To paraphrase one of my favorite memes, of course you don’t need running shoes to run — but it definitely helps. That’s because these special kicks are designed specifically for the repetitive, high-impact forward motion that can cause injury over time if you’re not careful. In fact, many experienced runners will tell you that before you even think about running, you should make sure you buy the right shoes.

But what exactly is the “right” shoe for you? Over the years, there’s been plenty of debate about how to choose a running shoe. It used to be recommended that you get a gait analysis, and a shoe that offered support tailored to whether you overpronate or you have flat feet.

These days, however, there’s been a slight backing away from this thinking. It’s still a good idea to go to a running store and chat with a pro, for sure. But a study published last summer in the British Journal of Sports Medicine made waves among runners by suggesting that all you really need to focus on when trying on new shoes is how comfortable they feel. After looking through decades of conflicting studies on the link between footwear and injuries, the researchers concluded that “a runner intuitively selects a comfortable product using their own comfort filter that allows them to remain in the preferred movement path. This may automatically reduce the injury risk.”

Translation: Finding the right shoes might not be the seemingly complex decision we once thought, and the only really important move is probably just listening to your body when you're trying shoes on.

This is freeing in a way since it takes away some of the pressure and opens up your options a bit. Because apparel companies are constantly dreaming up new improvements, we’ll be collecting the latest and greatest in running shoes here every week, just so you know what’s out there. Click ahead and happy hunting!

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Kimye are a big deal. The September issue is a big deal. Put them together, and the magazine stand is ON FIRE.

Harper's Bazaar has tapped Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for its September 2016 cover, and the accompanying interview is full of gems about life, love, and the pursuit of selfies. And can we talk about this steamy cover shot?

@CarineRoitfeld crowns #KanyeWest and @KimKardashian our 2016 #BAZAARicons and September cover stars. Go to the link in our profile for more from the famous duo, and see 3 more Icons on BAZAAR.com.  Photography by @KarlLagerfeld Creative direction by #StephenGan Interview by @LauraBrown99 Styling by #CarineRoitfeld Makeup by @TomPecheux Hair by @EugeneSouleiman Thanks to @infor @lauramercier @stellaartois

A photo posted by Harper's BAZAAR (@harpersbazaarus) on Jul 28, 2016 at 5:17am PDT

The couple were peppered with questions about Taylor Swift, social media (Kim "hates tweeters and deleters," Kanye notes), and their public image, and it's all just so entertaining and even a smidge insightful.

A few highlights:

On pregnancy

Kanye: "You killed this second pregnancy, though. Your body slammed that crap. You made that second pregnancy your bitch."

On their extravagant lifestyle and renting an island for Kanye's birthday

Kanye: "You see, those are the type of statements that make people not like us, more so than the 'I'm the best' statement. It's more the 'Oh, yeah, I just rented an island for his birthday ...' You know in Meet the Parents, Owen Wilson's character? All of our shit is like Owen Wilson's character; he's like, 'This is when we jumped off Mount Everest, and we wore turtle flight suits or whatever.'"

In bed with #KanyeWest and @KimKardashian, our 2016 #BAZAARicons chosen by @CarineRoitfeld. The couple talks fame, fortune and how they’d like to be remembered in the September portfolio. Go to the link in our profile to see the full fashion shoot by @KarlLagerfeld, creative direction by #StephenGan and interview by @LauraBrown99 on BAZAAR.com.

A photo posted by Harper's BAZAAR (@harpersbazaarus) on Jul 28, 2016 at 5:06am PDT

On his favorite Taylor Swift song

Kanye: "For me? I don't have one."

On secret talents

Kim: "I can smell when someone has a cavity. It's a very specific smell — not a bad-breath smell — but something that is really strong."

On that controversial nude selfie

Kim: "I was about to get in the shower; I took a nude selfie, kept it in my phone for over a year. I just liked the picture, so I was like,'Let me put censor bars on it and post it.' I don't do things to be like, 'This is powerful. I'm going to show you guys that this is my 'message.'' I'm not that type of person. I'm empowered by it, but I'm not doing it specifically to show power."

Never change, you crazy kids.

"I love her nude selfies. Like, I love ones from the side, the back ones, and the front. I just love seeing her naked; I love nudity. And I love beautiful shapes. I feel like it's almost a Renaissance thing, a painting, a modern version of a painting. I think it's important for Kim to have her figure. To not show it would be like #Adele not singing." —#KanyeWest on @KimKardashian's selfies. Go to the link in our profile to read the full interview by @LauraBrown99 and fashion shoot by @KarlLagerfeld, styling by @CarineRoitfeld and creative direction by #StephenGan.

A photo posted by Harper's BAZAAR (@harpersbazaarus) on Jul 28, 2016 at 5:13am PDT

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I used to love The Princess Diaries. I was 11 when the movie came out. As a pre-pubescent girl with my own frizz-ball hair and awkward glasses, Anne Hathaway seemed like a goddess sent from the future to personally reassure me that it would not be this bad forever.

And really, what's not to love?

The Princess Diaries is a great rom-com. Anne Hathaway is funny and endearing, Heather Matazzaro is a gem, that guy from Rooney (Robert Schwartzman) is a hottie, and who can say no to Julie Andrews? It was a winning recipe for the early 2000s, complete with Mandy Moore as a mean girl and a blond surfer dude love interest (Erik von Detten) who — spoiler! — turns out to be an asshole.

I was already a longtime fan of the book series by Meg Cabot when the first Princess Diaries film was released. For a long time, the two fandoms existed side-by-side in my heart, much like Genovia and France.

