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Millennials and Gen Zers are turning to an unlikely source in an attempt to crowdfund cash for everything from coffee to medical bills

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millennial gen z texting.JPG

When strapped for cash, what's a millennial or Gen Zer to do?

Turn to Venmo, apparently.

Young adults in need of money are using the mobile payment app as a crowdfunding platform by calling for financial help on Twitter and including a link to their Venmo account, reported Suhauna Hussain for the Los Angeles Times.

"Users seek to crowdfund a few hundred dollars for rent or food, burdensome expenses such as medical bills, surgery, immigration fees, a family member's funeral, and even a couple dollars for a cup of coffee or a trip to the nail salon," she wrote. 

The trend is commonly seen among those in marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community, Hussain said.

One college student raised $1,500 when her father was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody; another student with a pile of rent, tuition, and medical bills received $150 for food; and a third student has raised money several times for everything from DACA renewal fees to a study abroad program, Hussain reported.

But crowdfunding isn't what Venmo was intended for. 

The app is typically used to make splitting payments easier — paying back a friend your portion of the dinner check or a sibling your half of a birthday gift for a parent. But now Venmo has, in part, taken on a similar function to GoFundMe, where people often raise money for unexpected financial circumstances.

Venmo has made it clear it's not a peer of the fundraising site: "We're definitely not a GoFundMe and we certainly don't facilitate charitable payments," a Venmo spokesperson told Hussain. 

Read more: Meet the average American millennial, who has an $8,000 net worth, is delaying life milestones because of student loan debt, and still relies on their parents for money

Millennials are floundering in the face of The Great American Affordability Crisis

Millennials' and Gen Zs' decision to use Venmo as a crowdfunding source is symptomatic of the financial burdens they're shouldering. Faced with a high cost of living, staggering student-loan debt, and the fallout of the Great Recession, American millennials are trying to make ends meet in the midst of The Great American Affordability Crisis.

Consider this: The typical American millennial has a net worth of less than $8,000, less than $5,000 in their savings account, and makes $35,592 a year. Being financially behind is causing them to delay major life milestones, like getting married and having kids.

Meanwhile, Gen Z is worried about being able to cover everyday expenses like morning coffee and transportation to work. A new report by Bankrate found that everyday expenses are the biggest financial stressor keeping the generation up at night. And more than a quarter of Gen Z respondents in Bankrate's study said they worry about paying for their own or a family member's education.

Read the full article at the Los Angeles Times »

SEE ALSO: 2019 is the final class of millennial college graduates. Next stop: The Great American Affordability Crisis.

DON'T MISS: Millennials have been called the 'brokest' and the 'richest' generation, and experts say both of those are true

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Kylie Jenner is the world's second highest-paid celebrity. Here's how she makes and spends her $1 billion.


The 30 most popular products from last year's Amazon Prime Day — including the ones that surprised us

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Amazon Prime 2018 Products

  • In July of last year, Amazon hosted its highly anticipated Amazon Prime Day event where Prime members got access to deep discounts on thousands of products.
  • The sitewide event has some of the best discounts you'll see all year — and new sales show up every few minutes on everything from tech, to home goods, to apparel, and more. 
  • We compiled a list of the deals our readers loved the most to help you navigate future Prime Day discounts, like the ones coming up this July 15 on Amazon Prime Day 2019
  • Don't have time to sift through millions of deals? We'll be doing it for you. Check out the best deals of Prime Day 2019 here.

Prime Day may be Amazon's made-up retail holiday, but it also happens to play host to some of the best sales and deals you'll see on products all year.

This year, Prime Day 2019 will take place on July 15-16, 2019. It will be live for 48 hours, a departure from last year's 36 hours of deals.

Every year, the Insider Picks team sorts through thousands of deals in real time on Prime Day to share the top 1% of discounts buried in an avalanche of thousands. But once Prime Day is over, it's always fun to go back and see what deals resonated most with Business Insider readers. It helps us get better at finding the sort of deals you'd like to know about, and it helps us become more discerning in the deals we cherry-pick for you on future Amazon Prime Days.

If you're interested, take a look at the 30 products Business Insider readers bought the most on Amazon's Prime Day last year, starting with the most popular.

Read more:Amazon Prime Day 2019: Every deals article we've written so far

SEE ALSO: What is Amazon Prime Day? Everything you need to know and what to expect this July

1. iRobot Roomba 671

iRobot Roomba 671 Robot Vacuum with Wi-Fi Connectivity, Works with Alexa, $289.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $229.99] 

The Roomba 671 was no surprise at all given that it was at its lowest price ever. This intelligent robot vacuum uses a proprietary three-stage system to clean everything from fine particulates — like dust — to larger debris like sand, hair, and sizeable crumbs. It's Alexa-enabled, so you can control it with your voice or with the available smartphone app. You can read more about the vacuum here.



2. Audible membership

Audible membership, first 3 months $4.95 per month, or get an Echo Dot for $0.99 when you sing up for an annual membership [Last year's Prime Day promotion: first 3 months for $4.95 per month]

For last year's Prime Day, Amazon discounted its Audible service by 66%, meaning new subscribers could get four months at $4.95 per month rather than $14.95. Audible gives you access to one audiobook credit per month (which never expire) and 30% off additional audiobooks. 



3. Kindle Unlimited membership

Kindle Unlimited membership, free 3 months free [Last year's Prime Day promotion: first 3 months for $1] 

Among our own readers, the No. 3 best seller was a promotional deal Amazon ran on Kindle Unlimited— a departure from past years dominated by tech. With the deal, Prime members who hadn't yet tried the service could sign up for three months of Kindle Unlimited, and get access to over 1 million books, for just $1. The service usually goes for $30 for the same time frame.

 



4. Instant Pot multi-cooker

Instant Pot DUO60, 6 Quart, $59.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $58.99]

Instant Pot Ultra, 8 Quart, $126 [Last year's Prime Day price, $179.95]

The Instant Pot is not at all surprisingly in fourth place, especially seeing as the site sold a whopping 300,000 of them on Amazon Prime Day. 

Depending on the model you get, you can feed families of 6 or more in one fell swoop, and it can replace 10 common kitchen appliances with one: It's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté pan, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer. It also has 16 smart programs, which include Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Cake, Egg, and Slow Cook, among others.

Even without a sale, it's a small kitchen appliance with big impact. It's also the top of our list for the best instant cookers.



5. Dyson V8 Absolute vacuum

Dyson V8 Absolute Cord-Free Stick Vacuum (Refurbished), $369.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $364.99] 

Few people who invest in a Dyson vacuum ever regret doing so. The powerful suction drives deep into surfaces to remove dirt, dust, and debris, while the cord-free design makes it convenient to move around your space. It also filters the air as you clean, so your home will be cleaner from top to bottom. 

 



6. 23andMe DNA test

23andMe DNA Test, $199 [Last year's Prime Day price, $99.99]

The 23andMe DNA test offers personalized genetic reports to help you learn about your ancestry, traits, and certain aspects of your health. All you do is take a sample of your saliva, send it to the company's lab, and wait for results.



7. Tuft & Needle mattress

Tuft & Needle Queen Mattress, $595 [Last year's Prime Day price, $459]

This discount was a good excuse to finally switch out the old, unsupportive mattress lurking in your room. It helps that Tuft & Needle's mattresses, made with its signature pressure-relieving adaptive foam, are well received among shoppers already. They're easy to set up, they have medium firmness and support, and they come with a 10-year limited warranty. 



8. Whynter portable air conditioner and heater

Whynter ARC-14SH Portable Air Conditioner and Heater, Dehumidifier, $499 [Last year's Prime Day price, n/a]

Our pick for best portable air conditioner became a top seller perhaps because it was the dead of summer and shoppers couldn't take the stifling heat in their homes any longer. This ultra-quiet unit is easy to maintain because it has an advanced self-evaporating technology. It's also great because its use extends past summer, turning into a heater or dehumidifier. 

 

 



9. ECOVACS DEEBOT N79S robot vacuum cleaner

ECOVACS DEEBOT N79S Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Max Power Suction and Alexa Connectivity, $199.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $169.98]

The ECOVAC robot vacuum has a max-mode cleaning setting for when you need to clean with double the power, and it's as easy as switching it on in the app or by remote. It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice commands and has a 100-minute life battery, as well as auto-return charging. 



11. Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote

Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, $39.99 [Last year's Prime Day price on older generation model, $19.99]

With the Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can stream media to any TV with an HDMI input. Popular services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Showtime, Sling, and NBC are all available in addition to Amazon Prime Video. With Alexa capabilities, you can control the TV with your voice. The Stick is small enough to take with you when you travel, so you can plug it into a hotel TV, too.

The Fire TV Stick on sale last year was an older generation. The link above is for Amazon's newest Fire TV Stick. 



11. Eufy Robovac 11 vacuum

Eufy Robovac 11 Vacuum, from $324.17 (currently only available from third-party sellers) [Last year's Prime Day price, $159.99]

At just $160, Eufy's vacuum was a great value buy. It's only about three inches tall, allowing it to sneak under tables and couches to tackle the dirt of the most difficult-to-reach areas. The vacuum can run for 1.5 hours at a time, then recharges automatically. 



12. Bose QuietComfort 25 noise-cancelling headphones

Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise-Cancelling Headphones, $177.50 [Last year's Prime Day price, $125]

Any time Bose discounts its products this heavily, people tend to respond enthusiastically. This pair works particularly well for travelers thanks to its comfort and noise-canceling feature. It was sold at the lowest price we've ever seen over Amazon Prime Day. 



13. Sony wireless noise-canceling headphones

Sony Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones, $198 [Last year's Prime Day price, $98]

Another tech brand not known for deep discounts, Sony was a predictable success given its name recognition and how great its products are. This pair's noise cancellation adjusts to your environment with One Push and promises 35 hours of battery, as well as quick charging. There's a built-in microphone for hands-free calls and use with your voice assistant.



14. Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo (2nd Generation), $69.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $69.99]

The Echo features Dolby speakers that play 360° audio with clear vocals and dynamic bass response, plus seven microphones so it can hear your commands even as music is playing. Available in three different fabric finishes and one wood finish, it doesn't look too bad either, blending into living room or kitchen settings. 

 



15. Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation), $39.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $29.99]

The Amazon Echo Dot is a miniaturized, unobtrusive iteration of Amazon's popular smart home device. Play music, set alarms, send messages, look up information, control your Alexa-connected TV, turn lights on and off, and much more, all with your voice. 

If you've never tried one out before, we have a guide to help you make the most of its features. 



16. Amazon Echo Show

Amazon Echo Show, $229.99 [Last year's Prime Day price on older generation model, $129.99] 

The newest Echo Show combines the speaker quality of the Echo and Echo Plus with the visual capabilities of the Echo Spot, and now has a larger (10") HD screen and eight-mic array. Make a video call to a friend or family member, watch and follow recipe videos hands-free, and pull up the lyrics to sing along to your favorite song. 

The Echo Show on sale last year was an older generation. The link above is for Amazon's newest Echo Show. 



17. Sennheiser HD 4.50 SE wireless noise-cancelling headphones

Sennheiser HD 4.50 SE Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, $199.95 [Last year's Prime Day price, $99] 

A third over-ear, noise-cancelling option: Sennheiser's vibrantly crisp headphones. Reviewers warn that it's not the most comfortable for large heads, so proceed with caution. Other than that caveat, however, it's a solid set for its price. It also has an impressive battery life of 19 hours, and up to 25 without the noise-cancelling feature. 



18. Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader, $149.99 [Last year's Prime Day price on older generation model, $79.99] 

The most popular Kindle was $40 cheaper on Amazon Prime Day. It has a high-resolution display (300 ppl) and an adjustable built-in light. It's lightweight, comfortable to hold, and lets you download millions of books with the click of a button instead of trying to shove a few more onto your bookshelf or in your backpack. 

The Kindle Paperwhite on sale last year was an older generation. The link above is for Amazon's newest waterproof Kindle Paperwhite



19. Amazon Echo Spot

Amazon Echo Spot, $129.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $99.99] 

The small screen of the Echo Spot lets you video chat, watch videos, and see content at a glance. The compact size makes it perfect as a bedside smart alarm clock — one that gives you a glimpse of front-door cameras, thermostat and garage door controls, and more. 



20. Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Classic electric toothbrush

Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Classic, $169 [Last year's Prime Day price, $119.95]

Philips Sonicare says its popular electric toothbrush removes up to seven times more plaque than a manual toothbrush. There are five brushing modes: Clean, White, Sensitive, Gum Care, and Deep Clean. 



21. Samsung Galaxy S8 unlocked 64GB

Samsung Galaxy S8 Unlocked 64GB, $371.56 [Last year's Prime Day price, $499.99] 

Right now, the Galaxy S8 is at its lowest price, but at the time, shoppers were saving more than $200 on this smartphone. To enjoy its large screen and high-quality camera without committing to a mobile-provider contract, get this unlocked phone for less than $400 right now.



22. LifeStraw personal water filter

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for Hiking, Camping, Travel, and Emergency Preparedness, $17.47 [Last year's Prime Day price, $9.99]

The LifeStraw removes bacteria and parasites from water as well as microplastics, so you can have the peace of mind of a lightweight, mobile water purifier wherever you go. It's a no-brainer for hiking, camping, travel, and being prepared for an emergency.

But even given its incredible utility, Amazon selling 150,000 still came as a surprise to most. 



23. Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Ring Video Doorbell Pro, $249 [Last year's Prime Day price, $174.99] 

See exactly who's standing at your door and finally catch your neighborhood package thief with this smart video doorbell. It monitors your home in 1080HD video with infrared night vision, then sends alerts to your phone or Echo device when motion is detected. 



24. Oral-B White Pro 1000 electric toothbrush

Oral-B White Pro 1000 Power Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, $49.94 [Last year's Prime Day price, $39.94]

An Oral-B electric toothbrush being sold for less than $40 kind of speaks for itself, especially since the genre is usually dominated by numbers that edge closer to $100. 



25. Breville BES870XL Barista Express espresso machine

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, $479.95 [Last year's Prime Day price, $469.99] 

Enjoy the riches of cafe-quality espresso at home with this Breville machine. It's a bit of a splurge, as most espresso machines are, but it comes with everything you'll need (save for the beans), and it's pretty easy to use. 

 

 



26. Samsung SmartThings home-monitoring kit

Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit, $148.95 [Last year's Prime Day price, n/a]

So you have a handful of smart devices scattered around your house. Now it's time to get organized and connect them to one central hub. The Samsung SmartThings kit works with a wide range of devices including lights, speakers, locks, thermostats, and sensors. 



27. Coop Home Goods memory-foam pillow

Coop Home Goods Memory-Foam Pillow, $59.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $39.79] 

At the end of a long day of deals-hunting, nothing feels better than resting your head on a comfortable pillow. It has a 4.3 rating from more than 16,000 reviews because of its luxurious microfiber feel and adjustable memory-foam fill. 



28. Amazon Cloud Cam

Amazon Cloud Cam Security Camera, Works with Alexa, $119.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, $59.99]

In another deal that was too good to go unnoticed, Amazon discounted the Cloud Cam by 50%.

The smart security camera can send notifications to your phone when it senses motion, allowing you to travel with peace of mind knowing you can stream video on demand to see what's going on. It features night vision and two-way audio, and it's compatible with Amazon Alexa.



29. PurSteam Elite garment steamer

PurSteam Elite Garment Steamer, $69.99 [Last year's Prime Day price, n/a] 

You can stop ironing with this clothes steamer on hand, which heats up in under a minute, can be used on all types of fabrics (including delicates), and releases wrinkles faster than ironing. 

 

 



30. Fitbit Alta HR

Fitbit Alta HR, from $74.98 [Last year's Prime Day price, $89.95] 

Fitbit's slim but powerful fitness tracker does everything from track your deep and REM sleep to help you find the right workout intensity for your fitness goals. 

Are you ready for Amazon Prime Day 2019? Here are other resources to help you prepare: 



This $13 toothbrush has bristles on both sides, which makes it easier for my toddler to brush her own teeth

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grabeases double sided toddler toothbrush review

  • The Grabease Double Sided Toothbrush has a choke guard, short handle, and bristles on both sides to make it easy for toddlers to brush their own teeth — and let's be real — for parents to do it for them.
  • I found that the toothbrush makes it quicker and easier for me to brush my toddler's teeth because I can get to more teeth at once.
  • This $12.50 toothbrush was invented by an 8-year-old girl, and every purchase helps support a charitable organization.  

