In the '80s, chain belts reigned supreme. They more closely mirrored our jewelry than traditional belts, and women didn't worry if their pants actually stayed up (chains were draped over dresses and skirts as decoration, too). In the '90s, the look took a turn toward more hardcore, punk iterations, with wallet chains giving outfits an edgier vibe.
Now the chain belt is back. And, as in decades past, we're adorning our pants, skirts, and even dresses with them as though they were jewelry. (Sometimes we're even wearing them as necklaces, too.) Ahead, we've rounded up all the modern-day iterations to buy before everyone else catches on. While some of them can actually keep our pants in place, it's definitely not a prerequisite. Bottoms up (or not)!
Keep those pants on your hips with this sturdy, locked-up take on a chain belt.
Alexander Wang Skinny Balls Stud Belt, $422, available at Alexander Wang.
Wallet chains are having a comeback. Wear this belt with or without it.
ASOS Chain Grunge Waist and Hip Belt, $18.04, available at ASOS.
Not sold on the chain belt? Try a metal version that maintains a more traditional shape.
Topshop Metal Link Belt, $48, available at Topshop.
So it should be no surprise that he knows exactly how men should behave in the delivery room. At this point, he's a veteran of two daughters, so he should know at least two things about how to successfully navigate a very stressful environment. Frankly, his advice goes for any social situation:
Be in the room, you're not Don Draper.
Be judicious with your photo-taking, a picture of your daughter crowning on the refrigerator isn't helping anyone.
You, the father, really want to realize you're the least important thing in the room.
We mean, really. You could follow those rules at brunch and be considered the most charming person in the room. But maybe brunch is a bad example. Brunch is essentially lawless.
Watch Reynolds tips for new dads below.
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In an open letter posted to Twitter on Thursday, she urges the fashion industry to protest Trump by refusing to dress his wife.
"The Sophie Theallet brand stands against all discrimination and prejudice. Our runway shows, ad campaigns, and celebrity dressing have always been a celebration of diversity and a reflection of the world we live in," it reads.
"I am well aware it is not wise to get involved in politics," she continues. "That said, as a family-owned company, our bottom line is not just about money. We value our artistic freedom and always humbly seek to contribute to a more humane, conscious, and ethical way to create in this world."
As an immigrant born in France, Theallet could get on board with the Obama administration, but she rejects the "racism, sexism, and xenophobia" rampant in Trump's campaign.
"I encourage my fellow designers to do the same," she concludes. "Integrity is our only true currency."
The tweet has gotten 90 favorites and many supportive comments.
Theallet's not the first designer to take a stand against Trump. Kaelen Haworth, known for dressing Blake Lively, put her clothes on sale and donated the money shoppers spent on them to Planned Parenthood, Black Lives Matter, and 15 other organizations Trump opposes.
"I thought doing this initiative would be a nice way to remind people who will be most affected by the election outcome," she told Refinery29, "that there are people and organizations fighting for you everyday, before Trump and after."
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The mysteries of Westworld are too many to count. There's the maze, the identity of the Man in Black, and Arnold's ongoing role in the park. But one of the mysteries that we nearly forgot about was Dolores' budding painting career. By budding, we mean that she's painted nearly 11,000 paintings. That's budded, withered, and come back to budding several times over.
An astute redditor posed the question in the form of an imgur post.
The answer: They just put them in a closet. Unlike Maeve, who can see her sketches as they're the product of her unconscious mind, Dolores can't see her own paintings. Now that's what I call tragedy. Or it would be, if she weren't just a high-functioning machine.
Then again, aren't humans just high functioning machines? We'll wait while you pick your brains off the pavement.
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The relationship between Lorelai and Luke on Gilmore Girls was not originally intended to be a romance, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino just revealed to Entertainment Weekly. In fact, the owner of what became Luke's Diner wasn't even going to be a man.
"Luke was originally a female character," she said — and her name was Daisy.
It was merely to meet a quota that Luke came in to being. "[The network] came to me and said we need another guy, so I literally just took a character and changed the name, didn’t even change any of the dialogue because I’m that lazy," Sherman-Palladino said.
Who knows what could've happened if they didn't give that order. Could Lorelai have had a lesbian relationship? Would she have ended up with Chris or Max?
We'll never know, because when Luke stepped in, sparks flew. "It’s just this funny, weird chemistry that we had in terms of being complete opposites and also this built-in conflict of he has the thing she wants — which is coffee," Graham told EW. "It was just something about the two of those characters together that they kept going back to and then it kept growing."
And now, it's only another week until we get to see them consummate their relationship — or at least, in Scott Patterson's words, do some "really intense adult scenes."
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Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt's upcoming turn in Passengers is a lonely bright spot in a movie year as bleak as space is cold. The pair has already become one of our favorite on-screen couples before a proper trailer was even released. And now these teasers have confirmed what we already thought.
This scene with Jennifer Lawrence swimming is nerve-wracking. Of course, it comes without any context whatsoever. But the thought of drowning in a swimming pool because gravity fails is horrifying. Watch.
Chris Pratt's on-set experience is less drowny and more akin to crashing golf carts into things. That's why they pay him the big bucks. To crash stuff into other stuff. His life seems nice.
Selfie death is a real thing. People do dangerous shit all the time for their sweet snaps. Like, this one here. This triggers vertigo just by association. You know, "don't try this at home?" Meet, "don't try this on top of a building in Shanghai."
