Rack now. 

3.Save 60% on H&R Block Tax Software

Millions of people trust H&R Block with their taxes, but if you prefer to do them on your own, their software is extremely dependable and easy to use. Instead of paying someone to your taxes for you, you can save money by doing them on your own — starting with a discount on the required software. Today, you can save $26.99 on H&R Block tax software for PCs and Macs, plus you'll receive a 5% refund bonus in Amazon gift card credit.

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4. Save 25% sitewide at Dormify

If your dorm room doesn't quite feel like home yet, Dormify has a huge selection of dorm room decor, bedding, storage, and more to make your space feel a little cozier. Today, you can save 25% on everything by using the promo code "LONGWEEKEND" at checkout.

Shop the Dormify sale now. 

5. Build out your smart home with Alexa-enabled plugs for $10

If you recently bought a new Echo device, you're probably looking for ways to get the most use out of it. Amazon is offering deals on the LIFX Mini Smart Bulb and Wemo Mini Smart Plug to help you build out your smart home. Originally priced at $26.99 and $34.99 respectively, you can get one or the other for $10 by using the promo code "SMART10" at checkout.

Buy a mini smart bulb or mini smart plug for $10 on Amazon.

6. Save an extra 40% on sale styles at Ralph Lauren

For the past few weeks, Ralph Lauren has been clearing out styles from the previous fall and winter season with a massive sale — and today is your last day to save. Sale inventory for men, women, kids, and the home are already reduced up to 50% off, but right now you can automatically save an extra 40% at checkout. With discounts this great, the sale is worth checking out, even if you're not shopping for something specific. For more deals and coupons on Ralph Lauren, check out our coupons page here. 

Shop the Ralph Lauren end of season sale now. 

7. Save 30% sitewide at Levi's

No matter your style, jeans are probably part of your casual wardrobe — and Levi's has the perfect pair for you. Now through February 20, the brand is having a sitewide sale with 30% off styles for men, women, and kids. Simply use the promo code "WHYWAIT" at checkout save on new arrivals and sale items alike. For more deals and coupons on Levi's, check out our coupons page here. 

Shop the Levi's sale now. 

Join the conversation about this story »

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Baking mats provide a non-stick surface so you can safely bake foods without using butter or oil to guarantee an easy release.
• There's not a whole lot of variation between baking mats, but the Silpat mats rise above competitors for their durability, eco-friendly construction, and longevity.
• The mats are so long lasting that many people keep their Silpat mats for years before finally replacing them.

The good news is that the lack of differences between baking mats can help you narrow down the options. For example, your top pick might be a set of mats that will work well in a traditional cookie sheet as well as smaller pans. Others choose mats that are dishwasher safe, or that contain measuring marks for rolling out dough, crusts, and pastries.

The best baking mats feature a mix of food grade silicone and fiberglass for added durability. Most are built to withstand oven temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, although many of the mats in our guide should be kept at slightly lower temperatures. Baking mats can also go from one temperature extreme to the next, such as a freezer to oven, without damaging the material.

If you're like me, you're also interested in baking mats with non-stick properties, which means you don't have to use any added oil or grease. These baking mats promise easy food release, whether you're baking cookies, roasting veggies, or cooking something else. Of course, once you're done baking, you'll need to clean up somehow. While some of these mats can go in the dishwasher, others should be washed by hand. If fast and easy clean-ups are a priority, make sure that the mat is dishwasher safe before purchasing.

Certain habits can help extend the life of your baking mat, whether you've opted for the budget version or the premium baking mat on this list. For starters, avoid cutting the mat. Some new owners found this out the hard way, either by accident or because they didn't know that baking mats aren't designed to be cut.

Here are the best baking mats you can buy:

• Best baking mat overall: Silpat Premium Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat
• Best budget baking mat: AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat
• Best baking mat for pastries: BakeitFun Large Round Silicone Pastry Mat
• Best baking mat bundle: Rozotti Silicone Baking Mat
• Best baking mat for even heat distribution: Silchef Silicone Baking Mat

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best baking mat overall

Why you'll love it: The Silpat mat caters to amateur and professional bakers alike with its non-stick properties and durable food-grade silicone.

Ask any dedicated baker why they chose Silpat, and you'll probably hear similar answers. The brand enjoys a devoted fan base of professional and amateur bakers seeking top quality baking mats for baked goods, roasted veggies and more.

The origins of the brand date back to 1965, when a baker named M. Guy Demarle invented the first-ever silicone baguette tray to keep food from sticking. Silpat's product line has expanded since then, but the quality and durability hasn't wavered over the years. Most bakers find the half sheet size to be the most versatile for various types of food. However, other sizes are available.

The Silpat mats are made with food-grade silicone and fiberglass mesh, meaning they can safely withstand temperatures up to 482 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only that, the mats are durable enough to be used up to 3,000 times, according to the manufacturer. Indeed, many satisfied owners comment on the mats' longevity.

One baker notes that she has had the mats for four years, and they are "in just as good of a condition" as when they were new, despite weekly use. Another comments, "I've had a pair of these for 10 years and they are just now beginning to show their age."

As with any baking mat, it's best to avoid using these mats for cutting, or anything other than baking or roasting. While some reviewers wash and dry their mats by hand after each use, others simply wipe them down with a damp cloth. Some put their baking mats in the dishwasher, although Silpat recommends hand washing the mats.

Food release is another reason why many people appreciate the Silpat mats. A Chowhound reviewer put the mat to the test with various baked goods and savory foods. They found that spritz cookies released "very easily," and that cheese crisps could easily be removed after baking as well.

However, there's even better news if you plan on using the mats for fish. The reviewers discovered that after baking salmon fillets with the skin on, neither the fish nor the skin stuck. However, as with other baking mats, these tend to retain strong odors. If you plan on using them for a combination of cooking and baking, it's a good idea to keep the two mats separate to avoid spoiling your food with lingering odors.

Another common issue is that the Silpat can develop a lingering sticky film, despite regular cleaning.

Pros: Known for its durability, non-stick properties, can be used for baking and roasting

Cons: Not recommended for the dishwasher, may retain odors, can develop a sticky residue over time

Buy the Silpat Premium Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat on Amazon for $23.99

The best budget baking mat

Why you'll love it: The AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat is a solid choice if you're looking for an inexpensive mat that doesn't skimp on quality.

As someone who enjoys baking yet tries to minimize related expenses, I eventually settled on the AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat. Aside from the affordable price tag, I chose this mat set for the fact that it's dishwasher safe and can withstand oven temperatures up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit.

The mats are a pretty typical size and can fit nicely on most half-sheet pans. However, I sometimes have to cram the edges in a bit to get the mats to fit. I've used these mats for baking and roasting, and can easily slide the food out once it's done thanks to the non-stick surface.

For the most part, I've been happy with these mats, and would certainly recommend them for anyone looking for a good value. However, I should point out that the size of the mats can make them a bit tougher to clean. They're certainly safe for the dishwasher, but they might be too tall for a top shelf if you have a smaller dishwasher. Folding the mats over can help, but will also mean less room for other dirty dishes.

You can wash these mats by hand, of course, but their larger size and soft construction can make this a tedious task. Despite trying both cleaning methods, my baking mats have a few small oil/grease stain marks that I'm not sure will ever come out.

As another AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat owner suggests, you might consider keeping one mat for baked goods and another for other types of food, so your cookies don't end up tasting like onions. In addition to stains, a few mat owners have found that these mats can retain stronger odors, even after thorough cleaning.

Once the mats are clean and dry, you can roll them up tightly and securely for storage. I kept the original cardboard box to simplify storage and save on space. You can use the mats on pans and countertops. They're also safe for just about every type of oven, except direct-fire.

Pros: Budget-friendly, convenient non-stick surface, oven safe up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit

Cons: Tricky to wash by hand, can be too tall for some top dishwasher shelves, tends to retain stronger odors and grease stains

Buy a 2-pack of AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mats on Amazon for $8.38 (originally $13.99)

The best baking mat for pastries

Why you'll love it: BakeitFun offers several sizes and variations of this pastry mat, making it a solid choice for your favorite baked goods.

Size can be a concern when shopping around for baking and pastry mats. If you're looking for a true pastry mat, you're probably hoping to find a mat that can accommodate a variety of pastries. With the amount of variation between most baked goods, you'll want a versatile mat with a wide range of measurements.

