When it comes to nude clothing or accessories, one hue certainly doesn't fit (or, rather, match) all, though fashion brands have been fairly slow to reflect or accommodate this. British shoe company Kahmune is the latest label trying to change the world of footwear, one shade at a time. And while previous ranges from other brands have typically capped out at five to seven shades, Kahmune brings you 10 options.
A photo posted by 10 Shades.1 Mission (@kahmune) on
Kahmune's origin story is quite simple: Last year, founder and designer Jamela Acheampong was searching the web for nude-hued clothing and accessories. To her dismay — but, sadly, to no one's surprise — she came up empty, or at least with a plethora of items in beige and tan (Acheampong is Ghanian-American). "I spent hours researching skin tones across the world," Acheampong told Elle. "Settling on just 10 colors was no easy feat—I don't think people realize the amount of diversity found in skin pigments. I found a few brands that were doing five or eight shades, but I didn't think that was enough."
With support from her father, she created Kahmune to solve a major (yet often overlooked) void in the footwear market. Kahmune's approach to crafting its thorough range of shades is quite innovative: Acheampong provides popular makeup pigments next to each shoe to help you find your shade and ensure a match. In terms of the production process, every shoe is made from Italian leather under the strict European manufacturing standards, with an emphasis on being gentle on the environment in the mix. But, perhaps most importantly, the brand is poised to make the search for your next pair of nude heels a lot easier.
A photo posted by 10 Shades.1 Mission (@kahmune) on
In recent years, the nude market has proven to be lucrative. Lingerie line Naja debuted a seven-shade Nude For All collection last year, and British brand Nubian Skin began offering a range of nudes back in 2014.Christian Louboutin expanded their Nude Collection from four shades to seven shades in 2015 (although it took the brand two years to offer a widened array of skintones). Whether it's a marketing tool a genuine desire to provide options for, well, everyone, we're glad brands are finally listening to their customers and expanding their ranges for all of their customers' skin tones — not just those who can afford them. We hope bigger fashion names will follow in Kahmune's footsteps.
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For that often-confusing business casual dress code, those moments when you need to show your ex both sides of you that they're missing out on, or those mornings when you just have no idea what to wear, singer-actress Janelle Monáe has you covered. And we're not kidding when we say it's probably the most genius thing we've seen since that time Karlie Kloss wore literally every garment at once.
At Marie Claire 's Image Maker awards last night, Monáe took to the red carpet in a Thom Browne number that's essentially two looks in one. The dress is a version of a floor-length metallic look seen on the designer's spring 2017 runway, and we're guessing Monáe's look was custom-made for the Moonlight star. While we typically see Monáe sporting black and white getups — mostly different takes on her tuxedo fixation — this might be our favorite mashup yet.
But if you're just tuning into the treat that is Janelle Monáe, let us catch you up on her style for a second. Where some folks might have thought Evan Rachel Wood's custom Altuzarra suit at the Golden Globes this past weekend was refreshing (especially given her reasoning for wearing it), Monáe has actually been doing this her entire career. And her commitment to a uniform of sorts is good reason, too. During her acceptance speech at the Black Girls Rock! awards back in 2012, Monáe explained why she's always in black and white.
"When I started my musical career, I was a maid. I used to clean houses. My mother was a proud janitor. My stepfather, who raised me like his very own, worked at the post office, and my father was a trash man — they all wore uniforms. And that's why I stand here today in my black and white, and I wear my uniform to honor them," she told the audience. And when a Twitter troll tried to call her out for her shtick, Monáe's clapback was strong and poignant. We're happy to see that no matter where her career takes her, she's not planning on compromising her style anytime soon.
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The belief that the moon can affect your behavior — the“lunar effect” — is surprisingly hard to stamp out. That's partly because, after decades of research, the science is still more contradictory than you might think.
You'll be pleased to know that scientists haven't found any reason to believe there's a connection between the full moon and your menstrual cycle or mental health. Yet the answer is a little less clear when it comes to your sleep, for instance.
Of course, we’re not claiming the moon is actually changing you in mysterious and spooky ways. And no, it's definitely not causing some sort of tidal effect on the water inside of you. But there are some links out there that remain…unexplained.
Could this be some sort of supernatural influence? Nah, very unlikely. Does this mean we've got some statistical anomalies on our hands? Maybe. Are we having an excellent time thinking about it? Heck yeah.
Ahead, we walk through the research about a few of these mysterious correlations between the phases of the moon and ourselves. Here are five things you might notice are a little bit different during the full moon.
1. Your Sleep
One study, published in Current Biology in 2013, found that participants tended to fall asleep about five minutes later and get about 20 minutes less total sleep on nights with a full moon. Predictably, this idea made it into a ton of headlines. And it does kind of make sense — it's tough to fall asleep when you've got a giant light shining in your window!
Unfortunately, subsequent studies have had a hard time replicating these results. It seems like, if there is a lunar effect here, it's probably too small to wreak any noticeable havoc in our lives.
Photographed by Bianca Valle.
