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Busty Girl Swimsuit Problems — Solved

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As excited as we are for beach season, it doesn't come without its challenges — namely, finding that perfect swimsuit for lounging by the sea. This is an especially tiresome process when you're working with D+ cups up top. Whether you're trying to squeeze into conventionally sized bandeau tops or covertly mismatching suits in the dressing room because you need an XL top and an M bottom (hey, we won't tell on you), finding support, comfort, and style in your swimwear is easier said than done.

Seeing as you'll be hitting the surf and likely engaging in a round of competitive paddleball, your suit needs to have more hold than your regular ol' underwire bra — something hard to achieve with traditional "S/M/L" sizes, especially if your bust and waist size aren't on par.

We went to three swim brands that answer the busty girl's call for — drumroll, please — bikinis and one-pieces that are actually made for women's bodies. And, they've heard it all: complaints about not being able to find a two-piece that fits correctly, suits that look too much like lingerie, and accidentally getting a French-cut out of a one-piece.

Ahead, the experts at Swimsuits For All, Panache, and Shoshanna offer great tips to navigate the tricky (salt or chlorinated) waters of swimwear. Click through for their insider insight, as well as market solutions to the peskiest of swim problems, so you can actually get excited about finding a new suit for the summer.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

The Problem: Conventionally Sized Bikini Tops Don't Fit Right
"Women are so much more than S/M/L," says Shoshanna Gruss, founder and creative director of the namesake label. Part of the reason she started a brand that offers cup-sized swimwear was her frustration at not being able to find a suit that fit her athletic — but busty — physique. "A lot of companies, they just scale accordingly," explains Sara Mitzner, fit expert at Swimsuits For All. "They’ll scale a size eight with what they think is the average size eight bust. The same for 10 — everything just gets bigger incrementally. And, that’s not necessarily how women’s bodies are shaped."

The most important rule when shopping for swimwear is to buy according to your bra size. However, if you're at a mall or on a site that doesn't offer bikini tops according to your cup, all hope is not lost: There are certain silhouettes that can work — as long as you can buy the top and bottom of the suit separately.

Halter bikinis are probably your best bet in the conventionally sized market because they tend to have wider, sturdier straps and are adjustable around the neck. Another great feature to look for is a tie-back. Whereas you're a little restricted with a clasp-back, a tie-back lets you loosen or tighten according to what's more comfortable and how much support you want. Aside from those silhouettes, though, there are other surprising styles that can work for you as well. See what we're talking about ahead.

The Solution: Buy Your Sets Separately
Nowadays, most retailers will sell their tops and bottoms separately, so it's easier to mix-and-match your perfect fit — which saves you from some incognito hanger-switching.



Edited by Amber Rose Textured Bikini Tank Top, $13.99, available at Simply Be

Edited by Amber Rose Textured Bikini Brief, $5.99, available at Simply BePhoto Courtesy of Simply Be.

The Solution: Fit Into The Mold(ed Cups)
If you're not shopping according to your bra size, seek out features that'll help re-create the feel (and support) of your skyvvies. At the very top of this list are molded cups and underwire. This velvet set offers both, as well as adjustable shoulder straps, to support DD cups comfortably. And, while it's sold as a full suit, you can pick different sizes for each piece.



Triangl Forever Bikini, $89, available at TrianglPhoto Courtesy of Triangl.

The Solution: Seek Out Adjustability
Again, when shopping from limited size offerings, it's all about making the pieces work for you. Adjustable straps are key for personalizing the support you get.



Kona Sol Plus Size V-Wire Bikini Top, $27.99, available at Target

Kona Sol Plus Size High Waist Bikini Bottom, $22.99, available at TargetPhoto Courtesy of Target.

The Problem: Bandeau Tops Won't Stay Put.
The issues busty girls have with bandeaus have been well documented. "It doesn’t typically provide that support, because you don’t usually have straps to really help lift," explains Mitzner. But, Kay-Lin Richardson, director of sales of North America for Panache, believes the market has "come a long way," as far as bandeaus for big chests go. Nowadays, you can find that simple silhouette equipped with extra-supportive features like an underwire, molded cups, gripped sides, and heavy-duty straps.

"The main thing for someone with a bigger bust is that they have to try a bunch of different suits and different brands," explains Gruss. Take advantage of return policies, and really branch out in terms of styles. Mitzner encourages keeping an open mind. "Your body type does not keep you from wearing anything you want to wear," she says. "It’s a matter of finding the right one that’s made for you, that’s going to look great on you, that fits you and flatters."

The Solution: Grab Back-Up Straps
An obvious solution to the age-old bandeau problem, straps get the job done.



Wolf and Whistle Curve Eco Mix & Match Bandeau Bikini Top , $35, available at ASOS

Wolf and Whistle Curve Eco Mix & Match High Waist Bikini Bottom, $23, available at ASOSPhoto Courtesy of ASOS.

The Solution: Try A Bustier Fit
As opposed to a regular ol' bandeau, a bustier extends a little further down your torso, which is helpful for keeping your bust fixed in place. This style is also more likely to have molded cups and underwire to maintain its shape.



Cacique BrasRibbed Knot-Front Longline Swim Bikini Top, $56.95, available at Lane Bryant

Cacique Ribbed Bow Side High-Waist Swim Brief, $48.95, available at Lane Bryant

The Solution: Extra Netting
Adding an extra layer to an already secure swimsuit top is the perfect protective barrier against slippage.



Becca Etc. By Rebecca Virtue Strappy Front Bralette Bikini Top, $78, available at Everything But WaterPhoto Courtesy of Everything But Water.

The Problem: Flimsy Straps Offer No Support
When you've got D+ cups, adjustable straps are key. "You can really lower or raise them according to how perky or large your boobs are, or how much you want them lifted," suggests Mitzner. These come especially handy in one-pieces, when you're working with a single piece of fabric and need extra support.

Luckily, most bra-sized suits have this covered, with thicker-stitched straps and loops to bring the support up and down as you please. With conventional-market tops, halters are particularly appealing, since the straps tend to be wider and you can usually tie them yourself at the nape of your neck and around your back.

The Solution: Extra Support From The Side
The straps on this patterned top thicken right on the outer edge of the cup, adding an extra dose of protection from side-boob spillage.



H&M Plus-Size Bikini Bottoms High Waist, $24.99, available at H&M

H&M Plus Plus Size Bikini Top, $29.99, available at H&MPhoto Courtesy of H&M.

The Solution: Straps you can have your way with.
Aside from being fully adjustable, with a stretch to them, the straps on this bandeau top can be worn as shown, as a halter, or strapless for support for up to a 36D. Richardson notes how halters have become increasingly popular as of late for bustier women. "You have the uplift. Then, you have the adjustability of the neck, and if you don’t want tan lines, or maybe you don’t feel 100% comfortable wearing strapless or bandeau...the halter neck is like your in-between."



J.Crew Underwire Bikini Top, $58, available at J.Crew

J.Crew Seamless High-Waisted Bikini Bottom, $56, available at J.CrewPhoto Courtesy of J.Crew.

The Solution: Wider & Wider
The extra-wide straps have a stronger grip on your shoulders (so, less slippage), and the longline fit will keep you extra supported. This set from ASOS runs in cup sizes DD-G.



ASOS CURVE Curve Recycled Bikini Set, $42, available at ASOSPhoto Courtesy of ASOS.

The Problem: Tops provide too little support in the back.
The party may be in front, but you should shift your focus to the fit in the back. The structure of the straps around your back can give you as much great support and lift as a molded cup (although, ideally, you'll get the full package with an underwire and everything). Mitzner recommends a cross-back for that very reason, since doubling the ties gives you twice as much coverage. Additionally, "a keyhole back is really great," she says, if you're looking to get that scoop look. More athletic cuts — like a completely covered back with a zip front, similar to the silhouette of a sports bra — achieve the same effect.

The Solution: Embrace The Cut-Outs
This cut-out number offers the traditional coverage of a one-piece but comes with a built-in shelf bra that works to keep everything in check.



Chromat Saldana Suit, $89, available at ChromatPhoto Courtesy of Chromat.

The Solution: All Covered Up
This lengthy, covered-up top has an almost tank top fit to keep you fully covered, while the scoop neck still allows you to show a bit of skin off.



Aerie Longline Scoop Tankini Top, $14.97, available at Aerie

The Solution: Criss-Cross Applesauce
Double the wraps, double the support for up to a 46H.



Cacique Wrap Longline Swim Bikini Top With Built-In Plunge Bra, $54.95, available at Lane BryantPhoto Courtesy of Cacique.

The Problem: Monochrome one-pieces drown out the figure.
While one-pieces are almost universally flattering, their sometimes shapeless nature can be tricky for someone with a bigger bust. Shoshanna always considered one-pieces too "cumbersome." Sizing is especially difficult when you've got big boobs, explains Mitzner, because "you're absorbing so much of the suit in the bust" — in other words, the bust requires so much more fabric to cover up — that you may need to go larger than what you'd normally wear. You then run the risk of an accidental French cut, or exposing more of your bottom than you intended, since "it ends up being shorter in the torso."

When it comes to a one-piece, "you want to be looking out for the vertical of the suit," explains Mitzner. A great way to do this is by finding prints that cut the suit horizontally, defining your figure. Molded cups and underwire are also great here — again, seek out the bra-cup sizing.

If you're looking to minimize the size of your breasts, Mitzner suggests a high-neck style, since it'll "draw attention to your face." On the other hand, scoop- and V-necks are also incredibly flattering. Another great alternative to a traditional one-piece: the monokini, a swimsuit hybrid that offers as much support as the rest of them, in a different, less-common silhouette.

The Solution: The Monokini
Gruss has found an unlikely solution to the one-piece dilemma in the monokini.



ModCloth The Siena Plus-Size One Piece Swimsuit, $89, available at ModClothPhoto Courtesy of Modcloth.

The Solution: Get See-Through
The same concept of the monokini extends to this Eloquii one-piece: Fitting through size 28, the roomy bust coverage allows for larger breasts.



Eloquii Mesh Detailed One Piece Swimsuit, $99.95, available at EloquiiPhoto Courtesy of Eloquii.