This BakeitFun mat comes in many different sizes, some of which are designed for specific baked goods. For example, you can opt for the macaron or cookie mats. Another option is a standard pastry mat, which also provides liquid measurement and weight conversions.

Safety is a top concern, so BakeitFun mats are made with FDA approved, BPA-free materials. You also won't be introducing any potentially harmful chemicals into your food. If you opt for the pastry mat, you'll get a mat with a reinforced fiber cloth for added strength and thickness. In addition to pastries, you may want a mat that can handle other baking tasks, such as kneading bread and rolling out pie dough.

One reviewer comments that the pastry mat "combined the stability of the countertop with the easy clean-up of the plastic board." Not only is it stable, but the mat has enough grip to avoid slipping and sliding when rolling out the dough.

Other bakers purchased the mats specifically for making macarons and found the included guides to be very accurate for making uniform cookies. The guides seem to work just as well for other delicate pastries such as meringues and fondants.

As another reviewer points out, this baking mat can be used more than 2,000 times. When you consider the amount of aluminum foil or parchment paper you might be using instead, the mat is a very eco-friendly option.

Another perk is that it works well for more than just pastries. For example, you can use the mats for sugar candies as well as roasted veggies and other baked goods. The mats transition well from one extreme temperature to the next, so you can remove it from the freezer and place it in the oven without worrying about damaging the mat.

Pros: Can be used up to 2,000 times, made with FDA approved materials, safe for the oven, freezer, and microwave

Cons: Hand washing is recommended, not the thickest mat for pastries, may retain a sticky residue over time

Buy the BakeitFun Large Round Silicone Pastry Mat on Amazon for $13.99

• The Move seat concept was created by London-based design firm Layer for Airbus.
• The seats are made from lightweight polyester wood smart textile wrapped around an aluminum frame. 
• Electrical currents running through the smart textile allow passengers to control the firmness and the temperature of the seat. 
• Move seats can be adjusted using an app. 
• According to Layer, the seats are meant to help create an innovative passenger experience for economy class travelers. 

Modern slimline airplane seats are awful. They are lighter and thinner, which is good for airlines. For passengers flying in economy, it feels like you've sat on a thin yoga mat for three hours. 

We've seen a bevy of airplane seat patents and concepts in recent years. They range from interesting to downright terrifying. 

The Airbus Move seat concept is one of the interesting ones. 

Read more: We flew on the new Delta Airbus jet, which Boeing tried to keep out of the US, to see if it lives up to the hype. Here's the verdict.

The Move seat concept was created for Airbus by London-based design firm Layer as an exploration into how smart textiles can improve passenger comfort in economy class while helping airlines save weight and fuel. 

"At Layer, we believe good design should be accessible to all. All too often, new concepts for flying are focused on innovation in business class," Benjamin Hubert, Layer's founder, said in a statement. "We were excited to take on this project with Airbus to find ways to improve and add value to the economy class experience – for both the passenger and the airline."

The Move seat took 18 months to create and are a part of an ongoing partnership between Layer and Airbus. 

For now, the seat remains a prototype. 

Here's a closer look at the Move smart seats by Airbus and Layer. 

SEE ALSO: Delta is the first US airline to fly the new Airbus A220 jetliner. Here are its coolest features.

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The Move seats won't necessarily give you more space, but it may make what space you do have more pleasant.

The seating concept is made of smart textile wrapped around an aluminum frame.

The smart textile is made using conductive yarn

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Ministry of Supply is a performance workwear brand that uses technology developed by MIT and NASA scientists to elevate traditional clothing staples.
• The Ministry of Supply Atlas Sweater is one of my favorite styles. It has mesh ventilation zones in high-heat areas (like the armpit) and is made from a machine-washable wool blend.
• the Atlas Sweater is just the right thickness to be wearable year-round.
• Priced at $135, the Ministry of Supply Atlas Sweater is available in Crewneck and V-Neck styles.

Compared to generations past, the way professionals dress for work today is evolving to be more casual than ever. The days of wearing three-piece suits are long gone, but many people still struggle with finding clothes that are comfortable yet suitable for the office. 

One of the most essential business casual styles is the wool sweater, but its benefits of being warm outside can quickly turn into a hot, itchy, and confining nightmare you'll have to live with inside for the entire workday.

You might think that simply checking the weather and dressing for the season is the smartest way to avoid that conundrum, but it's not that easy. When it's cool outside, sweltering on a packed subway train for your commute, and freezing cold in your office, being uncomfortable is hardly avoidable. But the Ministry of Supply Atlas Sweater makes regulating your body temperature a lot simpler.

With the insight of MIT scientists, the performance workwear brand aimed to create a sweater that was suitable for all seasons, not just the cold season.

The Atlas sweater is made using a blend of premium-grade Australian wool (which is naturally warm, breathable, and anti-microbial), polyester for a longer garment lifespan, and Lycra for stretch. These materials, combined with a shape-retaining fit and mesh ventilation in high-heat areas, make the sweater comfortable under almost any condition, including those times you seemingly go through all of four seasons during one work day. 

It's been a few months since I received my Atlas sweater, but it quickly became one of my favorite styles from Ministry of Supply. Joining the ranks of Tommy John's underwear, which I absolutely swear by, and the Adidas Boost sneakers, which are the most comfortable sneakers I've worn to date, the Ministry of Supply Atlas Sweater is one of the few pieces of clothing that gives me a true sense of excitement and satisfaction to put on because it's just that comfortable. 

My favorite part about the Ministry of Supply Atlas Sweater is the targeted mesh zones, which are small vents in the armpits where heat often builds up and leaves sweat marks. I really like this feature because they're effective without making the sweater look too sporty or technical. The armpit zones are mostly hidden and the shoulder zone looks like it could be there strictly for aesthetics.

There have been plenty of times where I've dressed in layers that included a wool sweater because it was cold outside, but still arrived at work a little sweaty from the hustle and bustle of the commute. When I wear the Atlas Sweater, I stay dry and my temperature feels more regulated both indoors and outdoors. I also like to wear the Atlas Sweater on warmer days that wouldn't typically call for a sweater because I know I won't overheat outside, and I'll stay warm in our sometimes unbearably cold office.

Read more: These are the best places to buy performance dress shirts

The Atlas Sweater's ability to retain its form is another major upside. Every wool sweater I've owned fits great on the first wear, but after several wears, they tend to lose shape. Washing or dry cleaning your sweater can usually bring it back to a better fit, but for the sake of prolonging the life of your garment, you really don't want to wash it every single time you wear it. The Atlas Sweater, on the other hand, retained its original shape and fit after multiple wears.

When it did come time to wash my sweater, I threw it in a normal washing machine and it came out in comparable condition to before washing it. That's because Ministry of Supply designed the material to be smooth and resistant to piling, which can be the death of any nice wool piece. Although it is machine washable, you should keep in mind that it's still wool — so be gentle. Per the brand's instructions, I washed it in cold water and let it air dry. You'll want to avoid the dryer.

At $135, the Ministry of Supply Atlas Sweater is expensive, but well worth it for most working professionals.  Whether you've been struggling to find comfortable workwear or you've already got a closet full of performance clothing, the Atlas Sweater is a solid addition. The Ministry of Supply Atlas Crewneck gets my recommendation for anybody in need of a dependable, basic sweater to wear year-round in the office.

Ministry of Supply Atlas Crewneck Sweater, available in two colors, $135

Ministry of Supply Atlas V-Neck Sweater, available in two colors, $135

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• I recently purchased an infrared sauna blanket from Amazon, and it's the best wellness decision I've ever made.
• Studies suggest that infrared-light therapy has a bevy of medical benefits, including reducing inflammation, clearing skin issues, improving digestion, contributing to weight loss, and easing anxiety.
• Doctors agree that 20 minutes of infrared sweating two to three times a week strengthens the cardiovascular system.
• I personally use my infrared sauna blanket for 50 minutes a day — and I've never felt more energized and glowing (or less bloated) in my entire life.

I'm the first to admit I've tried some wacky things in the name of wellness. I once ate raw garlic cloves every morning for two weeks straight as a natural alternative to antibiotics. (Not advised, if only for the garlic breath.) I brush my hair with a comb carved from a clear quartz crystal to purify my crown chakra. (Totally advised, if only for the aesthetic.)

