Love is patient, love is kind. Love also makes you do the irrational, like getting your partner's face tattooed on your arm. When Jhene Aiko loves, she loves hard — and she has a giant portrait of Big Sean's mug to prove it. So, when the Trip singer posted an update from her tattoo artist's chair, fans got really worried that she was covering up her tribute. "Realizing ALL things are temporary, I rejoice in this moment," she captioned the shot of pro Miryam Lupini working on her back. Her subsequent posts were just as cryptic: "Cheers to old beginnings and new endings," she wrote. "It's never too late to edit." Oh... and the couple also unfollowed each other on Instagram, too.
Aiko's fans immediately went into a tizzy, thinking that the poetic line was about the couple breaking up. "I need @JheneAiko and @BigSean to remain a couple.. they are the only hope I have in love," @__lilDragon tweeted. That's just an example of the heartbreak. "Ynowat? If Big Sean and Jhené Aiko can’t make it thru, NOT ONE OF US HAS A SHOT," @lil__natt wrote. "Channing and whoever dint do nothing for me but THIS?!?!? Is frankly more than I can handle." Same, girl. Same.
It turns out that Aiko and Sean's devotees jumped to major conclusions. In a post on The Shade Room (which has since been deleted), Aiko clarified her comments. "She's clearly tattooing my back," she wrote. "I'm actually covering my moon phases and the rising sun on my back." But what about the unfollow? "And sometimes you don't want to follow ur boyfriend/girlfriend on social media.. if it weren't for u crazy blogs and ur speculation I would follow and unfollow him twice a day, everyday... [it's] not that serious... I see him enough in real life and on my arm."
So there's that. Maybe we're a little too invested in this steamy celebrity romance, but we'll be praying that Twenty88 — and Aiko's realistic ink — will stay intact forevermore.
Saturday Night Live attempted to fit a record number of celebrities and recent news stories into a one cold open that proved more isn’t always better.
With a comedic set-up of crossed lines, Ben Stiller as Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen plays out a literal game of telephone as he anxiously attempts to get everyone to stick to the same story when it comes to Stormy Daniels. With each new phone call, there was a reference to a recent story in the news and key people surrounding Trump. In the end, Trump was less concerned with how his dalliances play out in the court of public opinion (or a court of law for that matter), and more concerned with getting back on Daniel’s good side. “I solved North and South Korea,” he said in his typical fashion of taking credit for something he had nothing to do with. “Why can’t I solve us?” Knowing full well that it is just Alec Baldwin impersonating Trump, I can’t help but recoil as he fails to suggestively flirt over the phone.
There was no shortage of celebrity cameos with Stiller, Baldwin rejoining as Trump, Jimmy Fallon and Scarlett Johansson as Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Martin Short as Trump’s personal physician Harold Bornstein, and Stormy Daniels as herself all making appearances. SNL cast members Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong busted out their airtight impersonations of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Rudy Giuliani, and Melania Trump. What none of them knew were that two FBI agents were also on the line.
While the sketch is rooted in a clever idea of conspiracy played out over the phone, the cold open began to feel like one of those large cast movies (less Avengers: Infinity War and more Garry Marshall’s take on Valentine’s Day) where there are so many characters that you can only keep track because all of the actors are individually famous.
In the chaotic process of fitting an ensemble of celebrities onto one screen, Daniels makes it clear that her foreboding message is heard by the real Trump. When asked what she would need for the scandal to go away, Daniels asked for his resignation. “A storm's a-comin baby,” she warned with an all-knowing smirk as she stares down the camera. What does she know that we don’t?
In Refinery29'sSweet Digs, we take a look inside the sometimes small, sometimes spacious homes of millennial city dwellers. Today, 30-year-old Jessica Tarantino shows us around her meticulously decorated Cobble Hill home.
Even if you absolutely love where you live, an hour commute each way can wear you down. That's what happened with Jessica Tarantino, who lived on Long Island but worked at an IT company in Manhattan. "I grew up out there," Tarantino says, "but after doing the breakdown of what I was spending on commuter costs, rent, a car, and car insurance, it was only $100 less than my rent right now."
Those raw numbers, plus the hour commute each way, was enough to sway her to move to the city.
Luckily, Tarantino happened upon an apartment in her price range, some 20-minutes away from her job. "There are not many amenities in my building, no laundry or doorman or elevator, but the bigger space to me was worth the trade-off." Read ahead to shop her picks and hear more about her apartment journey.
Photographed by Melenie McGregor.
How did you find this space?
"I saw maybe 15 to 20 apartments and this one I tagged as the happy apartment. It got so much natural light, and you can see the bridge and the Freedom Tower, so it has the nice little view which is a highlight of being in southern Brooklyn."
What were some of the upfront costs of moving?
"Since I moved from far away, I did have to pay a decent amount in moving fees. I also had to pay one month in a broker's fee, which actually isn’t that bad. Some people I know pay more than that. So that was an extra $2800, and then first and last months' rent. Then I had the security deposit, and my landlord actually wanted two months and I think we compromised and I gave him $4,000 in security."
What are your decorating rules/tips?
"Don’t make holes in the wall yourself unless you’re absolutely sure that’s where you want something. I’m really, really bad at hanging things so what I’ve done in the past is I’ll take those peel and stick hooks and hang something there for a couple of days to see if I like it. And then if I want to commit to it, I have someone else hang it for me, like my dad."
How do you stay so organized in such a small space?
" I’m pretty type A and I've found the best way to contribute to self organization is to do regular clean outs. So it's really easy to pile a lot of stuff in your apartment when you're in a small space and that leads to a lot of clutter. So regular clean outs really help me stay organized. Sunday is my cleaning day, and then every couple months I'll do a big overhaul where I actually purge my apartment."
What's the most important thing you wanted when laying out your space?
"Making sure there was enough space for me to move around. I do have a lot of furniture for the size of my apartment but it seems to fit pretty well, and seating was really important for me. I wanted to make sure I had a lot of options for seating. But I like to be able to walk around all the furniture in my apartment. "
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You never want something until you can't have it. So, each week inThe Sell-Out, we're getting the scoop from your favorite retailers on what's selling like crazy. Watch this space to find out what everyone's buying, sign up for wait lists, and keep tabs on restocks.
Overalls: You either never stopped wearing them, or haven’t since you were about 6. And, if you do choose to wear them as a full-grown human, they probably don’t look like they used to. Rather than the droopy crotch and one-buckle undone, the overalls you wear in this decade probably feel a bit more, well, adult. And, there’s one pair in particular that’s just that, and is selling out because of it.
The Duke overalls by Stone Cold Fox, who recently cut back on stockists and moved to a direct-to-consumer model, sold out within a month of their debut in 2017 and have already been restocked twice since. They’re also available in all black, and both variations have been best sellers. We have a feeling it’s because they’re designed by a brand known for its sexy dresses, two-piece sets, and beach-ready jumpsuits — with a fitted bodice and sophisticated flare, these overalls feel anything but juvenile. So, if you’ve been contemplating bringing back your elementary-school staple outfit, the Dukes are a solid place to start in taking the modern approach. Plus, they’re easily layered with a T-shirt (or worn with nothing at all).
Click ahead to shop ‘em before they sell out yet again.
Welcome toMoney Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
Today: an AmeriCorps member working in nonprofit education who makes $17,700 per year and spends some of her paycheck this week on Narragansett beer.
Occupation: AmeriCorps Member Industry: Nonprofit Education Age: 23 Location: Brooklyn, NY Salary: $17,700 Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $738.13
Monthly Expenses Rent: $900 (I live with four other people, and I have the smallest room.) Student Loan Payment: $0 (My parents are paying off my student loans. Thank you, Mom and Dad.) Health Insurance: $0 (My employer pays.) MetroCard: $0 (My employer reimburses me.) Phone: $55 (I'm on my family's plan and pay my share, which covers the cost of the phone, the plan, and tax.) Internet: $12.18 (My roommates and I each pay one-fifth of the cost.) Utilities: ~$30 (It varies by month based on how much we use our heat and electricity.) Netflix: $0 (I use my parents' account.) Apple Music: $4 (I use my college email to get the student discount.) Gym: $15 Yoga: $0 (Birthday present from my parents.)
Additional Expenses Therapy: $15/week (This is my discounted cost with insurance.)
Day One
11 a.m. — I don't always sleep in this late on weekends, but last night I went to a warehouse show in Bushwick until 3 a.m. My friend who lives about an eight-minute walk away invites me over to make brunch. I bring an avocado and goat cheese as my contribution. We gossip over omelets and then play a rousing game of Monopoly, which we agree is the perfect escape from reality.
4:45 p.m. — I walk to another friend's apartment, which is only 10 minutes away. I'm going to get my ID and credit card, which I left in her wallet last night, but we inevitably chat and snack for a bit before I leave. Snacking really gets me through this Sunday, both emotionally and financially.
8 p.m. — I take a yoga class to rejuvenate after an expensive and unhealthy (albeit extremely fun) weekend. I'm not sure what “toxins” actually are, but by the end I feel like I've released them, and my body is reset. I go home, shower, and watch an episode of The Office before falling asleep around 11 p.m.
Daily Total: $0
Day Two
6:45 a.m. — Thankfully it's light outside when my alarm goes off, because this is my first day back at work after spring break, and I've gotten very used to sleeping past 7 a.m. I prepared my breakfast and lunch last night, so I throw them in my L.L. Bean lunch box. I always make coffee at home to save time and money, and I drink it while I listen to a podcast on my commute. Today, it's an episode of NPR's Code Switch about an Afro-Latina musician named Amara La Negra.
9:45 a.m. — I'm trying to be more chill at work, since I have a tendency to overthink and overwork in order to make things perfect. I create a schedule for the week that allows me to just supervise and manage, which are the most important parts of my role. I eat the breakfast I packed for myself (Greek yogurt, Trader Joe's almond clusters, and a little honey) while volunteers tutor our students.