A photo posted by Ivan & Angela (@__elevation__) on
A recent study jointly conducted by Carnegie Mellon University and the Indraprastha Institute of Information in Delhi shows that the social media fatalities are climbing at a semi-alarming rate. The MIT Technology Review estimates that 24 billion selfies were uploaded to Google Photos last year alone.
So maybe it's not shocking that selfie deaths have increased from 15 in 2014, to 39 in 2015, and now to 73 in just the first eight months of this year. To contextualize: six people died of shark attacks in 2015.
The main area for selfie deaths was India. 76 people died in the country between March 2014 and September 2016 of the 127 total selfie deaths worldwide. Second on the list was Pakistan, with nine. The countries are geographical neighbors. Researchers attribute the high Indian death count to a very specific cultural meme.
“This trend caters to the belief that posing on or next to train tracks with their best friend is regarded as romantic and a sign of never-ending friendship,” researchers write.
Russia and America are third and fourth on the list, with six and eight deaths for the respective countries. Those deaths stem largely from accidental firearm discharge.
“This might be a consequence of the open gun laws in both the countries,” the team suggests.
The deadliest activities are falling from heights (8 deaths), being hit by a train (12), and electrocution (15).
So if you're going to take a dangerous selfie, try not to do it from a height near an electric train. Oh, and don't point a gun at your head. You'd think that was pretty self-explanatory.
They say you can have too much of a good thing, but pumpkin spice lattes may be the one exception. At least that seems to be the philosophy Matt "Megatoad" Stonie brought to his "World's Largest Pumpkin Spice Latte" video, where he drinks — you guessed it — the world's largest PSL.
Stonie got seven venti drinks at Starbucks and combined them all into one in his kitchen.
The drink is about the size of his entire upper body and fills the largest coffee cup we've ever seen. To make it even more challenging for himself, he squirts whipped cream all over it. It takes 30 seconds just for him to coat the top.
This is the winner of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest we're talking about, Cosmopolitan reports, and he clearly does not mess around. He downs it all in a minute and 55 seconds.
He's not even a diehard PSL fan — he'd actually never had one in his life before this. The verdict? "It was delicious."
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
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Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham have gained success as models, but Harper may be headed into the fashion industry as a designer. A doodle she drew at age four became the basis for her dad's tattoo, and it's now also on a shirt designed by her mom for World AIDS Day.
It depicts a simple stick figure in a dress next to a heart, but it's not your typical kid's drawing. It's got crisp edges and a distinctive style. The shirt features a red ribbon on the figure's dress in honor of the occasion.
As a UN ambassador, Victoria Beckham has designed a shirt to raise funds to fight AIDS every year. "This year, for the first time (and along with a little help from Harper), I've created an adults T-shirt with a matching mini-version for children too," she told Harper's Bazaar.
The shirts are for sale on Beckham's website, and proceeds go to Born Free Africa, which prevents the spread of the disease from mothers to children.
The 2016 election reminded many women of the sexism they'd experienced and witnessed in the workplace and elsewhere throughout their lives. According to an InHerSight survey, 76 percent of women felt personally discouraged in their own careers after Hillary Clinton's loss, Mashable reports.
Eight percent said they felt better about their jobs after the election, and we're very curious why (unless they're Paris Hilton and Trump actually gave them a modeling contract).
As for the reasons women felt worse, some saw Hillary Clinton's inability to win as an indication that people still aren't ready to see women in power, and others felt the Trump administration will negatively impact their jobs.
"I knew this country had issues with sexism and women in power, but it is a lot worse than I realized," one said.
"The president-elect doesn't support policies that help women in their careers (e.g. maternity leave, affordable child care for everybody) and undermines women's rights because he shows a lack of respect for women," said another.
"I'm a white woman, but I would say the prospects for minorities is 'significantly worse,'" one added, referencing the wording of the survey.
"[Hillary] made it far, but still lost to a man who is less qualified for the job," as one woman in the survey put it. "This is what we go through everyday."
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During sex education, they told us that every time we slept with someone, we were also sleeping with everyone that person had ever slept with. That's how diseases are handed down from one person to the next. Likewise, most U.S. bills have trace amounts of cocaine on them. Just by existing, things get dirty.
So, it would follow that ATMs are insanely gross. New York University researchers sought to figure out exactly how contaminated NYC ATMs are, and what that might tell us about the people that use them.
“ATM surfaces...are interesting from both a biodiversity perspective and a public-health perspective,” the authors write in the peer-reviewed journal mSphere.
To that end, Holly M. Bik and her co-authors studied 66 samples taken between June and July, 2014 from eight different neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Their was was to make, “a unique contribution to the growing body of work focused on the ‘urban microbiome.’”
What did they find? Mostly, stuff that lives on human skin, a relative of the common STI trichomoniasis, and, in Brighton Beach, an instance of Toxoplasma. That can cause toxoplasmosis, which can cause flulike symptoms.
But John Metcalfe at CityLab says that we shouldn't worry.
"Don’t panic just yet: The research didn’t determine how many of these microbes were still active when collected, and it’s possible that many were in such small amounts that they wouldn’t be harmful."
So, on the whole, not as bad as it could be. Metcalfe goes further, breaking down some of the researchers' weird ethnographic findings that are both shocking and un-shocking.
"Traces of microbes linked with chicken appeared more in a largely black community in Harlem," he writes. "And ATMs in predominantly white neighborhoods were festooned with Xeromyces bisporus, a mold associated with the 'spoilage of high-sugar foods such as cakes and confectionaries.'"
You heard it here first: White people love cake.
