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Is This Bad Habit Keeping You Single?

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Do you feel like you've tried it all to find love?

Are you frustrated because the people you're attracted to never want a relationship, and the ones who do want a relationship you're not attracted to?

If you feel like no matter how much you want it, your efforts to make a lasting connection are in vain, keep reading! The problem might not be what you think it is -- it's not that there's no one out there for you.

The problem might be one bad habit -- specifically, your habit of judging chemistry in an instant.


Let me go on record as saying I am a romantic. I believe in destiny. I believe that sometimes, a spark of instant attraction can lead to a beautiful, lasting relationship.

However, I am also a dating coach, not to mention a realistic adult human who has experienced such a spark myself on more than one occasion. More often than not, that initial spark didn't lead to the place I was hoping it would -- at least not in the long-term!

Almost every day I hear a client or other single person tell me "There was just no chemistry!" as a justification to pass on a first or second date. Or to even communicate with someone online they've never laid eyes on in real life!

Instant physical chemistry is a highly unreliable indicator of long-term relationship compatibility. And yet, many smart and relationship-seeking adults - maybe even you - rely on that instant spark as a prerequisite to even consider "maybe this person is a good potential partner."

This is despite the fact that this spark has failed you, time and time again.

It goes without saying how important chemistry, or physical attraction, is in a romantic relationship. There would be no point in entering into a relationship without being attracted to the other person!

But if you're saying no to simply giving someone a chance due to a lack of chemistry, you're doing chemistry all wrong.

If you are letting chemistry be the sole determining factor in your choice to date someone, you're doing chemistry all wrong.

Chemistry doesn't just "happen" - you help create it. (Or not.)


Of course not everyone is a good potential match for you, and you can't create chemistry -- nor would you want to -- with every single person you meet. I am talking about the people who seemingly share your values and your relationship goals. Isn't it worth giving it a good effort with those people?

Imagine going on a date with someone who takes one look at you and decides "nope, not going to happen." That person politely sits with closed off body language and makes shallow small talk with you over a quick drink, careful to convey they're definitely not that into you.

Chances are, by the end of the date the feeling will be mutual. (Unless you're a person who is only attracted to those who don't want you -- which is a whole other discussion!)

Now imagine that same person takes one look at you and decides "let's see if I can spark something here." They give you their full attention, asking you sincere questions about what interests you, what your passions are. And you can see them actually listening to your answers, leaning in towards you. In addition to learning something new about you, they also share something of themselves.

After a short date, you realize this person is actually making an attempt to see you for who you are, and cares about the person they see. This is what a charisma looks like, and why charismatic people are so intoxicating to be around.

Where is chemistry more likely to spark? With the closed-off person or the charismatic person?

You've been lied to about chemistry. It is not this mysterious force outside of yourself that you have no control over. You can decide to be more charismatic. It can be an intentional, deliberate effort.

You have experienced chemistry that grows over time. You have had some friend, classmate or co-worker who you came to be fully attracted to after a period of getting to know them when you didn't initially feel chemistry. Over time, you became more interested in who they were as a person, they became more interested in you, and then one day - chemistry!

You've also had the experience of meeting someone new, not thinking much of them, but soon noticing they're giving you their full attention. Their charisma causes your entire feeling toward them to shift as soon as you realize that they find you so magnetic. Their attention towards you causes you to give them more attention, which causes them to give you more attention, and on and on...

Pick up artists might be shady, but they know the power of attention and creating that shift in another person.

I'm not encouraging you to use this power to manipulate or mislead anyone - the world does not need any more pick up artists! I'm encouraging you to use it for mutual benefit - to give yourself the permission to connect with good people who might share your values and your relationship goals.

Chemistry that grows over time is just as powerful as that instant, mysterious spark. And it has a lot more staying power.

Francesca is a love and lifestyle coach for singles. You can catch her as a regular expert guest on NBC's The Today Show, and on The Hoda Show on SiriusXM's Today Show Radio channel. Get more dating advice, and even book a free session at www.francescahogi.com!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


Fashion Brand Debuts Ramadan Collection Tailored To Muslim Women

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Ramadan -- the Muslim holy month, which begins this year on June 6 -- is a time of fasting, prayer and community. For some, it has also become a time to shop, when some wealthy families as much as triple their spending at department stores -- a trend many clothing brands have picked up on in recent years.


For the tenth year in a row, Spanish fashion company MANGO released a Ramadan-inspired collection on May 30 tailored to Muslim women. The collection features long dresses, loose-fitting wraps and calf-length skirts intended, as the brand said in a press release, to meet "the everyday work and leisure needs of women during major festivities such as Ramadan."



Although the majority of the world's Muslims live in South and Southeast Asia, MANGO'S collection specifically targets Muslim women in the Middle East and other Arab countries, said the brand's public relations representative Idoya Noain Ruiz. 


"The collections are designed having in mind the particularities and preferences of the Middle Eastern market, that match women’s demand on quality and detail, as well as richer fabrics and embroidery," Noain Ruiz told The Huffington Post.


Arab countries represent roughly 5% of MANGO's total turnover, she said. 


The styles included in the collection are elegant and relatively modest, but to some Muslim women the designs might seem like a strange representative of Ramadan fashion. None of the models depicted in the company's press photos are wearing a hijab or any other kind of headscarf, which many -- though not all -- Muslim women wear. 



"I'm MANGO's biggest fan, but I have to say, I was underwhelmed with their Ramadan collection," Muslim fashion blogger Hassanah El-Yacoubi told HuffPost.


Most of the pieces would need to be altered to be suitable for a woman who wears hijab, she said, "which kind of defeats the purpose of a Ramadan line, doesn't it?"


El-Yacoubi also bemoaned what she saw as excessive "sleeve cleavage" in the designs.


“Hijabi women struggle the most when it comes to long sleeve maxi dresses so why not take this opportunity to offer multiple covered dresses and tops for that matter?" she said. "MANGO if you're listening, more sleeves please!"


Check out more of MANGO's Ramadan collection below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below:


-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Perfectly Accurate Video Details Exactly 'How To Dress A Toddler'

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Toddlers are notorious for refusing to cooperate when it comes to basic tasks ... like putting on clothes. 


Following up on her hilarious kid breakfast tutorial, mom and HuffPost blogger Bunmi Laditan is back with "How To Dress A Toddler." The spot-on video tutorial includes steps like "Check your heart rate -- break for electrolytes if needed" and "Toddler will deny having seen or worn clothes before. This is a lie."


As Laditan notes in the video caption, "I consider getting my toddler dressed a form of cardio."


Too real.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The Embarrassing Skin Problem Nobody Talks About

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When it comes to our faces, we don't rely on just anyone to tell us what our skin needs to get that ever-elusive glow. Instead, we turn to skin-care veteran (and celebrity fave!) Renée Rouleau, who knows it takes more than the right products to get radiant. Each week, she'll be serving up her expert tips to keep your complexion in tip-top shape.

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Illustrated by Anna Sudit.

UPDATE: This post was originally published on May 3, 2015.

The flowers are blooming and the sun is shining, and though it may be hard to believe, the time has finally come to show some skin. While most people are diligent in caring for their face, many don't think twice about paying special attention to their chest and back.

