We'll bet the typical underwear drawer looks a little less lacy and a little more practical. Whether you rely on trusty "granny panties" or up your game with a frilly cheeky every now and then, underthings are meant to be a personal decision based on your comfort level. There are, however, a few special occasions that tend to lend themselves to the fancier side of the undies aisle — pieces that remind us that lingerie can be an unsuspecting art form.
With Valentine's Day scooting in closer, don't be deterred by the cliché campaigns advertising red-hot lingerie. Sometimes it's fun to forego our cotton bralettes for more intricate designs — whether you're doing it for yourself or for a partner. Think of this less as a time to reboot your underwear drawer, and more of a time to expand it with a few better basics. From full coverage cups to "yep, you can see literally everything when I wear this teddies," here's 17 non-cheesy red lingerie picks that'll suit every comfort level.
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appearance by Laura Delarato.
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WWD is reporting that the British version of the Oscars made the decision to put out the call to action to wear black “less than three weeks ago,” with the note to the industry reading: "With BAFTA being the first major film awards ceremony in Europe this year, we feel it is important to make a statement to show global solidarity and that the issue is not being forgotten, and to join hands with people across all industries who have experienced inequality and abuse."
It continued: "This is why we are inviting you to wear black to the awards ceremony, to follow suit from our sisters who attended the Golden Globes. Wearing black is a strong, unifying and simple statement – a physical and visual representation of our solidarity with people across all industries who have experienced sexual harassment and abuse or have been held back due to an imbalance in power. It is also the easiest color for the majority to wear and feel comfortable in."
Similar to the panic that ensued once it was announced that celebrities would be wearing all-black to the Golden Globes, “designers and brands are scrambling to replace their original choices.” A BAFTA spokesperson declined to comment on the matter to WWD, though, as an added pressure, the awards show is taking place during London Fashion Week. Sounds like stylists will, once again, take to Instagram to show off their racks of black dresses. Still, it’s worth acknowledging that, like what we saw on the red carpet at the Golden Globes, when you're limited to wearing just one color, creativity forces your hand.
Guest at this year's BAFTAs are expected to include Annette Bening, Frances McDormand, Margot Robbie, Sally Hawkins, Saoirse Ronan, Kristin Scott Thomas, Allison Janney, Lesley Manville, and Octavia Spencer, and we can’t wait to see how they make a statement, political and otherwise.
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Although there have been a few missteps here and there, the state of diversity in the beauty industry is on the up and up. Brands are realizing that beauty consumers have the power of the dollar and want to see themselves reflected in brand campaigns and new product releases. The individuals you see in makeup ads feel the same way, so in return, Marc Jacobs Beauty cast 29 models of a variety of ethnicities to promote its brand new foundation.
You best believe we have the images of these women, but first, the details. The formula, Shameless Youthful-Look 24-H Longwear Foundation SPF 25, will be available on February 9 at MarcJacobsBeauty.com and Sephora.com, plus in-store at Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and select Marc Jacobs stores starting on February 23 — but we've got the first look.
"From photoshoots to runway shows, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many models of various ethnicities and skin tones," Hannah Ferguson, who appears in the campaign, tells Refinery29. "I have also seen far too many models have trouble in the makeup chair simply because the artist didn’t have access to the perfect shade. I am excited to be a part of a project that is furthering the conversation on inclusion, as everyone — no matter what color your skin may be — deserves the right to feel beautiful."
Ahead, see what Shameless looks like on a variety of skin tones, and learn what this impressive launch means to some of the campaign's faces.
"My skin tone is golden and olive, which can be a challenge to match, especially in the winter when my skin is more fair," Ke’Andra Samone, in shade Y340, says. "Being able to go shopping and know that Marc Jacobs will have everyone's shade makes me feel like I am being seen. They are acknowledging me, someone mixed, as someone important by having my shade..."
"I think it’s so important for everyone to feel represented, and it makes me so happy to see brands stepping up and doing their part to make sure every skin tone is included in their product," Tess McMillan, in shade R150, says. "What may seem like a small step to some might mean the world to someone else."
Shade R150: Tess McMillan
"Growing up, I hated everything about myself that made me stand out from a crowd, from my curly hair to my pale skin," Lily Nova, in shade Y110, says. "I spent most of high school trying to change them so that I could fit in. Icons like David Bowie and Gemma Ward really helped me accept that beauty is relative and you don't have to look like everyone else to feel beautiful."
"My mother is my icon, and made me feel beautiful growing up," Dipti Sharma, in shade R380, says. "I see her and I feel beautiful. She reminds me every day how grateful I should be to be born as a free woman with no barriers."
Keep clicking to see the rest of the shades.
Christina Kruse in shade Y210.
Rose Daniel in shade R230.
Teddy Quinliven in shade Y130.
Hannah Ferguson in shade R310.
Faith Lynch in shade Y270.
Riley Ticotin in shade R300.
Sohyun Jung in shade Y320.
Missy Rayder in shade R330.
Dara Allen in shade Y360.
Jocelyn Corona in shade Y390.
Vie Chidiac in shade R350.
Carissa Pinkston in shade R250.
Kanta in shade Y370.
Adesuwa in shade Y400.
Aaliyah Hydes in shade Y420.
Shaanti Chaitram in shade R460.
Kesewa Aboah in shade Y440.
Selina Khan in shade Y470.
Ange-Marie Moutambou in shade Y480.
Amelia Rami in shade R490.
Theresa Hayes in shade Y500.
Olivia Anakwe in shade R530.
Aube Jolicoeur in shade R550.
Riley Montana in shade Y570.
Alek Wek in shade R590.
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It might be 2018, but apparently people scattered across the country are still living in the early '00s.
Let's take you back: You're in your high school locker room, drenched in sweat after running a mile in gym class. You might not have hit your 10-minute goal, but your body still smells worse than the hand-me-down sweatpants you had to borrow from the lost and found. The bell for next period is going to ring in T-3 minutes and, frankly, you stink. Luckily, you stocked up on fragrance mists at Victoria's Secret's 2-for-1 sale, where you discovered one purple bottle of seduction: Love Spell. And in this moment, it's the life raft saving you from being your school's version of Josie Grossie.
Fast forward to today, and you're still wearing it. But you're not alone. In fact, we found out this cherry blossom and peach scent — a classic sold by the VS brand since the 1999 — is just as popular today as it ever was. Just ask all 15,000 people who've left glowing reviews on the consumer research website Influenster. What's more, after analyzing the site's database of 250,000 user-generated reviews, Influenster discovered that this fragrance mist generated the most buzz (above all other fragrances) in California, North Carolina, Alaska, and Michigan.
Even if you've personally retired the bottle to your parents' basement storage, the fond memories of the fruity, floral aroma remain. And with Valentine's Day just two weeks away, we won't judge if this inspires you to dust off the throwback fragrance and put it to good use. It is called Love Spell, after all, and it's about time you give your awkward high school hookups a do-over.
Oils aren't going anywhere, it seems. In fact, every time we scan the Sephora shelves, new, innovative versions have popped up. We're all for 'em, but sifting through the many little jars holding essences of rosehip, safflower seed, jojoba, lavender, argan, coconut, and more can be confusing.
First, it’s important to understand your skin type and your concerns in order to find the oils that will be most beneficial for you specifically, then it's best to use them at night, says skin-care professional Reneé Rouleau, so the ingredients can work while you sleep to repair any damage.
Ahead, the oils you should be using to wake up to your brightest, softest skin.
Rouleau tells us that when treating dry skin, it's important not to skip moisturizer, or put oil on before it. Our skin needs both oil and water, and the moisturizer provides the latter. Further, it's important to note that when using a moisturizer directly over the oil, the active, beneficial ingredients in the moisturizer are unable to penetrate through the oil barrier.
Rouleau suggests cleansing and toning the skin before applying an evening oil. "Mix 4-6 drops of the oil directly in with your nighttime moisturizer and apply to both the face and neck," Rouleau recommends. "You can also use 4-5 drops applied over your moisturizer, which will provide a protective barrier to prevent dry air from pulling moisture out from the skin."
Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil, $52, available at Caudalie.
For Normal Skin
Those with normal skin should follow the same protocol as with dry skin, avoiding oil application directly on the skin or in place of moisturizer. Because normal skin needs a like less oil than dry skin, Rouleau advises mixing in only 2-3 drops of treatment oil.
"Although many normal skin types experience the occasional breakout, if you start to notice frequency in breakouts occurring after you've begun using a treatment oil, you might consider dialing down the frequency and only applying the skin oil on days when your face is exposed to harsh winds and cold temperatures," Rouleau recommends.
Reneé Rouleau Pro Remedy Oil, $68.50, available at Reneé Rouleau.
