This is the hard truth: If you don't wear sunscreen, at one point or another, you will get burnt. But that doesn't mean we always remember to slather up from head to toe. Some of the most common areas that often go unprotected? Our ears, the tops of our feet and hands, and — of course — our lips. That's why lip balms that just so happened to be packed with SPF are a saving grace come summertime. Luckily, there's a brand-new product coming from Pixi Beauty that'll ensure we never forget the essentials: the Pixi Sun Serum.
At first glance, it looks like a jumbo lip balm. Cute, right? But there's so much more to the tube than meets the eye. In fact, if you twist off the top, you'll find a hidden compartment filled with SPF 30 sunscreen.
As expected, we can't get over the clever packaging. (Especially given our obsession of secret beauty compartments.) It's a rarity, which makes finding this kind of 2-in-1 multi-purpose product similar to finding someone on Bumble and actually liking them enough to go on a second date. And for $22, no less. Even better, Pixi's ingredients are top-notch. The sunscreen has the chemical blockers you need to stay protected, plus soybean oil for extra hydration. And the lip balm? It goes on sheer and is loaded with olive oil, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E — because the only thing worse than sunburnt skin is burnt lips.
It's easy to describe blue hair as equal parts dreamy and badass. It makes sense, as the hue can often veer moody, like you just stepped out of Hot Topic with a tub of Manic Panic. Meanwhile, pastel iterations can feel incredibly ethereal and lighthearted. Heck, even the "denim hair" trend of earlier this year could go either way. It's this bespoke characteristic that could be why tons of celebs have taken to the color in the past: Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Kylie Jenner, and Gwen Stefani have all felt the blues.
Of course, the color was made for the bravest rebels among us, because it can be a bit risky. For example, "Although dusty blue is a beautiful color, it's a hard color to maintain," Daniel Moon, the L.A.-based colorist behind Kanye West and Miley Cyrus' rainbow hues, told us earlier this year. "People have a hard time with the fade [because] it usually goes green. The reason why people love peach, sorbet, and 'blorange ' is because the fade is soft and cute."
We, like many men and women before us, have toyed with the idea of taking the plunge — even knowing this fact. That's why we have hoards of hair color photos tucked away in the saved section of our Instagrams. Now, we're not the type to keep that hairspiration private, which is why we're sharing our top picks ahead. It's time to make like Picasso and enter your blue period.
This deep, gray-ish blue shade is the ideal gateway hue for rainbow novices. The blue tones in the shade pack a punch, but because of the color's depth, it doesn't feel over the top.
Dashes of sea foam green interspersed through this hair give the appearance of more movement and texture.
Not ready to go full-on blue? Have your colorist weave streaks of pink or purple through your mid-lengths and ends for a punch of playful, mermaid color...
Or, make like this beaut and opt for just the tips.
This vibrant cerulean shade has us itching for a dramatic hair color change.
Bold color and visible roots are a winning combination.
You can't go wrong with a little ombré.
We're partial to this icy-blue hue, a nod to the sleek, silver hair trend.
Blue hair and a shaggy bob are a match made in hair heaven. Case in point: This look on model Charlotte Carey Tampubolon.
This multifaceted blue 'do is giving us major mermaid vibes.
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On the internet, everything is forever. And if we've learned anything from that viral Cole Sprouse tweet, it's that young stars often say things they live to regret.
Apparently, the cast speculated about which Victorious stars loved spontaneous singing during video interviews about the show. Most of them agreed that it was Ariana Grande — but Justice wasn't so sure.
As BuzzFeed explains, the meme started when a Twitter user uncovered an old Victorious interview and posted it online. In the clip, Elizabeth Gillies, who played Jade West on the show, says that Grande sings everything. "One thing you don't know about Ariana Grande is that she literally sings everything. She's starting to forget how to talk in her own voice, because she sings everything. And it's a good thing, because she has a beautiful voice. But it's awesome. She sings absolutely everything. She never stops," Gillies tells the camera.
Meanwhile, Justice stands next to with a polite smile as Gillies gushes about Grande. When Daniella Monet interjects to say that Gillies also sings, Justice interjects, "I think we all sing."
We can't say for sure that Justice wanted to shade Grande — but that's definitely how the internet sees the clip. There's also a longer interview in which the Victorious stars are asked which cast member is most likely to break into spontaneous song — and everyone except Justice says that Grande is.
Naturally, "we all sing" was quickly meme-ified. People began inserting Justice's reaction into all kinds of fake conversations, with hilarious results.
Now, all we need is for Justice herself to post the photo and prove she's in on the joke for it to come full circle. Or, you know, Ryan Murphy could take inspiration from the meme.
@prasejeebus I think WE ALL need Feud S3 to be about Ariana Grande and Victoria Justice.
We know that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay would never be caught dead eating on an airplane, though he has no problem stopping by his own restaurant, Plane Food, whenever he's flying out of London's Heathrow Airport. However, according to another famous chef, Heathrow isn't actually the best airport in the world for a delicious meal.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Anthony Bourdain revealed a few of the things he can't travel without. In addition to dishing about his wildly inventive method of using a folded up sweatshirt as a pillow during flights, the Parts Unknown star also talked about which airports around the world offer the best food. As someone who travels to exotic places for a living, he seems like the right person to get this info from. In his words, he's "tragically familiar with the offerings at just about every airport in the world."
Like Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain does not like to eat on airplanes, so he usually tries to grab something in the airport before his flight takes off. This is especially true if he's in Singapore's Changi Airport. According to Bourdain, at this airport, there's an incredible hawker center. It's technically meant for the Changi Airport employees, but it's also open to the public, and very much worth checking out. By the way, a hawker center, is kind of like a food court or marketplace that has a variety of different venders selling ready-to-eat meals. Singapore is home to several notable hawker center. In fact, two hawker center-based food stalls in Singapore were awarded a Michelin Star last year, according to The Telegraph. So this isn't like any mall food court we're used to here in the U.S.A.
It looks like Singapore isn't the only Asian country that offers tasty meals inside its airports. Bourdain also told NYT that the Tokyo airport has an "extraordinarily good" sushi bar next to the gates that serve flights to America. Lucky us. If you ever find yourself roaming around the Tokyo airport looking for something other than sushi — we'll just assume you got your fill while vacationing in Japan, though we can't really imagine ever getting sick of sushi — Bourdain suggests hitting up the Lawson convenience store. He says the store sells " ethereal egg salad sandwiches that defy logic and science with their deliciousness and apparent freshness." If you decide to go that route, we suggest finishing the sandwich before you get on the plane. Your fellow passengers won't thank you for bringing smelly egg salad on a 12-hour flight.
