YouTube mania has swept the world, making celebrities and gurus out of ordinary people filming vlogs and tutorials from their bedrooms. But sometime before the new wave of social media influencers and DIY video creators existed, there was Pixiwoo, the makeup-artist sister duo who set up their channel way back in 2008. Unlike many of the savvy young people who have made a massive success out of their accessible and non-expert approach to beauty, Sam Chapman, one half of the pair, is actually a trained makeup artist who was formerly part of the MAC Pro team. She and her sister, Nicola, have also launched an international line of affordable, cruelty-free, cult makeup brushes. (And it's worth noting that they're also kind of makeup royalty: Their aunt was a London makeup artist who worked with David Bowie and Princess Diana.)
If you're ever in need of quick and easy tips on how to apply your makeup or the best products to use, Sam and Nicola are your women — and the 2 million other people who subscribe to their channel clearly concur.
We asked Sam to share her makeup routine, go-to products, and beauty icons. Get your notepads ready...
If you had just five minutes to get ready, what would you do and use?
"I'm constantly on the lookout for the foundation that's going to make me look 10 years younger. Strangely, it still eludes me. My current favorite is Guerlain Parure Gold [unavailable in the U.S., but try Guerlain Parure de Lumiere for a similar finish]. It's great coverage without looking mask-like and applies beautifully."
What's your hair routine, and what are your favorite hair products?
"I'm incredibly low-maintenance with my hair. I don't have tons of free time for complex styles, and I hate my hair to feel heavy or sticky with products. The only styling products I use are Aussie and Colab Dry Shampoo. The formulation is great for refreshing slightly tired hair, and the fragrances are gorgeous."
What’s the one product you reach for to take you from day to night?
"NARS Audacious lipstick in a bright, berry shade. I'm currently obsessing over Janet. The texture of these lipsticks is among the best I've come across."
Do you contour, and, if so, what do you use?
"No, I think contouring makes me look older and often overly made up. So, more often than not, I just use a bronzer to add some warmth."
Can you remember the first beauty product you bought in your teens?
"The '90s! Trying to emulate the nude thing, but using brown everything. I think I was wearing MAC Paramount lipstick. (Facepalm.)"
Favorite mascara and why?
"YSL Volume Effect. Massive, massive, voluminous lashes — I love lashes."
Who are your beauty icons?
"Kate Moss, Diana Ross, Joan Collins, and Jean Harlow."
Photo: Getty
What is the one transformative beauty product that makes you feel your best?
"Eucerin Urea body moisturizer. It makes your skin look like plastic. Amazing on legs and arms when wearing summer clothes."
What's your favorite beauty trend for the summer?
"I'm all about pared-back makeup; I love to see skin. This summer season, I'm going to dispense with foundation altogether and go bare-faced. Also, I feel like the full-on makeup trend of the last few years is looking pretty tired."
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Amazing news, TV lovers of the world: Since we first published this story in 2013, there have been leaps and bounds in the number of streaming platforms offering hours upon hours of programming to binge-watch whenever the mood strikes. In the interest of equal opportunity, we’ve decided to broaden the scope of this slideshow to look beyond the options available on Netflix Instant. There’s a whole wide world of streaming options out there and you deserve to know everything that’s available. Consider this the one-stop menu we'll be updating every week for your continued viewing pleasure.
We've been there. You've exhausted your Netflix queue, flipped through your entire spectrum of TV channels (twice), and seen every season of 30 Rock. It's tough, but don't despair. There's still uncharted territory out there! In fact, there's oodles of fun to be had from the comfort of your laptop this weekend. You just have to know what to look for.
These are our favorite finds on Netflix Instant Watch. Never heard of 'em? Good! Heard the word, but haven't gotten around to it yet? Now's the time.
Love Parks and Rec?
Then Veep is for you. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as Selina Meyer, the vice president who inevitably becomes president. She and her team hilariously make their way through the political landscape, while trying to do actual good work and leave their mark as an administration that made a difference. Kind of like if Leslie Knope made it to the White House.
Then it's time to get into Friday Night Lights. Let me tell you something about Dillon, Texas. It’s the home of the top football team in the state, and also home to some real soap-opera crap. You would think that when you combine those two things, you get a terrible show. But it actually works, here. You will fall in love with Tim Riggins (Kitsch). You will wish Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) was your dad. You will wish Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) was your best friend.
Then Buffy the Vampire Slayer is for you. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is a teenage vampire slayer, but she also is in love with a vampire. It's all very strange, but Joss Whedon delivers an incredibly satisfactory show around that otherwise ridiculous plot.
Love waiting until the buzz dies down to watch a great TV show?
Then it’s time you committed to Breaking Bad. The hype is real, but it is justified. Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a high school chemistry teacher who, diagnosed with cancer, must figure out a way to leave his family with enough money to survive when he dies. So, naturally, he starts making the best meth New Mexico’s ever seen.
Then Six Feet Under is for you. The Fisher family runs a funeral home in California. But when the patriarch dies unexpectedly in a car crash, they’re thrown into handling the family business — along with all of their pre-existing personal baggage. It’s five seasons of solid television, and the finale is bound to destroy you.
Then you’re gonna freaking love Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the modern-day Sherlock opposite Martin Freeman as Watson. Their chemistry — and comedy — is downright delightful. Don’t get put off by the hour-and-a-half length of each episode, either. This show’s so entertaining it’ll fly right by.
Then Five Days is for you. In this BBC mini series, a young mother and her children go missing. The show wastes no time, taking us right to the police investigation. It’s the perfect amount of length, too, so you won’t find yourself in the shame spiral of a 15-episode binge.
Well, that’s pretty much Louis C.K.’s brand of comedy. Maybe that’s why his series, Louie, feels like such a natural fit for him. The scripted series focuses on the trials and tribulations of the comedian’s day-to-day existence, but with the smart brand of commentary we’ve come to expect from him.
Stay with us here: Imagine if the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan) had won World War II. That’s the scenario in The Man in the High Castle, Amazon’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel. The show is set in a dystopian version of the United States where the country has been divided into the Pacific States of America, a Japanese puppet state on the West Coast, the Greater Nazi Reich, a German puppet state that takes up the majority of the country through the midwest, and the Rocky Mountain States, which act as a neutral zone between the two.
Just like T.M.P., Catastrophe flips the script on traditional romantic comedies by upending all the usual contrivances. They have sex immediately. She (Sharon Horgan) gets pregnant. They live on two separate continents and decide to give it a go. The humor is blunt and British. In other words, if you’re tired of boring rom-coms, this is the show for you.
If you love a good Masterpiece production (that might have some quality eye candy), journey to Cornwall shortly after the American revolution to find out how the Brits fared after they lost the war for the colonies. Poldark is the story of Ross Poldark, who returns home from fighting in the revolution to find that his father has died, leaving Ross penniless.
You really owe it to yourself to binge-watch all of FX’s The Americans. The tense, slow-burn series follows two Soviet spies (Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys) deep undercover in the United States during the Cold War in the 1980s.
Turn to another show about late-in-life personal discoveries that lead to larger familial repercussions: Transparent. As Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor) — formerly Mort — transitions, tumultuous issues that had previously bubbled beneath the surface in her children’s lives also come to light.
If you aren’t on the Orphan Black train yet, you absolutely need to climb aboard. In the opening scene, a woman named Sarah watches someone who looks exactly like her commit suicide by jumping in front of a train. From there, things only get more involved. Sarah learns that she’s one of more than 10 clones (and counting) developed by a top-secret genetic engineering project. She also learns ther life is in peril, as is that of her daughter Kira. Tatiana Maslany stars as every single one of the clones. She’s amazing.
And investigations into fringe movements whose beliefs don’t quite match those of mainstream society? Watch Hulu’s The Path. Aaron Paul (of Breaking Bad fame) makes his return to TV — well, streaming — in this drama about a creepy movement called Meyerism. It started out with good intentions, but it’s become a cult. Many viewers and critics questioned whether creator Jessica Goldberg based the Meyerist movement on Scientology, but that’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself as you watch. There are some very eerie similarities, we’ll tell you that much.
Are ne’er-do-well British teens who just DGAF and look effortlessly cool while doing so your jam? Then why not add a dash of superhuman abilities into the mix? On Misfits, a group of teens doing court-mandated community service are struck by lightning during a freak storm. Afterward, they discover that the storm gave them all different superpowers.
This isn’t your typical sci-fi show, though. We’re still dealing with cheeky teens who really just want to rub their parts together, but now there's an additional element of intrigue because the superpowered group needs to hide their abilities — and the fact that they accidentally murdered their probation officer. And yes, that is Iwan Rheon, who plays the villainous Ramsay Bolton on Game of Thrones, on the right. You’ll fall in love with him on Misfits, and then be very confused by your feelings for him the next time you watch GoT.
If you can’t get enough of Billy Eichner’s sassy, in-your-face humor, it behooves you to watch Difficult People. It’s a perfect blend of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Will & Grace.
You, Me and the Apocalypse is a sardonically dark and funny look at what happens to the people of Earth when they learn they have only 33 days left to live. It’s even got Rob Lowe as a Catholic priest tasked with discerning which people claiming to be the second coming of Christ are the real deal.
The blink-and-you-missed it marvel Happy Endings is finally (finally!) on Hulu — and it is a gosh-darn delight. Prepare to meet a group of friends with even better inside jokes than the gang on How I Met Your Mother, better chemistry than the Friends, and more bodily function discussions than Abbi and Ilana on Broad City.
Well, the first few seasons. If you’ve been missing a show with diegetic musical interludes, you need to be watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. This series one-ups Glee, though, because all of the songs are original and Rebecca Bunch’s (Rachel Bloom) life is much more grown-up and relatable than those of the high-schoolers in Glee.
If you thrive on seeing incredibly awkward human interactions, cue up Nathan for You. Comedian Nathan Fielder adopts the persona of a rube who just wants to help failing small businesses — and the outcomes are so uncomfortable you’ll actually squirm in your seat.