The Solution: All-Over Prints
With this gingham piece, your boobs stay put in the built-in underwire cups. "You have the same support as if you were wearing a bra in your size, but it’s hidden," explains Richardson.



Sea Angel High Neck One Piece Swimsuit, $44.99, available at TargetPhoto Courtesy of Target.

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The Steamiest, Sexiest Movies Of All Time

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The sexiest movies aren't necessarily lurking in the adults-only section of HBO — or in the deleted archives of one's browser history. Often, the steamiest films are mainstream. Whether a flick actually features a crazy-hot love scene or a more innocent tryst between a forbidden couple, it's perfectly acceptable to find these movies tantalizing. Let's be real: That was totally the filmmaker's point.

As a celebration of the sexiest films to ever grace the big screen, we've rounded up a collection of movies that have a history of encouraging sexy thoughts. While turn-ons are as varied as people are, these movies certainly attempt to evoke certain feelings in all of us.

Is it hot in here? Nope, it's just these movies. Click through to read about the sexiest movies to inspire endless fantasizing.

Disobedience(2018)

Years after leaving the Orthodox Jewish community in which she was raised, Ronit (Rachel Weisz) returns for her estranged father's funeral. There, she reconnects with Esti (Rachel McAdams), her childhood best friend – and eventual lover. The women are confronted with the fact that their feelings for each other remain unchanged, despite time and differences in life paths. Their ensuing hookups are infused with longing, regret, and supercharged sexiness.

Gloria(2013)

Gloria (Paulina Garcia) is 53, divorced, and ready to start living. The Chilean movie begins with Gloria dancing in a club, and continues the theme of fun mixed with self-exploration. A crucial part of Gloria's journey comes through her relationship with Rodolfo (Sergio Hernández), an older bachelor. Instead of a mid-life crisis, what happens in this movie is a mid-life flourishing.

Fabula/Nephilim Producciones/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Mr. and Mrs. Smith(2005)

Brangelina is no longer, but this movie about married assassins on assignment to kill one another retains its sizzle.

Stephen Vaughan/20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Chloe(2009)

Catherine (Julianne Moore) suspects that her husband, David (Liam Neeson), is having an affair, so she has the bright idea of trying to get a call girl, Chloe (Amanda Seyfried), to seduce him. As a result, their entire lives spiral out of control, leading to a love triangle with dark, erotic thriller vibes.

In The Cut(2003)

In erotic thrillers, people get together who normally never would in real life. For example, an English teacher (Meg Ryan) willingly has an affair with a stranger (Mark Ruffalo), whom she suspects of murder.

The Lost Boys(1987)

Vampire movies were sexy long before Twilight. In this movie, two brothers move to a quiet town in California. One falls in with the nerds. The other, with an actual gang of vampires. The sexiest moment of this movie must, inevitably, has to be the oiled-up sax man who's been a cultural trope since.

Jane O'Neal/Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

She's Gotta Have It(1986)

Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) chooses that she's just not going to choose. Instead of settling down with one man, Nola dates three. Three decades after his seminal movie came out, Spike Lee adapted She's Gotta Have It for a Netflix series.

Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock

Call Me By Your Name(2017)

Elio (Timothee Chalemet) and David (Armie Hammer) have a breathtaking romance over one Italian summer, and you'll never look at peaches the same way again.

Something New(2006)

For the past few years, Kenya McQueen (Sanaa Lathan) has been focused on furthering her career, not on love. Her friend sets her up with an architect, Brian (Simon Baker) — but Kenya balks when she finds out he's white. She runs into Brian later on, and a relationship develops despite Kenya's hesitation. Then, another man comes into Kenya's life: Mark Harper (Blair Underwood), who's everything she'd envision for herself. This is a far smarter love triangle movie than most you've seen before.

The Reader(2008)

This is mostly a dark movie, with a dash of sexiness. When he's a teenager, Michael Berg (David Kross) has an affair with an older woman, Hanna (Kate Winslet). Then, she disappears. Michael finds out why, years later, when he sees Hannah being tried for her Nazi war crimes.

Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock

In the Realm of the Senses(1976)

The only adjective you really need to describe this movie is sexy. Super, super sexy. The beautiful, artistic movie takes place in 1930s Japan, and is about a passionate and destructive affair between Sada Abe (Eiko Matsuda) and her employer, Kichizo Ishida (Tatsuya Fuji). It features unstimulated (aka real) sex.

Desert Hearts(1986)

In the year 1935, Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) drives to Reno, Nevada so she can expedite her divorce process. While lounging around for the six-week period required for residency, Vivian strikes up a friendship with Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), which, to Vivian's surprise becomes something more than friendship.

Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock

Young & Beautiful(2013)

Losing her virginity unlocks something inside of Isabelle (Marine Vacth). She begins to quite willingly work as a prostitute. "It was like a game," she says. It's a game until one of her clients passes away, and her parents find out about her double life led in the name of sexual awakening.

Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

You read that right: Volumes one and two. It takes self-proclaimed nymphomaniac Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) two full length movies in order to fully retell a lifetime's worth of sexual exploits to a stranger who finds her beaten-up in an alley, and brings her home for recuperation.

Zentropa Entertainments/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

A Royal Affair(2012)

In 18th century Denmark, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain (Alicia Vikander) is forced to marry the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark (Mikkel Folsgaard), because back then, women were convenient alliance-forming pawns. A doctor, Johann Friedrich Strunsee (Mads Mikkelsen), is brought on to care for the king. Finally meeting someone she likes in that castle, Caroline and the liberal-minded Johann start a passionate affair

Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock

Cheri(2009)

In Paris at the turn of century, a retired courtesan (Kathy Bates) enlists the help of her old colleague, Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer), with a parenting problem. Charlotte's son, Cheri (Rupert Friend), is a difficult, stubborn, thorn in her side — and a virgin. Lea's brought on to teach Cheri the ways of the world. Charlotte never intended on Lea and Cheri's relationship blossoming into something like love, yet that's what happens, despite their 20-year age gap.

Poison Ivy(1992)

Drew Barrymore plays a seductress named Ivy, and Ivy becomes poison for the Cooper family. Seeking a stable home life, Ivy very creepily ingratiates herself into the Cooper family by seducing the father. Then, she attempts to off the mother, and frame the daughter. It's sexy in an erotic thriller sort of way.

SNAP/REX/Shutterstock

From Dusk Till Dawn(1996)

We'll sell you on the sex appeal of this vampire film quickly. Salma Hayek plays a vampire goddess named Santanico Pandemonium who specializes in a "snake dance," and is but one vampire working in a bar straight out of True Blood.

Joyce Podell/Los Hooligans/A Band Apart/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Dangerous Liasions(1988)

Two bored French aristocrats decide to cause trouble by playing games of manipulation and seduction. If you like Cruel Intentions, watch this movie — they're based off the same novel.

Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock

In the Mood For Love(2000)

Two neighbors in Hong Kong find that their lonely lives adhere to a similar schedule. They spark up an intimate friendship, especially after confessing that their spouses are both having an affair. While they feel lust for each other, they want to be better than their cheating spouses. So, In the Mood For Love is steeped in unfulfilled and aching sexual tension, which is undeniably its own brand of sexiness.

Dirty Dancing(1987)

Rarely are summer flings are productive as the one between Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze). In addition to giving Baby the strength to rise above her judgmental family, she learns to dirty dance. The tangible chemistry between Grey and Swayze spread sex appeal all over the dance floor.

Titanic(1997)

In actuality, the iconic love story between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) is chaste, compared to some of the other selections on this list. But the palpable sexual tension, combined with one steamy handprint on a car, makes Titanic one of the sexiest (and saddest) movies ever.

20th Century Fox/Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Kiss Me(2011)

Frida goes to her father's wedding with her fiancé, and finds herself thrown for a loop. She's inexplicably, totally, and completely attracted to her soon-to-be stepmother's daughter, Mia. Kiss Me should be a fixture in the forbidden love genre.

The Lover(1992)

In this film based on the famous novel by Margeurite Duras, a French teenager and a wealthy older Chinese man in 1920s French Indochina carry out an affair in seedy corners of Saigon. The jig's almost up on their forbidden relationship. But when will it end, and how?

Renn/Burrill/Films A2/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

My Golden Days(2015)

Of course a film about a middle-aged French anthropologist remembering his first love is going to be steamy. The lush, romantic film is actually a prequel to the 1996 three-hour epic, My Sex Life or...How I Got Into An Argument," which is all about the French academic's present-day life. My Golden Days explains how he became such a romantic idealist.

Adore(2013)

Robyn Wright and Naomi Watts' characters grow up in idyll on the Australian coast. When they grow up, they raise their beautiful sons in adjacent beautiful homes. Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.

And then, the women start sleeping with each others' sons. Still beautiful? Up to you to decide.

Troy(2014)

Only Hollywood could take The Iliad, strip it of its poetry and literary significance, and make it an excuse for Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana, and Brad Pitt to prance around on horseback.

My Beautiful Laundrette(1985)

In a rough neighborhood of London, Omar Ali (Gordon Warnecke) inherits a laundromat from his uncle. Then, Omar is beat up by a gang of racist kids — the leader of whom is, surprisingly, Omar's ex-lover, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). Despite Johnny's connection to the group, he and Omar rekindle their relationship. This acclaimed, heartening movie about love against the odds features what may be the best ear lick of all time.

Body Heat(1981)

Set in Florida during an intense heatwave, this is a movie about passion, heat, crime, and a lot of sweat. Ned Racine (William Hurt), a shy lawyer, starts a passionate affair Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), the wife of a big shot businessman. Ned teams up with one of his criminal clients to kill Matty's husband, so the two can run off together. Of course, Ned finds himself way over his head. Not even the hottest sex can save him now.

Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock

Boogie Nights (1997)

What else do you expect from a movie about Mark Wahlberg trying to break into the adult film industry?

Out of Sight(1998)

What happens when you pit George Clooney's notorious bank robber against J-Lo's Federal Marshal on the hunt? Chemistry, of course. In addition to being steamy, this witty movie received almost universal acclaim from critics.

Universal/REX/Shutterstock

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love(1996)

You'd expect that a movie with the title "Kama Sutra" would be sexy, and trust us — it delivers. Set in 16 century India, Kama Sutra is about two childhood friends who become sexual rivals in their womanhood. Tara becomes engaged to the king, and her best friend Maya is groomed into becoming his mistress. This cannot end well, though at least there are drawn-out sex scenes along the way.

Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock

Carol(2015)

This gorgeous period piece tells the story of a timid shopgirl who becomes romantically involved with a wealthy housewife. The movie's sexiest moment comes when a couple takes a road trip away from Carol's husband and steam up a motel room. What makes Carol a great film, however, are the satisfying journeys of self-discovery that both women embark on.

Wilson Webb/Killer Films/The Weinstein Company/REX/Shutterstock

Original Sin
Sure, the movie was slammed by critics. But upturned noses can't take away from the crazy chemistry between leads Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas in this period piece set in Cuba during 19th century Spanish rule.

Lourdes Grobet/MGM/REX/Shutterstock

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
The artist-and-his-muse archetype gets revamped in this Woody Allen flick. The Spanish setting is romantic enough, but all bets (and clothing items) are off when you add in the allure of the painter, his colorful past lover, and the promise of a new one.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
If there's anything sexier than Mickey Rourke as a Wall Street mogul having an affair with Kim Basinger, we've yet to find it. This movie upped the ante on what erotic means in Hollywood.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Lust, Caution (2007)
A young, virginal woman is tasked with seducing a most dangerous enemy. Thrilling romance follows.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features.

I Am Love (2009)
Visually stunning, I Am Love is one of those movies you can't look away from. The veneer of the perfect family, under the guise of bougie Italian culture, is questioned in this battle over old and new. The meal scene is a must.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Magnolia Film.

Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Two teens embark on a road trip when they encounter a stunningly free-spirited woman who helps them discover intimacy and themselves.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of IFC Films.

House Of Pleasures (2011)
Instead of submitting to men, the women of this French brothel know how to dominate them.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Haut et Court.

From Here To Eternity (1953)
The scene with Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster kissing on the beach is iconic and unforgettable.

Streaming: iTunes

Photo: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

Unfaithful (2002)
This movie, despite how disastrous Diane Lane's affair is, will make you want to pull your lover into the nearest restaurant bathroom and get it on immediately.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

Cruel Intentions (1999)
Ah... young, rich, pretty people galavanting through hedonism and the recklessness of youth.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Fifty Shades might be all kinky and whatnot, but Stanley Kubrick's sex party is one for the cinematic ages.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Fallen Angels (1995)
Visually, this movie is the definition of sexy. Story-wise, it'll tear you to pieces.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Kino International.

Malèna (2000)
It should go without saying that Monica Bellucci's mere presence amps the sensuality of any film to new heights. But, this coming-of-age tale demystifies the act of growing up and into one's own sexuality.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Miramax Films.

Bound (1996)
Whoever said a sexy movie needed a heteronormative seduction story hasn't seen the Wachowskis' crime thriller. Two femme fatales are better than one.

Streaming: Unavailable

Photo: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures.

Weekend (2011)
This movie from Looking creator Andrew Haigh is a watershed for queer cinema. Not only does it present an insightful story about a homosexual romance without ostentatious stereotypes, it presents gay sex as perfectly normal.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Selects.

The Dreamers (2003)
Though the film treads the incest line, The Dreamers prompts audiences to question sex with people outside of their "type." Plus, Eva Green just exudes sexuality.

Buy: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Love & Basketball (2000)
For once, a movie that focuses on the reactions to sex and sexuality rather than the actual act. Love & Basketball made it feel like the first time.

Streaming: iTunes

Photo: Courtesy of New Line Cinema.

The Piano Teacher (2001)
Dark, but moving, The Piano Teacher doesn't shy away from the shame that sex can generate. There's something inherently sexy about that kind of rawness.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Kino International.

Basic Instinct (1992)
Everyone knows this movie for Sharon Stone's interrogation scene, but the sex scene is also incredible. Even more than that, Stone's entire aura is divinely sexy.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures.

In The Mood For Love (2000)
Not only is this film a fabulous study of couples seeking other arrangements, but the costume design exudes sex appeal.

Buy: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of USA Films.

28 Hotel Rooms (2012)
This is what happens when your one-night stand turns out to be something more. Enjoy the ride.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
So, their actual marriage has gone to hell. But these two gifted us one of the hottest angry sex scenes, ever. Plus, who doesn't want to watch Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt cinematically get it on?

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs gave us all too high of expectations for what shower sex could be.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

Take This Waltz (2011)
Michelle Williams has always been subtly sexy, and this scene takes the cake — both artistically and sexually.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Elles (2011)
Juliette Binoche is the definition of French chic. Her portrayal of a woman seeking to rediscover her sexuality through researching prostitutes is as inspiring as it is enticing.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of Memento Films.

Betty Blue (1986)
An erotic drama that opens with an in-your-face sex scene, Betty Blue presents sex without any gimmicks. The most shocking thing about the sexuality is how not shocking it actually is.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Gaumont.

Sex, Lies, And Videotape(1989)
For once, a movie with as many blunt conversations about sex as there are sex scenes.

Buy: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Miramax Films.

A Single Man (2009)
Tom Ford's screen adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel is far and away the most sexed-up title on this list. However, it's sexier than the rest because Tom Ford has his hand in every bit of this film. Everything from the styling, set design, soundtrack, and coloring is sleek. This is eye candy.

Streaming: Netflix

Photo: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company.

Breathless (1960)
Jean-Luc Godard's debut feature film is one of the reasons we're all slightly obsessed with the effortlessly cool French look and life.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Rialto Pictures.

Secretary (2002)
Let's be real: This is the original Fifty Shades. This movie does more than depict sadomasochism, it celebrates it.

Streaming: Amazon

Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013)
This French film explores a romance between two young women and shows the excitement of experiencing true intimacy for the first time. Check it out for the sweet romance, stay for the sexy, sexy scenes.

Stream: Netflix

Photo: Wild Bunch

Mulholland Drive (2001)
Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring find very sexy romance as they attempt to solve a bizarre mystery in David Lynch's steamy neo-noir.

Buy: Amazon

Photo: Universal Pictures

Savages (2012)
Is it hot in here, or is it just the polyamorous relationship between the three beautiful leads? Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson play marijuana farmers who get tangled up in a Mexican drug cartel — but not before getting tangled up in one another.

Buy: Amazon

Photo: Universal Pictures

Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Yes, this movie is devastating, but you also can't find two better-looking guys than Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal to hook up in a tent.

Buy: Amazon

Photo: Focus Features

Closer (2004)
Closer isn't filled with sex scenes, but the deep kisses and smoldering looks exchanged between the four gorgeous actors are enough to get anyone hot and bothered.

Buy: Amazon

Photo: Columbia Pictures

40 Days And 40 Nights

A movie about a man who attempts not to have sex for 40 days is surprisingly steamy.

Streaming: Netflix

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Number Of Immigrants Who've Miscarried While In ICE Detention Doubles

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The number of women who've had miscarriages while in U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) custody nearly doubled following the Trump administration allowing the indiscriminate detention of pregnant people, according to government records reviewed by the Daily Beast.

The report follows news that an undocumented 24-year-old woman from Honduras gave birth to a stillborn boy while in ICE custody. The agency says the unidentified woman was 27 weeks pregnant when she went into labor and that the stillbirth would not be classified as an in-custody death.

According to the Daily Beast, between October 2016 and September 2017, a total of 10 migrant women began experiencing a miscarriage while in ICE custody or right before being detained. In late 2017, President Donald Trump reversed an Obama-era rule which until then directed ICE not to detain pregnant women except in extraordinary circumstances. Under these new conditions, the number of women who've experienced a miscarriage increased to a total of 18 as of August 2018. This figure is only based on ICE data and does not take into account cases of migrant women experiencing miscarriages or stillbirths while in custody of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

The Obama administration implemented the policy of not detaining pregnant people in an effort to prioritize their health care needs. But the so-called pro-life Trump administration chose instead to put migrant women in custody unless they are in their third trimester. Reports have found that even at that point in pregnancy, migrant women have been detained — and regardless of how far along they are, they've faced abuses such as being shackled around the stomach during transport, denied medical care after an accident, and ignored when requesting prenatal vitamins.

Katharina Obser, senior policy of migrant rights and justice at the Women's Refugee Commission, told Refinery29 that advocates have been concerned about the treatment and detention of pregnant women in ICE detention facilities for a long time. "These are not appropriate conditions for pregnant women," she told Refinery29. "[These centers are] already a punitive and inappropriate place for the populations who are being detained there, let alone for someone with the specific medical needs that a pregnant women might have."

Obser said that while immigration detention centers are meant to be part of a civil, not criminal, detention system they are in essence jails. She added that reports of inadequate health care, overcrowding, medical neglect, and other issues can make it an unsafe place for someone who is pregnant. "They are also located in very remote areas, which leads to concerns over medical care because it means someone needs to be transferred to a hospital that might be far away, she added. "It also makes it difficult for people to find a lawyer,"Without a lawyer, it's nearly impossible for someone to pursue their immigration case." The latter adds to the stress of being detained, which is inevitably harmful for pregnant women, Obser said.

In September 2017, the Women's Refugee Commission and several other organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a complaint with Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and CBP, outlining concerns about the detention of pregnant women. The message then and now was clear: Immigrants should not be in immigration custody while pregnant. "The administration have many other options for anyone in detention: They can use case management, if they need support, or they can be released to their families as their pursue their immgration cases," she said. "That the administration is [detaining people] at these unprecedented rates and has gone so far as to reverse prior policy that favored the release of pregnant women, makes it clear this is about deterring people from coming into the U.S.. This is not about the wellbeing of the pregnant women in their custody."

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7 Fresh Roll-On Fragrances To Stash In Your Belt Bag This Spring

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Unlike your tiny travel shampoo or your TSA-safe micro-tube of toothpaste, there's something low-key sexy about a rollerball perfume. More than just a carry-on essential (because no one is getting their full-sized bottle of Gucci Bloom through airport security), you can slip a skinny glass bottle into the side pocket of any purse or for an instant refresh when you're standing at the crosswalk on a warm morning, or trying to shake off that stale airplane feeling before heading straight from hotel room to dinner.

Another plus: The baby size means a lower price point, so you can experiment with your fragrance without splurging on the full-size. And while we're waxing poetic, let's acknowledge the simple, luxurious ritual of rolling perfume onto your skin instead of spritzing into the air to dash through on your way out the door.