For Oily/Combination & Blemish-Prone Skin
There's often fear in applying oil to already-oily skin — but, when used sparingly, oils can actually benefit acne-prone skin. "People with oily skin types can safely use treatment oils, especially if you are located in an extremely dry climate; however, it's important to use them sparingly and only when skin is feeling particularly tight and dry," Rouleau says. "You don't want to overuse a treatment oil because it will create a layer over the top of the surface, which then creates more heat to be trapped within the skin. Heat will cause more oil production and allow for bacteria to grow more quickly, ultimately resulting in a potential for increased acne."
To do it right, Rouleau recommends applying a lightweight oil-free moisturizer first. "You want your moisturizer's ingredients to absorb into the skin first to avoid any potential blocking or clogging of the pores," she says. "After you've moisturized as you normally would, you can add a protective layer of oil (sparingly, 1-2 drops) over your moisturizer to prevent water loss."
Sunday Riley U.F.O Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil, $80, available at Sephora.
For Airplane Travel (All Skin Types)
We know that sitting on an airplane for even just a few hours can suck moisture out of the skin. Rouleau cautions that pre-flight, oil should be applied only once, or not at all. But once in-flight, to protect your skin from the drying cabin air, Rouleau recommends applying 1-2 drops of oil over moisturizer every hour of your trip. This rich, indulgent version is one of our favorites — and at that price, it'll get you all the way to Australia and back guilt-free.
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil, $9.80, available at The Ordinary.
For Daytime Use
"Apply oil over daytime sunscreen and before makeup," Rouleau advises. "In the morning after cleansing, toning with an alcohol-free toner (left damp on the skin for extra hydration), and using a vitamin C antioxidant serum followed by a moisturizer with sunscreen, massage a few drops of oil onto the skin." Layering a treatment oil over your sunscreen will add a protective skin barrier, and prevent any moisture evaporation. The skin expert cautions against mixing oil and moisturizer, as it alters the sunscreen's original formula, which may result in less effective SPF skin protection.
Clinique Smart Treatment Oil, $44, available at Clinique.
For Nighttime Use
It's smart to smooth on a hydrating oil before bed to allow plenty of time for the ingredients to be absorbed. This nighttime oil hydrates and brightens — so you'll wake up to a glowing complexion by morning.
Om Aroma & Co. Pumpkin Seed Renew Serum, $58, available at Om Aroma & Co.
Kiehl's fans know that this overnight recovery oil is like magic in a bottle. Pro tip: Since the texture leans on the liquid-y side, mix two to three drops in your moisturizer before bed for best results. You'll wake up looking glowy as ever.
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, $46, available at Bergdorf Goodman.
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Much like farm-to-table cuisine before it, the concept of farm-to-face beauty has been a growing market for a few years now. And it's more than just a buzzy catchphrase — it's a movement. As in-the-know beauty enthusiasts demand greater transparency from their favorite brands, the process products go through before landing on our bathroom shelves is being laid bare: Consumers no longer want to know just what effect a formula will have on their skin, but also exactly where ingredients come from, their quality, and how they've been treated in laboratories.
While the rest of the industry plays catch-up, brands that have long championed this transparency are taking center stage. Tata Harper 's eponymous brand has been at it since first launching several years ago; each and every ingredient used in the brand's formulas is foraged from the Harper's property in Vermont. "Traditionally, ‘farm-to-face’ means ingredients that come from local sources," Harper explains. "We have a factory on our farm so we make all products on site. This has been at the core of our DNA since we launched — we are obsessed with being the freshest possible."
The difference between her products and other, less holistic products, Harper explains, has to do with not only bottling the most beautiful ingredients, but opting out of the synthetic preservatives that some brands rely on. "When you're buying a product, it might already be two years old when you open the box," she says. "Each of our bottles has the freshest and highest-performing ingredients possible. We strive to minimize production time — from farm to face."
For Mark Veeder, co-founder of Farmacy, the concept is also rooted in ingredients, which he harvests on his farm in upstate New York. "Our products are centered around powerful farmer-cultivated ingredients, ensuring that the full potential of these ingredients is preserved through a meticulous process," he tells Refinery29. "We control our key, exclusive ingredients, from hand-planting to employing organic growing methods, and we hand-harvest the root and apply science to extract, stabilize, and supercharge the potent active ingredients."
Veeder also highlights the fact that being able to trace the journey from harvest to skin is key, because beauty fanatics are savvier than ever these days. "They're paying more attention to what they eat and drink; they also want to know what’s in the products they use every day," Veeder says. "There is an understanding from consumers that all of these things impact the end result of what they put on their faces and in their bodies."
As Harper says, we're "voting with our money" — and it looks a lot like we want clarity on everything from production methods to ingredient choices via packaging waste and ethical sourcing. Ahead, we've rounded up the best finds in farm-to-face beauty right now. Started from the harvest, now we're here...
This L.A-based luxury skin-care brand was founded by Craig and Julia Noik back in 2012. With the goal of capturing the wealth of natural botanicals found in South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom (where 9,000 plant species grow), they've created a line of beauty products that distill the potent ingredients. Sourcing directly from each supplier, the founders regularly visit the origin of the plants and ensure each crop is as fresh as can be.
This cleanser, made up of moringa, marula, and baobab oils, is super lightweight but removes pretty much every trace of makeup. Thanks to the AHA fruit acids from grapefruit and sugar cane, it leaves skin glowing, too. It's paraben-, preservative- and chemical-free, and smells divine.
African Botanics Pure Marula Cleansing Oil, $60, available at African Botanics.
This hard-working daily cleanser boasts a blemish-fighting combination of willow bark (a natural source of salicylic acid), pink clay, and apricot-seed kernels to gently polish skin and leave it feeling repaired and refreshed.
Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser, $78, available at Tata Harper.
With 15 active ingredients all farm-grown and formulated on-site at the brand's Arizona HQ, this 100% natural, nature-derived blend contains rosehip seed and sea algae to aid cell renewal as you sleep, while peach extract and neroli flower soothe — the perfect cocktail for damaged skin.
Kypris Moonlight Catalyst, $77, available at Kypris.
Founded by biochemist Dr. Jürgen Klein and his wife Ulrike, a botanist, the aim of Jurlique (which is a combination of their first names) is to connect people with nature. After leaving their native Germany for South Australia's Adelaide Hills, the duo set up shop in 1985 and began growing potent ingredients for their products.
From growing seeds in hothouses and planting them in nutrient-rich soil, to picking them by hand once cultivated, you can trace each step a Jurlique ingredient takes. The brand is famous for its roses, and this rich, hydrating mask is a luxe Sunday evening treat.
Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Cream Mask, $42, available at Jurlique.
Everything changed for Farmacy co-founder Mark Veeder after he discovered a rare green-flowered plant in his garden in Sullivan County, NY, in 1999. "Green flowers in the plant world are extremely scarce, so it was a shock to find it," he said. After sending the flower to top horticultural labs for testing, results showed a new variety of echinacea, containing an even higher concentration of immune-boosting restorative properties. It's at the heart of the entire brand, including this oily yet lightweight melting balm, which removes every last bit of makeup and leaves skin silky smooth. It's perfect for the city-dweller as it tackles the effects of pollution — plus, ginger root oil gives skin a glowy boost.
Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm, $34, available at Farmacy.
Odacité founder Valerie Grandury's quest for cleaner skin care began during her fight with breast cancer, when she sought to remove harmful toxins from her life — and her skin care. Made with high-quality ingredients formulated in the brand's lab in California, this blemish-fighting serum penetrates deep into the pores, controlling the spread of bacteria with its antiseptic properties. It works as a preventative if a few drops are mixed into moisturizers daily, or can be rubbed onto problem areas as needed.
Odacité Bl+C Pimples Serum Concentrate (Black Cumin + Cajeput), $32, available at Nordstrom.
Neal's Yard has long been an advocate for transparency in beauty; one look at the company's website and you can trace the source of the majority of ingredients, from Kenyan-farmed tea tree essential oil to New Zealand beeswax. The majority of the brand's products are manufactured in an energy-efficient eco factory in Dorset, England, where they also grow their own herbs. In this face-polishing formula, antioxidant milk thistle and aloe vera are combined with exfoliating rose seed powder, leaving skin smooth, glowing and hydrated.
Neal's Yard Rehydrating Rose Facial Polish, $26, available at NYR Organic.
Makeup artist and skin-care enthusiast Arabella Preston created Votary out of her fascination with the skin-enhancing performance of certain natural oils and acids. Preston hand-blends every small-batch formula in the line, using traceable ingredients from all over Britain, like the soothing tamanu oil and salicylic acid in this life-saver of a blemish-fighter, which penetrates the top layer of skin to exfoliate and accelerate recovery from angry breakouts.
Votary Blemish Rescue Oil, $56, available at Votary.
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Tamara Harris may be the underdog in her New Jersey congressional race, but you wouldn't know that when talking with her. The family advocate and entrepreneur is high-energy as she describes what motivated her to run for office, how her background would help her serve the 11th District constituents, and why we need more women of color in positions of leadership — which makes it easy to nod along while she makes her case.