Fans of the mockumentary-style comedy will definitely enjoy Parks and Rec, which follows the lives and times of a local parks department. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is kind of like the Michael Scott here, though more adept by leaps and bounds. Come for the jokes, stay for the cast of incredible weird characters.
Then you’ll probably enjoy The Twilight Zone. You’re likely familiar with Rod Serling’s more timeless tales. (Think: William Shatner shouting that there’s something on the wing of a plane.) But there are so many episodes worthy of your attention, each more interesting and chilling than the last.
Nurse Jackie is for you. Edie Falco plays Jackie, a no-nonsense nurse who’s hiding a painkiller addiction. Her life begins to slowly spiral out of control. At moments, it’s hard to watch her make such terrible decisions. But you’ll want to stick with it for her sassy hospital friends and her babe of a husband (Dominic Fumusa).
Of course you do. That’s why 3rd Rock from the Sun is right up your alley. This '90s sitcom features Saturday Night Live alum Jane Curtin, John Lithgow, and yes, a baby-faced Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The show centers on an extraterrestrial family visiting Earth to learn about human behavior. If you loved the fish-out-of-water feeling from Boy Meets World, then you’ll be delighted by the utterly strange cast of characters in this one. Did we mention JGL is in it? Just wanna make sure you got that part.
Guess what’s on Netflix? Animaniacs! That’s right; those zany-to-the-max creatures and their joyous antics are finally available to stream on the 'flix. Unfortunately, you may no longer be able to watch them during those prime after-school hours on weekdays like you used to (due to a little annoyance called work). Oh well; that's what weekends are for when you're an adult: watching cartoons.
If you can’t stand corporate doublespeak, buzzwords, and meetings that go absolutely nowhere (or in complete circles), watch W1A. This brilliant mockumentary follows Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville), the BBC’s new Head of Values — yes, a completely bullshit position — as he tries to sort out the institutional jeremiads plaguing the U.K.’s most important broadcast company.
If you love watching comedians showcasing their weirdest, wackiest, most creative characters, Netflix Presents: The Characters is right up your alley. In each 30-minute episode (there are eight in total), one up-and-coming comedian writes and stars in a series of sketches straight from his or her witty, clever imagination. Some notable comedians who are already on your radar include Lauren Lapkus ( Orange Is the New Black) and Paul W. Downs ( Broad City).
And wondering what he’s been up to lately? Why, ol’ T. Lauts has been across the pond starring in the Britcom Cuckoo. He took the reins from Andy Samberg during season 2 of the show after Samberg was forced to step aside due to scheduling commitments to Brooklyn 99. On Cuckoo, Lautner gets the chance to demonstrate his comedy chops. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Netflix, so you get a chance to watch both Samberg and Lautner play off of one of Britain’s current funniest actor/comedians, Greg Davies.
There’s been a shifting tide in television over the past few years wherein shows like The Mindy Project, Catastrophe, and You’re the Worst are more than undoing the cloying, completely unrealistic romantic comedies that came out in spades in the early aughts. Netflix’s Love is the latest entry in this canon. The show follows nice, nerdy Gus (Paul Rust) and cool girl Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) as they try to find love in Los Angeles.
You need to watch Being Mary Jane: The Series. Gabrielle Union plays Mary Jane Paul, the host of a successful talk show who’s also trying to support her extended family and find love at the same time. Her life is a whirlwind, her clothes are unreal, and the show is addictive AF.
But can’t stand the commercials you always end up watching during the H.H. and H.H. International marathons that always seem to suck you in on lazy Sundays? Sure, you could plan ahead and keep a few episodes stored on your DVR for whenever the mood for some shelter porn strikes, but that just sounds like something that would never happen.
Well, guess what? Our good friend Netflix has House Hunters, House Hunters International, and House Hunters Renovation collections at the ready for you to watch whenever you so please. Now, if only the couples where he wants to live in a one-story ranch located far away from the city, but she wants to be right in the heart of downtown could agree as easily as you will on what to watch tonight.
If you’ve been missing Chelsea Handler’s signature brand of undercutting sass and refusal to accept the status quo since her late-night show on E! went off the air, tune into Chelsea Does..., the comedian’s new investigative docuseries on Netflix. In each episode, Handler explores a stand-alone topic, such as race, Silicon Valley, or marriage, from many angles. She doesn’t always reach a conclusion or even come to any groundbreaking realizations, but by looking at each subject through a unique lens, with help from many different interview subjects, Handler moves the conversation along in a way only she really can.
If your favorite part of George R.R. Martin’s sweeping saga is the various characters’ devious machinations and power plays for the Iron Throne, cue up The Tudors. There are no dragons or White Walkers, but the historical drama does tell the extremely scandalous story of England’s 16th-century royal court, led by King Henry VIII (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and there’s just as much sex as you’ll find on Game of Thrones. There’s even some Thrones crossover: Natalie Dormer, who plays Margaery Tyrell on GoT, stars as the doomed Anne Boleyn on The Tudors.
Really, who doesn’t? The hallowed halls of Degrassi Community School saw more than their fair share of D-R-A-M-A throughout the show’s 14 (yes, 14) seasons. Not only did the series deal with serious issues, including teen pregnancy, drug addiction, eating disorders, and school shootings, it also introduced us to then-unknown actors like Jake Epstein (who’s now a Broadway star), Nina Dobrev, and Aubrey Graham (now better known as the rapper named Drake). The Next Generation had a long run, yet fans seemed surprised when TeenNick announced its cancellation in June 2015. Luckily, Netflix swooped in to make loyal Degrassi viewers very happy. Degrassi: Next Class premiered on January 4, 2016, with a whole new cast of characters and updated issues for a new generation, including cyberbullying in the world of e-sports.
Sean Penn claims in his Rolling Stone interview with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman that Mexican actress Kate del Castillo is the one who connected Penn with El Chapo. del Castillo has since noted that some of the stories surrounding her involvement with El Chapo are untrue, but still, her involvement with a drug cartel leader is almost stranger than fiction. Why? del Castillo starred as Teresa Mendoza, who is also known as the “Queen of the South” on the popular telenovela La Reina del Sur. The telenovela is based on Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 2002 novel of the same name, which tells the story of the first woman to become the leader of a Spanish drug cartel.
It seems everyone came back from the 2015 holidays talking about one thing and one thing only: Making a Murderer. Netflix’s 10-episode true-crime docuseries follows the trial of Steven Avery, who was accused of killing 25-year-old Teresa Halbach in 2005. Avery had a troubled history with law enforcement officials in his home county of Manitowoc, WI, which led his defense attorneys to argue that he had been framed by the police. The series offers a riveting look at the criminal justice system that will leave you wondering what to believe.
Sundance TV's Rectify tells the story of Daniel Holden, who was put on death row after being found guilty of rape and murder as a teenager. Almost 20 years later, his conviction is overturned after new DNA evidence nullifies it, and Daniel is released. He returns to live in the town where everyone is still convinced of his guilt, except for his younger sister, Amantha.
Better Off Ted is a criminally underrated gem of a sitcom about Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington), who runs the R&D department at a soulless mega-corporation called Veridian Dynamics. It’s a send-up of everything that’s wrong with corporate America and evil companies content to destroy the environment without thinking twice. Yet the show always errs on the side of hopeful optimism while taking them to task. The biggest disappointment of all is that this delight of a series never got another season.
But looking for a half-hour show grounded a bit more in reality with up-to-date references? You need Aziz Ansari’s Master of None. The series is a combination of lessons from the comedian’s book, Modern Romance, aspects of his own life, and the overall experience of being in one's late 20s and early 30s. The result is a poignant, funny, and an extremely accurate depiction of what it’s like to be alive right now.
Netflix continues its dark dive into the Marvel universe with Jessica Jones. She’s not your typical superhero. Jessica (Krysten Ritter) works as a P.I. and floats along the outskirts of society. She’s suffering from PTSD after a mysterious man named Kilgrave (David Tennant) took control over her mind for months. The series has just the right amount of gritty badassary we’ve been longing to see from a female superhero. You can binge-watch all of season 1 along with us right here.
You need The Great British Baking Show (or, as it’s called in the U.K., The Great British Bake Off) in your life. Picture all the things you like about Top Chef (drooling at the culinary creations, and worrying whether the contestants will finish them in the time limit provided) without the things you don’t like (the heavily sponsored and overly branded everything, and how they make the contestants extremely stressed and frazzled by keeping them isolated from their families). Add to that the most quaint, idyllic British location you can imagine — a tent outside a manor complete with a pond, adorable sheep, and rolling lawns for days — and two judges who take baking more seriously than you’ve ever thought anyone could. It’s basically a recipe for the most charming cooking competition you’ve ever seen, and it’s finally on Netflix.
If shows featuring strong, take-charge women who aren’t afraid to show that they’re also flawed (because seriously, who among us isn’t) are your television milieu, you’ll easily sail through Rita. This Danish dramedy (yes, there are subtitles, but we promise it’s worth it) follows a fiercely independent teacher and single mother-of-three as she navigates through institutional bullshit and personal affairs.
Picture the beautiful period costumes and luxe settings, but transport them to a gorgeous hotel in Santander. On Grand Hotel, there's mystery afoot when a maid goes missing from one of Spain's most elegant hotels. Soon, her disappearance reveals other secrets, and the drama is positively Downton -esque.
If you enjoy a bodice-ripping romance with dashes of true-to-life historical events mixed in, you’ll want to wait out the break between seasons 1 and 2 of Outlander with Reign. It’s a CW show, so the sex is much less explicit (sorry), but you’re still in for some sordid, nefarious plots against the monarchy in this story centered on the years Mary, Queen of Scots, spent in France during her youth.
