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Dad Finds Ingenious Method To Do His Daughter's Hair

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You can thank dad Earl Hayes Raglin Jr. for making morning hair time a whole lot easier.

He uploaded a video to his Facebook page that now has over 22,000 views, showing off his unconventional, yet effective way to tackle the classic bun. He dubbed his method "Daddy's Version Of The Bun," which you can watch above.

If your kid would rather a ponytail, however, the hair-doing dads of the world have you covered. Last year, another a video of a dad making a ponytail with a vaccuum went viral.

Whatever gets the job done, right guys?

(hat tip: Buzzfeed)



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Here's Why You Really Shouldn't Wash Your Jeans

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In a recent public talk about Levi Strauss & Co.'s commitment to sustainability, I shocked the crowd by admitting that the Levi's jeans I was wearing that day "hadn't seen the inside of a washing machine" -- and the jeans were more than a year old. The headline became "Levi's CEO says 'Never Wash Your Jeans'" (which, for the record, is not exactly what I said... but it made a great headline). The news created a hot debate and immediately went viral, receiving media coverage from outlets around the world. Now, everywhere I go, the first thing people say to me is "Oh, you're the guy who never washes his jeans!"



How to take care of your very best denim has been a subject of debate for decades, particularly amongst denim aficionados. My point at the conference, which by the way was all about sustainability, was to challenge the mindset that we need to throw everything into the washing machine after one or two wearings. I made this provocative statement because I believe strongly in what our brands stand for: quality, durability and lasting products made sustainably. I also said it because I believe we don't need to wash jeans as often as most people think we do. (Now, to be fair, these were also my very best pair of Levi's, which I normally wear to the office -- not for playing soccer in the park with my daughter!)



One of the things that attracted me to the big job at LS&Co. was the company's longstanding commitment to doing the right thing and reputation for making clothing responsibly. I was struck from my first interview that this is a company that's always chosen the harder right over the easier wrong. And I'm inspired each day to be part of shaping its future.



We also try to be "fact-based" in everything we do. So, back in 2007, our global VP of Sustainability, Michael Kobori, and a team of internal and external experts, conducted an extensive "lifecycle assessment" of a pair of jeans to understand the carbon footprint of one pair of jeans and just how much water and energy a pair of jeans "consumes" in its lifetime, from "cradle" (growing the cotton) to "grave" (recycling, reuse, or worst case, to a landfill).



The results were compelling and highlighted big opportunities to make a difference in water consumption and on the planet. We learned that an average pair of jeans consumes roughly 3,500 liters of water -- and that is after only two years of use, washing the jeans once a week. Nearly half of the total water consumption, or 1,600 liters, is the consumer throwing the jeans in the washing machine. That's equivalent to 6,700 glasses of drinking water!



Nothing focuses the mind like data and a clear understanding of the facts. We first went after what was within our direct control: the water used in producing the jeans. Surprisingly, this is only about 4 percent of the total water consumed by a pair of jeans during its life. In 2011, we introduced a line of product called Levi's Water Less, which significantly reduces the amount of water used in making and finishing the product -– in some instances by up to 96 percent. Since Levi’s Water Less launched in 2011, we have saved the planet 770 million liters of water –- more than all of the drinking water the City of New York consumes in a month!



But still, Levi's Watergrowing process? The solution was the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Together with a range of other like-minded brands and organizations -- from IKEA and Marks & Spencer to the World Wildlife Fund -- BCI is working to promote sustainable cotton farming, which uses less water. And it is making a difference.



Finally, we knew that 46 percent of water consumed happens after the consumer gets the jeans home, and starts washing them. To address this, and give consumers guidance on what they could do to reduce their carbon footprint, we created the "Care Tag for the Planet." This encourages consumers to be mindful when caring for their Levi's jeans by washing them less often, using cold water and line drying them.



My challenge at the conference only reiterated what denim aficionados have been saying for years: don't wash your jeans, or significantly reduce your frequency of washing. Or, you can do what I do, and simply spot clean your jeans if they aren't a total mess. And, when my jeans really need a wash, I do it the old fashioned way: I hand-wash them and hang-dry them. Ask my wife -- I really do!



So, while most CEOs wouldn't show up to an interview in jeans -- let alone unwashed jeans -- now you know why I did: to provoke everyone to think hard about their laundry habits, especially with their jeans. Imagine the global impact we could make if everyone who wears jeans significantly reduced the number of times their jeans go in to the washing machine? Not only will the planet be better off, but so will your denim!



I'd love to hear a) what small steps you or your company are doing to encourage big leaps in sustainability or b) other areas where you think our company can make a difference. Let me know in the comments.



