From the spring/summer 2003 Luella Bartley-designed Mulberry bag named for Gisele Bündchen to Proenza Schouler's 'anti-It Bag' the PS1, the tan pocketbook has weathered the ebb and flow of trends. Now, for spring '18, it's back and more desirable than ever.
For the past several seasons, bold, bright bags have ruled, with '90s monogramming enjoying a particular renaissance right now. But that only amplifies the appeal of the tan bag. In its neutrality — both in color and material — it can accessorize nearly every item in your closet and, in eluding garish prints or outlandish finishes, it avoids becoming dated. What with fashion's current maximalist aesthetic, perhaps we're all craving its quiet stability.
"This season it’s all about tan bags; we saw them everywhere from the likes of Gucci to Chloé, and we’re already seeing this shade filter through into fall/winter 2018," Hollie Harding, accessories buyer at Browns, tells Refinery29. "Neutral colors such as tan are a really great base to have in your wardrobe and in my opinion are poised to replace the classic black bag for spring."
Givenchy was among the brands that revived the classic handbag this season, with its micro belt bag with central buckle. Altuzarra's braided handle and tasseled tan bag brought a touch of the Wild West to its show, while J.W.Anderson debuted the most luxurious mixed-leather bag with gold finishings. But that's not all. "Loewe is definitely one of my go-to brands for the perfect tan bag, and this season they’ve introduced several new styles, including a beautiful woven leather tote in addition to their classic puzzle and hammock-style bag," Harding adds. "Alongside Loewe, both Staud and Wandler have absolutely nailed the tan bag and are definitely brands to invest in now."
Much like leopard print and denim, a timeless tan bag can be reimagined in countless ways, making it one of the smartest buys around. Click through to find our picks of the season.
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Even the most symmetrical faces out there know that no two brows are the same — sisters, not twins, as the saying goes. And anyone who spends at least five minutes filling in their brows every morning will also have a favorite sister... and a not-so-fave one.
Luckily, there is a plethora of cult faves and new brow launches every season to sculpt your brows into almost-twins if you so desire. Here, three Refinery29 staffers show us their daily eyebrow looks, from a three-product routine to a simple one-tool technique. Are you like Sam, who not only fills in her brows, but uses a gel and a concealer for a light contour? Or are you more like Sloan, who simply pencils in her brows after brushing them out with a spoolie brush?
Naturally, a few common faves came up. We can't talk about sculpting our brows without mentioning Anastasia Beverly Hills' Brow Wiz, after all. It would be like discussing red lipsticks and completely forgetting about Ruby Woo. But several brands have released what they deem "universal" brow products — tricky, when you have customers with a wide range of skin tones. Our beauty fans put three supposedly universally flattering brow tamers to the test, and surprise, surprise, not all of them lived up to their claims.
Watch the video above to learn a few new techniques for Insta-worthy brows, and see which brow launch actually worked on all three of our testers. Then let us know if we missed your favorite products in the comments below.
We use Amazon for everything. And we mean everything. Thanks to Amazon Prime, any item you purchase on a whim can arrive on your doorstep in two days or less — sometimes, even the same day. We live in a magical time.
But with that awesome power comes...strange choices. For some of us, that one-click checkout button can lead to some unusual impulse buys. For others, it's all too easy to start browsing Amazon in a late-night haze, saying yes to things you'd ordinarily never consider you needed in your life. But now that you've got a five-pound bag of Skittles or a dedicated wall-mounted purse hanger in your life, you've got to make the most of it, right?
Here, Refinery29 staffers share the most bizarre item they've purchased from Amazon.
"This wrap-round-the-neck pillow has made even the longest flights more bearable — and helped me catch some sleep."
"Heat To Go packs are supposed to be used for easing muscle pain, but I use them in the dead of winter when I'm freezing and need an extra boost of warmth."
"Celestial Seasonings' Gingerbread Spice tea a seasonal special you can only find in stores around the holidays — it tastes like Christmas in a cup. I keep the holiday cheer going year round by ordering it in bulk online."
"These little deodorizing balls are a life saver. I keep one in each of my sneakers and my gym bag to ensure I don't get dirty stares on the subway."
"When we first started dating, my boyfriend would order condoms on Amazon because we didn't want to go out of our way to actually walk to a store. The most amusing part was that they were always delivered to his office."
Photo: Amazon.com.
"I upgraded to an Amazon Prime subscription nearly exclusively to get Diet Barq's Root Beer. You really can NOT find it in NYC. Since I started ordering it, the price has gone up and it's gone out of stock. I'm pretty sure that's all me."
Photo: Amazon.
"My weird impulse buys from Amazon are usually single-use kitchen appliances: cake pop maker, silicone baking molds (spheres and pyramids!), panini press, dehydrator machine..."
"I order everything on Amazon. My trash can, toaster, rolling rack, coat rack, AC unit, heater, candles, vitamins, books, beanies, scarves. I'm just addicted to Amazon."
"Anything that lets me take things to-go: plastic cups with lids and straws, so I can make all my drinks to-go, mini packets of peanut butter in bulk (so, like, six cases of 24 packets)."
"I'm addicted to buying my cat's food in bulk on Amazon. It's SO heavy if I pick it up at the store and lug it home, so it's awesome that I can just order it on Prime and just have them bring it to me."
"Amazon has a great selection of novelty contact lens cases (ones shaped like tiny pairs of glasses, ones shaped like animals, etc). I rarely invite whimsy into my personal-care routine, but for whatever reason, I can't resist this one thing."
"One time, I rush-ordered a spatula, because I wanted to step up my omelette game, only to have accidentally ordered a massive pancake-flipping-style spatula."
"I tend to compile my shopping cart over a few days and don't end up placing the order until late at night before I go to bed, so I'll throw in some random stuff in my half-awake state. After 29Rooms, I ordered metal straws, because I learned from Adrian Grenier that plastic straws are bad for our oceans!"
"I have this weird habit of making late-night Amazon purchases that I don't remember until they arrive, like this past week, when a 15-pound bag of rice showed up at the office with my name on it."
"Sometimes, when I'm sleepy, I fall victim to Amazon's brilliant targeting...like when I bought a one-pound bag of Skittles, because, 'I wanted to fill up my Prime pantry box to get my money's worth.'"
"I'm addicted to buying superfoods on Amazon and have spent literally hundreds of dollars on powders, berries, and extracts boasting to detox my body and boost some aspect of my general well-being. I have things like spirulina, maca, acai powder, and most recently, liquid chlorophyll, on auto-refill. Once I'm in the depths of Amazon, I can't get out."
"I bought tampons in bulk from Amazon in college and I'm still working my way through that stash. It was a HUGE order of tampons — for a while, I was bestowing boxes of feminine hygiene products on my friends like Robin Hood. Tampons for all! I haven't purchased tampons at Duane Reade since I made the order. Although I am running a little low these days — end of an era, I suppose."
"Not me, but my old roommate was sort of obsessed with seeing what the maximum quantity you can purchase for any given item on Amazon. Their finger once hovered over the button for 500 copies of Kazaam on DVD...I think the only time they actually went through with the purchase was when an absurd amount of Bazooka Joe bubble gum turned out to be pretty cheap. Needless to say, our jaws were very sore."
"Socks! I'm always losing and mismatching socks, so it's super-easy to just order some cheap ones on Amazon Prime — and they'll be there in a day or two!"
"I drunkenly ordered a $10 blow-up chair because some friends and I were reliving the '90s and I thought about how my mom never let me own one when I was a kid (plus, these things used to cost like $60!). It was fun the first night I got it, but my cat was terrified and spending 30 minutes blowing up a chair for giggles is not a great use of time."
"I have sensitive teeth, thanks to what I assume is a genetic predisposition to weakened enamel coupled with a 10-year addiction to coffee and Diet Coke. So I always always have to use toothpaste for sensitive teeth, otherwise even taking a sip of cold water can send me into screaming paroxysms of pain. I also happen to really like the baking soda flavor in Arm & Hammer toothpaste. But try as I might, I can never find its toothpaste for sensitive teeth anywhere in stores. So I order it in bulk off Amazon. All that just to have the slightly weird (but weirdly addictive) feeling that I rubbed the inside of my mouth with sodium bicarbonate."
"I ordered some mysterious sour candies that came in a bag that looked like it came straight out of a science lab. They're called Barnett Sour Watermelon Balls."
There are plenty of reasons to look forward to tonight's full moon (the second one of the month) and the coinciding lunar eclipse. But, once the dust settles and February officially starts on Thursday, we'll be left in the dark — literally. We won't see another full moon until March 1, so February won't feature the energizing effects that accompany this bright, expansive lunar phase. But that doesn't mean we're staring down a month of total celestial boredom.
Depending on whom you ask, next month will have a "black moon," which isn't nearly as scary as it sounds. In this case, it simply refers to a month that lacks a full moon, but it can also describe a month with two new moons or the third new moon in a season that has four total (which is one more than the average three). Regardless of the definition you happen to be dealing with, its spiritual significance remains essentially the same. During a black moon, the energetic focus is on the new moon, the one phase in which the moon is completely invisible. This lunar phase is most closely associated with personal growth, self-improvement, and fresh starts.
Keep in mind that we'll be coming off a lunar eclipse when we begin this black moon period. Eclipses, lunar and solar alike, are believed to signal the end of something and the start of something new. So, as you begin what's set to be a pretty introspective month, you might be better served to focus on any new beginnings you could kick off in your inner life, rather than anything that's going on at work, in your family, or anywhere outside yourself.