Ahead, we've put together the best travel-sized fragrances to shop before we're turning the clocks forward and wearing denim jackets on repeat. Whether you want to smell like a walk on the beach in crisp white jeans and a nautical striped sweater, or like you bathe in cold milk and rosewater à la Cleopatra, we have a rollerball perfume worthy of your March getaway... or just your next trip to the grocery store.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

Despite the girlish rose tinge to the glass bottle, this rollerball is surprisingly sensual. The top notes are faintly sweet, like berries, but it dries down to release jasmine and amber undertones that make it the perfect pick for the first Saturday of spring, when you don't really know where the afternoon will take you.



Burberry Burberry Her Eau de Parfum Rollerball, $29, available at Ulta Beauty

The peony hits you right away in this classic feminine floral, but the spicy black pepper hiding underneath keeps the scent from going powdery.



Stella McCartney Stella Peony Rollerball, $25, available at Sephora

Who wouldn't want to smell like a lazy afternoon on the boardwalk? Zesty pink pepper mixed with lemon hints at sea spray without being salty, and ylang ylang and coconut milk give a whiff of Banana Boat sunscreen without the sticky feel. It's beachy and smells like summer in all the right ways — and not at all artificial or cliché.



Maison Margiela ’REPLICA’ Beach Walk Rollerball, $28, available at Sephora

If your rosé is actually frosty frosé and your rooftop garden bar looks more like an overcrowded frat party on the first warm weekend, this cutesy version of Gucci Bloom — plus a burst of green for this youthful take on the original — may be the semblance of sophistication you need to get through the next rowdy day drink.



Gucci Bloom Acqua di Fiori Eau de Tolilette Rollerball, $34, available at Sephora

Like catching a whiff of a coconut cream-filled croissant in the morning, this fragrance is a shot of sweetness that quickly dries down to a soft vanilla and leaves you wanting more.



Lavanila Vanilla Coconut Roller-Ball, $16, available at Sephora

With warm and spicy top notes, you'd think this scent would be more of a wintery curl-up-by-the-fire sort of fragrance. But the unexpected hints of tiare blossom, sandalwood, and Thai ginger make it surprisingly wearable for springtime.



NEST Fragrances Cocoa Woods Rollerball, $27, available at Sephora

As gorgeous as the lavender-printed glass bottle would lead you to believe, this blackcurrant-and-wild iris fragrance is the nighttime scent you want on the nape of your neck right before you walk out of your apartment at 9 p.m. on a Friday — the date-night perfume to end all date-night perfumes.



Tocca Maya Rollerball, $25, available at Sephora

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7 Bras So Comfortable, You’ll Forget You’re Even Wearing ’Em

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Bras are pretty much the BFFs of our everyday wardrobes. Think about it: They offer the kind of daily support ( wink, wink) that can only be matched by a particularly lit group chat — and good thing, because there's nothing better than having a trusted team you know you can count on. That's why, when we're on the lookout for new lingerie, we're pretty serious about adding only the cream of the crop to our undergarment arsenal.

So where does one start when looking for the very best bra? Well, we went ahead and did the hard work for you — rounding up our all-time-favorite styles here, just in time for a little spring refresh. The requirements? Unmatched levels of comfort (you can thank LYCRA ® fiber in all of them for that), top performance on delivering support, and chic designs that'll inspire all kinds of confidence. From skin-toned basics that won't show up under your favorite white tee to playful, lacy styles (some with underwire, some without), these bras hit every mark and then some. Click through to scope out your fave (or two or three or four...), ahead.

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How To Get A Pro-Level Tan On A Tight Budget

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Maintaining a year-long tan gets expensive. For some, it entails booking a plane ticket to Florida every few months to clock some serious beach hours. For others, it means a standing appointment with a spray-tan artist who can coat your body in expensive, but temporary, bronzer. But what if we told you that you didn't have to spend a fortune to keep up your glow? These days, getting a flawless tan is as easy as running to your nearest drugstore.

We know what you're thinking: Self-tanner is not as good as the real thing. But the category is on the come up. Unlike the formulas of the past, the latest innovations don't smell like toast (seriously, that "yeasty" smell is very real); they don't turn you orange; and they don't cost more than a bottle of Vanderpump Rules Pinot. And with DIY options under $15, you can stay within your budget and actually save for a vacation this year.

Lucky for you, we did all the heavy lifting and found the best affordable self-tanners out there. Interested? Click ahead for the cheap formulas we love.

Finally, the benefits of a translucent self-tanner have reached the drugstore with L'Oréal's latest innovation. Not only is it free of the fussy guide color that will stain your sheets, but it's also eradicated the worst part about at-home tanning: the smell. Instead of the chemical DHA scent, this mousse smells like its hero ingredient, coconut water.



L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Hydrating Self-Tanning Water Mousse, $14.99, available at Target

In a pinch, you can usually run across the street to the drugstore and find exactly what you need. But the self-tanner options were slim to none. That is, until this Aussie-favorite brand launched at Walgreens. Now, you can pick up everything from self-tanning mousse to a bronzing oil whenever you're in desperate need of a tan.



Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam Light/Medium, $24, available at Walgreens

Gradual self-tanners are perfect for beginners, especially when the product doubles as a moisturizing body lotion. You can smooth this foolproof formula on your legs and arms every morning until you've reached just the right level of bronze.



B.Tan Gradual Tan Moisturizer, $14.99, available at Target

If you're a regular at your local spray-tan salon, then you'll appreciate this at-home solution. The micro-mist applicator covers your body in gradual tanner that should develop in 2-4 hours and last for a few days. The final results aren't splotchy, so you won't even need a mitt.



Neutrogena Micromist Airbrush Sunless Tan, $11.99, available at Target

Travel-friendly self-tanner is hard to come by — just imagine trying to get a 4 oz. bottle of brown mousse through the security check at the airport. Luckily, tanning towels, like these from L'Oréal, exist. It's just an added bonus that the tanner is translucent, so you never have to worry about destroying that fancy — and very expensive — hotel bedding.



L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze™ Self-Tanning Towelettes , $8.99, available at Target

Technically, St. Tropez isn't a drugstore brand, but its self-tanning sheet mask is right on budget at just under $10. Even better, this tanner works fast — like use before bed and wake up with a post-vacation glow fast.



St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Face Sheet Mask, $9, available at Ulta Beauty

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Amy Klobuchar Joked About The Salad-Comb Incident

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"How did everyone like the salad?" presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar asked a roomful of politicians, journalists, and other D.C. elite types at the annual Gridiron Dinner on Saturday. "I thought it was okay, but it needed just a bit of scalp oil and a pinch of dandruff, would be a little better."

Klobuchar, the Gridiron Club's Democratic speaker for the night, was referring to the story reported by The New York Times that she had once berated a staffer for forgetting to bring a fork for her salad on a plane trip, ate the salad with a comb she pulled out of her purse, and then made her employee clean the comb.

She followed the salad joke with, "So when Jerry [Seib, Gridiron Club president] called me about tonight, he asked, 'Do you need a microphone, or do you just prefer to yell at everyone?' I said, 'microphone.'"

Sometimes the most accurate way to sum up a reaction is: 😬

The bigwig crowd reportedly ate it up. "In the room of ultimate political insiders, Klobuchar's jokes landed well and some of the rougher edges of her reputation were smoothed over," former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart opined on CNN.

Somehow we doubt that an audience of actual Capitol Hill staffers — people who work long hours and don't always make a living wage — would have been as amused, although they might have laughed along politely so as to keep their jobs. Klobuchar's humiliation of staffers and abusive behavior has been well-documented in various recent media stories. The people whom her behavior has actually affected were more likely to be complaining about their jobs in a dive bar than laughing and rubbing elbows with millionaires at a fancy dinner.

The white-tie affair, where reporters and politicians present satirical skits and speeches, is known for being an event that highlights the lighter, "human" side of politics. The president typically speaks, although this year, he sent Ivanka in his place, who whined that being his daughter is "the hardest job in the world" (LOL). The speakers are strategically chosen, and it's seen as a chance for politicians to publicly redeem themselves, at least to the inside-the-Beltway audience. As a veteran Democratic operative told Politico, the chief question of the night for Klobuchar was, "How do I turn this on myself in a way that humanizes and disarms and conveys a sense that I get it?"

She seems to have succeeded. But while the salad jokes may have gone over well with her peers, it remains to be seen whether voters will be turned off by Klobuchar's behavior with staff. Some say all the media coverage of her managerial style is a sexist double standard — many men in Washington are tougher bosses and we never hear about it — while others believe that, gender issues aside, her angry outbursts are disqualifying. Dozens of former staffers have stuck up for Klobuchar, with some saying that her tough style and the demanding environment of her office has made them better at their jobs.

"The best way I can describe it is sort of like Navy SEALs training," Zach Rodvold, who worked on Klobuchar's first U.S. Senate campaign in 2006 and headed her Minnesota office from 2007 to 2009, told the Star Tribune. "It’s not intended to be fun. It’s hard. But what you get from it is you become very, very good at what you do." He said he has seen Klobuchar throw a pen in frustration (another staffer told BuzzFeed she almost accidentally hit them with a flying binder), and that there were times he thought she had unreasonably high expectations, but also that she was funny, charismatic, and worked harder than anyone else.

Klobuchar, without directly apologizing, told the Star Tribune that she intends to treat her staff better. "I’m incredibly proud of the work our staff has done and I would not be here without amazing staff," she said in a statement. "I know I can be tough, I know I can push people too hard, and I also know I can do better — and I will."

The Minnesota senator prides herself on being one of the most efficient lawmakers on the Hill, ranking first when it comes to the number of bills signed into law. She also ranks high in introducing bills, cosponsoring bills, and getting bills out of committee, and is known for effectively working across the aisle. Maybe in the end, that will be enough.

"I will win this election because I’m a woman and all the powerful people in the room told me it’s a sure thing. What could possibly go wrong?" Klobuchar said in her speech.