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Lisa Lynn Masters, an actress whose has appeared on multiple shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Gossip Girl, has died, apparently by her own hand.
Nuevo Mundo hotel workers found the actress, 52, hanged in her closet. She was in Lima, Peru, on a modeling job, Peru21 reports.
"In these darkening days, we hope those who have had the pleasure of knowing her will see how brightly she shined and will find that light within themselves and continue to share it with others—just as she would have," a Masters spokesperson told E! News in a statement that called for privacy.
Peru21 reports that she had allegedly hanged herself with her skirt. The police say they have little doubt as to the motive, citing antidepressant pills on-site as well as two letters indicating her struggles with depression.
A GoFundMe page created by friends and family in order to fund travel and funeral arrangements has reached $34,000 out of a $50,000 goal as of Thursday evening.
"Lisa's genuine warmth, generosity and tenacious strength will be deeply missed," Ani Mason, writing on behalf of Masters' husband, says on the site. "Lisa's beloved husband William is shocked and grieving her sudden loss."
Ifyou are thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Crisis Line at 1-800-784-2433.
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From the episodes leading up to tonight's, we knew that the victim on the stretcher was an unidentified male, thanks to a news report. And thanks to a series of flash-forwards, we thought we knew that it wasn't one of the Keating Five, which would mean Connor (Jack Falahee), Asher (Matt McGorry), and Wes (Alfred Enoch) were safe. That made us believe Frank (Charlie Weber) and Nate (Billy Brown) wouldn't make it out alive. But it looks like How To Get Away With Murder tricked us all.
Before tonight's episode, the gruesome flash-forward scenes showed Annalise screaming and crying as she looked at the body pulled from her house. We didn't know just whose lifeless body she'd seen, but she was quite distressed by the reveal.
Click through to see who was on the stretcher, and why we thought the other characters had a chance at being lost to the fire before tonight's reveal. It will certainly be interesting to see where the show goes from here when it returns in January.
Who was under the sheet?
We saw various clues about who doesn't survive the fire at Annalise's in the episodes leading up to the winter finale. The biggest clue was a flash-forward news report — the body pulled from the Keating residence was apparently that of an unidentified male.
Photo: Bob D'Amico/ABC.
Wes Gibbins(Alfred Enoch)
That's right — Wes's was the body pulled from Annalise's house. Like so many others, we thought for sure that Wes, and the rest of the Keating Five, were safe. Through its flash-forward scenes, it looked like Wes wasn't at Annalise's house, because he was at the police station agreeing to help take her down in an investigation.
But it turns out, that timeline was hazy. Wes did agree to help the police, in exchange for immunity — but that was before the fire took place. Nate, who apparently emerged from the house unscathed, tells Annalise that Wes was dead before the fire happened — but we don't know how he died.
Over the course of three seasons, we saw Wes murder Annalise's husband, lose his girlfriend, and watch his father die before his eyes. The others called him a "puppy," but that doesn't mean he wasn't tough — he did shoot Annalise, after all. Hopefully, just because his character is gone doesn't mean we won't find out more details about his death when the show returns. — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Who is still alive?
Here's a running list of the rest of the characters (who we know aren't dead). Now, they'll be forced to deal with the aftermath of the fire (and Annalise's arrest).
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Frank Delfino (Charlie Weber)
Frank is a vicious hit man masquerading as a nice local boy from Philadelphia who looks good in suits. He used to be Annalise's most reliable henchman. Until we found out that Frank is the reason Annalise lost her baby, the person who murdered Lila, and the one who put Wes in danger when he took him to meet his father moments before he was killed.
It seemed likely that Frank would be the one to die in the winter finale — he was the season's "bad guy." But it's too neat for the bad guy to die so easily. (And there are still plenty of other ways the show could off Frank down the road.) —Ally
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Nate Lahey (Billy Brown)
Nate and Annalise aren't together, at least not for now. In fact, he was recently seeing the new assistant district attorney, Rene Atwood (Milauna Jackson), although at the end of the winter finale, their relationship is up in the air.
Again, Nate was a real possibility as to who would die in the fire. Especially since we saw him walking into Annalise's house moments before it burst into flames. We don't know how the fire started — was it him? — but he managed to survive.
While it seemed likely for Nate to be killed off, it also wouldn't be a huge payoff for such a dramatic twist. Nate is doting and caring toward Annalise (or at least he used to be), but he's not a fan-favorite character, so there wouldn't have been a huge payoff for his death. Plus, Nate could still easily be dispatched in some other way — maybe a surprise encounter with Frank? — Ally
Photo: Bob D'Amico/ABC.
Simon Drake(Behzad Dabu)
Simon's death would be a stretch considering the show's buildup, but it wasn't an impossible guess. It's fair to say that Annalise would be pretty worked up if any of her students died — even those who aren't in the Keating Five. Yes, Simon planted the "killer" posters of her around campus — but he's still one of her students.
Annalise values her job at Middleton above almost anything else, as we've seen from her interactions with the university's president. She plays tough, but if any of the students died because of something she did, Annalise wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
It's not totally out of the question that another student would be at her house, either. We already know that the Keating Five aren't at the top of their class, so the clinic needs additional students like Simon, who recently served as first chair, working on cases at the home office. — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Charles Mahoney (Wilson Bethel)
This was a long shot, but we considered the possibility that Charles made it to Philadelphia to confront Annalise and Frank, and was in the wrong burning house at the wrong time. We know Frank is trying to frame Mahoney for his father's murder (which Frank actually committed), though Charles appears to have an alibi.