Maybe you want a clean slate in your workout routine, so you sign up for a new class or upgrade your old pair of sneakers. Or, you might want to make a small change to be more productive every day, in which case you could shift your sleep schedule by an hour or drink more water throughout the day.
The new moon encourages us to reflect on what others can't see. Use the time leading up to the the new moon on February 15 to decide what new changes you'd like to see in yourself. Then, after the 15th, as the moon begins to wax toward fullness, you can put those plans into action. Think of this as a new moon ritual that you have weeks to accomplish — don't be afraid to be ambitious.
Besides, it's actually relatively common for February, the shortest month in the year, to lack a full moon: February black moons occur about every 20 years. So, you can look forward to (or, depending on how you feel about quiet reflection, dread) yet another monthlong tour of your innermost self in 2038, give or take.
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Following every presidential State of the Union speech, it's customary that a representative from the opposite party deliver an official rebuttal in response — and who better to issue the clapback to President Donald Trump's first SOTU address last night than Democratic Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts, the latest golden boy to carry the name of one of America's most influential political dynasties.
Kennedy's words were cutting, his tone a rallying cry that one political correspondent called the "best entry" into the usually-underwhelming genre of SOTU response speeches. "This administration isn't just targeting the laws that protect us," he said. "They are targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection." But some who watched Kennedy deliver his stirring speech could only focus on where those words were coming from — not atop a car lift in the auto shop at Diman Regional Technical School in Fall River, Massachusetts, but rather the politician's shiny, shiny mouth.
The general consensus, at least among GOP pollsters on Twitter, was that Kennedy was drooling — "drool-mouth," Republican "public opinion guru" Frank Luntz called it, comparing the incident to Marco Rubio's desperate grab for a bottle of water during his State of the Union response to then-President Barack Obama in 2013. But Kennedy confirmed this morning during a televised interview with ABC correspondent George Stephanopoulos that his lip balm was to blame. "Oddly enough, I decided to go a little bit light on the chapstick this morning," a matte-mouthed Kennedy joked. "More on the coffee, light on the chapstick, which was probably a wise choice."
If Kanye West loved maybe one person as much as he loves Kanye West, we’d put our money on it being his wife, Kim Kardashian-West. His devotion to her seems to know no bounds, from sending her emails about which sunglasses will make her look the coolest, to creating a heartwarming video montage for her 36th birthday. Now, West has completely outdone himself (even more so than he did with Kardashian's Christmas present): For Yeezy Season 6's campaign, the 40-year-old rapper cast a series of models, influencers, and more, and dressed them to look just like Kardashian did in the paparazzi shots that served as the collection's unconventional unveiling (in place of showing during New York Fashion Week) back in November.
Kardashian and Hilton fell out of their friendship around 2008 as the hotel heiress and the soon-to-be reality star seemed to trade places in the spotlight. Then disparaging remarks surfaced — Hilton said Kardashian’s butt looked like “cottage cheese in a big trash bag,” and even walked out of an interview when asked about her former friend. In 2014, things seemed to have turned around when they were spotted partying together at Riccardo Tisci’s birthday in Ibiza (they even took a picture for the ‘gram). Now, their families even spend the holidays together at Kris Jenner's annual Christmas Eve bash.
The fact that Hilton and Kardashian, who are now 36 and 37, respectively, are now on good enough terms that Paris is willing to dress up as Kim? As West so eloquently rapped in “N***as in Paris” (which is seeing new life again, too, these days), all we have to say is: “that shit cray.”
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Phone, wallet, keys, and lipstick: The mantra of many a millennial woman. Beyond those four basics, however, every woman has a few necessities that might seem just plain weird. InSpill It, we ask influential women to share everything that's in their bag — embarrassing, enlightening, and otherwise. Here, beauty vlogger Amanda Steele opens up her Yves Saint Laurent work bag on camera.
If you've ever wondered whether beauty bloggers carry their entire makeup bag around with them, you might be disappointed by Amanda Steele. The YouTuber behind MakeupforMandy24 (with 2.8 million subscribers and counting) does lug around a large bag on a daily basis, but the most she carries with her might be her vlog camera.
Turns out, after sharing many a makeup look on her channel, she only really needs two beauty items on a daily basis — and no, it's not a classic red lipstick, concealer, or even a mirror to touch up her cat-eye. In fact, her necessities are much more pared down.
Click ahead to watch Steele share what's in her bag (including a surprising receipt), and then shop her beauty must-haves afterwards.
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page. Like us on Facebook — we'll see you there!
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There are some books you pick up because you know they'll be tear-jerkers, and you're not opposed to a good cry. Then there are the books that sucker-punch you with a tragic plot twist that leaves you dribbling tears and snot onto the pages. You'll find both types here.
The very best reads have the ability to elicit a full range of emotions, even if that entails a little heartbreak. Whether it's the death of Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, or the tales of abject poverty in Angela's Ashes, the impulse to feel loss is very, very powerful. It overwhelms us whether it's fiction or nonfiction, a weighty dramatic tome or a beloved children's classic.
With that in mind, we've rounded up a selection of reads guaranteed to make you whimper. Expect your chin to wobble at the very least. It's cathartic, right?
Spoiler alert: We will be discussing some very sad endings to books you may not have read yet. Proceed at your own risk!
Summary: In this autobiographical novel, Swedish writer Tom Malmquist recalls the tragedy that radically changed his life. Karin, Malmquist's partner, was pregnant and healthy — until she wasn't. Karin became ill. The doctors were able to save her daughter, but not Karin. Just like that, Malmquist lost his partner, and became a father. Soon after, Malmquist's own father dies, leaving him adrift.
Why You'll Cry: Stories about tragedies are common in literature, but the relatively new autobiographical novel genre is an especially effective medium for tearing your heart out. We know the story is real, but it's fictionalized enough to make it realer – by not needing to stick to the exact, fact-checked truth, Malmquist can capture the truth of the experience.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 6
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Author: Milan Kundera
Summary: The book tracks a couple of different romantic relationships. First, there's the tormented relationship between Tomas, a Czech doctor, and Tereza, the waitress he met on a visit to the country. They get married, but Tomas can't stop cheating on her with other women, like the artist Sabina, whose story we get. Kundera is interested in the pieces of our past that made us who we are. He wants to know what parts of us are fundamental, and will hurt us during our journey to what everyone wants — love.
Why You'll Cry: Complete satisfaction in a relationship is impossible!
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 2, because it's so beautiful
Wonder(2012)
Author: R.J. Palacios
Summary: August Pullman looks different than just about everyone he knows. Auggie was born with craniofacial conditions, and has had 27 surgeries over the course of his 11 years. Now, he's starting school, and faces his greatest challenge yet.
Why You'll Cry: Kids can be so mean. At the same time, though, kids can be so kind. You'll cry because Wonder 's message is to be kind above all else; you'll cry because your heart is melting. That's the feeling of becoming a person more conscious of her actions' impact on others, the feeling of becoming a better person.
Issue Index (Out of 5): 4
Me Before You(2012)
Author: Jojo Moyes
Summary: When former playboy, world traveler, and adrenaline-junkie Will Traynor is left a quadriplegic after an accident, he just wants to die. Instead, his mother hires Louisa Clark to be his companion, and they strike up a relationship that neither one expects to feel so deeply.
Why You’ll Cry: Despite his love for Lou, Will still wants to die.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 5
Photo: Courtesy of Pamela Dorman Books/Viking.
The Little Prince(1943)
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Summary: A pilot crash-lands in the desert. There, he meets a mysterious little boy who claims to be a prince. Over the course of the next eight days, while the pilot repairs his plane, the Little Prince tells the pilot the story of his life. He was born on an asteroid. He was friends with a fox. He loved a rose. The boy still sees the world the way that children do. By reading the The Little Prince, you will too.
Why You’ll Cry: Because you, like the pilot, are no longer a child. Gone is the wonder with which you once drunk in the world. Briefly, The Little Prince will restore you to your old days. No one remains like the little prince forever.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 3
A Little Life(2015)
Author: Hanya Yanagihara
Summary: Malcolm, JB, Jude, and Willem meet in college, and later move to New York City. As they all progress in their careers and become quote successful, Jude, a brilliant lawyer, is more and more haunted by demons from his past.
Why You’ll Cry: Jude’s past. Oh, and then Jude’s present, because sometimes life just keeps knocking people down, even when they’ve already suffered more than anyone ever should.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 5
Photo: Courtesy of Doubleday.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (2013)
Author: Karen Joy Fowler
Summary: Rosemary's lament for her lost sister Fern takes on new complexity when you realize that Fern isn't actually a human being.
Why You’ll Cry: Because it doesn't really matter that Fern isn't a person.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 3
Image: Courtesy of Serpent's Tail.
When Breath Becomes Air (2016)
Author: Paul Kalanithi
Summary: Neurosurgical resident Kalanithi sadly died while writing this mediation on life, death, and purpose inspired by his terminal cancer diagnosis and informed by his work as a doctor. It's since become one of the year's most acclaimed bestselling novels.
Why You’ll Cry: Kalanithi's looming death, and our own, feels so unfair.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 5
Image: Courtesy of Penguin Random House.
Stuart: A Life Backwards (2005)
Author: Alexander Masters
Summary: There's no happy ending for Stuart, the career criminal who battles homelessness and mental illness in this unconventional biography written by his friend, the writer, illustrator, and homeless advocate Alexander Masters.
Why You’ll Cry: Stuart's story is just so, so bleak, and there's far from a happy ending.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 5
Image: Courtesy of Harper Collins.