It's only recently, after rereading the book in preparation for the film's 15th anniversary, that I began to have doubts.

It suddenly dawned on me that the movie I had enjoyed so much isn't actually that great. In fact, the film erases a lot of what makes the book so compelling.

Book Mia Thermopolis contains multitudes. We first meet her as a teenage girl living in New York City's Greenwich Village with an artist mother and a mostly absent father. She has a cat, Fat Louie, and attends the upscale Albert Einstein High School. She a vegetarian, wears combat boots, and supports Greenpeace. She spends algebra class debating the finer points of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and obsessing over the fact that her mom is dating her teacher. She spends her summers at Miragnac, her grandmother's chateau in France. Which leads us to the main plot point: She is, as it turns out, a princess.

The movie mostly glosses over these quirks. By moving the action from New York to San Francisco, the film loses part of what makes Mia so interesting. No offense, but New York City-raised children are weird in a very specific and mostly wonderful way. San Francisco Mia is adorable, rather than complex. She isn't vegetarian (one of the most famous scenes in the movie involves corn dogs) and while she's awkward, it's apparently nothing some mousse and tweezers can't fix.

Here we come to another movie problem: the idea that a perfectly shaped eyebrow and a manicure can make an ugly duckling into a princess. In the books, Mia actively rejects her makeover and describes chewing on her fake nails and various attempts to muss her newly highlighted hair. Movie Mia, in contrast, half-heartedly hides her sleek new 'do with a Kangol hat. (Remember those?) We're supposed to understand that of cours e Mia looks better now. Her hair is sleek and shiny. She has a pedicure. Her glasses are a thing of a distant, ugly, past.

The cultural impact of the glam makeover was hammered home during a scene in the most recent season of Orange Is The New Black, in which the one of the male guards, discussing the sole female guard's appearance, says: "Oh, she could totally be cute...if she got Princess Diary- d or something."

This attitude is one that I've encountered repeatedly as someone with naturally curly hair. I realize now that seeing Anne Hathaway rise like a phoenix from the ashes of Paolo's straightening iron probably didn't help.

And then, there are the missing (and altered) characters.

Hollywood has enough problems with diversity without making up new ones.

Book Mia's dad is very much alive. In fact, his total inability to parent provides some of the book's funniest scenes. Her grandmother, whom she is made to call grandm è re because of her insistence that English is vulgar, is mean. And not Betty-White mean. Really mean. And it's glorious. But it also means that she's as far removed from Julie Andrews as humanly possible.

Movie Mia's friend circle is limited to best friend Lilly Moscowitz and her brother, Michael. Book Mia is a little more popular. We read about Shameeka Taylor, Tina Hakim Baba, Boris Pelkowski, and Ling Su Wong, all of which take turns being tormented by Albert Einstein High School's resident popular cheerleader (read: terrorist), Lana Weinberger. (Fun fact: In the film, Mandy Moore's character is named Lana Thomas.)

That brings us to the film's most glaring omission: diversity.

Book Mia's friends are racially and ethnically — if not socio-economically (all of these kids attend private school and are explicitly upper-middle class) — diverse, representative of her New York City environment. Shameeka Taylor is Black. Ling Su is of Chinese descent. Tina Hakim Baba is the daughter of a Saudi Arabian oil sheik and a British supermodel. The movie is conspicuously white in comparison.

Now, you could say that all this doesn't matter, that The Princess Diaries is just a movie, meant to be lighthearted and fun. That's true. But when a movie has vibrant and diverse source material to work with — and actually goes out of its way to erase these nuances — it shouldn't be overlooked. Hollywood has enough problems with diversity without making up new ones.

So, while I'll always enjoy Anne Hathaway's inadvertent banquet brain freeze, I don't think I'll be rewatching The Princess Diaries anytime soon. If grandm è re taught me anything, it's that royalty never settles. And we shouldn't, either.

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Elle U.K. has really cornered the market on celebrity relationship scoop with its September issue. Yesterday we got Kristen Stewart gushing about her girlfriend to the magazine. Today, it's Zayn's turn to share.

The singer is one of four cover stars for September. Inside, he opens up about his relationship with model Gigi Hadid, which is still going strong despite a recent break-up and make-up.

Prepare to swoon! World renowned signer @zayn is one of @elleuk's four cover stars for #septemberELLE 2016 (on sale Aug 3). In the issue he talks about moving to Hollywood, dating fashion's most in-demand supermodel @gigihadid, and his debut solo album #MindOfMine, which has already topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, and garnered critical acclaim. #ELLExZAYN (Zayn wears @burberry jacket, @troojo top, @cartier necklace and ring. Photography by @nabildo, fashion by @itsdwallace and @jasonrembert. Interview by @lenadecasparis.)

A photo posted by ELLE UK (@elleuk) on Jul 28, 2016 at 4:54am PDT

"She's super-intelligent," the British pop star told the magazine. "I think that's why it works so well. And we do the same type of job so we get that with each other."

He also credits his mother and sisters for shaping him to be the young man he is today.

"I enjoyed the womanly influence," he said. "I have a lot of respect for women because of them. They are so strong, powerful, and do everything themselves."

Newsflash: Women rock. Of course, so do men who recognize that.

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Here at R29, our computer habits are pretty regular. We tap around, switching between spreadsheets, documents, calendars, and Gmail. We Google things, we check Facebook and Twitter, and we drag our fingers along our MacBook’s trackpad. If we could navigate all those digital tasks without ever having to take our hands off the keyboard, we'd save precious seconds that would definitely add up by the end of the day.