This piece first appeared on LinkedIn.

Dress Made Out Of 20,000 Loom Bands Sells For $291,000 On eBay

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A dress made of nothing but loom bands just sold for more than $200,000 on eBay.

loom band dress

The mastermind behind the dress, a single mom from Wales named Helen Wright, said the idea for the unlikely garment came to her while helping her 12-year-old daughter with a few loom band creations.

Wouldn't it be neat, she thought, to create a dress out of the colorful rubber bands? So Wright recruited the help of her friend Katherine Burnand, who despite having arthritis, was eager to work on the dress.

"My friend Katherine physically made it because she's out of work and gets bored," Wright told the North Wales Daily Post of the project. "I said why don't we make a dress from loom bands and Katherine said she'd be happy do do it because she's too ill to work. She did an hour here or there in between her house work to keep her busy."

More than 40 hours of work and 20,000 loom bands later, the fanciful dress was completed, and Wright put a listing for the item on eBay.

She listed the dress -- modeled by her daughter -- for about $85, which would've just barely covered their costs. If they made more than that, Wright reasoned, they "might have a day out."

But in the end, Wright and Burnand got way more than they bargained for.

Their dress sparked a heated bidding war, and on Tuesday, when the auction ended, the dress -- which was bid on a total of 137 times -- was sold for a staggering $291,000.

loom band dress ebay

"I'm still in shock and I can't believe it," Wright told the Daily Post Friday of the dress' wild success. "I still won't believe it until…the money is in the bank."

As the BBC pointed out this week, it's unclear whether or not the winning bidder will actually pay for the dress, but "the website's rules say they must."

"We're trying to be realistic," Wright told the Daily Post. "We both rely on benefits to live but we get by."

Loom bands were invented a few years ago by Cheong Choon Ng, a Michigan-based dad. The bands, which are most commonly used to create friendship bands, have since become one of the most popular toys for kids and teens.

The bands, sold under the brand name "Rainbow Loom," have become so ubiquitous, in fact, that even celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles and Kate Middleton have been seen rocking them, according to the Guardian.

This Is The Formula For Every Natural Hair Video You've Ever Seen

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If you've seen a fair share of natural hair video tutorials on YouTube, then you know many natural hair vloggers all seem to follow the same tired, awkward formula -- the hair product plug, the too-long pauses, the shout-out to someone offscreen.

Well, Akilah Hughes is here to poke some friendly fun at our favorite curly and kinky gurus with her very own natural hair video, in a way you wouldn't expect.

Enjoy!

What I Learned During My Day As a Model

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Sometimes strangers stop me on the street and ask if I'm a model.

Put the rotten fruit down while I try to win you back.

I'm tall. And being 5'10 at age 15 turns some heads. But as an adult, the frustrating thing about being asked this question many times over comes from my brief stint with a North Carolina modeling agency in high school. These agencies have a simple formula: Scoop up every junior Amazon possible and hope at least one blossoms into her... let's say "full potential," while under contract. You know, when she is finished growing... basically, when her tits come in.

Unfortunately for Backwoods Models Inc., I was not one of those girls and was summarily dropped from the agency after high school. My tits came in. They were just mediocre at best.

Yes, my 18-year-old heart broke, and my confidence took a hit. But in my mid-20s, I took up distance running and weight-lifting in an attempt to solidify what I saw as my bad-a** approach to life. The brow-furrowing determination that comes with competitive running shaved 10 minutes off my 10K time and 10 pounds from the scale's numbers. So at 29, I am in the best shape of my life.

I love my body. Despite constant messages piped into our brains telling us we're not supposed to, I f*cking love my body.

And then I returned to modeling.

My recent day as a model was fun, but it was a day as someone else. Promotional materials for a DC theater, the shoot was to be from the nose down, with leather pants and a jacket that showed the majority of what I was packing above the waist. My hair was teased to twice its normal volume and my lips looked like they belonged in a Maybelline ad -- disembodied from any semblance of personhood, pointed up at the viewer like an open invitation to stick something -- really anything -- in between them.

I looked hot.

That confidence lasted until I walked into the studio and met the photographers. Two hours of hair, makeup and smugness melted away as I, a solid six feet in heels, stared down at the 5'2, 96-pound Asian women directing the shoot as she knocked me down to size. Humorlessly, she tipped her head up, then down to my feet before closing her eyes and furiously shaking her head.

"No. No. Her boobs. I need them to be WAY bigger."

This again.