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If there's anything better than an orgasm, it might be a relaxing, indulgent shower — so truly, it's hard to imagine a more perfect union than a vibrator you can actually use in the shower. Unwinding under warm water after a long day, scrubbing up, and getting off? Yes, please.
Taking your vibrator with you to the shower is a sure way to have a good time, whether you're masturbating or bringing your partner along for shower sex, but not all toys are waterproof. And using a non-waterproof vibrator in the shower could lead to exposed batteries or a breakdown of materials into sensitive spots (gross and potentially unsafe). Not good!
So checking to see whether a sex toy is waterproof is a key step. (As is taking care of your sex toys after use — washing with warm water and antibacterial soap — which is doubly easy when you're already in the shower.) But if you'd like to step up your showergasm game, we've gathered our favorite waterproof clitoral vibrators, cock rings, vibrating dildos, and more.
While we're arguably more in control of and confident about our sexuality than ever, there's still so much we don't know about female arousal. So this month, we're exploring everything you want and need to know about how women get turned on now. Check out morehere.
If your partner has a penis, or is the proud owner of a water-proof strap-on, slide this vibrating cock ring over the base of their shaft to add a buzz-worthy addition to your penetrative shower sex.
Tenga, $24.00, available at BabelandPhoto courtesy of Babeland.
Ideal for your first time bringing a vibrator into the bathtub, the Lily 2 provides intense clitoral stimulation with eight stimulation patterns to choose from.
LELO, $139.00, available at LELOPhoto courtesy of Lelo.
Trojan's waterproof vibrators prove you can find quality sex toys at your local drug store. You can slip the Ultra Touch right over your finger, adding ease and intimacy to bathtub vibrations.
Trojan, $12.58, available at WalmartPhoto courtesy of Trojan.
For those with a vagina, those two delightful ears align perfectly with your sexy parts. Those with vaginas have also claimed to have some of the best orgasms of their life with this waterproof wonder.
Jimmy Jane, $149.00, available at Jimmy JanePhoto courtesy of Jimmyjane.
The Hitachi Magic Wand is often touted as the "Cadillac of vibrators," but this wand works just as magically (and, yep, it's waterproof!).
LELO, $169.00, available at BabelandPhoto courtesy of Lelo.
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Back for its second season, Opening Ceremony's revival of Esprit's classic sportswear and logo-heavy pieces takes on a much springier approach than it did the first time around — and it'll surely please those who have been transitioning out their darks and ushering in all-pastel-everything.
Whereas the first drop was all about bold, primary hues, the latest installment of Esprit by Opening Ceremony narrows down the color story to three main themes: stripes, prints, and pastels. "If you look at decades of what [Esprit has] done with their collections, they really go after an idea," Carol Lim, co-founder of Opening Ceremony, told Refinery29 at the launch of the brand's pop-up installation in New York. "For us, we almost think of things in installments, knowing that we’re building a library of things that feel like the brand can do: There might be shapes we bring back in the next season in different materials, but it was definitely intentional to do primaries [first], more autumnal colors for the fall collection, and, here, to go lighter and more feminine."
The collection, which debuted today in stores and online, retails for $30 for a logo cap and goes up to $250 for a printed denim jacket. The latter is one the pieces Lim said she was most excited to work on, as it both draws from Esprit's archive but also feels like something that fits in with the OC brand. "When we look at this, we [ask]: If Esprit would’ve started now, in 2017, does it feel like the collection?," the designer said of co-branding a line. "To us, it does. To me, it feels very Esprit, but it also feels very us."
Lim described the Esprit of the '80s and '90s — a retailer she and Humberto Leon actually shopped in their youth — in a way that's similar to how people characterize Opening Ceremony today: pioneering, having a Californian sensibility, bringing together global experiences, experimenting with colors and prints. "It’s not coincidental," she admitted. "Humberto and I grew up when this was at its peak. We were influenced by going into their amazing stores: You’d see the architecture and their collaborations — they worked with people who they respected and loved, and it didn’t matter that some were architects and furniture designers and others were photographers. They street-cast [campaigns]; they were like, ‘We’re going to break the mold.’" All of these are are rooted in a gut feeling for what was right for the company, she explained. "When we started [Opening Ceremony], we had never run a store — so we were like, ‘This feels good,’ ‘We’re interested in this,’ and ‘Let’s work with that person.’ That kind of attitude, which is really how the brand started, is really something that we identify with."
In a time where comeback stories are a dime a dozen in retail, Lim noted that Opening Ceremony's approach to nostalgic fashion, especially when it comes to its collaborations, isn't simply to bring back a familiar logo from the brick-and-mortar graveyard: It's about looking at a brand's DNA, finding parallels to the boutique's own story, and playing with it in a way that feels authentic and relevant to its customer today. "If the story is authentic and if it resonated with people and if those values still hold, I think that story is easy to tell," she said. Esprit was a brand that, both aesthetically and internally, was ahead of its time, with its bold use of color and prints, its inclusive approach to campaign imagery, and its acknowledgement of issues like sustainability and longevity in fashion. "If people connect to that story and what the brand was about, people will connect to it again," she explained.
For its spring/summer release, Opening Ceremony also returned to Esprit's signature photoshoot style: bright, happy group shots. "We already knew those images from growing up," Lim explained. It was a matter of asking: "What’s the modern version of doing that for today?" In 2017, that means tapping unfamiliar faces with somewhat familiar names to front the campaign: Among the Esprit for Opening Ceremony models you'll spot Coco Gordon (daughter of Kim Gordon) and Arsun Sorrenti (son of Mario Sorrenti). One flip through the lookbook ahead, odds are you'll get flashbacks to the iconic Esprit campaigns from the brand's heyday — which will likely only tempt you to shell out for one of those logo sweatshirts even more.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Hoodie, $110, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony;Esprit by Opening Ceremony Logo Sweatpants, $95, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Hoodie, $110, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Hoodie, $110, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Hoodie, $110, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Cropped Sweatpants, $95, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Logo Sweatpants, $95, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Daisy Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Ditsy Floral Rayon Shirt, $145, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Daisy Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Ditsy Floral Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Large Tote, $55, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Daisy Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Ditsy Floral Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Floral Stripes Mesh Tee, $95, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Ditsy Floral Bucket Hat, $40, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Fanny Pack, $50, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Patchwork Cutout Swimsuit, $85, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Knotted Rayon Hotpants, $110, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Rayon Camp Shirt, $125, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Rayon Shorts, $95, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Baseball Cap, $30, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Large Tote Bag, $55, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Fanny Pack, $50, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Cropped Sweatpants, $95, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Logo Sweatpants, $95, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony;
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Large Tote, $55, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Racer Shorts, $65, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Esprit Logo Tee, $75, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Racer Shorts, $65, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Loopback Logo Tee, $95, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Striped Poplin Skirt, $95, available at Opening Ceremony; Esprit by Opening Ceremony Large Tote, $55, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Large Tote, $55, available at Opening Ceremony.