The Confession (2010)
Author: John Grisham
Summary: A Black man due to be executed for a murder he didn't commit looks to be saved after the real culprit confesses.
Why You’ll Cry: Justice isn't served, and it's heartbreaking.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 4
Photo: Courtesy of Double Day.
All the Light We Cannot See (2014)
Author: Anthony Doerr
Summary: The lives of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl escaping the Nazi invasion of France, and Werner, a German orphan, intertwine in this Pulitzer-winning novel about war, communication, and the tiniest glimpses of hope.
Why You’ll Cry: Abandonment, illness, death. Take your pick.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of Scribner.
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa (2006)
Author: Peter Godwin
Summary: This follow-up to Godwin's Mukiwa will induce tears on both a global and personal level as it recounts the journalist's investigation into Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe's regime of terror as well as the death of his own father.
Why You’ll Cry: Big picture: You'll be horrified about what's happening in Zimbabwe. Small picture: You'll want to hug your dad immediately.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 4
Photo: Courtesy of Picador.
Little Women (1880)
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Summary: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March live with their mother while their father is off fighting in the Civil War. We watch them grow up, learning about their individual personalities, mostly through the eyes of Jo, Alcott’s surrogate in the story.
Summary: When siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide to take in an orphan boy to help them out on their farm, they’re mistakenly sent a lively, redheaded girl named Anne Shirley. The Cuthberts decide that Anne can stay, and she soon charms everyone on Avonlea, especially Matthew.
Why You’ll Cry: Uncle Matthew doesn’t make it to the end of the book. Why, L.M. Montgomery, why?!
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Classics.
Where the Red Fern Grows (1961)
Author: Wilson Rawls
Summary: Billy saves money to buy two coonhounds, Old Dan and Little Ann, and raises them to be champion hunters. One night, they tree a mountain lion, and Old Dan gets badly injured helping Little Ann defend Billy from the lion. Old Dan dies from his injuries, and Little Ann dies from a broken heart.
Why You’ll Cry: A boy losing his devoted dogs? Good luck keeping it together.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of Doubleday.
Flowers for Algernon(1966)
Author: Daniel Keyes
Summary: After two researchers successfully increase the intelligence of a mouse named Algernon, Charlie Gordon, who has an IQ of 68, volunteers to be their human test subject for the same procedure.
Why You’ll Cry: As Charlie’s IQ increases, so does his understanding of how people act toward those with mental disabilities.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 1
Photo: Courtesy of Mariner Books.
The Outsiders(1967)
Author: S.E.Hinton
Summary: In Oklahoma, the members of two rival teen gangs, the Greasers and the Socials, keep meeting tragic ends.
Why You’ll Cry: Ponyboy Curtis has to say farewell to too many of his brothers, especially Johnny. “Stay gold, Ponyboy.”
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 1
Photo: Courtesy of Laurel-Leaf Contemporary Fiction.
Bridge to Terabithia (1977)
Author: Katherine Paterson
Summary: Jesse and Leslie create a sanctuary they call Terabithia, where they play and roam freely, away from bullies and the other kids at school.
Why You’ll Cry: One day, Jesse goes to the art museum with his favorite teacher and doesn’t tell Leslie or his parents. When he returns, he finds out that Leslie tried to visit Terabithia without him, only to drown when the rope swing they use to get there broke.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of HarperCollins.
The Joy Luck Club (1989)
Author: Amy Tan
Summary: Four mothers who came to America from China meet in San Francisco and set up a mah-jongg group called the Joy Luck Club. The novel consists of four sections that tell the stories of the women and their daughters.
Why You’ll Cry: Those stories.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin.
A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989)
Author: John Irving
Summary: John Wheelwright reflects on the miraculous life of his friend Owen Meany, who sacrifices himself to save a bunch of children from a grenade.
Why You’ll Cry: Owen Meany’s marvelous life.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of William Morrow.
She’s Come Undone (1992)
Author: Wally Lamb
Summary: After Dolores Price is raped as a teenager, she starts binge-eating to mask her feelings. Then, her mother dies. She tries to go to college, but ends up attempting suicide. After some time in a mental institution, Dolores tracks down the object of her affection and marries him, but he cheats on her. They divorce, and Dolores finally finds a comforting community of friends and a loving partner for the first time in her life.
Why You’ll Cry: See above.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
Walk Two Moons(1994)
Author: Sharon Creech
Summary: After her beloved mother mysteriously disappears, and her father relocates the family from their farm to a boring, suburban town, Salamanca Hiddle goes on a cross-country trip with her eccentric grandparents to find out what made her mother run away.
Why You’ll Cry: Sal’s mom didn’t run away…
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Harper Collins.
Northern Lights (1995), The Subtle Knife (1997), The Amber Spyglass (2000)
Author: Philip Pullman
Summary: Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy takes place in a fantastical world where all humans are accompanied by demons.
Why You’ll Cry: Because Lyra and Will are forced to return to their parallel worlds, and they can never be together.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Scholastic.
Never Let Me Go(2005)
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Summary: Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy meet at Hailsham, a boarding school for clones who've been created for the express purpose of providing their organs to humans through a process they call “donating.” When the clones die from too many donations, it’s called “completion.” Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy are desperate to prove that they’re just like humans, though, and that they’re not like the “garbage” (read: prostitutes and junkies) who they believe served as their templates.
Why You’ll Cry: Even though they’re clones, the Hailsham students are human beings. They’re full of life, emotions, and feelings, which range from jealousy to love. When one of them eventually has to watch the others complete, it’s heartbreaking.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Doubleday.
Stoner(1965)
Author: John Williams
Summary: William Stoner lives an unremarkable life. This is the account of that life — his days growing up on a farm, the refuge he seeks in literature, his ascent as a college professor, his great love and his great failures.
Why You’ll Cry: The quiet bravery of a person who tries to uphold principles, even as they go awry. You'll cry because of the dignity Williams affords to a normal person, to whom nothing extraordinary happens.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 2
The Namesake(2004)
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Summary: Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli emigrate from Calcutta, India, to Cambridge, MA, where they have a son. Without any elder relatives around to name their child (as per Indian custom), they temporarily name him Gogol, after the Russian author whose story, “The Overcoat,” Ashoke had been reading when he was involved in a train accident as a child.
Why You’ll Cry: Gogol resents his name (which becomes permanent when his relative’s letter containing his official name is lost in transit) and culture growing up, but eventually learns to accept both his heritage and his namesake once his father tells him the story of how he came to be called Gogol.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Mariner Books.
Angela’s Ashes (1996)
Author: Frank McCourt
Summary: McCourt’s memoir about his bleak childhood in Limerick, Ireland.
Why You’ll Cry: McCourt’s father spends all of the family’s money on alcohol, meaning they have to go on the dole and live an extremely impoverished existence. Also, several of McCourt’s younger siblings pass away.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of Scribner.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower(1999)
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Summary: Written as a series of letters from the titular wallflower, Charlie, to an anonymous recipient, the book chronicles Charlie’s freshman year of high school. As he slowly breaks out of his shell with the help of two new friends and an English teacher who encourages Charlie’s interest in reading and writing, it seems like Charlie might be able to recover from two tragedies that previously defined him: his friend Michael’s suicide and the death of his aunt Helen.
Why You’ll Cry: Even though Charlie loved Aunt Helen, she had an inappropriate relationship with him that he’s been repressing since her death.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 4
Photo: Courtesy of Pocket Books.
Atonement (2001)
Author: Ian McEwan
Summary: Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old aspiring writer with an overactive imagination, misconstrues a sexual liaison between her sister Cecilia and her lover Robbie as rape, when in fact it is consensual.
Why You’ll Cry: This sets off a series of events that sends Robbie to prison, ruining both his and Cecilia’s lives. Briony doesn’t feel remorse for her actions until it’s entirely too late.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Anchor.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2003)
Author: Mitch Albom
Summary: An amusement park maintenance man named Eddie dies on his 83rd birthday, while trying to save a little girl from a deadly ride. When he reaches heaven, he discovers that it’s not so much a place where you spend the afterlife, but one where five people you knew when you were alive explain the reason you existed.
Why You’ll Cry: Eddie feels that his time on Earth had no meaning, but as he reconnects with five different people from various points in his life, he stands very much corrected.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 4
Photo: Courtesy of Hachette Books.
My Sister’s Keeper (2004)
Author: Jodi Picoult
Summary: Kate Fitzgerald suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia, so her parents have another child, Anna, in order to have a ready source of bone marrow and blood on hand. When Anna turns 13, she sues her parents for medical emancipation rather than donating a kidney to Kate like they ask her to. Anna’s parents are shocked, but it turns out that Kate orchestrated the whole thing, because she doesn’t want Anna to give up any more of her organs if Kate is going to die anyway.
Why You’ll Cry: Anna wins her legal battle, but she’s involved in a fatal car accident on the way home from the trial. She’s pronounced brain dead at the hospital, and the lawyer who now has power of attorney over her medical decisions gives Kate her kidney after all.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 4
The Year of Magical Thinking (2005)
Author: Joan Didion
Summary: Days before her husband passes away in 2003, Joan Didion’s daughter Quintana goes into septic shock, meaning that she’s unconscious when her father dies. As Didion spends the next year mourning her husband, she also acts as her daughter’s caretaker.
Why You’ll Cry: Quintana’s failing health further complicates Didion’s grieving process for her husband of almost 40 years.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 4
Photo: Courtesy of Alfred A. Knopf.