Read on for my top tips on giving your back and chest some TLC and how to keep your décolletage looking young.

Chest

Exfoliate Often
The skin on the chest tends to be less sensitive than that on the neck or face, so you can exfoliate more often than you would be able to on those other areas. Choose an at-home peel with acids that dissolve and encourage the removal of sun-damaged cells. I suggest only using it two to three times a month for the face, but you can definitely use it weekly on the chest to enhance the results. Twice a week, use a facial scrub on the chest in circular motions to intensify the results of an acid or chemical peel. For ease, use the exfoliating scrub in the shower.

Get A Professional Treatment
In addition to facial treatments, most skin care professionals (such as estheticians and cosmetic doctors) provide procedures for the skin on the chest (such as lasers and chemical peels). These procedures, when performed in a series of treatments, can help remove redness and brown spots and encourage a more even-toned skin with smoother texture. As always, consult with your skin care professional before moving forward with any treatments.


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Cover Up With SPF
Sunscreen must be worn daily. Most people know the importance of wearing sunscreen 365 days a year, so they will apply it to their face, using whatever is left on their fingertips on the neck and maybe extending a little onto the chest. However, for most people, that is not adequate protection. The effectiveness of sunscreen is dependent on how generously it is applied on the face, neck, and chest. This is especially important in the warmer months when we wear less clothing. Also, for extra protection and easy SPF reapplication throughout the day, slightly tinted mineral powder containing SPF is extremely beneficial and can make the skin appear more even-toned.


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Hydrate With Anti-Aging Ingredients
Much like the face, the skin on the chest suffers from a lot of wear and tear, so this delicate area also needs skin-plumping, antioxidant-boosting ingredients. Be sure to extend your nighttime moisturizer to the chest area, and for extra anti-aging benefits, use a firming serum underneath your moisturizer.

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Back

Use An Antibacterial Cleanser
Some people are prone to back breakouts, which can be exacerbated by working out or sweating more in the summer. Every time you shower, I suggest using a powerful antibacterial cleanser to deep clean the skin, remove oils, and reduce acne-causing bacteria. It is hard to find a body cleanser on the market that will do the trick, so I always recommend using a face cleanser for acne-prone skin. Look for a cleanser that is sulfate-free and uses acne-fighting salicylic acid.


Exfoliate Twice A Week
Just like the face, the body needs exfoliation, too. I love using an exfoliating body cloth with a gentle shower gel to gently remove surface dried skin cells and discourage clogged pores and breakouts, as well as keep the skin smooth. I don't suggest using body scrubs on the back, as they may contain oils that could contribute to breakouts, especially if you're already acne-prone.


Avoid Hair Conditioner Containing Panthenol
Panthenol is a common ingredient in hair conditioner and for many of my clients (including me!) it may increase the likelihood of breakouts and acne along the hairline and back. If you do get back breakouts, after rinsing out your hair conditioner in the shower, try putting your hair up in a clip (if it's long) and then use your shower gel to wash your back. This will help remove any conditioner left on your back and will also reduce oil residue left behind, and will ensure that hair conditioners won't cause any irritation.


Apply An Acne Spot Treatment When Necessary
When you have larger and inflamed blemishes such as cysts (blemishes that are sore, painful, under the skin), which rarely come to the surface, using an anti-cyst treatment can work to penetrate deep within the skin to dissolve and digest the infection. Both women and men can get cystic acne on their backs and applying this treatment as needed after showering can yield excellent results.

For regular blemishes where the infection does come to the surface in the form of a whitehead, applying a drying spot treatment that contains camphor and sulfur and can help heal those quickly. A lot of acne spot treatments on the market contain benzoyl peroxide. While this can be beneficial, you run the risk of bleaching clothing that comes in contact with it.

Paying extra attention to your chest and back, especially with warmer weather headed our way, will not only make you feel more confident to bare your skin this season, but it will also promote healthier and more radiant-looking skin!

By: Renée Rouleau

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

7 Beauty-Product Hacks You'll Actually Use

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There are two types of beauty products: the ones you actually bust open to be sure you've harvested every last, precious drop, and the ones that end up in the back of your medicine cabinet, drawer, or makeup bag collecting grime. Anyone who's taken a pair of scissors to their favorite conditioner or face cream knows exactly what I'm talking about. [Ed. note: I'm raising my hand, emoji-style, and I bet you are, too.] We're declaring it time to break the cycle.

Whether Memorial Day weekend made you realize it's time to Marie Kondo your cluttered bathroom, you're on the quest for that perfect shelfie, or you're just sick and tired of throwing away perfectly good products, there's an easy solution.

As beauty editors, we hear about all the odd, unique, and ingenious ways people use their old or unwanted products. Now's your chance to put these hacks to the test. Sure, having an emergency shampoo under the sink is clutch, but there are plenty of other ways to put common products to Rihanna levels of work.


Ahead, non-traditional uses for seven cast-off beauty products.

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Product: Mineral eyeshadow
Alternative Use: Root cover-up

Before root-touch-up sprays were a thing, hairstylists kept a few pans of basic eyeshadow in their kits to mask pesky grays and grow-ins. Believe it or not, basic mineral eyeshadow isn't that different from the modern touch-up formulas around today.

This means you can subtly cover gray, dark, or light roots with a small, stiff brush and a shadow that matches your hair color. Opt for one that you didn't like on your face -- whether because of the texture, the color, or the lack of longevity -- and simply brush it on post-styling. It's also a great way to mellow out stripe-y roots after your colorist doesn't heed your "I want subtle highlights" instruction -- at least until they grow out a touch.

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Product: Deodorant
Alternative Use: Sweat-proof your makeup

Okay, this one is a tad controversial, but it is something that professional makeup artists do on sweltering photo shoots and before summer weddings. That is, when a model (or bride) has a long day in the hot sun ahead and sweating off her makeup isn't an option, a little deodorant can be applied to the hairline. It's also a great use for deodorant that didn't keep you dry enough.

Here's how it works: Using a sponge, Beautyblender, or just your fingertips, warm a little product on the back of your hand, then lightly pat the formula under or over makeup along your hairline. Just be sure to pay close attention when you're washing your face later; leftover deodorant on your forehead is not the look.

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Product: Foundation
Alternative Use: Body makeup

It happens to the best of us: Your new foundation color is just a little bit off. (Thanks, bad store lighting or inaccurate packaging colors!) If you're dealing with a hue that's within one shade of your skin tone, save it for shading and contouring your face. If it's more than that -- or if you hate the finish or texture -- you may feel out of luck.

Instead of chucking that bottle, use it for body makeup. If said foundation is darker than your natural tone, swirl a few pumps into a quarter-sized dollop of body lotion, then smooth along your legs or chest. (It's a DIY version of the new BB body creams you'll see at the drugstore this summer.) Do allow the mixture to fully dry before getting dressed.

If said foundation is too light, try it as a body highlighter. Mix a few drops with a pump or two of lotion and run it down the front of your legs for an elongating effect sans shimmer -- just make sure you blend well! (This guide will help.)