And if something was clear at the end of her interview with Refinery29, it was that her decision to run for office was more than an aspiration to her. For Harris, it is a duty.
"I became severely concerned for our democracy," she said. "What I realized is that if I didn't step up ... the foundations that underpin the advocacy that I care about so much would be under attack and greatly at risk."
Harris grew up seeing policy be enacted at the Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands and, years later, swapped a lucrative career in investment banking for advocacy, so she seems to truly believe what she says. Her path to becoming a candidate is similar to that of so many other women running for office in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election: She was fired up by Hillary Clinton's defeat and what she sees as the dangerous policies implemented by President Trump during his first year in office. But another crucial reason Harris decided to seek office was to show her daughters, aged 16 and 19, that women must have a seat at the table.
"Our daughters needed to see our strength," she said. "When we look at the State of the Union, where women were not mentioned even once, I don’t think I need to say anything else. As a woman, if you step into this space, you’re saying that women matter and women can lead."
The self-proclaimed "BAM" — businesswoman, advocate, mother — wants to replace Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, who was elected in 1994. The veteran Republican recently announced he won't seek reelection, and the Democratic party hopes that will give them a chance to flip the seat. According to the Cook Political Report, which rates congressional races, the election is still a "toss up" since President Trump narrowly won the district and then a year later Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy carried the seat. Other than Harris, four other candidates are in the Democratic primary.
Harris' path toward running for office has been a long time in the making. Born in St. Croix and raised in St. Thomas, as a little girl she constantly went to the office of her late father, who worked for a senator in the island. There, Harris got a taste of how policy was made and how it could impact people's everyday lives.
"One of the really special opportunities I had as a young girl growing up was sneaking into the legislative chambers," she said. "I remember as a nine- or 10-year-old watching 16 senators debate politics and create law."
But those experiences didn't led her directly to politics. Instead, Harris worked in international finance, at one point living in Hong Kong and Beijing, but after her first daughter was born, she switched careers. She went on to become a divorce coach, after going through her own high-stakes separation, and moonlighted as family advocate and college professor. Throughout it all, she was active behind the scenes organizing and supporting Democratic candidates at different levels — until she started thinking about running for office.
"Running is not this new thing that I sort of woke up and decided to do," she said. "It's really me moving from the background to the front line."
Harris threw her hat in the ring in August 2017. Most of her stances fall on the progressive side: retaining and improving the Affordable Care Act, supporting universal background checks on all gun purchases, defending women's right to choose, reforming the immigration system, and making higher education more accessible.
She was endorsed by Higher Heights for America, a group with the goal of electing more Black women to office. (The organization says Harris's background "uniquely prepared" her to serve in office.) But the road hasn't exactly been easy. For example, Harris doesn't have the backing of other groups that help women running for office. There's obvious frustration in her voice when she discusses the lack of institutional support for candidates of color, a grievance shared by many leaders across the country.
"When you look at places like New Jersey or some other states where you have a primary where a candidate is chosen, sometimes women of color — their voices will be silenced or they will be shut down early in a race," she said. "We deal with different dynamics politically, in terms of being supported by the party or system."
The New Jersey primary falls on June 5. And even though she's facing several obstacles, Harris said she is going all the way. It's obvious that she's not a quitter.
"A lot of times, as I tell people, we wait for permission to go on a mission," she said. "I don’t ask for permission."
2018 will see an unprecedented number of female candidates in ballots across the country. More than 500 women are currently running for the House, Senate, or governorships — and that's without taking into account the number of candidates vying for local and statewide seats. Refinery29 is committed to spotlight female candidates, but particularly women of color, who have risen up to the challenge to say: "It's our turn."
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Amo. I love. Not I love you, or I love myself, or I love it, just... I love. Saying it a few times feels like one of those cheesy exercises in positivity, like writing down three things you're grateful for before bed, but here's the thing: It kind of works.
If mantras aren't your thing, though, Salvatore Ferragamo has found a way to bottle the sentiment inside its just-launched fragrance, Amo. Hardly what you'd expect from the storied Italian fashion house, it smells like young, fun, party-girl spirit — which makes its face, model Suki Waterhouse, a no-brainer.
In the campaign video, shot by famed photographer Ellen von Unwerth, Waterhouse dances around Florence without a care in the world... Amo lighting up the party, Amo having men at my feet, Amo traveling. And, of course, she loves Amo, which she calls her perfect day scent. "It encompasses a really beautiful experience for me," she told Refinery29 back in September, at a Ferragamo fashion week party in Milan announcing the campaign. "It reminds me of the Italian way, the incredible flair and passion they have, of being a sexy woman... It makes me giggle."
"Giggly" might seem like a strange way to describe a scent, but surprisingly, it works. Amo strikes just the right balance between sharp and sweet; it hits you with an Italian bitter note and herb-y rosemary before introducing jasmine sambac and rhubarb, then settling down on the skin with a richer, warmer base of sandalwood, musk, and the star ingredient: white vanilla from Polynesia. As perfumer Marie Salamagne describes it, "It's luminous, it's audacious, it's happiness."
We sat down with Waterhouse after hours, as her party was in full swing, to talk falling in — and out — of love, Valentine's Day, and more.
What's your go-to first date look? "I always try not to look like I've made an effort in any way, which I find to be very effective. I'm obviously wearing makeup, but looking like I'm not wearing any — that old one. Honestly, all of the best outfits I wear usually aren’t for dates. I'll never put heels on for a date. All of the big looks are usually for work things or for when I go out with my friends."
What do you like to smell like? "At night, I like to be kind of natural. I think part of feeling romantic and sexy is feeling clean and well put together, so I don’t have to be really overdone but I have to feel like I've looked after myself. So smell goes into that. Nothing too strong, but kind of jasmine-toned or lavender."
What's your ideal Valentine's Day? "I think the most romantic thing is just not doing much. There's something very romantic about making a meal together and going to the supermarket together to get all the ingredients, it creates a really memorable day."
Have you had an especially bad Valentine's Day? "Breakups around Valentine's Day tend to happen quite a lot. Just being miserable and alone. I always feel like that happens."
Do you have a post-breakup beauty treatment you do? "I have a three-hour bath and eat a lot of cereal in the bath. I love making coffee grain and honey masks and covering my body with it to exfoliate. It's quite bad for cleaning up after."
Have you ever gotten a breakup haircut? "Yeah, pretty much every time I try and cut fringe. I've cut my own hair a lot of times in the mirror, just wanting to be different. It's incredibly dangerous."
How do you know when you're in love? "When I start looking up horoscopes. You can type in exact birthdates and find out compatibility."
Below, watch Waterhouse share her more of her favorite things behind the scenes of the Amo shoot.
Salvatore Ferragamo Amo eau de parfum, $120, available at Bloomingdale's.
Travel and expenses for the author were provided by Ferragamo for the purpose of writing this story.
After two men tookupskirt photosofGina Martin, she began a campaign to make it a sexual offense. Now, she’s teamed up with Refinery29 UK to tell the stories of women who have been upskirted, and encourage the government to #StopSkirtingTheIssue.
I remember as a 13-year-old my teachers checking the length of my skirts. As girls, we were made to wear them, and I was largely okay with it, apart from the fact that I desperately wanted to run and roll around at lunchtime just like the boys did. Skirts were to be worn modestly or 'decent,' as Mrs. Stanway would say, wagging her finger — and it soon became clear to me that skirts meant 'girl,' and trousers meant 'boy.' I had to wear one and — I realize now — it was up to me to alter my clothes in order to not be sexualized by someone else.
Growing up, I saw skirts everywhere. My teachers wore skirts; Olympians wore skirts; my favorite pop stars wore skirts. I was told, subconsciously and consciously, by every movie, song, book, and adult that wearing skirts was normal for me. It was pretty and feminine and it was my uniform.
Fast-forward to last summer and a man shoves his hand between my legs at a music festival and takes pictures of my vagina without me knowing. A good chunk of the responses I get from people I tell are, "You should have worn trousers." 13 year old me is confused. Thirteen years later, standing in a field in summer, by chance, next to a cretin of a man, and all of a sudden it was my fault. I should have worn trousers.
Over time, somehow, the skirt has become both a woman's uniform and her biggest sin: wear it and act like a lady, but suffer the consequences if you do. It's all a bit confusing, but so is its history.
The skirt was the second piece of clothing ever invented (before the dress), and was a hand-woven straw affair found in an Armenian cave in 3,000 BC. Skirts were worn by men and women back then — much as they are now — and were all about practicality. After the Middle Ages, clothes became a hallmark of importance: a floor-length, bulky skirt meant you were rich — especially if it was more than three meters in diameter around the bottom. Next, the flamboyant fashion of the Victorian era made its debut, with skirts being layered and bustles added in. Victorian women's fashion was about creating the 'ideal' bell shape and showing one's status, but, crucially, the amount of layers were to make it harder for them to be promiscuous. The hope was that it wouldn't be worth taking off five pieces of clothing, including a corset and a skirt cage — a sort of style-minded chastity belt had been invented. Pretty extreme, sure, but this was around the same time when showing your ankles made you a harlot and table legs were covered because they looked too much like the real deal. Allen Jones would be in exile.
Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images
In the '50s, a calf-length pleated number was the default. Skirts were all about femininity and creating curves while retaining your — you guessed it — modesty, but then Marilyn Monroe stood on top of a subway grid and we all lost our shit.
The birth of the miniskirt in the '60s brought some much needed rebellion and liberation. Fashion designer Mary Quant opened Bazaar on London's King's Road in 1955, and raised hemlines (and eyebrows) with a skirt she named after her favorite car — the mini. Cue Twiggymania and Jean Shrimpton, who turned up to the Melbourne Cup wearing a miniskirt and — gasp — no hat or gloves or stockings. The Swinging Sixties had arrived.
The miniskirt was considered a sort of peaceful protest and went hand-in-hand with the sexual liberation of women and the invention of the Pill. Many men weren't that happy with the mini, however, and although they liked seeing it on women they were unrelated to, they complained about their own wives and fiancés wearing it — yawn. Women had taken their sexuality, and bodies, into their own hands.
Photo by Leonard Burt/Central Press/Getty Images
Since the '60s, hem lines have gone up and down, sure, but the skirt has settled and become a staple. The height of your hem, is no longer a political or economic statement, but we have history with it. We have baggage. It's still wrongly assumed that wearing one is an attempt to convey a message: 'I'm attractive;' 'Look at me;' Hit on me;' the list goes on. The skirt has been through too much to simply be a piece of clothing, and, for some reason, women have been through too much to be able to wear it without comment.
In 2018, though, when clothes mean creativity and agency, the skirt can just be a skirt. It no longer has to be a statement. This highly gendered and sexualized garment is slowly getting there, but there’s some way to go. Until our attitudes about what it means to show our bodies change, and wearing a skirt becomes as wholesome as wearing a pair of jeans, ‘you should have worn trousers’ will still continuously be coughed up from the comment section.
The only way we can rid the skirt of its controversial history and enjoy the breezy, freedom of wearing one without any repercussions is by putting one on whenever and wherever we want — whoever we are. Maybe when we’ve done that enough, seeing a leg will become almost as benign as seeing an ankle.
You can sign the Care2 petition calling for upskirt photos to be made illegal under the Sexual Offences Act of 2003here.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call theRAINN Sexual Assault Hotlineat 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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After the longest January we can remember (who allowed a month to have five Mondays, am I right?), February is here. And with it, a whole new batch of books to curl up with while the sun still sets early, and the temperatures still hover a few degrees too low.
Book-lovers, you’re in luck. February holds gems from debut novelists, seasoned writers, and a memoirst whose story you won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Specifically, we’re talking about Tara Westover’s Educated, in which she recalls her childhood in an off-the-grid, very religious household, and how she pursued a PhD despite not having stepped into a classroom until she was 17. Two of February’s novels about college-aged women function as the perfect fictional follow-ups to Educated. In Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi, our highly intellectual protagonist goes on an international romp in pursuit of higher knowledge. And in Akwaeke Emezi’s stunning debut, Freshwater, a woman travels to America from Nigeria for college – and the spirits that live inside her mind awaken and come along with her.
So, without further ado, here are the books we’re excited for in February. Our official book club pick is An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.
The women and girls in Danielle Lazarin’s excellent short story collection don’t need you to tell them who they are. They know who they are — it’s the whole life and relationships stuff they haven’t quite figured out yet. There is a girl whose heart is stretched from mourning her mother, and falling in love. There is an unnamed teenager, caught between forces of masculine aggression. There are sisters whose mutual understanding verges on psychic. Lazarin’s trove of protagonists, ranging in age, circumstance, and city, will speak to a different part of you.
Out February 6
An American Marriage
By Tayari Jones
Read this book, sure — just prepare to fling it across the room in frustration, and in empathy, for the sheer difficulty of each main character’s situation. It’s a year into their marriage, and Celestial and Roy are still in that dreamy, young lovers phase when the future stretches boundlessly before them. Then, during an evening stay at a motel, Roy is wrongly accused of rape and later sentenced to 12 years in prison in Louisiana. While he’s locked up and in standstill, Celestial’s life keeps going: Her work as an artist takes off, and she sees her relationship with her old best friend in a new light. And then, Roy comes home, all ready to resume their life together. Can she? Debate freely at your next book club.
Out February 6
Call Me Zebra
By Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi
Bibi Abbas Abbas Hosseini, the protagonist of Call Me Zebra, is probably more similar to Don Quixote and Ignatius Reilly of A Confederacy of Dunces than she is to you and I. Partly, that’s because she stems from a family that prizes knowledge of literature above all other practical skills. And it’s partly because her life is a picaresque adventure on par with some of the greats in literature, weaving in dark family tragedy (she’s orphaned by the time she’s 23) with international globetrotting and grand acts of romantic pursuit. Call Me Zebra is a novel in the best sense of the word. It’s filtered entirely through an idiosyncratic mind, who thinks in sentences that are sharp and smart and utterly ridiculous.
Out February 6
Force of Nature
By Jane Harper
If you’re the kind of person who relishes gossiping about coworkers, then Force of Nature will appeal to you in some deep, primal way. The entire book is essentially coworker drama — mixed in with a dramatic disappearance in the Australian bush. A randomly selected group of employees sets off on a corporate wilderness retreat far outside of Melbourne. The female group returns hours later, and without Alice Martin. Flipping between the perspective of police agent Aaron Falk and the actual events of the trip, Harper will keep readers taut from endless cliffhangers. Force of Nature is the kind of crime novel that will appeal to everyone.
Out February 6
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death
By Maggie O’Farrell
In this memoir, Maggie O’Farrell catalogues in undramatic, even-keeled prose, her 17 distinct brushes with death. There was an encounter with a serial killer in an abandoned town in Scotland, and the time she jumped off a coastal cliff as a teenager, and 15 more close calls. While the memoir is stark in its subject matter, its effect is just the opposite. It makes you realize the preciousness of life. The value in each passing second that is yours. This memoir will change your perception of life.
Out February 6
Asymmetry
By Lisa Halliday
A young woman having an unexpected, surprisingly tender affair with an older, Pulitzer Prize-winning author in New York, soon after 9/11. An Iraqi-American man detained at an airport in 2008. An interview between a luminary thinker nearing the end of his life. In her stunning debut novel, Lisa Halliday places three storylines in close proximity, leading to fascinating contrasts. After reading only a few sentences of her intelligent prose (and that dialogue!), you’ll be itching for her next novel, whenever it should come.
Out February 6
Feel Free
By Zadie Smith
General tip: When Zadie Smith publishes something, read it. Feel Free is Smith’s take on contemporary culture. In this essay collection, she applies her wit and incisive perspective to creators, like Beyonce and Joni Mitchell, places, like Manhattan and London, and phenomena, like rap music and British politics. You’ll come away from the book feeling like you understand the world just a little bit more.
Out February 6
She Regrets Nothing
By Andrea Dunlop
At her mother's funeral, Laila discovers the existence of a glitzy, breezy world of wealth – and that she's related to it. Laila's three cousins, Liberty, Leo, and Nora Lawrence, show up at the funeral to meet their long-lost cousin, separated after a family rift. Now that nothing's tying Laila to her Michigan home, she decides to try her hand at social climbing the Manhattan ladder. Throughout She Regrets Nothing, you (along with the Lawrence cousins) are never sure whether you trust Laila or not, and that's part of the fun. She Regrets Nothing is the love child of Gossip Girl and Crazy Rich Asians, plus the social climbing of a Gatsby party.
Out February 6
The Great Alone
By Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah's gripping WWII novel, The Nightingale, taught us the lesson that when it comes to her novels, we should prepare to stay up all night reading. In The Great Alone, Hannah's intrepid heroines are Leni and Cora Allbright, who move to Alaska at the whim of Allbright patriarch, Ernst. Nobody is prepared for the harsh Alaska winter, least of all Ernst. His mind is fracturing, just at the moment that life has become the most inhospitable. Leni and Cora are on their own.
Out February 6
White Houses
By Amy Bloom
If this political climate has you down, then delving into the story of history’s most notable women, Eleanor Roosevelt, may prove a helpful buoy. In White Houses, you’ll encounter a different side of the renowned first lady. The historical fiction novel is narrated from the perspective of Lorena Hickok, Roosevelt’s long-time friend and lover. By page three, Roosevelt is stripped down to her stockings. White Houses is part love story, part portrait of two remarkable women, and so completely vivid you’ll think you’re living through it.