12 p.m. — My breakfast is never enough to keep me full for long. I eat my lunch (leftover Trader Joe's ravioli with roasted asparagus and eggplant that I made last week) while doing some data entry.
3:30 p.m. — I leave work shortly after the school day ends and sneak in a quick trip to the gym before my weekly therapy appointment in Soho. I started seeing my therapist about six months ago, and I seriously look forward to it every week.
6:30 p.m. — I get home and call my mom — it's her birthday! I'm heading to the grocery store and ask her if she's cooked anything especially good recently. She is basically paleo, and I am very much not, but she makes a lot of creative stuff, so I seek inspiration from her from time to time. She suggests I buy cauliflower to roast, and I do. I call my best friend in Chicago while shopping and charge the groceries to my EBT card. (I receive $194 per month in food stamps.) I head home to meal prep for the rest of the week with the items I just bought and stuff I already have from my last Trader Joe's trip. ($24.79 expensed)
8:30 p.m. — My roommate, A., and I watch an old episode of Are You The One, our second favorite MTV reality show, and I munch on pasta with roasted cauliflower, zucchini, and collard greens, topped with goat cheese and marinara. I save the rest in a Tupperware for a future lunch and head to bed by 10 p.m. feeling envious of the cast members of the show, who just won true love and their share of $750,000.
Daily Total: $0
Day Three
6:45 a.m. — It is so hard to wake up today. I leave with coffee in hand, but it feels like no amount of caffeine will be enough to enliven me.
10:30 a.m. — Yogurt and almonds time.
12:45 p.m. — Today I have to eat my lunch while tutoring a student. Usually they make fun of me for eating food that they think is weird. The best comment I've heard was: “Miss, why are you eating grass? That's soooo nasty.” But today the kids are unfazed by my mishmash of wild rice, lentils, Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala veggie burger, and roasted veggies.
3:30 p.m. — At the gym, I spontaneously decide to do the Arc Trainer, and then quickly realize I have no clue what it even is. Seriously, what is it? All I know is, my quads are burning.
5 p.m. — I shower and fry up Trader Joe's Thai Vegetable Gyoza, which I eat with soy sauce and Sriracha for an early dinner before Hindi class, which is (unfortunately) in Midtown. I stop by the dry cleaner on the way to drop off two pairs of pants that ripped in the last few weeks. One tore when it got caught on a door handle. How does that even happen? The teller says they'll be ready by Thursday but charges me up front. The price you pay for buying cheap jeans. $36
Daily Total: $36
Day Four
7:25 a.m. — I get to sleep in! Since most of my students are going on a field trip to the circus and the rest are doing state testing (#CynthiaNixonforGovernor), I'll be spending the day helping out at a different school that's closer to where I live. I still bring coffee.
10 a.m. — After tutoring an adorable student, I eat my yogurt and granola while catching up on the news. Paul Ryan announced he will not seek reelection, and I am ecstatic. Then I Google him and find out his sign is Aquarius, which is odd since he is a spineless sheep.
12:55 p.m. — I find it virtually impossible to meal prep enough for an entire week, so I try to keep a few pre-made lunches around. Today I'm microwaving Trader Joe's Paneer Tikka Masala, which is not the most filling, but is excellent as far as affordable frozen vegetarian meals go. As I eat, I buy bus tickets to go to D.C. with a friend this weekend! It's our last chance to see the cherry blossoms, and I've been itching to get out of the city for a night. Since we're going Friday to Saturday and booking last minute, tickets aren't the cheapest ($88 total). I pay, and he Venmos me his half. $44
3:15 p.m. — I get to walk home from work today, which is thrilling. (This is not sarcasm; April has been very cold.) I eat two clementines along the way and listen to DeRay McKesson's podcast, Pod Save The People. At home, I try to work on grad school applications, but mostly scroll through Instagram.
5:15 p.m. — Go to yoga. Sufficiently sore, I come home and watch an episode of American Vandal.(I've already seen it, I'm just rewatching it because it's the best television show created in the history of humankind.) For dinner I cook Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Morsels (orange-flavored fake chicken) and a scallion pancake.
8 p.m. — I'm going on a date! We matched on Tinder, and it's our second time hanging out. Dating is hard and second dates are scarce, so I'm excited. I chose a bar in my neighborhood last time, so tonight he picked the spot, and I make the trek into Manhattan. Last time, I introduced him to Narragansett, my favorite cheap beer (I'm biased because last year I lived in Rhode Island, where it's made). The bar has cans for $3, much to our satisfaction. He puts down his card, and there's a minimum; I tell him I'll get the drinks at the next spot. After two beers each, we walk to a nearby bar that a friend suggested. It's little more upscale, so we get the cheapest thing on the menu: $5 Tecates. We bond over our mutual disdain for olives, and he walks me to the train. $12.89
Daily Total: $56.89
Day Five
6:40 a.m. — Ugh. Going to work after a night of three beers is the worst. Once I get to my desk, I munch on a granola bar in the hopes that it will revive me.
9:45 a.m. — Coffee saves the day again. I only had a little yogurt left for today and tomorrow, so I eat the mini portion of it I threw in a Tupperware this morning.
11:25 a.m. — Clementine snack. I am a snacker.
12:20 p.m. — A student and a tutor who are working together have the same name, and they are loving it. I observe their lesson while I eat my lunch (pasta with the same vegetable mix from earlier in the week).
3 p.m. — Grateful I made it through the day, I head to the gym. I'm making myself go because I know I won't have time tomorrow between work and catching the bus to D.C. I do a lackluster workout and walk home, where I find my roommate made chocolate chip cookies! I immediately snack on them, as well as Salt & Vinegar Kettle Chips (my favorite food of all time, probably), and continue working on grad school applications with The Office playing in the background.
7:20 p.m. — A. and I are lounging on the couch and she makes a box of bowties. I already had pasta for lunch, but I can't pass up an opportunity to avoid cooking, so I eat it anyway, with marinara and goat cheese.
8:25 p.m. — D., another roommate, and I go to trivia at a bar around the corner from our apartment. We love it there because it's so low stakes — there are only four rounds and the guy running it asks the question through a megaphone. I stick to water to save money for the weekend and make it to bed by 10:30 p.m.
Daily Total: $0
Day Six
6:45 a.m. — That extra hour of sleep seriously makes all the difference. I wouldn't say I feel lively, but I feel like my normal self. I grab my lunch box and coffee and head out for the day.
10 a.m. — I eat the last of the yogurt and granola.
12:50 p.m. — Okay, so I experimented with a new lunch today and it was...disappointing. The idea was a DIY burrito bowl: a combo of rice, black beans, corn, avocado, Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo, chile lime salt, and oven-baked tofu. Where did I go wrong? It definitely wasn't bad, but, how can I improve this meal? Lettuce? Lime? Skip the tofu?
4 p.m. — After dropping my laptop at home and grabbing my bag for D.C., I hop on the train to meet my friend, V., in Midtown for our bus. I get there early and run into Duane Reade for snacks: Clif bar, mini pack of Milanos, and a lime seltzer. (I pay using food stamps.) V. and I meet on 7th Avenue and wait for our steed. ($11.89 expensed)
6 p.m. — Things take a turn. Turns out, buying the cheapest Friday afternoon bus tickets from New York to D.C. is not a wise spending choice. We haven't even made it to the Lincoln Tunnel yet when we get into a fender bender. We're waiting on the street for upwards of an hour with no information, so V. and I call the bus company to try to get a refund. They pretend they can't hear us and hang up — a bad omen for Friday the 13th — and the driver shuffles us back on the bus. We think we're finally leaving, until we realize the driver is not on the bus and has locked us in. Nightmares become reality. The emergency exit is locked, too. Some other passengers are freaking out with us, but others still have their headphones on and are pulling out their dinners. It's bizarre. Eventually, V. slams on the horn until the driver comes back and lets us out. We run out and eat the cost of the bus tickets in favor of not being trapped in a moving vehicle for five hours.
9:30 p.m. — Safely back in Brooklyn, we buy two bottles of wine and bring them back to my apartment, where A. and her friend are also hanging out and drinking wine. My appetite returns; I eat a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese and we chat until our anxiety subsides. $13
Daily Total: $13
Day Seven
8:45 a.m. — I wake up early for a Saturday, since I crashed by midnight last night (thank you, half bottle of rosé). It's a beautiful day — the first real day of spring we've seen in NYC — so I drink coffee and go for a run outside (!) around Prospect Park. I'm back by 10:45 a.m. to wash my face and grab my wallet for brunch.
11 a.m. — A friend from college who lives in Boston is in town for a hot sec, so a bunch of us catch up over brunch at Barboncino, our favorite bougie pizza place. I eat half of a pear and gorgonzola pizza and save the rest for a lunch next week. My friend puts down her card and we Venmo her. After brunch, we take advantage of the warm weather and walk to the park. I end up playing Spike Ball for the second time ever, which is a very fun game, even if you suck at it. $19
5:15 p.m. — V. and I are hanging out tonight to make up for our D.C. dreams being crushed. We head to the East Village for an early dinner with another friend. She does theater and works weird hours, so we're meeting her during her break before a rehearsal. We wander around 2nd Avenue and eventually settle on Mighty Quinn's Barbecue, even though two of us are vegetarians, because the sides are delicious and the windows are open. We gossip over mac and cheese, kale slaw, and sweet potato casserole before she goes back to rehearsal. $11.05
7 p.m. — V.'s been wanting new clothes, so I decide to be his personal shopper for the evening. We go to Muji, where he gets an amazing pair of navy linen pants, and Uniqlo for basics. I see a short-sleeve tan linen button-down that I know will look amazing on him and buy it for him as an early birthday present ($19.90). Our last stop is & Other Stories, where we try all the perfumes and lotions, and I buy a much-needed pair of sunglasses ($20.69). $40.59
9 p.m. — Since we're in SoHo, I realize I know a great bar — the one I went to on my date on Wednesday! I feel a little weird going back so soon after, but it's the only good spot we know in the area, so we do it anyway. V. gets a Dark and Stormy and I get a $3 can of Narragansett (plus a $1 tip). He heads uptown for a party, and I go back to Brooklyn. $4
11 p.m. — I meet my friends at Crown Inn and decide to save money and skip the drink. I sip on water while we have a rousing discussion about cultural things that are over- and underrated. I make it to bed shortly after midnight.