Turns out, there are a few savvy (and super-easy) keyboard tricks that can do just that. Your desktop, browser, Gmail, and even Facebook all have simple keyboard-based shortcuts you can press to more quickly accomplish things you do all the time — things like creating a new tab in Chrome or favoriting a tweet.

We’ve rounded up 10 super-handy keyboard hacks that will help you zip through your daily grind, so you can spend more time on things that matter — or at least save your index finger from repetitive stress syndrome. And, we've organized them from the most basic and well-known to the most advanced. Even if you’re already a keyboard-shortcut pro, keep scrolling; we're sure we’ve got a keyboard trick you never knew existed.

1. Search

As of 2011, 90% of computer users didn’t know this trick: By tapping Command+F at the same time on a Mac (that is, the Command button and F button at the same time) or Control+F on a PC, you can search for a word on a webpage or document. No more poring over the whole page to see where that paragraph on Burberry Prorsum started. This command shows you every instance of the word or phrase you search, so you can easily navigate between references, or search and replace.

2. Document Shortcuts

There are a couple of document and editing shortcuts everyone should know. Of course, to copy and paste text, you can use Command+C and Command+V (Mac) or Control+C and Control+V (PC). To select all of a text (or image), use Command/Control+A; to undo an action, Command/Control+Z. And, to save a document, it's Command/Control+S. Once you’ve got a handle on these basics, your text editing will be light-years faster.

3. Text Styling

Most word processors and text editors (including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and email clients) share a lot of the same standard shortcuts for styling text: To make text bold, tap Command/Control+B; to italicize something, Command/Control+I; and to underline a word, Command/Control+U.

3. Text Styling

Most word processors and text editors (including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and email clients) share a lot of the same standard shortcuts for styling text: To make text bold, tap Command/Control+B; to italicize something, Command/Control+I; and to underline a word, Command/Control+U.

4. Chrome Tabs & Windows

We basically live in Chrome, so these tips end up being especially useful. To create a new tab, hit Command/Control+T. Similarly, for a new window, hit Command/Control+N. To switch between tabs (on both Macs and PCs) tap Control+Tab or Control+Page Down. The latter trick is great when you want to cycle through your open tabs, or when you want to alternate between two tabs (Control+Shift+Tab or Control+Page Up lets you navigate back to the previous open tab).

5. Spotlight Search

Mac users have an incredibly handy built-in feature that you may or may not be using: Spotlight. Spotlight lets you search both your computer and the web for files, emails, specific contacts, directions to destinations, and more. To access Spotlight, hit Command+Spacebar, then just type in what you’re looking for. For example, if I type in “Monkeys,” the results I get back include an Excel document with that word, plus an iTunes link for Arctic Monkeys, plus a Wikipedia link to Monkey, and a handful of websites I’ve visited that happen to also be about monkeys. (What?)

6. Hyperlinks In Gmail

No need to copy and paste a URL into an email. If you highlight the text you want to turn into a link, then hit Control/Command+K, a pop-up in Gmail appears and lets you paste in the URL. Now, instead of having an email littered with http://s and www.s, you’ve got clean text with a few blue, clickable links.

7. Google Calendar

We would be lost without Google Calendar events and notifications. These time-saving tricks are helpful if you’re planning your schedule for the upcoming weeks and months. To create an event in Google Calendar, just hit “C.” If you’ve navigated into the future (or the past) and want to quickly jump back to today, hit “T.” And, if you want to switch to month view, hit “3” or “M." For day view, hit “1” or “D."

8. Gmail Shortcuts

Gmail has more time-saving hidden shortcuts than just hyperlinking. After typing a message, you can hit Command/Control+Enter to automatically send the message (just make sure it’s ready to send first!). You can also quickly add CC recipients with Command/Control+Shift+C, which moves your cursor to the CC field, or Command/Control+Shift+B to add Bcc recipients.

9. Twitter

Yes, there are even keyboard shortcuts for Twitter. It's super-simple: Tap N for a new tweet, R to reply, F to favorite a tweet, and T to retweet something. If you’re using the Twitter Mac app, it’s pretty similar. While you can type simply an F to fave something, for all the other shortcuts, hit Command at the same time (so, a new tweet is Command+N, and so on).

10. Facebook

On Facebook, you can navigate between stories on your Newsfeed by tapping J to scroll down through your feed and K to go back up. (This navigation actually works in Twitter, too.) You can also like a story (once it’s selected) by tapping L, and you can post a new status update by tapping P. You can even share a story with S, or comment on it by typing C. You do need to have a particular Newsfeed story selected in order for these post-specific shortcuts to work — after all, you can't just comment on nothing.

This piece originally published April 13, 2015.

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At some point, after an endless work week, paying rent, or spending a full hour in the Whole Foods checkout line, we've all fantasized about going back to a simpler, responsibility-free time: childhood. We used to snap out of that daydream pretty quickly. Lately? Not so much. Grown-ups are running around the city catching Pokémon, fashion's cool girls are all wearing chokers, gloss is back in a big way, and adult summer camps are a thing.

I'll admit, I wasn't into any of this at first, but I'm coming around to the idea of adding a little more childlike whimsy and nostalgia into my life. If ya can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? I thought back to the thing I missed most from my youth and landed on my tween hero, Lizzie McGuire. Back in the 2000s, she was the queen of the Disney Channel and I couldn't get enough of watching her coming-of-age moments. (Remember that time she awkwardly blurted out that she needed a bra? Or what about when she was going through a rebellious phase and called herself 'Frizz?') I decided I'd transform myself into Lizzie for a week — and document the results.