Out February 13
Freshwater
By Akwaeke Emezi
If I were Akwaeke Emezi, I’d be clicking my heels together in glee, because this debut novel is truly extraordinary. Freshwater has two narrators: Ada, a young woman from Nigeria, and the trio of ogbanje gods that live inside Ada. After Ada leaves Nigeria to attend school in Virginia, the spirits take more significant control of their host body’s consciousness. To the outside world, Ada is troubled, mentally ill. But in Ada’s mind, she’s chosen. In this imaginative debut, Emezi shirks the conventional narrative of mental illness and creates something new entirely.
Out February 13
Educated
By Tara Westover
Fans of The Glass Castle and Wild will find a new inspiring heroine in Tara Westover, the author of this fascinating memoir. To say Westover grew up unconventionally would be a massive understatement. Westover and her six older siblings lived entirely off the grid in the mountains of Idaho. Her father, a devout Mormon, didn’t believe in conventional schooling or government aid, so Tara was 17 the first time she was in a classroom. And yet: Tara, propelled forward by some inner hunger, educated herself, went to college, and then received a PhD from Cambridge. This gripping coming-of-age story shows a woman’s world being opened through education.
Out February 20
All the Names They Used for God
By Anjali Sachdeva
Are you ever-so-slightly bitter that you, an adult, are supposed to have outgrown fairy tales by now? Don’t worry — thanks to Sachdeva’s debut short story collection, you can have fairy tales for grown-ups. The stories in All the Names They Used For God are myths told in spare, but effective, sentences. Even if they’re set in the modern day, each imagines a world in which the possibility for magic isn’t entirely ruled out.
Out February 20
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If you're anything like us, you keep a close eye on Rihanna's beauty looks — not just for creative inspiration, but also in order to get a first glimpse at future Fenty Beauty launches. Now, people think one of the global-superstar-turned-beauty-boss' two Grammys looks could be a clue into the next drop from the brand.
As Allurepointed out this week, Rihanna worked two looks throughout the evening. The first was burgundy-hued glam, created by the company's makeup artist Priscilla Ono, who used Match Stix in Mocha and Espresso on the musician's eyes, and Mattemoiselle in Shawty and Glossbomb on her lips.
The second was a dramatic transformation, suited to the heat she brought in her Adam Selman sparkly fuchsia fringed dress while performing 'Wild Thoughts' with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller. Whether she was paying homage to Pantone's color of the year, Ultraviole t, or not, her eyelids were awash with a rich purple shadow. Her lips, too, were transformed with an iridescent copper gloss.
While Ono offered the product list for look one on her Instagram account, she gave away no details of the products used to create the bold colors in look two, which Riri wore to the Grammys afterparty at New York City's 1-Oak nightclub. And this is where the guessing games begin. Rihanna has been known to showcase Fenty products several months before they officially launch. Back in December, she wore One of the Boyz, the lilac Mattemoiselle lip shade, four days before the lipsticks launched.
With no eyeshadows in the brand's main line – only in the sparkle-laden Galaxy collection palette, which dropped before the holidays – could this Grammys beauty look be the first tease of Fenty eye color? If so, it's no surprise the shades will be wild and pigmented. We can only wait in anticipation that Rihanna keeps expanding her brand offering.
It's time to leave 2017's bad beauty decisions in the past and look toward a better future. After all, with a new slate comes new opportunities: You can finally start that YouTube channel you've been dreaming about, wear the blue lipstick you've been eyeing, or get a completely different haircut. And with the latter, who better to look to for inspiration than celebs like Beyoncé, Halsey, and Selena Gomez?
We may only be a few days into January, but a few of our favorite stars have already debuted some shocking hair transformations. Gone are the days of subtle layers and quick trims — if you're ready to make a drastic change in 2018, you'll want to see these looks. Ahead, check out Beyoncé's curly bob, Halsey's Marilyn Monroe-inspired pixie, and Gomez's first hair change since going blond a few months ago — and more.
The sci-fi bob dominated salons and Instagram feeds from all over the world last year. Now, Beyoncé is here to reinvent the trend — because, of course. Pairing her blunt ends with plenty of volume and texture, we think we just found this year's new reigning bob.
Photo: Courtesy of Beyonce.com.
Halsey has always been a beauty chameleon, and has yet to meet a texture or color she won't try. But to ring in the new year, the 23-year-old ditched her most recent braided style for something much more 1950s — and platinum to boot.
Kris Jenner has dipped her toe in the platinum pool before, but this time it's for real. In October, everyone's favorite Momager followed in daughter Kim Kardashian West's footsteps and went blond. Now, it looks like the "new year, new me" bug bit Jenner too — just in time for celebrity hairstylist and bleach guru Chris Appleton to take her back to the bright side.
It's official: Daisy Ridley is no longer walking on the dark side... of the hair spectrum. Yes, the former brunette has revived our favorite color trend of the summer (one that we sorely missed, might we add) with this buttery new hue.
Photo: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images.
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Here comes the bride, all dressed in white...Keds? Yep, Kate Spade New York is teaming up with Keds to create the ultimate in comfortable wedding day shoes that will still work with the look you spent hours creating via your Lauren Conrad-worthy Pinterest boards.
“The Keds x Kate Spade New York wedding collection is the perfect union of ease and glamour for everything from the bridal shower to bridesmaids’ gifts to walking down the aisle to happily ever after,” Keds said in a press release. “Equal parts glamour and comfort, these styles are a must for brides-to-be!”
The collection comes in a variety of colors beyond white, including red, rose gold, silver, and even black, and is offered in three different shoe silhouettes. And in case you aren’t convinced that wearing sneakers on your wedding day is an actual trend, see Serena Williams for proof. The tennis star wore a pair of Nike Cortez sneakers covered in gold and silver crystals down the aisle when she married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in December. And we have to say: We like her line of thinking. Because if you start the evening off in a cool pair of kicks, you don’t have to worry about changing your shoes mid-party.
As Keds’ product line manager puts it, “there’s no better way to walk down the aisle than in these elegant sneakers: height without the heel, dance-all-night comfort, plus versatile style so you can keep wearing them well after the big day.” And we couldn't agree more.
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After my six-year marriage ended abruptly, I went through all the post-divorce rituals: wallowing, getting a makeover, reading every self-help book. There was plenty of soul-searching and trying new hobbies like rock climbing and swing dancing in there, too.
When I decided to finally start dating again, I was living in a new city 700 miles from everything that reminded me of my 20s and my marriage. It was time to get back out there.
Truthfully, dating after divorce isn’t always easy. Finding the confidence to try again can be hard, but it's also exhilarating, fun, and even emotionally rewarding — something that's explored by Sarah Jessica Parker's character Frances in the second season of HBO's Divorce, airing Sundays at 10 p.m. EST. Ahead, five things I learned about dating after a divorce.
It’s normal to be nervous, but don’t forget to be excited.
I was admittedly terrified as I headed to meet my first first date in 12 years. Would everything about dating be different this time around? Would I compare him to my ex? Was I even really ready for a relationship?
The date went fine. I had no interest in a second date with him, but the experience and everything that accompanied it — the butterflies, the flirting, getting to know someone new — reminded me that I was opening myself up to the thrills that come with the early stages of a new relationship, and that was something to look forward to.
Courtesy of HBO
Dating, like any skill, takes practice.
When I first started dating again, I envisioned easily meeting someone in the grocery-store checkout line, at the gym, or out with friends. I didn’t realize how different things would be a decade after I first started dating my ex-husband. With dating apps, I found that “connections” came fairly quickly but often fell flat in real life.
But with practice, I began to spot red flags earlier on, saving myself time and emotional energy. A few months into my dating experiment, it was easy to recognize if a virtual interaction would turn into a real-life encounter. I learned to date in a smarter way.
Courtesy of HBO
It’s up to you to decide what you want to reveal and when.
Figuring out when to drop the “divorcée” bomb was one of the most daunting parts of dating again.
“Wait, how long were you married for?” a date once asked as we dug into each other’s backstories over pizza. It was our second meet-up, and I had casually slipped “when I was married” into a story as a way of breaking the news. At first, I was worried that the date would turn too serious too fast, but he asked a few more postmortem questions and we moved on to other conversations. That was it.
The more dates I went on, the clearer it became — there is no formula for when to let someone in on your relationship history. Sometimes I told dates right out of the gate, nonchalantly. Other times I waited and let them get to know me label-free. I learned to share that information when it felt right. Being divorced didn’t define me.
Courtesy of HBO
You are going to get ghosted. Don’t take it personally.
“Ghosting” wasn’t a social norm in my previous dating life, but it’s par for the course today. Never hearing from someone again was a shock in the beginning — especially if it was after a first date that went seemingly well. But I learned that it was an inevitable part of the dating process — it doesn’t happen with everyone, and I shouldn’t take it personally when it does.
Courtesy of HBO
Don’t be afraid to break your own rules.
Divorce sucks, and it’s easy to put up barriers to prevent getting hurt again: not texting someone first after a date, not opening up early on, not getting your hopes up, not stepping outside your comfort zone. But the key to dating after divorce is making sure you put yourself out there and don’t close yourself off to potentially great people and experiences.