My 1-year-old daughter Ellie loves to "brush" her teeth. And by "brush," I actually mean hold the toothbrush while she sucks off all the toothpaste.

When I try to brush them for her, she usually gets upset and almost always put her tongue in the way. My usual plan of attack is to let Ellie hold her own toothbrush to distract her while I try to get in there with another toothbrush. When she gets distracted or moves her tongue out of the way, I use that opportunity to brush as many teeth as I can. 

So when I heard about the Grabease double sided toothbrush from a press release, I was genuinely curious and intrigued. It turns out that the toothbrush was invented by 8-year-old Alma, the daughter of Grabease founder Maya Shalev, when she saw her mom struggling to brush her little brother's teeth.

When I was sent a sample of the toothbrush in the blush color, I was happy to try anything that might make brushing Ellie's teeth easier. 

Read more: The best toothbrushes for kids you can buy

Design

If you have questions about when to start brushing your child's teeth or concerns about your child's oral development at all, talk to your pediatrician or schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist.

Every parents' experience is going to be different, but I found that the design did help me have more success brushing Ellie's teeth.

When you only have about 10 seconds to get a toothbrush in a child's mouth, the more surface area there is, the more chances you have to actually brush a few teeth before a major meltdown happens. A lot of toddlers don't have the patience to stand in the bathroom and brush their teeth — they think one quick swipe of the toothbrush will do it. If you have a toddler like that, this toothbrush can help cut the time they spend brushing in half. 

That because the design of the Grabease toothbrush is really unique and efficient.

It has a long tapered brush head, which makes it easy to get the bristles to the back of your baby or toddler's mouth, and double-sided bristles, which help you brush more teeth at once.

Whether I'm brushing Ellie's teeth for her or she's doing it herself, we can brush the top and bottom teeth at the same time and cut down on the overall time we need to spend brushing. The double-sided feature is also really helpful when Ellie bites down on the toothbrush. When she does that with a regular toothbrush, I can't pull it out of her mouth, but with this one, if I try pulling it out, the bristles will make contact with a few teeth along the way. 

The toothbrush also features a short handle that makes it easy for Ellie to grab herself, and a choke guard so little ones don't choke or gag from getting the toothbrush too far into their mouths. Sometimes Ellie will run away from me with her toothbrush in her mouth, and the choke guard on this toothbrush makes that tiny act of rebellion at least a little bit safer. 

The toothbrush also comes with a finger brush, which you can use for young babies who are just getting used to having their teeth brushed. The earlier you start this routine, the more receptive your baby might be to having their teeth brushed. You can even start brushing their gums gently with a finger brush before they have any teeth.

The toothbrush costs just $12.50 and comes in three colors— blush, teal, and gray. Ellie has a blush one.

Read more: Popular oral-care startup Quip has a new $25 electric toothbrush for kids — here's what it looks like and how it's different

Grabease

An added bonus

Grabease has also set up its own charity called PROJECT elli&nooli, and donates a portion of profits from sales and different campaigns to help women and children around the world. While the toothbrush isn't part of a philanthopic campaign at the moment, each set of its utensil set provides two meals to a child in need. 

Cons to consider

The choke guard is great when Ellie is trying to brush her teeth herself — and especially when she runs away from me with her toothbrush in her mouth — but I find that it can get in the way when I try to brush her teeth for her. Specifically, when I brush her front teeth from side to side, the edge of the choke guard sometimes hits her face and stops me from being able to brush where I want more freely. 

The bottom line

Grabease really hit the mark with this toothbrush and has found a way to give toddlers the autonomy they want with a safe and effective toothbrush. 

But if you're not sold on this one, you can try the $19.99 Brusheez Electronic Toothbrush, which comes with a rinsing cup, sand timer, and a cute animal head to cover the toothbrush. This would be a fun option if you have an older toddler who doesn't want to brush his or her teeth because it's boring. The $10.98 Jordan Step 1 Baby Toothbrush is another option designed to prevent babies and toddlers from choking on the toothbrush, but also has an area for teething babies to chew on. 

If you want to make the process of brushing your toddler's teeth a little bit easier, the Grabease can help. Even just providing something different that's new and exciting like this unique toothbrush can help your child get excited about brushing his or her teeth. 

Pros: Reaches more teeth at once with double-sided brush head, choke guard makes it a safer product than traditional toothbrushes 

Cons: Choke guard can sometimes gets in the way

Buy the Double Sided Toothbrush from Grabease for $12.50

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Taylor Swift is the world's highest-paid celebrity. Here's how she makes and spends her $360 million.

The KitchenAid stand mixer deals we're expecting to see on Amazon Prime Day 2019

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kitchen

There are some things that never go out of style — great-fitting jeans, chocolate chip cookies, paperback books, KitchenAid stand mixers. 

A perennial favorite, the KitchenAid stand mixer is the wedding gift that's been on registries for years, the gadget that's made its way onto many a cooking show, and the appliance you're just as likely to find in your grandma's kitchen as you are in your cool younger cousin's. 

The KitchenAid stand mixer has become the gold-standard in kitchen appliances — and for good reason. While models and sizes vary, a KitchenAid stand mixer allows you to make everything from whipped cream to bread, and whip up enough dough for more than 13 dozen cookies in no time — making it one of those coveted kitchen items that home cooks dream of having on their countertop.

Given their quality design and multitude of uses, KitchenAid stand mixers are undeniably pricey. If you've been eyeing one but haven't taken the plunge due to the pricetag, you're in luck. We have a feeling we'll see some pretty great deals on KitchenAid stand mixers on Amazon Prime Day 2019. 

Our predictions for Prime day 2019 KitchenAid deals

Last year, Prime members saved big on the six-quart KitchenAid Professional Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer. As one of the biggest and most powerful models, the mixer rings in at a hefty $449.99. For Prime Day, the mixer was just $220 — meaning Prime members saved $230, more than 50% off the original price. This deal was so good that it sold out, understandably so. 

KitchenAid

Since Prime Day will be live for two full days this year, we think there's a chance of seeing even more KitchenAid deals. While we can't be sure, we wouldn't be surprised if we saw savings on the KitchenAid Artisan Mini Series Mixer, as it's already a smaller and more affordable option. 

In the meantime, if you're interested in snagging a KitchenAid stand mixer this Prime Day, we suggest getting ahead of the game and preparing for the possible savings. Read our guide to the best KitchenAid mixers to get a sense of which appliance is best for your needs. Use the Amazon app to keep an eye on any and all devices that pique your interest, and make sure you never miss a Prime Day deal. Last but not least, bookmark this page — we'll update it with any deals that come our way, so we'd recommend checking back here every now and then. 

If you can hold out until Prime Day 2019, you'll likely be able to experience the joys of a KitchenAid stand mixer for much less.

Check back as Amazon Prime Day 2019 approaches to learn more about all the KitchenAid stand mixer deals.

Join the conversation about this story »

Here's what you should buy on Amazon Prime Day 2019 based on the best deals we've seen in past years

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what to buy on prime day 8

Last year, Amazon pushed forward more than 1 million deals over the course of 1.5 days during its annual sales event, Prime Day. That's a huge number, and it's nice knowing you'll have plenty of options to shop, but it's also just plain overwhelming.

A million deals is more than enough to make your head spin, which is why Insider Picks rounds up the best Prime Day deals for you every year to help you save on a new piece of tech, kitchen appliance, or clothing — without having to spend hours clicking through pages of deals. 

Read more: The best Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals Prime members can get before July 15-16

Prime Day is bigger than ever and will be live for 48 hours this year, starting at 12 a.m. PT on July 15 and ending at 11:59 p.m. PT on July 16

Again, it will feature more than 1 million deals around the world, including the biggest Prime Day deals ever on Alexa-enabled devices.

These are some early deals that have already been announced and hint at what's to come on July 15-16: 

Below, we've put together a general guide to the other types of deals you should be keeping an eye on, as well as links to product categories and brand pages that you can bookmark directly. We've been covering Prime Day every year since it first started in 2015, so we've developed a pretty good sense for the types of products that will have the best deals. 

Before you crack your knuckles and get to clicking, remember that you must first be an Amazon Prime member in order to access Prime Day deals. Start your free 30-day trial now so you'll be able to shop on Prime Day and also try out the dozens of other benefits included in your membership

Read on for a guide to what you should buy on Amazon Prime Day 2019

Want to stay updated on everything Prime Day 2019? Bookmark this page and our master guide to the best deals of Prime Day.

Amazon devices and services

Shop Amazon device deals on Prime Day here

Prime Day wouldn't be complete without nearly every Amazon device and service you can think of going on sale. The bookworm-ish Picks team highly recommends picking up a Kindle ebook reader, along with a Kindle Unlimited membership, both of which make reading more convenient and enjoyable.

You'll also get excellent bang for your buck in one of Amazon's many Echo smart speakers. Last year, all but one of them cost under $100. Fire tablets and Fire TV devices, along with Audible and Amazon Music memberships, ensure you'll be entertained through the rest of summer and beyond.



Speakers and headphones

Shop speaker deals on Prime Day here

Shop headphone deals on Prime Day here

Whether you want to blast your music loud and clear or keep the listening experience to yourself, you'll be able to save this Prime Day. Deals we've seen in the past were no small change: think $300 off KEF Bookshelf Loudspeakers and $50 to $60 off portable Bluetooth speakers from brands like Ultimate Ears. Unlike other categories, which may be dominated by just a few brands, there will be a large variety of speaker and headphone brands fighting to offer the best Prime Day 2019 deals. 



Smart security and smart lighting

Shop smart security deals on Prime Day here

Shop smart lighting deals on Prime Day here

There was an almost overwhelming number of smart security camera and smart lighting deals on Prime Day last year. Amazon-owned Ring usually discounts a number of its cameras, with the Doorbell Pro being the most popular, but the Doorbell 2 and Spotlight Cam are quality alternatives. While Ring devices are doorbell-camera systems, Blink makes dedicated security camera systems if you prefer those. 

Inside the home, Philips Hue smart light bulbs are a cool and convenient home upgrade that won't take much set-up or maintenance. Last year, the deals from Sengled and Leviton also caught our eyes. 



Kitchen appliances

Shop small kitchen appliance deals on Prime Day here

If you haven't joined the cult of Instant Pot yet, Prime Day is your chance because various Instant Pot models go on sale every single year. Other small kitchen appliances you might want to buy are blenders, coffee makers, sous vide cookers, and air fryers. Classic brands like Crock-Pot, Vitamix, Cuisinart, Keurig, and KitchenAid all saw significant deals during past Prime Day events. 



Bulk home supplies

Shop bulk home supply deals on Prime Day here

We look through deals all day long come Prime Day, but the deals we end up buying ourselves are also often the most overlooked: bulk home supplies like toilet paper and paper towels. Amazon's Presto! brand is highly rated and already affordable, and you'll be able to save even more on Prime Day. After the sales event, you can bet you won't be running out of toilet paper any time soon. 



Vacuum cleaners

Shop vacuum deals on Prime Day here

Top-performing vacuums from brands such as Eufy, Dyson, and iRobot are normally quite the investment. On Prime Day, however, you can usually take $100 off these popular robot vacuum cleaners and cordless vacuum cleaners. There will also be plenty of regular vacuum cleaners on sale, but if you want an especially high-tech and powerful model, we would place our bets on deals from the brands above. 



Back-to-school supplies

Shop office and school supply deals on Prime Day here

Prime Day is prime time to get ahead of the back-to-school shopping rush. Although you or your student may not be going back to school until August or September, it's smart to take advantage of current deals. Last year, we saw deals for supplies (Crayola, Sharpie, Post-It), backpacks (Herschel, Under Armour), laptops (Acer, ASUS, Google), and dorm-room essentials (RoomMates, AmazonBasics). 



Insider Picks Buying Guide-approved products

When the best of the best are on sale, it's a no-brainer to go for the purchase. We organize our deal roundups by category (e.g. tech, home and kitchen, baby) and budget (e.g. under $50, under $25), but we also highlight when the products we recommend in our buying guides are enjoying deals on Prime Day. Last year, we showed you 100 of the best products, from laptops to sports accessories, that were on sale.

Check back during Prime Day 2019 for a similar Insider Picks buying guide. 



The best vacuum deals you'll find on Prime Day 2019 — including upright, cordless, and robot vacuums

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  • Vacuums of all types — upright, cordless, robot, and more — will be on sale during Prime Day, which runs from July 15-16. 
  • We anticipate that you could save more than $100 on popular models from brands like Dyson and iRobot. See our Prime Day vacuum deal predictions below.
  • Every year, we round up the best Prime Day deals worth shopping. Shop the best deals of Amazon Prime Day 2019 here.

No matter how diligently you clean your house, it seems like your floor always gets dirty and dusty again in no time. But with a powerful vacuum, you'll be able to do a more thorough cleaning job with less physical effort. 

DuringPrime Day, you can pick up a quality vacuum on Amazon— one that won't break down within a few uses or falter upon encountering pet hair — for less that usual.

There are many different types of vacuums to choose from, including cordless and robot varieties — but don't just spring for the most affordable or trendiest one. Remember that the right vacuum for you will depend on the size of your home, the type of flooring you have, how often you'd like to clean, and whether you own pets.

This Prime Day, expect deals from popular brands like Dyson, iRobot, Eufy, and BissellLast year, Prime members saved on two high-performing Dyson cordless vacs: $70 off the Dyson V7 and $135 off the Dyson V8. Meanwhile, robot vacuum competitor Ecovacs held its own against favorites iRobot and Eufy with $120 off its Deebot N79S, a smart assistant-compatible vacuum with three cleaning modes and a 110-minute run time.

For more guidance on what type of vacuum you should buy, check out the guides first:

If there's a vacuum you like and it's sold on Amazon, we recommend waiting until Prime Day to see if it will go on sale. Or, if you plan to go with whichever one has the best deal, bookmark this page. 

We'll be updating this list of the best Prime Day 2019 vacuum deals throughout the event (July 15-16), so check back then.

Just keep in mind that you have to have an Amazon Prime membership in order to take advantage of the deals, so if you haven't already, you might want to sign up for a free 30-day trial membership to get started.

Join the conversation about this story »

Whether you're single or married, these are 11 facts about flirting that everyone should know

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  • Flirting is important for couples as well as for singles.
  • Business Insider rounded up some of the most fascinating findings about flirting, according to social scientists.
  • Most people don't like traditional pick-up lines, and men tend to overestimate how interested women are.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

What could be more terrifying than talking to someone you're attracted to?

Luckily, social science has figured out what makes flirting work — or not.

Read more:12 science-backed facts about cheating that all couples should know

Business Insider found some of the most intriguing facts on the art of flirtation, so you can saunter over to the object of your affection with confidence.

This is an update of an article originally posted by Drake Baer.

SEE ALSO: 15 relationship facts everybody should know before getting married

People flirt for six different reasons.

In a 2004 review of the literature on flirting, Northern Illinois University professor David Dryden Henningsen identified six different motivations for the behavior: 

• Sex: trying to get in bed
• Fun: treating it like a sport
• Exploring: trying to see what it would be like to be in a relationship
• Relational: trying to increase the intimacy of a relationship
• Esteem: increasing one's own self esteem
• Instrumental: trying to get something from the other person

In that study, Henningsen asked 101 female and 99 male students to write out a hypothetical flirty conversation between a man and a woman, then identify the motivations for the things they said. 

The behaviors broke down along gender norms: Men were significantly more likely to have a sexual motivation, while women tended to have a relational one.



Couples need to flirt, too.

Like Tinder, cats, and dying alone, flirting is usually associated with single people.

But couples need to know how to flirt, too.

After studying 164 married people for a 2012 study, University of Kentucky researcher Brandi Frisby noted that most of them flirted — by playing "footsies" or whispering in their partner's ear, for example — as a means of maintaining and emphasizing intimacy. Oftentimes, she wrote in her paper, married couples flirted to "create a private world with the spouse." 



People feel connected when they get past the small talk.

You probably already know that asking questions of the person you fancy is a good idea. 

But it's all about the kind of questions you ask. 

According to a widely cited 1997 study by State University of New York psychologist Arthur Aron, people feel more closely bonded when they ask each other intimate questions, as in "What roles do love and affection play in your life?" and "What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?" 