Daily Total: $74.64
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Wedding season is upon us, and we want to know:Are you saving up for it? Going to weddings can cost a lot. From the flights, to clothes that fit the dress code, to the hotel or AirBnb stays. So how do you afford it? Do you cut costs elsewhere to keep up? Would you go into credit card debt to be there for your friend on their special day? Fill outthis form, and we might feature you on our site!
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Through the “This Is America” video Glover, as Childish Gambino, takes on the complicated relationship between race, guns, and American capitalism. The video opens with a choir (singing, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away”) backing Glover’s first verse: “We just want to party, party just for you,” he sings. “We just want the money, money just for you.”
A beat comes in; the music’s lightness evokes the feeling of summertime as a dancing, shirtless Glover makes his way across an empty lot. Suddenly, there’s a man with a hood over his head slowly coming into frame. We see a gun, Glover’s hand on the trigger, and hear a bang! The man slumps over, dead. Everything darkens.
“This is America,” he raps in a chant as his voice drops. “Don’t catch you slipping up.”
Dancing Black children in school uniforms take center stage as riots and police chases slip in and out of focus in the background, mirroring the news cycle’s increasingly short attention span. A door opens and we cut to an uplifting scene of a Black choir mid-reverie; Glover enters, singing along, then turns and shoots them, using an automatic weapon. The scene, seemingly a reference to the Charleston church shooting of 2015, is horrifying and shocking. But Glover continues to dance as the beat kicks back in, the loss of Black lives only a blip in the consumer-driven machine that is American capitalism.
Minor musical cameos from Young Thug, 21 Savage, Offset, Quavo, and Chance the Rapper are dotted throughout the song, along with an appearance in the video from SZA. A verse even includes a shoutout to Kodak Black — a rapper who’s been successful even after being indicted on counts of sexual assault, in large part because fans continue to extoll his genius. A wave of Black talent is acknowledged in pop culture, but Black lives at large are neglected.
Near the end of the song, his lyrics suggest how the exploited and oppressed are convinced to play within the confines of this system. “Get your money, Black man,” the choir chants. The video ends with Glover running alone in the darkness, chased by faceless figures. America wants more and more from him, and America will take it all.
Watching this video sparked, for most, an immediate sense of shock and outrage, with many praising Glover for his message. Yet amid the adrenaline rush, it is also important to question the purpose of staging and centering these gruesome moments of anti-Black violence. Are we revisiting the trauma of mass shootings and Black deaths just for the sake of waking us up to our terrifying reality?
As we navigate the fallout of mass shootings and gun control debates, those challenging the use of explicit violence in art do have valid points. But here Glover seems to say, yes, you should be uncomfortable. White people and non-Black people of color aren’t, and never can be, fully aware of their privilege, and this is Glover saying we all have to wake up to that reality.
“This Is America” reminds us, in painful detail, just how dominant of a force Black music and culture is in America, but it’s in stark contrast to the way Black people are exploited, oppressed, and killed in the same country. This message can’t be ignored, nor can the people who are delivering it — it’s why so many people are calling Glover a once-in-a-generation talent, and why work like “This is America” is so electrifying.
Your sunny summer SoCal plans may have just changed in a big way: this year’s FYF Fest is canceled.
Organizers announced they’re pulling the plug on FYF Fest 2018 in an Instagram post earlier today. The post on the festival’s official feed said organizers “felt unable to promise an experience on par with the expectations of our loyal fans and the Los Angeles music community this year.”
Organizers also said they were planning to announce some live shows by artists on the 2018 lineup soon. Their website, which features a copy of the same announcement, notified ticket buyers they should be receiving an email notification with further ticketing information. No action is needed to get full refunds.
Billboard, which first broke the story, says the cancellation was attributed to low ticket sales. A spokesperson for FYF had not to confirmed which reason was true at press time, or if it is both.
FYF Fest has been around since 2004 and was slated to take place this July in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park. The festival recently had some high-profile turnover after four women came forward last year with accounts of sexual harassment by founder Sean Carlson, who later resigned.
But the festival seemed determined to rebuild and rebrand, with Goldenvoice buying out Carlson’s stake in the festival in February and announcing a female-led lineup in March. Florence + The Machine and Janet Jackson were each set to headline a day of the festival, supported by artists including Future, My Bloody Valentine, The xx, and St. Vincent. This year’s lineup was roughly an even 50/50 split between men and women or nonbinary performers –– compared to Pitchfork’s findings that this year’s festival season overall was only 19% female.
The effort to include more women artists was hailed as an inclusive step forward towards spotlighting women in an overwhelmingly male-dominated industry. Even earlier last month, when asked by Refinery29 if she was worried about the old school idea that people wouldn’t pay to see women artists, FYF artist booker Jenn Yacoubian was confident it’d be a sure bet.
The reason for low ticket sales is speculative at best, and one of the likeliest candidates is burnout: there are about a dozen festivals planned for the Los Angeles area through September, most of which are pricey, time-consuming, and stacked with their own tailored line-ups (and it’s likely there was some overlap with FYF’s talent). FYF was also planned the same weekend as the San Diego Comic-Con, which, um, already seems like a bad idea, considering the fact that SDCC draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Still, this is undoubtedly a big blow towards an already-hesitant, slow-moving industry betting on major women-led events. And the thing is: it’s not as if there isn’t an audience out there for female performers. Think of Beyoncé’s recent Coachella set (how can you not?), or of the fact that 51% of festivalgoers are women.
But on top of there being fewer women in music due to systemic harassment and exclusion, rumors that FYF’s cancellation might have anything to do with having women front and center — even if that’s blatantly untrue — might affect decisions going forward with festival planning. And that does no favors for the future of women-led festivals.
It's high time the world starts doing better by women of color — and that includes beauty brands. One could argue that 2017 was the year the cosmetics industry opened its eyes to the fact that inclusivity and representation should not be optional. Just look at what happened after Rihanna launched her 40-shade Fenty Pro Filt’r Foundation range: Woke collections spilled out from NARS, Marc Jacobs, and Beauty Bakerie. Now, it's CoverGirl's turn — and we couldn't be happier.
Starting in May, CoverGirl will officially launch its most inclusive shade range yet: TruBlend Matte Made Foundation will include 40 different shades across the skin tone spectrum, catering to the palest and the darkest among us. But why did it take so long for a leading drugstore foundation brand to create a comprehensive color collection? According to Ukonwa Ojo, CoverGirl's Senior Vice President, it took a new, proprietary 3D design technique to ensure every consumer would feel covered by the brand's upcoming innovation.
Ojo explains that the new TruBlend Matte Made is proof that the brand is listening and made sure this foundation didn't just get a stamp of approval from WOC for the perfect shade match, but that it also aligned with their individual needs. For example, in CoverGirl's research, the brand found that most women — largely WOC — deal with oilier complexions, and thus prefer a matte finish. What's more, most consumers want a full-coverage formula that doesn't dry or crack throughout the day, but also one that won't make those with deeper complexions look ashy. So here we are now, after a whole lot of attention to detail.
But don't think the brand plans to stop at one all-inclusive foundation. Ojo confirms that CoverGirl hopes to roll out launches that embrace this mindset within the mass retailer walls. Which should come as a surprise to no one. Ever since ditching its recognizable slogan "Easy, breezy, beautiful..." for something more fitting in the current climate — "I Am What I Make Up" — the brand continues to work toward a future in which everyone feels seen.
Click ahead to check out all 40 shades in the new TruBlend Matte Made collection.
Unless you've walked the Victoria's Secret show or have $30,000 to drop on a ticket (and that's if you get the approval of Anna Wintour), chances are you will not be at tonight's Met Gala, where the theme is Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination. You can, however, celebrate at home by breaking out your rosary, drinking some blood of Christ (that'd be red wine), and spritzing yourself in scents that smell like Sunday school. You'll probably have more fun, too — apparently everyone hates the ball.
Ahead, check out the chicest Catholic-themed beauty products.
When you wake up with a pounding headache and mascara smeared all over your face but need to get yourself to the 12:30 Hillsong service, this hydrating, lightly scented spritz of aloe vera, rose water, and holy water is the next best thing to a cold, yellow Gatorade.
A perfect match for the vampy red manicure Kathryn Merteuil, the ultimate bad Catholic schoolgirl, had in Cruel Intentions. Try to wear it more responsibly.
If anything can get a lapsed Catholic back into the cathedral, it's this clove and vetiver candle that recalls memories of incense, wooden pews, and worn Bibles.
Honey is the hero in this beloved cream, but not just any old honey — the stuff in here comes from the Buckfast bee, a hybrid species developed by a monk named Brother Adam back in 1919. It'll make your skin so crazy-soft and glowy that, hopefully, you'll think twice before swatting any of the Buckfast's little friends this summer.
This candied floral blend starts out with strong jasmine and tiare flower notes, then gets real sweet in the middle with mandarin, caramel, and mirabelle plum, before wrapping things up in creamy vanilla, sandalwood, and musk. You don't have to be a saint to wear it, but it's hard not be a little sweeter to everyone around you when you smell like a dessert.
Monday, May 7 marks the launch of Express ' latest campaign, "Express. Your Rules," in celebration of the American retailer's new initiative to bring its extended sizing to a majority of its physical locations. While this is the first time Express has prominently featured curve models (including Candice Huffine and Jordyn Woods), the cheeky video ad is less of a breaking news announcement and more of the beginning of how the company is attempting to broaden the shopping experience within its stores.