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Product: Clear nail polish
Alternative Use: An on-trend tint


You've heard of no-makeup makeup; allow us to take that one step further with no-polish polish, inspired by a bevy of rad new nail tints hitting stores that give your tips a subdued wash of color. Jin Soon's are by far our favorite, but you can create one yourself, too.

Celeb manicurist Whitney Gibson gave us the breakdown recently: All you need is a clear nail polish and a few drops of a vibrant shade. Translation: Grab that clear polish you didn't love -- and maybe a hue that was a little much -- and give it a go.

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Product: Anti-aging products
Alternative Use: Chest, neck, and hand treatments

This is perhaps the most common cast-off product on our list: You shelled out big bucks for an anti-aging treatment (oil, serum, mask, exfoliating pad -- whatever!) only to find it didn't play well with your skin. Boo.

Whether it irritated your face, felt too heavy, or dried out your skin, you likely have reservations about using it again. But before you curse the beauty gods, go ahead and try it elsewhere. Stay with us here.

Products that were too rich (eye cream, face cream) will absorb readily along your neck or the backs of your hands before bed. Those that irritated the delicate skin on your face might be just right on your feet (tootsies need love, too!). For products that just plain didn't do shit (too lightweight or imperceptible results), the thin skin on your chest or décolletage is likely to be more receptive.

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Product: Shampoo
Alternative Use: Brush cleaner

You know in a single wash whether a shampoo will be your new fave or it's fated to live out its pre-expiration days under your sink. If a shampoo didn't wow you, let it be your new hair-brush cleanser. Just like your makeup brushes, hair brushes should be cleaned on the regular. (Buildup on your brushes means dulling buildup in your strands.)

Clarifying formulas and clear, silicone-free versions (nothing smoothing or frizz-fighting) work best. And the same general makeup-brush-cleansing routine works, too: tepid water, light lather, thorough rinse, and a full dry on a clean towel.

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Product: Too-rich face cream
Alternative Use: Makeup remover

Long before the double cleanse took hold and makeup-removing wipes were de rigueur, cold cream was the standard for makeup removal. That same basic concept -- creams emulsify makeup on dry skin and wipe away easily -- can be applied to rich face butters deemed too heavy-duty for your complexion.

It's easy: Massage the formula into dry skin, then wipe it away with a warm washcloth or cotton pads. This will leave your skin lightly moisturized, so unless you're afraid of breaking out, you could skip your face wash until you get ready to turn in for the night.


By: Lexy Lebsack

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

How To Keep Your Ripped Jeans From Ripping MORE

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Ripped jeans are sort of like bedhead: There's only one minute of the day in which it looks good -- and as soon as you step away from the mirror and your hair encounters a whisper of wind or a drop of humidity, it can quickly go from artfully disheveled to a straight-up mess. Same with denim: One day, your jeans' tears and rips can make you look like you're on the Vogue Paris masthead, but, inevitably, you accidentally stick a foot in a hole when you're putting them on, and it doubles in size. Or you throw your favorite distressed jeans into the wash, and you discover they now look like they had an accident with a weed whacker.

So, how do you prevent your jeans' holes from growing? We've got a sneaky little trick that will preserve the size and shape of your rips, without requiring a needle, thread, or a gunky seam-freeze solvent.

Click here to watch the full video.

Now that you never have to worry about having gaping holes on your kneecaps again, it's time to shop for your perfect pair of distressed denim. Whether you style yours with a graphic tee for brunch or dress them up for nighttime, this trick should make ripped jeans your new go-to. The best part is you'll never have to worry about any undesired ripping. We've handpicked a few pairs we love. Check them out, below.

H&M Girlfriend Jeans, $39.99, available at H&M.
Levi's Utility 501 CT Jeans, $98, available at Levi's.
Topshop Petite Striped Mom Jeans, $75, available at Topshop.


By: Connie Wang

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

This Facebook Post Points Out Retailers' Inconsistent Sizing (& Why It's A Problem)

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Vanity and inconsistent sizing is, unfortunately, not a unique issue: You'd be hard-pressed to find a universal size 4, 6, or 8 across various retailers found on your average mall floor plan. (Amy Schumer even spoofed that frustrating reality in a recent Inside Amy Schumer sketch.) It's not as common to encounter this issue with threads from the same retailer. But that's what one shopper says she experienced at American Eagle Outfitters, and her story has been getting a lot of attention on social media, Today reports.

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Missy Rogers posted an image on Facebook of two pairs of shorts she says were purchased from American Eagle, two years apart. Despite seemingly having the same waistline and width, she writes that the black style (bought back in 2014) is labeled as a size 4, while the maroon pair, spotted on the selling floor recently, is tagged as a size 10. "How is it that what was considered at size 4 is now the same dimensions of a size 10?" she asked in her post. "How small has a size 4 become?"

Rogers shared an anecdote about going to an American Eagle store and trying on the maroon shorts in a size 4, as she normally has in the past. However, during this visit, she was disheartened when she couldn't fit into them and had to go up three sizes -- only to come home and compare the waist bands and realize they were essentially the same. "Once I brought the shorts home and compared, I realized that size is literally just a number," she wrote.

Rogers' fitting-room revelation (or ire) will, she hopes, bring attention to the subtle messaging -- not just at American Eagle, but in the retail industry at large -- that sizing can have on younger shoppers. "I think it's important to show that clothing size should not define your beauty. If a size 10 is what a size 4 used to be, what message are you implying to younger girls?" She concludes that size "is literally just a number printed on a tag" and that it's more important to feel confident than to obsess over a seemingly arbitrary designation. The message seems to have resonated: The post has been shared over 72,500 times in less than a week.

"Although it may just be a number, we grow up under the perspective that anyone who fits in the smaller sizes is more beautiful and closer to being 'perfect' than those in the larger sizes," Rogers told Today. She poses the question: "Isn't it more important to look after the physical and mental health of the population rather than printing a random number on a tag?" This isn't the first time popular retailer is questioned for its sizing practices: J.Crew, Gap, and Banana Republic were called out by FitBay last year for this very reason, StyleCaster reported.


Chad Kessler, American Eagle's global brand president, echoed Rogers' concern in a statement obtained by Refinery29. "We agree fully with Missy that women are so much more than numbers, which is why we are so strongly committed to body positivity," he wrote. "Like every retailer, we strive for consistency and clarity to help our customers make decisions. We've reached out to Missy to get her feedback on her shopping experience and look forward to engaging in a discussion around this important issue."


Sizing aside, the brand has put a lot of focus on body positivity and it's not going unnoticed. Its Photoshop-free #AerieReal lingerie campaigns have been widely praised and have proven to be quite profitable for the company. (Its most recent quarterly report was strong, which is notable, considering other fashion retail companies appear to be struggling.) The retailer hit a snag in its inclusive messaging with its criticized April Fool's hoax, but has since reiterated its commitment to zero retouching. American Eagle has been at the forefront of size inclusivity as far as mass market retailers go, and inconsistent sizing remains an issue that a number of retailers deal with (and perhaps, should focus on a bit more).

By: Ana Colon

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Fish Freaking LOVE To Eat Plastic, And That's A Problem

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We’ve known for years that microplastics -- tiny particles that include the microbeads sometimes present in products like face wash and toothpaste -- wind up in the stomachs of fish.