Lizzie's makeup was simple enough for teenager in 2001 — brown eyeshadow and liner, a lot of peach blush, and of course, heavy lip gloss. Her hairstyles, on the other hand, were a whole different story. I'm 22 , I work in beauty, and I could barely get them right.

In the end, this experiment was a good reminder to have fun with my routine again. No-makeup makeup and effortless, French-girl hair may be trending, but sometimes, you just need to throw some butterfly clips and glitter into the mix.

Click through to see my week of being Ms. McGuire.

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The series finale, or, well, the faux series finale of Gilmore Girls in 2007 made one thing perfectly clear about Rory Gilmore. Her career was her number one priority, and all the boys in her life would take a back seat to it. It made sense for the character we knew and loved. And yet, my inner romantic really did kind of yearn for her to get the cool job and one of her cute boys, too. So, will the Netflix revival, premiering on November 25, let us have it all?

“I think it’s kind of interesting that that’s what people are excited about," Alexis Bledel said at the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life panel for the Television Critics Association summer press tour. "There is so much more to her character. It’s great when people focus on her ambition and her accomplishments.” Point taken. But could you give us just a tiny hint about her interactions with Jess, Dean, and Logan?

“All of her exes make an appearance, and it was great to work with all of them," she said. "People’s questions are answered, but we can’t answer them today.”

Argh! I guess we'll have to settle for her co-stars' previous hints. "I know they’re not going to end up together but, Rory and Dean seem like a good couple," said David Sutcliffe (Rory's dad) to USA Today last month. Then Jared Padalecki confirmed that much on Tuesday, telling Us Weekly he was only on the set for a day. "There will always be some fans who are unhappy, but I think they'll be pleased with it."

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Since she came on the scene 15 years ago, Hilary Duff has served as a walking Instafeed of top beauty trends. Throwback to her Lizzie McGuire era, and you'll recall the then-teen rocked teal eyeliner, extensions, and mad lip gloss — the onetime beauty essentials of ingenues everywhere. And now? The mother-of-one is right on target with a revolving door of rainbow-colored hair. (Duff says she gleans inspiration from Instagram, just like many of us.)

Despite her genius for landing on trend, all the time, Duff manages to dodge beauty victimhood by giving equal play to the classics, such as smoky eyes and dewy skin. But no matter how much she alternates between edgy and refined looks, the bright-eyed star always keeps it fresh.

This is the beauty evolution of Hilary Duff.

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Recently, the gut-bustlingly funny and talented Jessi Klein stopped by Refinery29 to chat about the launch of her her new memoir, You’ll Grow Out Of It. The book chronicles Klein's journey from an awkward tomboy and self-proclaimed late bloomer to successful comedy writer for shows like Transparent and Inside Amy Schumer.

The Q&A with SNL ’s Vanessa Bayer, full of candid and funny moments about life and growing up, also features a confession from both women: They don’t understand wine.

Bayer starts out by commenting on the prevalence of rosé, well, everywhere these days (including at her book launch at R29’s offices).

“Rosé is now a fancy, cute girl’s drink, like a poodle drink,” she muses — though Klein quickly corrects her. “I would agree, except for how much of it I drink,” she admits, qualifying that it's less poodle and more “wolf-ness.”

Both women are huge wine fans, though they acknowledge that they know nothing about the stuff. Klein admits that when she asks for recommendations off the wine list, "literally any of it could be good” to her.

They’re also equally befuddled by wine terminology. For example, calling wine "dry," since it’s, you know, wet. And don't even get Bayer started on talking about wine's body.

Watch the video above to hear their wine confessions — do you relate?

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The perpetual question of whether Kimye are "fashion" just got another strong nudge toward "yes": The "world's most talked-about couple " will grace the cover of Harper's Bazaar 's next Icons issue.

For this annual special-edition issue, Carine Roitfeld, Bazaar's global fashion director, and the magazine's creative director, Stephen Gan, identify the most influential and zeitgeist-y figures in fashion. Lady Gaga and Katy Perry previously covered the issue, which comes out each September. "Kim and Kanye were the best example of music meeting fashion and meeting pop culture," Gan told WWD of why the Wests were chosen for the issue, which sports "In Love With Fashion" as a cover line. Fittingly, the latest Balmain campaign, in which Kanye stars, had the same intersectional theme.

The cover and accompanying 17-page spread, which hits newsstands on August 16, were shot in Paris earlier this summer by Karl Lagerfeld. This isn't a total surprise: Kim took her millions of followers behind the scenes on Instagram and hinted that an Icons cover was in the works. Apparently, that cover shot, which shows Kim and Kanye pre-PDA, was West's idea, and — squeezing it in at the very end of the shoot — Gan, Roitfeld, and Lagerfeld made it work.

One detail that didn't make it into the teased images: the fact that the Wests are writhing around on Lagerfeld's own bedding. Roitfeld explained to WWD that the Kaiser simply didn't think the sheets called in for the shoot were up to snuff, so he decided to make it a BYOS. (Bring you own sheets, bien sûr.)

Kimye has been pretty much embraced by fashion's old guard over the past few years, despite skepticism from others in the industry as well as the public. Their joint, pre-marital Vogue cover from April 2014 was divisive, to say the least. But Roitfeld is expecting a split reaction. "They are a controversial couple and they will not please everyone, but we like them because they are different and represent positivity," Roitfeld told WWD. Plus, history shows that Kimye covers sell. West is a big Roitfeld fan, too: The rapper gave the famed French editor a very public shoutout during his The Life of Pablo concert/presentation in February.

