“Espresso Makeup” Is Latte Makeup’s Sultry Older Sister

In the history of reality television, “I’m an independent contractor” hardly seems like the juiciest mic drop. Chrishell Stause blurted out these words toward the end of Selling Sunset’s seventh and latest season, after getting heat from some cast members for skipping a team dinner that, had she shown up, would likely have ended in a shouting match with one of the season’s villains. In defending herself and clarifying her professional obligations, however, Chrishell has shaken up a franchise that already asks viewers to suspend disbelief about what’s real and what’s just for cameras. Can the stars of a reality show about inter-co-worker drama have healthy work-life boundaries and still make compelling TV?

In the real world, that “we’re a family here” mentality, perpetuated most often by American small businesses and startups, is now often recognized as a potential red flag.