The Book Thief (2005)
Author: Marcus Zusak
Summary: Liesel Meminger is a 9-year-old girl living in Germany during World War II. She’s taken in by Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who teach her to read and try to shelter her from the atrocities being committed right outside their door.
Why You’ll Cry: The book is narrated by Death. Death!
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of Black Swan.
The Road (2006)
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Summary: A father and his son journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape after a disaster has wiped out most life on Earth. They encounter cannibals and other dangers along the way. The father is also coughing up blood and clearly dying. He tells his son that after he’s gone, his son can continue to communicate with him through prayer.
Why You’ll Cry: The post-disaster world McCarthy has created is bleak and quite literally dog-eat-dog (a.k.a. human-eat-human).
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 3
Photo: Courtesy of Picador.
A Thousand Splendid Suns(2007)
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Summary: Two Afghan women, Laila and Mariam, bond over their shared experience of being married to an abusive man named Rasheed.
Why You’ll Cry: Mariam gives her life to save Laila’s.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 5
Photo: Courtesy of Riverhead Books.
Room (2010)
Author: Emma Donoghue
Summary: This haunting story is told from the perspective of 5-year-old Jack, who’s lived in Room his entire life. He was born in Room, where he lives with his mother, so it’s his entire world. What Jack doesn’t know is that Room is actually a garden shed where his mother was placed after being kidnapped seven years ago, and she’s been desperate to escape ever since.
Why You’ll Cry: Imagine a 5-year-old who thinks the entire world consists of four walls suddenly learning about trees, dogs, blue skies, clouds, and open spaces. Just picture it.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 4
Photo: Courtesy of Little, Brown and Company.
The Fault in Our Stars(2012)
Author: John Green
Summary: Hazel Grace Lancaster meets Augustus Waters in a cancer patient support group, and pretty soon they’re in love. He uses his last wish to fly Hazel to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten, the author of her favorite novel, An Imperial Affliction, so Hazel can ask why the book ends so suddenly. She’s dismayed to find out that Van Houten is an angry drunk, and even more upset to learn that Gus’ cancer has returned.
Why You’ll Cry: Since everyone and their mother has either read the book or seen the movie, we’re probably not spoiling anything when we say that Gus dies.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 5
Photo: Courtesy of Dutton Books.
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar(2012)
Author: Cheryl Strayed
Summary: A collection of Strayed's Dear Sugar advice columns, published anonymously on The Rumpus. The title comes from one of them.
Why You’ll Cry: Strayed’s advice is blunt but eloquent, and her responses, which she always tries to ground in love and understanding, come from lessons learned in her own life.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 1
Photo: Courtesy of Vintage.
Eleanor & Park (2013)
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Summary: Two 16-year-olds who feel completely out of place in their Omaha neighborhood fall in love against all odds.
Why You’ll Cry: Eleanor and Park are so beautifully crafted that their love feels so REAL.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of St. Martin's Griffin.
We Were Liars (2014)
Author: E. Lockhart
Summary: Cadence comes from an old-money family that spends every summer on a private island. When she’s 15, something happens to her on that island that causes her to wake up on the beach in her underwear, suffering from amnesia. From then on, Cadence suffers from migraines and pain. Doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with her. More important, though, is figuring out what’s wrong with Cadence’s family that could have caused this to happen.
Why You’ll Cry: Deep, dark family secrets that get revealed.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 2
Photo: Courtesy of Delacorte Press.
All the Bright Places(2015)
Author: Jennifer Niven
Summary: Finch is a talented, creative, and charismatic boy who exists on the periphery of high school society. When he meets Violet, a popular girl who lost her sister in a car accident last year, she’s up on the roof of the school, maybe or maybe not contemplating jumping. Mental illness plays a key role in this YA novel, but so does love. It's about how two teenagers cope with each, and author Jennifer Niven tells the tale beautifully.
Why You’ll Cry: The story of love, loss, mania, and depression.
Tissue Index (Out Of 5): 5
Photo: Courtesy of Knopf Publishing Group.
A Fine Balance (1995)
Author: Rohinton Mistry
Summary: It’s India in the 1970s, and four people from wildly diverse backgrounds seek refuge from social and political upheaval in a small (and I mean, really small) apartment. If only for a short while, the four characters reach the type of respect and understanding severely lacking from the corrupt, cutthroat, and fast-paced world on the outside. This Dickensian novel, bursting with life and supporting characters, takes a sad turn as each character is set on a track towards his or her demise (without his or her consent).
Why You’ll Cry: Seeing the lives of four beloved individuals crushed by the unfeeling machine of economic and political forces is nothing short of devastating.
Tissue Index (Out of 5): 4
Image: Courtesy of Vintage International.
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But unfortunately, sometimes stars like to keep the meaning of their most personal tattoos on the low, providing an evasive, almost nonexistent explanation behind the design. For the most part, people leave the inspo up to speculation. But if you're tired of guessing and want to know the truth, stick with us.
From Rihanna to Miley Cyrus to Selena Gomez, we've rounded up a string of celeb tattoo meanings just waiting to answer your questions — ahead.
Emma Stone
The tattoo: Bird feet
The meaning: Back in 2010, Stone and her family found out her mom was cancer-free. So, the daughter/mother duo went out to get matching tattoos. The meaning goes even deeper, though, starting with Emma's love for the Beatles' song "Blackbird" and ending with a custom-designed drawing by Paul McCartney of two blackbird feet.
Photo: Franziska Krug/Getty Images.
Jessica Alba
The tattoo: " Lotus" in Sanskrit
The meaning: Alba once told Stephen Colbert that her tiny wrist tattoo symbolized the "manifestation of spiritual beauty," adding that she got the tattoo after she broke up with a famous ex.
The meaning: Loosely translated from Arabic to English, the words means, "Love yourself first." The ink went on to become the most famous on Gomez — and even got it's own place on her Coach bag.
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Rihanna
The tattoo: Egyptian goddess, Isis
The meaning: One of our all-time favorites, Rihanna's chest tattoo is a tribute to her grandmother. After she passed away in 2012, the singer posted a photo of the ink on Instagram with the caption, "Goddess Isis - Complete Woman - Model for future generations - #GRANGRANDOLLY - always in and on my heart #1love."
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Lily Collins
The tattoo: Woman on a lily pad
The meaning: Although Collins' explanation remains vague on the specifics, we know from an Instagram post that this particular addition was in tribute to Collins' trip to Korea in 2016.
Photo: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.
Harry Styles
The tattoo: Half-naked mermaid
The meaning: With over 60 tattoos — and counting — it's nearly impossible to keep up with the singer's body ink. But one comes with a particularly sweet meaning: his mermaid. Once, after a fan asked Styles about the mermaid and why it has its particular body type (re: "saggy boobs") Styles cheekily replied that no one should strive for perfection and love exactly who they are.
Photo: Terence Patrick/CBS/Getty Images.
Hilary Duff
The tattoo: "Take Fountain"
The meaning: You may not know it, but this is a famous quip from Bette Davis. During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the then-host asked Davis about her advice to young actresses: How can they break into the business? She quickly responded, "Take Fountain," referring to Fountain Avenue, a shortcut that leads into the Los Angeles neighborhood.
Sam Smith
The tattoo: Two parallel lines
The meaning: According to a now-deleted Instagram post from Smith two years ago, the scoop on this tattoo is "inspired by one of the oldest tattoos ever found on a mummified body that was found alone in the ice." The more you know...
Lady Gaga
The tattoo: David Bowie
The meaning: If it wasn't obvious, this is a tribute to David Bowie. On multiple occasions, Gaga has mentioned the late singer for being one of her greatest influences. Just take a look at her music video for "Just Dance," or her tribute performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards.
Kesha
The tattoo: "Live Free"
The meaning: After an emotionally tumultuous year filled with legal battles and a better practice of self-love, Kesha celebrated her freedom with this badass knuckle tattoo.
Dakota Johnson
The tattoo: Wilted flower
The meaning: No one ever gets a "fucked up" flower tattooed on their body — well, except Johnson. She captioned the photo with an explanation suggesting that imperfections don't diminish your self-worth.
The meaning:Each number represents the birth years of all his siblings. Romeo James was born in 2002, Cruz in 2005, and Harper Seven in 2011. Luckily, one quick Instagram fan pointed out another potential meaning behind the tat: David Beckham's birthday is May 2, a reverse of "02" and "05" on Brooklyn's arm.
The meaning: In honor of putting yet another year to bed, Bush got matching tattoos with her best friends in reference to Carl Sagan's A Pale Blue Dot. Essentially, Bush found the perfect time to permanently ink a life philosophy all about finding home — in the world and in yourself. Deep, right?
SZA
The tattoo: Log with one leaf
The meaning: Fans speculate this is a tribute to her hometown of Maplewood, New Jersey. The Grammy-nominated singer told Complex that growing up in such a small, "quietly affluent" town — that was also predominantly white — made her feel like the one "token Black girl" every day.
Justin Bieber
The tattoo: Tiny cross
The meaning: Although Bieber is far from the first celebrity to get inked with a religious symbol, we couldn't imagine something more fitting for the spiritual celeb. In fact, the tattoo artist behind the design told Refinery29 that he and Bieber prayed before making it happen because the singer was dealing with "such heaviness."
Beyoncé
The tattoo: Three dots
The meaning: Fans assume the three dots represent her three children: Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir.
Miley Cyrus
The tattoo: "Just Breathe"
The meaning: Cyrus' very-first tattoo, fans speculate it's a tribute to lost loved ones of her past, like her grandfather who died from a lung condition and her friend who suffered from cystic fibrosis in 2007.