Esprit by Opening Ceremony Esprit Logo Baseball Cap, $30, available at Opening Ceremony.
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Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has been quite the chatty Cathy lately about everyone's favorite fantasy series, Game of Thrones, and we are living for it. The actor, who plays the sinister but charming Jaime Lannister, is on a tour de press promoting his Netflix film, Small Crimes (streaming Friday), and is of course being bombarded with GoT questions about theories, spoilers, and essentially any new information. Fans of the show (like us) are simply salivating over his pretty honest answers in this Huffington Post interview.
Unlike his co-stars, who cryptically avoid any straightforward responses when questioned on the location, the plot line, the deaths or the feuds on the upcoming season, premiering July 16, Coster-Waldau wants to give the viewers some solace by confirming that some of the theories circulating the media and the web are actually spot-on. He just wouldn't say which one, which is fair.
"What’s interesting, though, is every year there are huge spoilers online where people find out real stuff and they will post it, and you go, ‘Oh my God, they just spoiled the whole season online!’ But then, because there’s 10,000 other spoilers out there, they’re not real. It just gets lost in the shuffle,” he told the site. "So, it’s all out there by the way ... if you can find it."
So it sounds like we need to start analyzing the strongest theories and start looking for even more evidence to prove them (ahem — Jon Snow being The Prince That Was Promised). Additionally, he weighed in on whether he thinks that Jaime would murder his sister/soul mate/lover, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), following her murderous shenanigans. (Earlier this week, he revealed he was into the idea of the betrayal, and it sounds like he still is.)
"People are really reading into that look [that his character gave Cersei at the end of season 6] ... I was just going through my grocery list,” Coster-Waldau joked. “I was very into the scene. It’s interesting, though, how much you read into a look like that, because, it’s like, ‘Oh, clearly he’s going to leave her now. There’s no question. This is it. This is reminding him why he killed the Mad King. Now he’s going to go and kill Cersei. There’s no question about it.’ And it might happen, who knows? I mean, I know, but ..." Okay, that sounds to me like a big "YES I KILL HER."
The actor also gave his seal of approval to the steamy romance brewing between Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Tormund (Kristofer Hivju), as Coster-Waldau hints. "I think it’s a perfect couple ― I think Tormund would rock her world." Same.
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The passenger dragged from the United Airlines flight earlier this week suffered a "significant" concussion and broken nose, and he lost two front teeth, one of his lawyers said Thursday.
This story was originally published on April 13, 2017.
Dr. David Dao has been discharged from the hospital but he will require reconstructive surgery, said attorney Thomas Demetrio, whose law firm is representing the 69-year-old Kentucky physician. Dao was violently removed from the plane on Sunday after he refused to give up his seat on a full flight from Chicago, IL, to Louisville, KY.
One of Dao's five children, Crystal Pepper, said the family was "horrified, shocked, and sickened" to learn and see what happened. She said having her father removed from the Sunday flight was "exacerbated" by the fact that it was caught on video and widely distributed.
Demetrio said he likely will file a lawsuit on Dao's behalf, adding that airlines — and United in particular — have long "bullied" passengers.
In an interview with ABC's Good Morning America that aired Wednesday, United parent company CEO Oscar Munoz said he felt "ashamed" watching the video of the man being forced off the jet. He has promised to review the airline's passenger-removal policy.
Munoz apologized again to Dao, his family, and the other passengers who witnessed him being taken off the flight.
"That is not who our family at United is," he said. "This will never happen again on a United flight. That's my promise."
In the future, law enforcement will not be involved in removing a "booked, paid, seated passenger," Munoz said. "We can't do that."
In an effort to calm the backlash, United also announced that passengers on United Express Flight 3411 would be compensated equal to the cost of their tickets. United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said Wednesday that the passengers can take the compensation in cash, travel credits, or miles.
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To start, not everyone who is attracted to more than one gender prefers to identify as "bisexual." They may prefer "pansexual" or "queer." While there is overlap, these terms have distinct differences. And some people use multiple labels — for instance, I identify as both bisexual and queer. But no matter which specific label or combination of labels people use, the idea that someone could be attracted to more than one gender still seems to trip people up.
"I've been out as bisexual since I was 17, and seeing bi-erasure happen so frequently makes me feel like this label is still needed to help give voice to those who are currently marginalized," says Liz Powell, PsyD, an LGBTQ-friendly sex educator and coach, and licensed psychologist.
To help educate people about the "B" in LGBTQ, I've rounded up some common misconceptions about bisexuality that need to die.
Sure, being attracted to more than one gender provides you with more partner options. But it's 100% wrong to assume that that alone makes all bisexuals promiscuous or greedy. "Just because you have more partners available means that you need to be with them all?" says Kelly Wise, PhD, sex therapist.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with being both bisexual and promiscuous, but it's still important to avoid equating bisexuality with promiscuity. People of all orientations can enjoy a life of sex with just one partner, many partners, or none at all.
Akin to conflating bisexuality with promiscuity, the uninformed tend to get confused about bisexuality and monogamy. But, here's the thing: Who you are attracted to and which relationship format you prefer are entirely separate matters. "It’s like [bisexuality] gets confused with polyamory," Dr. Wise says.
Let me clear this up for you: Polyamory refers to those who prefer to have relationships with more than one partner, and people of all orientations (bisexuals included) can be polyamorous. But also, many bi people are 100% monogamous and are totally happy with that. "The idea that if we’re attracted to all genders, we’re not going to be satisfied with just one [person] doesn’t make any sense,” Dr. Wise says.
There's a college stereotype of two women at a party making out as a bunch of guys watch. But that concept chalks up all bi and bi-curious people as attention-seeking sexual explorers. The truth? Bisexuals are bi because they are attracted to more than one gender — end of story. They're not in it for the attention. As for those college girls making out at a party? I can't speak for anyone but myself, but when I was kissing other women at college parties, I was thinking about how good my kissing partners' mouths tasted — not any guys who had nothing better to do than stare.