Six months later, two of the participants (a tiny fraction of the original study group) even found themselves in love — an intriguing result, though not a significant one.



Men overestimate how interested women are.

Evidence from multiplestudies supports the idea that, among heterosexual people, men tend to over perceive sexual interest from women, while women tend to under perceive sexual interest from men.

A 2014 study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology surveyed hundreds of undergraduate students from Norway, which according to the UN is one of the world's most "gender egalitarian nations."

Researchers found more women had been subject to instances where men overperceive sexual interest from them than men. Young, single, and sexuality-fluid participants also experienced being over-sexualized more often.

 



The most attractive characteristics depend on gender.

According to a 2011 study led by University of British Columbia psychologist Jessica Tracy, heterosexual men and women diverge greatly in the facial expressions they fancy.

After showing 1,041 people images of different facial expressions, Tracy found that:

• Happiness was the most attractive female expression, but one of the least attractive for men.
• Pride was the most attractive male expression, but one of the least attractive for women.
• Interestingly, an expression of shame was relatively attractive on both men and women.



Flirting can enhance your attraction.

University of New Mexico evolutionary psychologist Steven W. Gangestad told Psychology Today in 2016 that flirting is a "negotiation process" that happens after the first moments of attraction.  

It's a subtle sort of testing the waters. You don't just say "I'm attracted to you; are you attracted to me?"

"It works much better to reveal [your attraction] and have it revealed to you in smaller doses," Gangestad says. "The flirting then becomes something that enhances the attraction."



It's not about being the most attractive person in the room.

It's about signaling that you're available. 

According to research from Webster University psychologist Monica Moore (who studied people's flirting behavior at singles bars, shopping malls, and other places where young people meet), women who smiled and made eye contact with others were more likely to be approached than those who were simply good looking.



There may be five main styles of flirting.

When it comes to flirting, everyone's got a different M.O.

In 2010, Jeffrey A. Hall and Chong Xing published research that suggests there are five different styles of flirting. In 2015, they followed up on this research by breaking down each style into a series of verbal and nonverbal behaviors.

Here are some key behaviors of each type, as described by Susan Krauss Whitbourne on Psychology Today:

• Physical flirts tend to subtly touch the person they're interested in.
• Traditional flirts believe men should make the first move.
• Sincere flirts get other people to open up to them.
• Playful flirts see the interaction as a game and may be using the flirtation as a means to another end.

You can take a quiz, developed by Hall to figure out which style best describes you.



The best flirters shift their strategy depending on context.

If you're flirting with someone perceived as higher status than you, being more subtle will lead to more success, according to research. 

A 2014 study conducted by University of Pennsylvania professors found flirters who can adjust how overtly they flirt will have the best success. "Presence of rivals, the potential for an advance to be considered inappropriate, or the higher social status of the receiver" are all situations where you're better off being more subtle. 

If successful, flirting can lead others to think you are also funny or creative, as well as attractive.



If you're flirting on an app, there are some words that work better than others.

Compliments over text go a long way, dating website Plenty of Fish finds.

The website analyzed 60,000 messages on dating apps to find the words that got the best responses. For men, calling a woman "beautiful" led to a conversation 20% of the time. Women messaging men first receive responses less often, but using the word "nice" works best.



Flirting could be all about biology.

Flirting may have less to do with words or body language, and more to do with biology.

Scientists have long speculated on how pheromones, or chemicals released by your body that have an impact on people around you, contribute to physical attraction. A 2011 study out of Florida State University found men who were exposed to pheromones released by ovulating women were more likely to drink alcohol and flirt with women.



The best electric pressure cookers, multicookers, and Instant Pots you can buy

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  • Electric multicookers are so versatile, they can make all kinds of meals and even replace several different appliances.
  • The latest multicookers can handle pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, stewing, and other cooking functions, all in one pot. 
  • Of all the options out there, the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker is our top pick because it can perform seven different functions and make all kinds of food.
  • Amazon Prime Day is back on July 15-16. Our overall favorite, the Instant Pot Duo, is currently on sale for $49.99 (6 quarts), $59.99 (3 quarts), and $69.99 (8 quarts). Check back often on our Instant Pot page for potentially more deals. Shop the best Prime Day 2019 deals across tech, home, kitchen, and more. The Insider Picks team will be updating this list frequently.

The mark of perfectly prepared ribs is the meat falling off of the bone. However, if you want that level of quality, you need to keep your slab of pork or beef in a smoker for 12-plus hours, right? Not when you have a modern multicooker.

Electric multicookers are quickly supplanting single-function appliances like rice cookers and slow cookers because of their ability to make dinner in a hurry with little fuss. These countertop multicookers can do a variety of functions, with pressure cooking being the most popular; they can also slow cook, sauté, steam, make porridge and yogurt, and warm, while some can even air-fry.

Pressure cooking isn't a new concept, but electric pressure cookers have made it easier and safer to do. For the purposes of this guide, we are going to focus on electric ones since they are much more popular and functional. You may hear these multicookers being referred to colloquially as an "instant pot," which is in reference to the brand of multicookers, Instant Pot, the darling product that's made pressure cooking popular.

But Instant Pot isn't the only manufacturer (some will argue that Instant Pot isn't even the originator of this type of product, as they've been popular in Asia). You'll find plenty of imitators, but there are also ones that rival an Instant Pot. And, if you are someone who hates cluttering a kitchen with cooking appliances and tools, trust us: the flexibility and efficiency of a multicooker will be worth sacrificing some counter space. 

We pored over hundreds of reviews and ratings from both experts and users, as well as conducted our testing when possible, to determine which multicookers do what they say they can do, provide consistent performance over extended use, and offer great value for your money. Whether it's an Instant Pot or another brand of multicooker, here are the best you can buy.

Prefer slow cooking? Check out our guide on the best Crock-Pots you can buy.

Here are the best electric multicookers you can buy:

Updated on 07/11/2019 by Les Shu: Updated selections, prices, links, and formatting. Added the Instant Pot Ultra, Ninja Foodi, and Breville Fast Slow Pro, and other models we considered.

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

SEE ALSO: The best Crock-Pots you can buy

The best multicooker overall

The Instant Pot Duo makes delicious home-cooked meals a cinch, even when you have to work late. It's a great option for pressure-cooking beginners, and the 8-quart version is ideal for feeding large families.

The Instant Pot Duo gives you a fast and easy way to prepare wholesome meals. All you need to do is load the ingredients in the pot, cover it, and start cooking. This multicooker can have juicy pulled pork or falling-off-the-bone ribs ready for you in less than an hour.

Not only does it reduce cooking time by up to 75%, but it also helps the food retain all of the important water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Plus, it is not just a pressure cooker: You can also use it as a steamer, rice cooker, warmer, and slow cooker. You can brown and sauté with it, as well as make yogurt (although that isn't a very popular function, nor is it that great at it).

The USDA and Instant Pot's maker say it's safe to use a pressure cooker for canning select items, but the National Center for Home Food Preservation advises against it. We don't know many people who have used an Instant Pot for canning, nor is it a popular function, so it's not something we would recommend. However, it doesn't make this appliance any less useful.

Pressure cookers, specifically the stove-top variety, have a history of being dangerous, but the Instant Pot Duo has passed strict ULC and UL certification. Clean-up is also simple since the removable, non-stick pot and sealing ring are all dishwasher safe. The lid also comes off entirely, although we recommend hand-washing it. This electric pressure cooker also comes with a soup spoon, rack, measuring cup, recipe book, and a rice paddle.

The Instant Pot Duo comes in three sizes: 8 Quart, 6 Quart, and 3 Quart (affectionately known as Duo Mini). They are all essentially the same except in capacity, but the 6 Quart is one of the most popular. Because it's no longer the newest model, it's now much more affordable, coming in at less than $100 for the 3 and 6 Quart versions.

But don't think the lower price means the Duo series is inferior: Compared with the newer Instant Pots, there are definitely improvements that justify their premium price, like a better control panel and adjustable pressure. But in terms of actual cooking capability, the Duo is still a terrific entry-point into electric pressure cooking or as a gift. The nice balance of price, features, and performance make this Instant Pot the overall best multicooker you can buy.

When Insider Picks first reviewed the Instant Pot Duo, the appliance was the latest rage in cooking, taking the internet by storm. By the end of our testing, our reviewer wrote, "If you're looking to add an appliance to your kitchen, I can think of few that would be of more use than the Instant Pot." He also mentioned that people who want to see their food actually cooking, won't be able to do this since the entire unit is sealed during the pressure-cooking period.

Guides Editor Les Shu is an avid user of the 6-quart Instant Pot Duo. He loves the ease of use and the many recipes available in cookbooks and on the internet, from which he has made many delicious meals: chicken tikka masala, Chinese porridge, sweet corn chowder, Hainanese chicken rice, and the best potato salad ever. But usually, the meals aren't fancy: poached chicken breasts (from frozen), chili, and simple soups, to name a few. It's also fantastic for boiling eggs. The Instant Pot is also ideal for making a large batch of food, either for a family or meal prep. Because everything is cooked in one pot (usually), there's less mess and scrubbing the inner pot is no chore, although the lid can be annoying to clean.

Despite being an older Instant Pot series, the Duo is still the most highly recommended among expert reviewers and users alike. The Instant Pot Duo is still Wirecutter's top pick, and has favorable reviews from The Kitchn, Pressure Cooking Today, CNET, and many others. More than 33,000 Amazon reviewers have given the Instant Pot Duo an average of 4.6 (out of 5) stars.

Pros: Easy to clean, safe, stainless steel pot that's easy to clean, versatile

Cons: The gasket tends to retain odors, there is a bit of a learning curve, lid can be annoying to clean

Read our full review of the Instant Pot Duo

Buy the Instant Pot Duo Mini 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker on Amazon for $59.99 (3 Quart), $59.99 (6 Quart), or $79.99 (8 Quart)



The best smart multicooker

For slightly more money, the Instant Pot Ultra gives you greater control over your pressure cooking, as well as a fully digital control panel.

If the Instant Pot Ultra was a bit less expensive, it would easily become our overall pick. We think that in terms of price, features, and performance, the Instant Pot Duo is still a terrific buy and is the best multicooker/pressure cooker for most people. With that said, if you're willing to spend about $50 more, the Instant Pot Ultra is a souped-up model that offers a few more features than the Duo.

There are several noticeable upgrades. Unlike the Duo, the Ultra has gone completely digital with its control panel. Now, all settings are adjusted by using a single knob, scrolling through menus on a large LCD. The LCD also shows more info than before. We think If you're not a fan of digital navigation, you're probably not going to like this. Otherwise, it's relatively intuitive. As a 10-in-1 multicooker, you get extra cooking modes.

The Ultra also has a new steam release valve that automatically resets (opens) with the push of a button. For those afraid of turning the valve on a pressure cooker and getting burned from the steam, worry no more. Otherwise, the lid closes and seals like the Duo's.

The biggest advantage is the adjustable temperature, pressure, and altitude settings (the Duo only has two pressure settings). There's also a low-temperature mode for, as Wirecutter puts it, sous vide cooking, where you cook foods at a low but consistent temperature, similar to how immersion circulators work. When food is done cooking, you can turn on the warming mode, which also maintains the desired temperature without fear of burning or overcooking anything.

Wirecutter chose the Ultra as its "upgrade pick," and we agree. Like the Duo, Amazon shoppers also gave the Ultra high scores. For not much money, you get some very useful features not found in the Duo. We can easily see the Ultra replacing the Duo as our overall pick (with the Duo becoming our budget pick). For now, the Ultra is great if you're graduating from the Duo or another basic pressure cooker, while the Duo remains the best for first-time owners or anyone who doesn't care about bells and whistles.

The Instant Pot Ultra is available in 3, 6, and 8 quarts; the 6-quart option is the best for most people.

Pros: Adjustable temperature and pressure, altitude setting, reset button for steam valve, LCD shows more info, a consistent low-temperature mode

Cons: Can be hard to clean, some may be turned off by digital controls



The best combination multicooker

The Ninja Foodi combines two popular appliances — a pressure cooker and an air fryer — into one.

The gargantuan size is what makes Ninja's Foodi so ridiculous looking. It's so big that it may not fit on small countertops. But there's a good reason for its size: It combines a pressure cooker with another trendy small appliance at the moment, an air fryer.

The Foodi looks like an Instant Pot that's had too much to eat over the holidays. The attached lid takes care of air-frying duties, while a separate removable sealing lid is used for pressure cooking. When you're pressure cooking, the air-fryer lid stays open, which makes it look even weirder. When not in use, you'll have to store the pressure cooker lid elsewhere, as you can't fit it on top of the Foodi while also closing the air-fryer lid. A third function is the ability to dehydrate foods, like fruit. There's a basic control panel that's easy to use, although at first glance, it's a bit hard to differentiate what's for frying and what's for pressure cooking.

But once you get over its looks, you'll discover an actually useful appliance that cooks food well. In her review, Insider Picks' Connie Chen said, cooking with the Foodi "is pretty much fool-proof." Wirecutter found the Foodi did well with pressure cooking and "as good a job as any air fryer," but noted that it currently does not recommend any air fryer "since an oven or toaster oven with convection does the same thing and fits more food." Plenty of owners of countertop air fryers would disagree. (Wirecutter did not include the Foodi as one of its 

We agree with Wirecutter that the cooking volume is small. Despite its large exterior, its pot only offers 6.5 quarts for pressure cooking (about the same as a 6-quart Instant Pot) and 4 quarts for air frying (via the crisping basket). According to Ninja, that's still enough room for a 6-pound whole chicken. Ninja also offers the Foodi as an 8-quart version with a 5-quart crisping basket, but of course, it's physically bigger. 

One feature we like is something Ninja refers to as TenderCrisp. It's nothing more than just the Foodi's ability to pressure cook food and then crisping it up with the air fryer. Any Instant Pot user who's tried to roast or fry chicken, such as myself, knows what a chore it can be — pressure cooking first, and then transferring it to an oven, broiler, or grill. You also risk having the food fall apart when moved. The Foodi can do both out of one pot, which makes it so much more efficient, especially if you like fried foods or want to add some extra flavor and texture.

Read our full review of the Ninja Foodi.

Pros: Three appliances in one (air frying, pressure cooking, and dehydrating), TenderCrisp allows for pressure cooking and air frying in one pot 

Cons: Expensive, very large, cooking volume is small considering its overall size



The best premium multicooker

Breville's Fast Slow Pro is a high-quality multicooker with a unique safety system, auto steam release, and adjustable pressure settings. It has a really high price, but it successfully slow cooks and pressure cooks food in one easy-to-use appliance.

If you're looking to invest in a quality multicooker that is well-made and smart, look no further than the 6-quart Fast Slow Pro from Breville. This is not a knock on Instant Pot, but from our experience in testing and using Breville products, its small appliances are better constructed, and it's apparent in this cooker. The downside is that Breville charges a premium, but if you want longevity, reliability, and backing from a trusted company, Breville is a go-to.

The Fast Slow Pro is elegant in its design, down to the control panel with its LCD screen and cluster of knobs and buttons. The menu system is reminiscent of Breville's smart ovens, which we've never had issues in using. However, Wired found it difficult for most people to use, which we understand: If you have trouble using the buttons on a microwave, then the Fast Slow Pro will seem intimidating. But you could make that same argument for the Instant Pot and other multicookers.

We like the three-way safety system the removable lid employs, giving us more peace of mind; to be fair, we've never had issues with Instant Pot lids and find them to be just as safe. Although CNET has a favorable review, its reviewer found the lid frustrating to use because it wouldn't seal properly (the problem had to do with a loose nut caused by the locking knob). What we also like is the button to initiate steam release. There are plenty of people who freak out about manually releasing the steam valve of an Instant Pot, so this is a nice feature for those folks.

For cooking, the Fast Slow Pro lets you fine-tune the pressure between high and low, as well as altitude, similar to the Instant Pot Ultra. It has 11 preset cooking modes and a manual setting, and there are sensors to automatically determine the best temperature and pressure during the cooking process. The adjustable temperature also makes it great slow cooker, and you can steam, sear, sauté, and reduce sauces. What Wired, which was the most negative of any product reviews site, discovered was that food came out disappointing when following pressure cooker recipes, so users may need to play around with the settings (this is something we've had to do with the Instant Pot too).