If watching skilled chefs do their thing is your jam, Netflix’s six-part documentary series Chef’s Table is ideal for you. Each episode follows a world-famous chef, from Dan Barber of the renowned Blue Hill restaurants in NYC and Pocantico Hills, NY, to Niki Nakayama at N/Naka in L.A. You might want to eat before watching, though, because this series is going to make your mouth water.
One of the taglines for Netflix’s newest original series, Narcos, which premiered on August 28, 2015, is “There’s no business like blow business.” It’s a pun on the famous line about show business, and also a true statement about the thriving drug empire run by Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar in the 1980s and ‘90s. This series chronicles the inner workings of Escobar’s life and cartel, and the DEA’s increasing attempts to take him down.
Watch… Reading Rainbow! The beloved childhood show that instilled a love of reading in many generations is finally available on Netflix. Watching episodes from Volume 1 will make you feel all sorts of nostalgic for books like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Miss Nelson Is Back. Take a look, it’s in a book …on Reading Rainbow.
The entire gang is back for Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, the prequel to end all prequels. Fifteen years after the cult classic film, head back to Camp Firewood for eight new episodes chock-full of absurdist humor, talking vegetable cans, and your favorite actors (Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks…the list goes on and on) playing 16-year-old camp counselors.
Throw in a dash of Melrose Place, and you’ve got The L.A. Complex. The short-lived cult favorite is a painfully honest portrayal of a group of twentysomethings pursuing stardom in Hollywood. In the most compelling and dramatic storyline, closeted rapper Kaldrick King (Andra Fuller) tries to stage a successful comeback while resorting to violence to hide his gay relationships.
Drop in on the supernatural creatures of Bristol, England, including a ghost, a werewolf, and a sexy vampire, all shacking up in a house and doing their best to fit in with the locals on Being Human. Go for the original U.K. version (although Netflix also has the American remake), with Looking ’s Russell Tovey as the werewolf who hates his time of the month, Poldark ’s Aidan Turner as the brooding vampire, and A to Z ’s Lenora Crichlow as the ghost with unfinished business.
Sci-fi powerhouse siblings, the Wachowskis, have brought their flair for mind-bending, perception-and-reality-altering plotlines to the small screen with Sense8. The new Netflix original spares no expense in its scenic globetrotting (seriously, if you can’t afford to travel, this show might just be the next best thing) as it rambles through the lives of eight characters whose minds are somehow intertwined.
Go deep into the paranormal YA archives with Roswell, the now-cult classic that ran from 1999-2002. On Roswell, not only did a UFO crash at Area 51, but it had three alien children aboard. When the show starts, they’re in high school trying to be normal teenagers and stay under the radar. They’re falling in love with humans and want to share their secret, though, so there’s clearly going to be some D-R-A-M-A.
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star in Netflix’s newest original show, Grace and Frankie. The two play frenemies in their 70s whose husbands announce that they’re in love and are leaving Grace and Frankie to be together. What happens when you have to reboot your life as a septuagenarian? That’s what these two are bound to find out.
Watch Daredevil, Netflix’s gritty new original series about Marvel hero Matt Murdock: blind lawyer by day, masked vigilante who protects Hell’s Kitchen by night (and, still blind). It’ll completely make you forget about that Ben Affleck travesty from 2003.
Specifically, the episode where Joey models for a free clinic and unwittingly becomes the face of gonorrhea? Imagine a whole series using that conceit, only the protagonist (an affable British twentysomething named Dylan) really does have chlamydia, and he has to contact all of his past sexual partners to tell them. It winds up being sort of charming, because in the process, he reconnects with past loves who might have been the one. Also, the show is called Scrotal Recall, and if that’s not the best Arnold Schwarzenegger movie pun-based sitcom title ever, your pec-spectations are too high.
Cue up the dulcet sounds of comedy duo Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci, also known as Garfunkel and Oates. The duo writes and performs satirical songs about their personal and professional lives, which get incorporated into the framework of this clever half-hour comedy named for the pair.
Sounds like you love a good multi-generational familial drama. Dig into Netflix’s new original series Bloodline, which stars Kyle Chandler (Coach Taylor on FNL) as the supposedly good son in the hard-working Rayburn family, who run a hotel in the Florida Keys.
It sounds like you enjoy watching strong female characters who know a thing or two about dabbling in the grayer areas of the law. Watch Damages, which stars Glenn Close as a ruthless, all-star attorney of questionable morals and Rose Byrne as her wide-eyed protégée.
Watch The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. David Cross (who played Tobias Fünke) stars as the titular bumbling American businessman, who’s sent across the pond to promote an energy drink called Thunder Muscle in England.
But also feel like the show can be overwhelmingly serious at times? Get ready for some laddish hijinks courtesy of The Inbetweeners. The humor’s a bit sophomoric, but just try not to LOL as you watch Will, Simon, Jay, and Neil fumble their way through high school in England.
Swords-and-sandals-clad warriors get even sexier and more bloodthirsty in Spartacus. If you thought the Unsullied were treated brutally in Astapor, just wait until you see the dregs from which the gladiators of Thrace had to rise.
Maggie Gyllenhaal just won a Golden Globe for her work in the political spy thriller The Honorable Woman. The eight-part miniseries follows a British-Israeli businesswoman as she tries to work toward peace in the Middle East.
Watch JTV creator Jennie Snyder Urman’s last CW romp, Emily Owens, M.D. The short-lived show was a sweet mix of Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs — plus it introduced the talented Aja Naomi King, who’s now blowing audiences away on How t o Get Away with Murder.
For starters, make sure you watch season 2, which hit Netflix back on January 16, 2015. Once you’ve done that, cue up Southcliffe, an extremely vivid portrait of a fictional English town wracked by a horrifying shooting spree. It’s a macabre study of the human condition you won’t forget.
Get locked up in Wentworth, the equally compelling women’s prison drama from Australia. Bea Smith (played by Danielle Cormack) is thrown in jail while awaiting trial for trying to kill her violent husband, and the series follows her time behind bars learning the ins and outs of prison life.
Watch The Bletchley Circle, a British mystery about four women who worked at Bletchley Park breaking codes during World War II and reunite in the early 1950s to solve new mysteries.
Journey across the pond for the British historical crime drama, Peaky Blinders. In the aftermath of World War I, a detective (Sam Neill) is tasked with taking down the Birmingham gang, Peaky Blinders, led by the quick-witted Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy).
Watch the spectacularly twisted Black Mirror. The Brit anthology series has just six episodes, each one telling a uniquely haunting tale about near-distant futures where technology can recreate dead loved ones, get the prime minister to commit bestiality on national television, and allow people to rewatch old memories that might destroy their lives. The scariest part is just how much of a reflection the series is of our current fixation with gadgets and the lives we lead online.
Watch Lilyhammer. Steven Van Zandt plays a New York gangster named Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano who tries to start a new life for himself in the titular isolated Norway town after he’s forced into the federal witness protection program.
Cozy up with the wry Britcom Coupling. It's a clever and humorous exploration of looking for love when you’re absolutely terrified of everything that comes with it.
Cue up Netflix’s horror series, Hemlock Grove. Executive produced by gore-lover Eli Roth, the show focuses on the mysterious goings-on in the fictional titular town, which range from the supernatural to the just plain sadistic.
Take a gun-running thrill ride with Sons of Anarchy. Loosely based on Hamlet, it brings the intra-familial intrigue of Shakespeare’s Danish royalty tale to a motorcycle gang unofficially responsible for keeping things going in the fictional city of Charming, CA.
We’re guessing you do because here you are, reading a slideshow of Netflix streaming recommendations. As an aficionado and appreciator of the finer TV series in life, we think you’ll also love The Writers’ Room. In this fascinating interview show, Academy Award-winning writer Jim Rash (who’s best known for playing Dean Pelton on Community) sits down with writers of some of your favorite shows to discuss how they’re crafted. In the first six episodes, he talks to the writers and creators of Breaking Bad, Parks and Recreation, Dexter, New Girl, Game of Thrones, and American Horror Story. If you’re a fan of television and love hearing about how it’s created, this is for you.
Watch the British gem that is Peep Show. Part The Odd Couple, part The Office (British version), and filmed through each character’s eyes, the offbeat sitcom is perfect for a weekend binge.
Tune your spidey senses into Psych. This playful show features the overly clever, extremely witty Shawn Spencer who uses his heightened powers of observation to serve as the resident psychic for the Santa Barbara Police Department. Come for the ridiculous fake clairvoyant act, but stay for the lovable characters like Gus, O’Hara, and Lassie. And, did we mention that there’s a musical episode? Because there’s a musical episode.
Get your New Zealand fix with Short Poppies, a mockumentary series created and written by Rhys Darby, who you’ll recognize from his role as Murray, the Conchords’ clueless manager. On Short Poppies, Darby plays David Farrier, an entertainment reporter. Farrier interviews people he deems "extraordinary New Zealanders," who live in a fictional town known as The Bay. With just eight episodes, this is the perfect Sunday Funday binge-watch.
That’s a silly question; of course you do. You’re a human being with emotions and a heart, right? Also, you’ve seen Tim Riggins. Texas forever. Unfortunately, we don’t have any updates on the proposed movie (yes, that would mean a book that became a movie that became a show would be made into a movie again), but we do have a series currently streaming on Netflix that will make you feel as many feelings as FNL.
Jason Katims, the brilliant screenwriter who adapted Friday Night Lights for the small screen, also turned the 1989 dramedy Parenthood into a poignant drama now entering its fifth and final season on NBC. Warning: You will definitely need tissues for this one, but the emotional roller coaster of watching the Bravermans is so, so worth it.
Check out the short-lived but hilarious Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23. Krysten Ritter plays the titular B, a hustler and legend in her own mind with a gorgeous apartment and a best friend/ex-boyfriend named James Van Der Beek. Yes, the Beek from the Creek. He plays a heightened caricature of himself complete with a tragic stint on Dancing with the Stars. Enter into the fray Dreama Walker, a small-town girl with a business degree who just wants to make it in New York City — plus a pervy neighbor across the air shaft — and you’ve got yourself a delightful little sitcom.