On top of posing for some very meta pictures while checking their phones, the Wests answered a rapid-fire Q&A, in which they discussed fittings (Kim hates them), selfies (of course), and more. Next up, they'll fête their cover at Roitfeld's annual Icons gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Given that the Wests will also be in town for the Saint Pablo tour (and rumblings of Yeezy Season 4 are already afoot), we'll clearly be seeing quite a bit of the couple during New York Fashion Week, yet again.

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Until last week, I had never read a word of Harry Potter. Not so much as a trailer for one of the movies has ever crossed my screen. Considering that I’ve worked in entertainment and media for over a decade, that might seem surprising. But it’s not as though I’ve run screaming from 19 years worth of furious output from J.K. Rowling. The whole thing just never interested me. Why would I pick up — much less obsess over — children’s books?

The truth is that for years, not participating in Potter mania felt like a relief. It left me time for other things — you know, like high school and college. Even when I was no longer reading books for class, there were so many others I wanted to thumb through: moody New York novels, or old classics I’d long pretended to have read. Choosing not to delve into a seven-part series about wizard children — a population in which I’ve never had the slightest interest — was a no-brainer. It still is.

When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone came out, I was 15. A friend of mine started reading the books with her little brother, who was 9 at the time. My brother was older and still dug The Lord of the Rings books. I thought The Hobbit was pretty cool in seventh grade, but I was in high school now. The Hogwarts kids weren’t even on my radar.

When I got to college, though, I realized the craze reached further than I had thought. A group of my older friends, some of them fellow English majors, had caught wizardry fever big time. On top of the thousands of pages our professors piled on, they still made time for Potter.

“Seriously, they’re meant for grownups!” one might insist. “So are adult diapers,” I’d respond.

These are smart people. I never judged them for pre-ordering their copies of the latest release and staying up all night to tear through the story in one sitting. But I simply did not believe. Nothing could be that good, I thought. An all-nighter for the sake of binge-reading instead of beating a deadline was unthinkable to me. (These are also the same friends who’d lay down their lives for Joss Whedon, another obsession that’s beyond me.) We were just wired differently; I accepted that.

In case you’re wondering whether I A. have no soul, B. lack imagination, or C. prefer my entertainment without a drop of fantasy, rest assured: I watch Game of Thrones! I was True Blood -obsessed (until it went totally off the rails)! And don’t even get me started on Teen Witch. But my taste in fantasy skews, well…adult. (Okay, except for Teen Witch, but that is a damn good movie.) Game of Thrones ’ sixth season gave us a twisted allegory of electoral politics. True Blood is Alan Ball’s flesh-filled crusade for tolerance — racial, queer, and otherwise. These are fantasies with something urgent to say about the world we’re living in.

When my editor suggested I finally crack open the first book and report back, I was hesitant. I had come this far; why give in now? Then again, this was business. And I’d do anything for an assignment, right? As I was weighing my dedication to journalism, a Washington Post headline pushed me over the edge. If, as a new UPenn study suggests, Harry Potter readers devoted to the books’ themes — “the value of tolerance and respect for difference, opposition to violence and punitiveness, and the dangers of authoritarianism” — are less likely to vote for a certain flame-haired villain conjuring Dark Arts among us IRL, there must be something to it. And with obsession over the franchise still at a fever pitch nearly 20 years after the story began, I figured maybe it was finally time to give in — by degrees, at least. I’d see how far I got, for starters.

So, I read the first book. In a weekend. And OKAY. It was...a little magical. Armed with a paperback copy on a weekend trip to visit my parents, I only dared pluck it out once safely inside the house. As the narrator detailed Harry’s life with the Dursleys, I yawned. When fanciful words that I’m familiar with by proximity — Muggle, Hufflepuff, Dumbledore — started to creep in, my eyes half-rolled off the page.

But then Harry got to Hogwarts. Or rather, on the train speeding toward it, and I was transported back to my first day of college — sweaty palms and a heart beating with adventure, the thrill of instant friendships and rivalries. The houses were basically dorms, and the Sorting Hat was the Dean of residential life. Even as an adult and, yes, a Muggle, it was all so familiar.

On the short flight back to New York, I tried in vain to hide the Scholastic cover, a blatant nod to the children’s section. It was no use. Harry made Seeker! I quietly accepted that I might be a Quidditch fan. As the plane descended for landing and Harry won his first game, I felt the same curious rush as when I sailed through three seasons of Friday Night Lights having never understood the rules of football. This was quickly followed by a similar line of existential questioning about, well, the nature of my existence.

So am I a full-blown Potterhead? Far from it. But I can hardly call myself a detractor anymore. (An identity crisis may well await me in the Forbidden Forest.) I don’t regret staying away all these years, and I know I’ll never have the same enthusiasm for the books as an adult that my friend’s 9-year-old brother did, or even that my classmates had when we were in college.

I won’t be poring over Potter -themed subreddits, or dreaming up a spell to snag a ticket for the just-opened Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Made-up words and magic wands will never by my thing. But, I have to admit: I enjoyed my whirlwind journey to Hogwarts, and I see now why my friends stayed up all night to find out what happens next. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

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We see it constantly: on the covers of gossip magazines, in the headlines on celebrity TV shows, from commentators on the red carpet. “Could she be showing?!” It's a never-ending example of how we — possibly without knowing — police women's bodies.

As women age, the pressure to have a baby accrues from friends, family, and an underlying societal expectation. We are constantly told this idea that women need to be married and with child in order to be truly fulfilled in life. Obviously, that is ridiculous.