In general, expert reviewers liked using the Fast Slow Pro (it's Consumer Reports' top pick), while 68% of Amazon shoppers give it a 5-star rating. The biggest complaint everyone had is the price, which is more than double our overall favorite, the Instant Pot Duo. You can also get many of the same features in the Instant Pot Ultra. Ultimately, despite our love of Breville products, this wouldn't be our first recommendation, but if you like Breville's craftsmanship and its smart features, it's a fine, albeit expensive multicooker.

Pros: Lid with safety system, auto steam release, 11 preset cooking modes, adjustable pressure

Cons: Expensive, available in one size, complex controls



Other multicookers we considered

Since the Instant Pot came on the scene, we've seen the introduction of many electric multicookers. Some are worthy alternatives that will please many home cooks (they just didn't make our list for one reason or another), while the rest just couldn't offer anything different or better than our favorites. We are also a bit shocked by how expensive some lesser-known brands are, costing the same as the Instant Pot Duo. Here are the models we looked at.

Instant Pot Lux, Max, and Smart WiFi

The Instant Pot name doesn't refer to just one product. In fact, the company has many models. The Lux was previously our budget pick, but we removed it from our list because it currently costs the same as the Duo, our overall favorite, and it lacks one of the functions (yogurt making) and has only one pressure setting. However, the Lux could return as our budget pick if the price of the Duo increases.

The Max is the flagship Instant Pot. Insider Picks' Remi Rosmarin reviewed it and found there was much to like. However, she believes she would have had the same experience from any of the Instant Pot models. At $200, it's significantly more than the Instant Pot Ultra, but doesn't add anything radical than what the Ultra offers.

The Smart WiFi is an app-enabled model that lets you control the cooker from a smartphone. You can create custom settings for recipes so that the next time you cook, it's a one-touch affair. You can also control it remotely, which is handy for slow cooking food when you are ready (instead of leaving it on all day). However, we've read plenty of mixed reviews (Wirecutter thought it was more trouble than it's worth) and earlier units were even recalled. If a Wi-Fi-enable multicooker appeals to you, we suggest waiting for a second-generation version (if Instant Pot plans to make one).

Secura 6-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker

This Secura pressure cooker was our previous pick as the best multicooker for beginners. It received high marks from several product-review sites. However, it only has six functions, costs as much as an Instant Pot, and had quality-control issues. An Instant Pot is just as easy to use and more reliable, so we removed it from our list.

Elite Platinum EPC-808 Maxi-Matic Electric Pressure Cooker

Our former pick for the best multicooker for big meals, we also removed the unit from Elite Platinum from our list because it didn't offer anything that the Instant Pot doesn't have. Its only highlight was its 8-quart capacity, but for the price, you can get an 8-quart Instant Pot Lux or even a Duo.

Faberware Digital Pressure Cooker

This was Good Housekeeping's number-two and "best value" pick. The Faberware a 7-in-1 multicooker that offered solid performance, according to GH. It has favorable reviews from buyers, but it doesn't offer anything unique when compared to our favorite Instant Pot, and for the moment, an Instant Pot can be had for the same price. Go with the Instant Pot unless you can find this below $50.

Zavor Lux LCD and Zavor Lux

The Zavor Lux LCD and Zavor Lux (not to be confused with Instant Pot's Lux series) are the two favorites from the cooking and kitchen experts at Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. The two models have an extra metal brace that keeps the gasket in place, it said, which help create a tighter seal. The Lux LCD also has useful functions like adjustable temperature and a graph that shows pressure buildup. Most importantly, the testers said foods came out excellent. Note: Zavor is a new brand that was born out of the demise of Fagor, which made multicookers that were popular. We haven't had the chance to look at these two products, and both are priced similarly to Instant Pot models, so we haven't added these to our list yet. (We should also point out that Zavor and America's Test Kitchen has a partnership on two cookbooks that focus on pressure cooking.) However, the extra-secure lid design makes these models worth looking into.




Amazon Prime Day 2019: Every deals article we’ve written so far

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Amazon Prime Day 2019 is happening on July 15-16, 2019.

It will be live for 48 hours (the longest Prime Day event yet), starting at 12 a.m. PT on July 15 and ending at 11:59 p.m. PT on July 16. The sale will usher in over a million deals sitewide— with new deals starting as often as every five minutes. Unsurprisingly bigger and better than ever, this year even comes with its own concert exclusively for Prime members, headlined by Taylor Swift.  

To help you sift through the discounts, our team has been cherry-picking the best deals and compiling them into shoppable guides organized by category and interest, useful how-tos, and insider tricks and tips for getting the most out of the yearly event. We'll keep updating it all in real time so you'll never miss a deal you're looking for.

Here's a master list of all our coverage of Prime Day 2019 deals.

The best deals Prime members can expect to see this year

Here's where you'll want to go for all the best deals offered on Prime Day 2019 across all categories. Bookmark this page for easy access once July 15 arrives.

The best early Prime Day deals Prime members can get right now

Although Amazon Prime Day 2019 isn't until July 15 and 16, Amazon has already released a handful of early deals. We're keeping track of them.

Amazon prime 2019 day news FAQs 4x3

When is Amazon Prime Day 2019?

Amazon has officially confirmed that the dates of Prime Day 2019 will be July 15-16. Read on for the official start time and end time of Prime Day 2019

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Learn the history of Prime Day and what to expect on July 15-16.

Amazon Prime Day 2019 FAQs and news

Here's everything you need to know about Prime Day 2019 — we answer all of your frequently asked questions.

All the tips and tricks you need to save the most money possible on Prime Day

If you don't want to get lost in a sea of more than 1 million deals, you'll want to prepare a little and go in already knowing what you're looking for.

The 30 most popular products from last year's Amazon Prime Day

We compiled a list of the deals our readers loved and bought the most last year to help you start making your own easy-to-reference wish list.

The best Bose headphones and speakers deals we're expecting to see on Prime Day 2019

Bose is a household name in audio for a reason. Last year, Business Insider readers got the Bose QuietComfort 25 noise-cancelling headphones for $125 instead of $198. We expect similar deals in 2019.

What Not To Buy 4x3

27 products we recommend waiting until Amazon Prime Day to buy

We've been covering Prime Day every year since its inception, and we've gotten pretty good at spotting the deals that return year after year. If any of these 27 products— from DNA tests to Echo speakers — are on your summer shopping list, we recommend waiting until Prime Day to buy them. 

You can get Audible for more than half off right now in this early Prime Day deal

Audible, Amazon's audiobook app, has been discounted from $14.95 per month to $4.95 per month for your first three months if you're a new member. You can also opt to get $30 off your annual membership (now $119.50) and receive an Echo Dot for $0.99 extra if you've already been a member.

Amazon is running an early Prime Day deal that gets you 50% off popular movie rentals on Prime Video

For a limited time, you can take 50% off rentals on popular movies on Prime Video.

Amazon is running an early Prime Day deal on AmazonFresh, its grocery delivery service

Right now for Prime Day, you can save up to 40% on groceries when shopping AmazonFresh. Plus, new AmazonFresh customers can get $15 off their first order of $35 or more with the promo code "FRESH15" at checkout.

Amazon is offering 4 months of access to its music-streaming service for $1 now through Prime Day

As of now, Amazon Music Unlimited is offering new members access to tens of millions of songs for $1 for the first four months (regularly priced at $7.99 per month).

All the Twitch Prime gaming deals and special perks you can get on Prime Day 2019

Twitch Prime is the world's leading social video platform and community for gamers and is included free with Amazon Prime. It'll be hosting its own live shopping show, one on each day of Prime Day, and offering exclusive in-game perks. 

The Amazon Fire TV Stick deals we're expecting to see on Prime Day 2019

Last year, Amazon Prime members saved $20 on the Fire TV Stick on Prime Day and got the popular streaming stick for its lowest price ever — only $19.99. Expect savings here again. 

30 cool products that just launched on Amazon exclusively for Prime members

One Prime Day-related exclusive is Prime Day Launches, a selection of new products that only Prime members can shop for a limited time leading up to Prime Day. See 2019's Launches here.

10 cool beauty and skin-care launches only Prime members can get their hands on before Amazon Prime Day

The beauty and skin-care launches specifically are worth taking a closer look at if you're interested in up-and-coming brands and new products like makeup, face wash, and pomade. 

Amazon's Prime Day sale includes early deals on celebrity products from Kristen Bell, Kobe Bryant, and Marshmello

Amazon has partnered with a handful of your favorite celebrities, including Kristen Bell, Mark Wahlberg, and Will and Jaden Smith, to introduce new and exclusive products ranging from snacks and drinks to personal-care products. 

Amazon Prime Day 2019 Lightning Deal 4x3

How to avoid missing out on 'Lightning Deals' throughout Prime Day

Amazon's Lightning Deals are limited-time, limited-stock offers that are usually available to everyone. On Prime Day, though, they're only available to Prime members. Here's how to make sure you don't miss out on the ones you want

The free trick to gaining access to Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals — even without a membership

In order to access the deals, you must be an Amazon Prime member. If you're not already, you can sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial now so you can shop Prime Day without committing the full $119. Just make sure you cancel the membership after Prime Day if you don't want to continue it. 

Amazon Prime Day is less than a week away — 6 credit cards can get you the best price starting now

The downside of trying to shop a competitive deal is that it might sell out before you have a chance to click 'purchase.' With a credit card that comes with price protection, you can buy the item before Prime Day, and then get a refund on the price difference if it goes on sale during Prime Day. 

Here's what you should buy on Amazon Prime Day 2019 based on past deals

We've been sifting through Prime Day deals and showing you the best ones since 2015, so we have a good idea of the product categories and brands you should be focusing on if you want to get the most bang for your buck. Here's the cheat sheet.

The iRobot Roomba vacuum deals we expect to see on Amazon Prime Day 2019

Last year, the  Roomba 671 robot vacuum was discounted $120 for a sale price of $229.99. They're usually a few hundred dollars, and can even cost up to $1,000, so they tend to be one of our favorite Prime Day deals. Here's what we expect based on past years. 

The Eufy RoboVac deals we're expecting to see on Amazon Prime Day 2019

You didn't think we forgot about Roomba's competitor Eufy, did you? Last year, Amazon Prime members saved $110 on the popular Eufy RoboVac 11— getting it for just $159.99. We expect similar discounts this year. Plus, you can use the Amazon app to make sure you don't miss Eufy deals on Prime Day.

All the Kindle deals we expect to see for Amazon Prime Day 2019

Last year, Prime members saved on Kindle Unlimited memberships and the Kindle Paperwhite. Here's what we forecast for the Kindle on Prime Day 2019.

The best Fitbit deals we're expecting to see on Amazon Prime Day 2019

At least one of Fitbit's many multi-talented fitness trackers always goes on sale during Prime Day. The Alta HR in particular was a favorite among Insider Picks readers last year, but you should be able to have your pick of other models. 

31 useful Amazon Prime benefits to know that go beyond free 2-day shipping

The most notable perk is fast, free shipping, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Don't leave any perks you're technically paying for — or getting access to via trial — still on the table. 

Shop Amazon Prime Day deals

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How to turn on AirPlay on a Mac computer, for screen mirroring on larger displays like an Apple or smart TV

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  • You can turn on AirPlay on a Mac to mirror the screen of your computer onto a larger display, like an Apple TV or smart TV.  
  • AirPlay and Screen Mirroring are particularly handy when doing presentations, or just sharing content on a larger display using almost any smart TV. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

AirPlay is a great way to share content across iOS devices onto Apple or smart TVs. 

You can share music, photos, videos, or just mirror your entire computer screen on a larger display.

Most Apple devices have AirPlay and Screen Mirroring options easily accessible via Settings. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

MacBook Pro (From $999 at Apple)

How to turn on AirPlay on a Mac 

1. First, make sure your Mac is connected to the same WiFi network your Apple or smart TV is.

2. Next, find the video you want to display on AirPlay — either on Safari, QuickPlayer, etc. 

AirPlay13.Open System Preferences.

4. Find the icon for "Displays" — which looks like a computer monitor. 

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5. In the Display menu, make sure you have AirPlay on. Do this by using the two blue arrows to access the drop-down menu.

6. Make sure the box where it says "Show mirroring options in the menu bar when available" is checked, too. 

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7. Next, find the AirPlay icon in the upper menu bar — it looks like a computer monitor with an arrow at the bottom. 

8. Select your smart or Apple TV from the drop-down menu. To stop AirPlay, click the same button and select "Turn Off AirPlay."

How to setup a Mac for mirroring 

You can mirror the display of your entire Mac screen onto an Apple or smart TV that is compatible. 

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1. Make sure your Mac and your smart or Apple TV are connected to the same WiFi network. 

2. At the menu on top of your Mac screen, find the AirPlay icon — a monitor with an arrow at the bottom. Click it. 

3. Choose the TV you'd like your Mac to be mirrored on. 

4. A passcode should appear on your television screen. Enter it on your Mac. 

5. To stop screen mirroring, turn AirPlay off. To change how the mirroring display looks or its settings, go here.

How to troubleshoot 

When attempting to use AirPlay on an Apple or smart TV via Mac, the most common misstep is not having both devices connected to the same WiFi network. 

If things still aren't matching up, access your computer's Firewall by going to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall. Make sure the Firewall is turned off. 

It may also be that your iOS devices are not up to date. Make sure they are. 

The final troubleshooting method is just to restart all devices — including your internet modem. 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best budget laptops you can buy

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NOW WATCH: 5 things wrong with Apple's lightning cable

This 2-sided mattress by Brooklyn Bedding is the only truly firm one I've found since returning from Asia — if 'firm' is never firm enough for you, this one might actually work

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  • After living in Taiwan for a spell, I had come to the conclusion that, by and large, no truly firm mattress existed in the western hemisphere.
  • Then Brooklyn Bedding's Plank Mattress arrived on the scene.
  • It's not only impressively (and, finally, sufficiently) firm, but it comes with "firm" and "ultra-firm" sides so you can find your own happy medium, or even switch back and forth if you so desire.
  • The Plank's price is also highly competitive on the "bed-in-a-box" market, ranging from $649 (twin) to $1,249 (California king).

Ever since I returned west after living in Asia, I've sought after a bed as firm as my favorite apartment there, which is to say something between a washboard and a poured concrete floor. Why, you wonder? No, I'm not a sadist, exactly. I just found that, especially while working upwards of 70 hours a week, seven days a week, it was suddenly much, much easier to wake up in the morning. And that was before I'd hook up my bedside intravenous caffeine solution.

Slinking into the sack for a precious few hours of sleep, you don't want to fool yourself into a slouch, from which nothing short of a backhoe truck can recover you, particularly if you tend to sleep on your back or stomach.

I'm a crash-where-you-fall sort of sleeper, and can be found slumbering in just about any position there is, but I probably wake up on my stomach most often.

The mattress connoisseurs over at Sleepopolis suggest that a firm mattress is generally more comfortable for most people, or at least those without considerable back injuries or pain: "For those not experiencing troublesome back pain, a firm mattress is will generally be more comfortable. When sleeping on a firmer surface, the bones absorb most of the pressure, meaning there is less stress on muscles, veins, and arteries. Muscles are less strained, and circulation is improved."

That article also goes on to point out that firmer mattresses, naturally, have less give, offering more lower-back support, which, in turn, leads to better, deeper breathing and oxygen flow. You know, that stuff that gives us our mammalian vitality.

But I've been sleeping on so-called "firm" mattresses in North America for most of my life, and I'd always felt that they sagged too much. I found myself lying on the cold hard floor to adjust my back at the beginning and end of a day. When I learned that Brooklyn Bedding was introducing Plank mattress, an eastern-hemisphere-inspired firm mattress, my ears perked up and my interest piqued. Tell me more, I demanded of the brand's gracious PR representative. A week later, the Plank mattress was at my door.

If "firm" isn't ever firm enough...

So as I was saying, I've missed my mattress in Taiwan that seemed to make a handful of hours' shuteye feel somehow sufficient, and I have since (inactively) kept an eye out for something of equal or greater value to me. This bed, whatever it was called, was so firm that the first and only time I jumped upon it, I had to check to make sure I hadn't broken anything (on myself). It was perfect. Again, I assure you, I'm not a sadist. And so on.