If you were to sum up Express' motto of what its future looks like, the response would be something along the lines of: forward, but cautious. And who can blame them? In the current retail landscape, we're seeing the demise of suburban malls, legacy brands are shutting down a staggering amount of their brick-and-mortar shops, and fast-fashion stores are normalizing poor quality and trend turnaround at a breakneck pace. It's a tough game to be playing, and even tougher if you're dead set on growing your physical presence.
But that's what Express has set its eye on. The main drive behind "Express Your Rules" is to highlight the traditional mall crawl embracing its prior online only offering of size 16-18. As of today, 130 of Express' physical retail stores will carry product in sizes 00-18. To further the play, e-commerce shots on the brand's website now show an array of size diverse models wearing each product, a move ASOS recently picked up as well. A costly model, but one Express has no intent from shying away from.
Jim Hilt, executive vice president and chief customer experience officer at Express, explains the move to bring the size to its physical locations: "The decision was easy...in thinking about offering a wider range of sizes. We should make sure that 100% of that’s available." Hilt continues: "We really dug into it and spent a ton of time with customers and prospective customers, the number one thing that we kept hearing is, ‘I still want this fashion available in stores.’"
We live in an age when it feels easier to spend $500 on a free shipping, free returns order, try on what we want from home, and immediately box up the rest back to the warehouse it came from than make a Saturday detour to the mall. But Express is trying to reel back customers to its stores by letting them know they can still have a comfortable shopping experience in person. Hilt says: "Our view is the store is a critical piece of the total brand experience. We are innovating the way we think about the store experience in many difference ways." For Express, Hilt explains that comes in the form of "the work that we’re doing in these stores where we’re driving 100% of the assortment [of extended sizing]."
One thing Express has running for them that most other brands dipping their toes in “size-inclusive" offerings don’t? Making it available in every product they sell, not just a specific smattering of denim options, or a capsule collection with brand "inspired" pieces that aren't readily available in straight sizing as well. This limited method can often hurt brands' morale to continue producing in extended sizes since they're not representative of the brand as whole. Shopping is already a daunting experience for plus-size women, let alone further being serviced as the "other" in the shopping realm when brands hold back from allowing them to wear what's already available to everyone else. For Express, it's been inclusive of all of its products from day one. Hilt states, "Our intent is to, over the course of the next couple of months, offer all of [Express' product] choices go forward in the wider range of sizes so that way by the time you walk into our store, everything in that store will be available in those sizes."
Maybe, in turn, we're adopting Express' own attitude towards itself. With 67% of U.S. women representing a size 14 and up, stopping at a size 18 is far from the end all be all. But it's a step forward, and that's more than most brands can say for themselves. So we're cautious, but optimistic. Hilt tells us: "We are very clear that offering extended sizes is kind of a first step in a journey as we look at expanding the assortment to really meet his or her needs. We have a lot of history in terms of continuing to grow the offering that we have for them and we’re going to take this one step at a time. I think that we’re being really thoughtful about it. We’re going to see where it takes us." And while no step forward will ever truly be enough, there's a hell of a lot of progressive ground to cover to get to where we need to be. But it's still progress, and that's a win we're willing to celebrate.
Express Rules Campaign Video
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Beyond what we've come to associate with Balmain — embroidery, shoulder pads, the Kardashians — includes a more humble story that's often overshadowed or untold. Olivier Rousteing, the 31-year old Bordeaux-born, Paris-raised designer has come a long way from being orphaned at birth. At 24, he became the youngest creative director since Yves Saint Laurent to be appointed to the helm of a French fashion house, and has transformed the legacy of it in under a decade. In the past seven years, the mixed-race, openly gay Rousteing has long championed diversity at Balmain, be it on the runway or in campaigns, but his latest project hits even closer to home.
On Monday, Balmain is joining forces with (RED) to auction off its custom-made looks for this year's Met Gala. From May 7 to 21, the pieces worn by Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Trevor Noah, Juliette Binoche, Natalia Vodianova, Natasha Poly, and Julia Stegner will be available for bidding at IfOnly.com/RED; the items will start at $5k, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the foundation's Global Fund, which works to eliminate the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies.
"After meeting Bono, we wanted to figure out how my fashion and vision can help," Rousteing explained to Refinery29 why, for personal reasons, he is selling his latest creations via the organization. "It's a paradox: I live in a French, haute couture/luxury world, but sometimes people forget that, when you're a designer, it's not just about selling clothes — it's about having a vision. Coming from an orphanage, I wanted to be a part of that story, as well; to help kids who don't know their parents or have parents who died of AIDS or who were born with HIV. We don't necessarily have the same stories, but it's sad when your background doesn't support growth or a new story. I had the chance to have a beautiful life, but I want to use what I have now to help kids who don't have that chance."
In addition to a special activation with Snapchat, in which the pieces will be on full display for the virtual taking, it's Rousteing's own presence on social media — an adroitness that has seen many of his colleagues follow suit, via selfies or otherwise — that is helping to spread the word. "On my social media, I can show not only my clothes but my vision and the world that I belong to. After eight years at Balmain, I want to be the person that can express more than that," he says. But, in terms of the clothes themselves, this year's Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination theme was an opportunity to show his faith — whether its in his millions of followers or the higher power of his endless imagination.
"I'm inspired by religion. More than that, I'm inspired by love," he reveals, noting that while his creations for Balmain are known for their extravagance and ornate detail — an aesthetic that fits comfortably within fashion's relationship to Catholicism — it was the chance to save a life that inspired him to take his skills as a couturier beyond the over-the-top spectacle we're used to seeing from Balmain, but to the extreme. "I told my team, 'I know that these won't be ours at the end. But they're going to auction for (RED).' I wanted to make the most memorable clothes not just by their craftsmanship, embroidery, or cut, but because all of that would go toward helping kids survive. That was the point: to make the most spectacular creations to get the most money to save the most lives."
Motselisi, and her brother, Moeketsi from Lesotho, whose family benefits from (RED)-supported Global Fund programs.Photo: Courtesy of (RED).
As of 2016, there are more than 16.5 million orphans on the planet who have either lost one or both parents to AIDS. It's a number that, upon meeting Rousteing some years ago, (RED) chief executive officer Deborah Dugan remembers had an impact on the young designer who was adopted at the age of one. "He's always been about where you're from shouldn't determine where you'll go, and Bono has always said where you're from shouldn't determine whether you'll live or die. So it was totally his idea," Dugan says. "He called me and told me what he was doing and asked if we could auction the dresses off at the end of the night. To turn that kind of red carpet 'really (RED)' — it took my breath away."
"We've never done this before," Dugan says of collaborating with a high-fashion, luxury brand. "But what we're trying to do is get these moments of awe to capture people's imagination, to get them to believe in something, and to do something good. Fashion is a universal language; it's what moves people." She admits that collaborating with Balmain has set the bar so high that future fashion collaborations are yet to be ideated. But Dugan plans to adhere to the (RED) fundraising model, which is to disrupt philanthropy. "We're only as good as our next idea and my guess is that Olivier has a few more up his sleeve."
When asked whether this signals a more charitable future for Balmain, Rousteing replies sans hesitation. " Oui," he says firmly. "This marks the beginning of our work with (RED). It's not just going to be a one-shot collaboration. It's going to become a part of the Balmain journey."
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Huda Beauty's vibrant eyeshadow palettes are a cult favorite among beauty bloggers and makeup enthusiasts, but the beauty brand went viral late last week for all the wrong reasons. The company, founded by popular Instagrammer and makeup artist Huda Kattan, is facing intense backlash for a blog post advising women how to lighten the color of their "lady parts."
Originally published on April 7th, the post, titled Why Your Vagina Gets Dark And How To Lighten It, includes tips from "trusted expert" and board-certified dermatologist Doris Day, MD. (Oddly, the word "vagina" is also used throughout, when the brand presumably is referring to the labia — the external, visible parts — as opposed to the vagina, which is internal.)
Dr. Day runs through "DIY vagina lightening hacks" that include putting lemon juice, yogurt, coconut oil, and egg white on the area, as well as various tips to "avoid the hyperpigmentation (darkening)" of vaginal skin in the first place. This is despite the fact that it's perfectly natural for the labia to be darker than the rest of the body. Dr. Day even states that "reaching your ideal weight" could determine the color of your privates, as "excess weight can lead to friction, which can cause darkening." She goes on to recommend women ask their dermatologist to "prescribe a prescription brightening cream or chemical peel" containing ingredients such as hydroquinone and tranexamic acid.
People are irate that a well-respected brand would dip its toe into the highly controversial waters of skin lightening, especially as it relates to the vagina. A Facebook post on the brand's official page promoting the article has racked up more than ten thousand reactions, several hundred shares, and hundreds of angry comments. "I unfollowed this page over crap like this," one person wrote. And, as many pointed out, there is nothing wrong with or unnatural about having dark labia.
People on Twitter and Reddit also shared their opinions, with many criticizing the article for fueling women's insecurities and upholding toxic and unachievable beauty standards. Others were puzzled as to why a cosmetics company was even discussing women's genitals in the first place. Popular beauty blogger and expert Caroline Hirons called the brand out in her Instagram Story, asking, "What are you expecting when you're down there? Blackpool Illuminations?"