2. Your ER Trip
Way back in 1983, a study published in Clinical Toxicology suggested that a Maryland poison center received significantly more calls about unintentional poisonings during the two days before and after the full moon. Other studies have linked lunar phases to hospital admission rates for aneurysms, intestinal bleeding, and heart issues.
Even minor surgery comes with some risks, but when major surgeries go wrong, they can be life-threatening. However, according to a recent study of surgical outcomes at a Rhode Island hospital, your chances of success are better under a full moon.
But — are you tired of this yet? — other research hasn't been able to show the same lunar influence.
Still, a 2014 study in the British Journal of Pain saw small effects on some patients' post-surgical sleep quality. So, if you're someone who already has sleep issues, this may be a concern. However, that study's authors conclude that "there is no reason for patients to postpone surgeries or to fear surgeries on any given date."
Photo: Getty Images.
4. Your Pets
This is where it gets a little weirder: Although the science is decidedly mixed on the correlation between lunar phases and human medical issues, there is better evidence for an association between the moon and our pets' health.
For instance, research published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found a correlation between the full moon and the amount of admissions to the Colorado State University Veterinary Medical Center. After analyzing nearly 12,000 cases, the researchers found a 28% increase in admissions for dogs and 23% for cats on the days before and after the full moon.
However, that doesn't mean your pup will be taking you to the ER with 'em: A 2000 study in the BMJ concluded, "Dog bites are no more frequent on full moons than at any other time of the month. Skeptics rejoice."
Photographed by Eva K Salvi.
5. The Weather
Researchers have found a correlation between rainfall and the lunar phases. Specifically, a paper published earlier this year in Geophysical Research Letters suggested that we're more likely to have rain on days around the full moon.
Now, we're not talking torrential downpours here — the difference only amounts to an increase of 1%.
However, if you notice that your moods tend to be influenced by the weather (other research shows some may feel less happy and more angry on wetter days), that might explain any lingering association between the moon and your feelings.
Photographed by Mark Iantosca.
6. Your Kidney Stones
A study published in a 2011 issue of the journal Urology found that pain caused by kidney stones increased during the full moon, while another study from Royal Liverpool University found that hospital admissions for "urological emergencies" went up during the full moon.
That said, don't curse the moon for any kidney problems you run into. The authors of the 2011 study noted that their findings shouldn't be taken as the full truth, but rather as an indication that more research needs to be done in this area.
Photographed by Rockie Nolan.
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It can lead to hours wasted pinning and repinning pictures of hair inspo or dream vacations. It can also lead you down a rabbit hole of images of celebrities' hair, makeup, or outfits. For Kelly Ripa, it led to a combination of both and ended up leaving her quite emotional.
On her show, Live With Kelly, the 46-year-old host said that she was innocently searching for pictures of hair when the app suggested an image of herself.
"I didn’t ask for it. My name for Pinterest isn’t Kelly Ripa,” she said to the audience, and her guest, Jerry O'Connell. "But Kelly Ripa popped up, suggesting to me that I should try my haircut." Things only went downhill from there.
"It's basically a walk down memory lane. And it was so depressing,” Ripa admitted. “I kept showing my husband and going, ‘Look at me here. Look how young I am. Look at our kids. Look at how tiny they are. Look at how good my hair was. Look at how good my outfit was.'"
Her husband ,Mark Consuelos, made her snap out of it by telling her that she was falling victim to vanity. Lesson learned: one should always pin with caution.
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President-elect Donald Trump just held his first press conference in six months.
During the hourlong affair, Trump and the press went head-to-head sparring on everything from his business dealings to Russia's interference in the election to what will happen with Obamacare.
The press conference was at points contentious, as some journalists pushed back against Trump's deflecting and the president-elect condemned the recent reporting of outlets such as BuzzFeed and CNN on Trump's alleged deep ties to Russia.
If you didn't have the time (or energy) to focus on the presser, or if you're just interested in a quick primer, don't worry.
Ahead, we rounded up the five main things you should know about the press conference.
He won't drop his business ties.
Since Trump was elected, a lot of questions have arisen about the potential conflicts of interest he could face once he assumes office. During the press conference, Trump announced that his oldest sons Don Jr. and Eric will continue at the head of the Trump Organization. As it was reported earlier this week, Trump confirmed his daughter Ivanka is stepping down from all her roles because her husband Jared Kushner will serve as a White House senior adviser.
However, Trump won't sell his business nor place his assets in a blind trust, like it was recommended he should do. Instead, an ethics adviser will be appointed and the company will not enter into any new foreign deals. His businesses and assets will also be put into a trust while he's in office.
Trump's lawyer also emphasized that the president-elect won't be involved in his businesses and will have "limited information rights" regarding the company.
Some legal experts were not impressed by his approach, however.
Trump is the only presidential candidate and president-elect in recent history who has refused to release his tax returns. Even though presidents are not required by law to release their tax information, it has been a tradition of financial transparency for decades.
During the press conference, Trump emphatically said he won't release his tax returns because they're "under audit" — even though the IRS has said that wouldn't prevent it from sharing this information.