After many requests, Netflix secured the rights to the newest British cult hit Happy Valley. Police sergeant Catherine Cawood is trying to cope with her daughter’s suicide, but things unravel when she spots the man she believes raped her daughter (which led to her death). She becomes obsessed with finding him, which uncovers an even larger mystery involving the kidnapping of a local girl.
Or, any animated show for adults, really, including The Simpsons, The Critic, Bob’s Burgers, South Park, and Archer? Netflix debuted its first foray into original animated programming for grown-ups this week with BoJack Horseman. Will Arnett voices the titular character, a washed-up actor who starred in a popular sitcom called Horsin’ Around 20 years ago and has done nothing of note since. The world of BoJack is populated with humans and anthropomorphized animals alike, so it’s a bit surreal. Aaron Paul plays Todd, BoJack’s sycophantic perma-houseguest, and Alison Brie is Diane, who’s been hired to ghostwrite his memoirs. Can BoJack and his ragtag crew somehow turn his downward spiral of a life around? Watch and find out.
If you’re especially attuned to the burgeoning role of women beyond the domestic sphere in Downton, cue up Call the Midwife. Imagine Sybil’s can-do nursing skills transported to a group of midwives in a convent in East London in the ‘50s. That’s exactly what you’ll find in this engrossing BBC series, which airs new seasons on PBS.
First of all, read the books instead. They’re even more engrossing than ABC Family’s frothy mystery about Rosewood. When you’re done with those (or concurrently), cue up Skins. The British show made international headlines for the reckless lifestyle promoted by “Skins parties ” and sent the U.K. into a nationwide panic about the hedonistic pursuits of Millennial teens. No matter what your takeaway, Skins will suck you right in.
If you love a slow-build, extremely tense, psychological thriller, watch The Fall. Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan, here causing much inner turmoil when you find yourself attracted to a deviant sociopath) is a serial killer terrorizing Belfast, and Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) is the detective trying to catch him before he strikes again. Season 1 is only five episodes, so you’ll burn through them in no time. Luckily, they’re filming the second season right now.
Guilty pleasures: We all have them. Gossip Girl (well, the first few seasons) was one of ours. The South Korean series Boys Over Flowers follows the whole fish-out-of-water setup, only this time Lonely Boy is Jan Di, the daughter of a dry cleaner who finds herself falling for the spoiled rich kid whose clique runs their elite private school. It’s somehow even more addictive than Gossip Girl — maybe it’s the amazing vintage Bieber haircuts all of the boys sport. And, because of the subtitles, watching it feels a bit more highbrow. Get watching. XOXO.
Dive even deeper into the uncanny valley with The Returned. The cult French show follows the lives — and afterlives — of a sleepy town where nothing is as it seems. Long-dead relatives return to life; residents try to leave — only to be thwarted by roads running in circles. There’s a serial killer on the loose, but no one seems to care. It’s a slow, eerie build but oh, is it worth it.
Try turning your machine off and on again, then booting up The IT Crowd (that’s a joke you’ll get when you start watching). This hilarious British sitcom chronicles an odd couple of IT guys trying to do as little work as possible in their dungeon of an office at a horrible corporation. Chris O’Dowd (before he became a household name in Bridesmaids) plays Roy, the ringleader, while Richard Ayoade is Moss, his introverted, nebbishy foil. And, just like the Pied Piper guys on Silicon Valley, Roy and Moss’ world is rocked when a female enters their daily routine. Fire up the Internet and get watching.
You've undoubtedly heard of Top of the Lake — everyone, or at least everyone in this office, is talking about it. Like Twin Peaks and The Killing, it centers around a mysterious, troubled young girl and a small town with a lot of secrets to hide. Recipe for a good time, right?
You'll go crazy for Swedish crime show Wallander. Though it doesn't cover sex-based offenses in particular, this thriller reminds us of SVU (our favorite iteration, obviously) because of its focus on the cops' and detectives' personal lives. There's also a Masterpiece Mystery version, but we recommend starting out with the original Henning Mankel l.
Well, this is basically the exact same concept, but British. And that's usually a good thing. Doc Martin follows the antics of a curmudgeonly MD after he moves to a provincial town, abandoning his prestigious London surgical post for unknown reasons. Weird diseases, even weirder people.
If you're a fan of all things dysfunctional, British sitcom Black Books is perfect for you. Focused on a perpetually down-and-out bookstore owner who regularly puts a mid-afternoon drink over customer service, this show should be heartbreaking — but instead, it's hilarious. Plus, if you're missing the glory days of TV, you'll dig the distinct early-2000s vibe.
British series House of Cards is chock-full of political drama and underhanded scheming, guaranteed to get your blood pumping. It's also great if totally inappropriate and unethical sexual relationships are your thing. This is a great pick if you've already binged through the American version, but are still hungry for more!
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Aubrey Plaza is one of our greatest comedy actors. She was amazing in Parks & Rec, has carried movies that would have otherwise foundered, and made Grumpy Cat watchable. (We know, just believe us, the movie kind of works.)
Now she’s come out as bisexual in a recent interview with The Advocate.
She says her role as a lesbian Krav Maga instructor in Addicted to Fresno came naturally to her.
“It was less about pretending to be a lesbian and more about portraying a human being with a massive crush on Natasha Lyonne’s character,” she tells The Advocate. “I have a major crush on her in real life, so it was fun.”
Her approach to sexuality seems refreshingly normal. The younger generation of entertainers seems to have largely rejected the idea that only a straight person will be palatable onscreen. And audiences clearly agree.
Plaza says that she’s aware of her sex appeal, especially to other women.
“I know I have an androgynous thing going on, and there’s something masculine about my energy,” Plaza tells The Advocate. “Girls are into me — that’s no secret. Hey, I’m into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can’t help it.”
And we would be remiss if we didn’t include her thoughts on Grumpy Cat.
“Yep, Grumpy Cat is definitely gay,” Plaza tells The Advocate. “And people just need to deal with it.”
We knew it!
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In a world where many people feel pressured to pair off by a certain age, it makes sense that some try to hedge their bets while they're in their teens and 20s. Hence, marriage pacts. You know, the ones you make with your friends, saying, "If we're both single at 30, let's just marry each other." After all, a good friend should make a good partner, right?
Of course, when these pacts are made, it's often assumed that they'll never actually be fulfilled. (And in a perfect world, we wouldn't feel such societal pressure to couple up that we'd feel the need to make them in the first place.) But what happens when the deadline approaches and the pact-ees decide to go for it?
Redditors who have fulfilled these so-called "marriage pacts" have decided to come forward in a fascinating thread, filled with heartbreak, romances that fizzled out, and quite a few movie-worthy, passionate tales. Ahead, eight redditors share their stories.
"Life couldn't be better!"
"We were both never single at the same time, but always best friends. Made a pact in high school that, if at 30 we're both single, we'd get married. We stayed friends after graduation, and at 25 we started hanging out more and more. We fell deeply in love, and on our 30th birthday (yes, we have the same birthday) we were married. Life couldn't be better!" — tightnrain
"What started off as an 'arrangement' eventually evolved into something extremely serious and passionate."
"We left our spouses around the same time (not for each other) and decided to share a house. We got to [talking] one night and decided we each had all the things the other was looking for, plus we got along really well. We were in our mid-30s by then and sick of the dating scene, so we just laid it out like a business arrangement. What started off as an 'arrangement' eventually evolved into something extremely serious and passionate. We've been together now for almost seven years and married for almost one. We are extremely in love, and I have zero regrets." — 1throw9away79
What started off as an "arrangement" eventually evolved into something extremely serious and passionate.
"I'm not gonna recommend it."
"Had that deal with a friend from church camp. If we were both single at 30, we'd go for it. He dated my good friend when they were 16, then that relationship blew up. A year or so later, we started going out. In the three months we dated, he treated me like shit, made fun of me for not doing drugs with him, cheated on me. Then, when I told him we could try and work through it, he dumped me for being 'too clingy.' So, I'm not gonna recommend it." — Allisonsie
"Currently married for three years with two children."
"My best friend of 10 years said to me one day in a group conversation that if we weren't with anyone by the time she was 30 (she was 25 at the time), that we would have to be together. As beautiful as she was/is, I never made a move because I used to date her female best friend, so I thought the 'girl code' would halt my advance. Sure enough, once she said that, I was like, 'Hold up, she's possibly into me?!' I made the move! Six months after that conversation, we got married. It was a fairly easy transition. Currently married for three years with two children. I'm fucking loving every moment of it." — BioKlean911
"If we were both single, I'd move the 2,000 miles and be with him."
"My bf and I made such a pact about seven years ago. We met online and were friends, and over the course shared our misfortunes of broken hearts and bad relationships, and [we] made such a pact that by 30, if we were both single, I'd move the 2,000 miles and be with him. I jumped the gun and had moved here at 28, and two years later we are engaged and I couldn't be happier. Maybe not the story of a long marriage one would hope, but I don't regret my decision in the least." —mybrokendelilah
"You could say I was a pact player..."
"I made pacts with a bunch of female friends through school, college, and university...on my wedding day, just before the service, one girl made reference to it (the fact we had made a quote silly pact), only for two of the other girls which I also made a pact with to overhear her and state that they also had a pact...all three were shocked I went to such lengths...I was coy about it, though, and made the pacts at different ages in case one or two became off the market... You could say I was a pact player..." — ReaperBallz
"We're still really young, but yeah, we want to get married."
"Well, my best friend and I made that pact when we were 13 and just friends. We pledged to marry each other when we were 30 if we hadn't found anyone else by then, which really kind of made him happy-sad, because he was worried I'd find someone else within that amount of time and he'd be left alone. So he was kind of prompted to ask me out. Long story short, we've been together for about four years. We're still really young, but yeah, we want to get married. And move to California. And raise some cats together. And become teachers. Maybe we'll get married in a few years. At least, before we're 30." — littlesqueal
Maybe we'll get married in a few years. At least, before we're 30.