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No matter what you might say about Hillary Clinton 's decision not to fire one of her top advisors after a young woman on her campaign accused him of inappropriate touching, kissing, and suggestive emails — and you just might have a lot to say — her nuanced reflection on it deserves our attention.
While Donald Trump fear-mongered and hyperbolized his way through an extra-long State of the Union on Tuesday, in which he said essentially nothing about women, much less sexual harassment, Clinton posted a 1,500-word essay on Facebook examining her decision not to fire Burns Strider, a senior advisor to her 2008 presidential campaign accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a staffer who shared an office with him.
"The short answer is this: If I had it to do again, I wouldn’t," Clinton writes.
Sources told The New York Times that despite her campaign manager's suggestion, Clinton did not let Strider go but instead docked him for several weeks' pay and required him to undergo counseling. She also separated him and the woman, assigning her to another office, and, according to her post, "put in place technical barriers to his emailing her." He was warned that he'd be fired if he did it again.
Several years after working for Clinton, Strider was fired from another job for inappropriate behavior. About this, Clinton writes: "That reoccurrence troubles me greatly, and it alone makes clear that the lesson I hoped he had learned while working for me went unheeded. Would he have done better — been better — if I had fired him? Would he have gotten that next job?"
The short answer is this: If I had it to do again, I wouldn’t.
She admits that at the time, she thought firing Strider wasn't the right solution. "Taking away someone’s livelihood is perhaps the most serious thing an employer can do. When faced with a situation like this, if I think it’s possible to avoid termination while still doing right by everyone involved, I am inclined in that direction. I do not put this forward as a virtue or a vice — just as a fact about how I view these matters," she writes.
Clinton didn't make the decision that many of us, after the cathartic outpouring of the #MeToo movement, view as the right one. She should have fired him, 2018 lens or not. But her statements show a remorse and contrition that are unfortunately rarely heard from public figures. Unlike many, she dissects her decisions and learns from them. "There is no way I can go back 10 years and know the answers. But you can bet I’m asking myself these questions right now," she writes.
Where are the former Harvey Weinstein executives writing thoughtful essays about what they should and shouldn't have done while working with the abusive entertainment mogul? Where are the statements from tech company CEOs that go beyond PR lingo? (Et tu, Republican Party?) How many public figures actually publicly examine themselves in less than flattering ways?
Precious few. But Hillary Clinton does, and our outsized expectations of this woman are hard to overlook. The striking amount of times she apologized in What Happened — her own, personal memoir — shows that she's more prepared to examine her failings that the average millionaire. And it brings up questions of why women are constantly being asked to mop up men's failings.
There are issues with her statement. At one point, she says that a female boss has "extra responsibility to look out for the women who work for her," which suggests that women should assume more of the burden around these workplace abuses. This bears out in real life: Just look at all the women at the Golden Globes (or, really, insert your awards show/event here) who spoke up in support of Time's Up and all the men who didn't and silently wore pins. But as we're all learning and growing in this moment together, there's value to making mistakes out in the open rather than hiding behind an iron-gated PR team.
Some will ask why it took her so long to speak up about this, and her response is honest: "I’ve been grappling with this and thinking about how best to share my thoughts. I hope that my doing so will push others to keep having this conversation — to ask and try to answer the hard questions, not just in the abstract but in the real-life contexts of our roles as men, women, bosses, employees, advocates, and public officials."
Finally, and most importantly, Clinton writes, she's spoken with the young woman who was affected, and the woman has "read every word of this and has given me permission to share it."
It's not going to please everyone in America, because, well, insert shrug emoji here. But it absolutely matters that Clinton delivered a well-reasoned, nuanced response. It matters because we live in a world in which this very article, and pretty much every article about Hillary Clinton, will be pummeled with misogynist attacks, links to alt-right propaganda, "BENGHAZI" GIFs, and misspelled swear words. It matters because the discourse has become so poisoned that there seems to be no room for learning, being human, and making mistakes. Especially not for women like Hillary Clinton. There are only litmus tests.
One of the most criticized women on earth made a mistake when she believed she was doing the best by her staffer. She responded to it more thoughtfully than the vast majority would have. "In other words, everyone’s now on their second chance, both the offenders and the decision-makers. Let’s do our best to make the most of it," she writes.
It would do us well to listen to the words of the supporters commenting on her Facebook post, who say things like: "Why do women tear each other down? She has been a role model and representative for women her whole life and yes she’s not perfect! Are you?"
Another said: "Why do you even need to defend this when we have a sexual offender in the White House and not a single Republican seems to care?"
They have a point. We demand so much of Hillary Clinton — and women in general. It's about time we held men to the same standard.
We've reached out to Clinton's spokesperson and will update this story when we hear back.
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This week, Kate Middleton has been touring Sweden and Norway alongside her husband the Duke of Cambridge. Visiting landmarks with each country’s royals, the Duchess is still serving us all the stylish outfits we've come to expect, all while being six months pregnant. And as if to make sure we're paying attention, she'll often incorporate subtle nods to her husband's mother, the also stylish, Princess Diana.
Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage.
On Day Two of the tour, she was photographed wearing a red and white houndstooth Catherine Walker coat over an Alexander McQueen boucle dress, and a Chanel quilted handbag with a bamboo handle, to the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Middleton’s look is reminiscent of the Moschino red houndstooth cropped blazer with a white and black scarf roped through the collar, and black houndstooth pencil skirt Diana wore in 1991 on a trip to Canada, sparking chatter Middleton’s look is a bit of a tribute.
And honestly, maybe it is, but there is also a very real chance that the 36-year-old just likes houndstooth, which when we take a stroll through memory lane, is clear she does. There was the black and white belted houndstooth coat she wore in December on a trip to the Children’s Global Media Summit. Or we could even further back, to December 2015, when Middleton wore a black and white houndstooth coat with chic cuffs at the end of each sleeve. Earlier that year, she wore a Christopher Kane cobalt blue houndstooth coat in Scotland, and she also visited a children’s mental health charity, wearing a Ralph Lauren black houndstooth-print shirtdress.
Though, we have to say, if we had something in common with Princess Diana, we’d remind people of it every chance we got, too. Hey, at least we’d be in good company.
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Starting in January 2019, pharmacists will be able to prescribe a 12-month supply of birth control to women in Washington, D.C., thanks to a bill signed into law Wednesday by Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The legislation, called the Defending Access to Women’s Health Care Services Amendment Act of 2018, would mean that women won't need to visit their doctor in order to get a contraception prescription. Seven other states, including California, Oregon, and New Mexico, have similar laws in place, though the regulations vary per place. The new D.C. law also requires that patients have access to co-pay free birth control, regardless of whether the receive coverage through insurance providers, Medicaid, or the D.C. Healthcare Alliance.
"Preventive care saves lives and reduces healthcare costs,” Bowser said in a statement provided to Refinery20. “From extending open enrollment to creating forward-thinking legislation that keeps Washingtonians safe from detrimental health care reforms, in Washington, D.C., we are committed to ensuring all residents are able to get the care and services they need to thrive and get on pathways to the middle class. "
A 2013 found that about 30% of women who were not on birth control or used a less effective method believed they would start taking the pill if it was offered without needing a prescription. And there's a myriad of reasons why patients would opt out of going to the doctor: financial barriers, inability to find child care, difficulty getting time off at work, and many others. A move like the new D.C. law could encourage them to get contraception, since it erases the need for a doctor's visit.
Being able to get a 12-month supply is highly beneficial, too. According to a 2011 study, there was a significant decrease in rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion when women were not forced to go to the pharmacy every one to three months in order to pick up their birth control prescription.
The bill was authored by Councilmember Charles Allen and passed unanimously by the Council earlier this month. One of the main reasons behind its creation was the Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress' multiple attacks on the Affordable Health Care and women's healthcare in general.
The new policy was met with praise from reproductive rights advocates, such as Dawn Laguens, Planned Parenthood Federation of America's executive vice president.
"We applaud Mayor Bowser and the D.C. City Council for listening to their constituents by taking critical steps to protect birth control coverage and the basic right for people to control their own bodies," she said in a statement provided to Refinery 29. "In 2018, we are still working toward a world in which we all have the freedom and opportunity to control our lives at the most basic level: our bodies, our families, and our life’s path. This must include access to birth control."
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We'll bet the typical underwear drawer looks a little less lacy and a little more practical. Whether you rely on trusty "granny panties" or up your game with a frilly cheeky every now and then, underthings are meant to be a personal decision based on your comfort level. There are, however, a few special occasions that tend to lend themselves to the fancier side of the undies aisle — pieces that remind us that lingerie can be an unsuspecting art form.
With Valentine's Day scooting in closer, don't be deterred by the cliché campaigns advertising red-hot lingerie. Sometimes it's fun to forego our cotton bralettes for more intricate designs — whether you're doing it for yourself or for a partner. Think of this less as a time to reboot your underwear drawer, and more of a time to expand it with a few better basics. From full coverage cups to "yep, you can see literally everything when I wear this teddies," here's 17 non-cheesy red lingerie picks that'll suit every comfort level.
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appearance by Laura Delarato.
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WWD is reporting that the British version of the Oscars made the decision to put out the call to action to wear black “less than three weeks ago,” with the note to the industry reading: "With BAFTA being the first major film awards ceremony in Europe this year, we feel it is important to make a statement to show global solidarity and that the issue is not being forgotten, and to join hands with people across all industries who have experienced inequality and abuse."