Bisexuality is a real and valid sexual orientation. It's not some layover or rest stop before coming out as gay or lesbian, and it's not an experiment that an otherwise-straight person indulges in. That said, orientation can evolve for some people, Dr. Wise says, and sometimes bisexuals do go on to identify as queer or gay. But many, many bisexuals identify as bi for their entire lives.
Too many bi people know the following scenario: You tell a new partner (special shout out to cis straight men) that you're bi, and you're met with a response like, "That's hot — want to have a threesome?" Then, there are the couples who prowl bisexual Tinder profiles trying to arrange a threesome.
Yes, some bisexuals enjoy threesomes (raises hand), but many others don't. As one one Reddit user wrote, "I don't want a threesome. Why do some people think it's appropriate to ask that as soon as they hear that I'm bisexual? I don't go to straight couples and ask them if they want a threesome."
Sometimes, bi people date someone of a different gender, and sometimes they date people of their same gender. That's what bisexuality means. It does not mean that someone stops being bisexual and starts being straight when they're in a relationship with a straight partner, and it does not make them gay or a lesbian when they're in a relationship with someone of the same gender. "Your identity doesn’t change based on [your] partner," Dr. Wise says.
Another common misconception is that bisexuals only date cis people. "You can identify as bi, and that doesn’t have to mean you’re not attracted to gender-nonconforming or gender fluid people," Dr. Wise says.
While some bisexuals only date cis men and women, this is not true for all of them. It can be confusing, since the "bi" in "bisexual" implies that someone is attracted to two genders, Dr. Powell says. That's why some folks who are attracted to more than one gender prefer to identify as "pansexual" or "queer." However, many bi people are attracted to all genders, and yet still prefer the term "bisexual," since maintaining the label is considered important in fighting bi-erasure.
If you're attracted to more than one gender, how you describe your identity is up to you. It's just important that you don't assume that all self-identified "bisexuals" aren't up to speed on gender identity.
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"Conversion therapy," a damaging and discredited practice aimed at changing a person's sexuality, could soon become illegal.
On Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers reintroduced the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which would ban conversion therapy across the U.S. Specifically, the bill would allow the Federal Trade Commission to classify those who practice conversion therapy as fraudulent.
According to the Washington Post, about 70 Democratic lawmakers have supported the bill, which was introduced by California representative Ted Lieu, along with Washington Senator Patty Murray and New Jersey senator Cory Booker.
"The bill is very simple," Lieu told the Washington Post. “It says it is fraud if you treat someone for a condition that doesn’t exist and there’s no medical condition known as being gay. LGBTQ people were born perfect; there is nothing to treat them for. And by calling this what it should be, which is fraud, it would effectively shut down most of the organizations.”
Conversion therapy is currently illegal in 6 states and in the District of Columbia. The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act was first filed last year, but a Republican majority let the bill die without a hearing, according to NBC. In a statement to NBC, Senator Murray cited new fears under the Trump administration as reason for reintroducing the legislation.
"On this and so many other issues impacting the LGBTQ community, the Trump Administration has laid out a hateful, damaging agenda to undo hard-won progress, divide our communities, and hurt our friends, neighbors and family members just because of who they are or who they love," Murray told NBC.
Senator Booker also told NBC, "So-called 'conversion therapy' isn't therapy at all. It's a tortuous, fraudulent practice that has been repeatedly condemned by medical professionals and has no place in our country."
Conversion therapy has been discredited, though its ideas have remained widespread — Vice President Mike Pence has long been associated with support for conversion therap y despite its ideas being widely debunked.
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166 years: That’s how long Kiehl’s has been holding it down as one of the most universally appealing skin-care brands on the market. With its general air of authenticity — like you’ve been instantly transported to an old-school apothecary circa 1900, except you get to keep your iPhone — and minimalist, almost clinical-looking packaging, it somehow manages to make its way into both the fanciest Top Shelves and the most bare-bones straight guys’ bathroom cabinets.
The iconic New York City-based skin-care brand also has a reputation for giving back, with a focus on environmental causes, AIDS research and prevention, and children’s well-being all over the world. In the past decade it has worked with Erykah Badu to protect America’s water supply, created a toning mist with Julianne Moore and Pharrell Williams to preserve biodiversity in the rainforest, and donated over a million dollars to amfAR.
For its latest contribution, Kiehl’s is teaming up with contemporary artist Jeff Koons, the artist behind those famous balloon sculptures, for their fourth partnership together. For National Missing Children’s Month in May, Koons has designed a limited-edition collectable tin available to all customers who purchase an item from the Midnight Recovery Collection from May 2 to May 31. 100% of the net profits from the sales of any product in the range during that time will go to the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), a nonprofit whose mission is to protect children from abduction, sexual abuse, and exploitation.
“We’re thrilled to continue what’s become a Kiehl’s tradition of partnering with Jeff Koons,” says Chris Salgardo, President of Kiehl’s US. “With 465,000 children reported missing last year in the United States, it’s gratifying to know that via this fourth partnership with Jeff Koons and the International Centre of Missing & Exploited Children, we are able to make a difference in the lives of our children.”
And all you have to do to help is stock up on Midnight Recovery Concentrate by the end of May — and you also get a really cute tin to stash your products in for years to come. Sweet deal, huh?
The cast of the new dystopian Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale got itself into some hot water at a Tribeca Film Festival panel earlier this week when they resisted calling the show feminist. "Honestly, for me, it’s not a feminist story," said Elisabeth Moss, who bore the brunt of the backlash on Twitter. "It’s a human story because women’s rights are human rights." Moss clarified her intent in an interview with Refinery29 on Wednesday, explaining she meant that she show is both a feminist and a humanist work. Now, co-star Samira Wiley is offering her take on the controversy.
Wiley told The Hollywood Reporter that she believes the cast's comments were misinterpreted. But she also right noted that their are people who are just uncomfortable with the "feminist" label — possibly referring to her co-stars. "Sometimes people can be afraid of that word, but I don’t think it’s anything to be afraid of. I wonder if some of the things from my panel and my other cast mates got a little misconstrued," she said. She also thinks they were trying to appeal to viewers who might not identify that way. "What they were trying to say is that there are so many things in this for people who identify as feminists and there are things in this show that people can get out of it that don't identify as that. The show is so multilayered, and a lot of people should be excited about it, however they identify."
Moss definitively cleared up the controversy in her interview with R29 on Wednesday, saying "I welcome any time feminism enters a conversation. I would firstly say, obviously, it is a feminist work. This is Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. I've been filming it for six months, I've been involved with it for a year, I've read the book nine million times. It is a feminist show, it is a feminist book, and as a card-carrying feminist, I am proud of that."