"Life is sweet."
"I wouldn't say 'as a result,' but when my now wife and I were 19, we dated for a few weeks, and during that time I suggested if we were still single and childless by age 35, we should look each other up and have kids. After college, we rekindled that romance, dated two years, broke up for nine months, dated again nine months, then she moved to Japan for two years, I followed her after 1.5 of those years, and asked her back to the States. We dated another five years before I proposed, got knocked up, and were married just before my 35th birthday. We had our beautiful daughter just before her 35th birthday. And we're doing great. We're about to celebrate our fifth anniversary, and today (July 4) is the 17-year anniversary of our first date after college. Life is sweet." — Smittles
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What is a "homemaker" anymore, anyway? In most cases, you're not keeping house; rather, you're taking care of a little slice of an apartment. Maybe you've got a full bedroom and one-third of a kitchen table, if you're lucky. But, that doesn't mean there aren't useful, applicable tips for keeping your fraction of the American dream running like a well-oiled ship (or at least a ship-shape paddle boat).
We turned to Rachel Cohen, co-founder of the accessible-luxury home line Snowe, to get the 411 on housekeeping. Cohen's top tips — from simply cleaning a mug to (gasp!) actually making your bed — will guide you to domestic bliss.
Let us know in the comments: What's the best home advice you've ever gotten? And who gave it to you?
"Instead of pushing furniture to the edges of a room in hopes of making [the room] look large, group seating in conversation-friendly clusters. Find your room's center point and balance seating around it. If you're lucky, and your room is very large, create two central points and double up on spots to hang."
Photo: Heather Talbert.
Give your liquor a shelf life.
"Not that we expect you to have leftover booze, but...liquor will keep for a long time. Just be sure to stow spirits in a cool place, away from sunlight. If you have a lot left, drink it faster; additional air in the bottle will leach flavor from the liquor."
Photo: Julia Robbs.
Keep your mugs spick-and-span.
"Sadly, caffeine only perks us up for so long — and coffee stains sometimes last much, much longer. Even if you can’t take time to wash dishes before dashing out the door for work, give mugs a quick rinse to prevent blemishes from building up. Too late? Drop an alka-seltzer into your mug and let it sit, so your java can jive in a clean mug again."
Photo: Heather Talbert.
Invest in a (literally) brighter future.
"Bad lighting won't just ruin your Instagram photos; it'll ruin your home. Make sure each room in your home has multiple points of light. Choose lamps and sconces that are the right size for your space, and pick the right hue. Pink-tinged bulbs cast a slightly rosier glow and add extra oomph to your bedroom."
Photo: Julia Robbs.
Hack your kitchen sink.
"If your sink seems perfect for dropping dishes (why did your landlord make it so deep?), soften the blow. Before washing delicate items, line your sink with a towel, so a sudsy slip-up won’t mean the end of your stemware."
Photo: Michelle Drewes.
Wash your pillows — & watch your dryer habits.
"We assume you're washing your sheets every other week, but don’t forget your poor pillows. Toss them into the wash once every three to six months, making sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. When it comes to drying your sheets, stop while you’re ahead. Take sheets out of the dryer when they are just barely damp, and dress your bed. It’ll prevent wrinkles and damage caused by overdrying."
Photo: Winnie Au.
Organize with intent.
"Paper or plastic—how about neither? If you’re stashing linens in the long term, don’t put them in plastic containers or paper boxes as that can lead to yellowing. Instead stow them in the cloth bag that the set comes in, so fabrics can breathe."
Photo: CJ Isaac.
Give your linens new life.
"Drift into dreamland with a DIY sheet spray that makes use of the remnants of your last all-night shindig. Mix one part vodka to three parts water with a drop or two of essential oil, like lavender. Stow in a small spray bottle and spritz until you’re seeing fields in Provence as you snooze."
Photo: Julia Robbs.
Swap out your towels.
"We know you aren’t washing your towel after every shower. But to keep things clean, alternate between two towels — that way each has time to fully dry out before going back into business. Or, at the very least, let your bath sheets hit the shower every three or four days."
Photo: Gunnar Larson.
Welcome your visitors with essentials.
"When you have guests stay over, place a stack of clean towels on their nightstand (or coffee table, if they are sleeping on the couch). That way, even if they tuck in after you, they can still stumble through their bedtime rituals with ease."
Photo: Alice Gao.
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Update: The Warrensville, OH, Police Department has denied rumors that Nakia Jones had been fired for her viral Facebook post.
In the days after her post went viral, rumors emerged claiming that Jones had been fired or suspended over her video, which has been seen over 7 million times. She denied those rumors in a second public post to Facebook on Friday evening. The Warrensville Police Department confirmed by phone on Saturday that Jones had not been fired nor disciplined.
This story was originally published on July 8, 2016.
A police officer’s emotional call for peace and justice is going viral in the days after multiple shootings left two Black men and five police officers dead in separate incidents.
Nakia Jones, a police officer in the Warrensville Police Department just outside of Cleveland, OH, turned to Facebook to express her grief and rage in the aftermath of the death of Alton Sterling, a Black man killed by police in Baton Rouge, LA, on July 5.
“Not only am I a mother of two African-American sons, and I have African-American nephews, and I have brothers, I am also a person that wears the uniform. With the blue,” she says. “I became so furious, and so hurt, because it bothers me when I hear people say, ‘Y’all police officers this, y’all police officers that,’ and they put us in this negative category when I’m saying to myself, ‘I’m not that type of police officer. I know officers that are like me that would give their lives for other people.'
“But what hurts me the most is that the people that stood in front of a judge, that stood in front of a mayor and said, ‘I swear my oath that I will serve and protect this community,’” she continues, “how dare you stand next to me in the same uniform and murder somebody. How dare you! You oughta be ashamed of yourself.”
In the days since her video was posted, the death of Philando Castile in Minnesota, and the shootings of multiple police officers in Dallas, have added extra weight to her words. Jones did not immediately return a request for an interview on the recent events.
Castile was shot by police on July 6 after being stopped for a broken taillight, with the aftermath streamed on Facebook in a live video by his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. And the next day, five police officers were killed at an otherwise peaceful protest in Dallas. Before the protest started, photos on the Dallas Police Department’s Twitter account showed smiling officers posing with demonstrators.
“Today, I wanted to quit when I saw that video,” Jones says of the filming of Sterling's death. But she adds she realized she needed to keep the uniform. “I need for you all to support the ones of us that are right. And I need you to stand [against] those of us that are not right.”
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A bowl of guac and a half-empty bag of stale chips do not a summer party make. But don’t get off the couch for a grocery store run just yet — we’re delivering everything you need for summer boozing and grilling right to your door.
We’re teaming up with Mouth, Spoon University, and Wine Awesomeness to help bring the party to your place all summer long (and beyond). You’ll get three months of vino from wine subscription box Wine Awesomeness as well as a $1,000 Amex gift card to spend on anything you want. Mouth is even throwing in three gift baskets: the Summer Entertaining kit, the Stock the Bar kit, and the Grilling Essentials kit, filled with goodies like mixers, fancy nuts, grilling sauces, and more. Start crafting your Facebook invite, and if you're 21 or older, enter to win now!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States (excluding Rhode Island), 21 years or older and over the age of majority in jurisdiction of residence at time of entry. Ends 7/15/16 at 11:59 p.m. ET. For Official Rules, click here. Void where prohibited.
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The need to pee can be all-consuming — once you feel it, you can't ignore it, even during sex. But does that feeling always mean you actually have to go? Not necessarily, says Shape 's resident sexpert, Dr. Logan Levkoff. In fact, it has more to do with your anatomy than how much you've had to drink.
Dr. Levkoff explains that penetrative sex can very easily put pressure on your bladder, given its position behind the vagina. Naturally, this pressure will make you feel like you need to pee. She adds that positions with rear entry can intensify that sensation. So, how do you deal? "Just go to the bathroom beforehand," Dr. Levkoff says. Easy enough.
Besides pressure on the bladder, G-spot stimulation could also be to blame. "When the G-spot is stimulated," Dr. Levkoff says, "fluid pools around it." This might make you want to pee, or even ejaculate.
Whatever the reason, Dr. Levkoff says it's totally normal to feel like you need to pee during sex. If you've really got to go, take a break and take care of business. And while we're on the subject, try to pee after sex, too — it's a smart way to reduce your risk for urinary tract infections.
Click through to Shape for more info on sexual health from Dr. Levkoff. (Shape)
There's nothing I love more than taking a little time to pamper myself with a beauty treatment. Be it with a hair mask, face mask, manicure, or pedicure, I relish the moments when I can just sit back, relax, and treat myself. But, let's get real: Everyone is busy as hell. And as much as I would love to unwind after a long day with some smushed-up strawberries on my face, it's just not something that I can pull off each day.
Some people do calf raises under their desks; I prioritize indulgences. That said, I've gotten pretty good at sneaking treatments into my daily life. (If I do say so myself.) Some of these tricks are so stealthy, I doubt anyone would notice they're happening at all. However, I'm here to spill my secrets. Ahead, check out four of my favorite ways to pamper myself on the DL. Now every day can be a pamper day.
Pop on an eye mask while you fly.
While many people (yours truly, included) will tell you to slap on a sheet mask while on an airplane, let's face it — it's kind of an embarrassing thing to do. It's not exactly subtle, you know? My second best suggestion? Eye patches. Pop them on, and then slyly hide them with a sleep mask or sunglasses. These ones from Tatcha actually brighten under your eyes, so you'll look daisy fresh once you step off the plane.
Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Revitalizing Eye Mask, $12, available at Sephora.
Reinforce your hair overnight.