After some pushback from a journalist, Trump said that the average American doesn't care about this issue.
"The only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters," he said, adding, "I won. I became president. I mean, I don’t think they care at all."
This notion that many Americans do, in fact, care about Trump's tax information and the implications his financial dealings could have while he's in power was supported by a tweet Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden posted earlier today.
During Trump's press conference, he angrily denounced the claims and blamed intelligence agencies for the leak.
"I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out there," Trump said.
He also called the dossier "fake news" and "phony stuff," blaming BuzzFeed and CNN directly for their roles in reporting the story.
"I could wait about a year-and-a-half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which we'll start immediately after we get to office, but I don't want to wait," he said.
Even though the president-elect emphasized the Mexican government would reimburse the U.S., it's unclear how that would happen.
During the press conference, Trump said it could be done via a "tax or a payment." Either way, the bottom line is it won't come cheap.
Obamacare could be repealed and replaced "essentially simultaneously."
Since Congress reconvened earlier this month, efforts to start repealing the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, have gone ahead full-steam. House Speaker Paul Ryan and members of the GOP have said they expected to repeal the program this winter, but that a replacement legislation could take a while.
But during the presser, Trump insisted that Obamacare would be repealed and replaced at the same time.
"It will be repeal and replace," he said. "It will be essentially simultaneously. It will be various segments, you understand, but will most likely be on the same day or the same week, but probably the same day. Could be the same hour."
However, Trump did not provide details of what type of legislation would substitute Obamacare or how it would be implemented. We're patiently waiting for details.
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People are reacting to the awe-inspiring gesture with pure joy.
Some are even declaring that Kanye's show of affection is changing the way they see romance. "It's not love until your face is on an air freshener in their car," one wonder-struck tweet reads. Others are reevaluating their dating relationship standards: "The fact that Kanye West has an air freshener of Kim's crying face in his car has just raised my standards for guys."
Kanye's air freshener in his car is Kim's crying face and I've never felt more joy
Saturday Night Livejust tweeted that Aziz Ansari will host the show on January 21. Ansari is such a force in comedy that this news doesn’t even feel like a big deal, but it is. Ansari is the first South Asian to host SNL, ever. And according to Teen Vogue, he’s the first Asian to land the gig in almost 17 years.
SNL has been engaged in an uphill battle to bring some diversity to its long list of hosts. Only about 10% of SNL hosts are people of color or biracial, according to data compiled by Indiewire. For over 41 years, SNL has reflected the whiteness dominant in mainstream comedy and throughout Hollywood in general.
South Asians, and Asians in general, are often the butt of American jokes. Last year, Chris Rock ruffled a few feathers as Oscars host when he make a quip about two Asian boys he brought on stage. There have been multiple critiques of Kunal Nayyar’s character Raj in the Big Bang Theory. His inability to talk to women, his thick accent, and his excessive nerdiness feed into more than one stereotype about Indian Americans. Kevin G from Mean Girls is also positioned as aggressively sexual and inappropriate, suggesting that he has not assimilated to American culture.
On the same day that Steve Harvey comes under fire for joking that Black and white women don’t date Asian men, Ansari is walking a different path for South Asians in comedy. Ansari is at the head, not the butt of the joke.
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Selena Gomez has been keeping a pretty low profile since choosing to take a break from music in August of 2016.
While she dipped a toe back into the spotlight with a moving speech at the American Music Awards in November, it's who she's stepping out with now that's making headlines. The "Hands To Myself" singer was spotted kissing The Weeknd in new paparazzi photos from TMZ, and it has some fans wondering if Gomez totally broke girl code.
For those unaware about why Gomez may be in sticky territory with her squad, it's actually pretty simple. The Weeknd and model Bella Hadid recently ended things. Though there's not much evidence to suggest that Gomez herself is good friends with Bella, she does appears quite tight with Bella's older sister Gigi: The two hung out in Dubai over New Year's in 2015, and were spotted getting dinner together in February of 2016. They are also both card-carrying members of Taylor Swift's squad, and even appeared in her video for "Bad Blood" together.
Things could get awkward between Gomez and Gigi, solely based on the fact that just hearing your friend talk about your little sister's ex-boyfriend is kind of weird. Still, that doesn't mean that the former Wizards of Waverly Place star is "backstabbing" Bella in any way — what does that even mean, anyway? It wouldn't be the first time that a celebrity dated a casual friend's ex: Kendall Jenner allegedly dated Harry Styles after his split from Swift, and — shockingly! — it didn't cause World War III.
Can Gomez live? After the year she's had, we should let this one go.
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Last year was a big one for blue eye makeup, both on the runways and in real life. But we fully expected it to die down after we put away our bikinis and sandals in September. Instead, the winter months have brought an even bigger explosion of the trend — and it feels even fresher and edgier as we enter 2017.
But the best part? Top celeb makeup artists are applying their blue liners in interesting new ways. Think: graphic flicks, '70s-inspired pops of color, and vibrant pigment limited to the waterline. Just this past week, we saw a major uptick in the cool-girl renditions. Think: Lily Collins' cobalt cat-eye, Diane Kruger's two-tone, shimmery look, and more.