So, I lugged the Plank upstairs, cut it open, watched it inflate, and threw it on my bed frame, with the "ultra-firm" side up. I knew from the outset that I was going all in, and while I probably ought to have flipped it for your sake, I cannot feign having done it. No, the sleep on the "ultra-firm" side of the Plank was just too good (the brand calls it a 12/10 on the firmness scale, while the regular "firm" is rated as 10/10).

This is a fairly technical spring-free bed in a box with several layers at work. Of course, there are the two sides, but there's also a two-inch latex alternative foam (the brand's proprietary TitanFlex) for deep compression support, a seven-inch, high-density base foam for stability and durability, a one-inch layer of quilted memory foam to resist body impressions, and 1.5-inch and .75-inch quilted top layers on the firm and ultra-firm sides, respectively.

Plank offers an optional cooling mattress topper sewn into the bed, but I'd advise you opt out and just buy this cooling mattress pad by them instead, which I use (and love) on all my beds. That way, should tragedy strike, you can just toss it and not have to live with any embarrassing stains.

And, like other comparable and noteworthy brands, Plank (and Brooklyn Bedding) offers a 120-night risk-free trial and a 10-year warranty, so if you're really not happy, you have plenty of time to call the brand up and have them haul it away, which is not bad, especially when contrasted with the box-and-spring mattress woes of yore.

The bottom line

Short of sleeping on a hardwood floor, this is the most supportive and corrective mattress I've found in my trials of over half a dozen "bed-in-a-box" mattresses.

But then maybe I'm an outlier. I wasn't sure, so I enlisted the opinions (and sleeping expertise) of various friends and trusted guests.

My favorite, and perhaps the most succinct response (there were several overwhelmingly laconic responses along the lines of "good", which doesn't count for a lot), came from an old friend who lives aboard a 43-foot sloop in the lagoons and bays of Fiji: "I thought gentle rocking and a shot of rum were must-haves for my zzz's. Owen's house didn't move, he was out of rum, and I slept in way past our planned fishing trip, so I guess sleeping on the Plank proved me wrong!"

Buy the Plank mattress by Brooklyn Bedding from Plank Mattress for $699-$1,249 (Twin-Cal King)

Buy the cooling mattress pad from Brooklyn Bedding for $129

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How Anastasia Beverly Hills came to be the beauty world's eyebrow authority

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It's hard to remember a time when eyebrows weren't an essential part of one's daily grooming and makeup routine. Even as someone who doesn't usually wear much makeup during the week and only brings out the full makeup bag for dressy or special occasions, I make sure to do my eyebrows before leaving my house every day. 

The beauty entrepreneur and lovingly nicknamed "Eyebrow Queen" responsible for this revolution is Anastasia Soare. The Romanian-born founder of makeup brand Anastasia Beverly Hills immigrated to the US in 1989 and started working at a Hollywood beauty salon where she offered a service that wasn't popular at the time: brow shaping.

Her ability to fill in this gap and stay ahead of the curve — which, as we all remember with slight embarrassment, dictated overly plucked brows — ultimately catapulted her to widespread recognition. After moving on to a salon in Beverly Hills, word of her eyebrow-shaping skills spread and she amassed a steady roster of celebrity and supermodel clients. 

Read more: The best brow products you can buy from pomades to powders

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In 2000, she launched her first product line to bring her signature shaping techniques and tools to anyone who wanted beautiful brows. 

Since then, Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH) has become synonymous with eyebrows in the beauty world.

Nordstrom was the first store outside of the ABH salon to carry the brow collection, followed by the three largest beauty retailers in the US: Sephora, Ulta, and Macy's. Its products dominate the best-sellers page at these retailers (the cult-favorite Brow Wiz pencil has more than 13,000 reviews on Sephora) and if you picked out any celebrity on the red carpet, you can bet their brows have been touched by Anastasia Beverly Hills. According to recent news of a potential acquisition deal by TPG Capital, the company is valued at $3 billion. 

At the heart of Anastasia Beverly Hills is Soare's Golden Ratio-inspired shaping method, which uses the proportions of the face to create arches uniquely suited to your facial structure. "Brows should begin directly above the middle of your nostrils. The highest point of the arch should align with the tip of the nose and the middle of the iris. Brows should end where the outer edge of the nostril connects with the outer corner of the eye." 

anastasia beverly hills eyebrows

Soare says, "My goal is always to bring a sense of balance, symmetry, and proportion to each individual face. The brows are an essential starting point. With perfectly built arches, the rest of your features are instantly enhanced and brought into focus." 

Technically, with this foundational concept, you could use any eyebrow pencil you wanted. But people stick with Anastasia Beverly Hills products because of their ease of use, highly pigmented formulas that deliver an efficient color payoff with each stroke, and flexibility — effective whether used on their own or in conjunction with other ABH products. 

The product line includes eyebrow pencils, brow gels, powders, and pomades, each available in multiple shades. Outside of brow products, Anastasia Beverly Hills makes eyeshadow palettes, lipstick, contour kits, and other makeup essentials, which have attracted their own healthy following of loyal fans.  

You can learn more about its most popular products and why you should add them to your makeup routine below. 

Shop all Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow products and makeup at these retailers: 

Note when purchasing from Amazon: Anastasia Beverly Hills ensures that all products sold by 'Anastasia Beverly Hills Inc.' on Amazon are authentic and meet its high-ingredient and quality standards. Unfortunately, it cannot guarantee the authenticity of products purchased on Amazon from other third-party sellers.

Brow Duo

$25 (originally $43), available in 4 colors here: Nordstrom

The discounted set, available at Nordstrom during its Anniversary Sale, includes a full-size Clear Brow Gel and full-size Brow Wiz. The perfect pair lets you define, refine, and set your brows for the day. 



Brow Wiz

$21, available in 10 colors here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy's

The Brow Wiz has a thin, retractable pencil on one side, allowing you to outline and define your brows with precision, and a spoolie on the other to blend out your work and make it look more natural. If your brows have gaps or sparse areas, it's easy to add hair-like strokes, and because of the pencil's pigmentation, you don't have to use excessive pressure as you do so.



Brow Definer

$23, available in 10 colors here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy's

If you don't need to be as precise, this triangle-tipped brow pencil could be easier to use. Personally, I find the angular tip more smoothly follows the shape of my brow and is easier to control, so I use this one more than the Brow Wiz. 



Dipbrow Pomade

$18, available in 11 colors here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy's

To capture the look and texture of a fuller brow, use this creamy, waterproof pomade. The smooth formula also helps you create the gradient effect at the front of your brows. A little goes a long way, so rest assured you won't need to replace this small pot of product for a while. It works best with the ABH Brush 12 ($18). 



Brow Powder Duo

$23, available in 11 colors here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy's

This powder is another way to achieve the ombre effect. Use it with Brush 7B ($18) to "stamp" the product into your brows, then create small, precise strokes. It's surprisingly long-lasting as a powder and won't rub off as quickly as other powders. 



Tinted Brow Gel

$22, available in 8 colors here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta

The Brow Gel is one of the most hard-working products you can add to your makeup bag (it tints and adds dimension and sets!) for $20. While initially shiny, it dries to a matte finish, but won't go overboard and dry to a crust. I like to use it to finish my brows and bring out the fact there are indeed hairs hiding there, but it also works well on its own if your brows are already fairly defined and you just want to add more volume. 



Brow Primer

$21, available here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy's

As the unfortunate owner of a very oily T-zone, I wish I'd known about the Brow Primer earlier. If powders and other products are prone to slipping off your face by mid-day, you might want to use this colorless wax pencil to keep your brows in place. 



Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette

$42, available here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy's

This 14-color palette of neutral and berry shades is a "present-day take on Renaissance colors," and perfect for creating both everyday and night looks. Three of the shades are metallic, while the rest are matte — all are crease- and fade-resistant. 



Moonchild Glow Kit

$40, available here: Amazon, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy's

These luminous shades add a pretty shimmer to your face and body. Each highlight has a different reflecting tone (e.g. Purple Horseshoe is lavender with an arctic blue reflect), and they're surprisingly practical for everyday wear. Mix and match the shades to create even more color possibilities. 



Amazon Prime Day is July 15. Here's how to buy things that will actually make you happier.

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Amazon Prime Day will take place from July 15 to 16 and will offer more than 1 million deals — but those kinds of sales can also lead to some serious buyer's remorse.

Amazon's annual retail holiday was first introduced in 2015 to celebrate Amazon's 20th anniversary. Every July, the global shopping phenomenon offers thousands of deals for Prime members that start as frequently as every five minutes.

Last year, Amazon Prime Day saw more than 100 million products sold, and small- and medium-sized businesses on Amazon exceeded $1 billion in sales, Tech Crunch's Sarah Perez reported.

But be careful: Amazon Prime Day is likely to put the two sides of our decision-making process — the "elephant" and the "rider" — at war. The "elephant" is the part of the mind that is impulsive, powerful, and thinks short-term, while the "rider" is the analytical, rational side of the mind, the CFP Blake Gray, a Ph.D. candidate in Texas Tech's financial-planning program and a research assistant working with the Financial Therapy Association, told Business Insider. 

When shopping, advertisements and limited-time offers play to the "elephant" side of our decision-making process, Gray said. The elephant in us can mispredict which purchases will make us happy, leading to buyer's remorse. In the lead-up to Amazon Prime Day, he said, "be prepared to take the elephant by the reins and keep it on the path."

Research has found that buying material goods doesn't bring lasting happiness, Amit Kumar, a professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, told Business Insider. 

The enemy of happiness, he said, is hedonic adaptation, in which we acclimate to positive or negative changes, habituating back to a base level of happiness.

"Many of the things people impulsively buy during sales probably make them happy for a short period of time and happiness declines as time goes on," he said. "People think some material goods are a wise financial investment because they last physically, even though the happiness they bring doesn't last."

But that doesn't mean money can't buy happiness — it just depends on how you spend it, he said.

Here's how to let the rider take charge and buy things that will truly make you happy this Amazon Prime Day.

Read more: Amazon Prime Day 2019: Every deals article we've written so far

Spend money on experiences that facilitate social connectedness

Investing in experiences — think travel, dinners out, or tickets to events — is more likely to derive satisfaction, Kumar said. Experiences get better over time because we tend to talk about the things we've done more than the material goods we have purchased, he said: "Fodder for conversation makes us happy, causing us to interact with people."

Experiences also create longer-lasting happiness because of their social elements — positive social connections are integral to human happiness, Kumar said. He suggests making Amazon Prime Day purchases that will promote these relationships, such as movies, TV shows, and games that you can share with others, rather than shoes or watches. 

However, it's easy to make a mistake here. "People will buy furniture for their deck, thinking they'll have people over; in reality, that furniture just sits out there," Kumar said. "Or they'll think 'I'll buy a TV because I'll have people over'; a lot of the time, we're watching TV by ourselves."

Fortunately, Amazon's discounts aren't confined to physical products. According to Business Insider's Connie Chen, you should expect deals on Amazon services and memberships, including entertainment (Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Video, Audible, etc.) and grocery shopping (Amazon Fresh, Amazon Pantry, Whole Foods, etc.).

Kumar suggests spending on these experiential offers, like streaming products. Even taking advantage of food services can promote a social experience, like cooking dinner with your significant other.

Ask yourself: "Is this purchase actually going to enhance my social relationships?" he said.

Read more: 4 things you should spend your money on if you want to be happier, according to research

Buy gifts for others

Research shows that we're happier if we spend money buying gifts for others rather than on ourselves, Gray said. He suggests buying gifts during Amazon Prime Day, specifically items that you and the other person are likely to enjoy together.

A 2008 study published in Science gave 46 volunteers an envelope with money inside — half were told to spend the money on themselves, and the other half were told to spend the money on a charitable donation or gift for someone they knew.

The volunteers recorded their happiness level before receiving the envelope and after spending the money by the end of that same day. Researchers found that those who spent their money on others had higher happiness levels than those who spent the money on themselves.

The happiness that gift giving fosters traces back to social connection — spending money on someone else makes us feel more connected to others, Minda Zetlin reported. "The thanks and warm fuzzies we get from the recipient of our largesse is likely to make us feel good as well," she wrote.

If you're going to spend on items, focus on ones that enhance your experiences

Experiences also promote happiness because they're reflective of a sense of self and identity, according to Kumar.

Some material goods that enhance your affinity for experiences can be a wise investment and promote your well-being, he said. "If you're musically talented and want to buy an instrument, that could make you happy," he said. "Same if you're a surfer and want to invest in a surfboard."

In relative terms, the items in shopping categories like outdoors and recreation tend to make people happier, Kumar added, because they are often used for experiential purposes.

Read more: 27 products we recommend waiting until Amazon Prime Day to buy, based on deals from past years

But with Amazon offering more than 1 million deals for Prime members, it's easy to find yourself swimming in a sea of goods that you think might enhance an experience but really don't. Before buying, think about the extent to which the purchase is experiential, Kumar said. Really weigh what might enhance a passion or hobby.

For example, devices like Kindle e-readers are likely to be on sale, Chen reported. If you're an avid reader, this might enhance your reading experience. 

"It often isn't really the good itself that brings the happiness, but the experiences that you can have with the good," Gray said. "If an item allows the individual to have more experiences, then it is more valuable."

Think about what will make your life easier

In addition to experiences and social relationships, the other two big components of happiness when shopping, according to Gray, are the things that make life easier: basic needs and time.

The material goods that bring us the most happiness are goods that meet our most basic needs, he said. INSIDER's Sally Kaplan bought a six-month supply of toilet paper on Amazon Prime Day last year — and she said it was one of the best purchases she ever made.

But one thing people value over material goods is time, Gray said. "Time-saving goods are highly valuable, especially if it lessens or removes time spent doing something you don't like."

The takeaway: Before clicking "buy" this Amazon Prime Day, think twice about the best use of your money when it comes to what will improve your life and make you happier, Kumar said.

 


Now tell us what you think!


 

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2019

DON'T MISS: Amazon Prime Day 2019 is fast approaching — check out the best deals we expect to see again this year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Taylor Swift is the world's highest-paid celebrity. Here's how she makes and spends her $360 million.

This daily facial treatment is pricey, but it's the only thing that's helped to prevent and clear up my cystic acne and uneven skin

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Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

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As a teen, I really hoped adulthood would be better to my dry, sensitive, acne-prone skin. Unfortunately, it hasn't been too kind.

Even at 27, I still deal with bouts of cystic hormonal acne — the painful kind that sits deep under the skin but never really comes to a head. I also have rosacea (albeit pretty minor), which causes redness, roughness, and all-around uneven skin, and a sensitivity to a lot of products. It's not a great combination.

Needless to say, when I find something that works to clear up my acne and my redness and my roughness and my unevenness all at once, I cling to it for dear life. Even if it costs me an arm and a leg. 

Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel is the only product I've found that can do all of those things. It is exorbitantly expensive at $88 per package of 30 treatments, but boy is it worth the money. 

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Though its packaging would have you believe it's simply an anti-aging treatment, tightening up fine lines and wrinkles is just one of the things these peels are effective at. They also drastically reduce unevenness in texture and tone, clear up and prevent acne with regular use, and minimize pores. I now use mine daily (followed by a lot of sunscreen), and I've noticed a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of my breakouts, redness, unevenness, and dryness. 

Here's why they work:

The peels contain both alpha and beta hydroxy acids which gently exfoliate the skin and, according to Dr. Dennis Gross, "weaken the connection between dead skin cells." This helps to accelerate the shedding process and remove bacteria and buildup, keeping dead skin cells from getting trapped in your pores (which is the main cause of acne). 

They also have potent ingredients like retinol, which has been proved to increase collagen production and skin cell turnover, and resveratrol, which essentially prevents free radicals from damaging the skin.

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Here's how to use them:

The Alpha Beta Peel comes in treatment packets that contain two pre-soaked cotton towelettes. When it comes to the extra-strength kind, the first packet is marked "Exfolliate and Smooth" and the other is called the "Anti-Aging Neutralizer." 

You'll need to apply them on dry, clean skin, starting with the Exfolliate and Smooth towelette. The instructions say to swipe it all over your face until the cloth is pretty much dry. This one is more intense and may leave your skin looking red at first, but the next layer will help calm it down. 