Since I bleached my hair, it's been on the brittle side, which is why I've been doing Olaplex treatments once a week. And, as with so many things in life, patience is paramount to this working. Most stylists suggest 30 minutes, but my colorist Lucille Javier at the Sally Hershberger salon prefers I sleep in the stuff.
It's actually such an amazing way to ensure my thirsty strands are getting the help they need. Post-shampooing, I smooth my hair, twist it up in a bun, pop on a shower cap, and pass out. When I wake up, I rinse and condition, and my hair feels so insanely silky I can hardly believe it. And all I had to do was hit the sack.
Olaplex No. 3 Bond Perfector, prices vary, Olaplex for salon locations.
Fix brittle nails as you snooze.
Confession time: I'm a total nail-biter, which is disgusting. (Especially when I think about the poles I hold during my subway commute.) But when my nails do grow, they are soft and brittle. Cuticle oil is the savior, but the minute you wash your hands, it washes away.
Deborah Lippmann herself gave me an amazing tip during Fashion Week one season — wear your cuticle oil at night. I actually take it a step further and pop on some gloves after applying so the stuff really doesn't move. Since you aren't washing your hands for seven hours (if you're lucky enough to sleep that long), you're getting a healthy dose of uninterrupted moisture, which will help strengthen your nails. Who knew?
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil, $20, available at Sephora.
Hydrate your strands at the gym.
This is another trick that came about after I dyed my hair platinum: using a hair mask at the gym. It's actually great. If your hair is already up and nuts-looking, why not use that shabby-chic moment for something beneficial?
The masks I go for are either pure coconut oil, or hydrators like this one from Oribe. To keep product from dripping (although it rarely does), I always don a bandana as a headband. It soaks up any mess, keeping drips away from my eyes. When I get home, I shower as normal and wash the mask out of my hair for instantly hydrated strands.
Oribe Signature Moisture Masque, $62, available at Oribe.
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The inspirational tennis star 's victory over Angelique Kerber today was her 22nd major championship victory and landed her a spot among the Open-era record holders for Grand Slam singles titles. Williams is now tied with tennis great Steffi Graf for second on the Open-era list, behind Martina Navratilova’s nine, reports The New York Times. The overall record for Grand Slam titles is held by Margaret Court, who earned 24 such titles between 1960 and 1973.
Kerber, who beat Williams this past January in a surprising upset at the Australian Open, entered this morning's final match against Williams having not yet lost a single set at Wimbledon. But that didn't stop Williams from fighting her way to an ultimate victory on the court, despite having lost the first set of her second-round match against Christina McHale earlier. And the now record-holding superstar is feeling rather Zen about it all.
“I feel a little different,” Williams told the Times. “I just feel more relaxed and more at peace than I may have been in the past.”
Next up, Williams will compete for the women’s doubles title alongside sister, Venus, against Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova for another chance to enter the record books: If victorious, the Williams sisters will hold a total of 14 Grand Slam doubles championships, tying them with Gigi Fernández and Natasha Zvereva for second in the Open era. Not too shabby, sisters. Not too shabby at all.
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The first Zika-related death in the continental United States has been confirmed in Utah, The Guardian reported on Saturday.
Authorities said that the unidentified patient had traveled to an area with a Zika outbreak and had presented symptoms of the virus, including rash, fever, and conjunctivitis (a.k.a. pinkeye). Though officials said that the patient was elderly and had another health condition, they did not release any further information, citing health-privacy laws. A CDC spokesman told The Guardian that it’s still unclear if, or how, Zika contributed to the person’s death.
Though this is the first death, there have also been over 1,000 reported cases of Zika across the United States.
For most people, Zika isn’t much of a threat. The symptoms are mostly mild and flu-like: fever, rash, muscle pain, and headache. The CDC notes that many people who have Zika might not even realize it. The danger is primarily for pregnant women, as the virus is known to cause serious, even fatal, birth defects, such as microcephaly. Zika is primarily spread by the Aedes mosquito, but can also be sexually transmitted.
Everyone knows the best and most delicious way to cool yourself off and pick yourself up on a hot summer afternoon is by hitting up 7-Eleven for your favorite Slurpee. This has been the case ever since the Slurpee was invented 50 years ago, when some sodas were placed in a freezer and it resulted in a refreshing slushy consistency.
On Monday, July 11, you can break up your long, sweltering day with a freebie. In honor of Slurpee’s 50th birthday, 7-Eleven is giving away a free small Slurpee to all customers. Stop by your local 7-Eleven from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to get the goods.
In addition to your freebie, you can celebrate the big 5-0 with limited-time birthday-cake-flavored Slurpees — and other Slurpee products, like birthday-cake Slurpee donuts, Slurpee-flavored candy, Slurpee swirl candy straws, and even Slurpee-flavored ChapStick.
If all that isn't exciting enough, 7-Eleven is also launching NEW Sour Patch Kids Redberry-flavored Slurpees. WHAT?! That's right, the best Sour Patch Kids flavor is combining with your fav cool summer treat.
So, mark your calendar and get excited for a (likely) much-needed Monday pick-me-up.
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This guest post comes from Elna Baker, a writer and performer I've long admired. You may know her from myriad storytelling podcasts, her work on This American Life, or as co-host of The Talent Show. For years, she's shared her journey with weight, sexuality, faith, and family with true honesty and humor. She's one of the boldest, funniest storytellers out there and it is an honor to share her voice in this space. This story was originally published on July 13, 2015. — Kelsey
Recently, for a romantic getaway, my boyfriend took me to the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. He pitched it as a "spa retreat." This could not have been further from the truth. Esalen is a "community experiment in mental health" where they do things like group therapy and meditation to help "integrate your body, mind, heart and spirit." That's all well and good, but I just wanted to get my nails done. This felt like an intervention.
On the first night, he took me to his favorite part: the outdoor group baths, built on cliffs overlooking the ocean, like a postcard for romance. On our way in, he casually mentioned, "Oh, they're naked baths. That's cool, right?" I froze. Naked? I don't do naked-in-public. Ever.
It wasn't just typical body-image issues (though I have those, too). I don't look like you're "supposed" to look naked. I used to be obese. At my heaviest, I weighed 265 lbs. In my early 20s, I went on a diet and lost, in total, 110 lbs. I'd imagined that losing weight would be like that scene in The Little Mermaid where Ariel holds her new legs above her head, staring at them in disbelief. This was not the case.
Don't get me wrong: I was happy I lost weight. I'd accomplished something I'd always considered impossible. But, it didn't mean I got to reverse time or have a do-over with my body. The Before and After pictures you see on billboards — they're a lie. After dropping the weight, I had so much extra skin that I could lay on my side and pull it a half-foot in either direction.
Photographed by Jessica Peterson.
For a long time, I tried to get the skin to go away with lotions and exercise. Eventually, I resorted to plastic surgery. I didn't do it to alter the way I look naturally; I just wanted a chance at the body I could've maybe had if I'd never put on weight.
Most of these photos were taken a month prior to my surgery, and the last one two months after it — my "after." They're seven years old. I tracked them down for this article, and seeing them for the first time in ages, I instantly remembered what it felt like to have all of that skin on me. How insecure I used to be about it. And how I thought for sure everything would be better if I could just make the skin go away.
I've had four procedures in total. I got implants the size of my old breasts and a body lift. Two years later, I went back in for a circumferential body lift. They made an incision around my entire waist, cut out a 6-inch belt of skin, and then sewed me back together, removing over 10 pounds of my skin in total. I also got a thigh lift: They cut up my legs from knees to groin and took out as much skin as they could. To heal, I had to sit in bed for a month with my legs spread open. Sorry, roommates. Now, I have a scar that runs completely around my waist, as if a magician cut me in half. I have two scars running up my legs like inseams. But even surgery couldn't remove the extra skin entirely. When I hold my arms and legs out, I still look like a flying squirrel. I have stretch marks running down the tops of my shoulders, and there's extra skin hanging off my arms and inner thighs. If I bend over, my boobs droop like empty pouches.
So yeah, I don't like being seen naked.
Photographed by Jessica Peterson.
But, I did it. I walked out onto the dimly lit patio, naked, in public, for the first time in my adult life. To my dismay, it wasn't an "every-body" kind of spa. Instead, I was surrounded by the types of people you'd expect to see in an advanced yoga class in LA. As I walked through the center of them, I felt incredibly self-conscious.
When I'm uncomfortable, I make faces — big, mugging, obvious faces. Walking toward one of the group baths, a kiddie pool sardined with the beautiful people, I instantly reverted to my middle school self, rolling my eyes at the hot women. To cheer myself up, I invented a song, which I sang in my head as I passed people: You got that super-fly body; I got that octo-mom body.
My boyfriend had never seen me behave like this, and asked if I was okay. I just scowled, acting like a sullen teenager. After about 10 minutes, I couldn't take it anymore and excused myself to one of the solo baths. I sunk down in the tub, letting the water hide me like a blanket. Everything was covered except for the perfect, white circle of my knee poking out of the water.
I don't have very many memories of my body when I was big. I actively never looked at it. When I looked in the mirror, I only ever saw my face. Freshman year of high school, I got so big that when I took a bath, I could no longer cover myself completely with the water. I remember the first time this happened: My whole body was covered except for a circle of white — my stomach, bobbing out of the water. I looked at it and decided it was not a part of me. I called it an island. Then, I took a mini shampoo and conditioner and pretended they were a boy and a girl meeting on the island and falling in love. I played in the bathtub like a toddler. It's not a sad memory. But, it does remind me of what it felt like to be a big girl — like I was an island.
I've joined the world of average-sized people now. But, it doesn't mean I'm fixed. Sitting in that tub at the "spa," I thought about all the things I've done to my body: hating it, hiding it, starving it. Cutting it open. Hurting. Healing. Promising myself that every time I looked at that scar, I'd feel grateful for my body — and then forgetting that promise.