Actually cannot cope with @CarolineHirons insta stories and drinking tea at the same time 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 nearly choked on my tea! pic.twitter.com/UepLDMJsku
seriously pisses me off when people like huda beauty can be successful and have a huge platform to influence young girls and she writes articles about ‘how to lighten your vagina with lemon juice’ honest to god, women like that need a slap. no wonder young girls are insecure. pic.twitter.com/fHx3ZHJFmX
People using the word vagina instead of vulva is my pet peeve. And stop putting products/food/ or whatever else down there ffs. Let your body do its fucking job. If something’s not right, go see a DOCTOR not fucking Huda Beauty. https://t.co/f3uahawe1y
@hudabeauty SHAME on you for shaming women! Every #vagina is different from every other and they’re all beautiful and perfect as they are. No one needs advice from an ill informed, botoxed, ballon lipped idiot about what their vag should look like. https://t.co/qFkceXUX2l
.@hudabeauty you are telling women to bleach their vulvas with hydroquinone, lemon juice, and acids because a lighter vulva is better? Do you realize how poisonously harmful this is? Fuck your homophobia, fuck your non-inclusivity , and FUUUUUCK YOU. https://t.co/7tDSqXQVVl
— Red Lord the Silencer (@fangirlsmash) May 3, 2018
“If your partner is concerned about the Pantone of your genitalia you’ve got a much bigger problem than the colour of your vulva” @CarolineHirons spilling the real T 👏🏻 https://t.co/9dILiEAgfE
@CarolineHirons finding it hard to believe that Huda is inundated with vagina lightening questions as stated. Like, er, it’s a lipstick website.... it’s like asking Halfords about Breast augmentation.
— BritishBeautyBlogger (@britbeautyblog) May 3, 2018
The original post on the Huda Beauty blog has since been updated "to address some concern." The brand said it "appreciates and respects" people's opinions on the issue, but that the goal was to provide "expert advice" to women who did want to alter the color of their intimate skin.
"We do not feel lightening your vulva (vagina/ lady parts/ VJJ,) is necessary. Our goal is to give details for those who may wish to, by sharing expert advice from a leading dermatologist," and to steer women away from following the "harmful DIYs on the internet," the update reads. Sometimes, the road to public backlash is paved with good intentions.
South Carolina Democrats defeated a Republican-backed abortion ban in the state that sought to restrict the procedure to cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the mother's life.
In a 24-21 vote in the early hours of Friday, the Republican-controlled Senate voted to reject the ban, facing a Democratic filibuster "with no end in sight," according to South Carolina's The State newspaper.
On Wednesday night, the Senate voted 28-10 to pass the ban, but the Democrats promised to filibuster the final vote. After four unsuccessful attempts to stop the filibuster, the GOP backed down.
"With three (legislative) days remaining and other issues affecting a lot of South Carolinians that we have to address and no realistic opportunity of success in sight, we had to move on," Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told The State.
If it had passed, the proposal would likely have banned 97% of the approximately 5,700 abortions performed in South Carolina every year, according to Democratic Sen. Brad Hutto. It was part of the Republicans' ongoing effort to eventually overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that provides women with the right to safe, accessible abortions.
DNC chair Tom Perez and DNC associate chair and former South Carolina Democratic Party chair Jaime Harrison released a joint statement after the filibuster, saying:
"South Carolina Republicans voted for this unconstitutional measure in the dead of night because they know it can’t stand up to the light of day. They were hoping South Carolina voters wouldn’t notice. But Democrats held the line and protected a woman's right to choose. South Carolina Senate Democrats were not only fighting for women in South Carolina, but last night they held the line for women’s rights across the nation. The defeat of this bill should send a warning shot to Republican lawmakers in every state: If you try to ignore Roe v. Wade and violate a woman's constitutional rights, Democrats will fight you at every turn."
I can still hear bones cracking and tendons snapping as if my knee injury occurred mere seconds ago. I can still feel the heat, pain, and adrenaline course through my body as I lay in anguish on the gymnasium floor, my sweat mixed with a sudden realization that I’d no longer be playing college basketball. I can still remember coming out of not one, not two, but seven surgeries to repair a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus plus a fractured tibia, fibula, and knee cap. And I can still hear the disbelief in my voice as I asked my surgeon two years later what exactly he meant when he said I had osteoarthritis. Isn’t arthritis something only older people get? At 22, wasn’t I too young to be at the mercy of persistent aches and discomfort? According to my doctor, no. I wasn’t.
A reported 54 million adults have arthritis, and nearly two-thirds are between the ages of 18 and 64, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, occurs when cartilage between two bones wears down over time. Genetics, obesity, and even joint injuries like mine can put someone at a higher risk for developing the disorder, and stats also show that women are at a higher risk than men.
Despite these facts, most people’s understanding of arthritis is still limited at best. It wasn’t until my own experience that I realized the disorder shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Illustrated by Isabel Castillo Guijarro.
Today, I’m grateful for going even one hour without pain. From the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep, I’m suffering. Due to my sports injury, the connective tissue that used to protect my knee is nearly gone. My bones grind against each other every single day, making standing, sitting, and walking completely miserable. I can’t run anymore, stairs give me anxiety, and certain shoes are either off-limits or too excruciating to wear. It doesn’t help that my pain has also been dismissed by countless medical professionals.
Since moving away from the state in which my original surgeon was based, I’ve been told by primary care physicians that my pain tolerance is just low and the discomfort should be relievable with over-the-counter medications. Studies suggest I’m not alone in having pain symptoms downplayed and left untreated, in one way or another. In an investigation conducted by the University of Maryland, researchers found that although women “report more severe levels of pain, more frequent incidences of pain, and pain of longer duration than men, they’re nonetheless treated for pain less aggressively.”
Illustrated by Isabel Castillo Guijarro.
Thankfully, I have a supportive partner who not only assists me on a daily basis — whether it’s helping me out of bed, holding my hand as I safely navigate stairs, or simply listening when I need to complain — but who's also willing to speak up for me in doctors' offices. It’s only after my partner tells them, “No, I see her every day. Her pain is real and she needs something stronger,” do I see a real concern and urgency to come up with viable solutions. For now, I’ve settled on taking acetaminophen and keeping ice packs handy for relief. I also endure frequent injections of steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs, which temporarily “lubricate” my injured joint until I find a surgeon willing to perform a knee replacement. Unfortunately, the ones I’ve met with have told me that type of surgery is too risky for someone my age.
Another way I’ve learned to cope is to tether my sense of self to something other than physical activity. Rather than taking a jog around my block, I walk carefully for as long as I can and take breaks when needed. I grimace while sitting on my living room floor to play with my child, but we still have lots of fun under our favorite, haphazardly made forts and during our trips to the park. I’ve picked up yoga and therapeutic swimming sessions, too, both of which keep me optimistic.
Living with chronic pain, I’ve learned that redefining “normal” is essential. I know now that I’m so much more than an injury and more than the grief it has caused. I take pride in reclaiming control, my decision-making power, and some freedom to do whatever I want. Likewise, I’ve pretty much mastered the art of advocating for myself and others — whether it be during a casual conversation with peers or during yet another doctor’s appointment — and I won’t stop until we get the acknowledgement we deserve.
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There are few hairstyles more elegant than the ballerina bun. It's scooped up tall and high, and functions as a way to show off your delicate facial features and the graceful slope of your neck. But with all due respect to the tiny dancers, there's a new style that fuses beauty and badassery: the front bun. Seen on the likes of strong women like Issa Rae, Yara Shahidi, and more, the front bun defies the rules of symmetry and shape. You can scoop up a small section of your box braids for dimension (we see you, Storm Reid), or twist it into a dramatic loop like Issa Rae. No matter how you style it, it's a trend that works for everyone. See the examples ahead for proof.
The best part about the humble topknot is how fast and quick it is to style, but don't worry: The front bun is just as effortless. It only took hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood 30 minutes — and no heat — to create Issa Rae's intricately roped updo for the 2017 Golden Globes. She told Afrobella that she used a lot of pins, as well as L'Oreal Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hair Spray for hold.
PHOTO: Michael Kovac/Getty Images/Moet & Chandon.
Ava DuVernay struck a power pose — and wore an equally-inspiring hairstyle at the Gloria Awards, where she emphasized the importance of hiring female directors. Right on, sis.
Photo: Via @ava.
Larry Sims gave Gabrielle Union a front knot, which looked especially sharp paired with her turquoise Prada jacket.
Photo: Sean Zanni/Getty Images.
Comedian Franchesca Ramsey's bun really is a work of art — zoom in to see those spirals. To get the shape to stay, slide several U-shaped pins through it.
PHOTO: Cindy Ord/Getty Images/Atlantic Records.
Pink's style, which just barely grazes her hairline, is toeing the line between topknot and front bun. Whatever you want to call it — we like it. If you want your base to stay all day, try using a gel while assembling your style.
Photo: Via @pink.
The front bun is taking over the fashion world, too. At the Mosaert fashion show in Paris, models paired the style with a swipe of red lipstick and extra-long lashes.
PHOTO: THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images.
Storm Reid found yet another way to style her box braids — with a right-leaning half-bun. Because box braids are heavy, you may need a thin elastic headband (rather than a regular hair tie) to hold your plaits.
PHOTO: Randy Shropshire/Getty Images/City Year Los Angeles.
Hairstylist Nai'vasha Johnson is back at it again with another fire hairstyle on her longtime client, Yara Shahidi. Add a gel-cream to your strands before styling for extra shine.
PHOTO: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic.
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The visual storytellers went viral on social media in 2016 for their striking AfroArt photo series, which depicts young girls proudly wearing their natural hair in intricate and breathtaking styles. "We feel that it's so important for kids of color to be able to see positive images that look like them in the media," Kahran tells Refinery29. "Unfortunately, the lack of diversity often plays into the stereotypes that they aren't 'good enough,' which often leads to low self-esteem."
Recently, the Bethencourts signed a book deal to bring their powerful series to the masses. Check out their work, and the inspiration behind it, ahead.
Where did the idea for your AfroArt series come from?
"Around 2014 is when we started to photograph kids with natural hair... They would come to us with their hair straightened, because [parents] felt like straight hair was needed to break into the fashion industry. I thought that was a little weird, so we started doing our own personal projects where we would take a few kids with natural hair and show them in high-fashion attire to bring out their inner royalty. After a few shoots, it became our niche."
How did you come up with the project's various themes?