Ahead, we're breaking down everything you need to know to make this trend work right now. Check out our tips and picks, then run and dig out your summer makeup bag. It's time to break out the blues early.
This story was originally published on November 22, 2016.
The Trick: Two tones are better than one.
Kruger stepped out at a Golden Globes afterparty with a sultry take on the trend, thanks to makeup artist Mai Quynh. The lesson here is simple: You don't have to go big or smoky — or opt for technicolor hues — to make a splash.
Using a shimmery shadow, smudge the jewel-toned color of choice onto the inner half of the lid, then temper the look with a neutral shadow on the rest. Use a clean brush to blur the line between the two shades.
Photo: JB Lacroix/WireImage.
Try: You know that overwhelmingly-large eyeshadow palette that you never use? It's time to bust it out and give it a go. Make sure you start with a damp brush, which will deliver bolder results with less shadow fall out.
E.L.F. Studio Endless Eyes Pro Mini Eyeshadow Palette, $7, available at E.L.F.
The Trick: Add a vibrant color to your graphic flick.
Collins' cat-eye from earlier this week is the stuff of dreams: vibrant, on-trend, and bold — without being overly complicated to recreate.
Start with a primer, then grab the formula you feel most comfortable working with — like a liquid liner pen or a pot of product. Direct your flick towards the tail of your brow, then just go for it. Work slowly and correct any mistakes with a clean, small makeup brush dipped in makeup remover or micellar water.
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.
Try: This liner is vibrant, precise, and an industry standard among red carpet makeup artists.
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Cobalt, $22, available at Sephora.
The Trick: Play with color, not texture.
Makeup artist Porsche Cooper gave Joan Smalls this enviable look last week — and social media couldn't get enough. It makes sense, as blue looks particularly fresh when used sparingly.
The application couldn't be easier — just line your waterline with a vibrant blue — but there's more to it than that. To ensure the look feels modern, keep everything on your face within a single texture family. (Notice that everything here is matte.) That way, no matter how many hues are present, everything feels cohesive.
Photo: Via @porschefabulous.
Try: Opt for a waterproof liner, like this one from Sephora, which will last far longer than a traditional formula.
Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow & Liner in Turquoise, $14, available at Sephora.
The Trick: Update your cat-eye with an ombré effect.
Makeup artist Hung Vanngo gave Emily Ratajkowski an aquamarine cat-eye for the Emmys. He kept the finish utterly cool and unexpected thanks to a gradient effect. While this look isn't for the faint of heart, it can be pulled off if you're willing to put in the time — precision and blending are key — and start with a good primer.
Instead of investing in a bunch of new shadows, DIY them. Starting with a single aqua-blue cream, add a bit of pale-white highlighter to it to lighten (then sweep that into your inner corners). Add a bit of black or gray cream to it for a darker color that will go in your outer creases. And use the rest for your lids and undereyes.
Photo: John Shearer/WireImage.
Try: This creamy, shimmery shadow is pure perfection on the lid — and easily blends with other hues.
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise in Cleopatra, $32, available at Charlotte Tilbury.
The Trick: Limit the blue shade to your bottom lashline.
Makeup artist Patrick Ta never ceases to wow us, and this blue look on Olivia Munn is no exception. Create a soft smoky eye, complete with inner-eye strobing, then apply a thick line of blue under the bottom lashline.
Pay close attention to the density of the shadow; you want the inner corners to be softest. Then blend, blend, blend — quickly.
Photo: Courtesy of Patrick Ta.
Try: A long-lasting blue liner will work wonders — just make sure you buff to perfection with a small brush before it sets.
Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil in M-22 Matte Majorelle Blue, $21, available at Make Up For Ever.
The Trick: Go classic with a simple swipe on the lid.
Sometimes, the most modern approach is actually borrowed from years past. To wit: Lupita Nyong'o wore a wash of blue on just her eyelids, proving that you don't need to blend under the lashline for a polished effect. The look is reminiscent of the '50s and '60s — and when paired with glossy lips? Instant cool.
Don't muddy the waters with black liner — stick to just blue for the coolest look.
Photo: John Lamparski/WireImage.
Try: This formula glides on easily, blends perfectly, and lasts all day.
Lancôme Color Design Infinite 24H Crease-Free Luminous Eye Shadow in Magnetic Teal, $25, available at Lancôme.
The Trick: Focus the color on the inner corners.
Ombré rules: Kristen Stewart wore this bright-to-dark eye makeup on the red carpet last month. You can score a similar look by heeding the same advice, but focus the majority of the blue in the inner corners.
The secret to making it work lies in your tools. Pick up a thin brush and work slowly, adding small amounts of color, taking a step back, then repeating until you get your desired result.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.
Try: This creamy shadow can be blended into the corners of eyes, and sits well under darker colors for a smoky look. Plus, it comes with a glittery powder to dust on top...if you're feeling adventurous.
The Estée Edit Metallishadow Crème + Powder in Wild Cosmos, $25, available at Sephora.