What we didn’t know was how much the fish liked it.


“They all had access to zooplankton and yet they decided to just eat plastic,” Dr. Oona Lonnstedt, who led a recently published study on how microplastics affect young fish, told the BBC this week.



Lonnstedt, of Sweden’s Uppsala University, led a team that studied the freshwater fish known as perch. They found that when the fish were born into environments with a high concentration of polystyrene particles (a type of synthetic polymer), they actively chose to eat the particles instead of real food.


This, obviously, is a problem, because plastic is not exactly a nutritional powerhouse.


"They are basically fooled into thinking it's a high-energy resource that they need to eat a lot of,” Lonnstedt told the BBC. “I think of it as unhealthy fast food for teenagers, and they are just stuffing themselves.”


When compared with perch born into clean water, the perch that consumed a ton of plastic were developmentally stunted and were eaten by predators four times as quickly as their clean-water-born brethren.


The plastic-eating perch appeared to ignore the smell of predators, which is what usually triggers perch to engage in “anti predator behaviors,” Lonnstedt said in a news release.


Researchers fear that if consuming too much plastic leads to higher predator vulnerability in young fish, that could mean too many fish will end up dying before they get old enough to reproduce. And when populations at the bottom of the food chain get depleted, it can throw off an entire ecosystem.


Of course, that’s not the only reason microplastics are a disaster for aquatic life. The tiny particles are like sponges for pollutants in the water, becoming more and more poisonous as they work their way up the food chain, sometimes eventually to humans. And they could also be causing coral to starve to death by clogging up the digestive systems of coral polyps.


President Barack Obama has signed a bill aimed at banning the much-maligned microbeads from rinse-off cosmetics by 2017, but we still have a huge micro-plastic problem on our hands -- literally, in some cases. For one thing, the legislation does nothing to ban microbeads in products like detergents and cosmetics that are left on the skin.


On top of that, a lot of the microplastic in our water has nothing to do with microbeads.


The majority of microplastics in the environment come from larger pieces of plastic -- like plastic bags -- breaking down in the environment, microplastic researcher Sherri Mason told TakePart in February.


“I think the big movement is in finding plastics that can come from renewable resources,” Mason said, explaining that we need to work toward materials that are “truly biodegradable.”

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


The Bioethics of Developing Cosmetic Treatments

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A report on recent pilot studies describes the development of a "second skin" composed of commonly used chemicals that can be "worn" over a person's existing skin. While this innovative product has the potential to treat (but not cure) a variety of problematic skin conditions, the headline on the New York Times article on the subject reveals the hopes of the manufacturers:  "'Second Skin' May Reduce Wrinkles, Eyebags, Scientists Say." In the first paragraph the Times piece describes "an invisible film that can be painted on your skin and give it the elasticity of youth. Bags under the eyes vanish in seconds. Wrinkles disappear."

Far from being a product whose application is geared primarily to treat pathological skin conditions, the "second skin" promises new cosmetic uses that enhance the appearance of aging skin.

Cosmetics Use Controversy
An ongoing controversy in bioethics addresses the difference between medical interventions designed to cure or ameliorate diseases or conditions resulting from injuries or accidents, on the one hand, and interventions intended to "enhance" physical or mental functions and personal appearance on the other.

Perhaps the best-known example of this is the distinction between reconstructive facial surgery to restore a "normal" facial appearance following a disfiguring accident and cosmetic surgery such as a nose job or a face lift. However, the debate in the bioethics literature focuses on efforts to develop genetic enhancements that can make people smarter or give them superior physical abilities.

The widespread use (or abuse) of "performance enhancers" in competitive sports is a well-known example of a practice banned because of the unfair advantage it offers users. It is argued that cognitive enhancements are similarly unfair because they give students who would use them an advantage over their academic competitors.

But what about cosmetic enhancements for individuals in a noncompetitive setting: those of us with wrinkled skin due to aging? Is there anything ethically wrong with scientists and industry developing physical enhancements that disguise some of the inevitable signs of aging?

Important Cover-Ups
To be fair, the "second skin" does have important medical applications. As the article notes, it can be used "to treat eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions by covering dry itchy patches with a film that moistens and soothes." The abstract of an article published in Nature Materials by the scientists who conducted the pilot studies mentions that the product "may offer advanced solutions to compromised skin barrier function, pharmaceutical delivery and wound dressings." These uses certainly provide medical benefits to patients. However, the abstract actually begins with a sentence that describes this polymer layer as something "that mimics the properties of normal, youthful skin." Clearly, the authors had in mind cosmetic as well as therapeutic uses. A Harvard dermatology professor and member of the research team said that one of the first applications was on undereye bags. The Times article describes this affliction as "a condition that plagues so many middle-aged and older people." Few things better illustrate the obsession with youth in our culture. "Plagues," indeed.


The Priorities Question
Let me hasten to say that I see nothing ethically problematic with people choosing to use cosmetic enhancements, be they surgical or chemical. Furthermore, a product such as the "second skin" does have medical applications that can provide relief for people who suffer from painful, disfiguring or uncomfortable skin conditions. However, it is the cosmetic applications that are most likely to make money for the privately owned biotechnology company that funded the research and the privately owned company that holds the patents. The Times article notes that all of the authors of the paper published in Nature Materials have equity interests in both of these commercial companies.


If there is an ethical problem with developments such as this and other enhancements, it lies primarily with setting priorities in biomedical research. It is true that private companies can conduct research on whatever they wish as long as they do not violate laws or regulations. And, as long as taxpayers' money is not used, say, for National Institutes of Health research on such pursuits, private money devoted to reducing wrinkles is simply business as usual.

But, in a world where emerging infectious diseases are causing global concerns and where chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer are increasingly prevalent in resource-poor countries, devoting resources to eliminate bags under the eyes of middle-aged and elderly residents of resource-rich countries raises profound questions of justice.

The newspaper article quoted a Harvard faculty member who tried the product under his eyes: "It does work... But it was a little depressing... I didn't realize I had those bags." After reading the article I looked in the mirror. What I discovered was age-appropriate bags under my eyes. Since I'm not planning to enter a geriatric beauty contest, I'll save my own limited resources for other pursuits.

This post was originally featured on The Doctor's Tablet, the blog of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

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6 Myths About Varicose Veins

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SPECIAL FROM 2013-02-21-grandparentslogo.jpg


Varicose veins, a vascular disease that causes swollen, twisted veins, affect up to 35 percent of the American population. They are usually found in the legs, but can appear elsewhere on the body. Also known as venous insufficiency, varicose veins occur when damaged veins have trouble sending blood from the legs to the heart.


There are a lot of myths out there about this condition. We talked to Kathleen Gibson, MD, vascular surgeon and vein specialist of Lake Washington Vascular, Bellevue, WA, to get the real deal:


Myth #1: Varicose veins are harmless.


Dr. Gibson: Varicose veins can be just a cosmetic issue in some circumstances. However, they can also cause throbbing, aching, and itching. Advanced cases cause swelling (particularly with prolonged standing and sitting), dermatitis, and thickened skin. End stages can cause open sores but most patients do not get to that stage. Only 10 percent of patients go on to have advanced complications from varicose veins.