In regards to the criticism she received, Moss clarified that she thinks The Handmaid's Tale is about feminism, and more. "I think that it is a feminist work, and it is also a humanist work, which is what I believe Margaret says as well, so I'll defer to the author of the book on that one," she said. "Women's rights are human rights, hence how it becomes a humanist work."
Moss thought the controversy was overblown, and is all for keeping the discussion going. "I also welcome this conversation, I wouldn't even categorize it as a backlash, in my opinion. Yes, let's talk about this. It's when we don't talk about it, and when we aren't allowed to air our opinions, is when we run into a problem. Let's talk. Let's bring it into the conversation." We can't argue with that.
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First everyone dragged Erika Jayne and her panty-free self for a season of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills. Then, Real Housewives of New York ’s Ramona Singer bizarrely brought up a twenty-something-year-old B-movie to shame Bethenny Frankel for a topless sex scene. And in the latest RHONY season 9 installment, Dorinda Medley verbally attacked Sonja Morgan for her sexuality in a disturbingly aggressive manner.
Dorinda had every reason to be upset with Tinsley Mortimer’s new benefactress, since she had proof Sonja had been dragging her to friends and in the press. But the way Dorinda went about retaliating against this relentless shading couldn’t have been worse.
“Let’s take the elephant out of the room right now. Shut your mouth. Stop talking poorly about me,” Dorinda tells Sonja at Ramona’s dinner party. This is perfect — if only it’s where Dorinda stops. Instead, what follows is a 10-minute tirade against her RHONY enemy.
“You know what? Why don’t you stop getting vaginal rejuvenation and put an E-ZPass on that vagina with your Holland Tunnel” the Dorinda snaps in front of at least 10 people. “Because we all know what shit goes down in that townhouse of yours. Turnstile and ticket. Turnstile and ticket to get into your townhouse.”
Dorinda then brings up a silly picture of a fully-clothed Sonja lying below a stripper at LuAnn De Lesseps’s bridal shower. “Did you enjoy the stripper, when you were doggystyling him?” she interrogates. For her part, Sonja replies with the perfect answer, saying, “Yes. I did,” and giving everyone a baffled look.
That didn’t stop Dorinda from later saying Sonja is “disgusting” and needs to “go get a bag of cucumbers and bananas and continue on, honey.” You know, because cucumbers and bananas are the closest produce we have to penises, eggplant emoji notwithstanding. Carole Radziwill correctly attempts to remind Dorinda her barbs are “beneath” her, since her feelings are legitimate, but her way of expressing them are awful.
Of course Dorinda has every right to call Sonja out for allegedly bashing her in every way possible and then pretending everything is fine at a dinner party. But there’s never, ever, a reason to pull a woman’s sexual history into an argument. How does claiming Sonja invites lovers to her townhouse or once found herself below a male entertainer actually make Dorinda's case? It doesn’t and it’s misogynistic. In fact, Dorinda ends up losing an argument she should have easily won because she attacked Sonja about a topic that couldn’t be further from her actual grievances.
Let's hope we make it thought next week without a single slut shaming incident on the Real Housewives franchises. We can celebrate with dirty martinis and pinot grigio for all.
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Balenciaga creative director, Demna Gvasalia, is gifting us with yet another unexpected trend: The designer is renewing your love for a certain accessory that, frankly, we're welcoming back into our closets back with open arms. You may remember the neckpiece from your childhood, or more recently, from a friend's (or maybe your own) bachelorette fête. Or, perhaps on New Years', when a top hat and blow horn just isn't enough to ring in a fresh year. That's right — we're talking about feather boas, as Fashionista pointed out. You love to wear them, and hate to clean up the feathers left behind.
At least two of the looks from Balenciaga's pre-fall 2017 collection feature the unmissable accessory, and it looks ultrasoft, even though we're scared to find out how much Balenciaga's version is going to cost us. After all, Gvasalia has a knack for making very cheap things very, very expensive. Remember those laundry bags? Or that IKEA bag? Or what about those booty jeans, chez Vetements? He's also responsible for coming up with some pretty genius life hacks, though, too, like that ultimate drunken night out accessory from Vetements' fall 2017 collection. Always one step ahead of us, it goes to show that whether or not Gvasalia is trolling us no longer matters — because we're still buying it. All of it, in fact.
But all jokes aside, the other looks in the collection are quite strong. In addition to bringing back his legging boot, introduced to us two seasons ago for spring 2017, Gvasalia ushered in a crop of styling tricks that will make you rethink the way you get dressed in the morning. Gone are chokers, since your next tops and outerwear come with lapels that are meant to be tied around the neck. And forget stockings — they're a part of your shoe now, in lace, leather, and smooth velvet. All of this will cost you a lot of cash, of course, but just in case you can't quite give up your pension for that feather boa, don't forget: You can always hit up Party City.
For what it's worth: It looks awfully soft, doesn't it?
A jacket you could literally sleep in.
Just look at these boots. Look at them. Now forget them, because rent is due tomorrow.
The bonnet is back! ...Or is it?
It's a matter of time before the Kardashians get ahold of this one.
Your work wardrobe just got a little more luxe.
Is that a built-in choker we see? Or do our eyes (and our wallets) deceive us?
When we see bags as big as these, we can't help but ask ourselves: But where is she going?
Say hello to the fall earmuff — for when it's not too hot, not too cold, and all you need is...well, these earrings.
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Eric Dane is taking a break from filming his current series in order to focus on managing his depression. Variety reports that The Last Ship is taking a production hiatus through Memorial Day. "Eric asked for a break to deal with personal issues," a rep for the actor told Variety. "He suffers from depression and has asked for a few weeks of downtime and the producers kindly granted that request. He looks forward to returning."
Dane, 44, plays naval captain Tom Chandler on The Last Ship, based on William Brinkley's 1988 post-apocalyptic novel. The TNT drama, executive-produced by Michael Bay, follows the story of Chandler's crew trying to survive aboard their ship in the aftermath of an epidemic that wipes out most of humanity. According to Variety, the cast and crew had just come back from a two-week break from filming when Dane requested the current pause in production in order to seek treatment. The show is filming season 5 immediately following the wrap of season 4, which is still expected to premiere on schedule this summer.
Few details are known about the circumstances surrounding the former Grey's Anatomy star's current battle with depression. Back in summer 2011, the actor — who has two young girls, 7-year-old Billie and 5-year-old Georgia, with wife Rebecca Gayheart — checked himself into a 30-day rehab after becoming addicted to the painkillers he was prescribed following a sports injury.