Most recently, I dropped $400 on an infrared sauna blanket from Amazon so I could "detox" daily from the comfort of my own home — but that one's not as "out there" as it sounds. In fact, experts agree that infrared sauna therapy can improve digestion, reduce pain and inflammation, benefit cardiovascular health, and even clear up acne. 

The benefits of infrared sauna therapy

I experienced the benefits of infrared sauna therapy firsthand almost a year ago. It was two months before my wedding, and I didn't fit into my dress. Desperate to lose a little weight before the big day, I added biweekly sauna appointments to my nutrition and fitness plan.

But what I noticed most after a couple months of regular sweat sessions wasn't the weight loss (although it helped in that department — my wedding dress fit like a glove). It was how energized I was afterward. How completely glow-y my skin looked. How cooking for an hour at 170 degrees Fahrenheit motivated me to make better choices for the rest of the day; I just felt healthier and happier, and wanted that feeling to last as long as possible.

According to Dr. Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C. — the founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com, and author of the upcoming book "Keto Diet" — this all checks out.

"Infrared saunas (sometimes called far-infrared saunas or near-infrared saunas) are a type of sauna that uses heat and light, in the form of infrared light waves, to help 'detoxify' the body via sweat and to promote relaxation," he told Business Insider. "Proponents of infrared saunas often turn to this type of holistic treatment in hopes that sessions can provide joint and muscle support, speed up the metabolism, promote weight loss, help rejuvenate the skin, improve circulation, promote cardiovascular healing, and help with sleep quality."

Dr. Axe said that scientific study in this area is limited but promising. But if you're a believer in anecdotal evidence, take my word for it: Infrared sauna sweating is better than a juice cleanse.

At first, I indulged in regular infrared treatments at Shape House, an "urban sweat lodge" with locations in Los Angeles and New York City. While typical sweat lodges feature steam saunas, Shape House uses far-infrared technology. You're essentially wrapped up like a burrito in a plastic covering, which is then heated up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes using infrared light to build heat in the body.

"Infrared saunas differ from regular heated saunas because they emit light that directly penetrates your skin," Axe said. There's no steam, no humidity, and no hot air; this makes it much easier to breathe and withstand high temperatures for a longer amount of time. But at about $50 per appointment, my Shape House habit wasn't one that I could keep up without that wedding budget.

I went without regular sweat sessions for a few months, which only confirmed how powerfully they affected me: My digestion felt sluggish, my stomach was bloated, my acne returned, and I was low energy and anxious more often than not.

Naturally, I looked into at-home infrared sauna blankets to get back on track on a budget.

My search for an affordable, at-home infrared sauna therapy brought me to Amazon

"Infrared sauna blankets are similar to heavy sleeping bags; you enclose yourself in one as it emits infrared rays and builds body heat," Axe said. "Some advantages to using an infrared blanket include affordability; the fact that it's compact, lightweight, and portable; the convenience of being able to use it at home; and versatility — it can be used in bed, on the floor, or in a chair."

These can run anywhere from $100 to $1,000, and after doing extensive research, I found "The One": the Gizmo Supply 3 Zone Digital Far-Infrared Heat Sauna Blanket, priced at $400 on Amazon — the cost of one month's worth of Shape House treatments — with more than 70 five-star reviews. Just two days later, it was at my door. (Thank you, Amazon Prime.)

Setting up and using the Gizmo Supply infrared sauna blanket

Thankfully, the Gizmo Supply blanket is super easy to put together. It comes with a control box and a sleeping bag-esque blanket, which need to be connected via a series of three clearly labeled wires. Each wire feeds into a section of the blanket, and all three sections can be separately heated anywhere between 35 degrees Celsius and 85 degrees Celsius (about 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 185 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to an hour. You just select your desired temp and time, get in, sweat profusely and semi-uncomfortably, and wait for it to beep when the session is over … kind of like an oven.

"Frequent, short infrared sauna sessions seem to be effective for providing the health benefits mentioned above," says Dr. Axe.

A recent study linked "20 minute treatments three times weekly over a period of two to three months" with increased heart strength, so that's a good place to start. I personally follow the Shape House method and sweat for 50 minutes at 80° Celsius, every single day. I'm certifiably obsessed.

Once I started my daily at-home treatments, I noticed an almost immediate improvement in my bloating, skin, energy, and mood. It turns out, a good sweat will do that to you.

Sweating is the body's natural method of detox, and far infrared heat is said to induce a whopping seven times more sweat than a standard steam sauna. This essentially flushes toxins out of the body via a process called "lymphatic drainage," boosts metabolism, and increases your energy levels.

Besides this internal flush, the act of sweating is a kind of "skin detox" in and of itself. As your pores open and sweat pours through, its antibacterial properties kill acne-causing bacteria and rinse away any dirt and debris sitting on the skin's surface.

"Aside from your liver, your skin is one of your greatest tools to detoxify your body," Katie Dunlop, the founder of Love Sweat Fitness, tells me. "Being that it's our largest organ, it's kind of our first line of defense — and sweat allows us to get rid of toxins through the skin, leaving it fresh and rejuvenated."

"Sweating also means increased blood circulation throughout the body," she explains. "As your heart rate increases, so does the blood flow to the skin, bringing along with it lots of vital nutrients and fresh oxygen. The benefit is it's happening from the inside out, so not only is your skin getting the amazing oxygen and nutrients it needs to promote collagen growth, but you're also able to detox and expel toxins simultaneously."

I swear, my skin never looks more rosy and glow-y than after a sauna session.

Infrared power is more than just physical, though. With regular use, I find my anxiety symptoms are lessened. I think this is partly due to the fact that lying in the blanket for nearly an hour gives me a chance to meditate and reflect — it's one of the only times of my day not consumed by my laptop or phone.

In addition, "It's believed that infrared saunas promote mental health through activating the parasympathetic nervous system," Dr. Axe says. "Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system helps to make you feel calm, allows the body to handle stress, and counteracts the effects of the sympathetic nervous system's 'fight or flight response.'"

Some potential downsides and health concerns to consider before using

As amazing as I feel inside and out after sweating, I have to be honest: The sauna itself isn't necessarily a pleasant experience. It gets hot — to state the obvious — and really, really sweaty; and it definitely takes some willpower to make it through 30 to 50 minutes in the blanket.  "The most common reported side effects are mild to moderate heat discomfort and intolerance, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, and claustrophobia," according to Dr. Axe. He notes that it's safe for the majority of people, though, "even those who can't normally tolerate other treatments that involve heat."

"Anyone who has sensitive skin, a history of heart problems, or who takes daily medications should get their doctor's approval before beginning infrared sauna treatments," he adds. It's also recommended to wear head-to-toe cotton while you're in the blanket to safely soak up excess sweat, and to hydrate like crazy before and after.

The verdict

I realize that spending nearly an hour of my day, every day, wrapped up like a sweaty burrito sounds strange. Gwyneth Paltrow Goop-level strange. But honestly, my infrared sauna blanket is the most practical wellness purchase I've ever made.

It's become my life's cure-all. Feeling bloated and gross? Time for a sweat sesh. Skin dull and dry? Sweat sesh. Hungover? Puffy eyes? Stressed? I just sweat, sweat, sweat it out.

Whoever said not to sweat the small stuff clearly just needed to get their hands on an infrared sauna blanket.

Buy the Gizmo Supply 3-Zone Digital Far-Infrared Heat Sauna Blanket at Amazon for $399.99

SEE ALSO: I put goat milk on my face to soothe irritation — and it actually works

DON'T MISS: This natural supplement stops my bloating in its tracks and promotes gut health — it's pretty tasty too

Join the conversation about this story »

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• I tried Bowflex's SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells, which have nearly 3,500 5-star reviews on Amazon.
• The smart dumbbells can turn from 5 to 52.5 pounds with the twist of a dial.
• They're not cheap at $300, but they can replace 15 individual weights and are guaranteed to take up less room.

I love a good workout, but there are nights where that is simply not enough to convince me to spend 80% of my remaining free time commuting to the gym, working out, and commuting back only to shower and immediately fall asleep.