Myth #2: Varicose veins are caused by crossing your legs while sitting.


Dr. Gibson: Not true. It would be impossible to prove. What do cause varicose veins are heredity, and pregnancy, especially repeated pregnancies. In patients that already have varicose veins, obesity or weight gain can make them worse. Although they are more prevalent in people who are older and female, they can also occur in males and younger people.


Myth #3: Varicose veins are always visible.


Dr. Gibson: You can have varicose veins without them being bulging, visible ropes on your legs. Sometimes they may be too deep to see but can still cause symptoms: swelling, tired and achy legs, leg cramps, itchy rashes, and darkening.


Myth #4: Spider veins are varicose veins.


Dr. Gibson: Spider veins are just dilated veins in the surface of the skin that are generally just a cosmetic issue. Varicose veins are in the fat between muscle and skin. However, the pressure from varicose veins may cause spider veins to occur, especially in the ankle area.


Myth #5: Exercise will make varicose veins worse.


Dr. Gibson: I tell my patients that exercise is so good for so many aspects of health, and there is no proof that they shouldn’t continue to exercise. Some people have problems with deep veins in muscles, called deep venous insufficiency. This may by asymptomatic in some people, but in others may cause swelling, or skin changes or sores. People with deep venous insufficiency find that walking or activities that use calf muscles really help because contractions force blood up to the center of the body. If you have problems with leg swelling, do ankle exercises to maintain flexibility.


Myth #6: The only treatment option is surgery, and it’s not very effective.


Dr. Gibson: That may have been true once but it isn’t any longer. First of all, simply wearing compression stockings are a perfectly reasonable option if the varicose veins are not affecting quality of life. They lessen symptoms of pain and swelling but do not provide a cure. When a patient takes them off, the symptoms will come back fairly quickly. Surgically, we used to treat varicose veins by removing affected veins under general anesthetic (vein stripping). Fifteen years ago, doctors started using endothermal ablation, in which we thread a catheter within the vein that then burns it closed. This is very effective but because of the heat used, requires multiple injections of local anesthetic, and may cause sensory damage in the skin nerves afterwards. We have different options now that do not use heat or surgical incisions. And while seniors are 50 percent more likely to develop varicose veins, they have the same success rates as younger adults with treatment.


Treatment Options:


VenaSeal applies glue within the vein to close it. There is no anesthetic needed, and you don’t have to wear compression stockings afterwards. You can go back to normal activities, including exercise, the same day. (Full disclosure, I was part of the FDA approval studies for this treatment.)


Varithena is an injectable foam medication that damages the inner lining of the vein and closes the vein. Treatment usually takes less than one hour. Patients may resume light activities as quickly as the same day of treatment. Compression stocking must be worn for two weeks following treatment.


Clarivein is a system by which a catheter is inserted that releases medication in a 360 degrees circumference inside the affected vein while a small metal tool rotates and damages the vein. For two weeks after the procedure, patients wear graduated compression stockings.



How to decide which treatment to choose?


It depends on how you define success. In terms of patient satisfaction, they all are very effective; we measure that with what we call quality of life instruments. Venaseal and Clarivein have similar results at two years compared to endovenous radiofreqency or laser ablation in terms of the treated vein remaining closed on ultrasound examination. However this does not always correlate with patient quality of life measurements. Varithena is a bit lower in terms of "closure" but is the only technique of those mentioned that is good for veins that are very tortuous. Patients and physicians need to look at many factors when deciding which technique to use including potential risks, anatomy, desired recovery experience, insurance coverage and cost.


Read more from Grandparents.com:


How to Communicate With Teens About Tough Issues


9 Things You Shouldn't Say to Grandkids


9 Things You Can Learn About Grandparenting from CSI: Miami


 


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Ashley Tisdale Gives Us A Reason To Shop At H&M On Our Cheap Celeb Finds List

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There is nothing better than coming across an amazing find at a fast fashion store. And this week, Ashley Tisdale did all the heavy lifting for us. 


The blonde beauty stepped out in an adorable white blouse from H&M that's on sale for $24. Other stars, like Kate Bosworth and Olivia Palermo, also tracked down cute items that won't break the bank. 


Check out the best cheap celeb finds of the week and let us know which items you're coveting. 


Ashley Tisdale's blouse




H&M Lace Blouse, $24


 


Olivia Palermo's sunglasses





Le Specs Half Moon Magic Sunglasses, $59


Kate Bosworth's tank top




Aritzia Wilfred Caumont Knit Top, $75


 


Hailey Baldwin's bikini





Solid & Striped "Morgan" Triangle Bikini Top, $88Solid & Striped "Morgan" Bikini Bottoms


Iggy Azalea's top




KTZ Sign Print T-shirt, $85

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Serena Williams Slays On The July 2016 Cover Of Glamour

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Serena Williams is the epitome of strength, style and self-love. So it's no surprise she's the cover star of Glamour's "Women Are Strong As Hell" July 2016 issue.


Clad in a white Wolford one-piece and an Off White c/o Virgil Abloh jacket, the tennis star looks as fierce as ever:



Williams, who has starred in her fair share of magazine spreads, looks absolutely stunning in the issue, wearing a Burberry dress...



... and our personal favorite, a Fleur du Mal bodysuit and the Azzedine Alaia belt to end all belts:



The 34-year-old has said in the past she was "born to do tennis." But as she explains inside the magazine, there are a few other things she was born to do, too: Creating a clothing line (she attended fashion school in 1999 and told the mag her line is "definitely not something I just slap my name on"), and having children, for example.


She told the glossy that having a child is "something I've always wanted since as long as I could remember," but she has, up until now, felt "too young." "Hopefully I'll be able to mature one of these days, get serious, and at least have them pretty fast," she said. 


No pressure, Serena, but our imaginations can't help but run wild with all the epic mommy-and-me tennis outfit possibilities.  


Head to Glamour to see the entire interview (including her powerful statement about the gender wage gap), and pick up your copy, on newsstands June 14. 

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Teenager Lotte Lutjes Recreates Iconic Taylor Swift Looks With Astounding Accuracy

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Lotte Lutjes isn't your average 18-year-old. 


The Taylor Swift superfan from the Netherlands spends her spare time recreating the singer's most iconic looks and -- confession -- we never ever ever thought they would be this accurate. 



I finally finished the Grammys outfit! Ngl, I feel fabulous in this

A photo posted by Lotte (@teatimetay13) on




In an email correspondence with The Huffington Post, Lutjes explained that she's always loved Swift and her personal style. The teenager said she took up sewing when she and her friends were trying to recreate memorable Swift looks during the European leg of the singer's Red tour, but were unable to find certain styles for sale. The 18-year-old enlisted the help of her grandmother, started sewing classes and voilà! A style star was born. 


"I loved making and wearing the outfits so much that I just kept going, also because of the positive comments I received from lots of other fans!" Lutjes told HuffPost.



Style outfit progress! The front is all done, just gotta do the back now

A photo posted by Lotte (@teatimetay13) on






Lutjes, who first spoke with Seventeen about her incredible TSwift looks, told the magazine that she also has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurological disorder that makes it difficult to walk or stand for extended periods. Creating costumes has not only given her confidence, it's also changed her whole outlook on life. 