Once you've finished the first towelette, let it soak in and dry for a few minutes before opening the second one. Then repeat with the Anti-Aging Neutralizer until it's essentially dry. Make sure to wear sunscreen during the day even if you do the treatment at night, since the hydroxy acids can make your skin more prone to sunburns. 

If you want to see the full benefits of the treatment, you should use one of these pretty much every day. I used to go long periods of time between use, only taking them out when my skin was experiencing a bout of hormonal acne — mostly because they're so costly that I was hesitant to use them up too quickly. But I've since realized that long-term use is key to not just treating but preventing breakouts over time.

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Deciding which type to buy:

The peel comes in three versions — extra-strength, original, and ultra-gentle. I use the extra-strength kind, but if your skin is particularly sensitive, I recommend at least starting with ultra-gentle and working your way up.

Honestly, the first time I used the extra-strength version, my skin turned bright red and felt hot to the touch — so keep in mind that it may take some getting used to if you go for a heavy-duty peel. As recommended on the box, I started out slow with two treatments a week until my sensitive skin was finally acclimated to regular use. 

Overall, this is my most sworn-by product for dealing with acne and redness. It's expensive, yes, but if you're going to spend good money on skin care, it might as well be on something that actually works. 

Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel 30-pack, available on Amazon, $86.95 

Also available at Sephora (35 for $88) or  Nordstrom (60 plus a liquid peel for $130).

SEE ALSO: 17 cheap and effective skincare products under $25 we swear by in our everyday lives

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More than 7,500 stores are closing in 2019 as the retail apocalypse drags on — here's the full list

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snowy deserted empty mall

  • More than 7,500 stores are expected to close in 2019.
  • The discount chain Fred's said Friday that it would close another 129 stores, bringing its total number of store closures this year to 441.
  • Charlotte Russe, Family Dollar, and Chico's recently announced more than 1,100 store closures in a span of 24 hours.
  • Payless has said it plans to close all of its 2,500 stores in what could be the largest retail liquidation in history.

The staggering rate of store closures that has rocked the retail industry over the past couple of years is expected to continue in 2019, with roughly the same level of closures expected this year.

Retailers closed a record 102 million square feet of store space in 2017, then smashed that record in 2018 by closing another 155 million square feet, according to estimates by the commercial real-estate firm CoStar Group.

"This year we are predicting more of the same in the retail space," CoStar senior consultant Drew Myers said.

Retailers have announced more than 7,500 store closures so far this year, according to an analysis by Business Insider.

Here's a list of all the stores closing this year:

SEE ALSO: Retailers are filing for bankruptcy at a staggering rate — and these 17 companies could be the next to default

NOW WATCH: Victoria's Secret is closing dozens of stores this year — here's why the brand has failed to keep up

Payless ShoeSource: 2,500 stores

Payless filed for bankruptcy in February and said it planned to close all of its 2,500 stores in what could be the largest retail liquidation in history.



Gymboree: 805 stores

Gymboree Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January and said it planned to close more than 800 stores under its Gymboree and Crazy 8 banners.

Gymboree previously filed for bankruptcy as recently as June 2017 and closed nearly 400 stores.


Dress Barn: 650 stores

Dress Barn, which is owned by Ascena Retail Group, announced in May that it was shutting down all of its 650 stores. 

"For more than 50 years, Dressbarn has served women's fashion needs, and we thank all of our dedicated associates for their commitment to Dressbarn and our valued customers," Dress Barn CFO Steven Taylor said. "This decision was difficult, but necessary, as the Dressbarn chain has not been operating at an acceptable level of profitability in today's retail environment."



Charlotte Russe: 520 stores

Charlotte Russe kicked off closing sales at 94 stores in February, after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In March, the company announced that it would liquidate its remaining 416 Charlotte Russe stores and 10 Peek Kids stores.



Family Dollar: 390 stores

Dollar Tree said in March that it plans to convert about 200 Family Dollar stores into Dollar Tree stores, and close up to 390 additional stores under the Family Dollar brand.



Shopko: 371 stores

Shopko filed for bankruptcy in January and said it would close 251 stores. The company said in March that it had failed to find a buyer for its business, and would liquidate its remaining 120 stores.



Fred's: 441 stores

Discount chain Fred's announced in April that it would close 159 stores by the end of May. In May, the company said it would close another 104 stores. In June, Fred's announced plans to close another 49 stores. In July, the company said it would close 129 stores. After all those closures, the company will have about 80 stores remaining. 



Charming Charlie: 261 stores

Charming Charlie, which sells jewelry and accessories, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July and said it plans to close all of its 261 stores in 38 states by the end of August. 



Chico's: 250 stores

The women's clothing retailer Chico's said in March that it would close 100 Chico's stores, 90 White House Black Market stores, and 60 Soma stores over the next three years.



Gap: 230 stores

Gap said Thursday that it would close 230 namesake storesover the next two years as it reported that the brand's same-store sales fell 7% during the holiday quarter. The company also said it would spin off its Old Navy brand.



LifeWay: 170 stores

 

LifeWay Christian Resources said in March that it planned to close all 170 of its stores. The  Nashville-based company said it will continue to sell Bibles, books, children's products, church supplies, and Christian music and movies on its website.



Performance Bicycle: 102 stores

Performance Bicycle's parent company, Advanced Sports Enterprises, filed for bankruptcy protection in November and later announced that it would close all 102 of its stores. 



Sears: 70 stores

Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart stores, emerged from bankruptcy in February after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. 



Destination Maternity: 42-67 stores

Destination Maternity plans to close between 42 and 67 stores this year. 



Victoria's Secret: 53 stores

Victoria's Secret said it would close 53 stores this year, citing a "decline in performance."

NOW WATCH:Victoria's Secret is closing dozens of stores this year — here's why the brand has failed to keep up



Office Depot and OfficeMax: 50 stores

Office Depot is closing 50 stores under its namesake and OfficeMax banners in 2019, the company told Business Insider.

"Office Depot, Inc. continues to optimize its retail footprint as part of the three-year strategic plan announced in August 2016," said Shera Bishop, a spokeswoman for Office Depot. "We will continue to serve our customers at neighboring Office Depot and OfficeMax stores as well as online at officedepot.com."



Kmart: 50 stores

Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart stores, emerged from bankruptcy in February after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.



CVS Health: 46 stores

CVS Health said it closed 46 underperforming stores in April.



Party City: 45 stores

Party City said in May that it planned to close 45 of its 870 stores this year.

The party supplies company typically closes up to 15 stores each year.

"This year, after careful consideration and evaluation of our store fleet, we've made the decision to close more stores than usual in order to help optimize our market level performance, focus on the most profitable locations and improve the overall health of our store portfolio," Party City CEO James Harrison said in a press release.



The Children's Place: 45 stores

The Children's Place said in May that it plans to close 40 to 45 stores in 2019, but the company is also planning to open 25 new stores over the next two years, including 10 new openings this year.



Pier 1 Imports: 57 stores

Pier 1 Imports said it plans to close 57 stores in fiscal 2020.



Abercrombie & Fitch: 40 stores

Abercrombie & Fitch said in March that it plans to close up to 40 stores this year. Abercrombie & Fitch also plans to open 40 new stores, including 20 Hollister stores, 15 Abercrombie Kids stores, and five Abercrombie stores. 

The company announced the closings as it reported that its Abercrombie brands' same-store sales fell 2% during the fourth quarter. Most of the stores that Abercrombie & Fitch plans to close are located in the US, the company said.



Bed Bath & Beyond: 40 stores

Bed Bath & Beyond said in April that it plans to close at least 40 stores in 2019, and possibly more. The company also said it would open 15 new stores. 

"We expect to open approximately 15 new stores in fiscal 2019. This will be offset by a minimum of approximately 40 stores we expect to close," Robyn D'Elia, chief financial officer and treasurer, said on an earnings call. "This number will grow unless we are able to negotiate more favorable lease terms with our landlords."



Christopher & Banks: 30-40 stores



JCPenney: 27 stores

JCPenney said it will close 27 stores in 2019, including 18 full-line department stores and 9 home and furniture stores. The department-store chain said same-store sales fell 4% during the fourth quarter.



Beauty Brands: 25 stores

Beauty Brands, a regional chain of salon and spa superstores, said in December that it planned to close 25 stores this year.



Henri Bendel: 23 stores

Henri Bendel closed all its stores in January after 123 years in business. 



Lowe's: 20 stores

Lowe's is closing 20 stores across 13 states this year. 



Z Gallerie: 17 stores

Z Gallerie, a home furnishings and decor retailer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. The company said it plans to close 17 of its 76 stores during the restructuring process, according to bankruptcy filings.



Walmart: 17 stores

Walmart is closing at least 17 stores across 11 US states and Canada.

The stores include Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Market stores in Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Arizona, California, Kansas, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.



Macy's: 9 stores

Macy's is closing stores in Wyoming, Washington, California, New York, Indiana, Massachusetts, Virginia, and West Virginia.



J.Crew: 7 stores

J.Crew is closing stores in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, California,and Canada.



Kohl's: 4 stores

Kohl's is closing four stores this year. All the closing stores are located in or near a shopping mall.



Nordstrom: 3 stores

Nordstrom is closing stores in Florida, Virginia, and Rhode Island.




How to set up automatic backups for your Google Pixel, and save an unlimited amount of photos and videos

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Google Pixel 3a XL

  • Knowing how to backup your devices is always good practice — and Google Pixel phones come with an automatic backup option, but it needs to be activated by the user to work.
  • The automatic backups will save only a limited amount of data for most apps, but an unlimited amount of photos, videos, contacts, and calendar data.
  • Here's an overview of automatic backups and how to turn them on for your Pixel phone.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Everyone knows you're supposed to keep backups, but a lot of people put it off as long as they can. And sometimes, that backfires. That's why the best time to backup your Google Pixel is right now.

Lucky for Pixel phone owners, these phones have an automatic backup feature that can be turned on at any time. 

It will backup an unlimited amount of data from your calendar, contacts, photos and videos. You get up to 25 MB of data per app for all other apps, call history, device settings, and SMS messages. Everything that's backed up is saved to your Google account.

Here's what you need to know to turn on automatic backup for any Pixel phone.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Google Pixel 3 (From $649.99 at Best Buy)

How to backup your Google Pixel phone

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen and open the Settings by tapping the gear icon.

1 BACKUP GOOGLE PIXEL

2. Tap "System."

2 BACKUP GOOGLE PIXEL

3. Select "Backup."

4. Toggle the "Backup to Google Drive" option to the on position (it will turn blue).

3 BACKUP GOOGLE PIXEL

How to restore your Google Pixel using a backup

If something does happen to your phone after you've enabled these automatic backups, you can restore older versions of your phone based on that saved data.

If you've restarted your phone, start by entering your phone's PIN, password, or pattern, selecting "Start," and following the on-screen steps to start your phone. Make sure you're also connected to WIFI at this point.

When prompted, select "Next" for "Copy apps and data" followed by "Can't use old phone." Then, under the "Copy another way" tab, select "OK" and then "a backup from the cloud."

You'll then be able to sign into your Google account, retrieve the backed up data and follow the remaining steps to get your phone back up and running.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: 8 affordable Google Pixel 3 accessories that'll help you make the most of your new phone

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's why phone companies like Verizon and AT&T charge more for extra data

The best Prime Day deals on Amazon devices, including Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, and Kindles

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Amazon Devices Prime Day 2019 4x3

  • Prime Day is the best time of the year to buy an Amazon device like an Echo speaker or Kindle e-reader.
  • Amazon is discounting many of its top-rated speakers, TV streamers, e-readers, tablets, and security cameras to their lowest prices ever. 
  • Find all the deals and short descriptions of what each device does, below. 
  • Don't have time to sift through millions of deals? We'll be doing it for you. Check out the best deals of Prime Day 2019 here.

If you've ever wanted to own an Amazon device, be it aKindle e-reader,Echo speaker, orFire TV Stick, then you should know that the best time of year to buy one — if you want to enjoy the lowest prices, anyway — isPrime Day.

Historically, Amazon has offered discounts of $15 to $50 off its popular gadgets on both Prime Day and Black Friday, and each year the deals just get better. We looked back on last year's Black Friday pricing only to find that this year's Prime Day deals offer steeper discounts, which is great if you've hesitated so far.

On Black Friday of last year, for example, one of our favorite tablets, the Fire HD 8 Tablet, was discounted from $79.99 to $59.99. This year during Prime Day 2019, it will only be $49.99. 

<a target="_merchant" href="https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?node=13887280011&hvadid=357656494295&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4811143097770052267&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9067609&hvtargid=kwd-297861118695&ref=pd_sl_mdpvw3y7d_e&linkCode=sl2&tag=biip_071619_amazon-day-prime-20&linkId=b526a275fc9de74a4095a0930e12906f&language=en_US" data-analytics-product="" data-analytics-product-module="Product Prime Day" data-analytics-product-area="insider-pick-primeday-button" data-analytics-product-price="1" class="insider-pick-button insider-pick-button--large">Shop Prime Day Deals</a>

A Prime Day Amazon device deal that's already live is on the Fire TV Recast. You can take $100 off the live-TV-streaming and DVR device this year. 

Below, we've rounded up all the Amazon device deals in one place for you to shop. We've also provided easy comparisons among options within the same family so you don't waste time going back and forth between pages trying to distinguish their differences.

Here are all the Amazon devices on sale during Prime Day.

Note: Most of these device deals are not yet live and are based off a preview provided by Amazon. All anticipated deals are marked with an asterisk. Check back on Prime Day for live updates to all the deals below. 

Amazon Prime Day Banners Echo deals

2019 Amazon Prime Price Chart Echo

<a target="_merchant" href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Echo-And-Alexa-Devices/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&node=9818047011&linkCode=ll2&tag=biip_071619_amazon-day-prime-20&linkId=17f33a3ce96d7b0cfdb9eafda6f7ab5e&language=en_US" data-analytics-product="" data-analytics-product-module="Product Prime Day" data-analytics-product-area="insider-pick-primeday-button" data-analytics-product-price="1" class="insider-pick-button insider-pick-button--large">Shop Amazon Echo Devices</a>

It's likely that most, if not all, Echo devices will go on sale, from the simpleEcho Dot to the features-packedEcho Show. Each one utilizes Alexa to accomplish any number of tasks, from answering questions to reordering supplies on Amazon. 

Speakers:

  • *Echo Dot Kids, $44.99 (originally $69.99) [You save $25]: Features a kid-friendly version of Alexa, parental controls, and a year of FreeTime Unlimited (Amazon's educational content subscription).
  • *Echo, $49.99 (originally $99.99) [You save $50]: All the functionalities of the Echo Dot, but with room-filling dual speakers.
  • *Echo Plus, $109.99 (originally $149.99) [You save $40]: A taller Echo, with a built-in hub to help you easily set up other smart home devices. Now with stronger bass and clearer sound, powered by Dolby play 360° audio.

Speakers with video features: 

  • *Echo Show, $159.99 (originally $229.99) [You save $70]: Combines the speaker quality of the Echo and Echo Plus with the visual capabilities of the Echo Spot. Now with a larger (10") HD display and eight mic array.

Audio accessories:

  • Echo Input, $14.99 (originally $34.99) [You save $20]: Adds Alexa to any speaker via audio cable or Bluetooth.

Amazon Prime Day Banners Fire tv deals

2019 Amazon Prime Price Chart Fire TV Stick

<a target="_merchant" href="https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&node=8521791011&&linkCode=ll2&tag=biip_071619_amazon-day-prime-20&linkId=9845395068ca6a35806018d46c0716c2&language=en_US" data-analytics-product="" data-analytics-product-module="Product Prime Day" data-analytics-product-area="insider-pick-primeday-button" data-analytics-product-price="1" class="insider-pick-button insider-pick-button--large">Shop Fire TV Devices on Amazon</a>

Armed with a Fire TV device that streams your favorite shows from Netflix, Hulu, andPrime Video, you'll feel like traditional cable is truly a thing of the past. Fire TV devices also utilize Alexa for convenient hands-free control, so you don't have to juggle or manage yet another remote control. These are the anticipated Fire TV devices deals: 

  • *Fire TV Stick, $14.99 (originally $39.99) [You save $25]: A small streaming media player that plugs into any TV's HDMI port, 8 GB storage.
  • *Fire TV Stick 4K, $24.99 (originally $49.99) [You save $25]: Includes a Wi-Fi antenna design optimized for 4K Ultra HD streaming.
  • *Fire TV Cube, $69.99 (originally $119.99) [You save $50]: Has 4K Ultra HD and HDR, built-in speaker, far-field voice control, ethernet support, 16 GB storage.