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Ashley Graham's Lip Kit Sold Out In 3 Hours — But It's Back

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When Revlon brand ambassador Ashley Graham marched into the company offices in New York City, dumped out her makeup bag, and got to work on a three-piece lip kit inspired by the bodacious reds she loves most, you had to know it was going to be popular. You might have also assumed a beauty giant like Revlon would be able to keep up with demand, but when the kit dropped last week, it proved to be an unstoppable force (much like Graham herself) and sold out in a mere three hours.

Comprised of a cherry-red lipstick, a lip liner to match, and shimmery ruby-red gloss, Graham’s Never Enough Lip Kit in Worship was designed to match the model's bold signature look. “The Revlon team and I went through loads of swatches to land on the final colors," she said in a press release. "I felt strongly that one of the kits should be about the classic Revlon red, which is so vibrant and beautiful on everyone.”

Judging from how quickly stock dwindled, she achieved that and more. The good news? The lip kit was just restocked on Amazon, and it's also slated to launch on Target’s site beginning March 10. Something tells us nabbing one of these sets is going to be a hell of a game of Whac-A-Mole. For those who can’t quite sync with its availability, find a few similar options, ahead.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

All three of Graham's products look great on their own, but layer them together and you've got full, sexy, supermodel lips.



Revlon Ashley Graham Never Enough Lip Lip Kit in Worship, $19.98, available at Amazon

You might have to import your own gloss to match Revlon's three-piece offering, but this matte lipstick and liner duo paints a true red lip at a wallet-friendly $10.



NYX Cosmetics Suede Matte Lip Kit in Spicy, $12, available at Nyx Cosmetics

Sure, this trio of lip shades costs more than a few extra bucks and doesn't feature a liner or gloss, but the spectrum of saturated reds are so gorgeous, you won't need much else.



Pat McGrath LUST: Mini MatteTrance Lipstick Trio in Colour Blitz , $25, available at Sephora

If you want to get in on the affordable lip kit action, but prefer deeper crimson shades, you'll find them in this bundle. It contains cherry-red and berry lipsticks, plus a wine-colored liner.



Maybelline Maybelline NY Minute Berry Lipstick Lip Liner Kit , $17.98, available at Target

This matte cherry liquid lipstick and liner duo scores points from fans for its all-day wear and non-drying formula.



Winky Lux Kiss-Kiss Cherry Kit, $17, available at Ulta Beauty

How cute is this lip-shaped tin? Inside you'll find a full-size lip liner, a mini color-flipping lip gloss, and mini matte lipstick (which fans swear stays put even after a meal).



Huda Beauty Contour & Strobe Lip Set in Heartbreaker , $25, available at Sephora

A full, cherry-red pout for less than the cost of a coffee run? We can't add this matte lipstick and matching liner to cart fast enough.



Profusion Lip Duo Kit in Passion, $3.99, available at Target

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Millennials Don’t Want Your Fancy Food Packaging — They Just Want Transparency

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On a Saturday morning in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza, you’ll find a cluster of canvas tents, root vegetables, some 200 dogs, and even more reusable tote bags. In August, you might see strawberries, and in February, turnips, but for the most part, few things change. In fact, since the market’s humble beginnings in 1979 — before Instagramming Swiss chard was a thing — there’s been just one truly notable shift: the crowd.

Where you once found older neighborhood natives and restaurateurs, you’ll now find millennials stocking up on potted herbs and butter lettuce. You’ll see overalls, worn both earnestly and ironically. You’ll see spandex workout clothes and full pajama sets on couples sampling pickles from compostable paper plates.

“I love buying vegetables that are still dirty,” says a 26-year-old shopping at the market in late January, showing off an armful of soil-dusted turnips.

“We try to come every Saturday,” says a 23-year-old, gesturing to a roommate. “Then, every Sunday, we make a feast.”

Illustrated by Paola Delucca.

The movement towards more conscientious food buying neither starts nor ends with Brooklyn’s cool-kid farmers' market scene: Nationwide, millennials are focusing more of their energy on eating wholesome, organic foods from quality, transparent providers. According to the Organic Trade Association 's survey of American families, a whopping 52% of organic customers are millennials (Gen X'ers account for 35%, and baby boomers represent just 14%), while research firm FutureCast found that 80% of millennials place serious value on having access to information about where their food is coming from.

“We’re definitely excited about the recent uptick in millennial shoppers,” says New York Greenmarket director Michael Hurwitz. “For a long time, younger people weren’t our typical demographic.”

This is all part of a larger food revolution: Beyond buying local and eating organic, millennials are talking more about their food (out loud and online) and spending more time in the kitchen (see: the viral recipe phenomenon).

“This generation is more interested in food as currency than any I have seen before,” says Krishnendu Ray, food studies professor and department chair at New York University. “My students talk constantly about food — the things they cook, what they will eat for dinner tonight, restaurants they enjoy. It’s a social topic, like sports or music. It’s on their minds.”

As food continues to take up more space in millennials’ lives — whether they're Instagramming their monochrome desserts or discussing tomorrow’s breakfast at tonight’s party — they’re also becoming more stringent with their choices, shunning things like chemical additives, food dyes, and diluted labels from unreliable producers.

“[At the farmers' market,] I never feel like I’m being scammed by some crazy label with a million chemicals I don’t recognize,” says a 28-year-old customer, eyeing loaves of fresh bread under a nearby stand. “I definitely feel more in control when I can trust all the brands and farms I’m buying from.”

Illustrated by Paola Delucca.

Beyond our own kitchens, restaurants, too, are placing a larger (and more public) emphasis on both their ingredients and where they come from. “It’s all about having relationships with the people who grew our food and loving and trusting the products they give us,” says Sara Zandi, one half of the couple behind Brushland Eating House — a rustic farm-to-fork restaurant tucked into New York’s Catskill Mountains. “We’re really transparent about what we’re serving — and customers love that.”

According to Zandi, food is best enjoyed in its simplest form: straight from the source. So when it comes to food buying, her allegiance is to products that steer clear of elaborate packaging and unpronounceable, multisyllabic chemical additives. “When we got started with the restaurant, we just drove around upstate [New York] looking for food,” she says. “We’d knock on doors and ask to taste someone’s fresh squash or apples. Sometimes we’d just do all of our shopping at roadside stands. That way, we felt like we were giving our customers ingredients we’d hand selected for them. That’s a good feeling.”

Still, eating organic, non-processed foods is often a luxury. The ability to choose farmers' market produce is a substantial privilege — as is having access to a market to begin with. “It's important to note that, though wellness and mindful eating have a lot of cultural capital at the moment, these tastes are especially prevalent among white, class-privileged folks in big cities and along the coasts,” says Katherine Magruder, adjunct food studies professor at both New York University and The New School.

That said, for those without access to a roster of roadside vegetable stands, organic, transparent goods are still plenty available at most grocery stores.

“People are getting increasingly savvy about ingredients and labels, and we make it a priority to keep our ingredient lists simple and certifiably organic,” says Jyoti Stephens, spokesperson and VP of people, culture, and mission at Nature’s Path — a family-owned purveyor of packaged products like oatmeal, granola, and breakfast bars, available at most grocery stores. “We’re passionate about championing universal access to organic foods, which is why we work hard to support the food bank and the development of organic gardens in food deserts.”

According to a survey conducted by Euromonitor International, 40% of American millennials seek out grocery products with limited or no artificial ingredients, and research firm Label Insight found that 94% of consumers feel most loyal to brands that offer full transparency.

Illustrated by Paola Delucca.

In the Instagram age, it can be difficult to restrain ourselves from falling subject to diet trends or shiny, minimalist packaging. Foods go in and out of style — we’re promised immortality so long as we switch to oat milk or stronger bones if we subsist on açaí, exclusively. Then, next month, the secret to eternal life will change.

“You’ll hear about this superfood or that toxic thing. We went through the quinoa cycle and the Paleo cycle. Everyone wants to tell us that we’ll find salvation through one food, but that’s never true,” says Ray. “That’s why returning to basic, simple things and wholesome diets without all the marketing is so appealing.”

For most of us, opacity is the norm: We base our dating decisions on profiles boasting photos from 2009, our online purchases rarely arrive as pictured, and that easy-to-assemble furniture is usually extremely-difficult-to-assemble. On the whole, we’re used to being manipulated in one way or another.

“It’s exhausting being a consumer today,” says Ray. “Of course you want to control what you put in your body.”

In many ways, conscientious food buying feels like a way to combat all that lofty marketing. It’s a way of reclaiming some sense of agency — of controlling the narrative that comes with our food.

“I’m so busy,” says a 26-year-old shopper at the farmers' market, cradling two sunflowers and a large Spanish onion. “But when I’m cooking, or eating, I feel like I’m actually in control of my own time. That’s so refreshing.”

As millennials devote more of their energy to eating, food becomes a way of maintaining control. When everything is in flux, conscientious buying, in particular, becomes a rare opportunity to connect with what you eat.

“There’s something really special about the types of conversations that happen at farmers' markets,” says Hurwitz. “You’ll watch two farmers talk at 5 a.m. before the day is about to get started, then you’ll watch those farmers interact with young and old customers. You’ll hear two neighbors talking about what a rutabaga is. You’ll see people build relationships with the place their food is coming from — and obviously that’s special.”

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Anya Taylor-Joy Dyed Her Hair In A Chipotle Bathroom Once

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The average 22-year-old takes great pleasure in anticipating days off. An inclement weather advisory that cancels classes or closes the office? Score. A three-day weekend due to a national holiday that you totally forgot about? Winning. But Anya Taylor-Joy, who you might recognize from thriller films like Split and the upcoming Marvel project The New Mutants, is looking to fill her calendar as much as possible. The actress has racked up nearly 26 movie credits in the last four years. Yeah, you read that right — that’s about six movies per year. And while you might assume she’s looking to take a break soon, she plans to keep her foot on the pedal as she makes a name for herself in Hollywood.

And that hustle is clearly working in her favor, because for Taylor-Joy's 27th role, she'll be playing the face of Viktor&Rolf's latest launch: Flowerbomb Midnight. The perfume, a remix on the best-selling Flowerbomb, features a dark,floral scent of night-blooming jasmine, patchouli, and musk with a touch of fruitiness. In celebration of this new release, Refinery29 caught up with the British-Argentinian actress to talk all things fragrance, career, and beauty.