Connor Walsh(Jack Falahee)
For a while, it seemed like Connor might actually be the one to die. He had his shining moment in the second episode this season, when he delivered an impassioned speech against victim-blaming. His character has changed a lot since the show started — remember when he said he didn't "do boyfriends" ? — and he's a big enough character that fans would have genuinely been sad if he died.
And even though they're on the outs, Connor's death would break Oliver. Between all of the crazy schemes Connor and the rest of the Keating Five have put him through — including a lot of illegal requests — Oliver's been through enough. — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Asher Millstone(Matt McGorry)
When we found out Asher was still alive, it wasn't shocking — but it wasn't the greatest relief, either. Is he anyone's favorite character?
Annalise and Asher also aren't particularly close, so we saw this one coming when she was distraught after the fire. If Annalise cried over Asher's death, it would have been because she knew it would hurt Bonnie, not because she was actually sad about his passing. — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Oliver (Conrad Ricamora)
Oliver was the first person we found out was safe this season. In the flash-forward scenes, Annalise asks Oliver to wipe a phone clean. Whose phone is it? What's on it? We still don't know, but we know Oliver made it out of the fire unscathed. — Meghan
Photo: Craig Sjodin/ABC.
Bonnie Winterbottom (Liza Weil)
We knew Bonnie was safe even before the show revealed that the body belonged to a male character. Still, we're relieved to learn that she'll be sticking around.
With Frank gone, Annalise and Bonnie must now rely on each other more than in past seasons. The women have shared a lover (Annalise's now-dead husband, Sam) and more murder-related secrets than the girls on Pretty Little Liars.
With their bond stronger than ever, it would have made sense for Annalise to be distraught over Bonnie's death. She would have lost another one of her most trusted connections. — Ally
Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza)
Laurel's father is up to no good and she spent a good portion of this season repeatedly calling Frank. But she does survive the fire, albeit in critical condition — and it turns out, she's pregnant. We're assuming the baby is Wes', since they recently reconnected after Laurel told Wes she wasn't in love with Frank. But this is HTGAWM, so anything could happen. — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Michaela Pratt(Aja Naomi King)
Michaela's been through a lot — she's gone from being a brownnoser in the first season to being one of Annalise's most cutthroat students. We know she's safe, though, because she wasn't even at the Keating house at the time of the fire.
Plus, we know Michaela can be tough in the courtroom, and she needs more time to shine before being killed off. (We also want to see the antics that ensue from Connor living with her, even if it's only temporary.) — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Meggy (Corbin Reid)
Wes may have broken her heart in a pretty cruel way, but Meggy is still around after the fire. Aside from the fact that we know the body belongs to a male, we've seen Meggy in the hospital after the fire, tending to a pregnant Laurel, who wants to know where Wes is. — Meghan
Soraya Hargrove (Lauren Luna Velez)
At first, it didn't seem like Annalise and Soraya would ever get along — she tried to keep Annalise from teaching her legal clinic, after all. But now that the pair are attending the same AA meetings, it's possible the university president could become Annalise's sponsor. It's a relief to know she isn't a victim of the Keating house fire. — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
A.D.A. Rene Atwood (Milauna Jackson)
After Nate left Annalise, we saw him reigniting a former relationship with the new A.D.A., Rene Atwood. Now that Annalise is back at Middleton, there might be some more conflicts between she and Rene, especially since Annalise believes the D.A.'s office is investigating her.
Eve Rothlow (Famke Janssen)
Eve reappeared this season, but it looks like she's out of Annalise's life for good. She's moved on and is in love with someone else — and Annalise is doing her best to be happy for her. — Meghan
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
Ophelia Hartness (Cicely Tyson)
Annalise's mother didn't seem super-warm, but she was willing to do anything for her daughter (including sitting by while her attacker burned to death). Luckily, we now know that Annalise's mom wasn't planning a surprise visit at the time of the fire. — Molly
Photo: Mitch Haaseth/ABC.
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We had a lot of theories about who would die in this episode — and when we finally found out what did happen, it was something we never saw coming.
Leading up to tonight's episode, we thought for sure that all of the Keating Five were safe from being on the stretcher. Laurel (Karla Souza) was hurt in the fire, but we knew she was still alive, and pregnant, thanks to flash-forward scenes at the hospital. And it couldn't be Michaela (Aja Naomi King), since the other body belonged to an unidentified male.
We thought that Asher (Matt McGorry), Connor (Jack Falahee), and Wes (Alfred Enoch) were all safe, too. Asher didn't go to Annalise's (Viola Davis) house, and Connor was with Thomas (Matthew Risch). And the flash-forward scenes showed Wes at the police station, ready to turn on Annalise in exchange for blanket immunity. But it turns out, we had it all wrong.
The flash-forwards did show Wes at the police station — but it turned out, that was before the body was pulled from Annalise's house. Which is confusing, because we also saw flash-forwards of Annalise being held in jail, which was after she was arrested following the fire. Like so many others, we truly thought the Keating Five would make it — but it turns out that wasn't the case.
When we saw Frank (Charlie Weber) call Bonnie (Liza Weil) after the fire, all bets were on Nate (Billy Brown) being the one on the stretcher, especially considering the fact that he was in the house when it suddenly erupted in flames. In the last few minutes of the show, we hear that the body belongs to an African-American male — but then Nate walks into the room! And if it's not him, well, yes — it's Wes under the sheet.
Personally, I was disappointed in myself for not seeing this coming. I thought for sure that all of the Keating Five were safe, and that either Frank or Nate would be lost in the flames. The show made us think that one character would be revealed "safe" each week, but that wasn't true after all.