Earlier in July, Jennifer Aniston expressed such frustrations in the Huffington Post, saying that the tabloids’ constant need to speculate over her potential pregnancy "points to the perpetuation of this notion that women are somehow incomplete, unsuccessful, or unhappy if they’re not married with children.” This sparked a major conversation regarding our expectations about women's bodies and futures.

Watch as R29 takes to the streets of New York City to continue this discussion about the pressures on women to "start a family."

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are funny.

No, they don't do slapstick humor. Nor do they make highly intellectual, nuanced jokes. But they have a way of turning a normal interview question into a quotable moment.

The pair graces the September cover of Harper's Bazaar as two of the magazines icons for the year. However you feel about the couple, you have to admit they are indeed iconic.

Reading through their interview, I couldn't help but laugh out loud and nearly choke on my coffee at some of the stuff they said. It's like Kanye saved his best tweets in the Drafts section to whip out during this cover questionnaire.

What the interview lacked in fashion inspiration (which is the main point of such a magazine), it makes up for in providing an abundance of what I shall call "West vibes."

Here are all the outrageous things that made it into the interview. Some of this stuff I'll admit I don't totally understand, but that's what makes it so great — I don't think they really understand what they mean half the time, either.

When Kim and Kanye were just talking to each other and ignoring the writer, Laura Brown.

Kanye: "I think we should get an outdoor shower."

Kim: "Well, outside would be freezing, so maybe one inside and one outside. One and one."

Kanye: "But there's a way that you can open the glass, like a sunroof. I'm thinking about the plaster too, around the bathtub."

Kim: "We'll discuss."

Laura Brown: "Okay!"

When Kanye said he used to send dick pics.

"I used to do nude selfies in my single days. You'd get a good cock shot here and there. [Laughs.] Gotta keep it rock 'n' roll."

When Kanye said his favorite body part of Kim's was her "heart." (Okay, sure.)

And then Kim responded that her favorite body part was her "upper stomach" (huh), before adding that her favorite body part of Kanye's was also his heart (answer stealer). But also, she has "always loved his legs."

When Kim said she could "smell when someone has a cavity."

Apparently it has a very specific smell — like bad breath.

When Kanye low-key threatened everyone reading.

"I can analyze people's intentions. Immediately. That's just a warning. To everyone."

When Kanye said "thinking" was not his thing.

"Here's something that's contrary to popular belief: I actually don't like thinking. I think people think I like to think a lot. And I don't. I do not like to think at all."

When Kanye accidentally overthought everything one second later.

"I think about things to put them in a place where I don't have to think about them anymore. Say if I had a child with a really bad mom, I would have to think more than if I had a child with a good mom. I'm just doing my homework early. I told my trainer today, I'm a mix of a 14-year-old high schooler and a 60-year-old guy. It can never fall into the 30s or the 40s. It has to be 100% 60 or 100% 14, no in between."

When Kanye said a sentence I want stitched on a pillow.

"It's a lifestyle I can totally see: the future, modern Versailles, modern Versace, modern Calabasas, paparazzi, celebrity language."

When Kanye described ALL the nudes he likes.

"I love her nude selfies. Like, I love the ones from the side, the back ones, and the front. I just love seeing her naked; I love nudity. And I love beautiful shapes. I feel like it's almost a Renaissance thing, a painting, a modern version of a painting."

When Kanye pulled an "I don't know her" on Taylor Swift.

Laura: "Favorite Taylor Swift song?"

Kanye: "For me? I don't have one."

When Kim admitted that she was vain.

But only after Googling to "look up exactly what the definition is."

When Kanye said he would hang out in women's locker rooms if he were invisible.

A very creepy answer, which I guess is sort of like what he already does.

When Kim said she's going to make a "book of analogies" that Kanye has spouted.

They are just "the funniest."

When Kanye said Kim was a funny person.

But she replied that she's already accepted that she will never be known as being funny.

When Kanye delivered his best joke.

"I think my sense of humor is really dark and super twisted and stuff like that. It's like, 'Is this a funny joke for real? Or am I just rich?' See? That was funny."

And last but not least:

When Kanye boldly compared Kim's naked-selfie skills to Adele's singing. Not a joke.

"I think it's important for Kim to have her figure. To not show it would be like Adele not singing."

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The following is an interview with a former Sephora employee. As told to Taylor Bryant.

From The Start

I graduated from Syracuse University in 2011. After college, I couldn't find a decent job and wasn't willing to settle for one I didn't love. Eventually, I started interning at a fashion PR firm where I worked backstage during Fashion Week. During that time, I fell in love with the idea of being a makeup artist. Shortly after the internship, I went to the Make-up Designory in NYC to learn more about the industry. I decided to get a job as a seasonal employee at Sephora for a steady paycheck and to gain some working experience.

There are many different avenues you can take as a Sephora employee. You can choose the managerial route, the educational route, and you can become a senior artist or a personal beauty advisor. Eventually, you can try out to be a Sephora Pro Artist. Or, there are people, like me, who used this time as a color cast member to try to get their freelance makeup artistry business off the ground.

Big Break

Every Sephora has a different atmosphere, depending on where you work. I worked at the Sephora in Times Square, where it's hectic from 8 a.m. until midnight, when we closed. I was initially hired as a temp for the holidays, but afterward, I was brought on as a full-time employee and worked there from 2012 to 2015.