I wanted to tell her I knew that. I needed her to know that she was not the first person to tell me my breasts were insufficient for her specific needs. That honor belonged to C-cup-packing Casey Westhoff, my little sister who grew out of my bras in 6th grade.

She wasn't the first person who I wanted to impress, only to have them tell me my breasts were too small. That would be a male friend sophomore year who declared "All you need is a handful. And I have big hands."

She wasn't even the first grown woman to tell me my breasts were too small. Because women who fit you for your wedding dress can be f*cking b*tches.

"She needs to be stuffed."

Setting aside the obvious double entendre, at this point, I had a choice to make. I had worked so hard, for so many years, to get to a place where I loved all of my body, or at least affectionately tolerated the parts that pissed me off. Was I going to let one day undo that work? What would my breasts even look like with that much cleavage? Was it even possible?

I realized while pondering my options that I had the attention of the room. An exposed bra will do that, but it became clear they wanted a response. Would I throw the jacket across the room in disgust? Would I melt into a puddle of humiliation and self-loathing? Would I body slam the casting director?

Of course not. We had worked for hours to make me (almost) perfect. It was time for solutions. Garment clips, safety pins, plastic bags stuffed with toilet paper and a good amount of grabbing and pushing up still didn't do the trick, (neither did swearing) so we resorted to actually painting the breasts on.

Standing under studio lights without a shirt while 10 people carefully watch a man paint bronzer onto your cleavage is an experience I would wish on no woman -- and one I wouldn't trade for a second.

Because 15 minutes later, I had breasts. Breasts! The measuring cups by which society determines your worth as a woman, and mine had just gone from tablespoons to mixing bowls.

The casting director almost fainted in relief.

"OK. She's perfect."

But I wasn't perfect.

Because the sad truth about modeling is also its greatest comfort: No matter who you are, they will change you.

My hair was "perfect," but a fan was brought in to make it bigger.

My breasts were "perfect," but an assistant stood by, splashing bits of water on them to make them shine.

I was "perfect," but they will Photoshop the hell out of that image. My guess is the mole on my chin is first to go.

That it is physically impossible for us as women to replicate what we see in magazines, on billboards, on buses, is a fact I've always known... in theory. For me, seeing those soul-crushing reminders that women should look a certain way always hit me like a challenge, a gauntlet thrown down. If the world had wanted a fight, it was going to get one from me.

As I like to tell one friend in particular who was blessed with the sickest rack I've ever seen, I work my a** off for the a** I have. My sculpted calves and cut shoulders give me an endless sense of satisfaction and self-worth that, while I recognize as fleeting in the overall story of my life, push me through that sixth mile and 12th rep every time. For years, what I saw as a steadily narrowing gap between myself and perfection inspired me. As I closed in on "perfect," I ran faster, ate less and prioritized my body over everything else in life. I fought the notion that perfection was impossible.

But my day as a model showed me it's not a fair fight. No amount of mileage or painstaking calorie-counting will help us win a battle fought with professional lighting, editing software and the ability to turn an hour of shooting into one "perfect" image.

It taught me that the joke is on all of us -- on women and on the men who expect perfection from us. The carrot is on a string attached to our heads, and we run for hours on that treadmill to reach it.

I learned that no matter how "perfect" you are, no matter how young or tall or big-haired or supple-lipped, they will find your flaw, and they will fix it. They will always change you.

My best friend calls this notion depressing. Maybe she's right, but I don't see it that way. Because realizing that I can do nothing to reach that ideal frees me; When the game is rigged, there is no expectation to win it.

And though I don't stop trying, though I continue to run and lift and eat avocado instead of fried chicken, I do it now because it makes me a better me. I do it because every part of me is real, and I want the real me to be as strong and beautiful as possible, knowing full well what isn't possible.

Women don't really look like that.

We can't really look like that.

And we don't have to.

My day as a model is proof.

These Amazing Wedding Moments Are Better Told In GIF Form

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Wedding photos and videos are irreplaceable; we would never try to convince you otherwise. But they aren't the only ways to capture the essence and emotions of the big day.

Below are nine oh-so perfect wedding moments that have been perfectly immortalized in GIF form.

The look on Mom's face when she saw her little boy all dressed up.

Credit: The MINNERICKS photographers



The way the wedding dress moved and made the bride feel like a goddess.

Credit: elhammond/Reddit




A quiet moment of reflection amid all the chaos.

Credit: JLB Wedding




A very Diddy-esque entrance to the reception.

Credit: MattsRod/Reddit



The bride and groom's first dance when they felt like the only two people in the room.

Credit: Isaiah Takahashi




Guests having a good ol' time in the video booth.

Credit: Super Frog Saves Tokyo




And others who made the best of some less-than-ideal circumstances.