Wes's death has immediate implications — for the Mahoney trial, for example, and for Laurel, who's pregnant and now alone. It's also going to be devastating for Annalise, after everything she did for him: getting him off the Middleton waitlist, helping him cover up Sam's murder, and forgiving him for literally shooting her. It's also going to have longterm implications, both on the other students and probably on Annalise's career, since the body was taken from her house.
Of course, there are still plenty of unanswered questions we have about the episode. How did Nate emerge from the house unharmed, if it caught on fire shortly after he went in looking for Annalise? Did he start the fire to help her cover any evidence the district attorney's office might be looking for? And if Wes was already dead before the fire, as Nate told Annalise, how did he die?
As for the rest of the episode, all of the students passed the midterm exam for Annalise's legal clinic, in which they had to present a mock defense for historic serial killer Ted Bundy. Before the fire goes down, Bonnie convinces Frank not to kill himself.
Michaela has reconnected with her mom (thanks to Asher accidentally telling her where Michaela lived), but there's a lot of tension between them. And Nate is not taking any shit from Annalise — he calls her a bitch and tells her to "keep your damn mess away from me."
And Annalise, alas, has fallen off the wagon and is back to drinking vodka. She starts a fire to burn documents related to the Mahoney case. In her drunken state, she even smashes a laptop with the trophy that was also Wes' murder weapon against Sam. Annalise tells Bonnie the district attorney's office is investigating her, and she asks Oliver to hack into the D.A.'s office, too. (It's still not clear whose phone Annalise wants wiped after the fire.)
Oh, and Bonnie and Annalise kissed. That might be an even more surprising twist than Wes' death, to be honest. Let's just say, there will be a lot to unpack when the show comes back in January.
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There's getting along with your ex, and then there's really getting along with your ex.
The Latin Grammys proved that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony fall into the latter category. In a move that will rival that plunging Versace dress for sheer scene-stealing, Lopez planted a kiss on her ex-husband's lips after performing a duet with him to “Olvidame y Pega la Vuelta" at last night's ceremony.
Anthony, who was honored as Person of the Year at the awards, performed a medley of hits before being joined by Lopez, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Marc is a living legend,” Lopez told the audience. "He is a magical and pure artist giving away classics that will stay forever. He will always be many things in my life."
Erm. Clearly. The singers, who are parents to 8-year-old twins Max and Emme, split in 2011 after seven years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in 2014, and Anthony married model Shannon de Lima later that year. Shannon must be chill as hell.
Remember when Britney Spears was all, "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman"? Times have changed.
Now the pop star is throwing down at an orgy hosted in a mysterious mansion occupied by attractive millennials with roving hands. Is she into the Zayn lookalike with the Le Chiffre scar, or would she rather hook up with collaborator Tinashe? Why not both?
Spears and Tinashe rock frilly frocks and paw each other in the racy new video for "Slumber Party." The song's lyrics don't exactly leave much to the imagination, but we still weren't prepared to see Brit-Brit crawling across a dining room table and licking up milk like she's Madonna in the "Express Yourself" video a cat.
Either Jimmy Fallon is the world's most clueless man, or he's really just not that into Nicole Kidman.
Last year Kidman revealed that the Tonight Show host had once had the chance to date her. Unfortunately, he blew it by lounging around in sweats and serving old Chinese takeout. At the time, Fallon was horrified to discover he'd dropped the ball.
It gets worse. Last night Kidman returned to Fallon's show to remind him of the second time he missed his shot with her. If the guy weren't now happily married with two young daughters, we'd hire him a professional wing man.
“We were at David Fincher’s house and it was when Brad [Pitt] and Jen [Aniston] were still together, so it was a long time ago," Kidman told her former crush. "You could have asked for my number then because it was round two, second chance, and you still didn’t ask for it, and you know that’s true. So do not pretend.”
The actress revealed that her agent had suspected that Fallon would surely ask for her number at the party. He didn't.
“We were lurking in the kitchen, everyone went out and I’m like, waiting and waiting and you’re like at the buffet and you still didn’t ask for my number, so you are so not interested," she told a mortified Fallon. "It’s okay."
It's also okay to get a little revenge. Kidman twisted the knife by having husband Keith Urban make a surprise entrance. She then sat on the singer's lap while Fallon struggled to regain his composure. Totally stealing that move for our high school reunion, BTW.
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There have been some close calls, but Kanye West may have finally jumped the shark.
The rapper drew boos at his San Jose show last night when he told the crowd that he didn't vote. Then he expressed support for Donald Trump, told fans to stop stressing out about racism, and finished by mentioning his own future bid for president in 2020. Where to begin? Also, does this make Kanye and HRC-supporting Kim Kardashian the James Carville and Mary Matalin of rap?
“I told y’all I didn’t vote, right?" West announced, according to Entertainment Tonight. "But if I were to vote, I would have voted on Trump."
Cue the boos. Some concert-goers reportedly also threw items at the stage.
West, who performed "Heartless" (hmm) right after his Trump statement, soon got defensive.
“I just said that I would have voted for Donald Trump and then I did a song and y’all sang it at the top of your lungs,” he told the crowd. “That doesn’t mean that you’re a Trump supporter. That just means you're okay with a celebrity having their own opinion. Or that someone else is okay to have their own opinion. That might not be your opinion but you can still like that person or still like that person’s music.”
He then told his Black fans to "stop focusing on racism."