In other words, I've been needing a way to get a good workout in at home that was effective but didn't take up too much space. This led me to Bowflex’s famous SelectText 552 Adjustable Dumbbells.

I was aware of them as an oft-recommended cult-favorite — plus they have almost 3,500 five-star reviews on Amazon. They come as a pair, and they can switch from five pounds to 52.5 with just the turn of a large dial on the side. When you've turned the dial to the intended weight, the dumbbell will "lock" into place so you can pick it up off the stand with only the correct plates attached, leaving the remaining plates on the stand (you can find an example of what this might look like above). The dumbbells adjust in 2.5-pound increments up to the first 25 pounds. From 25 pounds on, it increases by five pounds up to 50. 

They’re not cheap at $299 by any means, but they're theoretically extremely cost-effective by replacing at least 15 individual weights — and they're definitely more storage friendly. Ultimately, I landed on this as my final and best option.

In practice, the adjustable dumbbells are pretty much invaluable — easy to use, intuitive, and you can tweak your home workout to be as difficult as you want. I can watch Netflix and move through a customized workout simultaneously, and it's far easier to be consistent with fitness when the catch-all device is at the bottom of your closet rather than 20 blocks north. The best features are the convenience, lack of space required, and that switching from five pounds to 25 or 52.5 pounds really is actually as simple as turning a dial.

For downsides, I'd mention that they're still bigger than I expected them to be, though I'm not sure why I imagined them smaller (picture below with a can of tuna for scale). They're still easy to store in my apartment, but I didn't realize each dumbbell would require its own cardboard box during delivery.

Due to size and weight, they're also not the best travel companions. If you're a frequent traveler, you should look into TRX systems (which are tough, versatile workouts but painless for travel), resistance bands, or apps and ClassPass.

Some reviews mention that they're difficult to put back on the stand at the exact right angle, but I haven't found this to be the case. And while the plates do wiggle a little, the device has a safety feature that makes it impossible to lift the dumbbell if the dial isn't properly locked in (meaning the weights aren't either). The dumbbells are also slightly longer than you're likely used to using, and they only go up to 52.5 pounds on each. If you're a powerlifter, they might not be worth it. For the average person, they're probably more than adequate. 

These also obviously do not replace all possible machines at the gym in case you're considering dropping your monthly payment in exchange for adjustable dumbbells, but they do give you a pretty great at-home workout. You can incorporate them into a good variety of exercises just like any dumbbells (bench or shoulder presses, rows, lunges, flys, curls, extensions, etc), and the quick adjustability also makes it easier to hit multiple muscle groups in rapid succession. 

Having said all the above, they exceeded expectations, and the cons are easy to live with for the convenience, efficacy, compactness, and easy versatility. 

All in all, if you use weights in your workouts and you're looking for an effective at-home option that requires as little space as possible, you're likely going to be very happy with them if the $300 is justifiable to you — and if 52.5 pounds maximum on each will suffice for you. 

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair), $299

SEE ALSO: These $17 looped resistance bands add an extra level intensity to your leg workouts — here's what they're like to use

Join the conversation about this story »

• Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld died on February 19 at the age of 85.
• Lagerfeld — best known for being the creative director of Chanel— had an iconic work uniform that included a starched white shirt, black sunglasses, and a tailored black jacket.
• Other successful people — such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg— have also been known to sport identifiable work uniforms.
• To assemble a work uniform of your own, an expert says you'll likely need to buy at least three pairs of pants and at least five tops.

Dressing for success is always a good idea.

Nowadays, that could mean wearing the same outfit to the office every day — a sort of work uniform.

It's a concept that's been adopted by plenty of successful people. Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama, and Steve Jobs have all put work uniforms to use.

The late Karl Lagerfeld, who died on February 19 and is best known for being the creative director of Chanel, also sported an iconic work uniform throughout much of his career. That included black sunglasses and a tailored black jacket, in addition, of course, to the high-collared, highly starched white shirt— of which, it turns out, he had about 1,000.

Read more: Having a daily work or travel 'uniform' can improve focus and decrease clutter — these are the 5 companies aiming to help you do just that

As the New York Times reports, assembling a standard "work uniform" allows you to streamline your routine and eliminates one more potentially stressful choice from your daily life.

Experts say that making lots of small decisions like what to wear and what to eat throughout the day saps your mental energy for when you need to make more pressing decisions, a phenomenon called "decision fatigue." This mental fatigue makes people more likely act impulsively or do nothing at all when more important matters come up.

Penny Geers, stylist and owner of Your Closet, Your Style, has some tips on assembling a work uniform of your own.

Check out your closet before you go on a shopping spree

"Take note of your favorite go-to pieces," she tells Business Insider. "Those will be the basis for what you need to purchase to make the full uniform."

Most likely, you'll need to buy at least three to five bottoms and no less than five tops.

Be prepared to splurge

"When purchasing, you need to think quality first," Geers says. "If you typically wear t-shirts of a less-expensive, lower quality, you will need to invest in some that will withstand constant wear and laundering. Also, this collection is your work uniform only and should only be worn for that purpose."

Breathable, easy-to-care-for materials like wool and cotton blends are also a must, as are wrinkle-resistant tops. Geers says to avoid incorporating hyper-trendy items into the ensemble. Those are perishable, as far as style goes, and you can always get your trendy fix by investing in accessories.

Don't limit yourself

"Just because it's a work uniform doesn't mean it has to be boring or dull," she says. "Add your own style through the accessories and the color of the items you choose. Shoes, belts, scarves, jewelry all play a major part in you creating and proudly showing your style and who you are."

Consider your uniform's influence

If you decide to go the route of adopting a work uniform, just remember that clothes are important. What you wear can alter how you think and feel. A California State University study found that formal-wear may make men feel more powerful, The Atlantic reports. What's more, your choice of garments can also affect how others see you. As "Flex: Do Something Different" author and University of Hertfordshire professor Ben C. Fletcher wrote in Psychology Today, "Our clothes say a great deal about who we are and can signal a great deal of socially important things to others, even if the impression is actually unfounded."

Most of all, make sure that your work uniform reflects your style and makes you feel comfortable.

"The trend towards a work uniform makes sense to me," Geers tells Business Insider. "I believe that what you wear strongly affects how you project yourself whether in the workplace or socially. If you feel great in what you're wearing that immediately comes through in how you carry yourself."

SEE ALSO: 22 business-etiquette rules every professional should know

NOW READ: Having a daily work or travel 'uniform' can improve focus and decrease clutter — these are the 5 companies aiming to help you do just that

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NOW WATCH: Fashionable bulletproof clothing is now a thing - but it isn't cheap

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• I wear this $74 pair of jeggings from Nordstrom all the time, but when I saw a similar pair for $12 at my local Walmart, I couldn't resist buying them to see how they compared.
• Walmart's Time and Tru jeggings are $62 less than Nordstrom's Jag Jean jeggings, but it turns out they look and feel practically identical. Now I wear them both to work all the time.
• Buying a pair of pants from an unknown brand at Walmart felt like a bit of a style risk, but I was pleased to find that they were a fantastic alternative to my more expensive pair. 

In a world of long commutes and meetings that last well over their scheduled time, the last thing I want to worry about is the annoyance of uncomfortable clothing. From itchy sweaters to ill-fitting pants, finding clothes that check off the boxes of comfortable and work-appropriate can be more difficult than you'd think.

There are certainly mixed feelings about the "jeggings" trend that hit its peak after the comeback of the ever-popular skinny jean. Some claim that leggings and jeans should be kept separate from one another, but I was there for the trend when it started and I don’t plan on eliminating them from my wardrobe any time soon.

Finding a pair of jeggings is not difficult — but finding a pair that fits nicely and stands the test of time comes down to a long process of trial and error. I've been an avid Nordstrom shopper for years, so following my instinct, I found a dependable pair of $74 Marla Stretch Denim Leggings there made by Jag Jeans.

These super-skinny cut pair of pants are flattering and versatile. I can wear them to work or while going out to dinner with friends — which is exactly the kind of adaptability I want out of my clothes. It wasn’t until I was browsing my local Walmart that a similar pair of jeggings, coming in at a mere $12, caught my eye and made me question my original choice to spend $74.