Credit: beckofargon/Reddit




Sparklers in all of their sparkly awesomeness

Credit: JLB Wedding




And the way the couple celebrated at the end of the night after everyone else went home.

via Giphy/The Time Traveler's Wife




Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Nicole Kidman Is Hardly Recognizable On 'The Family Fang' Set

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Who's that lady?

We're used to seeing the ever-glamorous Nicole Kidman all dolled up, so when she stepped on the set of her new movie, "The Family Fang," sporting a darker, low-maintenance hairdo, we barely recognized her. The 47-year-old looked casual in blue jeans and a white top in New York on Tuesday, July 15:

nicole kidman

Kidman stars alongside Jason Bateman and Christopher Walken in the comedy based on "The Family Fang," a 2011 novel by Kevin Wilson. Kidman and Bateman play siblings who grew up in a family of performance artists and must search for their famous parents when they inexplicably disappear. (Walken portrays their father, Caleb Fang.)

Kidman recently turned heads in a stunning gown at the Celebrate Life Ball in Melbourne, Australia, on June 13:
nicole kidman

Now that's the Kidman we know.

6 Makeup Bags To Get You Through Your Busy, Beauty-Filled Life

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We understand that storing and traveling with beauty products can be a messy job. Oh, the spillage! However, that's no excuse to tote around your favorite lipsticks, lotions and potions in a Ziploc bag. It's time for an upgrade!

Thankfully, there are plenty of functional and fashionable options out, ready to keep products organized, accessible and eyeshadow explosions at bay. In fact, we've rounded up a few picks that will take your toiletries everywhere from your purse to the beach.


Vanity Fair Is Accused Of Photoshopping Prince William

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Does Prince William look a little... different on the latest cover of Vanity Fair?

The magazine has been accused of Photoshopping him to look like he has more hair, though the magazine has maintained it did no such thing. Racked compared the cover to the original photo, taken at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney earlier this year, and said it was "undeniable" that Vanity Fair added hair to Prince William's head.

Here's the cover and the original photo:



The magazine told the New York Daily News that the allegations simply aren't true. "We did not Photoshop the cover to make Prince William appear to have more hair," a spokesperson said.

Vanity Fair did say that it altered the photograph's color, saying, "We gave the image a poster-like palette. We added some shadow to Prince William to make the white type more legible, and to place more emphasis on Prince George." It also looks like the magazine cropped most of Prince William's bald spot out of the cover image.

(h/t Romenesko)

Serious About SPF: Expert Tips and Busting Myths

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For TueNight.com by Susan Linney

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I love the beach but I don't love UV rays. So I'm always suncreened to the gills. (Photo: Andy Kropa)

By now we all should know that the days of tanning oils and silver sun reflectors are dunzo. As good as the warmth may feel on our face, as lovely as it may make our skin look (at first), the fact of the matter is that the sun emits ultraviolet rays that are incredibly harmful to our hides.

It wasn't that long ago that the majority of sun-lovers were blissfully unaware of this. But as science began delivering the unhealthy news, and as the sun-is-bad-for-you stats got worse and worse, so did the myths and misinformation. Which still continue today.

"No sunscreen is 100-percent effective in protecting the skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays," says Fayne Frey, a 20-year board certified dermatologist and founder of the resourceful skincare site FryFace.com. "Sunscreen use should be the third line of defense against the sun; the first two being seeking shade and wearing protective clothing when outdoors."

Now if your main intention is to hit the beach and bake, we know you're thinking, "Yeah right, like that's going to happen." But Frey's point is valid, and her advice can still be followed even if you're planning to spend the majority of your summer on the sand. Beach umbrellas are great for creating instant shade, and I'm obsessed with cute sunhats. There are so many beyond stylish -- and sun shielding -- options to choose from.

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Calvin Klein Straw Sun Hat, $21, Macys.com (Photo courtesy Macys.com)

Nevertheless, sunscreen is still a must, and if you want to prevent your face from premature aging, it should be worn daily, whether you're going to the beach or just spending time outdoors. Also -- you're not off the hook if it's cloudy: "Those wrinkle-producing rays can penetrate the clouds and affect your skin just as they would on a sunny day," says Frey.

The good news is that many of today's facial moisturizers, BB creams and foundations contain SPF, so you may be able to get the protection you need for your face from your everyday makeup.

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(Photo courtesy Neutrogena.com)

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(Photo courtesy Drugstore.com)

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(Photo courtesy Neutrogena.com)

For example, I use the following three products daily: Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture With Sunscreen (SPF 15), $10, Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream/Sunscreen (SPF 15), $13 and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup Broad Spectrum (SPF 20), $13.