"I've felt really left out and useless at times, but this honestly felt like a whole new world!" she said. "The costumes definitely make me feel more confident. Not because I look like Taylor in them -- that's not my main goal! I just love making them and they make me feel fierce."




While we agree she looks super fierce, it's hard not to notice the resemblance (red lip, winged eyeliner and all!) that she shares with the "Style" singer.


Lutjes could double as Swift's doppelgänger any day -- a fact the entertainer herself has noticed! TSwift once reblogged one of the teenager's posts on Tumblr, commenting, "Lol I thought that was me." 


"Honestly, that was one of the craziest nights ever," Lutjes told HuffPost. "I posted the picture just for fun and checked my phone two minutes later - 824 new notes on Tumblr! I screamed (as quietly as possible, considering it was like midnight) and I pretty much got no sleep that night. Worth it though!" 



It's been one year since this happened. A life changing moment.

A photo posted by Lotte (@teatimetay13) on




They're twins! 



Another picture from the Red tour themed shoot I did a while ago! (picture credit- Rob Jacquet)

A photo posted by Lotte (@teatimetay13) on





I just realized I made today's entire outfit myself, cool cool cool

A photo posted by Lotte (@teatimetay13) on





my tests are finally over so I spent my afternoon sleeping and doing makeup

A photo posted by Lotte (@teatimetay13) on





so the Grammys are today, right?

A photo posted by Lotte (@teatimetay13) on




Lutjes, who recently graduated from the Dutch equivalent of high school, told HuffPost that she's going to take a gap year to continue working on her skills.


"After that I'll hopefully be able to get into college for fashion design," the teenager said. "It would be an absolute dream! We'll see where it goes."


Maybe one day, she'll get to design a look for Swift herself. 




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Kylie Jenner Tones Down Her Usual Look In No-Makeup Selfie

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Kylie Jenner showed that less is sometimes more in a no-makeup selfie on Monday. 


The King of Kylie Cosmetics and Calabasas, California, revealed a fresh face in her photo, captioned with a simple "hello." Wearing a tight black outfit and that one Cartier bracelet she hasn't been able to take off for four years and some change, the reality star easily garnered 1.3 million likes. 



Hello

A photo posted by King Kylie (@kyliejenner) on




Kylie's look comes only a month after her big sister Kim Kardashian wore a similarly toned-down look for the cover of Australia Vogue. 



@VogueAustralia June Cover wearing Yeezy

A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on




Though there's no doubt Kylie occasionally takes her cues from Kim, we think the 18-year-old reality star's simple style might've been the result of an exhausting weekend. 


On Sunday, Jenner's Twitter account was hacked, prompting her to deny that she might ever leak a sex tape made with her former boyfriend, the rapper Tyga.


"Everyone’s like, 'Leak the sex tape,'" the beauty maven said. "Guys, you’re never going to see a sex tape from me. It’s not gonna happen."




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Christina Aguilera Has Red Hair Now, And It Looks Phenomenal

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"What a Girl Wants" is to swoon over Christina Aguilera's latest hairstyle.


The singer and "The Voice" judge debuted a red, flowy 'do Monday night, looking nearly unrecognizable and absolutely gorgeous. 



A photo posted by Christina Aguilera (@xtina) on




The look, complete with a bold red lip and sultry eye makeup to go with it, totally channeled Jessica Rabbit: 







But we have to admit we're getting some serious "The Little Mermaid" vibes, too: 


 







 


Aguilera has made a habit of ditching her signature blonde hair over the years. There was a dark brown look, pink braids, and who can forget the red she had in those fateful "Come on Over" days?







Still, this new look -- with its old Hollywood glamour and vibrant, bold color -- might just be our favorite yet. 


Get it, X-Tina! 






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Lena Dunham Posts Topless Selfie To Show Her Jewels 'In Their Natural Habitat'

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In what seems like an award show tradition, Lena Dunham bared all for a topless selfie after attending the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards on Monday. 


The "Girls" creator revealed her "girls" in a photo meant to show off her gorgeous, one-of-a-kind Irene Neuwirth necklace. As Instagram isn't pro #FreeTheNipple, Dunham had to enlist the help of a four-leaf clover. 


"The necklace in its natural habitat," Dunham captioned the photo. "Good evening!" 



the necklace in its natural habitat. good evening!

A photo posted by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on




Dunham is no stranger to going topless on social media, magazine covers or her show. She's often spoken about about how comfortable she is with her own body. 



#FREETHENIPPLE cover. @lenadunham

A photo posted by @jennikonner on







"My parents both have really healthy attitudes about their own bodies but also about the range of things that can be beautiful," Dunham told Marie Claire UK in 2013.


The entertainer added, "But they also just always made me feel pretty and cool and smart, even in the moments when I have known  -- and still know  -- that my body wasn’t fitting into a traditional Hollywood idea of the female body." 

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Someone Tried To Burn Down The Kardashians' Dash Store Because Nothing Is Sacred

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For those among us lucky enough to have set foot in a Dash store, the image of untouched piles of Kendall and Kylie's sci-fi novel and the totally not Photoshopped portraits of Kim, Kourtney and Khloe going up in flames will surely be de  vas   ta   ting. 


On Monday night, an unidentified man reportedly attempted to burn down the West Hollywood location of the Kardashians' Dash store. Apparently, the culprit, who we can assume is NOT enjoying the new Kimoji upgrade, threw "a weighted, burning rag" through the boutique's window, according to TMZ


Luckily, nothing inside the store caught on fire as the object in question was found "smoldering" on the floor, the Los Angeles Times reports


“We got a phone call that there was a male who threw an object through the window,” West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station's Lt. Edward Ramirez told the Daily News.


"We are treating this as an attempted arson," Ramirez added.


According to TMZ, authorities discovered a bottle of lighter fluid outside the establishment. At this time, there is no one in custody as the suspect has yet to be apprehended. 


The investigation is still ongoing and deputies continue to survey the crime scene, in hopes that the incident was captured by cameras in the area. 


And below is Kim's fake real-time reaction to the devastating news. 




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The Complicated Feminist Ethics Of Corsets And Waist Trainers

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As a writer, I'm no stranger to the daily onslaught of press releases that find their way into an inbox, and honestly, I probably delete about 90% of them based on subject line alone. The rare few that pique my interest enough to open are ones that relate directly to my areas of interest: maternal health, reproductive health, mental health (sensing a theme?), and the new season of UnReal. I usually bypass all emails related to products of any kind.

But I recently received an email about a trendy piece of fashion that was simultaneously outside my comfort zone and inexplicably intriguing enough that I had to click -- Hourglass Angel was peddling a free waist trainer, essentially a modern spin on the corset, the controversial undergarment that's been used for body modification of both an illusionary and physical sense for centuries.

I was intrigued not only because I've never tried such an item on (the closest body modification product I've tried are Spanx, which remain balled up in my underwear drawer), but because of how increasingly popular they've become. The ubiquitous Kardashian clan's paid endorsement of waist training has helped launch not only a new-age-corset craze, but an inevitable backlash, with outlets and celebs calling the trend dangerous, ineffective, and straight-up bullshit.