The Trick: Pair watercolor shadow with heavy lashes.
Emma Stone wore this soft wash of color paired with heavy black lashes to an event in L.A. Notice that there are no harsh lines, making this a dream for beginners. Simply build out the color using a palette: lighter colors in the inner corners, darker in the crease. Then, go big with the mascara, which gives the look an edge.
Don't shy away from mascara on the lower lashes — a spider-lash effect looks chic here.
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Try: This shadow trio comes with a primer and shimmery highlighter, making it everything you need to score the look.
Revlon PhotoReady Primer + Eyeshadow in Avant Garde, $10.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
The Trick: Go big or go home — 'nuff said.
Thanks to a busy press tour for The Edge of Seventeen, Hailee Steinfeld has been hitting the red carpet in a parade of eye-catching beauty looks. We particularly love this blue smoky eye and the accompanying retro-pink lips.
You'll need a smudge brush to make this work. (Note the soft, buffed edges.) This guy is great for those on a budget; or splurge on this one.
Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.
Try: You can do this look with a palette, but it's just as cool with a single shadow.
MAC Eye Shadow in Atlantic Blue, $16, available at MAC Cosmetics.
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The warmth and glitter of the holiday season might be gone, but that doesn't mean you can't add a little sparkle to your nighttime makeup look. Beauty vlogger Caroline Solomon, a.k.a. Low Cheekbones, has a brand new snowman tutorial that should brighten up any dreary January night. To get your Frosty on, start with a white, sparkly lipstick covering your entire face. Once you have your icy base, it's time for some truly unique accessories. If you want to be a glam snow creature, reach for snowman add-ons with a twist. Solomon uses a bedazzled pipe and metallic hat to top off the unexpected look. And of course, no snowman would be complete without a few well-placed twigs. For a daring take, glue some whittled down sticks on your finger nails—you'll definitely be the talk of every party you hit.
Anyone who knows the feeling of getting a pair of dangly earrings stuck on something can understand that having long hair is a serious liability. Getting tangled up in everyday objects (scarves, seatbelts, sunglass arms...) has always been par for the course. But finding your hair caught in the propellers of a drone? Now that is a distinctly 2017 #longhairproblem — and it’s exactly what happened to one woman, whose husband managed to capture the traumatizing moment on video.
Sheena, the clip’s unfortunate star, explained to Mashable that the situation started out innocently enough. Her husband decided to land the drone on her back, but it quickly all went downhill when the spinning propellers somehow managed to take hold of her hair. As she was assessing the damage, the couple’s two-year-old daughter seized control of the remote from the other room and sent the drone into a feeding frenzy once again. The whole thing hurts to watch.
The debacle ended in one involuntary haircut for Sheena and a sliced hand for her husband, who got wounded while freeing her from the deathtrap. Luckily, nobody was seriously injured, but lesson learned: Long hair and drones do not play well together. The future of technology is here, and it’ll tear your hair right out of your scalp if you’re not careful.
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Last year, Kirsten Dunst, 32, broke up with her longtime boyfriend, Garrett Hedlund. Though that didn't mean she shied away from love. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
In 2016 Dunst and her Fargo co-star Jesse Plemons, 26, also made their romance public. After playing a married couple in the second season on the FX series, the two hit it off. And so a new Hollywood pairing was born. Now fans are speculating just how serious the two have gotten.
According to People, Dunst stepped out at the Palm Springs Film Festival on January 2, sporting a pretty diamond ring. And it seems she didn't just wear it for show: She wore it on her ring finger.
Here's a closer look:
Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock
While no official announcement has been made, Dunst was also seen wearing the oval-cut rock on January 5, while hanging out on James Corden's sofa. See for yourself.
Dunst has never been one to play into the spotlight. It would only make sense for her to keep fans guessing.
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Yesterday, prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that President-Elect Trump had asked him to head up a commission on vaccine safety. But just a few hours later, the Trump team clarified that the President-Elect was only "exploring" the idea of creating a commission (one that would actually be focused on autism).
Whether or not these mixed messages actually amount to anything, the fact that something that flies so directly in the face of established science and medicine would even be considered is beyond troubling.
Is there any reason to think we need a new commission on vaccine safety?
"I don’t believe so. The CDC already has a committee of experts — the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — that is constituted precisely to evaluate, one by one, vaccines that are being proposed for insertion into the vaccine schedule, the routine immunizations that children get.
"This committee’s been in place for decades. It has a rotating membership of experts — epidemiologists, vaccinologists, infectious disease experts — who have spent their lives studying these issues and bring to bear the best science on questions of vaccine safety and effectiveness. When they make mistakes they admit them and roll them back, like they did with the rotavirus back in the 1990s. It’s not as if no one is watching the flock here. That why it’s curious to me that a new effort would be called for by the President-Elect."
What sort of message does it send that Trump is meeting with vaccine skeptics?