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You've seen the YouTube tutorials (google "Blackhead Removal SHOCKING Video" — or don’t), the DIY facial-scrub recipes, and yes, even the little black dots all over your nose in your 10x magnifying mirror. Blackheads are exceedingly common. But, why are they so irksome?
"I think it's partly because they feel rough to the surface," says Doris J. Day, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist and author of 100 Questions & Answers About Acne. "There's the idea that blackheads are stuck in your skin — and if you remove them, there's a sense of gratification and relief that they're gone. Blackheads just seem so manageable in that way: You just get them out, and then you're done."
That perception couldn't be further from the truth. Getting rid of blackheads — for good — is a process that requires the right products (hello, salicylic acid), a regular skin-care regimen, and sometimes even the help of pros. Ahead, we spoke to Dr. Day about her most effective tricks.
Know Thy Enemy The first step in treating blackheads is truly understanding them. Basically, a blackhead is a pore that's clogged with a mixture of dead skin cells, oil, and Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) — a bacteria that thrives on the protein and oil in your pores and causes breakouts. Unlike a whitehead (a closed comedo), a blackhead is open at the skin's surface (an open comedo). Exposure to air causes this plug of gunk to oxidize and turn black, making it really tempting to mess with.
When you finally get one out, the feeling is insanely gratifying. (Case in point: Dr. Pimple Popper.) You just need to know how to do it properly.
The longer this stuff sits on your face, the more time it has to work. Just be careful not to overdo it — vary your concentrations (not every product in your regimen should contain 2% salicylic, the highest OTC percentage), and be mindful of your skin's sensitivity. If your skin becomes overly dry, tight, or irritated, cut back on the concentration, the number of products in your regimen, or the frequency of application. "People can be too aggressive with salicylic acid and irritate their skin," says Dr. Day. "Understand that it takes time for everything to work, so give it a few days to a week in order to really have the full benefit."
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser, $6.82, available at Target.
But if you’re more of a lazy, face-wipes type of person, try these potent acne-fighting ones.
Yes to Tomatoes Blemish Clearing Facial Wipes, $4.49, available at Walgreens.
Learn What Doesn't Work If you're thinking of using benzoyl peroxide here, well, just don't. While benzoyl can nuke zits quickly, salicylic is a better blackhead remedy because it helps exfoliate and unclog your pores. Benzoyl is mainly a bactericide that’s used to kill the P. acnes bacteria. This is less of a concern with blackheads, since they’re open at the surface — and contact with air kills the anaerobic bacteria.
Other stuff that doesn't help banish blackheads? "People will put things like hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on their skin," says Dr. Day. "Those have zero effect on the bacteria that causes acne, and won't help blackheads or whiteheads, but they will dry out your skin. Hydrogen peroxide, if you use it too much, is actually toxic to collagen in skin cells, so it will harm your skin."
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
Other stuff that doesn't help banish blackheads? "People will put things like hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on their skin," says Dr. Day. "Those have zero effect on the bacteria that causes acne, and won't help blackheads or whiteheads, but they will dry out your skin. Hydrogen peroxide, if you use it too much, is actually toxic to collagen in skin cells, so it will harm your skin."
Instead use a salyclic acid-rich spot treatment like this one from Clean & Clear.
Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment, $6.36, available at Ulta Beauty.
Exfoliate Gently — & Whichever Way You Like Exfoliating regularly is key to keeping blackheads in check, since it scrubs away dead skin cells that could clog pores. "It's fine to alternate between manual and chemical exfoliants,” says Dr. Day. “The main thing is, don't over-scrub — you don't want to strip your skin. See what your skin likes and what you like. There are so many good choices."
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
Try a gentle face scrub (we like Garnier Clean + Blackhead Eliminating Scrub) or an at-home glycolic-acid peel (Juice Beauty Green Apple Blemish Clearing Peel does the job and also helps eliminate acne scars) once or twice a week — any more than that is overkill — for an extra boost of exfoliation.
Juice Beauty Green Apple Blemish Clearing Peel, $39, available at Juice Beauty.
Get Thyself A Skin Brush If you needed justification for splurging on a Clarisonic, this is your moment. Washing your face with a mechanical skin brush will help fight the good fight against blackheads — not only because it’s essentially a powered-up way to exfoliate, but also because the deep cleanse allows active ingredients to better penetrate your skin, making them, well, more active. "I think they're fantastic," says Dr. Day. "They're much better than using your hands or a washcloth, both in preventing and treating blackheads.”
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
But, not all brushes are created equal. (Dr. Day swears by the Clarisonic and its Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Heads, and the Olay ProX Microdermabrasion kit.) The more times a second the brush head moves, the less abrasive it will be (which is what you want). P.S. Make sure to keep your brush heads clean, and replace them often.
Clarisonic Mia 2, $169, available at Clarisonic; Clarisonic Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head, $27, available at Ulta Beauty.
Take Off Your Makeup, For Crying Out Loud While one night of passing out with your makeup on won't result in a blackhead invasion, over time, this bad habit will absolutely contribute to gunked-up pores. If you can, wash your face as soon as you walk in the door.
If you just can't deal with sudsing up after a long day, cleansing cloths will do, says Dr. Day. Keep a stash of them next to your bed. And, for heaven's sake, stop feeling up your face. Being all touchy-feely can transfer bacteria to your pores and — you guessed it — trigger blackheads and breakouts.
Yes To Coconut Cleansing Wipes, $5.79, available at Walgreens.
Moisture, Moisture, Moisture Dry, flaky skin is the enemy here, so moisturizing is non-negotiable. As with all skin-care products, look out for non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic formulas, which have been tested and proven not to clog pores and cause breakouts. (Oil-free is good, too, says Dr. Day, but not as important as those two.)
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
Avoid occlusive products, like petrolatum and silicones, which contain heavy-duty ingredients that create a moisture barrier. By sealing in moisture, they also trap dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria — which will only cause more blackheads.
CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM, $13.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Try Retinol Or A Retinoid Over-the-counter retinol products and stronger, prescription retinoids (like Retin-A) are usually associated with anti-aging benefits, but they should also be recognized for their blackhead-busting properties, says Dr. Day. "These products will keep your skin cells turning over efficiently, without over-stripping," she says. "Having good, healthy skin will help you minimize blackheads. It's an ongoing thing."
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
Start off using a gentle OTC formula, like RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream, a few times a week to avoid irritation and dryness, then switch to every night when your skin is fully adjusted. Stick with the treatment for at least three months to really see results in the form of clearer tone and smoother texture.