Let’s talk looks

One of my biggest concerns about purchasing an inexpensive pair of pants from a generic brand was the overall appearance. I’m not opposed to buying wardrobe essentials from unknown companies, but I typically rely on recommendations from friends or colleagues prior to making an uncertain buy. Despite my hesitation, the fact that the Time and Tru jegging capri pants (which can be un-rolled) looked almost identical to the pair I purchased from Nordstrom was the selling factor.

Both pairs lacked a button on the front waistband which never posed a problem since I regularly wear a belt. In fact, the ones from Walmart worked better with my regular workwear because they included belt loops — unlike the Jag Jeans pair.

On the website, the Time and Tru jeggings are advertised as capris but I'm 5-foot-8, and I found them to extend longer than I expected based on the ad. The ones I purchased from Nordstrom reached my ankle as advertised and were flexible enough to roll if I wanted them to fit like capris.

The main difference between these pairs of pants and your go-to pair of leggings is that each of these have pockets on the front and back. This subtle detail turns an extremely casual outfit into something you could wear to a dressier event — without looking like you just came from the gym.

What about quality and fit?

Both pairs fit well and were comfortable enough to wear throughout the day without any noticeable irritation. The Nordstrom pant is slightly more rigid to the touch and the Walmart ones had a softer feel, similar to a pair of cotton leggings. However, I tried on both pairs and couldn’t decipher much of a tangible difference between the materials.

Whether you’re purchasing from Nordstrom or Walmart, you’ll find that both jeggings are advertised as a skinny-fit, but Walmart’s Time and Tru ones were definitely more fitted from the knee down. This wasn’t a huge deal because both pairs primarily looked the same, but if you want the classic legging feel, the Walmart ones are the way to go.

The bottom line

There are some slight differences between the Jag Jeans jeggings from Nordstrom and the Time and Tru pair from Walmart, but if you are looking for a really great value, the pair from Walmart shouldn’t give you any reason to complain.

I've worn the $12 pair for over two months and they've withstood multiple washes, the occasional coffee spill, and a wipeout on the stairs heading up to my apartment. I will continue to wear both pairs simply because I can’t do enough laundry to keep up with my black pant obsession, but I will most definitely be purchasing more Time and Tru jeggings in the future.

Time and Tru Women's Jegging Capri, available in six colors, $11.96

Jag Jeans Marla Stretch Denim Leggings, $74

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• A lint roller for pet hair should be lightweight and easy to use with extra-sticky sheets that offer a clean, quick tear.
• With its reusable ergonomic grip handle and extra-sticky adhesive, the Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller is our top pick overall for its ability to pick up even the most stubborn and embedded pet hair.

You love your pet, but you probably don't love how much he sheds. Even if you brush him on a daily basis, you're still going to find his hair all over the house. It clings to the furniture, covers your clothes, and somehow makes its way into your food no matter how careful you are.

For pet parents, pet hair is a fact of life, but it's a small inconvenience when compared to the unconditional love and affection you get from your pet. But, if you're being honest with yourself, you'll admit that you wish it were a little easier to remove pet hair when you need or want to look presentable.

That's where lint rollers come in.

Lint rollers make removing pet hair quick and easy. Whether your pet has short hair, long hair, or something in between, the right lint roller will pick it up off your clothes and furniture to keep things looking neat and tidy. These rollers come in many shapes and sizes, so take a look at our top picks for the best lint rollers for pet hair to choose the one that works best for you.

Here are the best lint rollers for pet hair you can buy:

• Best lint roller for pet hair overall: Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller
• Best budget lint roller for pet hair: Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack
• Best non-adhesive lint roller: ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover
• Best lint roller for travel: Flint Retractable Lint Roller
• Best lint roller for large surfaces: Evercare Pet Mega Extreme Stick Roller

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best lint roller for pets overall

Why you'll love it: With its reusable ergonomic grip handle and extra-sticky adhesive, the Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller can pick up even the most stubborn and embedded pet hair.

Pets never stop shedding. Because you'll be picking up pet hair for the rest of your pet's life, it pays to choose a high-quality lint roller with refillable rolls. The best lint roller for pet hair will be comfortable and easy to use as well as being extra-sticky to pick up stubborn pet hair from clothes, furniture, and other upholstered surfaces. Our top pick for the best overall lint roller for pet hair is the Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller.

The Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller comes with a reusable ergonomic grip handle and two spare rolls. Each roll contains 60 easy-tear sheets for a total of 180 sheets. The paper is thick enough not to tear during use and the adhesive extra-sticky to pick up even the most stubborn lint, fuzz, and pet hair. What really makes this lint roller stand out, however, is its ability to pick up even embedded pet hair that other rollers leave behind.

Heavy describes the Evercare Pet Lint Roller as a "standard lint roller, except that the sheets are extra sticky." The classic design with extra-sticky adhesive is what stood out to us during testing as well. We also liked the large 4-inch rolling surface. Rover also gives this roller top marks for being inexpensive and easy to use.

Not only does the Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller has over 350 reviews on Amazon, but it also carries an Amazon's Choice award. Pet owners love the stickiness and the quality of the design, though there are some comments about the roll sliding down during use.

Pros: Reusable handle with two spare rolls, extra-sticky adhesive picks up stubborn hair, sheets are easy to tear, ergonomic grip handle, works on many surfaces, affordable price

Cons: Roll may slide down the handle during use, roll may sometimes get stuck

Buy the Evercare Pet Extreme Stick Plus Lint Roller on Amazon for $8.95

The best budget lint roller for pet hair

Why you'll love it: The Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack is the best buy for multi-pet households and heavy shedders with its four rolls of 95 sheets each.

There is one thing all pet owners know to be true — pets shed constantly. Even if you have a low-shedding breed, you’ll still find hair on your clothes and furniture. The war against pet hair is never-ending, so a budget-friendly pick like the Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack is a great buy. With five rolls of 95 sheets each, you get nearly 500 sheets for under $15.

The Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack picks up everything from fuzz, fur, and pet hair to dirt, dust, and debris. The adhesive is just sticky enough to pick up lint and pet hair without being so sticky that it unravels during use. This lint roller features comfortable, ergonomic grip handles that are lightweight and easy to use.

Plus, with five lint rollers per pack, you can keep one in your bathroom, your bedroom, your car, and anywhere else you like. In testing, we found this lint roller to be very effective in picking up pet hair, and the multi-roller pack was very convenient.

Best Reviews describes the Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack as a functional, high-value product. The rolls are just sticky enough to pick up pet hair without unraveling during use. This lint roller also made the list for Best Reviews Guide and was the top overall pick for The Balance Small Business.

The Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack has more than 3,000 reviews on Amazon and carries a consistent 4.2-star rating. Pet owners love the value and the quality of the product, though there are some comments about occasional problems tearing off a single sheet at a time.

Pros: Comes with 5 rollers, generous 95 sheets per roller, ergonomic grip handle, lightweight and easy to use, high-quality paper, sticky adhesive picks up lint and pet hair

Cons: Single-use product (not refillable), sheets may be difficult to tear, less eco-friendly than refillable lint rollers

Buy the Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Combo Pack on Amazon for $10.79 (originally $14.99)

The best non-adhesive lint roller

Why you'll love it: For frequent pet hair removal without the cost of replacement rolls, the ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover is a great buy.

Lint rollers for pet hair are great. They pick up hair from all kinds of surfaces including clothing, furniture, even car seats. The problem with traditional lint rollers, however, is that the adhesive sheets fill up quickly and need to be replaced often.

A non-adhesive lint roller provides the hair-removal benefits of a standard sticky roller but without the hassle of removing and replacing adhesive sheets. Our top pick for the best non-adhesive lint roller for pet hair is the ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover.

The ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover does exactly what it promises — removes pet hair from a wide variety of surfaces. This roller is 100% reusable and eco-friendly, but it doesn’t require any adhesive. You simply roll the device back and forth across the surface you want to clean, and the hair collects in a separate compartment that you can empty when it becomes full. The roller itself features a patented, high-quality brush system and a comfort grip handle made from BPA-free plastic. No batteries or power source are required.

The Spruce Pets names the ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover its top overall pick for the best pet hair remover. They comment that, while it may be more expensive than sticky rollers, it works well and lasts much longer. All About Cats confirms that this roller can be used on a wide variety of surfaces including sofas, carpets, beds, and couches.