2019 Amazon Prime Price Chart Fire TV Recast

  • Fire TV Recast, $129.99 (originally $229.99) [You save $100]: A DVR that brings live TV to your Fire TV, Echo Show, Fire Tablet, and compatible mobile devices.

The Fire TV Stick is better for less committal or budget-conscious watchers (and wins over the popular Roku Streaming Stick), while the Fire TV Recast and Fire TV Cube have features that take the TV-watching experience to the next level.

Amazon Prime Day Banners Kindle Deals

If you love reading,you won't regret getting a Kindle, which makes it that much easier to enjoy the pastime. The e-readers are light and comfortable to hold, give you the ability to download millions of books with the click of a button, and let you make highlights and notes. The line ranges in features like display resolution, built-in lights, and storage.

<a target="_merchant" href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Kindle-Ereader-Family/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&node=6669702011&linkCode=ll2&tag=biip_071619_amazon-day-prime-20&linkId=341c9a80b370c99d2c3c7fa084cb5357&language=en_US" data-analytics-product="" data-analytics-product-module="Product Prime Day" data-analytics-product-area="insider-pick-primeday-button" data-analytics-product-price="1" class="insider-pick-button insider-pick-button--large">Shop Kindle Devices on Amazon</a>

  • *Kindle, $59.99 (originally $89.99) [You save $30] + $5 eBook credit + 3 months free Kindle Unlimited: The most basic Kindle, which is best for readers who don't need tons of bells and whistles.
  • *Kindle Paperwhite, $84.99 (originally $129.99) [You save $45] + $5 eBook credit + 3 months free Kindle Unlimited: The most popular Kindle, has a high-resolution display (300 ppi) with built-in adjustable light. Now thinner, lighter, twice the storage, and water-proof.
  • *Kindle Oasis, $174.99 (originally $249.99) [You save $75]: Largest display, biggest storage, waterproof, has an adaptive front light and built-in Audible.

Amazon offers memberships likeKindle Unlimited, which gives you access to over a million e-books. New members can try it for free for three months (it's usually $9.99 a month).

Amazon Prime Day Banners Fire Tablet Deals

2019 Amazon Prime Price Chart Fire HD 8 Tablet

Fire tabletsare optimized for the best portable entertainment experience, whether you like to watch movies or play games. There are three main types, and the number refers to the display size. All are available in bright colors and have high-quality video recording features, so their main differences come down to resolution, storage size, battery life, and audio capabilities. The following tablets will be on sale:

  • *Fire 7, $29.99 (originally $49.99) [You save $20]: 1024 x 600 (171 ppi) resolution, built-in Alexa function, 8 or 16 GB storage, eight-hour battery life, mono speaker.
  • *Fire 7 Kids, $59.99 (originally $99.99) [You save $40]: Same specs as the 7 above, but does not include Alexa. It does include one year of FreeTime Unlimited, two-year worry-free guarantee, and a kid-proof case.
  • *Fire HD 8, $49.99 (originally $79.99) [You save $30]: 1280 x 800 (189 ppi) resolution, built-in Alexa function, 16 or 32 GB storage, 12-hour battery life, Dolby dual speakers.
  • *Fire HD 8 Kids, $79.99 (originally $129.99) [You save $50]: Same specs as the 8 above, but does not include Alexa. It does include one year of FreeTime Unlimited, two-year worry-free guarantee, and a kid-proof case.
  • *Fire HD 10, $99.99 (originally $149.99) [You save $50]: 1920 x 1200 (224 ppi) resolution, built-in Alexa function, 32 or 64 GB, 10-hour battery life, Dolby dual speakers.

We think the Fire HD 8 is the perfect balance of power and price,and though we still prefer the iPad over the Fire HD 10, the Fire HD 10 is certainly more affordable. Pick up the right accessories and these tablets become even better.

Amazon Prime Day Banners Sec Camera deals

For the peace of mind that your home is safe when you're not there, get a security camera that gives you live notifications and video clips of the scene. 

DON'T MISS: The best competing Prime Day sales of 2019 from major retailers like Walmart, Target, and eBay — some are promising better discounts

SEE ALSO: 30 cool products that just launched on Amazon exclusively for Prime members

Join the conversation about this story »

The rise of Marc Benioff, the bombastic Salesforce CEO and owner of Time Magazine, who has a $6.5 billion fortune and owns a 5-acre compound in Hawaii (CRM)

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marc benioff segway salesforce 2003

It seems like Salesforce CEO and founder Marc Benioff never leaves the spotlight.

Between Salesforce's Dreamforce mega-conference in San Francisco, his philanthropy, and his willingness to take political stands, it seems like he's always in the spotlight — even if, sometimes, it's because he's facing protests over Salesforce's work with the United States Customs and Border Patrol.

Salesforce itself is in a good position at the moment: Under Benioff's leadership, the company has swelled to a $121 billion market cap, even as it hit $10 billion in annual revenue for the 2018 fiscal year. It's gone from an upstart Oracle rival to a cloud computing behemoth in its own right.

Here's how Benioff, whose estimated net worth now stands at $6.5 billion, worked his way up to the national stage from humble origins.

SEE ALSO: The rise of Larry Ellison, the jet-setting billionaire founder of Oracle

DON'T MISS: The owner of Budweiser and Corona is planning the largest IPO of 2019. Meet the company's famously private CEO, who has only one hobby and doesn't like company perks

Marc Russell Benioff, 54, was born in San Francisco on September 25th, 1964, the son of Joelle and Russell Benioff.

Source: Bloomberg



Benioff is something of an anomaly among Silicon Valley CEOs — he was actually born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated from Burlingame High School in 1982.

Source: Bloomberg



His father, Russell Benioff, owned a local department store in San Francisco. "I learned my work ethic from him," Benioff once said.

Source: Inc.



Benioff got his first job at a jewelry store to save up for his first computer. He was eventually fired for cleaning the floors with the wrong soap.

Source: Entrepreneur



While in high school, Benioff sold his first app — software called "How To Juggle" for the TRS-80 Model 1 computer — to a computer magazine for $75.

Source: Entrepreneur



At age 15, Benioff founded Liberty Software, his one-man company making games for the Atari 800 computer. Titles included "King Arthur's Heir," "The Nightmare," "Escape from Vulcan's Isle," and "Crypt of the Undead."

Source: Entrepreneur



By age 16, Benioff was pulling in $1,500 a month — enough that he was able to pay for his own tuition at the University of Southern California. He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1986.

Source: Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to billion-dollar company and revolutionized an industry, Salesforce



USC named Benioff an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2014. He now sits on the University's Board of Trustees.

Source: Salesforce



While at USC, Benioff took a summer internship with Apple, working as a programmer in the Macintosh division under cofounder Steve Jobs. "That summer, I discovered it was possible for an entrepreneur to encourage revolutionary ideas," Benioff would later write.

Source: Entrepreneur



Jobs became one of Benioff's mentors. “There would be no Salesforce.com without Steve Jobs,” Benioff said in 2013.

Source: Entrepreneur



Benioff planned to stay in programming for the rest of his career, but a USC professor suggested he might have a mind for business. And so, he took a customer support role at high-flying database company Oracle right out of college.

Source: Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to billion-dollar company and revolutionized an industry



Young Benioff rapidly made it up the ranks. At age 23, Benioff was named Oracle's "Rookie of the Year."

Source: Entrepreneur



At 25, Benioff's salary from Oracle made him a millionaire.

Source: Vanity Fair



By age 26, he was named a vice president — the youngest person to attain the role in the company's history.

Source: Entrepreneur



While at Oracle, Benioff caught the attention of its billionaire playboy founder Larry Ellison. The two became very close, with Ellison mentoring the younger Benioff.

Source: Inc.



Carlye Adler wrote in Fortune: “They sailed to the Mediterranean on Ellison's yacht, visited Japan during cherry blossom season, spent Thanksgiving together, and even double-dated.”

Source: Fortune



After 13 years with Oracle, Benioff started itching for something new. With Ellison's permission, Benioff took a sabbatical to travel the world. He spent part of that time studying meditation in Hawaii.

Source: Entrepreneur



Benioff came up with the idea for Salesforce while swimming with dolphins. He soon started working on the company with a few other Oracle veterans.

Source: Entrepreneur



The big idea behind Salesforce was that where most companies — including Oracle — sold enterprise software that companies had to install on their own servers, they would let people access business apps from the web browser. For the late nineties, this was revolutionary.

Source: Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to billion-dollar company and revolutionized an industry



At first, Ellison was supportive of Benioff. Ellison even gave Salesforce $2 million in funding from his own pocket to get it started, and sat on its board of directors.

Source: Business Insider



But things turned sour between the two. Benioff found out that Oracle was working on a direct competitor to Salesforce. Benioff tried to force his mentor to quit the company's board. Instead, Ellison forced Benioff to fire him — meaning Ellison kept his shares in Salesforce.

Source: Business Insider

Read more: The epic 30-year bromance of billionaire CEOs Larry Ellison and Marc Benioff



It kicked off an epic rivalry for the ages, with the two taking shots at each other in the press. Note the Salesforce jet shooting down the Oracle biplane in this early Salesforce ad from 2001.

Source: Business Insider



The dot-com bust of the early 2000s was a difficult time for Salesforce. "Suddenly everything around us was falling apart," Benioff's cofounder Parker Harris said.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald



Salesforce survived and kept growing, becoming one of the earliest and biggest companies in the modern cloud computing market.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald



And in June 2004, Salesforce held its IPO, raising $110 million at $11 per share.

Source: Bloomberg



In addition to Ellison, real estate magnate Paul Pelosi — the husband of Nancy Pelosi, the US Speaker for the House of Representatives — was an early investor in Salesforce, making them both a lot of money.

Source: Inc.



Beyond just business, Benioff is a best-selling author of the business book "Behind the Cloud," a 2009 memoir on Salesforce's early success.

Source: Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to billion-dollar company and revolutionized an industry



Benioff is also a big believer in corporate philanthropy: Under his leadership, Salesforce invented the "1-1-1" model, where the company gives 1% of employee time as volunteer hours, 1% of its profits, and 1% of its resources to charitable causes.

Source: Salesforce



San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee declared March 7 "Global 1/1/1 Day" in honor of Salesforce's 15th birthday in 2014. Benioff keeps a copy of the proclamation in his office.

Source: Forbes



Benioff's philanthropic efforts focus on children’s health, the environment, public education, and homelessness, according to his biography on Salesforce's website.

Source: Salesforce



"I hope that our city leaders will wake up & realize that Homelessness is our #1 crisis," Benioff tweeted in July 2019.

Source: Twitter



Benioff donated $250 million to the University of California, San Francisco in 2010 to found UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.

Source: Salesforce



In 2016, Benioff and his wife, Lynne, launched the Benioff Ocean Initiative at the University of California, Santa Barbara to study marine life.

Source: Salesforce



"The business of business is improving the state of the world," Benioff said.

Source: Salesforce



Benioff also serves on the World Economic Forum's Board of Trustees.

Source: Salesforce



Benioff credits former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Hindu guru Mata Amritanandamayi — who he met on a trip through India — with encouraging him to put Salesforce's resources to work helping others.

Source: Inc.



Benioff's belief in social justice also led him straight into the fight against proposed bills in Indiana and Georgia that would allow discrimination against gay people. He rallied other business leaders to the cause, with a positive result.



All the while, he's earned a reputation as one of Silicon Valley's most boisterous CEOs. He rarely appears in public without his custom cloud sneakers.

Source: Business Insider



Benioff is also a Star Wars fan. He keeps an R2-D2 figurine on his desk.

Source: Forbes



And while he may not be the globetrotting playboy that his mentor Ellison is, Benioff has lots of friends in the celebrity and political worlds.



Benioff is married to philanthropist Lynne Benioff.

Source: Salesforce



The Benioffs have several homes, including this 5-acre compound in Hawaii.

Source: The Wall Street Journal



He also has fractional ownership of two Gulfstream IV jets.

Source: The Wall Street Journal



All the while, Salesforce has grown to a $120 billion company, while its annual Dreamforce conference has ballooned to take over much of San Francisco every autumn.

Source: Business Insider 1, 2



Dreamforce is also always a huge party, with acts like Metallica and Foo Fighters headlining its after parties.

Source: Business Insider



Salesforce has gotten so big, that at one point, the company had to abandon plans to move into a new San Francisco campus, because it had already outgrown it. Instead, it opened Salesforce Tower, its new headquarters — and the tallest building in San Francisco — in 2018.

Source: Business Insider



Oh, and yes, Marc Benioff is distantly related to David Benioff, of "Game of Thrones" fame.

Source: Business Insider



In August 2018, Salesforce named one-time Oracle exec Keith Block the company's co-CEO, putting him on an even keel with Benioff.

Source: Business Insider



In 2018, Marc and his wife Lynne Benioff announced that they intend to purchase Time Magazine for $190 million.

Source: Business Insider



In 2018, Salesforce paid Benioff a $1.5 million salary, in addition to a $2.3 million bonus for the fiscal year 2019 and 195,872 stock options.

Source: Business Insider



Benioff thinks he should pay more taxes on that money, however. "Well get an economy that works for everyone when 1) create educational system that works for everyone & 2) Affordable Higher education & 3) strengthen our local K-12 public schools 4) We must focus online reskilling that brings everyone along & 5) higher ind & Crp taxes to pay for it," Benioff tweeted in June 2019.

Source: Business Insider

Read more: Wealth tax explainer: Why Elizabeth Warren and billionaires like George Soros alike are calling for a specialized tax on the ultra-wealthy



Amazon Prime Day 2019 is fast approaching — check out the best deals we expect to see again this year

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Of the many products we receive and test at Insider Picks every day, we've never gotten our hands on a time-travel machine. If we did, however, we'd probably use it to take a peek at the best deals of Amazon's much-anticipated yearly event, Prime Day

With Prime Day just around the corner, Amazon has begun releasing additional details, including early deals. Right now, there isn't an abundance of early deals, but there are a handful you should know about, along with all the basic information about the day itself.

This is what we know about Prime Day 2019 so far: 

  1. Amazon Prime Day 2019 will officially begin at 12 a.m. PT on July 15 and will end at 11:59 p.m. PT on July 16.
  2. The deals will last a full 48 hours, with some deals happening early.
  3. Some of the best Prime Day deals have already begun. You can save $100 on the Fire TV Recast (usually $229.99), try 4 months of Amazon Music Unlimited for only $0.99 (save $31), and try 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for free (save $30).
  4. If you're hoping to buy an Alexa-enabled device, wait until Prime Day. You'll be able to shop the biggest Prime Day deals ever on Alexa-enabled devices.

<a target="_merchant" href="https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?node=13887280011&hvadid=357656494295&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4811143097770052267&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9067609&hvtargid=kwd-297861118695&ref=pd_sl_mdpvw3y7d_e&linkCode=sl2&tag=biip_071619_amazon-day-prime-20&linkId=b526a275fc9de74a4095a0930e12906f&language=en_US" data-analytics-product="" data-analytics-product-module="Product Prime Day" data-analytics-product-area="insider-pick-primeday-button" data-analytics-product-price="1" class="insider-pick-button insider-pick-button--large">Shop Prime Day Deals</a>

You'll be able to browse featured deals on this Amazon page on Amazon Prime Day, but the real page you'll want to bookmark is this article. We'll be sifting through the more than 1 million deals anticipated to land on Prime Day and showing you only the best deals so you can save time and get on with your day. 

Remember, you must be an Amazon Prime member in order to access Amazon Prime Day 2019's best deals. Check out all the great benefits a Prime membership affords in addition to Prime Day access, then sign up for a free 30-day trial here

If you have more burning questions about Amazon Prime Day 2019, read our Amazon Prime Day FAQ. For any unanswered questions you may still have, email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com. 

Learn more about the best Prime Day deals to expect below, plus all the early deals Amazon has already released:

Note: Some deals are not yet live and are based off a preview provided by Amazon. All anticipated deals are marked with an asterisk. Check back on Prime Day for live updates to all the deals below. 