It continued: "This is why we are inviting you to wear black to the awards ceremony, to follow suit from our sisters who attended the Golden Globes. Wearing black is a strong, unifying and simple statement – a physical and visual representation of our solidarity with people across all industries who have experienced sexual harassment and abuse or have been held back due to an imbalance in power. It is also the easiest color for the majority to wear and feel comfortable in."
Similar to the panic that ensued once it was announced that celebrities would be wearing all-black to the Golden Globes, “designers and brands are scrambling to replace their original choices.” A BAFTA spokesperson declined to comment on the matter to WWD, though, as an added pressure, the awards show is taking place during London Fashion Week. Sounds like stylists will, once again, take to Instagram to show off their racks of black dresses. Still, it’s worth acknowledging that, like what we saw on the red carpet at the Golden Globes, when you're limited to wearing just one color, creativity forces your hand.
Guest at this year's BAFTAs are expected to include Annette Bening, Frances McDormand, Margot Robbie, Sally Hawkins, Saoirse Ronan, Kristin Scott Thomas, Allison Janney, Lesley Manville, and Octavia Spencer, and we can’t wait to see how they make a statement, political and otherwise.
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When it comes to top trendsetters of the early 2000s, it's impossible not to include Lauren Conrad. At the time, the 20-something from Laguna Beach was a budding MTV princess, making moves in the apparel industry, and cultivating a lifestyle brand that would live on well past her last episode. Sure, Conrad left Laguna Beach and The Hills to start a family, develop her brand, and build an apparel empire, but even today, after the on-screen reign has officially ended, we're still fascinated by her golden touch on the beauty zeitgeist.
A few months ago, Conrad chopped her hair, again. Suddenly, the internet was abuzz with chatter. It's a pattern we see infrequently since Conrad is rarely in the public eye, but it's one that remains even after years of keeping a relatively low profile. Therefore, there's no better way to celebrate Conrad's birthday tomorrow than by taking a look back on the styles that birthed thousands of haircuts — or more. A lot more.
While Conrad dipped her toes into many now-deceased trends (hello, jumbo sunglasses and distressed jeans), these are the five hair trends LC always wore — and we copied without fail. HBD, LC, here's to more trends to come.
1. The Bump
Even before we followed Conrad to the Hollywood Hills, we were watching her high school life unfold in Laguna Beach – you know, the real O.C. Being an upperclassmen making her way through TV-produced love triangles, Conrad often chose to keep her hair out of her face to look out for drama.
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images.
If you forgot — or are to young to remember — this hairstyle was deemed 'the bump'. It was so popular among teens that some even called upon Bumpits, an infomercial favorite that you insert into your hair, for more lift.
Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage.
Conrad rocked the bump any time she could in the early 2000s. But didn't we all?
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.
2. Black Headbands
Right around the same time we were introduced to Blair Waldorf, our resident, TV headband queen, we were also getting a real life dose of the trend from Conrad.
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images.
If you binge the entire TheHills series, you'll notice Conrad reaching for this black, plastic option a lot. In fact, you barely see her without it in the early seasons. We get the obsession: There was something so attractive about the trendy hair accessory because it made you feel instantly put together, no matter what your hair was doing.
Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images.
Conrad ditched the accessory eventually, but the memory of the aching pain behind our ears lives on.
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.
3. Side-Swept Bangs
Arguably this is the most iconic look Conrad loved — and the longest lasting, too. The side-swept bang was more popular in the 2000s than the bob was in 2017, and we partially have Conrad to thank for that. Was it even a Hills episode if Conrad wasn't brushing her bangs out of her hair while gripping her LG Shine? (Hint: No.)
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/Jeffrey Mayer.
The real beauty of the side-swept bang was that it could be paired with any length haircut or updo, like this half-up look.
Photo: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage.
But even more often, Conrad was a fan of pairing her side-swept bangs with a low, loose updo.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.
4. The Choppy Lob
In 2o14, Conrad did something drastic: She asked her hair BFF Kristin Ess to chop her hair to lightly graze the top of her shoulders. But in the chaos of the move, everyone seemed to forget that Conrad had gone short before, in 2007.
Photo: Chris Farina/WireImage.
Before the world was infatuated with the lob, Conrad was making it a staple on her show. Conrad often added clip-in extensions to her look, but it was still refreshing to get a glimpse of her healthier ends every once in a (super) blue moon.
Photo: Chris Wolf/FilmMagic.
Eventually, it grew out (as hair normally does). However, we'll always remember the original trendy lob that had us wondering if we should go for the chop, too.
Photo: ANDREAS BRANCH/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images.
5. The Single Braid
Necessity is the mother of invention, right? Back in 2008, Conrad called upon a small, delicate side braid to keep her fringe out of the way as it grew out. And, you know, so did we.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.
If you weren’t braiding your bangs then you probably weren’t watching TheHills. And if you weren’t watching TheHills, how were you spending your Monday nights? The key part of this hairstyle: It was always non-symmetrical.
Photo: Bruce Gifford/FilmMagic.
Here's the thing: This look was versatile AF. Not only could Conrad use this look to complement her barrel curls, but she could also turn any lazy updo into a black-tie style with one quick plait.
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.
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Celebrity hair changes are rarely predictable. Just last year alone, we saw A-list stars go from back-grazing lengths to ear-grazing pixies — and even more ditched their brunette roots for platinum hues. Needless to say, it seems as though hair fatigue has officially hit Hollywood and no one is immune — not Selena Gomez, not Zooey Deschanel, not Emma Watson, and from today's evidence, not Emma Stone.
It's safe to say that even celebrities who are used to switching up their look are still prepared to toss their current style out the window... and Stone is certainly no exception. In fact, Stone's hair has been blonde, brown, and red — often making many changes in just a few months. She's also sported long lengths, trendy lobs, and every iteration of bangs around, but her latest venture could be a first for her — at least in this decade. Enter: the perm.
Alongside her longtime makeup artist, Rachel Goodwin, Stone took the plunge for the semi-permanent style. Goodwin posted a photo to Instagram of the two in-process with the caption, "We have a permanent bond! Some friends get tattoos, well we get perms! We’re here to tell you that they are BACK and they're not your grandmas perm! Especially when you are in the amazing hands of @mararoszak and @bykileyfitz at @mare_salon #curlyisthenewstraight this is the #newwave."
As you know, the '80s made a huge comeback in beauty over the past year. Although colorful makeup and Glow- inspired hairstyles made a huge splash on the red carpet, there's one throwback look reserved for the brave — and that's the perm. Since it's not 1985, not many people request a perm at the salon anymore for many reasons, but there are exceptions, like Julianne Hough and Karlie Kloss. But before you freak out, know that Stone's finished look is a lot more like a Blake Lively beach wave than the traditional bouncy (and crunchy) perm. And yet, if that means less dehydrating salt spray, we kind of dig trying it out. Maybe...
Julia Knapp’s rise to starting kicker on a top-ranked high school football team doesn’t start with a made-for-TV-movie tale of blood, sweat, sexism and tears. It begins, in a very Gen Z way, with an iPhone.
It was the summer of 2017 and Julia, a rising senior at South Iredell High School in Troutman, North Carolina, was doing what most teens do when they’re bored: hanging around with friends. They decided to see how far Julia, a star player on the girls’ varsity soccer team, could kick the football. They headed to a nearby field. Someone kneeled to be the placeholder. Julia, standing a few feet back, took two big strides, cranked back her muscular leg and WHAM — the ball whirred through the air and between the goal posts. She did it again. And again. One guy grabbed his phone and recorded one kick. The clip made its way to the school's football coach.
“‘Who is that?’” he wanted to know. He drove to the school to see her kick with his own eyes.
This Kicker Wears A Crown
That fall, Julia joined the South Iredell Vikings as the team’s sole female member. During her mid-August debut, she nailed her first extra point attempt. It was the first time a girl scored in the team’s history. "I wasn't quite sure how it was going to work, when I was supposed to run out onto the field,” Julia recalled. “But after I made the kick it was a really good feeling. It felt like I had accomplished something that no one else had.”
The points mounted from there. With a near-perfect record, she emerged as one of the team’s key players and something of a local star. She’s recognized by strangers when doing things as simple as buying shoes. Little girls wanted to get their pictures with her (one even dressed up as Julia for Halloween.) Scott Miller, the team’s head coach, believes that there was an uptick in the number of young women in the stands at Vikings games. Longtime fans were also smitten: “I think it’s about time,” one self-described diehard high school football fan told me ahead of a November playoff game. “I was born in 1960 and to me, it’s the best thing in the world.”
In October, Julia was crowned offensive player of the game and voted homecoming queen in one night. Her mom, Susan, snapped a photo of Julia smiling with a sash across her bright yellow jersey and pads, helmet in her hand to make room for the crown on her head. After she hit “post” on Facebook's Pantsuit Nation, the picture went viral. A national news site declared Julia part of “the grand new tradition of football players who are also Homecoming Queens,” a set of honors that “united two incredible high school tropes.” It was a feat that upended a vision of high school stereotypes popularized by Hollywood: jock-stocked football teams exuding big man on campus vibes, girls with pom poms cheering on the sidelines.
"I remember walking out and all the girls looked beautiful in their dresses and I was walking out in my uniform,” Julia said about the night she was crowned. “I feel like the homecoming queen has that stigma of, it goes to the most popular or the prettiest girl. You don't necessarily associate that with an athlete. All the other girls were looking from the stands and seeing, she's accomplishing something that not a lot of people can do. " (A quick survey of Julia's Instagram feed confirms this. "Slay bby girl," reads one comment. "Legend," says another.)