Roc Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream, $22.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Pass The Pore Strips Undoubtedly, there’s something weirdly gratifying about yanking all the crap out of your nose with a Bioré strip. Limit usage of these curiosities to once a week, says Dr. Day, who totally gets the odd appeal. "I prefer other methods over pore strips, but it is kind of fun the first time you do it, and you see stuff coming out." Skip the strips if you have a sunburn, breakout, or excessively sensitive skin.
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
While they won't prevent blackheads, these sticky suckers can pull out some of the sebum.
Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, $7.99, available at Target.
Clay, charcoal, and salicylic-acid face masks are a great alternative to strips. Just follow the directions closely, and if anything, keep it on for less, not more, than the recommended time, Dr. Day says. But the one thing derms warn against? Blackhead removal tools. There's a high risk of pressing down too hard and tearing the skin, so it's best to leave extraction to the pros.
Boots Botanics Ionic Shine Away Clay Mask, $9.39, available at Target.
Ditch The DIY Treatments Tax returns. Highlights. Pizza. Some things — blackhead treatment included — are best left to the professionals. As tempting as it may be to become the Barefoot Contessa of comedones, there are better ways to get rid of blackheads than with your DIY concoction of whatever the Internets has served up. (Likely, a combo of salt, sugar, honey, olive and/or coconut oil, and lemon juice.)
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
Skin-care companies have spent billions researching and developing blackhead remedies, so there's no reason to resort to a recipe you've found on a random blog. Dr. Day agrees: "Honestly, when it comes to blackheads, there are so many really great, inexpensive products in the drugstore that DIY just doesn't make sense. These products have been tested on skin, and will get you so much further for the same price, or less, than the DIY ingredients."
Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion Pore Perfecting Exfoliator, $58, available at Sephora.
Make A Date With Your Derm There's something about blackheads that screams, "Squeeze me." Before you do this at home — or pay a facialist good money to do it — and potentially cause inflammation or scarring, consult a dermatologist. Your derm can prescribe retinoids or chemical peels that may boost your results, recommend the best facialists in your city, or, if need be, kick your treatment regimen up a notch with Isolaz, a multi-session, in-office treatment that combines gentle pore suctioning with light therapy. Typically, Isolaz patients need a series of about five sessions, but can see significant results as soon as their first treatment.
Illustrated by Anna Sudit.
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Multiple European countries have banned women from wearing veils that cover their face in public, and a lawmaker in Austria went a step further, recently proposing that the nation forbid public servants from wearing any type of headscarf.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen clearly opposes the ban though, telling students at the House of the European Union that all women should wear hijabs to fight Islamophobia. "If this real and rampant Islamophobia continues," Van der Bellen said in a video of the March speech that was broadcast by the Austrian Broadcasting Corp. last week, "there will come a day where we must ask all women to wear a headscarf — all — out of solidarity to those who do it for religious reasons."
Sebastian Kurz, Austria's minister for foreign affairs, announced in January that he's drafting legislation to prohibit public servants, including teachers, from wearing all headscarfs. This proposal is much more restrictive than bans on veils that cover the face, such as the niqab and the burqa, already in place in Austria, as well as Belgium and France.
Laws restricting what type of headscarfs Islamic women can wear in public have swept Europe, beginning in 2011, when France became the first nation to ban full-face veils. Along with national laws aimed at the Islamic veils in public places in France, Austria, and Belgium, lawmakers in the Netherlands have proposed a similar law and individual cities in Spain and Italy have put restrictions on the veils. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also said niqabs and burqas should be banned in her country, and just last week the German Parliament approved banning civil servants, judges, and soldiers from wearing the veils (though it still needs to pass the upper house before becoming law).
Still, headscarfs that don't cover the face, such as hijabs, are legal across Europe, and Austria would be the first country to ban the scarfs that leave women's faces fully visible. President Van der Bellen got a lot of backlash for his comments in opposition to the extreme ban, and he told a reporter in Slovakia, "We should be happy if we don't have bigger problems than the question of the headscarf. I am not a friend of the headscarf, but there is freedom of expression in Austria."
Van der Bellen told the students at the House of the European Union, "It is every woman's right to always dress how she wants, that is my opinion on the matter."
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Some mornings it’s hard to think of anything but coffee. We may have fallen asleep with visions of French toast and bacon dancing around in our heads, but when that alarm clock goes off, we've got one-track minds that are speeding in the direction of caffeine. Lucky for us coffee fanatics that just want to enjoy a nice breakfast once in a while, Trader Joe’s released a product that may make it easier for us eat while also getting the coffee flavor we need. It's called Coffee Syrup.
Earlier today, the candyhunting Instagram account posted a photo of the new product, which at first glance, looks like a regular bottle of maple syrup. However, the label reads "Trader Joe's Coffee Syrup," and it features two little coffee beans. For the photo's caption, candyhunting wrote, "New Coffee Syrup at Trader Joe's! It can be poured over waffles, pancakes, French toast, ice cream, oatmeal, cake, salad, potato chips, vegetables, everything, etc. Let your imagination run wild!"
While we don't think we'd put it on vegetables, we can definitely see this syrup being a nice addition to our pancakes, french toast, and even ice cream. It may even have the potential to replace Cookie Butter as our favorite waffles condiment — maybe.
Just imagine opening up the bottle to receive that energizing scent of coffee. Knowing this concoction is going on top could give us the boost we need to throw some pancake batter in a hot pan and make a real breakfast for once. Pour Coffee Syrup over the stack, and we've got the best of both worlds: coffee and a good meal. Plus, it will compliment the couple mug-fulls of actual coffee we'll inevitably be pairing with the pancakes.
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While having brunch with Quinn Shephard, the 22-year-old writer, director, and star of Tribeca Film Festival standout filmBlame, I saw something I’d never seen before in over a decade of covering entertainers. I saw an actress ask for more bread.
That’s just one of the many reasons why Shephard has my attention. Her award-winning movie, which she started writing as a 15-year-old high school student in New Jersey and directed at the age of 20, is the main one. She stars as Abigail, a theater-obsessed teenage outcast whose teacher Jeremy (Chris Messina) takes a liking to her. Too much of a liking? That’s how it looks to the popular, black-eyeliner-wearing Melissa (Nadia Alexander), who pretends not to care — but soon cares about nothing else.
The film is uncomfortable to watch, especially if you’ve ever been a teenage girl. When Melissa asks a high, horny guy in her class if he thinks she’s pretty, it’s as though her life depends on it. When Abigail gets a ride home from Jeremy, her hair soaked in rain, I could practically smell his Old Spice deodorant. And when we finally find out the source of Melissa’s anger, the trauma behind the tough exterior, we wonder how we even made it out of high school alive.
