Although it’s hard to believe or accept, summer is quickly coming to its inevitable end. The past few months have been a whirlwind, to say the least, and it can be hard to remember all of the exciting, engaging, and empowering moments that went down in the summer of 2018. If you’re in need of a little bit of inspiration or summer nostalgia, you’re in luck! Let’s roll back and take a look at some of the biggest pop culture moments for women this summer!
Ocean’s 8 Rocked The Box Office
This summer marked the return of many franchise favorites, including Avengers: Infinity War, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, but none were quite as revolutionary as the return of Ocean’s 8. An all-female cast featuring Sandra Bullock, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, and many more led the film right to the franchise’s highest-earning debut to date. It is no secret that women in the entertainment industry have helped to reignite a media revolution and are breaking every glass ceiling in their way. Hollywood and all of us will be so much better for it.
Female Rappers Shatter All The Records
While the music industry, in general, is notorious for being dominated by men, the subgenre of hip-hop has always proved difficult for women to break into. Female rappers are held to a much higher standard than their male counterparts and, as a result, do not receive the same amount of distribution or support for their efforts. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, however, are two rappers who refuse to maintain the status quo. At the moment, these two moguls are some of the biggest names in music regardless of gender and have had particularly amazing summers. On August 10th, Nicki Minaj released her 4th studio album, Queen, which is already fast-tracking its way to making rap history. Cardi B. released her album titled Invasion of Privacy on April 5th and instantly launched a string of summer anthems. “According to Billboard, on July 2nd, Cardi B’s “I Like It” moved up to number one on the Hot 100. The rapper’s debut single, “Bodak Yellow,” also held the top spot back in October 2017. The four other female rappers to top the charts are Lauryn Hill, Lil’ Kim, Shawnna, and Iggy Azalea, but none of them has had more than one top single yet.”
Turning Makeup Into Millions
We cannot continue to underestimate the monetary power of makeup. Due to advancements in digital media, specifically social platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, it is easier than ever to share product reviews, create day and nighttime tutorials, and grow a following solely based on cosmetic skills. There has been a significant rise in “beauty influencers,” “social media stars,” and makeup artists that solely brand themselves online. Two of the biggest names in makeup and beauty, Pat McGrath, and Kylie Jenner, have created empires in this field. Recently, it was announced that McGrath’s company Pat McGrath Labs is valued at one billion dollars with Jenner’s company Kylie Cosmetics, following closely behind at 900 million dollars. Both of these women have enormous followings in the beauty industry, McGrath being a veteran makeup artist and businesswoman and Jenner being a reality TV star turned entrepreneur, and capitalized on what they do best. We could all take a page or two out of their books and work on turning our passions into profits.
Get To Know Stacey Abrams
Another day, another woman making political history. In May, Stacey Abrams won the Democratic Primary for Governor of Georgia and became the first black woman ever to be nominated for this position by a major political party. Abrams has been hitting the campaign trail all summer leading up to this November’s midterm elections and continues to vocalize the issues that matter most to her. As a victim of the national debt crisis herself (Abrams has gone on record saying that she owes nearly three times the national average in student debt alone), she is very outspoken about promoting a fair and diverse economy. She has also prioritized voter registration, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ+ rights as parts of her historic platform.
Our Girl-Crushes Got Engaged
Not everyone counts marriage itself as an accomplishment, but we can all admit that there is nothing quite like summer love. The warm weather means park picnics, romantic walks, and according to some of our favorite celebrities, a proposal! Check out some of our favorite couples who have decided to tie the knot:
Ariana Grande (pop singer) and Pete Davidson (SNL comedian)
Priyanka Chopra (international movie star) and Nick Jonas (pop singer)
Michelle Williams (singer/actress) and Chad Johnson (pastor)
Hailey Baldwin (model) and Justin Bieber (pop singer)
Gina Rodriguez (actress) and Joe Locicero (actor)