In testing, we found the ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover to be a highly versatile per hair removal tool, though it did take a bit more work than a traditional sticky roller and it didn’t work as well on hard surfaces.

With more than 2,500 reviews on Amazon, the ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover carries a solid 4.7-star rating and an Amazon’s Choice award. This non-adhesive lint roller gets great reviews for reliably removing pet hair from a variety of surfaces, though there are some comments that it works better on some surfaces than on others.  

Pros: 100% reusable and eco-friendly, doesn’t require sticky sheets, no batteries or power source, patented brush system, works on a variety of surfaces, hair collection compartment

Cons: May require more physical rolling than a sticky roller, doesn’t work as well in tight spaces, works better on cushioned surfaces than hard surfaces

Buy the ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover on Amazon for $24.95 (originally $34.99)

• Karl Lagerfeld died in Paris on Tuesday. He was 85 years old. 
• Known as the longtime creative director for Chanel and Fendi, and an icon in the fashion industry, Lagerfeld also led an eponymous fashion label. 
• At the time of his death, he worked on the three brands and had an estimated net worth of $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. 
• Paolo Righi, CEO of the Karl Lagerfeld label, said in a statement: "He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as one of the greatest designers of our time."
• Lagerfeld had friendships with Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, designer Donatella Versace, and artist Andy Warhol, among many, many others.  
• Born in Germany, Lagerfeld's career began when he took an assistant position with Pierre Balmain in 1995. Take a look at what his life and career were like right up until his death.  

SEE ALSO: 17 of Karl Lagerfeld's most iconic and controversial quotes

DON'T MISS: Take a look inside the massive, eclectic library of noted designer Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld is widely regarded as one of the most iconic people in the fashion industry.

Source: Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times

He was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in 1933 to a businessman and a lingerie saleswoman in Hamburg, Germany.

Source: Morningstar, Biography

He has reportedly claimed to have been born in 1935.

Source: Morningstar, NPR

• Use the Google Translate app to translate languages offline with a few simple steps. 
• Download available languages onto the Google Translate app when you have an internet connection and translate words and phrases later without cell service or WiFi. 

The Google Translate app makes it easier to get by in a country where you don't speak the local language. One could say this app is moving us closer to the universal translators used by crew members on the Enterprise (though Google Translate doesn't include any alien languages – yet).

Let's say your phone plan might not work in the country you're visiting. Or you've hiked to a remote village where no one speaks English, and there's no cell service or WiFi. You can still call on Google Translate to communicate with the locals through offline translation.

Offline translation only works on a smartphone or tablet; you can't use Google Translate offline with the computer version of the app. You will need a little setup before you use the app offline.

Here's how to use the app to translate languages when you're offline.

How to use Google Translate offline

You will need to download each language you want to use offline in the Google Translate app.

1. Open the Google Translate app.
2. Make sure the language you want to download is one of the two that appears at the top of your screen. If neither is the language you want to download, click on the Translate to or Translate from side of the screen and select the language you want.
   
3. Tap the language you want to use offline.
   
4. Tap the download icon that appears next to the language, as depicted below.
   
   

Some languages have upgrades available. To find out if one of your downloads can be upgraded, follow these steps:

1. Tap the Settings icon at the bottom of the home screen.
2. Choose Offline translation. A list of the languages you have downloaded will appear.
3. Tap the Upgrade option for the language you want. You might need to clear space, if your phone storage is very full.

It only takes a few moments to download a language library or an upgrade, if you're connected to good WiFi.

Languages are fluid and evolving and so is Google Translate. It's a good idea to periodically check your Offline translation languages to see if an update is available. Follow the steps to upgrade and tap Update for the language you want. Then you'll be able to use the latest version offline, wherever you go.

There is an added benefit of downloading a language. Google Translate can instantly translate signs through your phone's camera. That feature may not work properly (or at all) unless you download the language.

Which languages you can access offline

As of this writing, Google Translate can help you converse in more than 100 languages. Not all of them are available to download. When there's no download icon next to a language, you can't use Google Translate for that language offline. If you need to speak to someone in Tajik or Malayalam (among others), you'll need an internet or cellular connection.

Androids have the option to limit data usage 

The steps to download a language are the same for Android and iPhone or iPad, with one difference. On Android phones, you have the option to set parameters for data usage. This can help you avoid data charges when you download languages for use offline. Here's how.

1. Tap Settings at the bottom of the home screen.
2. Choose Data usage.
3. Choose Download offline translation files.
4. You can select from two options. "Ask before downloading" will give you the opportunity to stop a download if you're not in WiFi. The "Use WiFi or mobile network" option will download via cellular data, if you're not connected to WiFi.

Manage your language settings in Google Translate

If you need space on your phone, you can always delete a language download. In Settings, under Offline translation, simply tap the trash icon next to the language you want to eliminate. You can always download it again later.

• Read more on Google products:

• How to change the language in your Google Chrome browser

• How to take a screenshot on a Google Pixel 2 or 3, including alternate methods

• The Google Pixel 3 XL's camera is as good as everyone says it is — here's the proof

SEE ALSO: Google is working on a cheaper new smartphone that could rival the iPhone XR, report says

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I quit texting for a week and it was harder than I expected

• Some of the world's most successful people are known for wearing the same thing to work every day.
• Steve Jobs was rarely seen in anything but a black turtleneck and jeans, Mark Zuckerberg typically wears either a hoodie or a gray t-shirt while working, and Hillary Clinton became known for her pantsuits.
• Karl Lagerfeld, who died on February 19, owned 1,000 versions of the same high-collared white shirt that he paired with a tailored black jacket and black sunglasses.

From tech giants Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg to legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, some of the world's most successful people have been known to wear the same outfit to work every single day.

In many cases, these distinctive "work uniforms" have become synonymous with the person.

Here are nine famous work uniforms, from Steve Jobs' black turtleneck to Karl Lagerfeld's white collared shirt, black jacket, and black sunglasses.

DON'T MISS: I've been wearing a work uniform 5 days a week for over a year — and no one has even noticed

SEE ALSO: Karl Lagerfeld owned around 1,000 of the high-collared, white shirts that defined his iconic look — here's how you can make your own work uniform

Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple, is perhaps one of the most famous people to adopt a "work uniform."

Source: Business Insider

Jobs was almost always seen wearing his signature black turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers. He once said in an interview that he owned about 100 black turtlenecks made by Japanese designer Issey Miyake.

Source: Gawker

Another tech titan, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is known for his recurring outfits. In Zuckerberg's case, it's usually a black or navy hoodie ...

Source: Business Insider

• The Academy Awards are more polarizing than ever, after suffering their worst ratings in recorded history last year, and battling controversies ranging from #OscarsSoWhite, to the popular Oscar category, to the drama surrounding Kevin Hart.
• And that's not just how the public feels. Some inside Hollywood believe the show is at a dire crossroads.
• Business Insider spoke to past Oscar show producers, Academy voters, and producers of other live TV shows to investigate what has gone wrong. 
• The 91st Academy Awards air February 24 on ABC.

Since 1929, the Academy Awards ceremony has been the biggest night in Hollywood. But do you really care anymore?

It feels like the Oscars are at a dire crossroads, from the telecast's sagging ratings to its lack of diversity — which was pushed front-and-center by #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 — to this year's hosting drama, and the stripping of categories from the live broadcast.

But some within Hollywood believe their big night has been on life support for some time.

Business Insider spoke to past Oscar show producers, Academy voters, and award show pundits to learn about the numerous attempts over the last two decades to make the Oscars telecast more modern. Despite these attempts, the show always seems to revert back to its more traditional form, and many in the industry think that's a terrible trend.

"The show needs to change," Bill Mechanic, an Oscar-nominated producer who resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' board of governors last year, told Business Insider. "But not in a way that it's watered down in terms of its artistic measurement, in fact, that should be preserved."

Here we investigate what has gone wrong with the Academy Awards and what needs to be fixed.

Where new ideas go to die

The last time the Oscars didn’t have a host was in 1989, and that year will forever be known for having the worst opening in the show’s history: an 11 minute-plus musical number that followed Snow White as she navigated through different eras of Hollywood and all its glamour. It ended with her doing a duet with — wait for it — Rob Lowe. 