Almost overnight, TV news crews started showing up at practice. The Knapps got a letter from the Carolina Panthers congratulating Julia on her accomplishments. At least one company reached out about featuring Julia on their blog. The family had expected her move to raise some eyebrows, but they were floored by the interest and excitement she’s generated. “People went crazy,” Susan recalled. ”I think they were starving for something positive.”
And yet, in Troutman (population 2,674), adding a girl to the squad has been anything but controversial. At first glance, it might seem like a surprising backdrop for a story that upends gender norms in sports. The small town, about 35 miles north of Charlotte, is in the heart of Iredell County, a conservative stronghold. At Randy’s, the red-boothed joint serving up heaps of mouth-watering pulled pork and hush puppies, the photos and memorabilia covering the wall can be grouped into three buckets: NASCAR, barbeque, and the South Iredell Vikings. Football is the school’s main sport — and the heart and soul of the community. Big crowds turn out for the games on Friday night. There are cheerleaders and a band, a concession stand serving up fries and hot cocoa, and a student section packed with enthusiastic fans clad in coordinated outfits. Pump up music blares over the speakers before the announcers take the mic. At the start of the game, many in the crowd bow their heads as someone leads a prayer over the sound system.“I think of it as that old-fashioned high school football experience,” Julia’s dad Rob tells me.
That traditional football experience hasn’t always included girls on the field. But the team has welcomed at least two female players in the past. And to Coach Miller allowing girls to go out for the team is a matter of principle. He credits high school football for turning his own life around, giving him discipline and drive that led to a career in the military. That opportunity should be open to anyone good enough to play. “A player’s a player in our mind, we don’t see gender or race or anything,” he said. “If you perform, you perform.”
When it comes to evaluating Julia's performance, Coach Miller believes her calm demeanor is what makes her such a great kicker. “If she misses a kick," he says, "she looks at me and giggles. She knows it frustrates me, but that’s just Julia.”
“She’s just one of the guys, I guess,” Ethan Little, a teammate and friend, told me. “I don’t really think about it. She doesn’t get coddled at all, just because she’s a girl. I guess people would expect us to treat her like she’s fragile or whatever, but not at all."
Over the course of two days in Troutman, I encountered only one critic. He was hanging just beyond the stands on Friday night, not paying much attention to what was happening on the field. “Tell the people: Boys rule and girls drool,” he declared. He was 6 years old.
I first met Julia on the eve of that playoff debut. Sitting at a large wooden table in her family’s periwinkle-painted kitchen, picking at desserts and sipping tea, she showed no signs of pre-game jitters. “The first scrimmage, I was shaking. But I don’t get nervous anymore,” she explained. She was, however, a little worried about the forecast. The temperature on Friday night was expected to dip into the low 40s — unseasonably cold for North Carolina in early November. Unlike in soccer, where Julia zig-zags the field as a center mid, kickers spend most of the game on the sidelines, trying to stay warm and focused until it’s time to attempt a field goal or extra point post-touchdown.
“Do they have any jackets for you to wear?” her dad Rob asked.
“We can wear Under Armour underneath. I have to try to find my navy one from my room.”
Rob let out a laugh. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
After a quick peek into Julia’s room, I understood the joke. It was, in typical teen fashion, a total disaster. Clothes covered the floor. Cast-aside stuffed animals spilled out from atop a bureau. Halloween candy wrappers were strewn through her unmade sheets. She desperately wanted to add a goldfish to this fragile ecosystem, but the current state of negotiations with Rob and Susan involved keeping this room clean for a few weeks and Julia was pretty sure there was no way that was going to happen (For the record, Julia did manage to tidy up enough to earn the goldfish. It died a week later).
Teen stereotypes aside, it’s hard to blame Julia for not finding the time to clean her room. Most days, she rolls out of bed at 6:45 a.m., gets ready and out the door in as few as 7 minutes, and doesn’t get home from practice until well after 6 at night. Then comes dinner and two hours of homework (she’s got a 5.16 GPA in a rigorous International Baccalaureate program). All fall, she was consumed with applying to college.
Sports are at the center of Julia’s universe. A natural-born athlete with a fierce competitive drive, she first laced up her soccer cleats when she was 4 years old. One favorite family story involves a young Julia complaining that everyone else on her pint-sized team was doing cartwheels instead of drills. She got so frustrated that Rob called the coach and told them she wouldn’t come to practice unless her teammates took it more seriously. She went on to join more competitive travel leagues. She played other sports, including basketball and softball, too. Trophies and medals marking those feats cover the seafoam wall of her room. By her junior year, Julia had made two varsity squads — basketball and soccer — to fill her time and her college apps.
Even with those feats, one of her favorite sports remained out of reach.
As the family tells it, Julia has wanted to play football for pretty much her entire life. She and her dad bonded over cheering on the Panthers on Sundays. “My sister’s not very athletic and doesn't really like to watch sports, [but] my dad always liked to have someone to sit down with and watch games with,” Julia said. “I've always been a big fan.” But Rob and Susan, who worried about concussions and other injuries, deemed it too dangerous. After much lobbying from Julia (and her guy friends, who were sorely in need of a new kicker for the upcoming season), they agreed to let her go out for the team her senior year. Coach Miller was open to the addition, as long as she was serious: “ I let her know from the very beginning that nothing is given on this team, everything’s earned. And we’re not doing a publicity stunt. I asked her how genuine she was and did she really want to kick?” That summer video from the field demonstrated to him that she was and she did.
Even though she had been dreaming of playing for years, Julia had some hesitations. "I was a little scared of what the boys would say, how they would treat me, just the overall response," Julia says now. “But then I thought it’s my senior year — why not?” She says she encountered no pushback or problems from teammates. But adding Julia to the squad did take some adjustments. One day, a nurse pulled her out of class for measurements so they could order custom pads to fit her spritely 5’9 frame. Julia, used to completing conditioning drills on the soccer and basketball teams, had to learn to navigate barbells and squat racks as part of the mandatory weight room sessions. “I couldn’t move! I didn’t know what any of it meant,” she recalled. “Everyone in the weight room stopped and was cheering me on.”
Photographed by Jacki Huntington.
It’s rare for a high school kicker to get sacked, but Julia still joined teammates in blocking and tackling drills, just in case. (Miller says one of his top concerns was the guys being too protective of her: “I told them look, if someone takes a cheap shot at her, she’s a big girl. She put the pads on that’s what she’s here for. You can’t retaliate like someone hit your sister, you just can’t. And they understand that.”)
Then there was the whole locker room issue. Julia had to change solo in the girls’ room. This part sucked — cell service on campus is spotty, and she sometimes missed updates from the guys. “It’s kind of lonely sometimes, if I'm just getting ready for the game,” she said. “I don't have really anything to do until kick off.”
To fix that, Coach Miller gave her a locker in with the boys’, too. After everyone was dressed, she joined teammates for pre-game pep talks and rituals, like singing in the dark to Phil Collins (“The first time, I was so confused. They didn’t explain it to me. They were just like ‘sit down!’ and turned off the lights.”) The whole thing is a much bigger production than she was used to. Before the start of the game, the team charges out of the locker room and through a gauntlet of fans onto the field. The crowd — magnitudes bigger than the turnout in the soccer stands — goes wild.
It’s now been two months since Julia’s first and only season on the team came to an end. The Vikings lost in the third round of the playoffs. Basketball season is in full swing now, and Julia’s looking ahead to her senior spring, which will include soccer. She was admitted to University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, her top choice school, earlier this month. While she doesn't know what she wants to study in college, she hopes to play intramural sports. In the meantime, she’s as busy as ever, but she finds herself longing for the adrenaline rush — and drama-free camaraderie — that came with being on the football team.
Looking back, she says the experience made her “more open to try new things and take opportunities." It’s an outlook she hopes to carry with her to college and beyond. But even more so, at a moment in time when many headlines around women are so bleak, her story is a reminder that in little pockets of America, there is another, more quiet gender revolution happening. Young girls like Julia are inspiring even younger girls to follow their dreams and pioneer new roles. Or, as she put it “I feel like a lot of women just need to be empowered and have that notion that we can do anything. It's not just men.”
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Pretend for a moment that you don't know the names Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lopez, or Kerry Washington. Imagine you ran into one of them on the street, when they were out of their couture gowns and loaner diamonds and wearing jeans and ponytails. You'd probably still do a double-take, right? And we bet you'd think: She's rich.
How would you know? The skin. Skin is what really separates the A-listers from the mortals. And it makes sense: they have access to the best of the best — derms, facialist treatments, products — and it shows in the form of bright, even, luminous complexions. (Just ask Alicia Keys.)
But the good news is that you can have expensive-looking skin, too — for cheap. All it takes is commitment and a bit of research, which we've gladly done for you. So, actually, all it takes is clicking through this slideshow, then hitting "add to shopping cart," then parting with a tiny amount of money. Now you just need the personal chef and closet dedicated solely to shoes and you're practically headed to the Oscars.
Spend: Micellar Water Like it or not, micellar water is the cleanser du jour for Francophiles, frequent fliers (because you should not be splashing your complexion with plane water), and sensitive skin types. This one removes your longest-lasting makeup gently and has a subtle rose scent, which makes for an especially nice touch.
Lancôme Eau Fraiche Douceur Micellar Cleansing Water, $39, available at Sephora.
Save: Micellar Water If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — or spend way more money on it than you need to. This French drugstore classic, arguably the micellar water that started it all, wasn’t always easy to find in the US. Now, it’s readily available stateside, and the ideal price to be purchased in bulk.
Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution, $14.90, available at Amazon.