It was actually a perfect place for me to begin my makeup career (even though I hate Times Square), because I was thrown into wild situations. I was able to practice my skills on hundreds of different faces — not just perfect models. These are real people with real skin and real self-esteem issues.

Swag Galore

I'm going to be totally blunt about this: The absolute best part about working at Sephora was the GRATIS. Tons and tons of gratis. Brands will come in and train you on new products and, oftentimes, they give them to you for free to try. After working there for years, I still have drawers and drawers of those products. It is just as amazing as it sounds.

I was able to practice my skills on hundreds of different faces — not just perfect models. These are real people with real skin and real self-esteem issues.

I can think of more than 50 brands (skin care, makeup, fragrance) off the top of my head that are available at the Times Square location. A client could walk in and pick up any given product and I'm supposed to have extensive knowledge of said product with tips on how to use it. It requires a tremendous amount of study and skill.

There were also always really cool events going on and, since we were in Times Square, a lot of celebrity brand ambassadors would come to the store. It was an absolute MADHOUSE when they came, but it was cool to see it all go down.

Getting Schooled

Even after going to makeup school, there are a few hacks I learned during my time at Sephora, like using primer to clean up eye makeup instead of makeup remover. It removes fallout quite well, without messing up the makeup underneath or leaving an oily residue.

Right before I left Sephora, they started to expand the K-beauty and natural-beauty lines. I discovered the brand Erborian there, which combines French and Korean skin-care practices. I also grew to adore Tata Harper and Tatcha.

Game Face

You are encouraged to wear makeup — and even though I don't typically wear lipstick, I would put it on and keep it on for my entire shift.

I think people would be surprised by the fact that so many employees don't wear makeup on their days off. After having to apply it every day, the absolute last thing I wanted to do on my days off was wear anything.

Wild Things

We wore headsets in our ears so our managers could make announcements, make stock calls, and for Loss Prevention — otherwise known as stealing.

One day, I was standing in the front of the store when I heard an announcement from Loss Prevention that a client who had stolen something was about to walk out. They described her to me, so I watched her wait at the revolving door for people in front of her to exit. She proceeded to WHACK her entire face on the side of the revolving door. She left an entire imprint of her face — from the grease on her forehead to the lipstick she was wearing. There are some crazy things I saw while working in Times Square, but that might be the funniest.

Retail Awakening

The worst part of the job — as with many retail jobs — was dealing with terrifyingly rude clients. There are people that expect everything from you and don't show a lick of appreciation. A client once threatened to "kick my ass" because I couldn't find the exact shade of bronzer she wanted and wouldn't accept my recommendation to use a foundation powder, instead. She was so furious with me that she threatened to hurt me and I had to get security to escort her out of the store.

Money Talk

Something that surprises many people is that we don't get commission and we can't accept tips after a makeover. Since we're not working for extra bucks, I do believe the recommendations we make are more honest.

The Takeaway

I do think working at Sephora has helped me get to where I am today as a freelance makeup artist. As I said earlier, working on so many different faces really taught me how to enhance individual features.

Working there also taught me patience. I am so careful now to respect every single person working in a store or restaurant. I've learned that "kill ‘em with kindness" is the best way to approach any sort of situation. It has completely changed the way I shop, dine, and — of course — do makeup.

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Why Blake Lively's Hair Always Looks So Damn Good

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There’s no disputing that Blake Lively has one of the best hair games in town — any town. Her sun-drenched strands seem to look right at home in every environment, whether she's kicking back in a beachside bungalow or channeling Grace Kelly in a string of pearls. That's because the actress isn't married to a single style — or era. Yes, her hair is always golden and lush, but she alternates between new and vintage trends, taking classic silhouettes and injecting them with modern touches. The results are head-turning.

Read on to glean style secrets from the girl who never makes a misstep when it comes to hair (even on gym days) — and how to raise your own #hairgoals game.

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Update: Rihanna's latest drop for Fenty is live: You can scoop up the camo creeper (which has, surprisingly, not yet sold out) on Puma's website and Opening Ceremony right now for $140. This release comes right on the heels of the company's latest financial report, which revealed Puma has definitely been reaping the benefits of its all-star alignments with Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, and the like. The hype is real — and not just because it feels like RiRi is announcing new colorways left and right. So, did you score a some Fenty footwear today?

Originally published on July 22, 2016.

A world tour clearly isn't going to stop Rihanna from putting in work, work, work, work, work, work at her Fenty label. (Sorry, we couldn't resist.) This summer alone, Rihanna has released three new creeper colorways, restocked her furry sandal, and launched a brand-new trainer for Puma — on top of two separate collaborations and her regularly scheduled slayage. Now she's back at it again with yet another version of the creeper — and this iteration is markedly different from the past few drops.

On July 28, Puma welcomes the Creeper Camo into the Fenty family. While Rihanna has played around with differrent colors and textures already, this drop marks her first printed style. Don't get it twisted: The pattern may be camouflage, but it's certainly not a sneaker that blends in — and not just because of its signature gum sole. Riri's take on camo is done in a vibrant orange-and-black combo. The waxed laces are tinted in a similar burnt hue, while the Puma logo-ing stands out in metallic gold.

Rumors about what the next-gen creeper would look like surfaced earlier last week, when Puma began to tease the next version on its website, Footwear News reported. Some lucky folks got early deliveries, though, so a first look at the camo-coated sneakers emerged on Instagram.

The new style is expected to retail for $150 a pair. As we know from previous drops of anything Puma that's Bad Gal-approved, this camo-coated style is highly likely to sell out. So you know the drill: Set your alarms for 10 a.m. on July 28 — and may the shopping odds be ever in your favor.