The backlash was immediate, including Disney suing the Academy for using the likeness of Snow White, and changed the course of the Oscar show forever. A review committee was formed to audit the show from top to bottom, leading to former DGA president Gil Cates producing the show the following year. He brought on Billy Crystal to host, which led to the Oscars' golden years. Cates, who died in 2011, produced the show a record 14 times, including the 70th Academy Awards in 1998 when "Titanic" won best picture, and the show was seen by over 57 million viewers, the most watched in history.

Everything surrounding the 2019 Oscars makes it feel like the show is facing another moment when change is needed. But it can’t seem to get out of its own way.

Following the record-low ratings of last year’s show, the Academy’s attempt to rebound has been crippled by bad publicity.

When word hit in August that a popular movie category at the Oscars was being considered, the outrage came from both the public and the industry. Then in early DecemberKevin Hart walked away from hosting this year’s show following an uproar over his past homophobic remarks, leaving the evening without a host. That was followed by a short-lived attempt to control the show's run time by cutting out some of the performances from the best song nominees, and a new plan, announced Monday, to give out some technical awards during commercial breaks. (The Academy has since walked that back and said it will present all 24 categories live.)

The relegation of some awards to commercial breaks angered many in Hollywood.

"To be at the show and your award not to be worthy, I think it’s somewhat insulting," Lili Fini Zanuck, who produced the 72nd Oscars in 2000 with her husband Richard D. Zanuck (the two produced best picture winner "Driving Miss Daisy"), told Business Insider regarding the decision to not televise live all 24 award categories.

This kind of erratic maneuvering by the Academy is exactly the reason Bill Mechanic resigned from its board of governors last year. 

In a strongly worded farewell letter that Variety got its hands on, Mechanic — a former Fox executive, producer of the 82nd Oscars in 2010, and producer of best-picture nominee “Hacksaw Ridge” — said they had “failed to move the Oscars into the modern age.” He said the show was “long and boring” and that over the past decade, the Academy had “nominated so many smaller independent films that the Oscars feel like they should be handed out in a tent.”

“All my criticisms of when I quit the board are still valid,” Mechanic told Business Insider recently. “The simplest thing about the Academy, which is what got me riled up, is you have the best artists working, period, and that the membership is not being used to the degree that it should be is, to me, wrong ... Every idea should be considered.”

And ideas to make the ceremony more appealing to watch are brought up every year, they usually just don't stick.

Several former Oscar show producers told Business Insider that suggestions for something like a popular Oscar category, or limiting the number of awards presented during the live telecast, aren’t new. They have been kicked around within the Academy for over a decade. But the fact that those ideas are now at the point of serious consideration shows the severity of the situation the telecast is in. 

Zanuck recalled the effort to make the show look modern in the year she and her husband were at the controls in 2000. 

“I felt that it was a television show and the live audience was somewhat irrelevant, because they were there mostly as nominees,” she said. “What I wanted to do was make it a broadcast. And to do that you had to look at these other shows that were working at the time, like the MTV Movie Awards and Video Awards. They weren't only interesting but had a speed and a pacing to them.”

So the Zanucks ditched the old Hollywood sets of previous Oscars and dressed the stage with 35-foot columns consisting of HD monitors stacked atop each other. Throughout the night, the screens would show clips from previous Oscar shows as the presenters took the stage. And instead of a live orchestra playing music through the show, the Zanucks had a pop music score. They also gave the viewers at home a deeper look inside the show by cutting to shots of what was going on backstage.

It seemed to work.

The show, hosted by Crystal, took in close to 47 million viewers, a bump from the 46 million that watched it the year before when “Shakespeare in Love” shocked the world and won best picture over "Saving Private Ryan." In fact, it was the highest-rated show in this millennium. The Zanucks seemed to have updated the show in a way that still celebrated its history but was more engaging for viewers watching at home.

But, outside of the brief shots of the backstage, many of the things done at the 72nd Oscars were not used again.

“They needed to continue to build on this idea I had that it’s a TV show,” Zanuck said. “After we did our year they went back to old sets, something from the 1920s, that was just taking you somewhere you had already been. The fact that it became old fashioned again didn’t help. There was no freshness to it.”

Mechanic said he had his own popular Oscar idea the year he and producer-director Adam Shankman (“What Men Want”) did the Oscars in 2010. He wanted to have a selection of movies nominated for a viewers' choice Oscar. People at home would vote during the show. But he said it “fell on deaf ears.”

“A lot of people in the Academy don’t want to change anything and I think they are wrong not from a purist standpoint but from an entertainment standpoint,” Mechanic said. 

No host is the best thing that could have happened

Since the Academy is so resistant to change, the Oscars not having a host might be great for this year's telecast, since it forces everyone involved to get out of their comfort zone. 

“If you book presenters properly and they are big enough stars, you don’t need a host,” said Jeff Margolis, who directed the Oscars telecast eight times, many of them in the show’s glory days alongside Cates.

And Margolis knows a little something about doing the show without a host. The first ever Oscars he directed was in 1989, the last time the show didn’t have one. Though that show was infamous because of the Snow White opening, Margolis believes what Allan Carr, that year’s producer, did right was booking interesting presenters. 

“Allan called it, ‘couples, companions, and compadres,’” Margolis said about how they put together the presenters. “And it really worked.” 

The show featured presenters ranging from hot “it” couples of the time (Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith) to legendary duos from the movies (“Vertigo” stars Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak). 

Shankman, who produced the 82nd Oscars with Mechanic, pulled off the rare two-person-hosted show with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin (the show was one of the highest-rated in the last decade). But his favorite moment didn't involve the hosts.

“My year we had Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey present original screenplay, and I could have watched them all night, they weren’t the hosts,” he said.

Producers who have done major live TV shows other than the Oscars agreed that the lack of a host isn’t a big deal.

“People don’t like a host doing shtick anymore,” Ron Basile, a producer at AEG Ehrlich, the production company of veteran Grammys producer Kenneth Ehrlich, told Business Insider.

And Ian Stewart — who has worked on everything from the 2012 Olympics opening ceremonies, to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show — believes in today’s world it’s less about finding the right host and more about crafting viral content that can spread on social media.

“I certainly have a check list on my productions of what are the 10 viral moments that we would hope to facilitate,” he said. “I think it’s up to us to create those viral moments.”

Is it time to disrupt the bloated award season?

With some changes coming to this year's Oscars, and some of the biggest blockbusters of the year nominated for best picture (“Black Panther,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “A Star Is Born”), the telecast could be headed for a rebound year.

But even if the 91st Oscars are produced in a way that keeps viewers engaged, there’s still the issue of the time of year the ceremony takes place, which many believe is hurting the show.

Since the start of the Oscars almost a century ago, many other award shows have sprung up around it.

Read more: The 21 biggest Oscar upsets of all time, ranked

There are around 14 award ceremonies before the Oscars, from the ones televised (Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice Awards, Independent Spirit Awards) to the many more that aren’t (Gotham Awards, National Society of Film Critics Awards, Producers Guild, Directors Guild, Screenwriters Guild). And because of social media and the horse-race coverage of the Oscars lead-up, many are burnt out by the time the big night arrives.

“I love movies, and I’m in the business, and I’m even tired of seeing Hollywood pat themselves on the back so many times,” one Academy voter said.

Many in the Academy believe the Oscars need to happen earlier. The theory: to bring viewer intrigue back to the show, it should no longer be the final act of award season.

“The cannibalization of the specialness of the evening is probably, in my opinion, been the single worst thing for the Oscars,” Shankman said.

And this isn’t just a recent issue. Shankman recalled how obsessed everyone on the team was about every aspect of all the award shows leading up to their Oscars in 2010, so they wouldn't repeat anything that happened previously in an award show.

“We had a giant board with all the shows that happened before the Oscars,” he said. “We were just staring at it and it looked like we were in a bookie’s office. It had flow charts, who was walking out and presenting what. We were tracking who was showing up at each awards show. I looked at Bill and was like, ‘How are we going to make this feel special?’”

In the dog-eat-dog world that is Hollywood, many feel the biggest dog needs to own the turf better. And it seems the Academy has finally caught on. In 2020, the Oscars will air on February 9, marking the earliest the show has ever been presented. But some think it should be in January.