How am I still struggling with this? I thought. How am I back at the very beginning, just trying to have a relationship with my body?
Photographed by Jessica Peterson.
I think there is this idea out there that you either love and accept your body, or you're trying to fix it. I am in neither camp. Or, maybe I'm in both simultaneously. I try to accept myself, but I struggle. I want to be in better shape (but, I don't want to go to the gym). And, my weight fluctuates, so that doesn't help.
A girlfriend recently pointed out that so often, when we look back at photos, the times we call the happiest of our lives are usually the times we were the thinnest. And she's totally right. The summer I consider the happiest goddamn time of my life actually sucked. I was going through a terrible breakup and had lots of anxiety. But, I looked great. I wasn't happy; I was happy I was thin — that there was a frozen moment I can now hold up and show to the world that says, I was here, and I was beautiful. For two seconds.
I left the bath in a funk. The next day, we went to what's called "open seat," where a person sits in a chair in front of a group of strangers and talks to a trained therapist about something he or she struggling with. (You know, like you do at a spa?) I hadn't been to therapy before, but I do comedy, so I told myself, This is basically the same as stand-up. I stood up and talked about my body. It was really raw. The weird thing was, the room of strangers — all those beautiful people I'd been naked with the night before — said that they struggled with the same things.
The advice I got was this: Stop using the past to poison your present. Don't let who you used to be prevent you from getting the things in life that are available to you now.
Photographed by Jessica Peterson.
It really hit me. I can see my body however I want to. I choose to dislike it. And I do so because after all these years, disliking the way I look has become a part of my identity. Instead of owning my body, I let the world tell me who I'm supposed to be and how I'm supposed to look. I feed off the downward spiral of shame and self-hatred, because it gives me something to strive for.
I don't know about you, but I am so sick of striving for fucking beauty. It has taken up 10 to 20% of my time and thoughts on a daily basis for the past 20 years. It has robbed me of doing more important, loving, honest things. And, after all this time, I'm not even that good at it.
Sure, there's an "after" picture here, and in it, I look fine (I hope). But, I wouldn't let them take new pictures of me for this story, because I weigh about 20 pounds more than I did then. So, I feel like a hypocrite writing something that is supposed to tell others to accept themselves when I don't accept myself. The truth is, I genuinely think everyone should accept themselves — everyone, except for me. This is the disease I am still trying to overcome.
But now, thanks to one amazing Instagram video, we know that the daughters of sisters Kim Kardashian West and Kourtney Kardashian are also the kind of best friends that share a super-cute secret language. (Second-generation #friendshipgoals?)
In the video, Little P and young Nori stand on chairs and hold hands; smiling, laughing, and talking emphatically to each other — with not a decipherable English word uttered between them. But that doesn't appear to stop the clearly delighted dancing toddlers from communicating.
“Whatever secret language u girls speak, the way you girls protect each other & love each other is so special,” Kardashian West captioned the video, which she posted in honor of Penelope's fourth birthday. "Penelope, North is so lucky to have a best friend like you! Happy Birthday my sweet P. I love you to the moon and back!"
We should all have friends who understand us so well.
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A photo posted by America Ferrera (@americaferrera) on
Blake Lively is donning the traveling pants again! She joined America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn for some epic Instagram photos that definitely capture why The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies are so magical.
The co-stars, who brought the classic YA books to life in 2005 and 2008, are still close friends. They're so close, in fact, that it's completely normal for Lively's fingers to be in Ferrera's nose.
Both actresses shared photos of the adorable reunion on Instagram. Lively, who gave birth to her first child this past December, captioned the photo #SisterHusbands. Ferrera, currently starring in the hit show Superstore, wrote "All Grown Up" on her Instagram photo.
While they're no longer teenagers sharing pants through the mail, is there a chance they'll reunite for a third film?
It's definitely possible. During an interview with SiriusXM’s Entertainment WeeklyRadio in June, Lively kept the hope alive.
"The four of us are still best friends and to be able to create something together again has always been a dream of ours," she said. "But it would have to be something that really made sense. If you wait this long to do a third movie, it needs to honor the story and the legacy."
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the U.S., affecting over 50 million men and women — which means acne can't only happen to everyday peeps. Our friends in Hollywood are also amongst the breakout bunch, despite what Photoshop and makeup might lead you to believe.
How do we know? Well, a number of brave souls have opened up about their skin struggles. You might know the (oft-overused) phrase: celebrities, they're just like us. But they truly are, we swear! We have the interviews and Instagrams to prove it.
Click through to read up on the times some of your favorite pretty faces proved that us normal folks don't monopolize zits — acne is equal-opportunity. And stick around for the products stars swear by to keep acne at bay.
A former spokesperson for Proactiv, Katy Perry has never been shy about her acne. Although she doesn't have a relationship with the brand anymore, she told us in a recent interview that she still uses the line's exfoliant and toner. Other products she swears by to combat her breakouts? Grape seed oil as a moisturizer and Shu Uemura's cleansing oil as a makeup remover.
Photo: Variety/REX/Shutterstock.
Kendall Jenner
The Kardashian-Jenners are often praised as being makeup mavens, but underneath all of that contour and bronzer, they, too, have suffered at the hand of acne. Kendall Jenner penned a heartfelt post on her website back in October about how her then-blemishes took a toll on her self-esteem.
"I wouldn’t even look at people when I talked to them," she wrote. "I felt like such an outcast; when I spoke, it was with my hand covering my face. Sure, I had crushes in high school, but I wouldn’t even think about looking at guys."
With the help of her dermatologist and an almost $500 Laser Genesis treatment, her skin began to clear up and her confidence rose. She offered up these final words of advice: "It wasn't anything that happened overnight," she writes. "Even after things started to clear up, it took a solid amount of time to be okay with my skin and gain back my confidence. I realized that it's a part of life for some people, and it doesn't define who you are."
Photo: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock.
Mindy Kaling
The ever-so-candid Mindy Kaling approaches her skin-care problems with — what else — humor. "That zit cream in your 30s life," she captioned a selfie of herself dotted with cream in December. Last year, she also revealed that she's all about the DIY beauty-treatment life to help keep her pimples and oily skin at bay. Apple cider vinegar and Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay are her go-to mask ingredients, making her a girl after our own all-natural hearts.
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.
Kate Bosworth
Reflecting on her bumpy history with her skin, actress Kate Bosworth was quick to remind us in an interview that acne doesn't simply disappear once you nab a high school diploma. "I feel like we always associate acne with teenage years, but it never really leaves you," she says. "You'll have issues with your skin and your body, and you just have to find the things that will help you balance everything out."
How does the star stop her skin from teetering off the deep end? She takes evening primrose capsules in the morning, applies the acne treatment Aczone in the evening, and uses the gentle-but-effective Epicuren Herbal Cleanser, as well as the brand's face cream.
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.
Daisy Ridley
Just last month, Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley opened up about her problems dealing with acne after being diagnosed with endometriosis. "One laparoscopy, many consultations and 8 years down the line, pain was back (more mild this time!) and my skin was THE WORST," she wrote on Instagram. "I've tried everything: products, antibiotics, more products, more antibiotics, and all that did was [leave] my body in a bit of a mess."
Although endometriosis only affects up to 10% of women and might not be the direct source of your particular zits, she leaves fans with this last bit of wisdom: "To any of you who are suffering with anything, go to a doctor; pay for a specialist; get your hormones tested, get allergy testing; keep on top of how your body is feeling and don't worry about sounding like a hypochondriac," she writes. "From your head to the tips of your toes, we only have one body, let us all make sure ours our working in tip top condition, and take help if it's needed."
Another tidbit she left us with: love your skin, flaws and all. "When you have acne, you keep thinking about how ugly it is and how everyone is just looking at it all the time — and it makes it so much worse!" she said. "It really stresses your skin out to another level, which causes more stress acne. It is literally so difficult. I’m like, 'ARGH this pimple!' but then I stop and I’m like, ‘I love this pimple.’ It is so hard to take your own advice, but I try a little and hope it will get better."
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen got real about her post-pregnancy skin back in April, which basically just made us love her even more than we already do. She posted a sad-face selfie on Snapchat with the caption, "Goodbye pregnancy glow. Hi itchy red spots." As Miami-based dermatologist Dr. S. Manjula Jegasothy told us, the hormonal roller coaster that women go through after having a baby can result in temporary skin conditions like hives, rosacea, and our favorite epidermis woe, mild cystic acne.
While newly minted mom Teigen didn't share how she was treating her condition, Dr. Jegasothy suggested using an over-the-counter cortisone cream if you're breast-feeding.
Photo: Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock.
Lorde
The originator of the zit-cream selfie, singer Lorde is another acne- suffering public figure. "In bed with my acne cream on," the 19-year-old casually captioned her Instagram photo.
She even called out a Photoshop instance back in 2014. "I find this curious," she wrote on Twitter. "Two photos from today, one edited so my skin is perfect and one real. Remember flaws are ok :)"
What Lorde says, ultimately goes.
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus sees your zit-cream selfies and raises you a plethora of different options. See: a butterfly pin, stickers, a faux beauty mark, the lot. She's openly talked about her skin stress in the past and it's nice to see she doesn't take herself or her pimples too seriously.
Photo: Variety/REX/Shutterstock.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone told us back in 2012 that she suffered from hormonal acne when she was 17 and stress acne when she turned 20. "I realized how debilitating and embarrassing it can be to have cystic acne," she said.
These harrowing experiences have since turned her into a skin-care obsessive of sorts. "I'm pretty slutty with products. So, that's part of the problem...for the most part, I use Cetaphil, the bar soap; and then, these pads that I get from the dermatologist; and then, Elta lotion," she tells us. For spot treatments, she uses tea tree oil and she's even dabbled with cortisone shots in the past.
Photo: BFAcom/REX/Shutterstock.