Between those three products, my face is all set and shielded, whether I'm spending the afternoon in the park or just running out for a sandwich.

But back to SPF basics for the beach. The purpose of sunscreen is to protect face and body from ultraviolet sun rays, which penetrate deep into the skin's surface and are a major cause of skin aging and of course, skin cancer.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, which indicates how long it would take for UVB rays to cause someone's skin to redden when using a sunscreen versus how long it would the take same someone's skin to turn red without sunscreen.

The first myth that I was thrilled to bust (since I've seen so many sunscreens start to boast SPFs of 100 and up, and then raise their price as a result) is that of SPF numbers -- an SPF of 30 is pretty much all you need. "SPF 30 protects against 97% of the sun's UVB ultraviolet rays," Frey says, "so the added protection afforded by sunscreens above SPF 30 is not statistically significant." Which means that you (and your wallet) shouldn't be fooled by higher SPF numbers being boldly touted on sunscreen bottles.

Of course, in order to get that protection you have to not only wear your sunscreen but also apply it properly, and there are many false basic beliefs about that. My husband, for example, says that it makes no sense to apply sunblock until after he's taken a swim. "I'm fine when I'm swimming and it will just wash off and I'll have to put it on all over again," he whines (er, I mean maintains).

Not so. Those UV rays penetrate right through the water, so you are still getting hit even if you're in the ocean and feeling cool. In fact, you're more likely to get a burn since you won't feel like the sun is affecting you. But it is and if you're unprotected, you're getting fried by the minute. Yes, you'll need to reapply when you get out of the water, but really, is that such a big deal? (Hint, hint dear husband.)

And just how much sunscreen does one need to wear? According to Frey, the average adult should smooth on about 1 oz (an amount equal to a shot glass) to cover exposed areas when in a bathing suit. "Most individuals only use a quarter of that amount and therefore, are not getting the full SPF protection listed on the label," says Frey.

That's why I use sunscreen sprays for my body, which I apply liberally, so I know I'm getting plenty of protection. (My favorite is Coppertone Kids Sunscreen Continuous Spray, $10, which works just as well for adults.) Sprays also go on much more seamlessly, so you'll avoid getting those awful missed-spot red splotches. Plus, they provide you with a delicious cooling feeling as you spritz it on.

2014-07-13-TN000406_sunscreen5.jpg
(Photo courtesy Drugstore.com)

There's much more information and misinformation on sun protection -- the difference between sunblock and sunscreen, for instance, or what ingredients you should stay away from and which ones are safe. Please chime in in the comments if there's more info you'd like to know, and we'll get you the answers. You should also check out FryFace.com, which has a wealth of information on the subject.

So go forth, shield yourself every which way you can, and enjoy the summer sun!

------

This article is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatment. Always check with your doctor or dermatologist if you have sun-related or other medical issues.

Read more of Susan Linney's posts on TueNight. You can find her on Twitter @Susan_Linney.

About TueNight:
TueNight is a weekly online publication for women to share where they've been and explore where they want to go next. We are you, part two. www.tuenight.com

How I Used Instragram to Buy a New Outfit

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You all know how absolutely obsessed I am with social media. In this week's episode of Hardwired 2.0 I show off a few of my favorite apps I use every day that allow me to communicate and stay connected with the world.

Coffee is essential to my daily routine and I use the Starbucks' app to guide me to their nearest store wherever I am. I use my phone to pay for coffee and it keeps my favorite drink on file!

Having a social following is great and I often look to you guys to help me make decisions. I had trouble deciding which Guess outfit to buy so I let my fans decide on Instagram! Great choice, guys!

Taking selfies to document your adventures is always fun but you always put what you're looking at behind you. Frontback fixes this by using both cameras on your phone to composite both pictures together!

What social tech are you using? Join the conversation by tweeting @aoloriginals, @ijustine, #AolHardwired #gethardwired!

The 'New' Briefcase Is Back And Better Than Ever

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Briefcases used to be associated with ill-fitting pantsuits and words like "outdated" and "bulky." But times, they are a changin'. Just like the pantsuit has had a serious makeover, so too have briefcases. Now they are even -- dare we say it -- cool.

Not only are these bags practical but they also come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, so no matter what you're looking for, chances are you'll find it.

We've rounded up 16 options that are sure to please every style and price point.

Denise Richards Hits The Beach In A Neon Pink Bikini

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Denise Richards is celebrating the summer by relaxing oceanside in a fierce bikini.