"I'm always inspired by everything around me. But through our brainstorming for themes, we realized that certain looks — Steampunk, Baroque, and Queen of Pearls for example — aren't often portrayed on people of color. So, we thought it would be cool to put our own twist on them. During the shoot is when the magic happens; we don't pre-plan everything. We like to bounce ideas off everyone involved, playing around to see what works and stretching our creativity as artists."
"Originally, we didn’t do an actual casting for AfroArt. We let the process happen naturally. We said that we'd be in multiple cities across the U.S., and parents were able to sign up for different themed sessions based on the location we were at. Doing that allowed us to open the series up to anyone and everyone — not just experienced models."
"Although our campaign is mostly focused on girls, we did also allow boys to participate because we feel that they often go through the same issues surrounding their hair. Similar to our message with the girls, we want boys to be empowered to love their uniqueness as well."
What was it like to work with the kids who were featured?
"Some of them were very new and weren't used to wearing their hair in big Afros. So for them, I think it was good that they got to see themselves in a different light. Photographing kids gives us the opportunity to really empower them and shape how they feel about themselves at an early age. A lot of times, kids come in and they seem a little shy or reserved. But by the time they leave, they appear much more confident. It was really exciting for us to be able to bring out these kids' regalness with the series. And now with the popularity of the AfroArt calendar, they've become celebrities in their own right."
"Aside from media outlets from around the world picking it up, we've had a lot educators reach out. They've asked to use our work to inspire confidence in some of the kids they teach. It's been an amazing — more than what we could have ever asked for."
You recently signed a book deal. Can you share more details about what it will look like?
"St. Martin’s press reached out in either November or December of 2017; they too believed in what we were doing. Together, our main goal is to put out something in Fall 2019 that portrays, in a positive light, kids all over the world who have Afro hair. The thought of having our work not only online but also in stores where kids can flip through it and take it home is really exciting!"
"The book itself will be separated in three sections: the past, the present, and the future — which gave us lots of different themes to cover. Around 80% of the images in it will be new, but we'll also be using some of the ones from our previous collection. My hope is that we're able to help normalize natural hair, dark skin, and our culture. I want our kids to feel and be accepted just as much as anybody else in society."
"We're wanting to expand our brand so that it's more of a global empowerment brand for kids. Right now, a lot of it is only focused on photography. But we want to turn it into something bigger."
Lawmakers in Kansas and Oklahoma are paving the way for faith-based adoption agencies to refuse to place children in LGBTQ+ homes. The sibling measures were passed last week and now await the governors' signature.
Historically, LGBTQ+ couples have faced many challenges in their path to become parents. States like Kansas and Oklahoma are not making that process any easier, Denise Brogan-Kator, chief policy officer at the Family Equality Council, told Refinery29.
"What these bills do is that they carve out an exception for certain child-placing agencies, allowing them to turn away families or applicants — prospective parents, if you will — if they don’t meet the agency’s religious litmus test," she said. "While [these legislations] don’t explicitly name LGBTQ families, during debate in the legislative process that's the number one example used as the reason for these bills being passed."
She stressed that the bills would legalize discrimination against LGBTQ+ families and support that structure with taxpayers' dollars, since faith-based adoption agencies often receive local and federal funding.
According to Brogan-Kator, this type of "license to discriminate" bills sprung up after marriage equality was made possible through the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Obergefell v. Hodges. While same-sex marriage was not legal, Brogan-Kator said, organizations that opposed that LGBTQ+ couples used loopholes: For example, some states limited adoption and foster care to married couples, which automatically excluded LGBTQ+ couples from even being considered as prospective parents.
But Obergefell v. Hodges changed that in 2015. Since then, at least seven other states — including Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, and Virginia — have enacted similar religious exemptions.
The vote in Kansas and Oklahoma last week was celebrated by conservative groups. Eric Teetsel, president of the Christian organization Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, said in a statement, "While other states shut down faith-based providers by establishing a radical, left-wing sexual litmus test, Kansas has made clear: everyone is welcome here."
But Brogan-Kator argues the move will be damaging to children who are in need of a home. Research shows that same-sex couples are four times more likely to adopt children and six times more likely to raise foster children than non-LGBTQ+ couples.
"These bills naturally reduce the number of homes available to foster and adopt," she said.
In Kansas, for example, the number of children in the foster system has grown every year since 2008. According to the state's Department of Children and Families, as of March there were 7,540 kids waiting for a home.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican, has not said whether she would sign the legislation. On the other hand, Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer has supported Kansas' bill and is likely to sign it into law.
For Brogan-Kator, the bills mirror the anti-LGBTQ+ approach taken by the Trump administration — from President Trump's executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military to issuing a sweeping religious liberty guidance that would prioritize religious freedom over anti-discrimination protections of LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and other protected classes.
"There’s no question in my mind," she said, "that the Trump administration is emboldening these conservative factions."
Welcome toMoney Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
Today: an entrepreneur working in network marketing who makes $60,000 per year and spends some of her paycheck this week on Ben & Jerry's.
Occupation: Entrepreneur Industry: Network Marketing Age: 28 Location: Alaska MySalary: $60,000 Paycheck #1 (Monthly): ~$2,500. (I’m an independent contractor, so I’m responsible for my own taxes and save about $1,000/month for them.) Paycheck #2: $800. (I work part-time as an office manager at a spa.) My Husband's Salary: $120,000 My Husband's Paycheck Amount (Weekly): ~$1,800
9:30 a.m. — We were up late last night, so I sleep a little later than normal. I generally spend about an hour in bed when I wake up dealing with messages and emails. I'm not a morning person, so I prefer to get work done that doesn't actually involve speaking first thing in the morning.
10:30 a.m. — My husband takes my car to the store to buy a fifth wheel hitch so he can work on his truck while I'm out running errands. We just got a new RV, which means new toys for the truck – a.k.a. man heaven. I'm not enthused about this large purchase, but it's necessary. $1,180
11:30 a.m. — Errand time! First stop – the pet store to grab digestive enzymes for my disgusting, poop-eating dog. This is the second bottle I've gotten her and fortunately, it seems to be working. I grab a toy while I'm there because my dogs are spoiled ($35.51). Target is next up on the agenda. I need tampons and they're the only store in town with the organic cotton ones I like. I run into a friend while I'm there, and we talk for quite a while before deciding we should both move on with our days. I grab a couple loofahs ($5) and a few pints of Ben & Jerry's because they're on sale! Ice cream is pretty much my kryptonite, especially when I'm on my period. I head straight to the checkout to avoid any more temptation ($26.49). $67
1:15 p.m. — I stop for gas before I get home. $62.37
1:30 p.m. — Back at home, I give the doggies their new ball, put my purchases away, and tidy up the kitchen while my husband finishes his project in the garage. By the time I'm done with that, my pitbull has already chewed a hole in the damn thing. I'm not shocked, but man it would be nice if a toy lasted more than an hour around here!
2:45 p.m. — Most of my business is done online, which is awesome. I do a quick motivational Facebook live on my business page and then another one in my team group explaining the qualifications for our next company trip. I work with an incredibly generous company – they sent me to Las Vegas in October and I am headed on a cruise to Bermuda in May. The next trip we're working towards is the Bahamas in November. I love to travel and it's even better when it's free!
3:15 p.m. — We leave our house to pick up my sister and brother-in-law, who live a mile away. We're headed to our uncle's surprise retirement party.
4 p.m. — Surprise! He arrives and is definitely surprised. It's nice to spend time with some of our family – it doesn't happen as often as it used to now that all the kids are adults. A couple of my cousins have little kids and two of them are there. It's fun to play with the kids, and then give them back!
5:30 p.m. — A friend is having a birthday dinner at 6 p.m. We want to stop by before we head to a show in Anchorage, so we leave to drop off my sister and brother-in-law. We stop at our house to drop the dogs off and do a little research since we heard the roads are really bad. Apparently the highway was shut down for three hours due to multiple car accidents. It's open now, but we decide to skip our appearance at dinner to give ourselves a little extra time for the drive.
6:30 p.m. — The show we're going to starts at 8 and we don't know what seating is going to be like, so we decide to head into town. My husband wants to read (what I'm sure is thrilling information) about his new hitch, so I drive. The roads aren't awesome by any means, but they're way better than we expected. We make it into Anchorage and I spend a solid 15 minutes driving around looking for free parking. (We're early, and I hate paying for parking!) There are apparently two other big events going on downtown, so we have to park several blocks away, but it's not too cold, so it's totally worth saving $20.
7:45 p.m. — We show up at the venue and there's already quite a line. It's a stand-up comedy show to benefit our local Planned Parenthood. The openers are funny, but the headliner has a sense of humor that isn't quite our style. It's okay, though, and we still have fun. I got these tickets a while ago, so we don't spend any money tonight.
10:15 p.m. — After the show we head to the airport to pick up our friend who's here for spring break. We stop by Taco Bell for a snack before heading back. $12.77
12 a.m. — Home at last! It's been a busy day, so we head straight to bed.
Daily Total: $1,322.14
Day Two
1:40 a.m. — We're woken up by a call from the child protective services agency. We recently got licensed to be foster parents, and they have a child who needs an emergency placement. It sounds like this particular kiddo has a higher level of special needs than we're prepared to handle, so we decide to decline the placement. I have a hard time falling back asleep, wondering if it was the right decision.
9:15 a.m. — We're up! My husband heads to the garage for more work on the truck and I relax in bed with the pups.
10:30 a.m. — I actually get up and make myself look presentable. I have a scheduled video call with my team at noon, so I spend time preparing what I want to go over. I eat a protein bar, which will tide me over until our brunch plans later.
12 p.m. — My leadership team and I lead a successful call. This kind of stuff is important to our business and I really enjoy doing it.