Spend: Dry Skin Moisturizer This 30% hyaluronic acid cream has one of the most magical textures we've ever touched — and we've touched a hell of a lot of creams. It looks thick and white in the jar, but as soon as it hits your skin, it becomes as thin and invisible as water. Then, seconds later, it's gone without a trace. The only evidence is how healthy and hydrated your skin feels as the day progresses.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream, $52, available at Sephora.
Save: Dry Skin Moisturizer It's rare to find a cream that works across the board for oily skin, extra-dry skin, and sensitive skin, but this fragrance- and- oil-free gel packed with hyaluronic acid and moisturizing olive extract makes the cut.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, $19.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Spend: Brightening Eye Cream The diamond dust in this formula gives dull skin and dark circles an instant, highlighter-effect boost, while herbs and plant extracts work to plump and smooth the area over time.
Tata Harper Illuminating Eye Crème, $95, available at Sephora.
Save: Brightening Eye Cream Daisy blossom extract, a proven brightening powerhouse, is the hero ingredient of this gentle eye cream.
Burt's Bees Brightening Eye Treatment, $19.99, available at Target.
Spend: At-Home Peel This box has enough peels to last you two months if you use them as recommended (twice a week). And considering the heavy-duty dose of vitamin C and glycolic acid in each, we'd say that's a worthy purchase if you're concerned with dark spots and uneven texture.
Murad Rapid Resurfacing Peel, $44, available at Sephora.
Save: At-Home Peel If your skin is easily irritated, opt for this gentler glycolic peel, which can be used daily at night after cleansing.
L'oréal Revitalift Bright Reveal Peel Pads, $19.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Spend: Night Cream This night cream feels like it's working moments after you massage it in; by the time you wake up, you're noticeably glowier than you were eight — or four — hours prior.
Dior Capture Totale Intensive Night Restorative Crème, $175, available at Sephora.
Save: Night Cream This is a must for fast winter skin repair, but a word to the wise: Apply the rich cream an hour before hitting the pillow (avoiding the eyes) to give it ample time to sink in.
Boots No. 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Night Cream, $24.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Or Try...
If you're suffering from stubborn acne scars and a fancy schmancy cream just won't do, Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a New York based dermatologist, suggest finding a cream with anti-inflammatory ingredients like retinol. "Retinol is perhaps the best studied anti-aging ingredient we have," he tells us. "By stimulating collagen, it helps improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. But be careful, because it can cause significant skin irritation in the first two to four weeks."
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer, $21.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Spend: Face Scrub This cult-favorite, brown-sugar-and-strawberry-seed blend makes us crave cinnamon rolls whenever we frost it over our face.
Fresh Sugar Face Polish, $62, available at Sephora.
Save: Face Scrub If St. Ives' original apricot scrub was too aggressive for you, this new exfoliator should hit the sweet spot. It's got coconut shells to buff away dead cells and coconut and grapeseed oil to coddle everything else.
St. Ives Exfoliate & Nourish Coconut Oil Scrub, $6.99, available at Target.
Spend: Purifying Mask For a deep, oil-sucking clean, wash all your makeup off, do a quick steam if you're feeling indulgent, then smooth this on. In 10 to 15 minutes, the clay and charcoal combo will seriously diminish the amount of sebum and dirt building up in your pores.
Origins Clear Improvement, $26, available at Origins.
Save: Purifying Mask This little, single-use pod fits in the palm of your hand and still manages to pack in charcoal and clay (for drawing out the bad stuff), oatmeal and aloe juice (for calming), and tea tree oil (for keeping bacteria away).
nügg Charcoal Skin Detox Face Mask, $3.99, available at nugg Beauty.
Spend: Sensitive Skin Cream This heavy cream is the Holy Grail for those with special snowflake skin that freaks out the second it senses wind or cold or added fragrance. How do you know it'll do you right? It's 100% sterile and safe to use on babies and burn victims.
Avène Skin Recovery Cream, $34, available at Derm Store.
Save: Sensitive Skin Cream Cotton isn't just your best bet for comfy tees and underwear, the fluffy white plant also treats your skin with the utmost TLC when it's built into your moisturizer.
Yes To Cotton Comforting Facial Moisturizer, $14.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Spend: Sunscreen Yes, it’s pricy, but this luxurious sunscreen is beloved for its lightweight, invisible finish and the silky smooth canvas it leaves behind. Perfect for wearing alone or under makeup, skin is left looking and feeling as fresh as it gets.
Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35 PA+++, $65, available at Sephora.
Save: Sunscreen Perfect for breakout-prone and sensitive skin, this sunscreen is oil-free and has colloidal oatmeal to soothe your face and body in the sun.
Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $6.49, available at Target.
Spend: Cleansing Device We love the smaller version of the Clarisonic — the gold standard for getting your face squeaky-clean — because it's ideal for travel and has a delicate speed setting for days we need to take it easy.
Save: Cleansing Device We challenge you to find a better, cheaper tool that erases every trace of makeup and dirt with a brush on one side and exfoliates with a silicone pad on the other. Hint: You can't.
elf Cleansing Duo Face Brush, $14, available at e.l.f Cosmetics.
Spend: Acne Treatment The rollerball on this salicylic acid treatment makes application easy and mess-free — just remember to wipe it clean after every use to avoid spreading bacteria.
Estée Lauder Clear Difference Targeted Blemish Treatment, $35, available at Bloomingdales.
Save: Acne Treatment Refinery29 beauty assistant Sam Sasso swears by this drugstore spot treatment that goes on clear, without any stickiness, and takes down pimples overnight.
Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment, $6.39, available at Ulta Beauty.
Spend: Retinol Retinol can be irritating, which is why derms warn that you should always ease in and build up your tolerance, but this one offers a workaround. It's got seaweed extract and hyaluronic acid in the creamy formula, so it'll never make you red or flaky.
Kate Somerville Retasphere 2-in-1 Retinol Night Cream, $85, available at Sephora.
Save: Retinol Almost every derm we've asked agrees: RoC is the leader in wrinkle prevention at the drugstore. Get to the bottom of the tube on this one and you'll see firmer, smoother skin and diminished crow's feet and smile lines.
RoC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $24.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Or Try...
Yes, the price tag on this looks too good to be true, but stay with us. “The formula contains 1% retinol, which is better than using an undisclosed bargain-basement potency that’s sold on the cheap,” Randy Schueller, co-founder of The Beauty Brains, says. “Water is cheap. You could put retinol in a water-based cream or serum, but that would be a big red flag — and put the retinol at risk. This 1% formulation does not contain water. They’re taking the right approach. The science seems reasonable. In terms of finding a solid candidate at a very good price, I'd feel good about recommending [it]."
The Ordinary Retinol 1%, $6.70, available at Ordinaries.
Spend: Brightening Treatment SK-II's secret Pitera sauce works magic on dark spots and areas of discoloration. This spin-off of the classic essence feels more substantial — it's more of a serum than a water — and delivers results in just a few weeks. Plus, all you need is a pump or two for your entire face.
SK-II GenOptics Aura Essence, $240, available at SK-II.
Save: Brightening Treatment This toning concentrate boosts your moisturizer's effectiveness, helping to drive the active ingredients deeper into your skin. Just massage a few drops of it on after cleansing, then layer your day or night cream on top.
Olay Luminous Miracle Boost Concentrate, $23.99, available at Target.
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Fashion words are notoriously difficult to pronounce, and unless you hear the names of certain luxury labels spoken, rather than just written down, it's easy to slip up in conversation. Hermès, Miu Miu, Balmain, even Zara — they all sound different than they might look.
So, we're glad to have been schooled by Donatella Versace, because it turns out that much of the world has been pronouncing her last name incorrectly all along. During an episode of Vogue's famous "73 Questions" series, which takes place at her Milan apartment (which was previously owned by her late brother Gianni), she was asked which Italian word she wished English speakers would stop saying incorrectly.
Her answer? "Versace." The correct way to say it is not "Versach-ee", as you may have thought, but "Versach-eh" — and her pronunciation does, indeed, sound far more elegant. (You can listen to her say it in the video below).
When asked which fashion trend she hopes will never return, unsurprisingly, Versace opted for "minimalism." (One look at her last collection for the house and you'll see why.) She also chose heels over flats (naturally), leather over lace, gold over silver, and, perhaps most shockingly, New York over Milan. Oh, and her favorite thing about fashion? "That it's always evolving."
She divulged that if she could have coffee with anyone in the world it would be Michelle Obama, while Barack would be her ultimate dinner date (How long until someone makes that happen?); that if she wasn't running Versace she'd "be having a nervous breakdown, probably;" and that she'd still love to "learn Chinese."
Versace opened up about this year's Met Gala, too, which she believes will be "the best [one] ever" (because she's in charge), and offered up some wise words on what it means to be a woman in 2018: “It means to be aware of what’s happening in the world and [doing] something about it.”
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If we face the reality that winter will be here for longer than we're willing to admit, that might make the fact that spring is still a ways away a bit more bearable. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we can make the best of what we've got — and that means reviving that vintage coat you thought you were done with, learning how to layer the summer pieces you thought you'd have to wait three more months to wear, or injecting some much-needed color into your neutrals-only repertoire (we get it, we do it too).
For us, dressing in February is even more special — it's Fashion Month, and all the shows and street style slideshows continue to encourage us to experiment; to give trends we once saw as unapproachable a try, and to push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. A bright pink set? Pom-pom earrings? Matrix -style sunglasses? It's all here, and it's all yours for the taking.
Introducing the three primary levels of colorblocking: base layer, outerwear, shoes.