Fervor over the waist-training trend was further amplified when a lawsuit was recently filed against The Waist Gang Society, a corset company that promises a sleeker shape, more fat burned, and weight loss. Customers are upset that they weren't getting the results they were promised and have sued the company -- which just so happens to be the one that the Kardashian clan heavily promote via social media.

In the wake of all this, I wanted to see how I -- and my body -- would react to wearing a corset, while exploring the question: What role, if any, is fitting for corsets and waist trainers in our modern world?

***


The first time I tried to hook into my waist trainer, which looked like a metallic corset, I realized I couldn't put it on by myself--my husband had to help, and together it took us around five minutes to make sure each eye hook was in place and secure. Honestly, I don't know that I'll be able to ever get it on myself.

Once on, the waist trainer surprised me in ways that further complicated my already fraught feelings about it. Though I was anxious about how the waist trainer would feel, I actually found it to be more comfortable than I'd anticipated. Nothing really felt squished or too tight, and I was still able to breathe without much effort. It caused me to stand up straighter, immediately making my back feel much better, and--dare I say it--infusing me with a little bit more confidence, as promised.

2016-06-03-1464977205-8590600-avitalwaisttrainer473x630.jpg

I wore the waist trainer for around 10 minutes that first time, and though I found it hard to do things like bend over, I managed. In the name of full disclosure, though, I also had the worst gas pains I have ever experienced later that night. Sure, it could have been from the half block of queso de freir I consumed earlier in the day, but we'll never really know for sure. All I know for certain is that I spent 20 minutes of my life in some of the worst pain of my life, and that includes childbirth.

Since my husband works long hours and even I -- a very laissez-faire parent -- didn't think it was cool to ask my 9-year-old son to hook his mama into a corset, I wasn't able to test it out as often as I would have hoped. But, during the times I wore it, I found myself ogling my own silhouette in the mirror. I liked the actual hourglass shape my body was sporting (I should note, though, that it never continued to hold that shape once the corset was off, possibly because I didn't wear it as often as recommended).

I found myself questioning if I could really commit to wearing one often enough to achieve the look I was being promised. More importantly, I wondered--why the hell did I want that promised look?

***


There is clearly something visually alluring about a corset, especially a bespoke, intricately designed one. It's obvious that hours of work are poured into creating something that is -- depending on who you talk to -- the epitome of a fashionable aesthetic or the satin embodiment of the physical pain caused by misogynist notions of "ideal" beauty.

The corset has a long history, with the earliest image of one coming from 2,000 BC, when Cretan women wore their own version of the restricting garment. The corset we're more familiar with became extremely popular in the 16th and 17th century among white, European women of a certain class who wanted to accentuate the female form to an almost exaggerated degree.

Corsets do a number of things by design. They uplift the breasts to allow them to look perky and full, overflowing with abundant cleavage. They also flatten the stomach area with the combination of pulling the entire bodice together tightly, along with various boning techniques that give the corset its structured and slimming look. And finally, they also set off the hips, depending on the shape of the corset, creating a true hourglass figure that not only perpetuates a supposed ideal of beauty, but evokes notions of fertility as well (because if women are good for one thing, it's baby making . . . ).

For a long time, when I thought of corsets, my mind was stuck on these historical aspects; corsets were only for the wealthy, and they were a way to control women. After all, an intricate corset would take a while to properly put on, and the wearer would need the help of servants to get it on and tied up properly.

I was also, like many, troubled by the physically dangerous aspects. Corsets and their modern-day waist-training brethren can restrict breathing, cause light-headedness, break ribs, and harm internal organs--all at the cost of appearing a certain, coveted way. When corsets were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, some medical professionals explicitly expressed that they could be damaging, especially if worn during pregnancy, which -- sadly -- was a progressive way of thinking at the time. And, as time went on, the corset itself changed shape and function, eventually turning into the bras we all know and love/hate.

Before trying my own waist trainer, I consulted with a medical expert so I knew what I was getting myself into. I spoke with Dr. Kevin Small, an assistant professor of plastic surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, who told me that he has some reservations about waist training. According to Dr. Small, corsets only provide a "temporary contouring to a woman's torso, especially if hidden under clothing. Waist training does not replace the importance of a well-balanced diet and routine exercise."

In addition to the effects possibly being minimal (or non-existent), there can be harmful physical outcomes as well. If the corset is too tight, there can be a number of painful results, according to Dr. Small, like rashes caused by the compressing of the skin. There can be more dire consequences, too. "[Corsets] can also compress the blood flow to the skin with potential open wounds and discolorations. Most worrisome, the corsets can compress vital intra-abdominal structures and cause intestinal obstruction or ischemia," warns Dr. Small.

And yet, despite all this, the corset remains an alluring undergarment, worn by a variety of people for a plethora of reasons, from pure aesthetic pleasure to desires for body modification. This could be pegged to the superficial culture often associated with the Kardashians and their fellow Instagram stars (like Amber Rose and Snooki) who have promoted waist training. But for many within the corset and waist-training community, it's less about the original motivations of appealing to the male gaze, and more about doing what appeals to the person wearing one.

***


It's ironic that traditional corsets are beacons of fertility, because one form of waist training is done specifically to help heal the body after birth. Natasha V. from San Francisco describes how she wore a corset for a few months postpartum. "In my culture and family, it has been a tradition to wrap your waist with what we call a faixa (or faja in Spanish), to help your body recover from pregnancy and birth. During pregnancy, your skin stretches and your abdominal muscles spread; the faixa is used to help your body recover," she explains.

While she admits that it's hard to know if the results happened naturally or if her faixa played a role, Natasha says that regardless, she was happy with how she felt after using the faixa and would absolutely do it again. She also stresses the importance of the faixa in her culture, and notes that the goal in wearing it differs from conventional historical notions. "It's been such an important part of recovery from motherhood, that there isn't one woman in my family who didn't do it. [It is] different than the colonial method of waist-training," explains Natasha. "The goal was never necessarily to make your waist tiny, but to bring your waist back--or close--to its pre-pregnancy size and shape."

In addition to cultural reasons for embracing waist training, there may be sexual ones, as well; for many, of course, corsets are used in BDSM kink. And then there are those who use it for performative reasons.

"I got into corsets through acting," explains Gyda Arber, a writer and director from New York City. "It's impossible to look quite right in costumes if you're not in the proper undergarments, so I became a little obsessed with historical accuracy." In addition to the historical context, Arber found herself interested in waist training -- where one specifically wears a corset in order to trim down inches of midsection -- when she fell in love with a one-of-a-kind sample dress that was slightly too small, and was unable to have it altered. "I waist-trained pretty consistently along with exercise and diet (and no sugar and no drinking) and was able to drop 15 pounds pretty quick," she says. "I'm not sure how much the corset helped in terms of actual weight loss or reshaping, but I was definitely a lot less hungry when I had it on, as it does put some pressure on your stomach and makes you feel more full. I was super ravenous when I took it off, though."

Of course, the very idea that we need to physically restrict ourselves in order not to eat sends a host of problematic messages. And these are the messages that folks like the Kardashians continue to push via their social media pages. But whose fault is that? Theirs for trying to make some cash off product placement? Or society's for pushing these ideals of what a woman's body is "supposed" to look like at whatever cost (even her health)?