1 p.m. — The mom of one of my husband's childhood friends is in town visiting, so we meet her for brunch. I've only met her once (she flew up for our wedding), but we keep in touch on Facebook. She's really sweet and it's nice to see her. She ends up generously picking up the bill. On the way home, we stop by Redbox and grab a few movies. While we're driving, we talk about the call we got last night and decide we want to call the social worker back and offer to take in the little boy if he still needs a place to go. Making that kind of decision in the middle of the night is pretty difficult, and we're feeling better about the situation now. His caseworker says she actually found him a placement with a special education teacher. We're happy to hear he's in a safe place. $4.54
3 p.m. — When we get home, we load up the truck to take the trash to the landfill. We don't pay for trash service because the landfill is less than five minutes away and it's way cheaper. Our borough sends a coupon in the mail twice a year, so today's load is only $2. $2
3:30 p.m. — Home! We've had a busy weekend, so we're both ready to plop down on the couch and watch our movies. We put in Daddy's Home 2 first and each snuggle up with a dog.
7:30 p.m. — We pause our movie marathon to order pizza ($22.77) and a crazy fry concoction from a burger place down the street ($7.99). My husband starts a load of laundry (because he's one of those amazing mythical beings who does his own!) and leaves to go pick up the food. I should get up and do something productive while he's gone, but I play Candy Crush instead. $30.76
9:30 p.m. — We made it all the way through A Bad Moms Christmas. Two movies in one day is pretty impressive for my husband, as he's not great at sitting still. He has to get up early for work, so it's bedtime. I always get in bed with him, but I read, get work done, or watch Netflix for hours before I'm actually ready to sleep. Tonight I choose Friends!
11:30 p.m. — This is early for me, but I'm actually pretty sleepy! I've been trying to get better at not staying up till 1 or 2 a.m., so it's sleep time.
Daily Total: $37.30
Day Three
9 a.m. — I'm up! I take the dogs to daycare on Mondays, so I make myself get out of bed right away. My husband texts me and says he forgot to clip our pit's nails, so I need to do it before I drop them off. Ugh...I don't wanna! She's a squirmy little sucker and she hates it, but I get it done. I get them fed and off we go. They LOVE daycare. As soon as I turn onto the road they start freaking out because they know exactly where we are.
10 a.m. — Today's a work from home day and I have a lot of random things to get done. I set a timer on my phone for 30 minutes and sit down with a book. I have to time myself or else I won't get anything else done. I eat a protein bar for breakfast while reading. I really need to go grocery shopping today. When the timer goes off, I check my social media notifications, answer questions, and respond to the messages that came in while I was reading. I have an appointment at noon, so I need to get up and actually get ready for the day.
11:45 a.m. — I head to my lash extension appointment. The owner of the spa I work for does them. I hate lying still for so long, but it's amazing and I'm addicted. I typically get two fills a month. They're $75 a pop, but she gave me a freebie, which I use today.
1:30 p.m. — I go to the post office and realize I forgot my packing tape at home! I have a habit of walking out the door without all the things I need. I head to the store to pick up a few things. My husband travels a lot for work, but he'll be in town for most of the week, so I mainly need stuff for his lunches. There's only one grocery store around here with a good selection of organic produce, so I always shop there. Organic Honeycrisp apples are on sale! They're normally $4.59 per pound and today they're only $2.29. Serious score. I usually spend about $15 a week on five apples — that's Alaskan produce for ya! I grab carrots, radishes, lettuce, bananas, Alaska Grains bread (I try to buy locally-made things as much as possible), English muffins, cottage cheese, sliced cheese, Pop chips, and my weakness – white Monster energy drinks. I don't drink coffee and I don't have one every day – but what can I say, I just love them! $64.91
2:30 p.m. — I swing by my house to drop off groceries and pick up packing tape. I heat up leftover pizza for lunch and throw in a load of laundry. I snap a picture of my grocery receipt and enter it into my Receipt Hog and Receipt Pal apps. I get points every time I submit a receipt and can redeem them for Visa/Amazon gift cards. I've only been using them for a couple months and I think it'll take me about forever and a day before I earn anything substantial, but who am I to turn down free money?!
3 p.m. — Let's try this again! I almost left without the packing tape again...I always have a roll in my car because I make frequent trips to the post office, but I took it out when I got my car detailed a couple weeks ago. It's now back in its proper home – a.k.a. my cup holder. I stop at a little contract post office that only takes cash, so I pull money out of the ATM there. Of course there's a fee ($4). I mail a gift to one of my customers ($3.75). This post office is tiny and rarely has a line, so I forgive its cash-only status. Then I run right down the road to get two months' worth of probiotics ($40.11) from a nutritional store, before running into one last store because my husband forgot to tell me he needs mayo and a apparently a sandwich just isn't the same without it. I spy speckled jelly beans and I have to grab those too ($9.71). $57.57
4:30 p.m. — Sometimes the whole "work from home" thing doesn't involve a lot of time at home! I have time to get chores done before I have to pick up the dogs. I typically clean the house on Mondays and I'd like to get as much as I can out of the way before my husband gets home. Part of the deal of me being a work at home dog mom is that I do most of the cleaning and pack my husband's lunches. I think that's pretty darn fair since he works 60-80 hours per week.
6 p.m. — My husband gets home way earlier than usual, so we go pick up our fur children together. Daycare is worth every penny; they have so much fun and it wears them out. I'd love to be able to take them every day, but for now they typically go twice a week. I guess my husband got new tunes for his truck to help haul the fifth wheel better, so we're going on a test run to see how it drives. This is not my department, I'm just along for the ride.
7 p.m. — I cook dinner when we get home — chicken fettuccine alfredo. We watch an episode of Parks and Recreation while we eat. Most of the time we sit at the table without the TV, but we both kinda want to decompress tonight. After dinner, my husband has work to do for a class he's taking this week for his job. I prep lunches for the rest of the week: veggies, cottage cheese, and yogurt.
9 p.m. — I feel a migraine coming on, so I smoke pot and get in bed. I generally only smoke if I have a migraine or am getting one, which unfortunately is much more frequently than I appreciate. I bought this vape pen thing (which just makes me a little sad, because I think vaping is incredibly stupid, but it's convenient and doesn't dry out) at the dispensary for $90 about three months ago and the cartridge is about half gone. My drug habit is definitely cheaper than my prescription migraine medication!
Daily Total: $122.48
Day Four
8:45 a.m. — I wake up and my head still hurts. It's better than last night, but definitely not gone. I'm super grateful for the night shift mode on my iPhone, because otherwise I couldn't even look at it when I have a migraine. I enter information into my Migraine Buddy app. It's supposed to help track patters and give me insights into what the causes are. I've gotten migraines since I was 12 and I still haven't figured it out! Today I have to be at the spa though, so since I'm not dying I get up, grab a quick breakfast and go.
10 a.m. — I have a few projects I'm working on here at the spa. I have a pretty set system of how I do things because I'm only here two and a half days per week, so I try to be as productive as possible. I'm almost constantly interrupted, but I'm used to it by now. This summer I'll be traveling with my husband for his job, so I'll be working remotely 90% of the time. I can't wait!
3 p.m. — The rest of the day is super hectic and I don't accomplish as much as I had hoped I would. It doesn't help that my head still hurts.
6:30 p.m. — I have a team video chat scheduled. I set up two per month for us to come together, do training, talk goals, and ask questions – whatever my team needs. I'm in communication with the people closely under me very frequently, but it's nice to touch base with my team members further down the line sometimes.
7;30 p.m. — Dinnertime! I hate cooking in general, especially when I've had a crazy day, so I throw together a pre-cooked roast and mashed potatoes. Easy and yummy.
10 p.m. — We get in bed and my husband almost instantly falls asleep. I take time to catch up on my social media and respond to messages. I haven't looked at Instagram all day! Social media is a big part of my business, but some days I just don't have the energy to keep up with it. It's probably time for a day off soon. Every once in a while I'll just put my phone away for the entire day, which is rather refreshing! I watch Netflix and finally go to sleep at about 2 a.m.
Daily Total: $0
Day Five
9 a.m. — After hitting snooze a few times, I actually open my eyes all the way. I don't usually set an alarm, but I woke up earlier when my husband left and read for a while till I could fall back asleep, which always throws me off. My snuggly dogs make it incredibly difficult to get up. They want breakfast, and I need to get my act together and get ready.
10 a.m. — Get to the spa and get right to work. I have a project I've been working on for 10 months and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! This will pretty much consume my time until it's finalized – hopefully next week.
2:30 p.m. — Take a mini break and eat cottage cheese, mandarins, and crackers. I try to get my husband to tell me what he wants for dinner – a.k.a. the hardest decision on the planet.
6:15 p.m. — I intended to go to the gym after work, but I forgot my gym bag and I'm just not feeling it. I normally go three to four times a week, but if I'm busy I don't force myself. I really enjoy working out, so I never want it to feel like a chore. I hop on the computer and submit our applications for our Permanent Fund dividends. It's an Alaska thing. Put extremely simply, each year, qualifying residents receive a payment tied to the oil revenue the state makes. It varies from year to year: In years past, I've gotten between $800 and $2,200. We have the option to select a nonprofit to pledge part of our dividends to. This year, we chose an organization that helps homeless teens in our area with housing, education, and job skills. I also order a Bite Agave Lip Mask from Sephora. My lips are insanely dry and a friend just recommended this, so I'm gonna try it out. It's $26, but I have a gift card.
8:30 p.m. — My husband just got home with tortillas, so I make tacos for dinner. You can literally never go wrong with tacos. I could eat them every day. We talk about our days and play with the dogs for a while after we eat. $4.29
10 p.m. — Bedtime for one of us! I stay up till about 12:30 reading and getting work done.
Daily Total: $4.29
Day Six
8:15 a.m. — Somehow, morning has appeared again. I am so not a morning person, but I get up and feed the dogs and send my husband a good morning/thank you text. I didn't realize he put my car in the garage after he was done working on his truck last night. Much appreciated, as it's still about 15 degrees in the mornings. That message is shortly followed by a "WTF?!" one when I get out of the shower and realize he stole my towel. Scoundrel... I finish getting ready for the day. How much effort I put in definitely depends on how much sleep I want. I have lash extensions and my eyebrows are microbladed, so most days I mix Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and Stila Stay All Day beauty balm, slap that on, and comb my brows and lashes. Piece of cake. I do like playing with makeup when I have time, but it's not my first priority.