The 43-year-old donned a hot pink number while spending the day at a Los Angeles beach with her 9-year-old-daughter, Lola.

denise richards

The actress is no stranger to this particular type of swimwear: she posed for Playboy in 2004, just five months after giving birth to her now 10-year-old daughter Sam, with ex-husband Charlie Sheen, to prove that "mothers can still be sexy." Since then, Richards has welcomed two other daughters: Lola, mentioned above (also with Sheen) and Eloise, 3, whom she adopted on her own in 2011.

"I can't worry about being a single parent," Richards told People back in 2005, soon after filing for divorce from Sheen. "I just want to be a good one."

How to Get Rid of Black Women With Kinky Hair

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The trend of integration in the natural hair movement may contribute to the erasure of kinky hair textures in the media.

Cross-racial friendships, relationships and alliances are wonderful! For example, naturallycurly.com, which supports non-straight haired women of all races through product tips, testimonials and other articles, was one of the few hair blogs that interviewed me during my kickstarter campaign for my children's book that honors afro-textured hair, Sunne's Gift. Dozens of individual African-American natural hair bloggers (including Curly Nikki) either missed or ignored my repeated requests. Naturallycurly.com's diverse readership truly supported Sunne's Gift and its message of self-love and hair-acceptance. Suffice it to say that I am a grateful and avid naturallycurly.com fan.

On a personal level, I'm pleased that my curly-haired Eastern European friend, Tanya, and I can read naturallycurly.com together and chat about the featured hair products. Again, cross-racial friendships are beautiful!

But don't get it twisted! Although Tanya and I both have hair that is not straight, our hair is different. To my knowledge, no white woman with Tanya's curly hair texture has been fired in the past year for wearing an afro to work. To my knowledge, no white little girls with Tanya's hair texture have been expelled from school for having locks or puffy hair. White girls with Tanya's hair texture are not systematically put in chairs at the tender ages of five, four or sometimes two or three so that toxic chemicals found in Drano and Nair can be placed on their hair. (That process is also called a relaxer.)

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Additionally, the U.S. Army did not effectively ban Tanya's hair by banning afros above two inches, dreadlocks, twists and multiple braids of a certain width.

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Nope, those things did not happen to white women with Tanya's curly hair, but they sure did happen to black women and girls with my kinky hair. I love Tanya dearly and I respect her hair story. But our hair stories diverge.

For these reasons, I agree with Ebony editor Jamilah Lemieux's assertion that black women with kinky hair need safe spaces which exclusively tell our stories. In these safe spaces we can vigorously promote our own beauty, share our deepest fears big chopping, discuss the lures of weaves and creamy crack, express our disappointment if the men in our lives tell us that they preferred us with Brazilian hair weaves, and mobilize ourselves to make sure that kinky haired women and girls' rights are respected.

Curly Nikki's stated mission is hair therapy -- not hair therapy for only black women. I completely agree with Nikki Walton that she has every right to create a diverse and inclusive platform. But black women also have every right to create and support exclusive ones.

When there are only cross-cultural hair coalitions, there is a tendency to seek a middle ground. Therefore, middle of the road curly textures may be celebrated and kinkier textures may be marginalized. When I chopped off my sisterlocks at the beginning of the year, I had a warped expectation of what my loose hair would look like. The pervasive celebration of curliness on natural hair blogs made me think that my hair could go back and forth from kinky to curly by simply applying pomades. Six months and six curl custards later, my hair has never known a curl. I saw my cousin with curly hair and thought that a seventh curl cream would do the trick. Later I learned that she had used a chemical texturizer. The curl hegemony has black women being oppressed by the natural hair movement that aimed to liberate them.

Moreover, while the talk of new custards, conditioners and twist-out techniques continued unabated, the natural hair movement was unable to garner the 100,000 signatures needed to challenge the U.S. army's effective ban of black hair a few months ago. In the words of Niyya Tenee, the founder of Locs Revolution, "What good is a movement if we can't move people to protect their own interest?"

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Courtesy of Niyya Tenee of Locs Revolution


The apolitical curl hegemony makes me fear that one day the natural hair movement will be synonymous with curly hair and kinky hair textures will be completely eliminated. It would not be the first time that black women of darker skin tones and kinkier hair textures have slowly witnessed their erasure in media by people who claimed to be champions of diversity.

Oil of Olay's 2012 Olympics commercial discussed the fact that "our nations and our skin" make us different, but the ad does not have any brown or deep-hued women. Despite the many dark-skinned women Olympic athletes from the United States, South Asia, Africa and Caribbean, Saatchi and Saatchi thought that they had done a phenomenal job representing skin diversity by presenting skin that ranged from pale white to light yellow.