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In honor of National Support Teen Literature Day, we've collected the best books to pick up if you're in the mood for a little young adult lit. YA has only gotten more popular in the seven years since The Hunger Games came out in 2008. Blockbuster adaptations of stand-alone novels and series like The Fault in Our Stars, The Maze Runner, and Divergent have made YA familiar even to those who haven't picked up a book written for teens since they were a teen themselves. But just because the box office is dominated by dystopian landscapes and John Green doesn't mean that's all YA has to offer.

Recent titles destined to become classics represent all sub-genres. There's everything from historical fiction to magical realism and literary fiction. Here are some recent YA titles that should be at the top of your must-read pile. And feel free to ask anyone who tries to mock you for reading "kids' books" how many times they saw T oy Story 3. Anyone and everyone can enjoy YA.

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Britain's Channel 4 has figured out what the TV dating world needs: more genitalia.

The channel's controversial new dating reality show, Naked Attraction, actually makes unsolicited Tinder dick pics look pretty tame. Contestants on the show, which premiered this week, are asked to pick their potential mate by looking at each suitor while he or she is wearing absolutely nothing. Each suitor stands buck naked in a colored pod protected by screens that rise slowly, stopping to give everyone a good look at their goods. We've had visits to the Ob/Gyn that were less invasive.

The show is billed as "a daring new dating series that starts where some good dates might end — naked." Full-frontal nudity is the name of the game, and, in the interest of fairness, those doing the picking and choosing must also strip down.

It's the show everyone is talking about! If you missed it catch-up on @All4 https://t.co/UoMIWu4l9B #NakedAttraction pic.twitter.com/GHkF7VpfqC

— Naked Attraction (@C4Naked) July 26, 2016

"Getting naked to find a date is probably one of the weirdest things I've signed myself up to do," contestant Aina admitted in the premiere episode. "But, you're single, you want to find someone, so why not?"

She spends the rest of the episode debating girth vs. length, her preferred amount of pubic hair, and male circumcision. Spoiler: She picks a dude who has elephant ears tattooed on either side of his penis. (Think about it.)

The two end up hitting it up off, so who knows? Maybe Mr. or Ms. Right is just a flash of privates away.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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This post was originally published on December 6, 2015.

You never want something until you can't have it. So, each week in The Sell-Out, we're getting the scoop from your favorite retailers on what's selling like crazy. Watch this space to find out what everyone's buying, sign up for wait lists, and keep tabs on restocks.

It's no longer a surprise when a killer, limited-edition clothing collaboration sells like crazy — we've seen it time and time again, with everything from Lilly Pulitzer for Target to Balmain for H&M. But nothing could have prepared us for the frenzy that surrounded Rihanna's creeper collection for Puma (the first for the celeb in her new role as the brand's womenswear creative director and global ambassador for women's training) — and it's partly because they're not quite like anything we've seen before.

While the stacked platform sole has been a popular trend for a while now, combining it with all the comfy benefits of a sneaker (and in some pretty sick colors, too) is what makes this shoe genius. Shoppers definitely agreed: According to Bad Gal RiRi herself, the first drop of the shoe sold out in just three hours. And when more became available last month, they were completely wiped from Puma's website by the next day.

While Puma told us there won't be any more restocks of the current creeper collection (heartbreaking, we know), there's definitely more exciting product to come. And even though the shoe is sold out on the brand's site, it's still available at the link ahead — for now. If they're 86'd by the time you're reading this, we've found six almost-as-rad alternatives to hold you over until Rihanna's next big thing.

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Ina Garten recently announced that she will be filming new episodes for the upcoming season of Barefoot Contessa. And we've rounded up 10 of the best Ina moments to celebrate.

Over the years, the Barefoot Contessa has shared recipes for her favorite maple-oatmeal scones, tasty tomato tartlets, ripe raspberry cheesecakes, and oh-so-many more gourmet goodies. But that's not all — she's also blessed us with some memorable moments tied to those dishes. Whether she's surprising Jeffrey with yet another home-cooked meal, calling up her friends for an impromptu dinner party, or just whipping up cookies with countless celebrity guests, Ina always makes us feel like we're right there with her.

1. Ina in her element — inviting friends over for a dinner party.

2. Ina slicing the cake on her wedding day.

Happy Valentine's Day! #tbt

A photo posted by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Feb 13, 2014 at 11:51am PST

3. Ina offering neighbors some bruschetta and white wine (as only Ina would do).

4. Ina in the '90s running her Barefoot Contessa specialty store.

#tbt At Barefoot Contessa in East Hampton in the early '90's! Those were the days! #toomuchproduce

A photo posted by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Oct 23, 2014 at 1:19pm PDT

5. Ina tasting her AMAZING cookies.

6. Ina eating cotton candy with Jeffrey on his birthday.

Cotton candy at Four Seasons restaurant for Jeffrey's birthday! #handsome

A photo posted by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Oct 29, 2014 at 11:13am PDT

7. Ina cooking with Neil Patrick Harris.

8. Ina making kale cupcakes a thing.

These Kale Cupcakes are a healthy twist on one of my favorite cupcake recipes. They look absolutely gorgeous and are the perfect treat for Spring! And the best part is, they’re so delicious kids won’t even guess that there’s a vegetable hidden inside.....April Fools!!!

A photo posted by Ina Garten (@inagarten) on Apr 1, 2015 at 1:22pm PDT

9. Ina surprising Jeffrey, again, with dinner.

10. Ina taking a selfie while cooking with T. Swift.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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