Exactly one year after I made my resolution to start dating again, I flew to another state to ring in the new year with a potential love interest I met through mutual friends. I had been down the long-distance-relationship road before with my ex and swore I’d never do it again. But taking that risk and breaking my own rule ended up being a great decision. I found the courage to put myself out there. I learned to be confident again. I finally stopped looking back. And most importantly, I opened myself up to love again.
Courtesy of HBO
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With only two days until Super Bowl LII airs, it makes sense that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have been the topic of countless headlines. (Even the little things, like a video of the athlete kissing his 11-year-old son, have people asking a lot of questions.) But one of our favorite pieces of news comes from the model, who just posted a masterfully shot cover of the latest issue of Vogue Italia — and it's as angelic as you'd expect.
Once upon a time, catching celebrities without makeup in public was a big deal (we're glad that fad had ended). The moment Alicia Keys announced she was ridding her lifestyle of the stuff once and for all, it started a no-makeup movement. Soon, Mila Kunis was appearing on the cover of Glamour magazine bare-faced and fancy free. Stars were posting endless no-makeup selfies on Instagram. So seeing Bündchen, the second-highest paid model in the world, without a stitch of foundation or mascara isn't revolutionary. If anything, it's just perfect timing.
Only Bündchen appearing on the cover of one of the top fashion magazines in the world could distract us from the heat that comes when a Super Bowl win is on the line. Because the only thing some people like more than shit-talking Brady is loving his wife and her low-maintenance beauty routine.
Sports aside, this photoshoot also marks the first time in history that the magazine has published a makeup-free cover. It's a big deal — big enough to halt all conversations of whether or not kissing your child on the lips is acceptable and instead spend the rest of our Friday afternoon wondering how someone could look so beautiful in natural light.
They're a pair of Black women that describe attractive men as "hot peen" and encourage white folks to join them in using cocoa butter to battle their ashiness. And now, they're headlining an HBO comedy series.
In 2016, Broad City alum Phoebe Robinson and Daily Show veteran Jessica Williams joined forces to debut their podcast 2 Dope Queens. After two seasons and dozens of live Brooklyn tapings of the friends riffing on everything from work to love to life's daily annoyances — also featuring a tribe of Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ stand-up comedians — HBO tapped the duo to turn their hilarious show into a four-night special.
The late-night series will feature special guests like Williams' former Daily Show colleague Jon Stewart, as well as The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Tituss Burgess, Orange Is The New Black 's Uzo Aduba, and fellow HBO'er Sarah Jessica Parker for a hair-themed episode. (For that one, Robinson and Williams brought out breakfast for themselves and the audience so that everyone could have the pleasure of saying they'd brunched with SJP herself.)
But despite the big names, fans of the original 2DQ need not worry about the show straying too far from its roots. "The HBO special will be the same old us," Williams says. "We just got, like, a major hair and makeup budget. Hair and makeup makes everything fucking awesome!"
Read more from our chat with the headliners below.
2 Dope Queens is known not just for being one of iTunes' most popular podcasts, but also one of the most inclusive. How did it become an HBO special? Phoebe Robinson: "You know, it was because every night we were crushing, just body surfing out the building after our tapings! No, I'm just kidding. We met in July 2014 and really hit it off, and then we started the podcast in 2016, and we just kept going. We had a string of really good shows featuring some really awesome comics, so I was like, 'Jessica, I think this is a TV show!' We wanted more people to know about 2 Dope Queens. And she totally agreed with me, so we circled it to everyone on our teams and decided to pitch it to HBO. At first we tried to add all these extra elements to jazz it up, because we thought what we had on the podcast wasn't enough for television. But in the end HBO didn't want us to change a thing because we had already honed our voices over the years. So it's really great."
Why do you think 2 Dope Queens resonates with so many people? Jessica Williams: "Some of the best compliments we get is when a woman on the street is like, ' 2 Dope Queens is just like me when I'm with my friends!' That's dream feedback. We try to make sure we enjoy each other — like, sometimes Phoebe will call me to tell me something that happened to her and I'm like, 'No! Save it for the show!' so we have those real reactions and energy on stage. I think people respond to that honesty and authenticity, and the fact that we always bring on celebrity guests and comics who are people of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community. We're including everyone."
PR: "There's an audience of people who sound like Jessica and I and look like Jessica and I, people who truly enjoy fun comedy and funny banter between two Black women. And that's not always shown in media. You often see Black women portrayed on TV as working hard; women who are tough and serious, but just like Issa Rae is also showing the world, there are Black women who are dorky, and silly, and goofy, who fall in love and have all of these complicated layers. All people are fully dimensional. So even if you don't look or sound like us, you've also experienced crappy customer service or a really bad date, so you can relate."
"If this was maybe 30 years ago, it would just be Issa Rae, and networks would have to say 'Sorry, Phoebe and Jessica, we already have Issa, so we don't need you.' But now there’s enough room at the table for everyone."
It seems like Black women are finally having a moment in popular culture right now. Do you feel like 2 Dope Queens is a part of that? PR: "I don't want be like 'I feel like we're changing the tide!' But I do have to acknowledge that this is one of the first-ever podcasts that has made its way to TV in a comedy space, and headed by two Black women at that, so I have to recognize that we are part of the conversation now. I think it’s just cool that there are so many different kinds of Black women who are able to have the spotlight now. If this was maybe 30 years ago, it would just be Issa Rae, and networks would have to say 'Sorry, Phoebe and Jessica, we already have Issa, so we don't need you.' But now there’s enough room at the table for everyone."
JW: "We are absolutely part of this moment, simply because we are Black women. We try to make sure we bring that personal magic to everything we do, whether its 2 Dope Queens or my new Showtime comedy series that I'm working on. I think adding to the Black girl magic out there is inherent, because that is us. So hopefully no matter what we do, we are bringing that wherever we go because of who we are."
We're talking a lot about #MeToo and Time's Up in the entertainment industry right now. Is sexual harassment or abuse of power something you've witnessed firsthand in the comedy space? PR: "Yes, and it's in every sort of work environment. But yes, we've seen certain people I won't mention in comedy who are now dealing with their own bad behavior coming to light. I think what's good now is that people are no longer afraid to call that behavior out. I think for the most part, people were scared of losing their jobs. But now men know if you misbehave, you will lose your job. Every industry is realizing it can't just be a bunch of guys protecting each other; that's not gonna fly anymore. And now we have women in charge. Abbi [Jacobson] and Ilana [Glazer] are at the head of Broad City, Issa Rae is running Insecure, Mindy Kaling was doing The Mindy Project. There are more women in positions of power who can set the tone. Even Jessica and I producing this special lets everyone know that there are new sheriffs in town, and everyone's gonna be respectful. If not, you’re not gonna work here."
Photo: Mindy Tucker/HBO.
The solution everyone keeps offering to getting more women in the entertainment industry seems to be a vague "let's hire more women." But how do we do that? JW: "We created these specials and produced them with Amy Aniobi, who's a writer on Insecure, as our head writer, and the comedy legend Tig Notaro as director. We had to actively try to make sure that we had really awesome strong powerful women and members of the LGBTQ+ community involved in making these specials. Not to say 'Oh, we’re the best and doing it correctly,' but I do think we've shown by example that a lot of it is purposefully fostering positive and inclusive work environments. And even just on the podcast, every single episode had to feature a queer person or person of color as a guest. We wanted to show that we're not all minorities anymore; we can be the stars in our own narratives."
PR: "I think people need to stop being lazy. Theres no other way to put it. And stop thinking about hiring a person of color or queer person as a favor or act of charity. There are so many worthy and talented people out there, so anyone in a position of power needs to re-imagine their cookie cutter format or mold and re-examine who they think is 'worthy' to begin with."
What's next for both of you? JW: "Well, we're rolling these episodes out. And I just wrapped up working on the Fantastic Beasts sequel, and I'm going to shoot a movie I'm excited about in four months. I'm also executive producing my own show on Showtime, which I'm so excited about. Other than that I really want to learn the electric guitar. So yeah, I'm working, still playing the Sims video game, and living my best life."
PR: "The podcast is on hiatus for now because we’re both so busy! I'm trying to finish my second book Everything's Trash But It's Okay which comes out in October. And then I have a movie on Netflix called Ibiza that's coming out in May with Gillian Jacobs and Vanessa Bayer. And I may do a book slash standup tour? Who knows! We're both very busy. But would we love to do more HBO specials? Absolutely. If they’re game, we're super game."
What is the impact you hope 2 Dope Queens will have, five or 10 years from now? JW: "I hope people will say 'Oh wow, I wasn't even a big stand-up fan but that show introduced me to super funny comedians like Michelle Buteau and Naomi Ekperigin.' And hopefully those people will want to watch our episodes over and over again. With a glass of rosé and their fancy cocoa butter on their feet, propped up, relaxing and enjoying this world we worked really hard to build."