"It sends a powerful message to any parents who are on the fence about vaccinating their children. Those who are having worries about it that are fomented by inaccurate information on social media and elsewhere are likely to be swayed when someone as powerful as the President of the United States echoes those concerns, which are not scientifically valid and have been disproven multiple times over years and scores of studies.
"The President does not have direct control over the immunization schedule. It's not as if he can wave a wand and say, 'We're going to stop vaccinating against measles, mumps, and rubella because I believe that causes autism.' Never mind that that's been disproven categorically. It's the CDC that sets the vaccine schedule. And he doesn’t have power to appoint people to the CDC's committee of experts. What he does have the power to do is raise doubts. And that is a tremendous concern."
Is there anything we can do to combat the spread of this kind of misinformation?
"It's so easy for us to be complacent about diseases like measles or polio because we don't see them day to day. That is a vaccine victory for which vaccines do not get the credit. People don’t realize what life was like in 1964 when there was a massive rubella epidemic that was worse than Zika — it attacked fetuses in the womb and there were tens of thousands of damaged babies born in this country in that year in the absence of a vaccine.
"We need to recover those stories, like I do in my book, and remember what the costs were when infectious diseases were the biggest killers of children in this country. And it was not that long ago, but it gets quickly forgotten. And globally they are still huge killers of children... And [things like] Zika should serve as a reminder of that. There's no vaccine, and if you're a woman thinking about getting pregnant, chances are it's crossed your mind. If you multiply that fear and that uncertainty and danger by several fold, that's what it was like in the U.S. in 1964 with this epidemic of rubella."
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Last week, the Obama family kicked their farewell festivities up a notch with a star-studded goodbye bash at the White House. The VIP guest list for the night included Tanya Taylor, a designer whose fans include first lady Michelle Obama herself (FLOTUS even wore a dress from Taylor's fall '16 collection to the final White House holiday party last month).“Being invited to visit the White House is an experience I will always treasure!”Taylor, a repeat guest at 1600 Pennsylvania, says. In the wake of her most recent trip, she shared with Refinery29 a behind-the-scenes look inside the Obama White House. Ahead, 12 facts you might not know if you haven't been lucky enough to get an invite.
1. The high-pile rug in the Red Room is very heel-friendly. Perhaps the former first ladies who furnished it had their footwear needs in mind?
2. There are #TBTs of first ladies everywhere, like a photo of first ladies Nixon and Eisenhower exchanging pleasantries.
3. Speaking of first ladies, the best spot to snap a picture with a fashion icon is in front of the portrait of Jackie O that's hanging in The Vermeil Room).
Ryan Reynolds makes a cameo on the wall near the security check. Photo: Courtesy of Tanya Taylor.
4. The "Red Room" was yellow until 1845, when President and Mrs. Polk changed the color scheme to red.
5. One of the first pictures you see when entering the White House (and being sniffed by security dogs) is of Ryan Reynolds.
6. During closed events, security placed my phone in a brown paper baggie with my name written in sharpie for safekeeping.
7. In my experience, the Obamas always serve sliders and mini-cakes. At the Obamas' last party on Friday, there were waffles and grits.
8. It takes 300 gallons of white paint to cover the exterior of the White House. Up close, it is spotless!
Isn't this space just dying for a fashion show?Photo: Courtesy of Tanya Taylor.
9. You can see POTUS' helicopter landing pad from the Red Room.
10. There's a walkway that would make an amazing runway. On display at the end of it, is the china each president has selected for his state dinner.
11. The White House grounds are dotted with solar panels.
12. In the lobby of the East Wing there is a portrait of President Clinton directly across from a portrait of President John F. Kennedy — it looks like they are staring each other down!
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Pretty Little Liars ' final season won't hit Freeform until April 18. But until then, the cast and crew are giving us plenty of crumbs to survive on.
Yesterday, executive producer I. Marlene King revealed that the upcoming episodes will include a year-long time jump. But that wasn't the only teaser the PLL team gave fans.
Shay Mitchell had a coy response when Entertainment Tonight asked her about whether Emison will be endgame. "Emily has, you know, a couple other ladies to choose from," Mitchell told ET. "This is the most romantic season thus far, and all I can say is that Emily will end up with someone who she cares deeply about."
So, what does it mean?? Emily has cared pretty deeply about Paige, so she's definitely a contender. But she definitely cares for Ali, too, so Mitchell could just be trying to throw us off the trail. Or maybe there's someone else we haven't thought about from the show's earlier seasons — could Maya somehow still be alive?
We'll have to wait until April to find out who Emily (and the rest of the Liars) will end up with. Until then, we'll continue to speculate wildly about just who Emily's "someone" could be.
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ICYMI: 2016 was kind of a doozy. Okay, it was a total doozy that outdoozied itself. But time marches on, and all of us want a happier, healthier 2017. But those standard, pipe-dream-like New Year's resolutions probably often just set us up for failure.
Instead of focusing on what we have to fix (and beating ourselves up when we fall short), why not build on the strengths, powers, and innermost awesomeness we already have? Our friends at Shine are making it happen with #ResolutionRealTalk, a new intentionality bot that helps us track, set, and celebrate our New Year’s resolutions. It's free and easy to join. In fact, the good vibes will come to us.