“It’s a story about girls,” Shephard tells me, before asking for that extra plate of carbohydrates. “The damage that can be done to young girls when they’re pushed into their sexuality too young, and in a way that isn’t in their control.”
Ahead, a few of the signs that this young woman is most likely the next big name in female filmmakers. Scratch that: the next big name in filmmakers.
Watching Blame reminded me of watching My So-Called Life when I was 10 years old. The high school hallways I saw, filled with shame, self-conscious glares (inward and out), judgmental boys you both love and hate, and friends you aren’t sure you can trust. Your entire year can be ruined in one embarrassing moment. It’s painfully real.
But My So-Called Life wasn’t created by a 20-year-old girl.
“There are so many films about young girls and their sexuality,” Shephard says. “But they’re being made by 40-year-old men who are making it a sexy thing.”
She goes on to essentially describe what it feels like to be a girl, in a nutshell.
“It’s a really sad thing, and sometimes a funny thing, and sometimes a weird uncomfortable thing,” she says, about that phase when girls realize they have sex appeal (for better or worse). “When you’re sixteen and sometimes it feels like you’re basking in music and you’re just at the center of the world and everything is so romantic and beautiful and dramatic. And sometimes you’re uncomfortable and you’re having sex with someone in a laundry room and you’re really drunk and you’re going to throw up and it’s going to get in your hair.”
It’s the best and worst of worlds, in just those two feelings she describes — both of which are scenes from her movie. There’s something unnerving about watching teenage girls party, cry, strive, obsess, scream, and long for approval on screen, wanting to help them and horrified by them at the same time.
2. Her age.
Have we mentioned that Shephard is 22? When Sofia Coppola made her first feature, The Virgin Suicides, she was 28. Kathryn Bigelow was 30 when she directed The Loveless. Ava DuVernay was 36 when she directed her first documentary, This Is The Life. These women are titans, and they're few and far between. That makes it all the more exciting to watch a potential future titan, like Shephard, get started so early.
3. Her co-stars are convinced.
Chris Messina has worked with directors Woody Allen, Drake Doremus, Ben Affleck, and Noah Baumbach. He's more than familiar with how Oscar-winning directors operate, and what it feels like to be on the set of a Best Picture winner. Armed with all this experience, he was still beyond impressed by Shephard — before and during the filming process.
He's worked with first-time directors before, though, where it didn't work out.
"They'll show you a look book of beautiful pictures and they play you music that inspired them, but then often you get there and they can’t do that," Messina says. "Quinn is the opposite. She’ll talk to you about these things and then she can actually do them."
One complex fantasy scene involved Messina kissing Shephard and his character's girlfriend, played by Trieste Kelly Dunn, in alternating frames. Shephard, dressed only in her underwear, would roll the camera while Dunn and Messina made out, and then jump in to replace Dunn while her assistant director took over the camera. This went on for hours. Somehow, 20-year-old Shephard had zero inhibitions; Messina, the experienced actor, was the nervous one.
"What I love about Quinn is she does it her own way and I don’t think that will ever change," Messina says. He notes that Hollywood is a place "that’s only going to want her to do some female superhero movie or something. Which would be cool but I would rather her keep telling personal stories that are meaningful to her."
4. She's self-taught.
Shephard has never been to film school. She went to a public high school in central New Jersey, and started scoring roles on TV shows like Hostages and The Blacklist, all the while working on her own passion projects (like Blame). And yet, over a casual brunch conversation, she'll throw around terms like "clock the shot," and "intense screen presence." She knows how to set a scene, work a camera, and choreograph a killer kissing shot.
5. She hates social media.
Throughout Blame, the audience can tell that Abigail is getting bullied. But we never see the obligatory (these days) shots of screens: Screens showing nasty comments on her Facebook page, or screens showing dick pics, or screens showing Snapchat videos. Shephard left those ubiquitous screens out of her movie for a reason.
"Our generation is constantly getting written off as the cell phone generation, or the selfie generation," Shephard says. "But there are so many valid problems that our generation still has. We’re also a generation of entrepreneurs and that doesn’t get focused on nearly as much as the fact that we’re all putting dog filters on our faces."
Alexander, who won the Tribeca Film Festival award for Best Actress In A U.S. Narrative Feature Film, thinks this is part of a trend. And the popularity of 13 Reasons Why is just the beginning.
"I think there’s something very interesting happening now with things like 13 Reasons Why," Alexander says. "We’re getting the more brutal honest darkness rather than just the bitchy cat fights."
Plus, their generation can see through all that perfection exhibited on Instagram and Snapchat.
"It's this false advertisement of self," says Shephard. "Look how great my life is, look how pretty the sun is, look how wonderful my skin looks. And for every post like that, you probably have twenty posts of yourself crying on the floor and feeling miserable about yourself. It’s like going to your high school reunion every single day of your life by choice."
A 22-year-old who can't stand social media? Instant hero (and anomaly). And with that, we're convinced: Quinn Shephard is the one to watch — and she'll probably be around far longer than Snapchat anyway.
Photo: Erik Tanner/Getty Images.
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If you thought there was even a chance of getting hints about the upcoming season of Stranger Things, think again. In an interview with People, the cast revealed that they can't even tell their families about the season 2 scripts.
Stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo cover the May issue of the magazine, and told the outlet as much as they could about the next installation of the Netflix series — but there's not much that isn't top secret. In fact, only hair, makeup, and a few crew members are allowed on set in Atlanta during filming. As for those scripts? Well...
"My brother always asks me, 'Gate, can you send me the script?'" Matazarro, who plays Dustin, told People. "I’m like, 'It’s a new season, and it’s a lot stricter than last year.' Cause he read them last year, but this year he’s not able to cause we don’t want any, like, hacking interference."
They were able to reveal a few details about season 2, however. First of all, it takes place one year later. Eleven's back, even if we don't quite know how. There's also new characters: Billy (played by Dacre Montgomery) and Max (played by Sadie Sink).
Matazarro teases that this season gives us a closer look at each character on their own, while Finn Wolfhard says this season is a lot more "horror-oriented." Their best friend Will is back, but he's not acting normal — the Upside Down will do that to you.
"I think people are going to like it better than the first season," Wolfhard hinted to People. He doesn't need to tell us twice. Stranger Things is the only thing that could make us want to skip summer entirely so we don't have to wait as long for the October 31 release of the season. At least now we know exactly what we're being for Halloween.
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