This perfume launch in a way correlates to your career: It’s a mysterious, darker version of a perfume, and you’ve made a name for yourself in the thriller genre — was this what interested you in being the face of the campaign?

"I'm a big believer in nobody being black and white, or in this case, black and pink. I've always felt like someone who's into Disney and really happy and bubbly, and then also just incredibly interested in the dark belly of things. So, the idea of being the face of Flowerbomb Midnight and Flowerbomb really appealed to me, because it felt like Viktor&Rolf understood the two different sides of my personality without having to make me choose."

At the start of your career, did you ever fear getting boxed into one genre?

"I believe in myself as a chameleon, so I have played all of these different people, and although they might've lived in similar dark worlds, if you look at them, they're actually quite different and have unique struggles."

With these characters in “dark worlds,” how do you unwind after months of filming such intense scenes?

"I do another movie [laughs]. I'm really excited because my career has gone in a way that I didn't expect it to, and I've just been rolling with the punches. I'm about to start work on my next three movies, and when that finishes, I will have made 26 films in four years. I just don't stop, but I love that. I'm sure that at some moment I'll be like, 'Whoa, I need to take a break from being other people,' but I just find that I'm growing up so much with these characters."

Twenty-six movies in four years? Wow!

"It's like a compulsion. I feel like this is what I'm put on Earth to do. It makes me the happiest in the entire world — I don't just mean acting, but being an artist. And if I wasn't creating all the time, I think I'd feel empty."

Let's talk beauty. We read that you cut off your hair and dyed it pink at the age of 14, please tell us more.

"When I was 14, I had really, really long black hair. I said, 'new me, it's time.' So, I went to Ricky's and bought Manic Panic hair dye in the shade Pretty Flamingo. And I dyed it in a Chipotle bathroom in New York City. My hands were looking gnarly for a while."

Ha. But why at Chipotle?

"I was 14, and it felt more dramatic. I didn't want to spend a second more in New York City without looking the new version of me."

What are three beauty products you can’t live without?

"A good cleanser. I love Chanel's Sublimage, because it's extremely delicate and I have incredibly sensitive skin. Toner is my favorite product of all time, because it feels like you're really treating yourself when you apply it. I’m loving this new mist by True Botanicals. And lastly, the Bond Girl lipstick shade by Charlotte Tilbury. It's the only lipstick that goes with absolutely every hair color I've ever had — and there have been multiple."

Are there any beauty tips that you've learned from growing up in Argentina or going back to visit?

"I tend to go very natural while I'm there, because I'm always in and out of the pool or just with the horses. I like to mix olive oil with sugar. You rub it all over your face and your skin, leaving it so moisturized. Olive oil for everything is what my mom taught me."

You once said that you love when you're not wearing makeup, but then you have such creative looks that you wear, like blue eyeliner or the bold looks that we see on Instagram. So, when do you feel most like yourself?

"I am terrible at makeup, I cannot put it on, but when you're working with such talented hair and makeup people, and you have an outfit that's not yours, I'm just the most extra person ever. It’s like you're co-creating with all these talented people and artists, too. I think I feel most like myself when I'm creating, whether that's creating in my own life by hanging out with my friends and being a co-conspirator with the universe or just putting a look together."

Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Midnight, $115 (1.7 OZ), is available now at sephora.com.

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Mark International Women's Day With One Of These Feminist Tees

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International Women's Day is this Friday, March 8th, and has been celebrated in some capacity for over a century. (Way too short of a time, if you ask us.) Here in the U.S., suffragettes celebrated a National Women's Day from 1908 until 1913. Across the Atlantic, over one million feminists (men and women alike) from a cluster of Eastern European nations publicly demonstrated for women's rights on March 19th, 1911.

The United Nations observed it for the first time in 1975, and 2001 saw the launch of InternationalWomensDay.com, a website funded by groups committed to gender parity. Now, despite being a national holiday in some countries, International Women's Day is not officially affiliated with a specific group, agency, or nation. But it is an opportunity for all of us to use our voices — whatever that means on the individual level — to advocate for women's equality.

Naturally, we're very excited to mark the occasion, and we set out to find some of the best pro-woman, feminist t-shirts that the internet had to offer. What seemed like the very straightforward task of rounding up some positive and affordable statement t-shirts quickly led us down some serious rabbit holes as we were confronted with an unbelievable breadth of options. They range from tops that are simply statements of gender (see J. Crew's "Girls" sweatshirt) to the historical (Kule's "1973" tee, marking the year that Roe v. Wade was passed) to the icon-specific (R. B. G., natch).

So: here they all are. Whether you want something something politically-leaning, something that honors a woman you admire, or just something that sends a message to your fellow humans about the importance of your gender, we have the t-shirt for you. Click through to see all of our picks, and don't hesitate to grab one for yourself and for your bestie.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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Kylie Jenner Is Officially A Billionaire — But Is She "Self Made?"

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It’s official: Kylie Jenner is Kris Jenner’s favorite a billionaire. Not only that, but she's also the youngest self-made billionaire, according to Forbes. The publication, which has been tracking the 21-year-old's dizzying financial climb, credits the expansion of Kylie Cosmetics into Ulta Beauty — which reportedly drew in an estimated $54.5 million in just six weeks — as the catalyst for Kylie’s newly-minted status among business women like Oprah and Aerin Lauder.

For those who are counting at home, Forbes estimates Jenner’s three-year old makeup brand — of which she owns 100%, by the way — to now be worth at least a cool $900 million. Factor in additional income generated from reality TV and endorsements and boom: Jenner beats out Mark Zuckerberg (who was 23 when he became a billionaire) for the youngest entrepreneur to clock her financial worth with a capital B.

Just like the last time Forbes reported on Jenner's growing fortune, people will undoubtedly balk at the publication’s “self-made” designation. Is someone really self-made when she starts with more money than most of us have seen in our lives? For her part, Jenner has a knack for making it all seem like none of it is any work at all. Of her success at Ulta Beauty, Jenner told Forbes, “I popped up at a few stores, I did my usual social media — I did what I usually do, and it just worked.” You know, casual.

But the truth is, she steers a tight ship. According to the publication, her business has just seven full-time employees and five part-timers on payroll (not including momager Kris Jenner, who handles finances and PR for a 10% cut). Kylie Cosmetics products are printed down the hill from Calabasas in Oxnard, California by Seed Beauty and sales are handled by Shopify. The rest — marketing, advertising, and hype generation — is largely done by social media.

On that note, those who argue Jenner isn’t self made might be right. If anything, she’s made by us, her 175 million followers. And no matter how you slice it, she’s made it a hell of a long way for a one-time teenage reality star with a $29 lip kit.

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The Street Style At Paris Fashion Week Is Making Us Rethink Our Closet

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In a surprising turn of events, Paris Fashion Week is unseasonably warm this season. It is (as you will see) exposed-ankles-mini-skirts-and-hawaiian-shirts warm. Street style during these next 7 days is extra special, because while some editors may opt out of London and Milan, everyone attends Paris. Not only is it the ultimate gauge of what editors will be wearing come spring, it is a peek into what fashion and personal style means to editors around the globe. The industry's biggest designers (Dries Van Noten, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu) show here, as do the brightest rising talent (Each x Other, Ottolinger, Marques' Almeida). The shows are not to be missed, and that goes for the street style as well. It's the Oscars red carpet of fashion month, except the red carpet is the streets of Paris and the celebrities here are editors and stylists.

Textures reached an all-time high, prints extended beyond predictable florals, and there are color combos aplenty. Maybe it's the baguettes and fromage in Paris that's inspiring these double-take, repeat-scroll-worthy looks. The styling seen here is so uniformly brilliant, it'll be easy to make these looks your own.

Here’s that gold medal and granola bar: congratulations! You’ve made it to the fashion month finish line. Click through for the looks at Paris Fashion Week that make us excited, inspired, and happy.

School boy chic minus the roller backpack.

Blanca Miró Scrimieri

Where do we find a jacket with our elementary bathroom wallpaper print too?

The queen of print and texture mish-mashing.

Susie Lau

How cropped can your jacket go?

The tourist poncho gets an outdoorsy update.

Head-to-toe milk chocolate goals.

Eva Chen

tfw it's day 27 of fashion month and you can't decide if you want to wear plaid or trench coats anymore.

Quilted coats! Goodnight!

A spring jacket we can't wait to wear!

Nikki Ogunnaike

Frankenstein sleeves! And make sure to your favorite pearls get some time in the spotlight too.

Leandra Medine

Find a friend who holds your umbrella for you. And wears fringe like it's nobody's business.

Wondering if those lilac gloves are touch-screen friendly.

High boots > pants.

Orange you glad orange is back?

Forget tie dye. Should we watercolor our clothing?

Seeing the world through rose-colored jumpsuits.

Ready for creamsicle dressing this summer.

Khaki queen reporting for duty.

Tamu Mcpherson

When you love dark chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate equally.

Wanted: ketchup.

Candace Marie

Oscar the Grouch (but not grouchy) with an identity crisis.

A knit that just made us gasp audibly.

Black turtlenecks under everything!

Milla Loud

Arrives to an afternoon tea party via a motorcycle.

The popularity contest between kelly green and slime green is a nail-biter.

Your go-to rainy day trench. Just don't let the straps of your sleeves touch the ground.

Sometimes a simple, colorful maxi is all you need.

A breath of fresh air in a dress.

#TeamPrairieDress is still going strong.

Find detachable sleeves to coordinate with the ups-and-downs of the weather.

Not a regular dad, a cool dad.

Cute hats can find a cute place on your back as an accessory as well.

Can 100% get behind chaps as the new pants trend.

Tell us how you really feel!

Tyler McCall

The cool girl at the country club that you actually want to be friends with.

An eat-your-spinach-and-wear-it-too blazer.

Caroline de Maigret

Neo from The Matrix heads to Paris, leaves with a lime green trench instead of his usual black one.

Big jacket, teeny-tiny bag.

Apparently thinking about udon while walking to a show. Same.

Eva Chen

Is there a better collab than Thom Browne and Janelle Monáe?

Janelle Monáe

Having lots of feelings about this ombré grey coat right now.

How to layer for style instead of warmth.

When you wear a coat this puffy, float, don't walk.

Eva Chen

The most fashionable duo award goes to: these cuties.

In a sea of blazers and trench coats, wear a festive dress.