Here's how it works: Start by setting an objective for 2017, like being more present and productive. Every morning, Shine will text advice for working on the intention, checking in and cheering you on as you go. Then, you'll follow that intention toward your goal, until...you're just living it. There's no nagging or judgment, just self-compassion, self-care, and actual achievement. For real.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and you must be one of the faux leather jackets on the market right now. The badass artificial toppers in stores these days are giving us a major case of confusion; some are so good we can’t even tell 'em apart from their authentic counterparts. And that's a good thing.
We found the best synthetic leather moto, trench, and bomber jackets that’ll have you pleased to be deceived, too. In case the word “faux” makes you wanna skip town, rest assured. The coats ahead have zilch in common with the cheap-looking fake finishes and materials of yore — except, of course, their prices. These pieces might not be the real deal, but with high-end detailing, quality construction, and bold design, they certainly look like it. So click on to scoop our picks. Shopping in a fool’s paradise has never been so appealing.
ASOS Curve Bomber Jacket in Leather Look, $83, available at ASOS.
Opening Ceremony Faux Fur Reversible Coat, $695, available at Shopbop.
Uniqlo Carine Synthetic Leather Jacket, $99.90 $59.90, available at Uniqlo.
Courrèges Red Faux-leather Jacket, $1,575, available at Ssense.
JOA Buckle Up Moto Jacket, $148 $73.99, available at Threadsence.
It's Facebook-official: Ivanka Trump will no longer be involved in management or operational roles at the Trump Organization or at her own company. While Vanity Fair first reported the news on Monday, citing Jared Kushner's attorney, Ivanka confirmed it herself in a Facebook post earlier today. The news came shortly after her husband Kushner accepted the job of senior adviser to the president-elect, and is likely an effort to fall in line ethics-wise.
"I will take a formal leave of absence from The Trump Organization and my eponymous apparel and accessories brand," she wrote, adding that she has appointed fashion-industry veteran Abigail Klem, who was previously the company's chief brand officer, as its new president. As Donald Trump stated in his press conference this morning, his sons Don Jr. and Eric will oversee the Trump Organization.
Ivanka and Kushner will move to Washington, D.C., with their three children. "I plan to take time to settle our three young children into their new home and schools," she wrote.
It's as of yet unclear what her role will be in the White House, though she's been criticized for some of her involvement in the transition, such as when she met with the prime minister of Japan. Her statement seems to indicate that she plans to be involved in women's issues, which she has alluded to during the campaign. We are looking forward to learning more about the specifics soon.
"I'm grateful for the overwhelming amount of outreach I've received from people all across America who have shared their stories and offered to extend their ideas and expertise in the areas I am deeply passionate about, including the education and empowerment of women and girls; leveling the playing field for female entrepreneurs and job creators; and unleashing the potential of women in the workplace," she wrote. "I am eager to hear more from them as I determine the most impactful and appropriate ways for me to serve our country."
You can read Ivanka's Facebook post in its entirety below.
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Thanks to Amazon and Seamless, we've all become accustomed to having everything — and we mean everything — delivered right to our doorsteps. Thanks to Vireo Health, New Yorkers can add one more thing to that list: medical marijuana.
As one of just five licensed medical marijuana growers in NYC, Vireo is launching home delivery that will service all five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester. The program is set to start in the next 90 days. By offering the service, Vireo hopes to serve those who cannot leave their homes or are unable to travel to a dispensary.
"New Yorkers have increasingly come to expect home delivery and we plan on leveraging 'last mile' supply chain technologies to meet and exceed patient expectations," Vireo CEO Ari Hoffnung told the New York Daily News. The deliveries will be made by at least two employees to ensure safety and security for both personnel and product. The company-owned vehicles will have GPS and other safety measures, as well.
Vireo already operates two dispensaries in Queens and White Plains, but it's the first grower to be granted approval for home delivery. Plans for delivery have been in the works since August of 2016, when state officials announced the expansion of the state's medical marijuana laws.
A statement released by the Health Department reads: "This is another step in the department's implementation of the recommendations in the two-year report on New York's Medical Marijuana program, in recognition of the fact that in many cases patients with serious health conditions cannot leave their homes and have difficulty accessing medical marijuana products."
Pricing is still to be determined and patients will have to sign up with Vireo health to participate in the delivery program.
This month we’re celebratingHigh Januaryby leaving our stoner stereotypes behind. Instead, we’ll take long-time smokers and total newbies through all the various complexities of the current cannabis world. It’s 2017 and we’re ready to blaze a new trail.
Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity and would like to remind its readers that marijuana usage continues to be an offense under Federal Law, regardless of state marijuana laws. To learn more, click here.
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I was standing in front of my grandmother’s deathbed when my mother revealed the long kept family secret: Grandma, or Na, as we called her, had been a “flower girl” in her youth.