10 a.m. — I drop the dogs off at daycare – and I don't even have to get out of the car! I open the back hatch, they jump out, and the owner meets them at the door. (They don't even turn around to say goodbye...) I head to the spa, where I work for a few hours. Thursdays are usually pretty quiet, so I can get work done in peace.
2:45 p.m. — I leave the spa later than normal because the owner comes in and we talk for a while. Now I'm going to the borough office to talk to them about a business license for our Airbnb, because I like talking to humans rather than trying to figure that stuff out online. Since we'll be traveling so much this summer, we've decided to take advantage of our absence and get Airbnb guests! While in the parking lot, I remember to pay our cell phone bill. We have a Verizon Up credit available, so I select a code for a free movie download from Vudu.
3 p.m. — That was easy! The lady was super nice and explained exactly what I needed to do. I run into the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk. We only buy milk that comes from our local dairy, because milk pus is a real thing, people! I drive by the dairy farm all the time, so I feel better knowing exactly where it comes from. $5.55
3:15 p.m. — Back at home, I make lunch and get to work. I have a decent amount of bookkeeping I need to finish up and send to our CPA for our taxes. I work on that, message with some of my customers, make a few social media posts, and overall have a very productive afternoon! I have to take a little break to run and get the dogs from daycare.
7:15 p.m. — We go to meet our friend we picked up from the airport the other night for dinner at our fave Mexican restaurant, which never disappoints. I have a weird thing where I need to make the total with tip an even number when I eat at restaurants, so it comes to $35. $35
10 p.m. — We go to bed pretty much as soon as we get home. I end up watching the Barack Obama and Malala Yousafzai episodes of David Letterman's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction on Netflix. It's an interesting show.
Daily Total: $40.55
Day Seven
8:30 a.m. — I wake up to the glorious sound of dogs barking. Dogs barking is like screaming babies to most other people — I can't stand it! I decide I may as well get up and start getting work done. I finalize my information and email it to our CPA. I'm crossing my fingers that he doesn't need anything else. I purchase both our state ($50) and borough ($100) business licenses. Next up is finalizing our Airbnb listing. I'm super excited and a little nervous. This summer is definitely going to be an adventure. $150
1 p.m. — My husband comes home to pack for his work trip. He doesn't typically work on weekends unless he's on call, but a good friend of ours is going through a crazy custody battle and the trial is next week, so he's going on his trip this weekend so we can both be there to support him. He tells me he picked up a bottle of insulin on his way home so he has extra to take with him. He's a Type 1 diabetic, which is not freakin' cheap! Neither one of use has health insurance through our jobs and there's no way we could afford it through the marketplace. It sucks, but we make it work. I am super anti-Walmart, but they have their own generic insulin for $25 a bottle instead of $300 at the pharmacy we used to get it from. I can be okay with Walmart once a month if it saves us about $550. $25.76
2 p.m. — Husband leaves for the airport. I'm never excited about that, but it's a frequent part of his job. Luckily, he's never gone for more than a few days at a time.
5:30 p.m. — A few friends come over so we can all ride together to a birthday dinner. We go to Benihana because she's never been there. Our chef is very funny and we have a lot of fun. Dinner is great, but of course this restaurant is more expensive for just me than dinner was for both of us last night ($43)! It's for a special occasion, though, and I'm glad I went. I purchased a gift card ($50) for her earlier in the day and a friend will split it with me later. $93
9:45 p.m. — We are not feeling like party animals, so we all head home. I get in my PJs, grab ice cream from the freezer, and find something to watch on Netflix. The only plus sides to my husband being gone are not having to cook dinner and being able to binge whatever show I want. I'm actually pretty tired, though, and I try to take advantage of any night I feel like falling asleep before midnight, so I head to bed.
Daily Total: $268.76
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Whether it's been a week, a year, or a decade since your last confession, even lapsed Catholics will recall the resinous smoke of smoldering incense during midnight mass. So it's no wonder why some fragrance houses have chosen to bottle up that evocative scent, along with other notes like gold, frankincense, myrrh, and nard. (If it’s good enough for Jesus’ feet…)
Now, you can wear your Catholic guilt — or your taste for blasphemy — wherever you go. We may never know which of these church-inspired perfumes they choose to pipe through the vents at the Met Gala tonight, but it's not a red-carpet event they give us flashbacks to, that's for damn sure.
Named for the medieval commune in the south of France where seven successive popes held court throughout most of the 14th century, this incense-heavy fragrance recalls less the kind of Beverly Hills outpost frequented by Jelena and more a smoke-filled Gothic cathedral where the only celebrity guest is the Holy Roman Emperor.
It's hard to believe that the myrrh that's been mixed with wild rose to create this lush fragrance and the myrrh that Pilate's soldiers mixed with wine and offered to Jesus before his crucifixion are one and the same, but here we are.
Kind of like the old trope of the naughty Catholic schoolgirl, this complex fragrance is a whole lot of spice — nutmeg, myrrh, pepper, patchouli — under the pretense of powdery sweetness at first sniff.
Translated from French to English, la religieuse is a nun; it's also the name of a delicious French pastry filled with crème pâtissière, covered in ganache, and then finished with buttercream frosting. But this fragrance is fresher and cleaner than either of those meanings would imply, with notes of jasmine, musk, and tuberose, and perfectly suitable for life outside of the convent.
Perhaps the gates of hell don't smell at all like sulfurous fire and brimstone, but rather like a lit match in the dark of a confessional booth — dry, aromatic, woody, and cold, with the lingering aroma of incense and a soothing stillness. One can only hope.
L'Artisan Parfumeur, $130, available at LuckyScent
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If you weren’t one of the 87 million people affected by Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica data breach, it might be easy to feel a sense of relief and go about your online business as usual.
But the scandal should serve as an important reminder to all of us: Just when you think that can’t happen to me, it can and does. And that's not so surprising — it's all too simple these days to download a new app, sign a user agreement, and share sensitive documents. With that in mind, it’s worth taking a few minutes to look at what information you’re currently sharing on different platforms and who is seeing it.
Think of it as your annual doctor's visit: You may not be sick, but you're taking a preventative step by going. Ahead, seven mid-year check-ups you should do to make sure your data stays in your control.
Have you shared documents on Slack that have sensitive information, but no longer need to be there? Go ahead and delete them.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to do so in bulk, but you can see what you’ve shared and choose what to get rid of on a file by file basis. Go to my.slack.com/files and select the “My Files” tab along the top of the screen. Select the document you want to delete and tap “Actions” in the upper right-hand corner. Scroll down to “Delete File.”
Clear Your Browser History
There are reasons you may want to keep your Chrome browser history. For example, the convenience of autofill data when checking out online or passwords when logging in.
Fortunately, Chrome gives you detailed controls when you decide it’s time to delete some of your stored data. Open a new browser window and select the History tab along the top of the screen. Scroll down to “Clear History.” You’ll see a full list of sites you visited, in the order you visited them. You can delete sites one by one, but it’s easier to get a more complete picture of your browsing history by going to “Clear Browsing Data”, found on the left-hand menu.
You’ll see two options — basic and advanced. Select advanced, and you’ll have the option to view your stored data from different time frames (for example, the last 24 hours or last seven days). Here, you can also select to delete just your download history but not your passwords, or your app data but not your autofill form data.
If you’re hesitant to delete your password data because you’re worried you’ll never remember what they are, consider downloading a password manager — a safer way to store your login info — instead.
Clear Your Instagram Search History
If you've done some creeping on your boyfriend's ex on Instagram or visited some questionable accounts, you may want to clear your search history. Doing so is easy. Simply go to your profile page, tap the Settings icon, and scroll all the way down to "Clear Search History." Confirm the action to avoid awkward questions the next time you're searching Instagram with your boyfriend sitting next to you.
Check Third-Party Access To Your Phone
Downloading an app and giving it permission to access your photos or health information is easy. Remembering to delete an app you aren't using or take away those permissions is not.
Go to Settings > Privacy on your phone and click to see which apps have access to your camera, location, video activity, etc. Then, turn off permission for any you aren't using and delete them from your home screen.
Check Facebook Third-Party Permissions
This one probably feels like a no-brainer after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but it’s worth repeating: If you haven’t looked at which third-party apps have permission to access your Facebook account, do so immediately.
Go to Settings > Apps > Logged In with Facebook. In the past few months, Facebook has made some tweaks to this page that make it easier to see which apps you have removed, as well as any that have expired because you have not used them in awhile. Under the “Active” tab you can view the apps that currently have access to your account and check what information those apps can see.
Additionally, even though you have removed apps or they have expired, they may still have information about you. Facebook advises users contact apps directly to ask that their information be deleted. Tap on an individual app and you’ll see a link under “Remove Info Collected By This App” to do so.
Clear Your Facebook Browser History
Facebook is working on a new tool called “Clear History ” that will let you control the information the social network gets from third-party apps and sites that use its ads and analytics tools. (Those tools are how Facebook knows to show you an ad for a handbag you just dropped in your shopping cart on Madewell.)
The new feature won’t roll out until later this year, but in the meantime, you can clear the data Facebook has about sites you’ve visited while using the app. Go to Settings > Browser > Clear Data to do so.
Reassess Your Facebook Privacy Settings
Do you want Google linking to your Facebook profile? Or anyone on Facebook viewing the lists and groups you joined during high school and college? Probably not.
Check on who has access to everything from your friends list to your phone number on Facebook by going to Settings > Privacy. If you used to have a public account, or previously shared posts with friends of friends, you may want to limit the audience for those posts, which you can do all at once here.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