Packing tip: Intentionally bunch your jackets up at the bottom of your suitcase.

One of these sleeves is not like the other.

Alyssa Coscarelli

A denim ruffle mille-feuille coming through!

Susie Lau

How to make your bright yellow suit pop even more? Clashing accessories.

Candace Marie

The dreamiest whites with the dreamiest sneakers.

Clara Cornet

Fresh off the plane, of which she is the pilot.

Julie Pelipas

Unsure when the boots start and when the pants end. And we like it that way.

Melody Trend

Traffic-stopping blue. And we're not even mad about it.

Candace Marie

Tuck your shirt in the front and let it hang in the back. It's the high-fashion version of business in the front, party in the back.

Julie Pelipas

Yes, we would like to start getting our boots made out of the same material as our coats too.

Tiffany Hsu

Which black-and-white movie seen do we think she came from?

Grateful for mini pastry holders, a.k.a. that bag.

Xenia Adonts

An all-black trench with pops of white. That's all!

Bettina Looney

Let's discuss these patchwork jeans.

Bright! Turtlenecks! Under! Everything!

We will never say "no" to a good Converse outfit.

That belt buckle you bought from your trip to Austin? It's time to dig it up. Yeehaw!

Veronika Heilbrunner

Another parachute dress sighting!

Reese Blutstein

Wear your swimsuit over your tee to summon summer.

Kat Collings

Suddenly craving a piece of Hubba Bubba.

Leather under a suit? Here for this surprising combo.

Stepped into our fashion time machine and...hello, 70s.

Vroom vroom! We're almost at the Fashion Month finish line.

Two waistbands are always better than one.

Our shoulders have a lot to say, so we'll let them do the talking.

Upholstery coats! We're here for it.

Head-to-toe rouge never gets old.

Nicole Chapoteau

A shimmy worthy top.

Fashion show or nap time?

Florals and fringe!? Yes please.

Scooby Doo's Velma in 2019.

Good morning to this marigold suit and the matching padded headband.

Another scarf styling trick!

Spotted in the wild: parachute dresses, leopard edition.

We want a robe version of all of our printed pants ASAP.

Veronika Heilbrunner

An equestrian with an affinity for low-slung trousers.

A fashion week mainstay forever: the utilitarian jumpsuit.

Hot pink! And hot red!

Kim Jones

Sheer blazers allow your sleeves underneath to shine for a lil bit too.

This padded orange jacket looks like a mandarin that's ready to be peeled.

When you're a city girl, but can also crush a tree pose at the yoga retreat.

Getting heart palps thinking about layering long sleeves under our dresses.

Hopefully texting us about where she got that skirt.

Haven't you heard? Tropical coconuts are the hottest fashion show drink right now.

#1 micro flag fan!

Hot pink! Hot dress!

Seen on the streets of Paris: the librarian chic trend in full effect already.

We're suckers for a crisp classic trench and selvedge denim.

Canadian tuxedo meets tear-away pants for dramatic moments.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 different scarves spotted under this all black ensemble.

It's a belt, but it's also a nice little spot to rest your hands while still looking chic AF.

These colors. *kisses fingers*

So glad the slouchy blazer found her matching slouchy duster coat.

Dreaming about matching silk sets from now until we finally find one.

Slime green everything forever!

An admirable Blue Period.

Triple up on belt buckles so that you can go about your day worry-free of it coming undone.

A naturally-catches-the-wind-like-a-movie dress.

The bigger the vest, the greater surface area for pockets. More pockets, more croissant holders.

Newsflash: ponchos are making a comeback.

Which look are you? We're the one that says mob boss pizza shop owner.

Starting to warm up to tan outfits thanks to this month's street style.

Milla Loud

The oversized blazer is still going strong.

The ultimate sign of spring: sleeveless blazers.

Take it from us: canvas is the new khaki.

15/10 reinterpreted Top Gun outfit.

Should we start studying up on knot tying techniques for rope belt optimization?

Find yourself a bag that moonlights as a mini hula hoop.

Suits borrowed from the boys will never get old.

A Mask of Zorro hat adds that extra element of drama to your look.

Beatrice Gutu

Not your grandma's paisley. Actually it is, and we love it.

A cream puff that escaped from the boulangerie across la rue.

Courtney Trop

She's in the band.

Blanca Miró Scrimieri

A textural fashion dream come true.

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How To Help The Alabama Tornado Victims

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Deadly tornadoes ripped through East Alabama on Sunday, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens of others. Rescue teams are still looking for missing people, and many homes have been destroyed.

Recovery efforts are underway, with many national and local organizations providing shelter, food, and water for families who have been affected.

Here are a few ways you can help.

Monetary donations:Alabama Governor's Emergency Relief Fund, American Red Cross of East Alabama.

Blood donations: The LifeSouth blood center in Opelika is accepting donations for the East Alabama Medical Center. LifeSouth is at 505 E. Thomason Cir, Opelika, AL 36801, #5431. Check the website for mobile-drive locations. You can also donate blood at a local Red Cross facility.

Help identify missing persons: You can register missing family members or friends on the Lee County Emergency Management Agency website. List yourself "safe and well" on the Red Cross website or call the Family Connect line at (866) 535-5654.

Help for displaced animals: The Opelika Animal Hospital is offering boarding for pets who have been displaced by the disaster.

Counseling services: If you or someone you know is looking for mental or emotional help after the storm, call the 24-hour U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5590. You can also access the helpline here.

As the community grapples with the aftermath of the disaster, other ways to help are continuing to pop up. Follow Alabama's news sources and follow #AlabamaStrong and #AlabamaTornadoes on Twitter for more local opportunities.

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Why Ilhan Omar Is At The Center Of An Anti-Semitism Scandal — Again

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House Democrats are expected to vote on a resolution this week condemning anti-Semitism in light of Rep. Ilhan Omar's recent controversial comments about Israel. It's the second time in recent weeks that the freshman congresswoman from Minnesota has been at the center of a scandal over remarks perceived as anti-Semitic.

The calls to condemn Omar follow her comments last week at a progressive town hall held at Busboys and Poets, a Washington D.C. coffee shop and restaurant chain. During the event, Omar said: "I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK to push for allegiance to a foreign country."

The statement was widely condemned by senior Democrats and Jewish groups, who said Omar implied that American Jews have an allegiance to Israel, a foreign government — a longstanding anti-Semitic trope. "Sometimes referred to as the 'dual loyalty' charge, it alleges that Jews should be suspected of being disloyal neighbors or citizens because their true allegiance is to their co-religionists around the world or to a secret and immoral Jewish agenda," Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Monday, in which condemned Omar's remarks. "This anti-Semitic allegation posits that non- Jews should not trust the motives or actions of their Jewish neighbors, who may be engaged in deceitful behavior to accomplish their own goals at the expense of others."

Some of the congresswoman's colleagues have also fired back. "I welcome debate in Congress based on the merits of policy, but it’s unacceptable and deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens because of their political views, including support for the U.S.-Israel relationship," Rep. Eliot L. Engel, who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement. "We all take the same oath. Worse, Representative Omar’s comments leveled that charge by invoking a vile anti-Semitic slur." Engel stopped short of asking Omar to be removed from the committee, as some House Republicans have done.

Omar's comments rang similar to her remarks about the lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which were also interpreted as anti-Semitic for the implication that Jewish money drives the United States' support for Israel. Omar then apologized for those remarks, saying: "Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes." At the time, the House also voted unanimously on a Republican-led motion against anti-Semitism following the controversy.

On her most recent remarks, however, Omar has remained firm. “I am told everyday that I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel. I find that to be problematic and I am not alone. I just happen to be willing to speak up on it and open myself to attacks,” Omar wrote on Twitter in response to a rebuke by Rep. Nita Lowey.

The Minnesota Democrat has the support of fellow lawmakers such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who tweeted: "One of the things that is hurtful about the extent to which reprimand is sought of Ilhan is that no one seeks this level of reprimand when members make statements about Latinx + other communities (during the shutdown, a GOP member yelled “Go back to Puerto Rico! ” on the floor)." She added: "It’s not my position to tell people how to feel, or that their hurt is invalid. But incidents like these do beg the question: where are the resolutions against homophobic statements? For anti-blackness? For xenophobia? For a member saying he’ll 'send Obama home to Kenya?'" The New York congresswoman also questioned whether the House leadership plans to call a resolution for all these incidents — and if that's not the case, “I think it’s valid to ask why not.”

The party's internal debate over Omar’s positions, which has played very publicly in past days, comes amid growing criticism of the U.S.'s longstanding and unwavering support for Israel from the left, as well as rising anti-Semitism across the country. Omar's defenders say the pushback she is facing is meant to stifle debate over the U.S.-Israel relationship, while Omar's detractors say that it's not the criticism that is at issue — but the language she's used.

That's also why Republicans have seized on Omar's remarks. Some commentators have gone as far as calling her "the Steve King of the left " in reference to the Iowa Republican who espoused white nationalist and racist views for over 15 years before facing condemnation from his party. (King refuses to apologize for his remarks and plans to run for re-election in 2020.) President Donald Trump — who after the deadly violence Charlottesville, VA first refused to disavow white nationalists and later said neo-Nazis were "very fine people" — was one of the GOP leaders who weighed on the controversy. He tweeted: "Representative Ilhan Omar is again under fire for her terrible comments concerning Israel. Jewish groups have just sent a petition to Speaker Pelosi asking her to remove Omar from Foreign Relations Committee. A dark day for Israel!"

The controversy surrounding Omar comes just days after an Islamophobic sign linking her to the Sept. 11 attacks was posted at an event organized by West Virginia Republicans. The freshman lawmaker is the first Somali-American and one of the two Muslim women ever elected to Congress.

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The Prettiest Pastel Nail Polishes To Grab Before Spring Hits

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Slowly but surely, pastels are starting to feel more and more seasonally appropriate. Even if you're layering a lavender short-sleeve shirt under a sweater and a heavy black puffer coat to walk outside, there's something cheerful about adding those touches of soft, spring-y shades into a still-winter wardrobe. Of course, the simplest and cheapest, most non-committal way to start easing into pastels while Mother Nature is still catching up is to paint them on your nails.