"This world is racist, okay?" he explained. "Let’s stop being distracted to focus on that as much. It’s just a fucking fact. We are in a racist country. Period… Not one or the other candidate was going to instantly change that.”
Kanye West tonight speaking on racism in America. "Specifically to black people, stop talking about race so much." pic.twitter.com/HTWlJgdq7E
Having sensitive skin is like going through a breakup: It all seems so smooth on the surface, until one wrong move leads to loads of irritation — and then it all goes to shit. Throw in the whipping winds and colder temps that come with fall and winter, and everything quickly becomes a straight-up catastrophe for your face and body. Even things you'd never expect to be a problem, like swapping out your cotton shift dress for a heavy wool coat.
And sure, not every cool-weather fabric is itchy or redness-inducing, but higher quality materials tend to be — you guessed it — way more pricey. (Here's looking at you, cashmere.) So while tossing and replacing the stuff with new clothing sounds nice in theory, it's not always an option.
If you can relate, we've got solutions. Ahead, the biggest offenders you'll find in your closet this time of year — plus, the products you need to save your skin from the dramatic aftermath of a day spent in each. They're way more affordable than coughing over the dough for a silk scarf; in fact, you can even snag most of them at your local drugstore. Because you should spend your hard-earned cash on things that matter, like a trip to the Bahamas that doesn't require you to wear many clothes at all.
Wool
It happens every damn year: You dread the moment you need to pull out the warmest coat in your closet, because you know the wool is going to feel itchy against your skin even after you sling it off. “This can happen to anyone, but it rings especially true for people with sensitive skin or eczema,” says Howard Sobel, MD, dermatologist and founder of DDF Skincare. “The irritating effect has long been thought of as the result of an allergy to the wool itself."
Photo by Kristina Wilson.
To prevent it, try to avoid letting the fabric touch the skin. "Consider lining materials, like thin-knit silk or cotton undergarments," says Dr. Sobel. If the damage is already done and you're red from shoulder to shoulder, he suggests reaching for moisturizing oils or creams rich in fatty acids (like the avocado oil found in this body oil from Nivea) to help soothe irritation.
Nivea Nourishing Body Oil, $11.99, available at Nivea.
And if the itch reaches an unbearable level, it never hurts to over -hydrate — so long as the formulas are fragrance-free or safe for sensitive skin, he says. This one is jam-packed with soothing actives like vitamin B5, but also has water-activated technology that locks onto skin long after you step out of the shower.
Curél Hydratherapy Wet Skin Moisturizer, $7.99, available at Target.
Sequins
'Tis the season to whip out those sparkly, disco-ball dresses, but we'll be damned if they don't tear up our legs and arms by the time the bar closes. That constant scraping and rubbing can lead to painful cuts and chafing — not exactly what you had in mind.
Photo by Georgina Martin.
The good news is that you might be able to prevent the chafing (and thus, the scrapes). Dr. Sobel swears by Glide's thick, waxy balm — as do plenty of athletes who deal with constant uncomfortable friction, he says. The vitamin-rich ointment acts as a barrier to the skin, and the tube is great for smaller areas. "Try using it on your underarms beforehand."
Body Glide Original Anti Chafing, Anti Blister Balm, $9.99; For Her Anti-Chafing Moisturizing Balm, $7.99, available at Body Glide.
If you have minimal open skin wounds caused by constant sequin-scraping, you need to be cautious of what you are applying. "It's very important to keep the open cut moisturized," Dr. Sobel says. To remedy any wounded areas, stick to this tried-and-true salve, or choose an ointment with antibacterial properties, like Neosporin.
Aquaphor Advanced Therapy Healing Ointment, $3.11, available at Target.
As Sheryl Crow sings, the first cut is the deepest. "Make sure you wait for the wound to fully heal before using a scar cream like Mederma," Dr. Sobel says. "But they can help ensure you don't scar." If the sequins only cause a slight irritation, you're probably safe: Just apply soothing products with actives like aloe vera and cucumber to calm angry skin.
Mederma PM Intensive Overnight Scar Cream, $35.99, available at Walgreens.
Nylon
If you’re a consistent tights-wearer in winter — beware. “Tights are big-time eczema offenders, because there is constant friction between your skin and the nylon material,” Dr. Sobel says. “It also traps in heat and sweat, which triggers redness and the itchy condition.”
Photo by Jimmy Marble.
The key here is treating the flare-up right away, and in the same way you would eczema or any other inflamed patch of skin, “by keeping the area moisturized or using an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream,” Dr. Sobel says. This one offers 1% of the active — a higher proportion than some other OTC formulas out there.
Aveeno 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream, $4.99, available at Target.
Polyester
It’s one of the most common fabrics found in sweatshirts and workout wear. But it’s also known to trap sweat on the surface of the skin, which can lead to a whole lot of pore-clogging problems. “The moisture then mixes with the natural oils released by the body and creates a film over the dermis,” says Dr. Sobel. The most common consequence: whiteheads and blackheads.
Photo by Atisha Paulson.
If you just can’t quit your favorite polyester shirt, you do have options. “Baby powder will help alleviate the moisture that is stuck between the fabric and your skin,” he says. “But that can still lead to irritation.” Avoid that conundrum with a talc-free formula instead, like this organic, baby-safe one.
The Honest Company Organic Baby Powder, $11.95, available at Honest.
You can also create a barrier with the Glide balm. This one is sweat-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about trapping it on skin.
Body Glide For Her Anti-Chafing Moisturizing Balm, $7.99, available at Body Glide.