2 Dope Queens debuts on HBO Friday, February 2 at 11:30 p.m., with the following three episodes airing on February 9, February 16, and February 23.
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Any avid people-watcher knows that there are no better people to watch than people that are on a date. First dates are best (particularly those coordinated after weeks of back-and-forth Bumble banter) and third dates have the highest stakes (will they or won't they leave in a taxi together?), but any date will do, really. And once you've witnessed enough of them, you'll also find evidence to support this: There is no such thing as "date-night beauty."
For years, magazines and makeup companies have tried to sell the concept of date-night beauty as one particular thing. Some say it's red lipstick, a shade that alludes to inner strength and sex appeal; others tell you to skip the color and go straight for gloss — more kissable, less likely to stain a beautiful stranger's shirt. Some say slicked-back hair, for those dangerously sexy Sharon Stone-in- Basic Instinct vibes; others insist it's all about loose, tousled Victoria's Secret waves, assuming you are trying to trick your date into believing you are a Victoria's Secret model.
So what is date-night beauty? What is the difference between this type of beauty and any other hair and makeup you'd wear while not on a date? It's everything and nothing, and anything you want it to be. Hell, date-night makeup could even be no makeup, or at least the appearance of it: As model Suki Waterhouse told us recently, "I always try not to look like I've made an effort in any way, which I find to be very effective."
And really, effective is the only thing that date-night beauty should be. Just get the job done — whether that means securing plans for Valentine's Day or cutting the night short to go home and watch The Bachelor and eat chips on your couch.
At Refinery29, we have one rule about makeup: There are none. You do you, however and whatever that may be. Foundation diehard? Allow us to direct you to our favorite ones. More the fiercely fresh-faced type? Here's the skin-care routine that will make your visage glow. We don't ascribe to the mainstream narrative that either one is better, or braver (our least favorite word) than the other.
That said, we've noticed a recent uptick in celebrities who have been jumping on the no-makeup train — currently led by the patron saint of cosmetics-free complexions, Alicia Keys. Our most recent discovery? Superhuman Gal Gadot, bringing new meaning to barefaced beauty. But that's not to say all of Hollywood is throwing its eyeshadows to the curb. Plenty of celebs still sport bold beauty looks on occasion, and also have their moments of free-facing it. Not only does it keep us guessing, it also shows us all the ways we can use beauty to enhance or highlight our features.
Ahead, check out some of our favorite celebs with and without makeup. It's not brave, it's not a reason to gossip, it's not revolutionary — it's just makeup.
To the surprise of no one, Wonder Woman is just as powerful without her concealer as she is with her lasso.
Leighton Meester Historically speaking, Meester has never been one to get as glammed up as the characters she plays on TV — but that doesn't mean she doesn't know when to bring the bold.
Photo: Mireya Acierto/Getty Images.
If anyone could convince you to forego the foundation today, it's her. That's what we call a glow.
Nathalie Emmanuel This Game of Thrones actress is often the focus of our bold lip infatuation — and when she pairs hers with a bold set of eyebrows, she can do no wrong.
Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.
Getting a glimpse at Emmanuel without a stitch of Westeros makeup is rare, but the sight has triggered the sudden urge to hunt down her dermatologist. Can you blame us?
Tyra Banks It's safe to say Banks is pretty familiar with makeup — she even has her own cosmetics line, called Tyra Beauty — and has perfected countless looks throughout her career as a model, businesswoman, and TV host.
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.
One thing's for certain: Her signature smize isn't going anywhere, makeup or no makeup. While on vacation in Cape Cod, Banks shared a shot of bare skin, beachy curls, and a smirk.
@tyrabanks
Julianne Hough The dancer-slash-actress-slash-singer is known for her barefaced selfies almost as much as she is for her glam red carpet looks — and she looks equally flawless in both.
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.
Hough's recent Honeymoon with husband Brooks Laich isn't the only thing worth swooning over — her sun-kissed skin, DGAF ponytail, and bold brows are #goals, too.
@juleshough
Jennifer Lopez Over the years, Jenny from the block has perfected the red carpet formula: chiseled cheekbones, smoky eyes, and a polished manicure.
Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic.
But in her most recent Instagram video, J. Lo showed off a dewy, bare complexion with fierce brows — and it's just as good.
Yesterday, the star posted a no-makeup selfie and our jaws dropped. Those freckles! Is it just us or have they been hidden on every red carpet? Either way, we love 'em.
Photo: Via @gabunion/Instagram.
Sofia Vergara The actress is known for going all-out on the red carpet. Barrel curls, bold lips, false lashes — the Modern Family star has done it all.
Photo: Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock.
But Vergara isn't afraid to show her bare face to the world — even if she's home sick with a fever. The star may have been under the weather when this selfie was taken, but she still looks radiant as ever. Life's just not fair.
Underneath the veil of coverage the star usually wears to events, she's got the cutest smattering of freckles.
Madonna Whether or not you grew up watching her "Material Girl" music video, you're probably still well-aware that she is known for her makeup theatrics — both on and offstage.
Photo: James Gourley/REX/Shutterstock.
The braids, the sunlight, and fresh face — all of it has us doing a double take. Is that Mother of Dragons or Madonna? Either way, she looks good.
Heidi Klum The model, who loves to express herself with makeup, posted a side-by-side selfie yesterday to show her fans her gorgeously bare pre-Grammys face (seriously, how can we get that glow?) versus her red carpet-ready smoky eye and pink flush.
Photo via Instagram/@heidiklum
Adriana Lima For 17 years (!) we've been amazed by this Victoria's Secret Angel's beauty looks — both on the runway and off — and have a feeling that sentiment will hold true for years to come.
Photo: Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images.
We've seen Lima boxing sans makeup all the time, but her this snap of her celebrating the holidays back home in Brazil feels extra-low key.
Photo: Via @adrianalima/Instagram.
Kesha Throughout her singing career, she has made a name for herself as a boundary-pushing beauty icon (especially when it comes to glitter. Kesha loves glitter).
Photo: JB Lacroix/Getty Images.
But underneath all the shimmer, Kesha has the prettiest set of freckles we never knew existed.
Photo: Via @iiswhoiis/Instagram.
Alicia Keys Keys has worn some glam makeup looks throughout her career — like this one. But this summer, she publicly declared that she was done with makeup. "I don’t want to cover up anymore," she said. "Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing."
Photo: Lars Niki/Corbis/Getty Images.
The singer has stayed true to her word, rocking only a messy topknot and bare (and glowing, we might add) skin since then.
Photo: C Flanigan/FilmMagic.
Gwyneth Paltrow A Hollywood veteran — with an acting career that spans more than two decades — Paltrow is no stranger to the makeup chair. In her daily life, she usually opts for a natural, bronze-y look.
Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images.
In celebration of her 44th birthday, the actress recently uploaded this #nomakeupselfie to Instagram. She told us she's been inspired by the no-makeup movement, saying that she likes the message behind it: This is me. This is what I look like. This is where I am in time, and I embrace it.
Photo: Via @gwynethpaltrow/Instagram.
Kim Kardashian Ah, the queen of contour. Between the K-clan's line of hair and makeup products and her countless headline-garnering looks, Kardashian has certainly made a name for herself in the beauty biz. Further proof she's a makeup wiz: She recently livestreamed her entire a.m. routine — which included a casual 25 products.
Photo: Michael Stewart/WireImage.
That's why, when Kardashian stepped out for the Balenciaga fashion show in Paris without a stitch of makeup on, the entire internet sort of lost it.
Photo: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images.
Gabrielle Union Let's be real: Gabrielle Union first stole our hearts as the fearless head cheerleader in Bring It On. Since then, she's inspired us time after time with her bold, beautiful red carpet looks.
Photo: J. Countess/Getty Images.
Though Union is known for snapchatting makeup-free selfies often, her latest video gave a nod to fellow fresh-faced star Alicia Keys. In it, she said, "No makeup, head wrap, hey, Alicia Keys, I see you!"
Photo: Via @gabunionwade/Snapchat.
Chrissy Teigen She's our long-standing favorite person to follow on Twitter (although, as of this week, her account is private), and we love the model's unfiltered approach to everything in life — her beauty routine included.
Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images.
In quite possibly the cutest picture to ever grace the World Wide Web, Teigen shared this moment with baby Luna — with matching baby-soft, makeup-free skin to boot.
Photo: Via @chrissyteigen/Instagram.
Laverne Cox When it comes to beauty, Cox is our hero. (And not just because she slays a red carpet like no other.)
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
In an Instagram post, she wrote: "As an actress and a woman, I love being able to transform, to switch up my look when I want to with wigs, weaves, and bundles aplenty. I love this, too. It's about choices and options." Amen.
Photo: @lavernecox/Instagram.
Zendaya In the last two years, the singer, actress, and dancer has won over our hearts with her willingness to take beauty risks — including doing her own makeup for red carpet events.