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In the world of reality television, it can sometimes seem like everyone is just out for their 15 minutes of fame and, ahem, a paycheck or two. But Bachelorette contestant Derek Peth, a 29-year-old commercial banker who was eliminated during the sixth episode of the series' 12th season, is determined to use his time in the spotlight for a good cause: supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
In a recent interview with Bustle, Peth explains that his best friend, Mark, recently lost his sister, Brenda — whom Derek also knew very well — to suicide. "She had worked very closely for years with women that had been victims of domestic violence, domestic assault, and sexual assault, so it was a very important thing to her," Peth explained. "She was such a giving, caring person and she, in her own life, didn’t have the support she needed recently and actually committed suicide."
Understandably distraught, the former Bachelorette contestant told the publication that, at first, he didn't know how to help his friend, besides sending love. But when the grieving family decided to begin requesting donations to be used in support of the causes that Brenda held so dear, Peth decided immediately to use his recent launch into the public eye to help.
"I was like, 'I gotta get other people involved in this, somehow,'" Peth told Bustle. "I’ve been given somewhat of a platform to speak from and if this isn’t the right reason to — I’m here for the 'right reasons' — if this isn’t the right reason to utilize that, then what is?"
Peth ultimately decided to set up a GoFundMe page in honor of his friend's sister. All donations to the page will go to local Iowa charities that help survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault — the causes that were unequivocally the most important to Brenda.
"My hope is just to show Mark and his family some love and show them how much I want [Brenda's] name to be remembered in the most positive light possible," Peth explained. "And for her to be able to help, through her story, as many women as possible, even though she’s no longer here with us."
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Mourners took to the streets in cities around the country this week to protest and grieve the deaths of three separate shootings in the span of just three days.
Protesters horrified by the recent deaths of two Black men, as well as the shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas, gathered around the country. In Baton Rouge, LA, they mourned the July 5 death of Alton Sterling, killed outside the convenience store where he sold bootleg CDs. Police were called for reports of a man with a gun. In St. Paul, MN, protestors called for justice for Philando Castile, who was shot and killed by a police officer after a traffic stop for a broken taillight. Both deaths were caught on video and widely shared on social media.
And in Dallas, a demonstration over the deaths of both men turned to tragedy again when a shooter opened fire on the crowd, apparently targeting police officers. Before he was killed by police, the shooter told negotiators that he was upset by recent events and wanted to strike back at law enforcement.
With three cities rocked by violence, the anger, sorrow, and turmoil are overwhelming. Refinery29 has gathered photos of the mourning and protests at the sites of the tragedies. Click through to see the emotional photos of America in mourning.
Lily Reagan and Kenneth McCarroll pray during a United To Heal Prayer Vigil at Cathedral Guadalupe on Friday, July 8, 2016, in honor of the Dallas police officers who were slain Thursday, in Dallas. A peaceful protest in Dallas over the recent videotaped shootings of Black men by police turned violent Thursday night as gunman Micah Johnson shot at officers, killing five and injuring seven, as well as two civilians.
Photo: Gerald Herbert /AP Photo
A protester shouts at police officers dressed in riot gear as marchers take to the streets Friday, July 8, 2016, in Phoenix, to protest against the recent fatal shootings of Black men by police.
Photo: Ross D. Franklin /AP Photo
Rappers The Game and Snoop Dogg make their way into LAPD headquarters on July 8, 2016, after they led a peaceful demonstration outside a Los Angeles Police Department recruit graduation ceremony in what they called an effort to promote unity in the aftermath of the deadly shootings of police officers in Dallas.
Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
Protesters rally in San Francisco on Friday, July 8, 2016, against the recent fatal shootings by police of Black men. The peaceful group marched about two miles to San Francisco City Hall.
Photo: Noah Berger /AP Photo
People protest in front of the Department of Justice in Washington. D.C., Friday, July 8, 2016. In the span of four days, the United States has had to come to terms with the deaths of two Black men at the hands of police — the first caught on video and the aftermath of the second livestreamed on Facebook — as well as the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since 9/11.
Photo: Jacquelyn Martin /AP Photo
Demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta on Friday, July 8, 2016, to protest the shootings of two Black men by police officers. Thousands of people marched along the streets of downtown to protest the recent police shootings of African-Americans. Atlanta Police Chief George Turner and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said earlier in the day that people have the right to protest this weekend, but urged them to cooperate with law enforcement.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Protesters shout slogans as they march from Manhattan to Brooklyn in New York City, Friday, July 8, 2016. About 300 people took to the streets to protest the recent police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, just one day after five police officers were killed and seven others wounded during a protest in Dallas.
Photo: Andres Kudacki /AP Photo
People chant as they march with placards in Brixton, south London, on July 9, 2016, to protest against police brutality in the U.S. after two recent incidents where black men have been shot and killed by police officers.
Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images
Protesters dance in the street near the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, LA. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart on Tuesday, July 5, leading the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Protesters gather in front of a mural painted on the wall of the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart on Tuesday, July 5, leading the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Protesters gather in front of a mural painted on the wall of the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart on Tuesday, July 5, leading the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Protesters block the intersection in front of the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, July 5.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Protesters gather in front of a mural painted on the wall of the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart on Tuesday, July 5, leading the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
A person reads the personal messages written on the wall next to the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, July 5, leading the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton speaks outside the governor's mansion following the police shooting death of a black man on July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, MN. Philando Castile was shot and killed on July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Jacob Ladda, center, leads a chant for Philando Castile outside the governor's mansion on July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, MN. Castile was shot and killed on July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Diamond Reynolds reacts as she speaks to a crowd outside the governor's mansion on July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, MN. Reynolds live streamed video of her boyfriend, Philando Castile, after he was shot by a police officer on the night of July 6, 2016.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
A memorial left for Philando Castile following the police shooting death of a Black man on July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, MN. Philando Castile was shot and killed on July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds listens as Clarence D. Castile, uncle of Philando Castile, speaks outside the Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, MN. Philando Castile was shot and killed on July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Two people embrace during a demonstration for Castile outside the Governor's Mansion following the police shooting death of a Black man on July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, MN. Castile was shot and killed on July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Protesters yell after police officers arrest a bystander following the shooting at a protest in Dallas on July 7, 2016. A fourth police officer was killed and two suspected snipers were in custody after a protest late Thursday against police brutality in Dallas, authorities said. One suspect had turned himself in and another who was in a shootout with SWAT officers was also in custody, the Dallas Police Department tweeted.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Police officers stand guard at a barricade following the sniper shooting in Dallas on July 7, 2016. A fourth police officer was killed and two suspected snipers were in custody after a protest late Thursday against police brutality in Dallas, authorities said. One suspect had turned himself in and another who was in a shootout with SWAT officers was also in custody, the Dallas Police Department tweeted.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
People gather in a prayer vigil following the deaths of five police officers last night during a Black Lives Matter march on July 8, 2016, in Dallas. Five police officers were killed and seven others were injured in a coordinated ambush at an anti-police-brutality demonstration in Dallas. Investigators are saying the suspect is 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson of Mesquite, TX. This is the deadliest incident for U.S. law enforcement since 9/11.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
Dallas Police Chief David Brown is greeted with a hug at a prayer vigil following the deaths of five police officers last night during a Black Lives Matter march on July 8, 2016 in Dallas. Five police officers were killed and seven others were injured in a coordinated ambush at a anti-police-brutality demonstration in Dallas. Investigators are saying the suspect is 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson of Mesquite, TX. This is the deadliest incident for U.S. law enforcement since 9/11.
Photo: John Bazemore /AP Photo
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Aladdin 's Genie has finally granted Disney lovers one wish! Our favorite characters are finally getting their own emoji keyboard.
The iconic entertainment company announced the exciting news on its Disney Games YouTube channel on July 7. The entire collection will include 400 emoji from both Disney and Pixar movies — and there are definitely some faves in there.
The 23-second teaser video shows Ariel from The Little Mermaid with heart-eyes; Donald Duck making the classic "ick!" face; Monster Inc. 's lovable green guy, Mike Wazowski, being his usual weird self; and even The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland shining in all his emoji glory.
In true Disney form, these emoji have to be earned through a game, Disney Emoji Blitz. The video's description explains:
"Collect and play with hundreds of Disney and Pixar emojis like never before in an exciting matching game! Play fast-paced rounds of match-3 to earn prizes, complete missions, and discover new emojis."
So, those who want to send Lilo & Stitch emoji have to download the game when it hits the Android and Apple marketplaces. As you play the game, you'll earn emoji.
It's that simple. Wish granted.
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The number of HPV-related cancer cases is on the rise in America, according to a new report out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report, which looked at data from between 2008 and 2012, found that an average of almost 39,000 HPV-associated cancer cases were diagnosed each year, will a full 41% of them in men. That number is a significant increase from the previous period. From 2004 to 2008, HPV-related cancer cases averaged out to about 33,300 cases per year.
The biggest news, though, is the fact that 28,500 of the yearly cases of HPV-related cancer were attributable to types of HPV that could have been prevented by vaccination. The three-shot course of vaccination protects against the most-dangerous strains of HPV and the CDC recommends vaccinating both boys and girls against the virus at the age of 11 or 12. If you’ve missed it, the health organization recommends a “catch-up” vaccine up to the age of 26.
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most-common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. The CDC estimates that about 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and adds that most sexually active people — male or female — will contract at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. Because HPV is so often asymptomatic, most people will never know they have it.
To make things harder, testing for HPV is difficult. Though there’s no reliable test for men, women can be tested during a Pap smear. The process was recently made easier when the FDA approved a test to streamline the sample-collection process, meaning many women will no longer have to get a separate test done to check for the virus.
Big news for research and testing, but at the end of the day, the vaccination rates just aren’t up to par. Although the study reports that 28,500 cases of cancer this year could have been prevented, vaccination rates are still low. In 2014, only 39.7% of teenage girls had completed the whole series of vaccination and only 21.6% of boys had done the same.
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