Look, we feel you — we get hot walking around under all those layers, too. Sometimes sweating it out — even during the coolest of nights — is inevitable. But the resulting breakouts don’t have to be: Just use a salicylic acid-spiked body cleanser to keep 'em at bay. This one smells like a crisp grapefruit spritzer on a warm summer day, so you can suds up and temporarily escape.
Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash Pink Grapefruit, $7.99, available at Neutrogena.
On days when you don’t have access to a shower immediately, you can mist on this spray that’s also infused with the acne-fighting stuff.
AcneFree Body Clearing Acne Spray, $10.99, available at AcneFree.
Fleece
Fleece scarves and jackets keep us nice and snug, but if yours is of the synthetic variety — as opposed to a more breathable cotton — it can turn into an itchy disaster, fast. Plus, constantly scratching at your neck “leads to a buildup of dry surface cells, which can make matters worse,” Dr. Sobel says.
Photo: Getty Images.
The skin on your neck is thinner than the skin on your face, but you should still exfoliate any cells that are just chillin’ there. Just make sure to use a gentler formula, like this salicylic-acid cleanser from CeraVe. Two times a week will do the trick, says Dr. Sobel.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser, $11.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
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Some of us have talked to our families about money since early childhood. How much allowance can I get? Will you buy me this toy? Why do you pack our lunches? Why do you have to go to work? Are you paying for my college? Then one day, when we've supposedly grown up and are on our own, we get out of practice. It becomes as taboo as our sex lives. We suddenly remember how family money conversations are the crux of every fictional family drama from Jane Austen to Gilmore Girls, and we'd like to avoid all that, thank you very much.
Then again, what's money for, if not to help your loved ones?
So, deep breaths, you might just have to step into this minefield. Whether you're the one in need of a little cash bailout, or you find yourself in a position to help others, broaching the subject with family won't be easy, but it can be done. The holiday season is as good a time as any to do it — especially if you're all feeling warm and fuzzy about each other (with or without some liquid courage). With the advice of Refinery29's financial expert and founding partner of StashWealth Priya Malani, we've got some guidance to make it all just a little less awkward.
Since so many of us start our adult lives already swimming in student-loan debt, let's start with this one. If it is, in fact, a student loan that has you gasping for air, Priya first recommends looking into refinancing before you go to your family for help, since interest rates are at an all-time low. During the refinancing process, you’ll have the option to pick a loan with a longer term (more time to pay it off), which usually means the payment will be smaller. She advises her StashWealth clients to dedicate up to 20% of their net paycheck toward paying down debts. Keep that in mind as a benchmark when determining your monthly payment for loans and credit cards.
This is where things get tricky: Credit-card debt is usually the result of spending more than you make. Expect your parents (or other familial lender) to question your lifestyle choices when you go to them for help. That said, if you’re turning over a new leaf and really determined to get yourself out of this situation for good, you can remain one step ahead of any potential criticism. Begin with a game plan, perhaps one that involves transferring your balance to a zero- or low-interest card and paying it back before the teaser rate ends. If your monthly budget won't cover that whole amount in the given time, you might ask if they’d be willing to make up the difference by providing a temporary loan (that you also have a plan for paying back).
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Once you've managed to dig yourself out of debt and land a job that actually pays all your bills, you could find that you're on the other side of this money-talk equation. Try not to let requests for help take you by surprise. Have a plan in place for how you'd handle such a situation, and talk it over with your significant other if you're in a serious relationship with shared finances.
Keep in mind that it takes a lot of guts for someone to come to you for money, so compassion is in order. That doesn't mean you need to waive the right to ask important questions about why the loan is needed and when you'll be paid back (politely). Also, remember that you can say no — even to your parents. Anyone who puts pressure on you after you've already refused doesn't show signs of being a reliable borrower.
One heads up: A loan can put a strain on the relationship. Though it may seem cold or formal, having a simple document (even an email) to point back to can save you from many disagreements about what the original terms, conditions, or promises were.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Even after you've been on your own for years, you sometimes come across these big items and find yourself in need all over again. Of course, you'd only ask for this kind of cash from someone you know has the financial means to do so. In which case, you can approach this the same way we've outlined for when someone might ask you for a loan: Set a proposed dollar amount, time frame, and payback schedule.
Then consider this ask a form of what Priya calls "good debt," as in, the kind that costs you money today but pays for itself in the long run. If you can position what you’re asking for as an investment, i.e. a house that will appreciate in value or school that may lead to a bigger salary down the road, your potential lender may feel better about saying yes. Avoid future awkwardness: Don't let the question of whether this is a loan or a gift remain vague.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Some of us have parents, siblings, and other loved ones who will never, ever ask for help, even when the situation is dire. We get it. A lot of adults tie their financial success to their intelligence or ability to make good decisions, so admitting failure is devastating. If you choose to reach out, be aware of how humiliated they might feel, and how condescending you might seem, no matter your good intentions.
Priya suggests coming up with a little script for yourself to begin the conversation, like, “Hey mom and dad, you did a lot for us growing up and now we’d like to help give back.” Then ask how you can help rather than determining that on your own. Allowing them to provide a specific area of assistance lets them retain control and dignity.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
This one can be super scary, because it's not just about your financial vulnerability but about the validity of your dreams and ideas as well. Before you ask, gain strength from the knowledge that "the friends and family round" is quite common among startup businesses.
The first rule of thumb is to have a formal business plan to present to them and to treat them as you would any other investor. Be able to articulate your idea, explain your strategy, the business model, and timeframe within which they can expect their investment back, along with a projected profit as well as potential risks. If possible, make sure they know you have your own skin in the game too. People are a lot more comfortable investing when they know you have as much, if not more, to lose.