If your collection of pastels is looking a little sad and crusty at the moment — with a few glass bottles of sheer pink that may be more than two years old — we have your guide to the current crème de la crème of pastel polish, as determined by the pros. From frosty Chanel blue to lilac mauve, scroll through to find the prettiest pastel polishes to add to your stash. Consider it the smartest form of pre-spring retail therapy.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

Tenoverten nail pro Nadine Abramcyk tells us that Watts, a cool-toned pastel, hits the sweet spot between barely-there blush and lavender. "I love this pinkish mauve color for spring," she says. "It's a soft pastel that still makes a fresh statement."



Tenoverten Nail Polish in Watts, $18, available at Tenoverten

Frosty blue feels inherently youthful, while the designer label ensures this shade knows no age. "Chanel's Bleu Pastel shade is the prettiest muted baby blue," says Abramcyk. "It's a universal pastel for spring, and looks gorgeous on everyone."



Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color in Bleu Pastel, $28, available at Barneys New York

Trade in your glossy oxblood and eggplant for a softer purple polish. "Nars Kalymnos is my favorite pastel for the transition into warmer weather," says Abramcyk.



NARS Nail Polish Collection in Kalymnos, $20, available at Blue Mercury

If you take your pastels on the neutral side, any shade from Essie's new Serene Slate collection will likely fall in your wheelhouse. They're all pretty, but we're partial to this dusty gray with warm undertones. "Essie's Mind-full Meditation reads as a beige with a hint of apricot," Abramcyk says. "It gives softness with just the right touch of color."



Essie Nail Polish in Mind-full Meditation, $8.99, available at Target

When a flat pastel isn't doing it for you, a celestial iridescent polish delivers a light tone with some sparkle. "Chantecaille has an exclusive sheer polish called Nova, and it's absolutely divine," says celebrity manicurist Michelle Saunders. “It's a twinkling rose that will give you that spring glow we're all craving after a long winter."



Chantecaille Celestial Nail Sheer in Nova, $28, available at Chantecaille

It's easy to get a yellow manicure wrong, but it's just as simple to have the happiest fingernails ever as long as you pick the right polish. "We formulated this bright pastel yellow called Tweety to be playful and flattering," says editorial manicurist and Jinsoon founder Jin Soon Choi. "The color is reminiscent of forsythia flowers."



JINsoon Nail Polish in Tweety, $18, available at JinSoon

Sally Hansen just released a new formulation of long-wear polish, which you can spot on the shelves with its chunky 'Mega Strength' label. One of the newest colors is this pink pastel called Boss Gloss. "This shade is perfect for everyday," says celebrity nail artist Skyy Hadley. "It's sheer but pigmented just so, which makes it elegant for a night out as well."



Sally Hansen Sally Hansen Mega Strength in Boss Gloss, $4.49, available at Target

Similar to Chanel's frosty pastel, Zoya has a sky-blue shade that the pros love. "Zoya's Blu is a soft and delicate pastel that's calming, flattering, and cool," says Choi.



Zoya Nail Polish in Blu, $7.99, available at Walmart

When you want to try peach polish, but don't want to go neon, Essie Van D’Go is the soft apricot shade to ease in. "This pale peachy pastel is both warm and inviting," says Choi. We can see it on our fingers and toes through April.

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Belted Swimsuits Will Make Quite A Splash This Summer

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It's no secret that belts are having a moment. Belted blazers, belted bags, belted coats — from the runways of Fashion Month to the streets outside them, these previously utilitarian hip huggers are making quite a splash this season. And speaking of splashes, from our seat atop the lifeguard stand, it looks like swimsuits are next in line to embrace this of-the-moment waist-defining accessory.

From retro-style one-pieces to high-waisted bikinis, belted swimwear is set to be the beach-side silhouette of the summer. With cult brands like Solid & Striped and Onia among the first to throw their suits in the ring, we can only imagine the growing power of this vintage-inspired trend. So if modern metallic and safari-inspired swimsuits aren't your vibe this pool season, give one of these uber-flattering and runway-approved belted swimsuits a go instead.

To help you find the belted swimsuit that's right for you, we scoured the web and rounded up 16 options — from bikinis to one-pieces and everything in between — that you can buy up now. But don't wait, because if our predictions are right, belts are about to take over the world of swimwear, and fast.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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The World's Richest Woman Owes Her Wealth To Makeup — & It's Not Kylie

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You may have heard a little something about Kylie Jenner's claim to the throne of youngest self-made billionaire, but there’s another cosmetics doyenne who takes Kylie’s astounding fortune and raises her 50 times that: L'Oréal heiress and chairwoman Françoise Bettencourt Meyers. The industry scion was named the richest woman in the world by Forbes yesterday, ahead of today’s release of its 2019 World’s Billionaires list.

The granddaughter of L'Oréal founder Eugène Schueller, who's said to have invented hair dye, Bettencourt Meyers owes a large portion of her wealth to the family business. Last year alone, her personal fortune was boosted by $7.1 billion after the cosmetics giant recorded its best sales growth in more than a decade, according to the publication.

Though this is Bettencourt Meyers' first time topping Forbes' ranking of the richest women, the fact that she's there isn't exactly a shocker. Her late mother, Liliane Bettencourt, who passed away in 2017, had made the World's Billionaires list every year since Forbes first published it in 1987. The publication also reports that, for the better part of the past three decades, the title of world’s richest woman has bounced between L'Oréal's Bettencourt and Walmart's Walton families.

How does the world’s richest woman spend much of her energy? In addition to being a published author of books about Greek mythology and Jewish-Christian relations, Bettencourt Meyers serves as president of her family’s philanthropic foundation, which has supported a range of endeavors from genomic research to vocal training for choral singers in France. But as a longtime L'Oréal board member, she also helps guide the brand where, according to Forbes, an estimated 90% of her wealth is tied.

Will Bettencourt Meyers retain her seat as world’s richest woman by the time next year’s list rolls out? And how long until Stormi makes the list as an heiress herself? Of one thing we're certain: As long as the beauty industry thrives, so do the world’s richest women.

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Some Black women give men who date non-Black women a hard time, but should Black women get a pass simply because the ratio of college educated Black women to Black men is disproportionate? Click play to hear what we had to say. Then, tell us about your experiences with interracial dating in the comments.

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31 Instagram-Worthy Hairstyles To Try In March

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Remember way back in January, when your optimism was at an all-time high. You were actually excited about going to the gym. You were downloading meditation apps and making a list of all the books you wanted to read. And when you were scrolling through Instagram and saw a hairstyle you loved, the reaction was, "I can totally do this."

Yeah, that new year feeling has worn off.

We blame alarm clocks — oh, and the cold weather that makes us just want to put on a hat. It's so easy to fall back into last year's hairstyle rut once you've run out of ideas. But we're here to keep you encouraged. Because while you thought that you used up all your creativity in the first two months of the year, we're here to prove that you're just getting started.

We've been putting the Instagram save feature to use to compile a month's worth of hair inspiration. From haircuts to braided looks, there's something for everyone to try. Ahead, 31 gorgeous looks to keep the good hair days coming in March.

We don't know what we love most about this bob: the choppy layers, the dark roots, or the bright blonde color.

Your lazy-day ponytail will never be the same once you try out this style that's both simple and sophisticated.

Vernon François said it best in his caption: "Afro hair can do bangs, too." Here's Lupita N'yongo making a solid case.

Although spring is upon us, winter is coming care of Game of Thrones. Commemorate the last season by channeling Daenerys' icy hair color. And if you don't watch GOT, well, this is still a badass hair color.

Warm up your complexion with an orange-blonde shade that will give your hair summertime vibes, even though we still have a couple more months before vacation season hits.

Super-long ponytails were all the rage at this year's Academy Awards, and we've already saved this curly pony from red-carpet host Elaine Welteroth to our must-try list.

Put your braiding skills to the test with this updo that works whether you're running errands or attending a bridal shower.

The amazing thing about braids is that you can customize every element, including the length, the pattern of the parts, or the color...

....the possibilities are endless.

Take it back to your school days and rock a padded, velvet headband à la Aimee Song.

Just when we thought the pearl hair trend had died down, hairstylist Justine Marjan brings hair jewelry back full force.

Clearly gold hair wires are having a moment, and we're definitely here for this.

Instead of Sephora, we're heading to Michael's to get our hands on this must-have hair accessory.

We only had two things to say when we saw this sleek bun: Wow! and How can we recreate this? We're patiently waiting for the step-by-step, Gregory Russell.

If you're looking to transition back to your curls after heat damage, pros say the best way to start is with a curly cut to drop those fried ends.

If you're not looking to make a dramatic change but need some type of newness, take notes from Mila Kunis who added a few subtle layers to her mid-length cut.

Kiki Layne stunned at the 2019 Oscars with a double-braided crown that deserved an award of its own.

Add some excitement to your casual, low bun with some styling clips. The upgrade will take less than two minutes and cost under $5.

You can never go wrong with a low, messy bun. It's just what you need when you want your accessories or your outfit to have all the attention.

Been itching to go brunette? Get inspired by all the celebrities that are joining the dark side, including Katherine Langford, Emma Stone, and Emilia Clarke.

If a dramatic haircut is what you're looking for, go for a blunt, A-line bob — a look pros say is trending for spring.

Bring your braids into an eye-catching, high bun that look best in profile.

Spread the word: Statement pins are everywhere, from the red carpet to the runway.

If you thought natural, beachy waves weren't worthy of your cousin's wedding or that upcoming work event, think again. All the proof you need: Miley Cyrus giving us this hairstyle win at the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

Don't have fancy hair accessories and want to add some last-minute pizzazz? Reach into your jewelry box and add an earring to your hair ribbon.

Give your classic messy bun a twist (literally) by adding in a small braid.

Now is the perfect time of year to get bangs. The spring breeze will give you extra, cool-girl texture, and they'll be long enough to pin back by the time hot weather comes around.

Festival season is almost here. Whether you're packing your backpack to attend all-day concert or staying at home, let it serve as inspiration to have fun with braids and scarves.

Pull your hair back into this knotted pony, and you'll get extra points for creativity.

These plaits just over the ear are a subtle nod to the Fulani braiding style.

Lighten up your hair for spring with a rich ash-blonde balayage. Pardon us while we call our colorists.

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