Similarly, Pharrell said that his album, Girl, was about challenging the notion that women have to be white and waif thin to be beautiful. But instead of challenging it by placing women who look like singer Ledisi, Lupita Nyongo, Nina Davuluri and Liris Crosse on his cover, he came up with this album cover with thin to slim women ranging from pale white to light tan.

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In this climate of faux diversity, it's not shocking that dark-hued women such as Nina Simone, Harriet Tubman and the non-mixed Igbo protagonist of Half of a Yellow Sun are being represented by light-skinned and mixed race actresses Zoe Saldana, Jacqueline Flemming and Thandie Newton, respectively. Controversial novelist Kola Boof has warned of this trend of replacing darker-hued women with lighter-hued women in Hollywood for years. This erasure seems almost inevitable in an era in which "one-drop" is made synonymous with blackness, curly is conflated with kinky, substitution is masked as support, and colonization parades as cooperation.

The media erasure of darker hues and kinky textures has real life consequences. A study in the book Click: The Magic of Instant Connections, revealed that just casually seeing a person, without even consciously knowing that you have seen that person, makes that person more attractive and more likable. Darker skinned and kinky-haired women may risk being perceived as less attractive and less likable in real-life as result of their lack of "being seen" in the media.

Do not misinterpret me. I love and fully support fair-skinned and or mixed race black women, curly-haired women, straight-haired women and all people. My children's book that honors afro-textured hair, Sunne's Gift, is not just about hair. It is about loving and celebrating one another because of our differences, not in spite of them. That said, we need media that represents everyone. There is no shortage of diverse stories to be told. The question should not be whether cross-racial hair blogs like curlynikki.com and Naturallycurly.com should exist. They should exist and they deserve our support. But beware. If black women fail to ALSO support more black-orientated blogs that cater to kinky hair while promoting the true meaning of the natural hair movement by defending black women's right to avoid chemical hair processes, such as afrostateofmind.com and blacknaps.org, among others, kinky-haired black women may wind up supporting our own erasure.

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Cover of Sunne's Gift, Courtesy of Milestales

Bethenny Frankel Wears Baggy Men's Clothes, Dares Internet Not To Approve After Instagram Controversy

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This past weekend, Bethenny Frankel shared a photo of herself wearing her 4-year-old daughter's Hello Kitty pajamas, and the Internet didn't like it very much.

The 43-year-old was met with all sorts of criticism from commenters claiming she was promoting an unhealthy body image, and even accusing her of "competing" with her daughter.

The former "Real Housewives of New York" cast member already defended herself on Twitter, but then she went a step further and posted a photo of herself wearing oversized men's workout clothes that overwhelm her tiny frame.

Though she didn't caption the photo, the look on her face speaks volumes, as though she's double daring the Internet not to approve.


Individuality and Attitude at New York University (PHOTOS)

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By Meghan Roberts

Coming up with a word or phrase to describe the fashion scene at New York University, let alone the college experience that students have here, is next to impossible. It's experimental, fashion-forward and constantly evolving, but words aren't enough to truly convey what it's like for an NYU student to pick out what to wear on any given day. In such a fast-paced city environment, we evolve quickly, and our sense of style keeps up with our pace.

Going to college in one of the largest cities in the world can make you forget that you're a real college student. For example, high-school graduates don't come to NYU for a typical college experience; they come here to start their lives and live independently in the city of their dreams, where anything and everything is at their fingertips.

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At NYU we don't have a campus per se, so when we go to class, we dress to fit in as New Yorkers on the streets of New York City. Students walking to class are thrown in with everyone else who resides in Manhattan, which allows for an excitingly chaotic conglomeration of styles. Students, businesspeople, construction workers, entertainers, artists, the homeless and everyone else under the sun are all in one pool, and all feeding off each other's energies and influences, so our style inspiration comes from everywhere. So while en route from my apartment to my school, I'm not walking amongst students; I'm walking alongside fellow New Yorkers.

What makes being a 20-year-old in Manhattan so special is that there is no judgment when it comes to fashion. Everything has already been seen and done, which allows for unlimited freedom of expression. College is a time to experiment, and this more than applies to the NYU student's fearless sense of style.