If they agree to invest, make sure you have a formal contract. Warning: One thing contracts and business plans can't necessarily protect you from is unsolicited advice your family members might feel entitled to give you now that they've got a stake in your success. Think long and hard about whether that's a price you're willing to pay.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Whether you're worried about your parents, a sibling, or another family member, you need to come from a place of respect, not condescension, when expressing concern over their financial health. Ask questions before you spout advice, but do your homework first, so you can have concrete suggestions rather than vague judgment. Ask if your parents are taking advantage of catch-up contributions to their retirement accounts, for instance.
Also, be willing to help if you find out they need it, or don't open this can of worms at all. If they seem resistant to your guidance, you could bring in a neutral third party by helping them make an appointment with a financial advisor.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Your cousin is heavily pushing their skincare line/jewelry line/workout routine. Whatever it is, you're not interested. Instead of saying you have anything against the product or her method of doing business, just blame your budget.
If it's not entirely true, think of it as a white lie for the greater good: I’d love to but it’s not really in my budget right now. Thanks anyway!
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
It's hard to think about the fact that your parents are getting older, but their future can have a huge impact on your own. According to a study last year, 20% of millennials are already providing financial support to their parents.
Do your parents have enough saved? What happens if they become disabled? Knowing their plans is important for less concrete financial considerations too: You may be planning to rely on your parents to help with childcare down the road, but if they have plans to move to Florida for their golden years, it's time to think about nannies and daycare.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
This one's tricky: No one wants to think about death. But this question isn't inappropriate, and it can save a lot of extra heartache if the worst happens.
Priya encourages her clients to initiate these delicate conversations with their parents by explaining that they're in the middle of their own planning process. Say something like, "Our finance pro mentioned that most people create a will but never tell family where it's kept, which got me thinking I don’t know where yours is, or if you even have one." This isn't about being greedy for your inheritance, by the way. When someone dies without a will, even with little or no assets to pass down, they leave behind a painful bureaucratic headache for everyone else.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Your parents or siblings could be struggling to make ends meet, but you really want to spend some special time with them and you have the means. A good way of making this happen without letting anyone lose face is to frame it as a holiday gift. It's up to you to judge how much your family will resist such a generous gift and how much convincing they'll need to take you up on it.
You may want to downplay your spending by joking that this is their only gift for the next year, or by telling a white lie about a big bonus or a raffle prize. We don’t condone lying, but in an effort to make your recipients less uncomfortable, maybe a little white lie is okay.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
When you're trying to save money or get out of debt, it's frustrating to get an unneeded new wallet or scarf when you really could have used the cash your family spent on those things. The thing is, gift-giving is just as much for the giver as it is for the receiver, and a lot of people don’t find the sentiment behind giving money as satisfying as giving a present that requires thought.
But again, if you frame your request the right way, they could see things differently. Tell your folks that you’re working on building an emergency fund and that you'd really appreciate a monetary gift to go toward your financial security. Manage your expectations, though. Families with a strong culture of gift-giving won't move away from it overnight.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Guilt is nearly unavoidable during the holiday season, but honesty is a good way to ward it off. Even though your parents want you to visit them, they probably also want you to be financially stable. You might want to say something along the lines of, “While I can’t afford to visit you, I have a plan to save up so that I can visit in the next three months." They'll appreciate knowing that you’d really like to see them.
And then the ball is in their court. They may be able to swing the trip in lieu of another gift. Or together you can set up a Skype date to celebrate the holiday and make sure to prioritize saving for a visit for a few months down the road.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Don't want to talk shop? You don't have to. Some easy shut downs: Half of what I'm worth.Whatever it is, it's never enough. Enough to pay the bills, which is a good thing.
Or if you want to segue into what, exactly, you do, change the topic by saying, hopefully more soon, I'm up for a promotion, so fingers crossed. And then talk more about your day-to-day duties.
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
When you live in an expensive city, relatives who live in a more affordable place may be shocked by the amount of cash you splash out on your pad. And while you're fine commiserating on rent with your friends, you don't want a lecture from Uncle Charlie. So what do you say? A few bland comments are all you need to bore the asker into another topic of conversation, says Priya.
Her best suggestions: Say, “Too much,” “It’s not bad,” or “Ugh, you don’t even want to know."
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
Ugh. This is the worst. But before you retaliate and explain that, yes, of course you're spending money on your favorite boutique fitness class/designer brand/Seamless splurge, suss out where and who the advice is coming from, says Priya.
Instead of jumping into a defensive position, start by asking a question like “Why do you ask?” That way you can frame your response in context of why they are asking. Maybe the person asking has a suggestion, additional information that might help you, a personal example that you can learn from, or they may just cause you to rethink what you’re spending on — for example, perhaps they have a tip on an amazing sale site where you can get incredible designer purchases for a fraction of the price (we can dream, right?).
But if someone’s asking when it’s really none of their business to have an opinion about what you’re spending on — especially if it’s a want not a need), feel free to shut them down. One of the lines that we say a lot around the office is, "Yup! Everyone has their thing!"
No one has the right to tell you how to spend your money. However, if you’re not great with money, it's self-defeating to ignore smart advice, even if it’s delivered in a judge-y sort of way. Try to ignore the delivery and focus on the advice. If you can manage to do that, the only person that benefits is you! That’s a good thing!
Illustrated by Tristan Offitt.
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