Photo: Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan.
What's even cooler, though, is how she strips down from the glam — and claps back at haters who, well, hate. When user @JaeBasstv recently tweeted that he was "hurt" by how different Zendaya looks without makeup, she quickly responded with a flawless makeup-free selfie, saying, "Terrifying honestly..."
Photo: @Zendaya/Twitter.
Amy Schumer America's favorite funny girl isn't afraid to have real beauty conversations — in her own comedic way. To wit: her brilliant music video "Girl, You Don't Need Makeup."
Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage.
And she doesn't — and neither does anybody else.
Photo: Via @amyschumer/Instagram.
Kylie Jenner Known for her statement-making beauty looks (like countless hair and lip transformations), Jenner has quickly become the face of glamazon makeup.
Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images.
In an Instagram post, a fresh-faced Jenner revealed her bare skin — adorable freckles and all — proving that she is just as beautiful sans contour.
Photo: Via @kyliejenner/Instagram.
Beyoncé In terms of hair and makeup (and, actually, everything else, ever), Queen B can do no wrong. Even other celebrities geek out in her presence, so we'll just leave it at that.
Photo: David Becker/Getty Images.
Okay, okay, technically Bey is wearing some makeup here, but she did ditch all her other products — mascara, eyeliner, shadow — for a super-striking look that lets her gorgeous skin shine. We're calling it the Beyoncé-fied no-makeup selfie. And we are here for it.
Photo: Via @beyonce/Instagram.
Adele The singer is as known for her signature cat-eye as she is for her gut-wrenching lyrics and a voice that could make angels cry.
Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage.
But Adele recently ditched the statement eyeliner — and all other makeup — in a series of barefaced snaps posted to Instagram. And we dug it, big time.
She snapped her own #wokeuplikethis moment recently, and now we just have one question: What moisturizer do you use, girl?
Photo: @gwenstefani/Instagram.
Eva Longoria For years, the actress has made her mark in the world of beauty, from her contract with L'Oréal to her Instagram makeup tutorials.
Photo: David Becker/Getty Images.
But when she's out with friends — like in this snap — she's down to rock a bare face, too.
Photo: Via @evalongoria/Instagram.
Rihanna RiRi knows a thing or two about beauty. Not only does she experiment with every look imaginable — from pink hair to bold lips — she's also coming out with her very own cosmetics line, called Fenty.
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
But when she's on vacation, her makeup goes on vacation too. (Can we transport ourselves there now, please?)
Photo: Via @badgalriri/Instagram.
Cara Delevingne The model is known for her bold-and-not-sorry-'bout-it brows — triggering one hell of a movement that's been going strong for years. And often, she likes to accentuate those brows with bold, cool shadow looks.
Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage.
But if she weren't a model and actress whose job required spending hours in a makeup chair, Delevingne says, "If I had a choice, I wouldn't wear makeup and I would just jump around in pyjamas all day."
Photo: Via @caradelevingne/Instagram.
Katie Holmes
She is someone who always exudes natural beauty — and her makeup and fashion choices often give off that girl-next-door vibe, whether she's dolled up or dressed down.
Photo: Paul Bruinooge/Getty Images.
If her latest Instagram posts within the past few weeks are any indication, we'd guess that Holmes isn't afraid of a bare-faced selfie. And people are loving it: One user wrote, "More beautiful without makeup – you cannot improve already-genuine beauty."
Photo: Via @katieholmes212/Instagram.
Ashley Graham
The industry-shifting model once said to us, "Sexy is a state of mind" — and her oft-changing hair and makeup looks prove you can also be sexy plenty different ways.
Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images.
...And that includes an au naturale look. Here, Graham shows off her makeup-free visage (and killer cheekbones) while on vacay.
Photo: Via @theashleygraham/Instagram.
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What's trendy and cute isn't always what's warm and practical for winter — this is a rule we know all too well. And far too often, we end up choosing the former over the latter. But even though it takes just a little bit more effort in the hunt, it is possible to check both the technical and on-trend boxes. So, we're tapping Tictail to help us find the best pieces since unfortunately, the season is far from over.
A native of the East Coast, Tictail's Rachel Fletcher is no stranger to the harsh cold or NYC’s always unpredictable winter weather. When Rachel started working at Tictail, however, her aptitude for surviving (and stylishly thriving!) in the cold increased tenfold. As Senior Retention Marketing Manager, she makes frequent trips to the company’s office in Stockholm, a city known for its dark and seemingly extra-long winters.
Now, several years since her very first trip to Sweden, with many winters under her belt, Rachel’s expertly stocked cold-weather wardrobe has earned her the recognition among her coworkers as the queen of all things cozy — so who better to turn to for a few pointers on the best winter buys this season? Because let’s face it, we still have two more months of winter ahead of us. Might as well weather the cold looking cute.
"Layers on layers on layers. Siizu makes the best sweaters that are the ultimate in practical winter dressing."
"I’m all about cute + functional—but I definitely skew toward functional. If a garment can cover my head, my neck, and my knees and still look cool, it’s pretty much a guaranteed purchase."
"Two reasons to buy these boots: 1. Winter whites are seriously underrated. 2. These boots are 100% leather, handmade in Portugal, and cost less than $100. (Okay that’s, like, five reasons!)"
One day, when I finally publish my memoirs of my time as a beauty journalist (working title: Will There Be Food At This Press Launch, Or Just Canapés?), I will dedicate whole swaths of the book to the most egregious products in the industry. Cellulite creams will be up there, along with "detox" teas, and any lotion that claims to defy gravity and "lift" your butt or boobs. You know what else will be in there? Shampoos that claim to make your hair grow faster. They’re the emperor's new clothes of the beauty world.
"You can never make your hair cells grow faster than they naturally can," trichologist Iain Sallis confirms. If you weren’t lucky enough to be born into a gene pool of prolific hair-growers, you have to accept the rate of your hair growth, however protracted it may be. That being said, there’s a glimmer of hope — if your diet or routine is lacking, there may be some obstacles in the way of your hair achieving its full potential.
"The health of your body is inextricably linked to the health of your hair," Sallis says. "I try and tell my patients to think of their hair as a delicate piece of couture that can wear out if not treated properly." You wouldn’t throw a cashmere sweater in the dishwasher and hope for the best — so why would you abuse your hair and expect locks like Rapunzel?
If you want to maximize your hair’s growth potential (and keep the hair you already have strong), it’s about taking a three-pronged approach: diet, scalp care, and styling. "If you lack in certain minerals, vitamins, and proteins, your hair will start growing slower. To make hair grow at its optimum level, you need a lot of protein and iron," Sallis explains. That’s right — yet another reason to grin and bear a morning protein shake. "Red meat, oily fish, and eggs are fantastic for hair, as they all have the sulfur-rich amino acids your body uses to make new hair cells."
Obviously, the supplement question comes into play here. Who among us hasn’t been tempted by an influencer touting miraculous hair-growth pills, their mouth slightly agape to reveal what looks like candy between their teeth? Personally, I’ve taken pretty much every specialized hair supplement under the sun — and almost all of them made me feel positively queasy, even when I took them with food. (All that biotin will do that to you.) The only one I found I could stomach, and which made my hair feel incredible, was supermodel-beloved Viviscal. But Sallis says that what you should really be looking for is sulfur-rich amino acids, paired with a basic iron supplement. (Make sure you take the iron on its own on an empty stomach, as lots of foods and drinks, including coffee, interact with it.)
And from there, it’s on to your scalp. "Scalp health is so crucial," Sallis says. "There’s evidence that suggests having inflammation on the scalp may induce excessive shedding." A clean, healthy scalp is a happy scalp, so take the time to get yours scrupulously clean and free from irritants. "Wash your hair regularly — it’s a myth that it dries the hair out," says Sallis, who swears that washing your hair and scalp more regularly can clean up the majority of your issues. For problematic or sensitive scalps, he recommends using a medicated shampoo or something specifically formulated for sensitivity, without added colors or perfumes.
I’m sure we could all sing the golden rules of haircare (use heat protection, don’t brush too hard when wet, avoid too much styling) in a two-part harmony by now — but it bears repeating, especially if you're wondering why the hell your hair seems stuck in midlength purgatory. "Heat-styling is a way of life now, so I would never ask anyone to give up their straighteners or hairdryer, but there are ways to avoid damaging your hair," Sallis says. "When you use a hairdryer, don’t press it right on your hair or brush or the heat will jump exponentially within seconds." That means moving the hairdryer away from the hair shaft a bit, rather than laying the nozzle right on the stands — and consider investing in wooden-handled brushes. Metal brushes will keep getting hotter and hotter as you dry, which is a recipe for damage.
Long, strong hair is built, not made overnight, and this is only the foundation. Tweak your diet if necessary, clean your scalp, pop a pill (if you like), ease up on the heat — and hang in there. Reaching your #hairgoals will be worth the wait.