I'm not the only one who is conflicted when it comes to corsets, but for Arber? She sees no reason you can't be a feminist and a fan of corsets. "My feminism is intersectional and includes waist trainers. My posture feels better and I feel prettier. It's not for everyone, but I don't think it makes you a bad feminist to like corsetry. "

She has a point. Many in the corsetry community appreciate them not just for the way they make a body appear, but for the craftsmanship and skill that can go into making them. It is an art form, and some would even challenge that the reshaping of a body using corsets is an art unto itself.

Thankfully, we live in a time where corsets aren't considered the height of fashion, but we would be fooling ourselves to think we've escaped the pressures of bodily "perfection" that plagued our foremothers. There is still a notion of what the ideal female form should look like, and we continue to be inundated with products (from creams to exercise equipment to undergarments to fad diets) that promise to help us achieve unrealistic and occasionally unhealthy ideals.

As for me? I might be pulling out my pretty, metallic corset on occasion from here on out, but just don't see myself dutifully strapping my body into it daily in order to fit a problematic ideal.

This piece by Avital Norman Nathman originally appeared on The Establishment, a new multimedia site funded and run by women.

Other recent stories include:

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Is Being A Domme The Solution To My Sex Work Burnout?

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I Am Totally Obsessed With This WTF Hairbrush

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When my fellow editor and partner in beauty Beth Wischnia gave me this brush and said "Um yeah, figure this out!" I was like... WTF is this brush? When it comes to strange hair devices, we're always on board to give them a try so we can report back to you. Rather than looking up a tutorial on how this brush works, I decided the best way to give it an authentic go was to use it just as I would use any other brush, without changing up my routine or wandering too far out of my comfort zone. We've already shown you how to give yourself a blowout; will this strange new hairbrush be the next new tool to add to your blow-drying bank of goodies?

WTFBrush4

Prep: Wash, Dry + Add Styling Products


WTFBrush23

Leave-in Conditioner: Start this look off by using a leave-in conditioner. I'm using Giovanni 2Chic Ultra-Luxurious Leave in Conditioner in Cherry Rose ($7) because it's lightweight and super hydrating, helps with frizz and split ends and acts as a heat protector - oh yeah, and it smells insanely delicious!

Heat Protector: Even though the conditioner has a heat protector built in, I really like to make sure I'm doubling down on this front since I bleach my hair to lighten it. This Schwarzkopf Styliste Ultime Crystal Shine + Hold Heat Protection Shine Spray ($7) tackles this problem and leaves my hair with a subtle shine without taking away from the volume. Apply a small amount throughout the mid-shaft to the ends of your hairs. Avoid your roots so you can get the most volume with the next product.

Volumizing Root Lifter: Speaking of volume, you'll want to use a root lifting agent like Schwarzkopf Styliste Ultime Biotin + Volume Mousse ($7), which was developed for fine, brittle hair. I love the volume and texture this product delivers. Apply a small amount to your palms, rub together and then disperse throughout the roots of your hair.

Finishing Shine Spray: Once your hair is dry, it's best to add a final texturizing product to help your hair look a little more piece-y and finished. For this look, I'm using the Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Diamond Color & Radiance Shine Boost Tonic ($7). Instead of spraying it all over my hair, I apply it to my fingers and then use them to piece out the mid-shaft and ends of my hair. This particular formula works great with my lavender locks.

The Brush


WTFBrush1

This Lucky Trendy 3D Bomb Curl Brush ($20) is designed to allow a 360-degree way to brush, flip and shape your locks while you blow dry. As I mentioned above, I thought the best way to really test this brush out was to use it the same way I would in my normal blowdry routine and see if I noticed anything different in the process or results of the blowout. Here goes!

Begin at the Roots


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I like to start out by using my fingers to lift the roots all around my head directly upwards, while blow drying them on a higher heat setting. This will help set a foundation of volume in your hair.

Blow Dry Base to Top


WTFBrush

I have to say that my first experience using this brush was super weird. I wasn't at all convinced that this device was worth the struggle of manipulating it. It felt really strange to be able to flip the brush in any direction at first.

The Results: WTF?!


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It literally didn't hit me that this brush is insanely awesome until I looked in the mirror. My hair had SO. MUCH. VOLUME. Seriously, my mind was pretty blown. I then realized that I was borderline in love and was willing to try to practice using it until I got more comfortable because of how much oomph it gave my 'do.

Final Look


WTFBrush2

In. Love. Period.

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I'd love to see what gals with longer hair think about this brush and will have to pass this on to some other women in the B+C office to get some feedback. As for me, with short hair, I will officially deem this brush a major game-changer. #winning!

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Take A Look At Diversity On Fashion Magazine Covers In 2016 So Far

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Photo: Courtesy of W.

The numbers have been crunched in terms of diversity on the runways and in ad campaigns in recent seasons, with lackluster but very gradually improving representation. But how about fashion magazine covers? Jezebel recently looked at major magazine covers from the first six months of 2016 to gauge diversity among the cover models on 14 fashion, fitness, and teen titles.


Teen Vogue was a notable bright spot on the newsstands (at least in terms of cover castings; the title has had some troubled times otherwise), with four of its six issues this year featuring non-white celebrities, such as Willow Smith and Zoe Kravitz. So was Elle, which had five women of color on its cover since January.


Other (slight) exceptions to the whitewashed norms of women's glossies? Teen Vogue's main competition these days comes from Seventeen, which had three covers featuring non-white castings: Tori Kelly (of Jamaican, Puerto Rican, and Irish descent); Fifth Harmony (a particularly diverse girl group); and Michelle Obama, though the FLOTUS cover only graced some issues while others featured Meghan Trainor. InStyle also got a nod for its three cover models of color (Viola Davis, Jennifer Lopez, and Lupita Nyong'o).


W had a fairly strong showing, too: Zendaya and Smith shared a cover, and Jennifer Lopez (pictured) and Selena Gomez had their own covers. Allure featured approximately three models of color, too: Demi Lovato and FKA Twigs each had their own covers, and Naomi Campbell shared cover duties with Bella Hadid on another issue.


Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, and Redbook all haven't yet had a single model of color nabbing that coveted cover spot in 2016. Marie Claire had just one issue sans a white cover model, which featured three non-white stars sharing the honored spot (separate covers for Selena Gomez, Zendaya, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Self has also only broken from the all-white mold one time this year, and Shape and Women's Health didn't fare too well, either.

Acccording to Jezebel, Vogue (featuring Rihanna and Penelope Cruz, who's technically considered white thanks to her Spanish background) and Cosmopolitan (Jessica Alba and Shay Mitchell) also had little diversity to speak of.

Time will tell if this year's stats can improve upon 2015's: Fashionista did a comprehensive breakdown of racial diversity on fashion tomes last year and found 19.8% women of color, just a smidge higher than its findings for 2014, when 19.7% of magazines featured non-white cover stars. And, hey, there are still six more issues for these titles to diversify their cover castings -- and while we'd love to see that happen, we'd prefer if it was just commonplace, it being 2016 and all.

By: Alexandra Ilyashov

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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