Keeping all this in mind, it is difficult to really pinpoint the epitome of New York fashion, but this fashionista's sleek, dark and innovative ensemble is as close to the perfect representation of New York City street style as it gets. Everyone knows that New York is a city of "all-black everything," and students are no exception to this rule. In fact, many of us thrive in our monochromatic, black wardrobes. This NYU student dons a chic, black, leather, T-shaped dress that is the perfect blend of class and edge. She accentuates the simplicity of this piece with more black and bold gold accessories. We get a taste of urban flair with her baseball cap and winged eyeliner, but the most important accessory of all is her confident attitude, which helps the ensemble kill and makes her a true New Yorker. All these stylistic elements work together to create a style that is unique to the fashionista yet understood and visibly influenced by the environment around her.

Outfits like these show how NYU students can combine classic pieces with personal touches to express themselves in a way that represents both the culture of the city and their individuality. While it's hard to come up with a single answer to what the typical NYU student would wear, mainly because there is no "typical" NYU student, it can be understood that there is no fear when it comes to fashion in the city that never sleeps.

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Meghan Roberts is a junior at New York University in Manhattan, where she is majoring in film and television production at the Tisch School of the Arts and minoring in psychology. She has been working with CollegeFashionista for a year and counting. When she's not behind the camera, writing screenplays and articles or taking photographs, she is in front of the lens as an actor and model. She is currently based in New York City and doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon.

When You're A Flower Girl On A Mission, All You Need Is A Bride And Groom

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Annabelle Earl might just be the most romantic 4-year-old in Brooklyn -- or anywhere, for that matter. Here's why:




[h/t NBC News]

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Catey Shaw's 'Brooklyn Girls' Is Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' Gone Gritty

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Move over, "California Gurls": Catey Shaw's "Brooklyn Girls" are here to take over.

Shaw's video, like Katy Perry's clip for her 2010 single, is a perfectly crafted pop confection. But the similarities stop there. Foregoing "daisy dukes" and "bikinis on top," Shaw opts instead to celebrate the strong, stylish women in her borough, highlighting their diversity and grit.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Shaw described the beginning of her love affair with Brooklyn.

"I landed in Brooklyn a little over year ago and immediately noticed a difference in the residents, as well as a difference in myself," she said. "It's undoubtedly part of the New York City from the movies -- but has more of a neighborhood feel. If the city is four-on-the-floor, then Brooklyn is a syncopated kick drum. There's really just nothing like it."

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After she moved, the inspiration for the song came naturally.

"Jay Levine and I wrote this soon after I arrived," she said. "Everything in my life was sort of coming together: my mental state, my personal life, and my sound as an artist. We really wanted to pinpoint what it was that made me -- and the world -- love Brooklyn. As soon as we finished this song, everything we had been working on for the prior year made sense."

But the million dollar question for Shaw is this: What makes a Brooklyn Girl?

"There is no concrete definition of the Brooklyn Girl, although there's a concrete jungle full of them," she said. "I'm a Brooklyn Girl because I am self-made, confident and individual. Any girl that lives in Brooklyn -- whether born and raised or from halfway across the world -- can't make it without that signature Brooklyn attitude. [Brooklyn Girls] are a force to be reckoned with -- and they dress to kill. They pave their own paths."

The song has special meaning for Shaw, too.

"'Brooklyn Girls' allows me to be my own role model -- my own #wcw," she said (with a nod to Woman Crush Wednesday). "I hope other women can take that same attitude from it."

If you love Catey's sound, her upcoming record, "The Brooklyn EP," will be out on Sept. 9. You can preorder the EP on iTunes, and get "Brooklyn Girls" and "Revolution" instantly.

Selena Gomez Has A New Tattoo That Reminds Her To Love Herself

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In between telling off Instagram bullies, posting cryptic messages and taking "brave" bikini selfies, Selena Gomez found time to get a new tattoo.

New York tattoo artist Bang Bang McCurdy tells E! News he tattooed the 21-year-old singer/actress about a month ago with an Arabic phrase that translates to "Love Yourself First," on the right side of her back.



The new ink seems to be perfectly in line with Gomez's post-rehab attitude. Ever since leaving a six-week program after just 14 days of treatment at The Meadows recovery center in Wickenburg, Arizona, the former Disney star's Instagram account has been dominated with cryptic messages about self-improvement.

This is believed to be the fourth tattoo for Gomez, who also has the biblical verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," on her right hip, a music note on her wrist and the Roman numerals for 76 on the back of her neck (a tribute to the year her mother was born).

11 Confessions From Couples Who Eloped (Or Wished They Did)

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Planning a wedding is a ton of work -- anyone who tries to tell you otherwise probably isn't telling the truth.

That's one reason many couples opt for a low-key elopement rather than the headache of planning a big wedding. Below are 11 confessions from brides and grooms on Whisper -- a free app where people share their secrets anonymously -- who decided to elope, or at least wish they had.






Check out Whisper for more wedding secrets.

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