The revelation came as a shock. My beloved Na — the woman who had fed us rice and brought us up — a prostitute? That’s when my mother finally told me Na’s story. My grandmother had been orphaned at six before being adopted by her aunt. When she blossomed into a beautiful young woman at 14, the aunt’s husband sold her to a brothel. In the twenty years since I heard this story, I’ve often wondered how Na, a devout Buddhist, endured life inside a brothel called Spring Fragrance Pavilion, its front always lit up by red lanterns.
My grandma’s fate was a common one for orphans at that time when women were treated as a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded. As soon as the Chinese Communists took power in 1949, they shut down all the brothels and reformed the prostitutes. In the reform era, however, relaxed social control and growing wealth led to a spectacular resurgence in the sex trade, especially along more developed coastal areas. Working girls were hired to lubricate the wheels of business negations — or used as bribes in the trade between power and money. Since then, the sex industry has become the fastest growing industry in China, staffed by some ten million girls.
Although illegal in China, prostitution is difficult to avoid even now. Once, during a reporting trip to Shenzhen, I walked into a salon, hoping for a haircut. One of the three giggling girls, her full chest threatening to spill out of her tiny top, told me that they didn’t really know how to cut hair. I looked down and spotted no shavings on the floor; it dawned on me what kind of establishment I had actually entered. Perhaps I should have known: After all, we were in Shenzhen, referred to by some as China’s Capital of Sins.
My grandma’s fate was a common one for orphans at that time when women were treated as a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded.
I chatted with the salon girls and learned that they were migrants from the impoverished countryside. All three were poorly educated and unskilled: The youngest was in her early teens — the same age as my grandma when she began work at a brothel in 1928. How did these women end up here? I wondered. And how did they reconcile their trade with their conservative upbringing in the village?
It was at that moment the seed for my novel, Lotus, was planted. Through the lives of these women, I could explore China’s growing gap between men and women, urban and rural — as well as the tug of war between modernity and tradition.
Because my last book was a memoir, people often wonder if I’ve penned another autobiography: I am always quick to point out that Lotus is purely a work of fiction, not based on personal experience. Keenly aware that my middle-class urban existence is so removed from that of a migrant-worker, I knew I needed serious research. And so I interviewed sex workers in Shenzhen, Dongguang, a neighboring city, Beijing, and other cities. I tried to make friends with these sources, but it proved to be a very challenging task: Their lives are so transient, as they change from one massage parlor to another, from one city to another. They change their mobile numbers — or they simply vanish.
My breakthrough came after I managed to gain work as a volunteer for a non-governmental organization NGO that is dedicated to helping female sex workers in a northern city in China. The main task of these volunteers is to distribute condoms to sex workers operating at massage parlors and hair salons — all fronts for brothels — in an outskirt of Tianjin.
They are mostly low-class establishments, and I usually went out with a staff member from the organization, Little Y — a former sex worker herself, who is very skilled in her NGO role. She would sit down and chat over a cup of weak jasmine tea; she would always find something flattering to say.
“Wow, what a pair of heavy melons!” Little Y would say, pointing at one woman’s robust chest. “Are they real?” She would volunteer that she had had implants herself; on several occasions, she lifted up her top and compared herself to other women who also had breasts enlargement. Little Y’s augmentation was done in a back-alley clinic, and resulted in one of her nipples pointing westward.
Her language and approach made the girls feel she was one of them: They would tell her about the problems they had with their boyfriends, or some funny anecdotes about their clients, or just vent about the injustices they suffered at the hands of the police. One woman told us how she’d been arrested during a police raid: At a police station, they beat her up. To avoid being sent to a labour camp, she had to pay a bribe of 3000 yuan (almost $500 at the time) to a policeman and provide her services to him for free. Upon being released, she returned to her parlor. A laid-off worker with two children to support, she needed the money.
Little Y would offer advice how to dodge police in case their parlors were raided. When she handed out condoms, she would urge women to use one for each transaction and warn them about the dangers of unprotected sex. At night, I stayed at NGO’s office, its walls studded with heart-shaped plastic-encased prophylactics. There, I would furiously write down the details of our conversations and the stories the girls had shared with me.
Quite a few of them had experienced traumas, like losing their jobs or being deserted by their husbands. Other made a choice to become sex workers, because their other professional options were extremely limited.
The story of one massage parlor girl, Xiaohua, was typical: Lured by the bright lights of the city, she left her village of Sichuan, in China’s hinterland, and joined a shoe factory in Dongguang. One of her friends found a job at a massage parlor in Shenzhen, which would not only earn her more income but also spare her the grueling tasks of production line; she decided to to take the job after her family wrote her a letter, asking for money. Xiaohua took the job and sent the requested funds to Sichuan: Almost all girls I know provided financial support to their homes back in their villages.
Of course, it partly justified their profession and made them feel better. Still, their sense of filial duty, deeply imbedded in their upbringing, played a large part.
But what impressed me most in those vulnerable girls was their strength: their ability to cope with hardship and setbacks and simply keep going. It is the same quality I’ve long appreciated in my grandma, to whom the novel is dedicated.
Lijia Zhang is a journalist and author.Lotus, released January 10, is her debut novel.