“The problem with doing that is voters will not have had enough of a chance to see the movies, and it would essentially be declaring war on all these other shows,” The Hollywood Reporter award columnist Scott Feinberg said.

Read more: Here's the complete list of the 2019 Oscar nominations

“They are going to make everybody else fit in a smaller window,” Gold Derby managing editor Chris Beachum said. “These non-televised events, they all rely on that evening being a big moneymaker for themselves — selling programs, advertisements, tables. They can't afford to give up that night. So now you're going to cause all of these award shows to fit into a much smaller window.”

Some aren’t as compassionate about this potential dilemma to award season.

“The Academy should push everybody out of business in terms of the awards,” Mechanic said. “There’s one award that matters and that’s the only thing to protect. There’s nothing else that matters.”

ABC has more control of the show than ever before

When it comes to the Oscars, there’s no way to satisfy everyone.

As Margolis put it, “From the fade up from black to the fade out at the end, everybody is looking for something to hate during that show.”

But despite all the negative reviews posted the following day, and complaints that go viral, that show is still a huge moneymaker for ABC, and the top TV event of the year besides the Super Bowl.

The network, which in 2016 extended its contract to air the Oscars through 2028, has consistently raised the cost of the ad spots that run during the telecast. In 2017, it was $1.91 million per 30-second spot; last year, it was $2 million; and this year, $3 million. 

It’s a phenomenon that’s going on with all live "must-see" TV: ratings are sliding, but brands still believe it's worth being there.

“If you're a sponsor and you're trying to reach any kind of mass appeal, you sort of grab at the platforms that can still do that," CNN media critic Brian Lowry said. "The Oscars is in the same way that sports have an advantage, if you are really into the Oscars, you don't want to DVR it and watch the next day. I wouldn't be surprised to see Netflix, Amazon, or HBO ponying up for some ads during the Oscars because to launch your new spring shows it's going to be one of the last big platforms to reach a lot of people."

But ABC is now doing more than just selling ads.

The network is through standing back and letting the Academy have full control of the show, which is how it had been for decades. One of the stipulations in the 2016 contract extension was that ABC now has more say in key creative aspects of the show. The choice of host and producer is now a discussion between ABC and the Academy (though the Academy has final say). This is why in the last two years you’ve seen a lot more ABC/Disney elements on the show, like Jimmy Kimmel hosting and using Disney titles in his stunts.

Sources told Business Insider that for years ABC has wanted the show to only be three hours long, so coming off a year that had the worst ratings ever, it's safe to say the network has more leverage than ever when it comes to run time.

Read more: The 15 Oscar best-picture winners that made the most money at the US box office

“There is going to come a time when ABC expects the Academy to continue to deliver the product that they thought they were buying,” Feinberg said. “So far since that contract was extended I don’t think they can be all that pleased by what they’ve got.”

“This has to be said, nobody does this show to fail,” Shankman said. “Everybody goes in wanting desperately to do the best job that they can and to honor the evening and to honor the people that are involved. Even the years that have been lowest in the ratings, there have been wonderful parts of the show."

But it is hard to balance all the forces at play: ratings, artistic integrity, tradition, freshness. Often what you end up with is a show that satisfies no one.

“The show has stopped being what it’s supposed to be, which is a way to acknowledge each other,” Zanuck said. “That’s why it started as a dinner. No one was worried about what someone in Oklahoma thought. When it sounds like you need some gimmick to get people to watch, it’s so desperate and I think in a lot of ways that desperate feeling is what’s going to take it all down. The show has to get its integrity back. Winning an Oscar has got to mean something. If it keeps with these gasping for air moves, I don’t know where it can go.”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not respond to Business Insider's numerous requests to comment for this story.

SEE ALSO: The 10 worst movies to win the best picture Oscar — and what should have won

Join the conversation about this story »

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Popular skin-care company Bliss just launched their latest collection of products at Target.
• It's called Rose Gold Rescue, and it's made specifically with sensitive skin in mind.
• Rose water and colloidal gold are the line's hero ingredients, promising to reduce redness, bitchiness, and soothe easily irritated complexions.
• I tested the Rose Gold Rescue collection on my sensitive skin, and was impressed with how well it noticeably reduced redness, especially considering the line's super affordable prices ($9.99 - $18.99). The toning face mist ($12) was a standout for me.

When it comes to skin care, I'm a skeptic. My fair and easily irritated complexion has been burnt too many times before by my thoughtless purchases — cheap cleansers and moisturizers that leave my skin itchy, red, or even worse, actually stinging. I've since learned my lesson.

While I love trying the latest and greatest in serums and such, it took me years to find the right products to keep my sensitive skin smooth and clear, so before I try a new product, I do my due-diligence. 

I approached the Bliss Rose Gold Rescue collection— a new launch made specifically for sensitive skin — with my usual caution. Rose gold makes a great accent in your living room, but a rose gold skincare line seemed a little more like a trendy gimmick than a practical product.

Regardless, I did my research and was impressed with the list of ingredients — the line is cruelty-free as well as free from parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, and plenty of other harmful ingredients. So, I took the plunge and incorporated the new products into my daily routine — and my sensitive skin has been thanking me since. 

The Bliss Rose Gold Rescue collection includes a cleanser, moisturizer, and toning mist. The rose gold motif extends beyond the collection's pretty packaging and into each product — rose water and colloidal gold are the line's hero ingredients. Soothing rose water helps maintain your skin's natural pH and retain moisture, while nourishing colloidal gold works to protect skin against free radicals. Paired with other gentle, rejuvenating ingredients and free from harmful ones, this collection is designed to rid skin of dry patches, redness, or any other irritations — revealing that illustrious glowy complexion. You might expect the shiny collection to retail for rose gold-like prices, but each of the products are actually under $20 at Target. 

You can buy just one of the products to incorporate into your current skin-care routine or use the complete collection as your new regimen. For testing purposes, I used all three products simultaneously. 

The cleanser

I started the routine with the Gentle Foaming Cleanser ($13). The consistency is a light gel, speckled with rose gold shimmer and a faint rose scent. The cleanser uses willow bark extract, a natural exfoliant, to gently remove dirt, makeup, and excess oils. It also helps shed dead skin cells, which brightened my complexion. I used this cleanser alone, as well as with a Foreo Luna cleansing brush, and each time it left my skin feeling refreshingly clean and smooth. 

The toner

From there, I moved on to the Soothing Toner Mist ($12). If you're prone to irritation, the word toner may be alarming — many toners are alcohol-based, which can irritate and dry out sensitive skin. Rest assured, this mist is not only alcohol-free, but full of nourishing ingredients for your skin to soak up. Chamomile extract helps block damaging free radicals, willow herb extract helps soothe skin, witch hazel uses powerful antioxidants to reduce inflammation and minimize the appearance of pores, and rose stem cells help retain moisturize and protect skin from the environmental stressors we encounter every day.

This light mist delivers a hefty amount of skin-soothing ingredients in just a few spritzes. While it can be used under the moisturizer, I enjoyed using it most for a mid-day refresh. Even when wearing makeup, I find that by the afternoon my skin usually gets red and loses the bounce it had in the morning. A bit of this mist, with its delightful, light floral scent, revitalized my senses and complexion. 

The moisturizer

The last step in this routine is the Gentle Moisture Cream ($21). Given that it's winter and my skin gets pretty dry, I was happy that this was a thick cream, rather than a thin lotion. Slather this on for some serious moisture, day and night. The added jojoba oil and German chamomile help skin retain moisturize, while rose stem cells limit water loss, so skin looks plump and hydrated. The cream absorbs really nicely into the skin, and while the consistency is thick, it's not heavy, so it won't make your skin look greasy. 

After a few days of following this routine, I was happy to find that the claims that this collection is made for sensitive skin were really true — my skin had not one adverse reaction. Even more impressive though, was that my skin looked noticeably less red after just a few uses. I could forgo concealer, and not just because I didn't have time to put it on as per usual, but because I actually wanted to.

Of course, what works for me might not work for everyone, but with a price tag of just about $40 for the entire collection, I think the Rose Gold Rescue collection is definitely worth a try for anyone with sensitive skin looking to shake up their routine. 

Shop the Bliss Rose Gold Rescue Collection at Target and Bliss. 

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