SEE ALSO: 31 useful Amazon Prime benefits to know that go beyond free 2-day shipping

DON'T MISS: Everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2019

The best Amazon service deals

Amazon's many memberships include music-streaming services Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music and grocery delivery services like AmazonFresh and Prime Pantry. These are usually the deals that get released early ahead of Prime Day and feature attractive trials that are either free or only cost $1. 

The best Prime Day Amazon service deals: 



The best Amazon Echo deals

Amazon's variety of Echo smart speakers always go on sale during Prime Day. Each one utilizes Alexa to accomplish any number of tasks, from answering questions to reordering supplies on Amazon.

The Echo (pictured) features Dolby speakers that play 360-degree audio with clear vocals and dynamic bass response, plus seven microphones so it can hear your commands even as music is playing.

The best Prime Day Echo deals



The best Kindle deals

Kindle ebook readers are light and comfortable to hold, give you the ability to download millions of books with the click of a button, and let you make highlights and notes. The newest model of the Kindle Paperwhite was released in 2018, and we love it

Among our own readers, a top three best seller last year was a Kindle Unlimited promotional deal, which let Prime members who hadn't yet tried the service get access to over 1 million books for just $1. The service usually goes for $30 for the same time frame. This year, the deal is even better. 

The best Prime Day Kindle deals



The best TV deals

TV and media streamers often go on sale during Prime Day. While you can pick up a discounted TV and a separate media streamer such as the Fire TV Stick, there are also TV options that have Fire TV built right into their system. 

The best Prime Day TV deals

The best Prime Day media streamer deals:



The best smart home deals

There was an almost overwhelming number of smart security camera and smart lighting deals on Prime Day last year. Amazon-owned Ring usually discounts a number of its cameras, with the Doorbell Pro being the most popular, but the Doorbell 2 and Spotlight Camare quality alternatives. Other smart home deals you can shop might include smart light bulbs and thermostats. 

The best Prime Day smart home deals

The best Prime Day smart security deals:



The best laptop, tablet, and computer deals

Now's a great opportunity to buy a new laptop, tablet, or PC for school or personal use. Deals from Amazon (hint: lots of Fire tablets), Acer, Google, and Samsung should give you a wealth of choice as you decide which device you need. 

The best Prime Day laptop deals:

  • Check back soon for the best laptop deals. 

The best Prime Day tablet deals:

The best Prime Day PC deals

  • Check back soon for the best PC deals. 


The best smartphone and phone accessories deals

Smartphones and their accompanying accessories can be very pricey, but you can get great deals during Amazon Prime Day, especially on unlocked phones. Here are the best smartphones and phone accessories on sale that iOS and Android fans alike can enjoy. 

The best Prime Day smartphone deals

The best Prime Day phone accessory deals

  • Check back soon for the best phone accessory deals. 


The best speaker and soundbar deals

Upgrade your sound system for less with these Prime Day speaker deals. You'll notice the difference the next time you listen to music, watch a movie, or play a video game. You can even bring a few of these speakers with you on your next beach or camping trip. Some are made for outdoor convenience while others, like the Sonos One above, are made to fill a room with rich sound. 

The best Prime Day speaker deals

The best Prime Day soundbar deals:

  • Check back soon for the best soundbar deals. 


The best headphones deals

Whether you need a good set to help you concentrate during work or to accompany your runs, we'll have you covered with the best Prime Day headphone deals, including wireless earbuds, wired earbuds, over-ear headphones, and Bluetooth headphones. It's hard to pass up on big savings from names like Sony, Bose, and Audio-Technica.

The best Prime Day headphones deals



The best kitchen deals

Save on big kitchen brands like KitchenAid and newer entrants like ChefSteps (pictured). Of course, Prime Day would be incomplete without a couple Instant Pot deals. Kitchen essentials from small appliances (air fryers, blenders, mixers) to cookware and tools are popular deals to shop. 

The best Prime Day kitchen appliance deals:

The best Prime Day cookware deals:

  • Check back soon for the best cookware deals. 

 



The best vacuum deals

No one actually enjoys vacuuming, so it's no surprise that robot vacuums are growing in popularity. Vacuums from brands like Ecovacs and iRobot will do all the work for you. But if you prefer a traditional handheld vacuum, you could also save on a fan-favorite that's usually pretty expensive — the coveted Dyson vacuum

The best Prime Day vacuum deals:

  • Check back soon for the best vacuum deals. 

The best Prime Day robot vacuum deals

  • Check back soon for the best robot vacuum deals. 


The best mattress, sheets, and pillow deals

Since you spend a third of your life sleeping, it pays to invest in a good mattress and pillow. Thankfully, you won't have to invest that much with these sleep deals. You'll be able to get the support you need with memory foam or hybrid mattresses and mattress toppers, wrap yourself in soft sheets, and rest your head (without the irritation) on hypoallergenic pillows.

The best Prime Day mattress deals:

The best Prime Day sheets and pillow deals:

  • Check back soon for the best sheets and pillow deals. 


The best fashion deals

Amazon's fashion offerings are a mix of its affordable in-house brands, which cover everything from active wear to everyday basics to fashion-forward trends, and designer brands you already know and love. 

The best Prime Day women's fashion deals:

The best Prime Day men's fashion deals

 



The best beauty and grooming deals

All types of beauty products and personal-care tools, from simple standbys to the complex and tech-oriented, will be on sale. Skip the trip to the drugstore or department store and shop all your makeup, skin care, and hair needs during Prime Day. 

The best Prime Day beauty deals:

The best Prime Day grooming deals

 



30 exclusive skin-care and beauty deals you can only get during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

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skincare nordstrom sale

  • If you're looking to expand your beauty collection, you're in luck. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is here and it's filled with more beauty, skin-care, and haircare deals than you can imagine. 
  • This year, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale will run from July 19 to August 4. But, Nordstrom cardholders get early access starting July 12 to shop all the deals. 
  • We'll be sifting through the thousands of deals to help you sort through the noise so you can focus on the fun stuff. Below, find 30 of the best beauty deals you won't want to miss at Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale this summer.

Nordstrom's huge Anniversary Sale is finally here. As the store's biggest sale of the year, it's a much awaited event — drawing even more sales than the holiday season, if you can believe it.  

Now through July 18, only Nordstrom cardholders can take advantage of the discounts. The sale will open to the public on July 19 and will last until August 4, giving you plenty of time to find whatever's on your list.

In this list, you'll find everything from Anniversary Sale-exclusive skin-care and beauty sets by brands like MAC, Trish McEvoy, NARS, and Bobbi Brown, to exclusively sized bottles of cult-favorite products like Kiehl's Creme de Corps lotion and Philosophy'sPurity cleanser.

Shop the Early Access Anniversary Sale at Nordstrom here

Apply for a Nordstrom credit card to shop the Early Access Anniversary Sale here

Check out our picks for the best deals in beauty and skin care, below:

Mario Badescu The Essentials Set

$23 (valued at $33)[You save $10]

Mario Badescu has a cult following, particularly when it comes to their Drying Lotion. This set includes the favorite for drying out pimples and spots, plus the brand's refreshing facial spray and nourishing lip balm.

See all Mario Badescu skin-care deals



Kiehl's Ultra Healthy Skin Favorites Set

$62 (valued at $108)[You save $46]

In addition to this value set from Kiehl's, the brand is also offering a jumbo bottle ofCreme de Corps (and plenty of other favorites) in a 33.8-ounce size.

See all Kiehl's skin-care deals



NARS Motu Tane Face Palette

$42, valued at $56 [You save $14]

This palette from NARS, featuring a peachy blush, champagne highlighter, and golden bronzer, is inspired by the Polynesian island of Motu Tane and gives you a sun-kissed summer glow.

See all NARS beauty deals



La Mer The Soothing Collection

$360 (valued at $475)[You save $115]

La Mer is notoriously pricey, but if you've been dying to try it, this value set is a great way to test the waters. It may still be expensive as far as skin care goes, but it's a relative bargain when it comes to the brand's usual prices.

See all La Mer skin-care deals



Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Peel Like a Pro Set

$130 (valued at $197)[You save $67]

We're huge fans of Dr. Dennis Gross, so you can imagine the audible gasps heard around our office when we found out the brand created an exclusive pack of 60 Alpha Beta Daily Peels, plus a sneak preview of the new Clinical Grade Resurfacing Liquid Peel, for Nordstrom. This is an incredible value, especially for loyal fans of their most popular product.

Read my review of these Alpha Beta Daily Peel facial treatments.

See all Dr. Dennis Gross skin-care deals



Diptyque Floral Candle and Eau de Toilette Set

$72 (valued at $105)[You save $33]

Best known for their candles, Diptyque also offers a selection of body and home fragrances. This set comes with three of their best-selling candle minis and corresponding roll-on perfumes.

See all Diptyque fragrance deals



Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo

$25 (valued at $43)[You save $18]

Makeup lovers don't need me to tell them, but if you're new to the world of beauty products, Anastasia Beverly Hills is the gold standard as far as brow care goes. This duo will keep yours looking perfectly groomed.

See all Anastasia Beverly Hills beauty deals



MAC Eye & Face Kit

$45 (valued at $82)[You save $37]

Most people have no idea that MAC actually launched inside of Nordstrom when it first came to the US from Canada. The two companies have a longstanding relationship, so MAC has created quite a few exclusives for the Anniversary Sale — including this warm neutrals palette filled with eyeshadows, highlighter, and blush.

See all MAC beauty deals



Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow & Face Palette

$85, valued at $267[You save $182]

Bobbi Brown created a palette that's valued at almost $200 more than what you pay for it. It features six eye shadows, three highlighter and bronzer shades, and a mascara to finish any look. 

See all Bobbi Brown beauty and skin-care deals



Trish McEvoy Power of Makeup Planner Set

$250 (valued at $575)[You save $325]

Every year for the Anniversary Sale, Trish McEvoy creates a few of these "planners" full of beauty essentials. This one features nearly $600 worth of her luxury makeup for a major discount.

See all Trish McEvoy skin-care and beauty deals



Charlotte Tilbury Gift of Magic Miracle Skin Set

$75 (valued at $102)[You save $27]

Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream is beloved by celebs and makeup artists alike — and so is the Wonder Glow, a brightening primer than can be worn on its own or under makeup.

See all Charlotte Tilbury skin-care and beauty deals



Jo Malone London Miniature Fragrance & Body Set

$47 (valued at $68) [You save $21]

Nothing is classier than Jo Malone London's richly layered fragrances — of which you can get two plus a body cream with this deal (hint: these make great holiday gifts).

See all Jo Malone fragrance and body-care deals



Stila Liquid Eyeshadow Set

$35 (valued at $72)[You save $37]

Stila is probably most known for its liquid liners and eyeshadows. This set includes three full-sized liquid eyeshadows in shimmery, neutral shades that last all night long.  

See all stila beauty deals



BeautyBio R45 The Reversal 3-Phase Retinol Treatment Set

$99 (valued at $188)[You save $89]

BeautyBio may not be the most well-known brand, but they sure do make some high-quality skin care. I'm a fan of their SPF moisturizer, but you can find their patented retinol treatment, brightening rosehip oil, and hydrating eye balm as part of this deal.

See all BeautyBio skin-care deals



Lancôme Lash Must-Haves Set

$59.50 (valued at $98)[You save $38.50]

If you're a Lancôme loyalist, this set of all its best mascaras and eye-makeup remover should be enough to make you giddy.

See all Lancôme skin-care and beauty deals



Laura Mercier Trés Chic Face Palette

$52 (valued at $86) [You save $34]

About two years ago I got a Laura Mercier Illuminator highlighter, and have used it at least four to fives times a week since. It has lasted me longer than I ever could have imagined — so if you're wondering whether or not this palette is worth it, the answer is a very firm yes. You'll also get some blushes and bronzers for the ultimate glow. 

See all Laura Mercier beauty deals



Too Faced Pretty Rich Makeup Set

$49 (valued at $97)[You save $48]

Too Faced is probably best known for its palettes — this one is filled with an array of shimmery shades, neutral mattes, and applies dreamily. Plus, it includes the brand's High Shine Sparkling Lip Gloss and a tube of Better Than Sex mascara — a major fan favorite for sky-high lashes.

See all Too Faced beauty deals



Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray Kit

$48 (valued at $94) [You save $46]

A bottle of Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray, along with a travel-size and an application sponge work to make sure your makeup looks never fall out of place. 

This is the only deal from Urban Decay.



Le Labo Santal 33 and Rose 31 Travel Spray Duo

$98 (value not listed)

Le Labo's fragrances are making waves right now in the form of their gender-neutral sprays and all-around delicious candles. This set contains two of their best sellers, AnOther 13 and Santal 33.

See all Le Labo fragrance deals



Drybar Brushin' & Crushin' Set

$165 (valued at $238)[You save $73]

There's nothing like a fresh weekend blowout and style from Drybar, but this set featuring their best sellers and a heated straightening hairbrush is the best option when it comes to daily hairdos.



Clinique Big Genius Little Genius Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ Duo

$39 (valued at $53.50)[You save $14.50]

This lotion by Clinique has been around forever, and it's not going anywhere any time soon considering how many people swear by it. Clinique products rarely go on sale, so this is a great time to stock up on the basics.

See all Clinique skin-care and beauty deals



Jack Black Skin Care Essentials Set

$35 (valued at $56)[You save $21]

Jack Black (unrelated to the actor) makes men's skin-care and beard-care products that smell great and work well. This set of essentials is a wonderful product for guys who are just getting into taking care of their skin, or looking for an upgrade from their drugstore usuals.

See all Jack Black men's skin-care and body-care deals



NeuBrow Brow Enhancing Serum Duo by NeuLash

$100 (valued at $200)[You save $100]

NeuLash makes serums that improve the rate of growth for lashes and brows. You can find both on sale at Nordstrom, but I've personally used the brow serum and found it to be effective.

See all neuLASH growth serum deals



Oribe Space.Nk.Apothecary Magic Styling Set

$61 (valued at $92)[You save $31]

Oribe's dry shampoo is the best in the business, but it's notoriously pricey. You can get a bottle of it plus their texturizing spray (also amazing) for $30 off during this sale — but don't expect to find it discounted anywhere else.

See all Oribe hair-care deals



OUAI to Glow Set

$38 (valued at $56)[You save $18]

Yes OUAI — your favorite trendy hair-care brand actually has a deal at Nordstrom right now (rare, we know). Try out the brand's scalp and body scrub, and a travel-sized rose hair and body oil before you go for the full-size version.

This is the only OUAI deal.



GLAMGLOW Super Duo Clear + Renew Set

$79 (valued at $124)[You save $45]

GLAMGLOW's skin care is good for more than just Instagram. This duo packs a complexion-clearing punch with the Supermud pore-clarifying treatment and Superserum exfoliating serum.

See all GLAMGLOW skin-care deals



Viktor&Rolf FlowerBomb Eau de Parfum Set

$140 (valued at $228)[You save $88]

Viktor&Rolf's foray into feminine fragrances was a hit — FlowerBomb is loved for its addictive floral scent. This set gives you all the FlowerBomb you need — it includes a full size, travel size, and mini of the Eau de Parfum — so you never have to be without your favorite scent. 

See all Viktor&Rolf fragrance deals



NuFace White Trinity Facial Toning Kit

$217.75 (valued at $325) [You save $107.25]

If you're looking to amp up your skin-care routine, try the NuFace Trinity Device — it uses a microcurrent treatment to contour and tone your face. This exclusive Anniversary Sale set is perfect for beginners who want to try the treatment for less. 

See all NuFace device deals



Slip for Beauty Sleep Caramel Queen Pillowcase Duo

$119 (valued at $170) [You save $51]

This may seem like more of a home purchase, but makeup artists, hairstylists, dermatologists and more swear by silk pillowcases as a secret to better skin and hair. Slip is beloved for their silk beauty products, but their undeniably pricey. This Anniversary Sale exclusive gives you two slip pillowcases for a much more affordable price. 

See all slip silk deals



Fresh Dream On Lip Set

$32 (valued at $50) [You save $18]

With its array of luxurious lip balms and polishes, Fresh is the go-to when it comes to perfecting your pout. This set has everything you need to give your lips some extra love. Inside you'll find an exfoliating lip polish and two lip treatments — they may look like your average lip balms but they provide an ultra hydrating punch to keep your lips looking plump.

See all Fresh skin-care deals



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